Life is Wonderful!

Hello my lovelies!!

How is everyone!? Ohh I am in such a wonderful mood again. Life is WONDERFUL isn't it?? Okay, well here goes for some quick updates since I have to hurrrryyyy......

1. Jesus is still getting baptized on Saturday!!! We have been teaching him every single day, teaching him all the lessons and preparing him for his big day and we are all soo excited!! I honestly cannot wait to see him enter the waters of baptism and be confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!! The TRUE church of our Savior, Jesus Christ!! We still have a lot to do but it's going to be a wonderful baptism! I'll have to tell you all how it goes next week!! Keep praying for him though that everything still goes well till Saturday... but I can't believe me and Hermana Piggott are having our first baptism together!! When I first got here Hermana Piggott was kinda discouraged she hadn't had one yet and I KNEW we'd have one together. And sooon!! I could just feel it. Ahhh we're soo excited. And Jesus is the cutest. Oh, and this is HUGE for our branch. This is the first baptism our branch has had... and it has been opened for over a year now. So our branch President is BEYOND thrilled and excited. We ate dinner at his house last night and he was almost in tears he was so excited. He said it has been really hard on him that we haven't been having baptisms soo he is so happy we're getting things going and seeing miracles!!!! And I know this is just the first to many!!

(Jesus's little sister!)

