I love Banos, Ecuador

10 Things to be grateful for as a missionary

So as I was thinking of something I could say today, I decided to look back at what I wrote last week, and realized that everything I said seemed pretty negative and down. So I am going to change my theme of 10 things because when you see blessings in your life that you can't even start to count how you can you write a letter with 10 things you need to be prepared for. I have offically decided to change my topic to things that you should be grateful for. Honestly the missionary life is not easy, but there are so many blessings that we can plainly see all around us. There are so many hard things too, but there are so many great things that you just have to show your thanks for what God has given you in abundance.  I feel like maybe I was looking at how I could help those who are worried about missions by starting with those things I said last week, but in reality it is a lot more helpful to see the blessings you will recieve through a mission, not the hardships. Or more accurately the hardships you will recieve that will bring blessings in your life.

10 Changes. God moves you to different places so that you can find the people who are prepared to hear you.  God gives you a bed to sleep on and people to talk to all you have to do is be obedient and attentive to his Spirit.

9 Learning a Language. You are blessed with the amazing opportunity to learn another language. there are so many people in the world who dont actually speak english but want to so bad, imagine how blessed you are to be able to speak their language and communicate with people from a whole different background then yours. 

8 People. You can meet people from all different backgrounds they are your brothers and sisters and need to hear those things that you know. Reach out to them and they will want to hear what you have to say about your testimony.

7 Food. you are blessed to have loving members in an area that want to give you food. they sacrifice so much to give you food continually. you will get to know new things and will learn how to be a differnt part of a different culture. 

6 Family. You will miss your family and be so excited to tell them about all the experiences that you are having. Your family will grow and you will find new people out there who have been apart of your family before this life too. They will help you when you miss your family back home.

5 Companions. It is an amazing opportunity to have the help of someone who is experienced in the mission. Some things that will happen are that, you wont get lost...or maybe you will but rarely...you will have someone that is there with you always to help you in lessons, you will have a companion when you are sick, sad, happy, or hungry...(4 important emotions that need companions) and lastly you will learn all of the most important lessons in your missions from them.

4 Teaching.  You will teach when you are happy, when you are sad, when you are hungry, when you are tired, when you are sick, and when you are all of the above and more. But you will teach people who will teach you and you will feel something in your heart that will just change everything else about you that you have ever been or ever will be.

3 Challenges. you will have your ups and downs, but you will be blessed through those challenges that you experience Romans 8 says, 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs withChrist; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified to 

gether.

2 Rejections. You will be given the opportunity to love so many people and out of all the people you meet probably only few will except the message and the journey you have for them. You are so blessed to know them and to share a part of the gospel with them. You will probably be told some things that might hurt your heart, but you will know that one day they will find what God wants for them and whether it is in this life or the next, you will know that God loves them and he has blessed you to meet them as well.

1 Conversions. I put this as the first thing to be grateful for because there is no other joy like the joy of sharing the gospel and then seeing someone change there lives for it. I have only seen three people that I have personally taught do this, but I have seen three perople who have wanted these things so bad, that they did everything to change their lives and take upon them the Name of Jesus Christ through baptism, but more importantly to be converted to the True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

As always I am so grateful for the things I have been able to hear from you all. may God bless you and may you continue to look forward to those things that will bring you lasting happiness throughout eternity.

Mucho Amor De Baños....es un poquito diferente de Quito,

Hermana Dunkley

                                                  I love Banos, Ecuador

                           Hermana Cornejo, Hermana Jara, Hermana Dunkley

                                                          Beautiful Bird

Banos Zoo

Oriente Banos Ecuador

Well so that my mother stops pressuring me I am going to email everyone now. haha. 

I moved and we had changes!!! Right now I am sitting at the base of a volcano in a city called Baños. yes it is called Baños, but it is like the paradise of the Quito, Ecuador mission. It is so gorgeous here and I feel like I'm a little bit at home because there are so many gringos...( white people ) because there are a bunch of tourists here. So that means that today I got to the terminal Quitumbe at 8 left there at 1030 and got here at 415 and I went most of the way with a different sister but she was going somewhere else so I went the last hour all by myself. It was really weird. I'm not quite sure if I liked it. haha. So now I am here with my two new peruanas. Hermana Jara and Hermana Cornejo. So yeah I am also in a trio. wahoo, but I get to wake up to Paradise everyday so I think I can live with that. 

Anways I was thinking of something that I read the last week that a friend showed me it was called the 10 things you need in Ecuador and I was thinking what are 10 things that you don't expect but need to as a missionary so here is my list

10 Changes. It sucks to pack all of your stuff up and just always expect the unexpected because you will see the unexpected.  You might think that a change or transfer will just be normal, but when you lose all of your PDAY just to go somewhere else yeah expect the unexpected it is better. 

9 Language. You can't judge how you will do in a different language before you leave on your mission. You can totally change and do better, but don't expect to be a perfect speaker. You need time and you need to work hard. 

8 People. You will be talking with practically anyone with a heartbeat. Get used to it and like it hopefully.

7 food. You will love and hate the food good luck.

And I will finish the other 6 things next week have to go and love you all. I'm here in Banos after a super like bus ride but what are you going to do haha. love you all so much!!

Hermana Dunkley