finally in california!

Familia!!

 

I have arrived in CALIFORNIA!!! I only have about 15 minutes to write but I am already LOVING it here!! It has been a super long day haha but I couldn't be happier. I just met with President Weston too and he is AWESOME!! He is honestly the absolute nicest and his spirit is soo strong. Also, Sister Weston could not be more darling. She is seriously the absolute cutest and I already adore her so much. She was the one who picked me up from the airport and so we got to chat just us two all the way to the church building where we met up with the 16 other missionaries. All English but me. When I entered the room they all stood up and I said HOLA!!! Haha I am soo used to speaking Spanish especially with those basic words so I keep catching myself slipping Spanish words out. At the Airports here in America too haha. People give me weird looks.... But I don't want to lose the little Spanish I already have!! 

So I need to keep speaking it tons and tons. So apparently there are 60 Sister missionaries in my mission and only SIX Spanish speaking Hermanas!!!! Crazy huh!? We are a complete minority here. But President Weston told me I'll be in a Spanish ward, a Spanish branch and my area will be very large. He said he's super excited about where my area is too but I won't find out till tomorrow!! Tomorrow is when I will find out who my trainer is as well. But as of now my companion is Sister Hatchett. Haha I want to say Hermana..... but she's English. I don't really know how to go about this whole Spanish English deal yet. I feel strange haha. We had a little meeting with some Elders just barely and it was all in English and it was seriously weird for me!!!! I kept translating it all as much as I could in Spanish too because I want to keep it all fresh. But oh yeah, so I got zero sleep last night, slept a little on the plane from Mexico to Pheonix but us new arrival Hermanas.... haha I can't say Sisters, it's weird.... are sleeping in a hotel tonight!!! Woot woot!! The luxury of being in the States! Haha I am back in America everyone!! It's crazy! 

I had a nice American dinner and am feeling great!! 

Oh yeah, and I met Elder Mosely!!!! He just arrived today as well! He's English but he went to Oly, is friends with Connor Haller (hahaha of course) and is way good friends with Elder Brand and Elder Garcia so they kept telling me to look for him once I got here. So that's fun! And then the AP knows Nick Barth and Bud Todd way well!! Unfortunately I can't think of his name at the moment... but I am so happy to be here!! Everyone is soooo nice and this place is BEAUTIFUL!!! Not sure where I am exactly at the moment but it's super green and pretty. Okay, well I have to run but in my next email I have to tell you guys about the experience I had on my plane ride from Pheonix to here... I chatted with the man next to me about the church the ENTIRE plane ride, taught him the entire first lesson (The Apostasy, Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon) ... had him read the introduction of the Book of Mormon and he read Joseph's Smith's testimony, I shared with him some of my favorite scriptures, gave him a pass along card.... taught him about the Word of Wisdom, the Law of Chastity... etc. I have soooo much to tell you about it. This man had sooo many questions and we had the craziest conversations. His questions were hard too. 

Ahhh I have so much to tell you!! But I ended with inviting him to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it to know if it were true. Ahhh I taught him sooo much. Just wait!!!! And mom and dad, afterwards he told me..... "Your parents should be so proud of you. You are a very special girl with a very special spirit." Haha oh and this man played baseball for the Oakland A's and other teams I can't think of at the moment. I'll give you the whole story later but I have to run!! My companion is waiting for me. Love you all so much and just want you to know I am safe and sooo very happy!! I was going to call back to say goodbye but my plane was boarding!!!!! I actually tried to but it wasn't working and then my plane was boarding. But I'll talk to you all in just a few months on CHRISTMAS!!!! Get excited. Haha but okay gotta run!! Adios!!

 

Con mucho amor, Hermana Barth

 

Ps. mom and dad... President Weston is good friends with Willy Gibbs!! We made that connection ha. Oh, and all the Elders that are here with us know about me from Elder Mansell, Megan Mansell's older brother. He apparently talked about how I was coming a lot and so they've all been waiting to see who I was!! 

Haha and he told President Weston and his wife lots about me too.... hope it was all good things haha okay LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!

p.s. last pictures from the mexico MTC!