Monday, January 20, 2014

Transfers!


Hello my lovely family,

BIG NEWS. 
We had TRANSFERS. 

YEP, we had transfer calls last night and

HERMANA PIGGOTT IS GETTING TRANSFERRED.

 I know. I can't talk about it.
She's heading to Lincoln and we're switching companions with the
Hermanas up there. So Hermana Piggott will be with Hermana Lee and
Hermana Richards is coming here. We've all met before and they both
seem like darling girls, so I am excited. I remember Hermana Richards
talking about how it's important to speak Spanish ALL the time so that
will be way good. I would love it if we spoke only Spanish to each
other a lot of the time. Hermana Piggott and I have had all Spanish
mornings and a few days of the week for speaking only Spanish but it
will be good to make it even more strict. I don't know Hermana
Richards very well at all but the impression I received when I found
out she's going to be my companion is that we will be very very hard
workers together. We'll get A LOT of work done. I could sense that
dedication and diligence in her from the one time I met her so I am
super excited. That's all I want. Is a companion who will be obedient,
hard working and focused. And also who will love the people as much as
I do, etc. but so anyways... that's my big announcement!!!! 

I can't lie though and say I'm not sad to say goodbye to my best friend. I
love Hermana Piggott sooo much and we have had the most amazing time
together. So I am going to be very sad to say goodbye to her. I am
going to miss her tons & tons but I know that transfers are for good
and important reasons. I also trust President Weston and his decisions
completely and more importantly, trust our Heavenly Father whole
heartedly. So I know I will have an incredible time with Hermana
Richards as well. Soo crazy I don't know her fly to the moon right now
though!! I am about to be glued to the hip with a complete stranger!!!
Haha no but that's part of the fun and we're both sister missionaries,
here to do the Lord's work so I am super excited. We are switching
tomorrow so I'll let you know how it all goes next week!! Ohh man. I
am going to miss my darling Hermana Piggott though. I love her so.
Yesterday in sacrament they had her bear her testimony and as soon as
she got choked up, I had tears running down my cheeks. As did Yamara.
It's hard but again, I trust the Lord and this is just part of the
adventure. I'm excited. And Hermana Richards came out with Hermana
Piggott so we are going to be able to get right to work!!!!!! I'm
completely ready for it!!!!! And Hermana Piggott and I are going to be
the best of friends after the mission, no questions asked, so it will
just be a short period of time before we'll be running around together
again. Of course, it will be in completely different circumstances but
we have a great bucket list of things we're going to do together.
We'll be friends forever. She truly is one of my closest and dearest
friends. Ahhh love her so much!!! 

But okay and then for quick updates... We have Raquel on date for February 15th!!!!!! 
We taught Raquel a long time ago, around when I first got here, she actually was
the first lesson I taught haha and she was SO golden but ALWAYS
working. So she was never able to come to church..... Well, she
doesn't have work till April and while were updating our area books to
our iPads, I was updating her and was inspired to go teach her again.
Along with her son Gabriel. So we went and she was soo excited to meet
us! She told us she has missed us a ton and that she had been thinking
a ton about us and the church. We taught her the first two lessons
over again, she remembered EVERYTHING, has been reading from her Book
of Mormon and she then told US she has been really really thinking
about being baptized. So we invited her right then and there, of
course... She accepted and we put her on date!!!! She wasn't able to
attend church yesterday so we had to put it for the 15th but I am soo
excited!!!! She is sooo knowledgable in the gospel already and had
such a strong spirit. She will be a great addition to the branch so
please pray that everything works out. Also, I had a feeling her son
needed to listen again, he's 21, so we called him into the family
room... He listened, asked me some deep questions... I answered them
to my best ability and backed them up with scriptural references... He
was satisfied. Said we could begin teaching him again, which was a
miracle.. And so we need to get him on date ASAP as well!! Then I also
had a strong impression while we were updating the area book that we
needed to visit Maggie again. So we did.. It was her Birthday the day
we went, which was fun, so we taught her still.. And then we went back
for a second lesson and brought Yamara!! Wow. Yamara is incredible.
She has the strongest and most sincere testimony. Hearing her share it
in our lesson honestly blew me away. She also helped us actually teach
the lesson too, sooo cute!! So anyways.. We both had the strong
impression that we needed to teach Maggie the first lesson again and
really emphasize Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Well anyways,
her sister Rosa ended up joining us and we taught the entire first
lesson. We really went into a lot of it though because they are a very
very Catholic family so they know a lot about the Bible, etc. but so
anyways... She was LOVING it and had the most amazing comments,
questions etc. one being.... "If I was baptized into the Catholic
church could I still be baptized into the Mormon church???" 

Of course we were all beaming and immediately then invited her to be baptized.
She said she has always questioned her religion, even had asked her
pastor if it was a sin to question it.... And she said if after she
reads from the Book of Mormon, prays to God asking him if it's true..
She feels she has received an answer and that it is God's will... Then
OF COURSE she will be. She also said that she would still be baptized
even though her parents are super Catholic. Whereas, when we asked
Maggie the same question previously.. She said she would just stick
with her upbringing in the Catholic church. But Rosa is 20, 21 years
old so she can get baptized without her parents consent or anything.
AMAZING!!!!!! She is GOLDEN. I am so excited. She's perfect. Has such
a sincere desire to know and I can tell she has TRUE content. Meaning
she will act upon the answer she receives. Oh and we asked Yamara to
bear her testimony during the lesson and she bore the STRONGEST and
most sincere, powerful testimony. She blew me away and sounded like
such a young adult. She said something along the lines of, "So I grew
up Catholic right? Like you. But when I started listening to the
missionaries and first went to the church I just felt soooo good.
Church is like my little sanctuary. I feel so much peace, love and
happiness when I am there. Everything... the Book of Mormon, the
church, the people, all of it.. Make me feel so good and have CHANGED
my life. When I decided I wanted to be baptized, it was all I wanted.
My mom would try to entice me to do otherwise by bringing up my
quinceañera because it WAS something I had wanted my entire life. I
had dreamed about it since I was a little girl. But it is just a
party... And once I decided I wanted to be baptized into this church,
it was ALL I wanted. I had to fight for it too with my parents but I
knew it was worth it. This church really makes me so happy and I know
I will never ever regret my decision to be baptized. I know it's the
right path for me. You seriously should be baptized because you won't
regret it. It means a lot to me. And if you go to church, you'll want
to be baptized." 

