HELLO MY LOVELIES!!!
Oh my goodness where to begin! It has been one very eventful
week to say in the least. I have soo much I want to tell you all and I
do not even know where to begin!!
1. First off, I am again so sorry for emailing so late on
Monday. I ended up having a very prolonged & crazy p-day. 5 hours of
my day were spent in the mission office with all of the departing
missionaries, we had to drive our companions to the mission office and
then I was with Hermana Lee for the rest of the night up until Hermana
Piggott & I slept over with the Citrus Heights Hermanas, our babies -
Hermana Hughes & Hermana Melchor. Then early the next morning I had to
say goodbye to my very best friend. Ohh, it was so sad for me to say
goodbye to her. Haha Hermana Lee & I actually ended up staying with
all the departing missionaries, including Hermana Piggott & Hermana
Richards, our mamas, up until they drove off too. We were dreading the
goodbye and I already miss them so much!! It definitely hit me the
most the next morning though when I woke up and realized Hermana
Piggott was no longer my companion & then I got a lovely little email
from her. Wow, I actually now cannot believe I was just with her
earlier this week. It already feels like it has been so long!! Time on
the mission is beyond strange I tell you. But so anyways, Hermana
Piggott is officially home!! Ahh so crazy! I am soo happy to hear mom,
dad, Abby, Ralph & g-ma were able to attend her homecoming too. You
have no idea how much that means to me!!!! Is she not the most darling
thing you've ever seen!? I miss my Hermana Piggott so much!!!! Haha I
am glad Abby mentioned how we talk alike too, we truly morphed into
one another. It's so weird not having her right by side doing the work
also but she is my forever best friend so I will see her when the time
comes. Haha and yes family, she does know everything about each of
you. What do you expect after me being with her 24/7 for 7 1/2
months??? Don't worry though, I am obsessed with each of you so she
only knows the best of things.
2. Now for the next event. I then got to spend all of Tuesday in
Lincoln with Hermana Toledo (Rodriguez) and it was a total blast!! We
seriously had soo much fun together. We visited tons of the members, I
got to explore the Lincoln/Rocklin area which I have heard soo much
about and then we even had a spontaneous dinner at a members house
where we ate grasshoppers!! Haha it was crazy! When I first saw them
all piled in a baggy I thought to myself that there was no way I could
eat one but then I thought again and realized possibly never again in
my life would I have the opportunity to try one so I got Hermana
Toledo to do it with me and I ate my very first toasted
grasshopper!!!! Haha I have it on film too so I will send it to you
but the worst part about it was I kinda liked it!! It just tasted like
a salty sunflower seed or something and so after my first one ... I
popped in another! Hahaha who have I become!? Eating grasshoppers like
candy haha. But so again, we had a ton of fun together. I loved having
some alone time with Hermana Toledo and unlike exchanges we have had
in the past, this day it literally felt like we were companions. I
absolutely loved it. We were both super anxious to meet our new
companions too and she is an incredible missionary. I also feel as
though she has changed a ton since I last served around her so that
was fun to see. Something very sweet too was at the end of the night,
I slept over at her apartment, she talked about how recently she has
felt like the spirit hasn't been with her or involved in the work for
her as much but that throughout our day together, she felt the spirit
strongly with her again ... and as she was telling me this she got all
choked up and started getting emotional. It touched me so much and
made me so happy. I love Hermana Toledo!!! Also, something super
awesome. That night the Lincoln Sisters, the ones who live with the
Hermanas, told us to meet them at a house in Rocklin for a surprise.
Well, we ended up meeting them at a very nice home (nicest home I have
seen in a very long time) and we were both confused as to what was
going on. Well, as soon as we arrived and knocked on the door of the
home with the sisters, a mom answered the door and said, "Is this what
I think it is?" Asked to see our name tags, moved my hair off of mine
and exclaimed .... "HERMANA BARTH!!" and continued to give me the
biggest hug. Haha I was even more confused at this point due to the
fact that I was sure I had never met this darling lady in my life.