2. We have a new investigator named Marcella. She is 23 and SO darling and here's our story with her... so on Wednesdaywe had dinner with this darling girl in our branch Wendy, she's 19 and Nubia's younger sister (the one I told you about last week who just returned home from her mission)... well anyways, she had us for dinner (signed up to feed us which was so cute) and Nubia was going to come but couldn't, so she brought her friend Marcella, who she works with, instead. Well anyways, she is BEAUTIFUL and anyways... while we were eating we got into a discussion with Wendy about the Atonement and Jesus Christ. It was a very spiritual conversation and while we were talking I could see Marcella's eyes just widen and she was very engaged in what we were saying. Well, I then asked her if she had a specific religion... she said no, and then Wendy brought up how when she was leaving work Marcella asked her where she was going and she said she was eating dinner with members from her ward and Marcella then said, "Why haven't you ever invited me to your church??" Wendy said she didn't know... and then Marcella asked if she could come to dinner. Well after Wendy brought this up Marcella then said, "I want to keep learning about your church!! Just sitting here listening to your conversation makes me want to learn even more!" So I got super excited and said, "Can we really teach you more!? We would love that so much!!" And she said, "Really!! You are welcome to come over to my house whenever you want and teach me!!!" Well so anyways, I was THRILLED as you can imagine and we planned a lesson for the next night. With Wendy and Nubia attending as well... And Marcella said, "Okay and don't get too full on dinner because I'll make you hot chocolate!!" She is DARLING!!!! So then the next night came and we were sooo excited. We got to Marcella's and they had it all set up. Our two chairs facing them on the couch... so cute. And well so we planned to teach the lesson in Spanish of course but as we started I think Marcella could tell we were a little nervous and she knows English way well so she said, "You can teach me in English!! Actually, I want you to teach me in English. I feel like in Spanish you won't tell me as much and I want to hear all the details!!" So.... we taught in English and I think it was a tender mercy because we were able to tell her every little thing and fluently. It was soooo good. And the lesson was AMAZING!!! Best lesson we've ever taught. The spirit was SO strong and I felt it soooo strongly while I would be talking and teaching that my face was completely blushed and I even looked down and my chest was all blushed as well. I was overwhelmed with warmth from the spirit. It was amazing. I could just feel the spirit inside of me soo strongly. I can't even explain it but it was so powerful. And while I would be teaching I could just feel Marcella's spirit and her eyes would just be completely locked. And it was soo awesome because we had Nubia teach some of it too and her and Wendy would bear their testimonies on things.... it was overall SUCH a powerful lesson!!!! It was amazing. And I was planning on asking her about baptism because the spirit confirmed to me that the invitation needed to be made but then Wendy brought it up beforehand and asked if she would want to be baptized and Marcella said YESSSS!!!!! And we asked her to pray about what we had taught her, about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, etc. and she said, "Okay I will!! However, I already know this church is true. This is the one." Oh, and when I was talking about Joseph Smith Marcella said she felt EXACTLY like him!! Her parents both went to different churches however she always wanted to know for herself which one was true and didn't feel right about either. It was amazing!! And when we were talking about the Book of Mormon she was like, "How can I get myself a Book of Mormon!?" And when we told her we had one for her she was sooo excited and could not wait to get reading it. Oh, and we set a baptismal date forNovember 23rd and she was so excited to come to church with us on Sunday, but it was Stake Conference so the hours were earlier and she ended up having to pick up her daughter in Sacramento so she couldn't make it... but she was soo sad she couldn't and can't wait to come to all 3 hours with us next week!! We had to push back her date though so now her baptismal date will be November 30th. Our mission rule is they have to attend church 3 times before they are baptized.... but anyways, she is sooo darling and SO GOLDEN. She is the perfect example of someone who was prepared and she has the desire all by herself. We weren't even directly teaching her at dinner but she herself loved what we were saying and from Wendy's example, wanted to know more about her church. And she asked US to learn more!! AMAZING!!!! Oh, and at the end of the lesson we asked Marcella how she felt and she said, "I feel something different and I know this is right for me. I am so happy Wendy brought me to this." And she started crying!!!!!!!! It was the CUTEST thing in the world!! The spirit was soo strong that we were pretty much all in tears. And she then expressed her love for Wendy and Nubia and said how happy she felt, etc. It was incredible. Oh, and for more of a background on Marcella altogether... she has a little girl but her and the dad are not together anymore (after 7 years), she has a boyfriend but they don't live together (phewffff) and her dad left her mom when she was little and her mom didn't parent her very well so she has pretty much been on her own and independent since a young age however, Wendy said she has the most positive outlook on life and you would never know she has had to do so much for herself. And when Marcella was talking about Wendy she was expressing how she is like the sister she never had and just said how much their friendship means to her, etc. Ahh I love it so much. It truly is through members and friendships that people convert to the gospel.... like Jesus and Oscar!!! But anyways, we are planning for November 30th and it makes me smile so much just thinking about it because Marcella is SOOO cute and has the sweetest spirit! She is our Heavenly Father's daughter and my sister. I love her soo much. Oh and after the lesson we had hot chocolate and Mexican pastries, mmmm. Oh and tonight we are having a lesson with her, her daughter, Wendy and Nubia at the Orme's house!! Sister Orme is going to have dinner for us and then we'll teach in their nice, warm home. The Orme's are AMAZING!! I love them so much. I'll have to write more about them another time.... but me and Hermana Piggott are suuuper close to Brother Orme and we've already planned to come back and visit and he wants to take us down to San Francisco. Hermana Piggott has never been there. So anyways, they will be life long friends of mine. We have some amazing members here and since Brother Orme (he's a high councilmen) served his mission in Mexico he is super involved with the branch and anyways.... we're teaching Marcella the Plan of Salvation tonight and I know she's going to LOVE it!! I cannot wait!! Pray for her family and I'll give you an update next week!!!! I am soooo happy we found her!!!! MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!

3. We got permission from Maggie's parents to keep teaching her and we met her older sister Rosa on Friday and talked to her about the gospel forever too!! She joined in after our lesson with Maggie and she's super Catholic too and a very very good girl. But so she said Maggie has been telling her about what we've been teaching and she wanted to learn more.... so we talked about a ton and were answering a ton of her questions about religion in general. She would say how the Catholic church had it's flaws because she had so many questions and we told her we had all the answers to her questions!! So we're going to teach her next weekend... she goes to school in Sacramento and is only here for the weekends so we have to wait but I am excited to teach her more!! I think it will help Maggie a ton too to have her sister learn as well... she can have more support with it all. I'll update more next week..... 