I wrote that all down right after the lesson so I
could remember somewhat of it.. She was crying while saying it all too
and since I was feeling the spirit so strong I couldn't remember it
ALL but she said it so powerfully and it was amazing. And she pretty
much invited them to be baptized herself!!! I loved it!! There's
nothing better than watching a convert teach, share their testimony
and invite OTHERS to do what they've done. Be baptized. It's so
incredible. We all felt the spirit so strong and afterwards Rosa asked
us to then share our testimonies. Amazing lesson. I'll give you more
updates next week. Okay, then real quick... The Elizondo's. Antonio is
getting a little riled up lately because he knows what he needs to do
but just isn't ready to change and do it. He even said to me,
"Sometimes it's hard to hear the truth... I am not READY right now."
And we have taught him over and over how he shouldn't procrastinate...
The time is NOW. But we can't force him to change. So we're going to
give him some more breathing space and let him figure it out. He tells
us he feels the spirit we tell him about whenever we're around because
we're angels to him, he feels it whenever he comes to church, he felt
it at Yamara's baptism, etc. but he just is holding back. He'll figure
it out. He just needs time. But we didn't go over to their house for
the rest of the week and he called us saying, "I miss you! I miss you!
Why haven't you been coming over??" ... We think it will be good for
him to feel the a sense of us not coming over as much. He's so used to
us being over there that it will be good for him to think more on his
own. 

Anyways, Hermana Rodriguez feels the same... He came to our
lesson earlier this week however, we are going to really focus on
Lorenza. She is progressing sooo much. We had an awesome lesson with
her this week and did I tell you about the time she prayed for us??
And how at the end of her prayer she started CRYING!? And Yamara got
all excited and said, "she was touched by the Holy Ghost!!!" And went
and hugged her and kissed her on the cheek. Yamara wants her mom to be
converted soo bad and is being such an amazing example to her. Also,
Lorenza came to church yesterday all by herself. We're in the progress
of a miracle here!! Keep her in your prayers!!!!! But okay, I have
more to say but have to write President before my time is up. I'll
give you more updates next week along with an update on my new
compañera!!! Ahhh so crazy. 

Okay, I have to go!!! Oh!! And President and Sister Lopez LOVED meeting you mom, dad and Abigail!!!
 They went on and on about your get together at our house haha. They even brought
up HENRY!!!! Hahaha so crazy they hung out at our house for over 2
ours with you guys!!! I love it so much!!! And they think you are all
just AMAZING. President went on and on about you all. He was like wow,
your FATHER... etc. etc. and your MOTHER... etc. etc. and they thought
Abby was another version of me hahaha. I love it!!! They honestly are
in love with you guys and I know exactly why! I have the best family
in the world!!! I love you all sooo much. If they could have met
everyone else as well they would have been even more obsessed. Haha
and they showed me some pictures too.. Sooo cute!!!! I love my
family!! I am so happy you all got to meet. Oh, and Krista was
OBSESSED with you all too. Hahaha too good. Ps. Abs, you told them to
look for all of my corky mannerisms like rubbing my thumb against my
lips, flipping my hair, etc. hahahahaha and they told you I lick my
lips a lot!?! Hahaha what!? Too funny. I guess some things never
change. I'm my same old weirdy self. With even more weirdness added to
me haha. But I love it. And mom!! Thank you soo much for the
package!!! It was AMAZING and I LOVE the picture calendar!!!! Haha
that led to the Lopez's knowing about Michael..... Hahaha they asked a
bit about him after that. But I love it and everything you sent was
absolutely PERFECT. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. Okay, the clock is ticking.
¡ADIOS! Oh and for my quick shout outs.... JANIE AND CHRIS ARE
MARRIED!!!! Ahhhh Janie George!!! Sooo crazy. Send me pictures from
the wedding please and if you see the married woman, tell her congrats
from me please. I can't believe my little baby sister is MARRIED. And
has a HUSBAND. SO FUN!!!! And then JANE ELIZABETH FINNEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CONGRATS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT!!!!!! I have been anxiously awaiting for
that announcement and I'll write you more in a personal email but I am
SOOOOO EXCITED for you and cute Carter!!!!!! I couldn't be more
thrilled, excited or happy. I am pretty sad I'll be missing the big
day..... Very sad I won't be seeing that sealing in the temple but
I'll be there in spirit!!!! Okay, I'll write more to you later. Soo
many engagements and weddings though of people MY AGE!!! My FRIENDS.
How am I this old????? Haha sooo fun though. I love it. Okay, love you
all.

Con mucho mucho amor y un gran abrazo,
Hermana Barth

Ps. Cutest line from Jesús at church yesterday to Hermana Piggott...
"If I don't see you again, I want you to know that you and Hermana
Barth... Have CHANGED my life."

My heart was about to burst. He is adorable. I love my sweet little
angel converts!!!!!!

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