Well, turns out her & her husband are the parents of Hermana Kelsey
Barney, the cutest Hermana I became friends with in the CCM!!! Her
room was right next to mine, we could hear each other sing in the
shower even because our bathrooms were connected haha ... and anyways,
she had told me how her home was in the Roseville Mission and how I
needed to meet her family but I had totally forgotten about it since I
have never served that South in the mission and I had never had the
chance to meet them up until this point! But fortunately her mom had
remembered me from her daughters emails and asked the sisters if they
knew who I was. And luckily they remembered as well and set the whole
deal up. Well anyways, Hermana Barney is serving in Provo and I just
had the best time chatting with her parents about the CCM and serving
in the Hispanic culture, etc. They were eating it up all so much and
at the end when Hermana Toledo said a prayer in Spanish, her mom
started crying! It was so darling! And they also took pictures with us
to send Hermana Barney. What a small world!!!! I am sooo happy I got
to meet them! Especially because I will never serve in that area. Best
surprise ever!!!! Also, their daughter is beautiful and the cutest
person ever. I hope we're friends after the mission.
3. MY NEW COMPANION!!!!! Updates on my new companion. So, her
name is Hermana Cluff, Courtney Cluff, from Washington (St. George),
Utah and she is the most darling girl ever!! She just turned 19 so
she's truly a baby, she's a beautiful blonde, full of so much energy &
enthusiasm, has such a strong & sincere testimony of the gospel along
with unshakeable faith, overall she is just soo much fun and we get
along perfectly!!!! We're a ton of like and were immediate friends the
second we met. We already joke about how once we were assigned to be
companions we just clicked instantly. What's even crazier too is on
Monday when I saw the two pictures of the incoming Hermanas, the
second I saw her pictures I knew she was my companion. And what makes
my prompting even more official was Hermana Toledo said the exact same
thing when she saw the picture of hers, Hermana Moore. Before we went
to bed on Tuesday night Hermana Toledo & I talked about it as well and
said how we were both confident who are companions were going to be.
We both were absolutely positive and agreed it would not have felt
right if we were assigned otherwise. I have been praying consistently
for my companion though ever since I knew I was training so I know the
Holy Ghost prompted me as to who she was before I was even assigned.
And apparently President Marston felt the same way because Hermana
Cluff said the second she walked in for her interview with him he
said, "I already know who your trainer is." Haha but I truly could not
be more blessed or feel more excited to have her as my companion.
Again, she is absolutely darling and we couldn't get along better!!
She likes to talk just as much as me too haha so I already know tons
about her. I AM THE ABSOLUTE LUCKIEST!!!!!!! Ohhhh I love her so
much!!! It's so fun to get a young, new spirit here in the mission
too, I remember feeling the same way when Hermana Hughes arrived,
although I have now also realized how stinkin old I am. But anyways, I
am confident we are going to witness soo many miracles together
because we already have! Seriously, the work has already been picking
up since she has arrived. Every day we have had more planned to do
than we have time so we have been busy just the way I like it!!! I am
soo happy!!! Also, fun fact. Since she's from St. George, she knows
Sister Shaefer!!! Our very own Janine!!! She said she would go visit
the Sisters at the Visitors Center all the time before her mission.
Isn't that awesome!? It made me so happy. I need to send Janine
something. It's such a small world!!!
4. We have again, seen so many miracles this past week and one
includes our new investigator I told you about from last week, Marco.
