Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Transfers!!!


My loveliest & dearest family!!!

      Oh my goodness today has been the craziest day!!!! As soon as we
got Hermana Piggott all packed up, and me packed up for the next few
days (I am spending two nights with the Citrus Heights Spanish
Sisters) ... we drove 3 hours to Antelope to the mission office and
then I spent 5 hours there! Which was crazy!!! Hermana Piggott had her
1 hour departing interview and then all of the departing missionaries
kept arriving which was quite the experience. Haha there was a lot of
energy & socializing going on. I tried over & over to write this email
too and I would write a paragraph every here and there but I kept
getting distracted by all that was going on, I would chat with the
missionaries or the ladies in the office, I would help them with
random jobs, etc. ... and then once Hermana Piggott's interview was
over I was with her, Hermana Lee & Hermana Richards (she is going home
tomorrow too!!!) and then we had to get them all situated, help them
check out and then Hermana Lee & I had to drive them to the mission
home for their departing dinner and then Hermana Lee & I went to
dinner (a member ended up paying for us ... soo nice!!) and then we
just visited some people in Lincoln and I am finally getting wifi to
send off this email!!!!! So I am SO sorry this is coming so late!!!!
It really has been the craziest day. And I have so much I want to say
in response to all of your emails but for an update .......

      SO. First things first. TRANSFERS have officially happened and I
am TRAINING!!!! Yes, we are getting two new Hermanas and Hermana
Toledo & I will be training them! So I do not know yet who my new
companion is ... but I am very very excited to meet her!! I already
love her!! It was pretty crazy too because last night the transfer
calls came SO late, I was literally a nervous wreck hahaha and
organizing our study room & my closet to get my mind distracted, my
heart was seriously pumping out of my chest haha but at 9:45 President
Marston called me himself and told me the news. Usually it's the AP's
so I felt very privileged. I love President Marston so much! But then
the actual transfer call/voicemail from the Zone Leaders didn't come
till 10:45! Everyone is supposed to be asleep by then haha so it was
crazy but anyways ... I am soo excited to train again! I sincerely
couldn't ask for a more perfect way to spend my last 12 weeks ... It
is going to be soo much fun!! I will be able to end just as strong as
I desire and ohh it is honestly perfect. This is what I was secretly
wishing for, so I am thrilled. I just hope I get a trainee half as
amazing as Hermana Hughes! I was far too lucky last time. But no
matter what I know I will love my new companion so much too!! SO SO
CRAZY!!!!! I am soo excited!! I will find out who the lovely Hermana
is in just a couple of days! Also, this will have been my last crazy
transfer call because next transfer nothing will change for me. Woot
woot!!! Transfers are the craziest!!!!!!!
     Then the next big news. Hermana Piggott will officially be in
UTAH tomorrow at 1 pm!!! I can hardly believe it!! In reality though,
I truly cannot believe it. It hasn't hit me yet. I don't think it has
even fully hit her yet. We both don't feel like it truly will either
until she gets released and takes her name tag off. Ohhh thinking
about doing that myself literally makes my stomach sick. I cannot even
think about it. I always am taken back to when Scotty got released and
how he started crying when they told him he could remove his black
name tag. It broke my heart back then and I know it will be a million
times worse when I am doing it myself. Oh, it makes me sick. This name
tag is apart of me now. It has become part of my identity!! Well
anyways, enough with that ... Hermana Piggott is heading home!!!!
After 7 1/2 months of pure bliss serving The Lord full-time alongside
her, having life-changing experiences & witnessing miracle after
miracle together, I am finally having to say goodbye. Fortunately I
will be seeing her in a little while but we both agreed that this is
more than a normal goodbye. We are saying goodbye to our mission
companionship, serving as full-time missionaries in the California
Roseville Mission together, preaching the gospel all day every day
together, being forced to be glued at the hip haha, etc. Ohh it hurts
my heart to even think about it. I know I am being a little dramatic
... but she has been such a huge part of my mission experience and is
a big reason for why it has been as incredible & perfect as it has
been. I love my Hermana Piggott soooo much!!!!!! Truly. She means more
to me than I can even express and I feel beyond blessed to have her in
my life. Heavenly Father knew our paths had to cross, we need each
other in our lives and what better place to meet and begin our forever
friendship than here in Northern California doing the work of The Lord
& serving Heavenly Father's children!!! Oh, it is too amazing. Our
friendship is unlike any other and is so so special to me. I am going
to miss having her here with me a whole lot but I am so so happy I get
to have her in my life forever!! Also, we are planning to live
together in Provo when I get home. I am so excited!!!! She is
seriously my other half these days and again, I just love her so much.
I have ever since the first time I saw her too. Haha I will never
forget the moment when I first saw her in the bathroom at the mission
office. She walked in, I saw her, I got the biggest smile on my face &
exclaimed, "Hermana Piggott!" (I had never met her in person before of
course but she was the only one I had spoken to before coming out) and
