Transfers!

MY DEAREST AND LOVELIEST FAMILY!!!!!!!

I HAVE THE BIGGEST NEWS FOR YOU ALL .... Sooo we had transfers and I
AM GETTING TRANSFERRED!!!!!! Which was completely expected since I
have now been in Gridley for 7 1/2 months but as for where I am going
and everything... I hope you are all as SHOCKED as I was... and AM
haha but so I am SHOT-GUN TRAINING a new area in YUBA CITY!!!!!!!! I
AM SHOT-GUN TRAINING!!!!!! Hahahaha WHAAAAT!?!? I am opening a new
area in the Yuba City Spanish Branch and training while doing so!!!!
Hahaha I am so shocked right now. I cannot even TELL you!!!! So I have
to first off tell you the story of when we found out....

Haha so I have had a very strong gut feeling that I was going to get
transferred and so on top of doing our every day work I have been
trying to visit people, say goodbye, take pictures, etc. Yesterday, I
did this the most and even bore my testimony in sacrament meeting
because I had a good idea it was going to be my last time there. So
that was good and I was able to say goodbye to lots of people.
However, we still had no idea WHERE I was going or what. Haha and we
have been trying to predict transfers for a little while now, it's
kinda fun to do even though we have NO idea.... Especially with our
mission getting 3 new Hermanas. Again, we have only had one other
Hermana come since me, so this seems like a big group to us. The
Hermanas are growing!!! Haha but so anyways, we have been TRYING to
somewhat predict what was going to happen however since I knew I was
leaving and not staying in a stable area, I never once thought I would
be TRAINING!!! Soo I assumed Hermana Richards would be and Hermana
Piggott and then the 3rd was a mystery. I figured Hermana Lee would as
well since she has been out longer and I don't know, I could just see
it. So anyways... last night we were leaving the Lopez's and all of
the sudden the AP's called us. Which is unusual because we normally
just get a voicemail from the Zone Leaders around 10 PM. But I
answered their call around 8:50 and it was AP Austin, haha he asked if
I had already gotten the voicemail and then he was like, I am very
happy I get to be the first to tell you the news! And then he went off
on how I am opening up a new area in Yuba and then I was like, who is
my companion?? He led into telling me that I am going to be a TRAINER
and then went off on how great a privilege that is, etc. etc. haha and
I was just in complete shock. And THEN they asked to talk to Hermana
Richards and she is TRAINING as well AND is replacing a Sister
Haupeakui as the Sister Training Leader!! Soo it was quite the big
announcement and call for the both of us haha. And then Hermana
Piggott is training as well!!!! So us three will be going to the
mission office on Wednesday to meet our trainee's and everything!!!
Haha I am soo excited!!!! The fact that I get to see Hermana Piggott
too is making me beyond happy. Also, the last time I was at the
mission office she was picking ME up as a little trainee!!!!! Hahaha
it's crazy!!!!!! Also, I will be able to be will all three of my
companions thus far. So nuts. I'll make sure to take a picture haha.
But so anyways, we were freaking out when we were talking to the AP's
and trying to stay somewhat calm and composed on the phone with them
hahaha but then as soon as we hung up, we screamed a little. It was
just the craziest transfer call and such a surprise for me!!!!! I feel
very privileged to be able to train too and although my Spanish isn't
incredible and I have a ton to work on, improve on and learn myself...
plus I am going to an area I am not at all familiar with, I know that
President Weston as well as The Lord are putting a lot of trust in me
and I hope to do the very best I can!!! I want to make sure I start my
new companion's mission off right!!! And I hope to be half the trainer
Hermana Piggott was for me. I still am the absolute luckiest and feel
as though all of my companions are GOLDEN and my best friends... I
really have been so blessed it's ridiculous. But so anyways, that's
the transfer update!!!! Pretty crazy, right???? Oh, and I will be able
to see Sister Perry, Jessica's friend, on Wednesday as well because
she'll be arriving too! So fun! Oh and as for the Yuba City Spanish
Branch.....

Everyone ALWAYS raves about this branch and absolutely love it. Elder
Hernandez who is now here says Yuba was his absolute favorite and even
the members in our Branch love going up there. The members are
supposedly AWESOME and everyone says it's soo much fun. I always have
thought of Yuba as the party branch and the other day Hermana Richards
and I were both saying how we hoped we'd get to serve there someday.
And now I get to!!!! Also, there is already a set of Hermanas and
Spanish a Elders there but the work has been so busy that they are
opening up new areas and bringing me and my comp in!!!! The Hermanas
there right now are Hermana Briggs (who is DARLING and looks like a
J-CREW model) and Hermana Toledo-Rodriguez who is Karla Rodriguez, who
dad has heard of!!!! She is sooo awesome too and I cannot wait to
serve there! Also, we were talking to them last night and Hermana
Briggs said that they are so excited to get more Hermanas because they
have been so busy & had so much work to do that they are like chickens
running around with their heads cut off. So I cannot wait!!!! I cannot
remember where I am living or anything, because I was in complete
shock when AP Austin was telling me some info... but I'll tell you all
of that next week. And I'll tell you who my new compañera is and
everything!! I am so excited!!!!!!!! Hahaha and I still feel like a
greenie so we'll see how it all goes!! Ahhh so crazy. I cannot wait.