4. Halloween was fun! We had to come in at 6 pm and so me and Hermana Piggott helped pass our candy to the tricker treaters, we dressed up in some silly stuff Hermana Piggott's mom sent us haha you'll see from the pictures.... and then we watched THE JOSEPH SMITH MOVIE!!!!! We were so excited. It was the last movie I watched in the CCM but we got all cozy on the Adam's couch and watched it while eating Halloween candy... we were happy. And we wanted to carve pumpkins but waited too long and that night all the pumpkins in town were sold!!! Oh well, the movie was better anyways haha. And I LOVED seeing pictures of everyone!!! Mom and dad, you two KILL ME!!!!! Still can't get over the Elvis and his HOUNG DOGGGG hahaha AMAZING!!! Then Brad and Britt...... HILARIOUS!!!!!! I am still laughing over them all. Then Abs and Ralph's costumes..... DARLING and perfect, of course. Did Scooter dress up??? What about HENNNYY!?!? And CONGRATS ON THE RED SOX WINNING THE WORLD SERIES!!!!!!!!! Hahaha I can just imagine you all freaking out with excitement. Pretty sad I missed out on that to be honest..... Hahaha have you talked to the Haglunds about it yet????? Sooo fun!!!!!

5. Real quick... I am obsessed with Oscar's family. It's big Oscar, little Oscar, Idalia and their little one Christopher. They were less actives when Hermana Piggott got here but now they are soo strong and ahhhh our favorites!!!! I'll have to send you pictures of them all but they are the cutest family ever and we love visiting with them and teaching them. They are so awesome and even since I got here I have seen little Oscar changing so much. He is so solid and Jesus's situation has been strengthening him even more as well... oh and yesterday we went over to their house and we had a Spanish/English discussion. They were teaching us English and we were teaching them English. It was soooo much fun. Hahaha I wish you all could watch us teaching each other. When we taught them the word "teeth" they could NOT do the "th" sound and we were all just laughing and laughing. It was amazing!!! But I learned soo much from them and I know that if we keep doing that with them, teaching one another, my Spanish will improve a TON and we'll be able to help Big Oscar and Idalia learn English too!!!! Little Oscar and Christopher are fluent in English but they don't help their parents... the stinkers. But I loved it and we're going to keep doing it with them and next week are going to have FHE at their house. I cannot wait!!! I will have to tell you more about them later, no time, but they're the best and I love their family sooo much!!! Also, they're from El Salvador RALPH!!!!! And when I told them you served your mission there they were soooo excited!!!! Do you know an Oscar Rodriguez?? Big Oscar said his uncle Oscar (or cousin... I can't remember) is a member over there. And his sons too?? Anyways, I learned more about El Salvador and that was way fun!! And when we have FHE with them they're going to make us El Salvadorian foooood. Can't wait!!!

Okay, well I don't have any more time because I have to write President. Which speaking of President Weston, he is AMAZING!!!! And I love him more than I can express. He is truly one of the most incredible men I have ever met and I admire him in ever way. He just radiates with the spirit and even though I haven't known him for too long I feel soo close to him and feel his love so strongly. When I met with him a couple of weeks ago I was just overwhelmed with the spirit and we had such an amazing interview/meeting together.... I love him so much and know he is my mission President for a reason. He is amazing!!! As if Sister Weston.... ohhhh I love them so much. And I was able to hear from both of them at General Conference yesterday and before Conference we had a class for our investigators, recent converts, potential investigators... Jesus came with us but President and Sister Weston talked as well as our Stake President, President Paine. It was soooo powerful and profound. Dad, do you do something like that in your stake?? If not, I highly suggest doing it. I'll give you more details of it later... I'm writing you today!!! But we felt very lucky to hear from such inspired men. What a wonderful wonderful day.... But okay, I really have to go!!! I love you all soooo much. You're all amazing and I think about you every single day. Thanks for everything!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Con mucho mucho amor, Hermana Barth