GLORIOUS

Hello my beautiful family!

      Another wonderful week has gone by and I am amazed at all of the
miracles I have witnessed in such a short amount of time. Heavenly
Father is pouring out blessings in my life and I truly am so humbled &
grateful. I am so happy. Every single day I wake up and am so so
happy. Life truly is incredible and especially once we've come to
recognize our true identity, that being an infinitely loved child of
God ... our divine potential as one of His precious children and our
purpose here on the earth. With the realization & recognition of these
things, there is no room for unhappiness. We are so so blessed and
must be overly happy because of it!!
      1. I had one of the most incredible experiences . We
had exchanges with the Gridley Hermanas (Hermana Briggs & Hermana
Harper ... I got to spend the day here with Hermana Harper and she is
the cutest 19 year old. She really could not be more adorable however
all of the sudden I felt really old when I was with her ... I will be
22 in a month! Ahh!!)  and as we were exchanging back,
Hermana Briggs told me how Any was wanting to go to the temple to do
baptisms. Although this was super late notice (Any had
messaged me on Facebook but I never use my mission Facebook - woops),
there was no way I was going to miss out on going with her. So, I
immediately tried to contact President Marston and since he had
preciously told me we were allowed to go to the temple with recent
converts or less-actives we consistently taught and that he wanted to
see missionaries in the temple more, I started making plans to go
before hearing back from him. So, I set it all up with Hermana Pratt
from Gridley, contacted Any - worked it all out with her, made sure
everything was good with Hermana Richards coming as well ... and then
I didn't hear back from President Marston till the day we were going
haha but since I had previously prepared, when he instantly gave me
permission, we were already ready to go!! I have learned that
sometimes I have to pay attention to the gift of discernment. I knew
he would give me permission and I had to act immediately to make
things happen so anyways, all is well. I got to go to the beautiful
temple with Any & Maria!! Also, I got to go with one of my favorite
people on the earth, Hermana Richards and then Hermana Piggott &
Hermana Lee were able to join us as well!! Three of my best friends!
It was amazing! And then to be there with our little darling golden
converts!! Hermana Richards & I were on cloud 9! We had been dreaming
of this day ever since the first day we met them and knew they were
Heaven sent. We all walked around the temple as well, feeling the
peace, serenity and sacredness of the grounds we were walking on and
then Hermana Richards & I took Any in. Hermana Piggott & Hermana Lee
stayed outside with Maria. But wow. We then were able to see Any do 10
confirmations (she ended up just doing confirmations) and it was a
very special, sacred & beautiful experience. Seeing her in all white
again and in the house of The Lord ... my heart was so full. The
spirit touched me more than I can say and we all rejoiced together
afterwards with the knowledge that our dear Any helped 10 precious
saints in the Spirit World receive the confirmation & gift of the Holy
Ghost we assume they have been anxiously awaiting for. It was oh, so
wonderful. Also, something very cool was as we were about to do the
confirmations, a man all of the sudden asked if she knew any English
and when he realized not really, he said he knew there was a reason he
needed to go to the temple to work that day and said how he had served
his mission in Ecuador so he could do them in Spanish! It was a
miracle! Also, his wife had never heard him do an ordinance in Spanish
so she joined us as well and they were both very happy. All of us
were. It was amazing. Then us three had the opportunity to talk a
little more while inside as well, after the ordinances were performed
and that was very special. Hermana Richards & I explained a little bit
more about the significance behind everything and about how one day
she will be able to return to the temple to make more sacred covenants
with our Heavenly Father for herself. Any had tears in her eyes as we
discussed everything and she kept telling us how much peace and
happiness she felt inside of her. It was a glorious, glorious day and
one, I know, not any of us will ever forget. I cannot imagine anything
more rewarding. And it has all happened because Hermana Richards & I
were led to knock on her door one Spring day.
      2. Speaking of the world "glorious." On our way home from
Gridley after driving back from the temple with everyone else, Hermana
Piggott & I turned on the song "glorious" from Russ Dixon. It's a
youth EFY song from LDS.org that we love and it was also sung by David
Archuletta in the movie, "Meet the Mormons." Well, I happened to have
many emotions built up inside of me at that moment and tears began to
flow from my eyes as we listened to the lyrics and I pondered over
many many things. We were driving with the fields of Northern
California on both sides of us, the sun was near Sunset ... I was with
my best friend & companion Hermana Piggott, I had just seen my convert
perform proxy ordinances in the Holy Temple, I reflected on many
different memories & experiences I have had on my mission thus far,
the people I have taught & grown to love so much, the person I have
become in the process of it all and I couldn't help but feel overcome
with emotion, gratitude, happiness and love. I could feel my Heavenly
Father's love for me so so much and I recognized more than ever before
how much my mission means to me. How much the gospel means to me. How
much my Father in Heaven and Savior, Jesus Christ mean to me. How much
all of these things combined have completely changed my life and
changed ME. I will forever be grateful for this beautiful experience I
am having and I know I will never be the same because of it. My
mission has become so so tender to me and with that, I am appreciating
it more than ever before and truly trying to soak in every teeny tiny
moment. It is incredible.