We had another lesson with him this past week and although he was
anxiously awaiting a miraculous answer or explanation for the big
concern/question he had, I knew how we needed to address the concern
and that was by teaching him more doctrine and helping him establish a
firm foundation and testimony. So, we ended up teaching him the first
half of the Plan of Salvation, since we taught him the first half last
time, and it went perfectly!! All of his beliefs match up perfectly
with ours and he truly is so open & believing to all we teach (thus
far). He thoroughly enjoyed hearing this lesson and after we finished
teaching, he asked again what I had studied about his concern, us
becoming Gods, etc. and from that point on the Holy Ghost truly took
over the lesson. Somehow & some way, we were able to address his
concern and satisfy him with our testimonies and simple beliefs. To be
honest I cannot even full remember all that we said, the words came to
our mouths in the time that we needed them to as is promised in D&C
100:5-6, "Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto
this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and
you shall not be confounded before men; For it shall be given you in
the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say." And one
way we were able to explain it is we told him how Heavenly Father is
perfect and our one & only God, Jesus Christ is perfect too however
Heavenly Father is still His God and all of the glory still goes to
Him and then how we are commanded by the Savior to become like Him "Be
ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect." - Matthew 5:48 .... Well anyways, he understood all that we
were saying and we have another set lesson with him for tomorrow! I
cannot wait! Also, we had soo many other great lessons this week
including lots with less-actives we haven't been able to see much
since I arrived in Orland. We even had a branch Thanksgiving dinner on
Saturday night and a less-active I had never met with (we didn't have
her information) came and then she came to church the next day as well
and then we were able to have a lesson with her last night!! It was
incredible!! And now she is going to teach us how to make chile
rellenos next Sunday and she said she is ready to start consistently
coming back to church. It's a miracle!!!!!!
5. Okay, now last but not least. THANK YOU THANK YOU you soo so
much everyone who emailed me and wished me a Happy Birthday!!! My
heart is completely filled with gratitude and I love you all so so
much. I am always so humbled by all those that remember my Birthday
and take the time to send me a quick, sweet & thoughtful note. To be
honest I haven't thought about my Birthday at all until pretty much
yesterday. With Hermana Piggott leaving, transfers & training ... I
have completely forgotten about it. But now I am turning 22 in a
couple of days and life is continuing to fly by!!!!!! I can hardly
believe it. I have no idea how I am this old. It's mind boggling
really! But looking back I have had the absolute best year being 21,
definitely my absolute favorite & most special year thus far in my
life and I am now so excited to see what life will bring to me while I
am 22. Life is wonderful & I am confident many wonderful things lay up
ahead.
Well, I love you all sooo so much. Your thoughts, prayers & love
mean more to me than I can even express. I am praying for each of you
every single day and hope you have a wonderful week.
I LOVE YOU ALL & thanks again for everything!!!!!!!
Con mucho amor,
HERMANA BARTH
Oh my goodness where to begin! It has been one very eventful
week to say in the least. I have soo much I want to tell you all and I
do not even know where to begin!!
1. First off, I am again so sorry for emailing so late on
Monday. I ended up having a very prolonged & crazy p-day. 5 hours of
my day were spent in the mission office with all of the departing
missionaries, we had to drive our companions to the mission office and
then I was with Hermana Lee for the rest of the night up until Hermana
Piggott & I slept over with the Citrus Heights Hermanas, our babies -
Hermana Hughes & Hermana Melchor. Then early the next morning I had to
say goodbye to my very best friend. Ohh, it was so sad for me to say
goodbye to her. Haha Hermana Lee & I actually ended up staying with
all the departing missionaries, including Hermana Piggott & Hermana
Richards, our mamas, up until they drove off too. We were dreading the
goodbye and I already miss them so much!! It definitely hit me the
most the next morning though when I woke up and realized Hermana
Piggott was no longer my companion & then I got a lovely little email
from her. Wow, I actually now cannot believe I was just with her
earlier this week. It already feels like it has been so long!! Time on
the mission is beyond strange I tell you. But so anyways, Hermana
Piggott is officially home!! Ahh so crazy! I am soo happy to hear mom,
dad, Abby, Ralph & g-ma were able to attend her homecoming too. You
have no idea how much that means to me!!!! Is she not the most darling
thing you've ever seen!? I miss my Hermana Piggott so much!!!! Haha I
am glad Abby mentioned how we talk alike too, we truly morphed into
one another. It's so weird not having her right by side doing the work
also but she is my forever best friend so I will see her when the time
comes. Haha and yes family, she does know everything about each of
you. What do you expect after me being with her 24/7 for 7 1/2
months??? Don't worry though, I am obsessed with each of you so she
only knows the best of things.