then I gave her a look (to see if she was my trainer haha since I was
the only Hermana), she nodded with a big smile on her face, we gave
each other the biggest hug, I was the happiest person in the world and
then our friendship officially began. Little did I know in that moment
that I was meeting my best best friend. My "bosom friend" as her cute
mom Kris describes us. She has seriously made such an impact on my
life and completely shaped my mission. I am so grateful for her in so
many ways. I don't think I could love, adore, or admire her more. I
LOVE MY HERMANA PIGGOTT!!!!!!! Also, her homecoming will be this
upcoming Sunday, the 16th at 12:50 in Provo and I am not positive of
the address or the church & neither is she ... but I'll have her send
you a text or call to tell you!!! I am so excited for you to meet
her!!!! And she has heard all about each of you so she feels like she
already knows the fam. Ohh you are going to adore her. So fun.
     Besides these two great announcements, we had such an incredible
week!!! We had sooo many wonderful lessons, met with everyone we
wanted and even received three new investigators!! We found two of
them through tracting and they both seem awesome, especially one - a
mom of 5 kids ... but we also have a miracle new investigator. His
name is Marco and his family are members. We love his family so much
too, his mom Julia is the cutest thing in the world and then his dad
is the sweetest, smiliest guy and then his little sister, Amy, who is
17 - is soo cute. So anyways, we had dinner over at their house the
other night and Marco usually never comes out when we are there but
for some reason this night as we were finishing eating, he did. He
then talked to us for a little and asked us all about our missions,
etc. and we asked about his life and somehow it led to him telling us
about his girlfriend. Well, he then ended up telling us ALL about his
girlfriend, their relationship, etc. She actually sounded like a super
good girl and very darling. So that was good. But we then got talking
some more and ended up teaching him half of the Plan of Salvation!!
His parents sat in as well and it was incredible!!! He actually took
it all in very well and even enjoyed learning everything but he has
one hold up that has actually been one of the reasons he hasn't
invested more in the church. That being the belief that we can truly
become as God is (Gods & Goddesses) ... He can't quite grasp that
idea. It is very deep doctrine though and something that is usually
not addressed to non-members but so we told him we'd study more up on
it so we can hopefully explain it better to him. That night we just
simply told him that he is a son of God and because of that, God, our
Heavenly Father wants us to have all that He has and truly become as
He is. His dad then bore testimony of the same thing. But anyways, we
got a return appointment - which is a HUGE deal, his sister said this
is the first time missionaries have ever been able to teach him - and
I am so excited!! He seemed to get really comfortable & open with us
too so I am so excited to teach him more! Part-member families are
amazing.
      We also had many other wonderful lessons including one with the
Campos family. I seriously love them soo much!! And on Saturday night
they threw a fiesta for Hermana Piggott!!! It was similar to the last
little party we had with them but this time it was all for Hermana
Piggott. It was, of course, such a blast and we truly couldn't love
this family more. They are amazing!!!! Adriana & her Puerto Rican
friend gave us both presents too. I think they didn't want me to feel
bad so they gave me a gift as well haha. So cute! And also, at the
fiesta ... Roberto brought up Joseph Smith, he loves him, and somehow
baptism got brought up as well and Lorena got all excited and started
telling Roberto how he could baptize her, her mom & her sister and
then she told Alfredo that he could baptize their boys. So that made
me very happy that she brought it up, Lorena is totally on board - she
just wants to get baptized with her family - so I hope her family will
soon fully get on board as well!!! I have such a wonderful feeling
about this family. I want to see them all in white soo bad. Please
continue to pray for them!!!! They are incredible!!! Oh, and they are
already talking about coming to visit Hermana Piggott & I in Utah!!
Haha amazing. We love them so much.
      Well, other than all of this ... the past week again, was very
wonderful. We got to see lots of people so that Hermana Piggott could
say goodbye to them, we had some wonderful goodbye dinners, brunches,
Hermana Piggott & I slept over with the Citrus Heights Hermanas -
Hermana Hughes & Hermana Melchor (both of our greenies!!! they are
companions!!) and then I got to spend a day in the Citrus
Heights/Roseville with them & Hermana Lee while Hermana Piggott had
her departing missionary temple trip (I ended up not going because I
talked to President and we decided I should stay and work) and then we
overall fully enjoyed our last week together in the field!!!!! It was
amazing!!! Ohhhh I have so much I could say but I'll save it for next
week.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!

Hermana Barth

Ps. My heart completely broke when I heard about Rory. I don't even
have words to explain how I feel and I actually had tears come to my
eyes as I told Hermana Piggott and read mom's email about it. My heart
still is aching too and I will write more about it next week. Please
please give the Hackett's my love and tell them I am thinking of and
intently praying for them. I love them so much and could not adore
Rory more.

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