TRANSFERS!!!!

TRANSFERS!!!!

Yep. So, before anything else......

      I am getting TRANSFERED!!!!!! What!? Crazy right? I know, I feel

like I JUST got to Yuba City too. But it's a real thing. I am already

leaving!!! Which I am still in shock about. So I knew things were

going to change here because Hermana Briggs & Hermana Toledo have both

been here for 6 months.... So we all thought Hermana Briggs was

leaving... But then everyone started telling me I was leaving too.

Because we have one Hermana going home, my grandma - Hermana Butler,

Hermana Piggott's trainer haha ... And we aren't getting any new

Spanish sisters this transfer or next... So anyways, we knew an area

would be closed and it only made sense that they would shut down one

of the Hermanas in Yuba. And they wouldn't take both Hna. Toledo &

Hna. Briggs out soo that means I would be leaving. Hermana Hughes just

finished being trained too so it only made sense she'd stay in the

area. But anyways... I still had a feeling I wouldn't be leaving and

yesterday didn't say goodbye to anyone or anything unlike the other

sisters... I didn't want to be dramatic over nothing. And here I am!

Packing up & leaving!!! It's soo crazy. But so what is happening is

Hermana Hughes is now going to be companions with Hermana Toledo

(Rodriguez) and I am going up to Chico to be with Hermana Lee!!!!!

Which I am sooo excited about. I don't know if you remember me talking

about her but she's my age, from HOLLADAY, went to Olympus... we know

all of the same people, she's darling, was trained by Hermana Richards

and then was companions with Hermana Piggott after me! So we have had

two of the same companions!!!! And we used to all joke that we needed

to be companions and then Hna. Piggott & Hna. Richards, so that we

could all have been comps and will have a little foursome going (we

all already know we will all be best friends after the mission and

then come back & visit the mission together... all the time) and now

it is just completing our goal! Hna. Richards & Hna. Piggott were

companions for a night when they came out together too so that will

count for them haha. But anyways, I am super excited to be companions

with her and to go to CHICO!!!! However, I am still sad to leave Yuba.

I feel like I JUST arrived here and now I am comfortable with the

area, members... love them all so much and we were getting close to

all of these less-actives, finally picking up investigators - the

Vargas family - etc. and am getting booted!! I joke and say I got

jipped haha but en realidad I completely, whole-heartedly trust in The

Lord and know this is where I am supposed to go. Right now. So with

that, I feel very much at peace and am also filled with tons of

excitement. This is what the mission is about!! You never know what's

going to happy!! It's a crazy ride!! But I AM sad to say goodbye to

Hermana Hughes too. My little trainee!!!!! We have definitely had

quite the adventure together, I have never worked harder in my entire

life... but we were able to witness many miracles together and had so

much fun along the way. I feel very lucky I was able to be companions

with Hermana Hughes for these past two transfers. She is a wonderful

person full of so much energy, love, happiness & light. She has taught

me a lot about embracing & loving the littlest things in life and even

though I was her trainer, I feel like I learned so much from her. She

has been so cute and I am excited to see her down at BYU after the

mission!! It will be a lot of fun. Her and Hermana Toledo will have a

blast together too. They are both full of sooo much energy &

enthusiasm. I am excited for them. It's crazy though... I feel as

though I have changed so much even from when I arrived here in Yuba. I

have learned soo much more about working to obtain the attributes of

Christ and two that I have learned more than ever are PATIENCE & LOVE.