"It's like a symphony. Just keep listening. Then pretty soon you'll
start ... to figure out your part. Everyone plays a piece. And they're
all melodies. And each one of us ... ohh ooh, it's glorious. You will
know how. To let it ring out. As you discover, who you are. Others
around you, will start to wake up. To the sounds that are in their
heart. It's so amazing ... what we're all, creating."

      3. The Campos family!! Ohh I love them so so so much. I had a
couple of incredible lessons with Lorena & the boys this past week and
then we finally met Alfredo! But before that. Something else amazing
happened. We stopped by Lorena's parents home - Oliva & Roberto's -
and as soon as we got there, Oliva had us sit down and then Roberto,
Adriana (Lorena's sister) and her friend Puerto Rico (she's from
Puerto Rico and we can never remember her first name so that's what we
call her for now!) came and joined us as well. This was a surprise but
we were jumping for joy inside and a Puerto Rico told us how just the
day before she had been reading about Joseph Smith & our church! But
in a positive way. She then started pretty much explaining to us the
entire Restoration and then since Adriana had never heard it before
and she hadn't formally ... and Roberto kept telling us to, "Hablan de
José! Hablan de José!" we taught the entire Restoration. And it was
INCREDIBLE!! It truly was one of the most spirit filled lessons u have
ever had and I could feel the spirit working & testifying through me
the entire time. Of course, it's a great relief to not have to worry
about the language while teaching anymore, but the words were flowing
soo so nicely and I was able to share everything that came into my
heart in the way I wanted to. We were following the promptings from
the Spirit from the whole time and it caused my cheeks to get super
roast & heart to beat a little bit faster, which is always a good
sign. Ohh I felt the spirit so strongly and I could tell it touched
each of their hearts as well. Especially when I recited the First
Vision, quoting Joseph Smith's own words of that sacred experience, I
could feel the spirit speaking the words for me and everyone's eyes
were locked on me. Especially Adriana's. When I would make eye contact
with her I could feel her sincerity in listening and could clearly
tell the Spirit was touching her. It was amazing. The spirit was so
strong!! They all loved it so much as well and when we asked each of
them what they thought about Joseph Smith's vision afterwards, they
all said how beautiful & amazing it was, etc. and they ALL said they
feel it is true. Well, it was such a powerful lesson and we ended up
inviting each of them to be baptized as well. Olive & Roberto said yes
readily and then Adriana & her friend said they will be baptized if
after the study the Book of Mormon and keep leaving from us, they feel
a sincere desire to and know it's the will of God. So incredible.
Roberto kept saying how he can feel the peace, light and happiness
that the both of us have as well and how he wants his family to feel
the same. He wants them to feel that same peace the gospel brings in
their own lives. So therefore, he is anxiously & readily wanting to
learn all that he can from us! It's amazing! Oh, and they ALL said a
prayer afterwards!! Each and every one of them. They went around and
each said the most sincere prayers. It was awesome. I was one happy
missionary. I love them!!! Okay and now for yesterday! So after our
lesson they invited us to come over on Sunday to make authentic
Mexican tamales!! Sooo we did just that. We went over to their house
and with Oliva, Roberto, Adriana, Puerto Rico and her dad ... we made
the most incredible tamales and ate about 10 tacos in the process.
Hahaha it was the best!!! It took forever but we had soooo much fun. I
literally felt as though I were in Mexico the entire time as well and
the Puerto Rican dad told us how he felt as if he were back in Puerto
Rico (they have one been in the States for a month!) ... haha it was
so much fun. Hermana Piggott & I, in our skirts and church shoes,
kicked around a soccer ball with them in the back, we helped grill the
care, ate taco after taco after taco, we ate a tortilla with a nice
hot chili pepper inside - my mouth has adjusted far too much too hot
things - I love a nice little tongue & lip burn, seriously though!! We
made tamales outside, just laughed and chatted with our new amazing
Hispanic friends and life was so so so good!!!! Hahaha we are already
so close to them and love them so much! We get along SO well with
Adriana and her friend too and they treat us far too well. They love
us and we love them even more. It's amazing. Hahaha I wish you could
meet them sooo bad!!! Especially Roberto!!! Hahaha I am going to send
some pictures of him. Just picture him saying, "LAS HERMANAS!!!!!!!"
haha and then after he ate a super hot chili pepper we heard from him
these comments while grilling, "pero, wow ... mucho wow, super wow,
bastante wow" ... haha he had tears in his eyes because of the chili
pepper heat and after all of his different "wows" we joked throughout
the night saying one of them. Too good. He is amazing! And then!
Finally Lorena & the boys and ALFREDO arrived!!! Oh my goodness we
were so excited to see them and Alfredo is a million times better than
we even imagined him to be!!! He is by far the most darling Mexican
man we have ever seen!! He is super super handsome and then just the
smiliest, friendliest yet kind shy and just cutest man ever! No wonder
Lorena is so smitten by him! I don't know how she hasn't married him
yet. And he is the cutest dad in the world! Seriously, we're already
obsessed with him and cannot wait to get to know him more!
Unfortunately, we couldn't stay too long once they got there because
of a lesson but we are so happy we finally met him and he is so
darling!! That family is perfection. I just imagine them in all white
first being baptized and then inside the temple being sealed as an
eternal family too and my heart gets far to happy. It will be a dream
come true. And it will happen. I don't think there could be a more
precious family!!!! I love them so much. How have I met the most
incredible people on my mission?? It is so clear Heavenly Father leads
us to the elect & prepared. But so the Campos family is amazing!!!!!!
We love them!!! Updates to come! Also, they have already invited us to
spend time with them over Christmas and want us to go to Mexico with
them to meet the rest of the fam. Haha I love it.
      4. Mercedes is still getting baptized on Saturday!!! We are so
so excited!! Yesterday we had a wonderful lesson with her and she is
so ready & excited. I cannot wait! She is so so cute and I cannot wait
to see her dressed in all white. Ever since I arrived here in Orland
and met her, I knew once she was taught she would be baptized. I knew
I would see her be baptized too. It's crazy, but I knew it. Same thing
happened to me when I met Maria. Amazing. So we have a baptism this
Saturday!!!! It will be a wonderful day!!!!!