However, I am very sad to leave Gridley too of course. Yesterday I was
on the phone with Yamara and it was making me sad..... but I am not
going TOO far away and we'll keep in touch. I love that Salt Lake is
soo close too because I will be coming back to visit ALL the time
after I get home. So much fun. It was hard saying goodbye to everyone
though and I will be sad to say goodbye to Yamara, Jesus and
Marcella... But Any & Maria's baptism will be ASAP as well so I will
be coming back for that soon enough. So no more about the sad stuff.
Gridley will always be special in my heart and I am not going to dwell
over the sadness of leaving it. As well as the darling members.
However, our branch goes up to Yuba ALL the time too for Volleyball
nights sooo there's a big chance I'll see them still sometimes. It
will be great. And I am sad to leave Hermana Richards, she is honestly
an INCREDIBLE missionary and seriously one of the best people I know.
I love this girl soooo much and could not have loved being her
companion more. We really have had some of the BEST times together,
worked super hard and have seen much success together, always seem to
be laughing and just having the best time and ahhh I love her so much.
She is, like my other two companions, one of my dearest and best
friends and I KNOW we will be the greatest friends after the mission
as well. Haha we will most likely live in the same place as well....
since we have in the past!!!! Haha no but she has actually talked to
me about rooming together soooo it's a definite possibility. Now I
just have to get Hermana Piggott to come to BYU as well as Hermana
Howe and my life will be made!!!!!!!!! Ohhhh it is all too good. I am
too blessed. I have made life-long BEST FRIENDS and I couldn't be
happier about it. No but really, Hermana Richards is seriously the
best and I love her so much. I am so excited to come back to Gridley
for our baptism as well. It will be glorious. So as for updates on Any
& Maria....

We have taught them everything now. We have taught them every lesson,
they came to General Conference, we gave them a church tour and then
they came to church yesterday!! So now all that needs to be done is
they have to come to church ONE more time and they will both be
baptized!!!!!!! So it will be ASAP. Any is still trying to find
someone to switch her time schedule though so that she can come to
church every Sunday so we're not positive when her 3rd time will be.
But I cannot wait!!! They are honestly as GOLDEN as you get. So when
we gave them a church tour this week they LOVED everything about the
building and then we watched a talk from the Women's General
Conference and they loved it!! Also, when Sister Wixom asked those who
are 8, 9, 10 and 11 to stand up... Maria stood up and then when they
started singing she tried to sing along with them... So cute. Then
afterwards, we all sang a few primary songs and hymns together and and
it was so precious. Any even started crying and then Maria said, "my
favorite one is I AM A CHILD OF GOD" ... Could she be more perfect???
And anyways, Maria also expressed how she was scared of water and
scared to be baptized because of it... But we told her to pray to
Heavenly Father about it and she did and then said she isn't scared
anymore!!! I love it! Also, they loooved church yesterday and came to
all 3 hours. Maria went to primary too and afterwards said she has
already made many new friends!!! Amazing. But anyways, they are all
set for baptism so we just have to get them to church once more and I
will be there!!! Also, Any's coffee maker is gone out of her house now
and she is obeying every commandment!!!! Sooo amazing!!!! Ahh I have
so much more I could say, but they are the complete definition of
GOLDEN INVESTIGATORS!!!! In EVERY way possible. Also, we went out to
dinner with them one night which was super fun.

But okay, there's tons more I could say about lots of stuff but I have
to go!!!!! Transfers is the biggest news I have today hahaha. Crazy
day and it is going to be a CRAZY WEEK!!!!!!!! Okay, well I have to
go. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!

Con amor,

Hermana Barth

Oh, and crazy/sad story. At the end of sacrament meeting yesterday our
investigator Alicia has a SEIZURE!!!! It was the scariest thing to
watch and we ended up calling an ambulance and they had to take her to
the hospital. It was soooo sad. But she has a big history with
seizures, that's why she always wears a helmet and is strapped into
her wheelchair... I sent you a picture of me with her in the hospital
last week??? But so anyways, it was very crazy and we're going to call
to see how she's doing today. Okay, if I forgot anything I'll tell you
next week!!! ¡ADIOS!