We have had to work extremely hard every single day here and I have

never had to be more patient in my entire life. And being a trainer on

top of that... I have had to be very patient with myself and my many

weaknesses, my freshly new companion, the area - involving starting

from square one searching for people to teach and creating a brand new

teaching pool and being patient with that along the way... not seeing

the same type of success I had experienced beforehand.. There has been

A LOT I have had to be extremely patient with but now I can look back,

see where I was & now recognize who I have become due to all that

we've experienced here and I can clearly see how much more of a

patient person I have become. I never felt like I was super impatient

before but boy..... did I still have much to improve on in that

department. Also, involving love.... I have also had to love in a way

I never really have had to before as well. Loving again, myself - even

after recognizing so many of my weaknesses, loving my companion - even

though we may have pretty different personalities, loving the new

area,  loving every single person we come into contact with - their

struggles & difficulties as well ... and I just overall feel like I

have developed such a greater amount of love in my heart. I know more

so now what it means to REALLY love EVERYONE. Hermana Piggott quotes

this all the time but I really have learned to "love more and love

better." And another thing she said to me while we were in the temple

is, "I have really learned to LOVE everyone. Because I know that's

what the Lord would have me do." Sounds simple, yet when she said this

to me it hit me pretty hard. At times I have found myself being

frustrated with others but I have learned to overcome that frustration

and transform it into sincere care & love for them. I have also

learned that sometimes it's those who you may not think you would ever

love that much, due to many different factors, that end up being those

you love very deeply. So anyways, I could go on & on about things I

have learned and how I have changed but I'll leave the rest for my

journal haha. I am just very humbled & grateful for the wonderful

experience I have had here in Yuba City and I am thankful for all that

I have learned while being here. I have grown a lot. But anyways, OFF

I GO!!!!! BIG CHANGES ARE HAPPENING!!!!!! And my next exciting

news.......

      BAPTISM!!!!!!!!!!! I went to Carolina's baptism yesterday!!! I

didn't know if I would be able to go or not because President Weston

usually didn't let people go to more than one baptism but... We have a

new President and on the 4th Hermana Richards called me, telling me

the baptism had changed to Sunday and said I should really try to make

it. So I called President Marston up, had butterflies before doing

so... I've still never met him!! But he answered and as he started

speaking I could already feel his great love and my love for him!!

Crazy. But so I asked him about the baptism and he immediately said,

"Of course! That's why we're here right?? To baptize!" Haha and he was

excited, asking me who she was, etc. and then the best part... He

said, "Okay now you can tell whoever you need to that you have

permission from me." Haha he is the only own that matters!! I love it.

And for baptisms we used to have to get members to take us but when I

asked if I needed to do so he said, "You have a car right?? Can you

just drive?" Haha I love it. This President is going to be amazing!!!

I already love him so much!! And with him being brand new... he is

trying to figure things out for himself but he is soo nice and

awesome. I cannot wait to meet him!! This week!!!! I already know I am

going to be so spoiled with both Presidents I have had. Ps. President

Weston's homecoming is next Sunday!! Don't forget!!!! But anyways, the

baptism itself was amazing and I was sooo happy I was able to go.

Right when we arrived, Carolina & Pedro did as well and they were so

excited to see me which made me very happy. Carolina was so surprised

I was able to come and said how much it meant to her and how she kept

wishing "su primera Hermana a enseñarla sobre el Evangelio" .. "her

first Hermana to teach her about the gospel" would be there. And

during her testimony after she was baptized she said again, how

grateful she was for us missionaries and how happy it made her that I

was able to come back for it. Very special. The baptism was beautiful

and of course, I absolutely loved being back in Gridley. I felt right

at home, as always, and couldn't have felt more love from all of my

family there. I love them all so much it's crazy. They are soooo dear

& special in my heart. I cannot even express it enough. Also, Carolina

is Antonio's - Yamara's dad - sister so he came and that was a lot of

fun. I kept joking with him about him getting baptized and he said he

knows he will someday but just not right now.... procrastination is a

killer I tell you!!! But him & Lorenza are going to church with Yamara

so that's wonderful. They will be baptized. All of them. With time.

Love them so much. And Jesus was there!! He was looking so grown up &

handsome. He truly has grown up sooo much since I first met him and

now is all cleaned up and soo darling. Haha Hermana Hughes kept saying

afterwards how cute, genuine and sweet he is and how he is going to be

so handsome & solid in the gospel. Haha ... And it was so darling

because his little sister Maria, whom I adore & care about so much -

used to feel like her mother, got the biggest smile when she saw me

and ran to me and gave me the biggest hug when I first got there and

then she wouldn't leave my side. She sat next to me during the whole

baptism too and just kept putting her arms around me, looking up to me

with her gorgeous little brown eyes, and then would rest her head on

me.... My heart was melting!! After much different experience in the

past, she was super reverent too and now understands when to keep

quiet. Jesus has been taking her to church every Sunday since he

started coming and it is just so cute. She is only 3 and needs the

love the members all give her!!! Their mom left again too, maybe for

good, so having her cling to me broke my heart even more. She needs a

loving mom. Jesus is adorable to her though. Ohh I love her so much

and I cannot wait till she is baptized in the future. She is my little

Hermanita. And then Any & Maria were there too, looking so dressed up

& darling, and it made me the happiest person seeing & talking to

them. It was all so amazing!! I could go on & on about everyone I was

able to see but I won't bore you too much. So the baptism was amazing

and I can't believe Carolina is a MORMON!!! So awesome. Also, her

daughter-in-law is a member so Carolina is hoping this will bring her

back too.. So exciting! Cool story too. So again, she was super sick

before I left Gridley and I guess when she got back home from the

hospital, the Elders came and gave her a blessing and right after the

blessing she said, "I received my answer from God. I want to be

baptized." So cool!! So anyways, I am very excited for her and feel

privileged to have been able to witness her baptism.