      Well, as you can clearly tell. I am still the happiest
missionary in the world and my mission is beyond amazing. It sounds
like everything at home is going wonderful as well and that makes me
super happy. I have been hearing lots about Scotty's beautiful
girlfriend, Joelle and I am getting more & more excited to meet her!
Scotty, it sounds like you are one lucky lucky guy and that Joelle is
Heaven sent. She truly sounds so amazing, darling and wonderful in
every way. I have heard nothing but incredible things about her and
everyone seems to completely adore her. I am so so happy for you
Scooter!! Also, you two make a very handsome looking couple. Joelle is
completely flawless, seriously one of the prettiest girls I have ever
seen ... my companions all ooh and aww over her, haha and you two just
seem so so cute. I am SO happy for you!! Tell her hello from your
little sister!!!! And tell her I already adore her too.

      Also, ELDER HALLER is coming home this week!!!!!!! I can hardly
believe it but I am jealous you all get to see him before me!! Give
him a big hug for me please!! Brazil is about to say goodbye to & miss
the most darling & hard working missionary I know of. I cannot believe
he is about to be in Salt Lake City! So so crazy! Time is flying by
faster than I can handle.

      Okay, well please keep the Campos family in your prayers as well
as Mercedes!! Pray that all goes well with her baptism & that the
Campos family will continue to progress towards making the same
baptismal covenant. We can use all the prayers we can get!

I LOVE YOU.

Con amor,

Hermana Barth

Hello, October

Hello my lovely family!!