2. Now for the next event. I then got to spend all of Tuesday in
Lincoln with Hermana Toledo (Rodriguez) and it was a total blast!! We
seriously had soo much fun together. We visited tons of the members, I
got to explore the Lincoln/Rocklin area which I have heard soo much
about and then we even had a spontaneous dinner at a members house
where we ate grasshoppers!! Haha it was crazy! When I first saw them
all piled in a baggy I thought to myself that there was no way I could
eat one but then I thought again and realized possibly never again in
my life would I have the opportunity to try one so I got Hermana
Toledo to do it with me and I ate my very first toasted
grasshopper!!!! Haha I have it on film too so I will send it to you
but the worst part about it was I kinda liked it!! It just tasted like
a salty sunflower seed or something and so after my first one ... I
popped in another! Hahaha who have I become!? Eating grasshoppers like
candy haha. But so again, we had a ton of fun together. I loved having
some alone time with Hermana Toledo and unlike exchanges we have had
in the past, this day it literally felt like we were companions. I
absolutely loved it. We were both super anxious to meet our new
companions too and she is an incredible missionary. I also feel as
though she has changed a ton since I last served around her so that
was fun to see. Something very sweet too was at the end of the night,
I slept over at her apartment, she talked about how recently she has
felt like the spirit hasn't been with her or involved in the work for
her as much but that throughout our day together, she felt the spirit
strongly with her again ... and as she was telling me this she got all
choked up and started getting emotional. It touched me so much and
made me so happy. I love Hermana Toledo!!! Also, something super
awesome. That night the Lincoln Sisters, the ones who live with the
Hermanas, told us to meet them at a house in Rocklin for a surprise.
Well, we ended up meeting them at a very nice home (nicest home I have
seen in a very long time) and we were both confused as to what was
going on. Well, as soon as we arrived and knocked on the door of the
home with the sisters, a mom answered the door and said, "Is this what
I think it is?" Asked to see our name tags, moved my hair off of mine
and exclaimed .... "HERMANA BARTH!!" and continued to give me the
biggest hug. Haha I was even more confused at this point due to the
fact that I was sure I had never met this darling lady in my life.
Well, turns out her & her husband are the parents of Hermana Kelsey
Barney, the cutest Hermana I became friends with in the CCM!!! Her
room was right next to mine, we could hear each other sing in the
shower even because our bathrooms were connected haha ... and anyways,
she had told me how her home was in the Roseville Mission and how I
needed to meet her family but I had totally forgotten about it since I
have never served that South in the mission and I had never had the
chance to meet them up until this point! But fortunately her mom had
remembered me from her daughters emails and asked the sisters if they
knew who I was. And luckily they remembered as well and set the whole
deal up. Well anyways, Hermana Barney is serving in Provo and I just
had the best time chatting with her parents about the CCM and serving
in the Hispanic culture, etc. They were eating it up all so much and
at the end when Hermana Toledo said a prayer in Spanish, her mom
started crying! It was so darling! And they also took pictures with us
to send Hermana Barney. What a small world!!!! I am sooo happy I got
to meet them! Especially because I will never serve in that area. Best
surprise ever!!!! Also, their daughter is beautiful and the cutest
person ever. I hope we're friends after the mission.
3. MY NEW COMPANION!!!!! Updates on my new companion. So, her
name is Hermana Cluff, Courtney Cluff, from Washington (St. George),
Utah and she is the most darling girl ever!! She just turned 19 so
she's truly a baby, she's a beautiful blonde, full of so much energy &
enthusiasm, has such a strong & sincere testimony of the gospel along
with unshakeable faith, overall she is just soo much fun and we get
along perfectly!!!! We're a ton of like and were immediate friends the
second we met. We already joke about how once we were assigned to be
companions we just clicked instantly. What's even crazier too is on
Monday when I saw the two pictures of the incoming Hermanas, the
second I saw her pictures I knew she was my companion. And what makes
my prompting even more official was Hermana Toledo said the exact same
thing when she saw the picture of hers, Hermana Moore. Before we went
to bed on Tuesday night Hermana Toledo & I talked about it as well and
said how we were both confident who are companions were going to be.
We both were absolutely positive and agreed it would not have felt
right if we were assigned otherwise. I have been praying consistently
for my companion though ever since I knew I was training so I know the
Holy Ghost prompted me as to who she was before I was even assigned.