      4th of July!! I hope everyone's 4th was wonderful and full of

American pride. Sounds like Bear Lake was amazing!! I miss that place.

And Joelle went!!! So happy to hear that and hear that she had a

wonderful time. She survived a week with our fam!! Accomplishment!! I

still am sooo excited to meet her. She sounds DARLING. Tell her hello

from me Scotty!!!! But as for my 4th of July here in the beautiful

land of Yuba City, first off it has been TOASTY TOASTY (I feel like

dad saying that for some reason haha) and got up to 110 one day...

HOT!!! But it was a very wonderful day due to the fact it was

Independence Day but as to missionary work.... it was a bit harder for

us. Nobody was home and if they were home, they were busy, with

family, getting ready for a party, etc. the Mexicans celebrate the 4th

too! Any excuse to throw a party!! Haha so as for our day... We had

weekly planning and then had one set lesson. That's rough. Then after

searching for people, due to the fact that we had no dinner

appointment..... We decided to have a picnic! So we got a blanket,

some classic American food, In-N-out ... burgers, fries & shakes haha

and then we ate it on the grass at a park and it was sooo much fun!!!

People were starting to do fireworks in the streets too and we could

hear them going off in other places, so fun. Also, our goal for the

day was to get ice cream from an ice cream truck from a Punjab!!! Have

I ever told you that there are ice cream trucks EVERYWHERE here in

Yuba City and they are all driven by Punjab's??? Haha well it's the

cutest thing in the world. We always hear the tunes going off and see

children chasing after them. At home it was sooo rare to see or hear

an ice cream truck and here it's the popular thing!! They are

everywhere!! Haha we always joke because there are ice cream trucks

driven by Punjab's everywhere and then also there are these little

carts with wheels, with rainbow umbrellas, selling fruit, corn, shaved

ice (usually with chili) & other Mexican treats walked around by

Mexicans and they have these little horns they toot while walking by.

It's amazing. So we have the best treats everywhere!! This place is

full of the coolest humans - Mexcians and Punjab's. I love it!! Sad to

leave. But as we were laying on the grass, chatting after dinner, we

heard an ice cream truck and we (literally) chased down our first ice

cream truck!! And I got a superman ice cream. Yes, with the gum all

eye balls, purely amazing. Haha it was soooo fun!!!!!! Also, after

daily planning that night we walked out of our apartment to watch some

of the fireworks going off in the streets near our place and in the

sky and our Punjab neighbors, Reena & Ranjana were outside watching

too so we watched them with them and it was soo fun!! I love them so

much. Reena, the mom, kept hugging me like crazy and just smiling

away. It's crazy because we don't know a lick of each other's language

but we love each other so much!! I love her! Also, the daughter..

Ranjana, said we can go to India with them whenever we want. All we

have to so is pay for the flight. I want to go to India!!!!! Haha she

also said she would buy us their cultural attire when she's there for

her wedding in December. Oh, they are so great.

      Exciting news. I got a package from BRAZIL this week!!!! Haha it

was the best package I could have ever asked for and I am excited to

show you what Michael sent me!!!!!!!!! It is the most darling gift in

the world and means so much to me. he also sent me a memory card full

of pictures & videos!!! I wish I could show you them. Brazil is

incredible and he seems to be having a complete blast. So I guess you

could say that all made me one happy girl.

      Alright, well I still have a ton to do today... Including

packing, doing laundry, saying goodbye to people, etc. so I better

go!!!! I love you all so much though and hope all is well in HOLLADAY,

UTAH!!!!!!!! Hahaha still can't get over the fact that my next

companion is from there too. She just called me and was like, "Life is

too good because we get to be companions!!!!!" Ohhh I am SO excited.

Supposedly they just had like 4 baptisms there too so I hope the work

continues to be on fire!! I'm very much looking forward to it!!!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

¡ADIÓS LA CIUDAD DE YUBA!

¡HOLA CHICO!

Con mucho amor,

HERMANA BARTH

Ps. I recently was told there are 4 kinds of people.....

People who....

Make it happen

Watch it happen

Wait for it to happen

Wonder what happened

Pretty fun to ponder over this. I know I have seen myself do each one

but I hope we can all be more so the people to MAKE it happen. Haha my

thoughts for the week... Sorry I don't have time to write something

more inspirational!!!