    So I am the absolute happiest person alive right now! For many
reasons that I am about to list off ... but also, we just had the best
p-day ever! We went to a corn maze & picked pumpkins in giant pumpkin
patch!! It was incredible, beautiful & sooo much fun!!! We went with
our tiny district of 4 sisters and 2 elders and it was honestly the
best time. I was in Heaven. Haha the corn maze definitely worked for
us as well .. due to the fact that we got super lost. Haha and don't
worry, we stayed with our companions & got lost together ... "sight &
sound" always! Haha ... Oh, but really, it was so amazing. I love the
Fall!!! Hey Abigail & Ralph, "Don't you just love New York in the
fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I'd send you a bouquet
of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." - best
movie in the world. Good thing you both are in New York City right now
and Abigail already is on top of things and sent me a beautiful
bouquet of newly sharpened pencils!!! Abs, that package was beyond
darling and I loved it sooo so much. You are the best sissy in the
world & make me so happy. I love you! Thank you for always thinking of
me. Also, please embrace New York and Washington D.C for me. Two of my
favorite places. And at this time of the year, magical. Also ... it
has almost been a year since you two got engaged in Central Park!!! So
so special. Tell Michael & the Sobota's hello from me as well and tell
them I love them! We are so lucky to have cousins that live in the
coolest places. Well again, today has been incredible and my overall
mission is making me happier than I can express!!!! How can life be
this good!?! So here are some updates!!!
 1. Mercedes is still on date for October 25th! We have the font
reserved & everything ... we're all so excited! Also, it's her
Birthday that day so it is going to be even more special!
 2. We were able to see Lorena & the boys a couple of times this past
week but we still are yet to meet Alfredo! He has been out working
every time we have gone over. However, we were able to teach Roberto
(Lorena's dad - I accidentally called him José in previous emails
haha) yesterday and it was awesome! Then when her mom and sister got
home from work, they joined us as well! And we even got her sister,
Adrian (who is muy rebelde) to pray out loud with us! It was
wonderful. I love the Campos family!
 3. Ana, Maria's mom, I can't remember if I told you ... moved back in
with Maria and she completely despises us. She is so mad Maria got
baptized while she was gone and now whenever we see her she makes a
funny face at us, gives us the most disgusted look, shakes her head
and waves her arms at us as if she is shooing us away .. it's super
sad. Ana used to love us! She made us dollies, we dyed her hair, she'd
listen to us and laugh with us, get excited when we'd come over, etc.
and now she can't even stand the sight of us. She just cannot believe
we allowed Maria to be baptized while she was away. But Maria is the
same age as you mom & dad! So she is definitely old enough to make her
own decisions & not have someone controlling her life. Yesterday she
expressed to us how Ana is very manipulating & mean and ahh, we don't
know why she puts up with it. Ohh we just love her so so much and want
to help her get out of this situation. She deserves so much more and
doesn't need someone ragging on her & her church anymore. It's not
okay!
 4. We are going to start teaching a recent convert, Martina's (the
one with 14 cats) son Israel this week! In this family, the mom & dad,
Martina y Jorge, were recently baptized and then their 8 year old
adorable adorable daughter whom I am obsessed with, Nelida, was
baptized with them and then their oldest son Adrian, was baptized
first a few years ago ... and now one of their twin sons, Israel,
wants to start taking the lessons. He has come to church a bunch of
times but now we get to start teaching him and I am super excited!
Then his twin, Ismael (I know - the names are two good ... and they
are identical!) just got out of Prison but he came to Stake Conference
yesterday so we're hoping to start teaching him too! Part-member
families are incredible! Ps. When we taught them the other night we
joked afterwards saying we just picked up a bunch of new investigators
because for our lesson, along with teaching Martina & Jorge, we had
with us ...14 cats & 2 chihuahua's (who were wearing velvet dog
sweatsuits & sweaters might I add) haha it was amazing. Or more so,
memorable.
 5. We got to help with New Beginnings for our recent convert Ana on
Tuesday and that was a lot of fun! I got to represent faith which was
the color white and Emma Smith! I was so honored. I respect that woman
so much.
 6.  On Tuesday we got to watch a premier of "Meet the Mormons" at the
Chico stake center with President Paulson and our entire Chico Zone!!
We were all soo excited and it was incredible!!!!! I loved it so much
and already am so excited to watch it again. I hope you all have seen
it in the Theater by now! If not, GO SEE IT. I could not be more proud
to be a member of our Church ... to be a Mormon! Ps. Dad, when
watching the story of the Costa Rican MMA fighter, when it shows clips
of them zip-lining in the tropical forests of Costa Rica, I swear it
was the exact same place we went to for our Humanitarian trip!! It
took me back to that wonderful experience. I love Costa Rica! What an
incredible trip that was. Also, I will never forget how you gave your
cab driver from the airport to our living quarters all of the
missionary discussions! That's what I am talking about! I love it. I
love you!
 7. Last P-DAY for our weekly dinner at President Halladay's (Branch