And apparently President Marston felt the same way because Hermana
Cluff said the second she walked in for her interview with him he
said, "I already know who your trainer is." Haha but I truly could not
be more blessed or feel more excited to have her as my companion.
Again, she is absolutely darling and we couldn't get along better!!
She likes to talk just as much as me too haha so I already know tons
about her. I AM THE ABSOLUTE LUCKIEST!!!!!!! Ohhhh I love her so
much!!! It's so fun to get a young, new spirit here in the mission
too, I remember feeling the same way when Hermana Hughes arrived,
although I have now also realized how stinkin old I am. But anyways, I
am confident we are going to witness soo many miracles together
because we already have! Seriously, the work has already been picking
up since she has arrived. Every day we have had more planned to do
than we have time so we have been busy just the way I like it!!! I am
soo happy!!! Also, fun fact. Since she's from St. George, she knows
Sister Shaefer!!! Our very own Janine!!! She said she would go visit
the Sisters at the Visitors Center all the time before her mission.
Isn't that awesome!? It made me so happy. I need to send Janine
something. It's such a small world!!!
4. We have again, seen so many miracles this past week and one
includes our new investigator I told you about from last week, Marco.
We had another lesson with him this past week and although he was
anxiously awaiting a miraculous answer or explanation for the big
concern/question he had, I knew how we needed to address the concern
and that was by teaching him more doctrine and helping him establish a
firm foundation and testimony. So, we ended up teaching him the first
half of the Plan of Salvation, since we taught him the first half last
time, and it went perfectly!! All of his beliefs match up perfectly
with ours and he truly is so open & believing to all we teach (thus
far). He thoroughly enjoyed hearing this lesson and after we finished
teaching, he asked again what I had studied about his concern, us
becoming Gods, etc. and from that point on the Holy Ghost truly took
over the lesson. Somehow & some way, we were able to address his
concern and satisfy him with our testimonies and simple beliefs. To be
honest I cannot even full remember all that we said, the words came to
our mouths in the time that we needed them to as is promised in D&C
100:5-6, "Therefore, verily I say unto you, lift up your voices unto
this people; speak the thoughts that I shall put into your hearts, and
you shall not be confounded before men; For it shall be given you in
the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say." And one
way we were able to explain it is we told him how Heavenly Father is
perfect and our one & only God, Jesus Christ is perfect too however
Heavenly Father is still His God and all of the glory still goes to
Him and then how we are commanded by the Savior to become like Him "Be
ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect." - Matthew 5:48 .... Well anyways, he understood all that we
were saying and we have another set lesson with him for tomorrow! I
cannot wait! Also, we had soo many other great lessons this week
including lots with less-actives we haven't been able to see much
since I arrived in Orland. We even had a branch Thanksgiving dinner on
Saturday night and a less-active I had never met with (we didn't have
her information) came and then she came to church the next day as well
and then we were able to have a lesson with her last night!! It was
incredible!! And now she is going to teach us how to make chile
rellenos next Sunday and she said she is ready to start consistently
coming back to church. It's a miracle!!!!!!
5. Okay, now last but not least. THANK YOU THANK YOU you soo so
much everyone who emailed me and wished me a Happy Birthday!!! My
heart is completely filled with gratitude and I love you all so so
much. I am always so humbled by all those that remember my Birthday
and take the time to send me a quick, sweet & thoughtful note. To be
honest I haven't thought about my Birthday at all until pretty much
yesterday. With Hermana Piggott leaving, transfers & training ... I
have completely forgotten about it. But now I am turning 22 in a
couple of days and life is continuing to fly by!!!!!! I can hardly
believe it. I have no idea how I am this old. It's mind boggling
really! But looking back I have had the absolute best year being 21,
definitely my absolute favorite & most special year thus far in my
life and I am now so excited to see what life will bring to me while I
am 22. Life is wonderful & I am confident many wonderful things lay up
ahead.
Well, I love you all sooo so much. Your thoughts, prayers & love
mean more to me than I can even express. I am praying for each of you
every single day and hope you have a wonderful week.
I LOVE YOU ALL & thanks again for everything!!!!!!!
Con mucho amor,
HERMANA BARTH
No comments:
Post a Comment