President) ... we made a campfire, roasted marshmallows and made
s'mores! Hermana Piggott & I were in Heaven! And of course I thought
of you Abs. Your favorite dessert. Excellent taste you have. Haha
 8. We had interviews with President Marston this past week! We ended
up being his last interviews for the day though and since he was
running over an hour behind, we didn't get to meet with him until
about 8:30 PM! And he took Hermana Piggott & I into the interview
together - he made our interview combined due to lack of time ... but
because we were the very last ones, he ended up having us in there for
over 30 min anyways and just chatted with the both of us about so so
much. Haha there are no secrets with that man. He started pulling out
the transfer board on his iPad, told us some of his future plans,
asked for our suggestions, told us about some of his surprises & plans
for the Holiday's (including Christmas ones ... I am so excited) and
then he just talked about all sorts of things. Haha it was too good.
Not the most spiritual interview but it was a wonderful time
nonetheless. Clearly we were his last interview too because he wasn't
holding back with anything. Ohh, I love my President. He is such a
loving, easy going, friendly and trusting man. It's crazy how
comfortable I feel around him and he always wants our input on things
regarding the mission as a whole. It's quite an honor, really. So that
was wonderful. Oh, and we got to see him this weekend two nights in a
row for Stake Conference so that was even more exciting! I love
President Marston so much. I still think about a President Weston all
of the time, that man has permanently & majorly impacted my life, and
I often miss him a lot - I miss his presence in the mission ... but I
feel so blessed to have two incredible men be my mission presidents. I
really am the luckiest.
 9. Last night we had FHE with the Whitaker family after eating dinner
with them and it was the cutest thing in the entire world. My heart
was so so touched and it was such a testimony builder to me how
important & precious family home evening is. Ever since I received my
Patriarchal Blessing and it mentioned me having faithful family home
evenings when I have a darling family of my own, I have been thinking
tons about them. I have always been certain I will do them and then it
seems as though the church brings up the crucial importance of them
all of the time as well. So anyways, it is on my mind often and being
apart of one last night with the most adorable family ... I cannot
wait to have them with my own little family one day! Oh, I wish you
all could have been there. It was seriously the most heart warming
experience. We sang primary songs while Ian, who's only 5, conducted
the music in his cowboy attire ... Eric - who's 7, said the most
sincere and loving prayer to Heavenly Father and then Hermana Piggott
and I taught the lesson on baptism. It was soo so spiritual and the
little boys answers to everything were so so cute and I truly felt the
entire time as if Heavenly Father was smiling from above. Little kids
are so innocent, believing and sweet and it is so easy to feel the
Savior's presence when they're around. The veil always feels a little
bit thinner. I love it so much! Also, after our lesson & cool little
baptism visual (water, pepper (sins) finger soaked in dish soap, etc.)
Eric asked if he could tell a story. He ended up telling us the most
adorable & hilarious story ever about a little boy and him learning
that coffee & alcohol was bad. Hahaha I wish I could tell you his
whole story because you would all love it so much. Us adults were
biting our tongues from laughing at parts because it was so adorable
and cute!!!! And afterwards he even said, "Now what did you learn from
my story??" Haha and then he told us what we were supposed to learn.
It was soooo cute!!!! My heart was completely melted at this point and
again, I cannot wait to have little kids to have FHE with one day!
This family is the perfect example of how to do it too. They have
taught their little ones soo much! I love it.
 10. We went to a wedding the other night for an inactive member of
the Spanish Branch. He married a girl from Vietnam and anyways, it was
a very nice wedding but it was very eye opening for me as well. As
lovely as a civil wedding is, there is absolutely nothing like a
wedding & sealing in the temple & House of The Lord. There is just no
comparison. No matter how beautiful a wedding outside the temple can
be, when the Holy Ghost isn't present like it is in the temple ...
it's just not the same. I was immediately taken back to watching Abby
& Ralph's sealing and I just felt overwhelmed with gratitude for the
temples and the opportunity & great privilege I will have to be
married inside one (the Salt Lake Temple to be exact) one day. There
is nothing I look forward to more than getting married to my
sweetheart in the beautiful temple & house of The Lord and being
sealed for all of time & eternity!

And I hope you all have a wonderful week!
I am thinking of & praying for you every single day. I love you all so
so much!!!!

Con un gran cantidad de amor,

Hermana Barth

Ps. This is a scripture that has come up a lot this past week. The
General Authority that came to our Stake Conference, an awesome guy
from Sweden, quoted it as well and it's a wonderful one to ponder
about ....

      "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all
things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the
utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be
revealed." - D&C 123:17

Let us CHEERFULLY do all things that lie in our power ... this is the
KEY to a happy & fulfilling life.