Hermana Barton: Estoy Stoked!: August 2015

From August 17, 2015: "My bowels, my bowels"

This last week I had the grand privilege of washing my clothes in the sink behind my house by hand, and then hanging them up on our clothes lines!! Actually pretty awesome, but it takes a long time! I will send pictures!

So this week, I don't know what I ate, but on Wednesday and Sunday I had to find an emergency bathroom! We were walking down the road, and I looked at my companion and told her that I needed a bathroom now! I have never prayed so hard, or for a bathroom! We saw a family moving a door into their house, so we approached them, and I didn't care if we knew them or not! But miracles happen, and they greeted us:" Hermanas! Come in! " Hallelujah, they were super nice members, and they saved my life! Pretty much Jeremiah 4:19 sums up my experience: " My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war." We also had to make some other stops, but you get the picture!

A little about Hermosillo and this area. The roads are gravel, and some dirt. There are some relatively nice houses, and some really poor houses. My house is in a community with a guard, it is not nice, but it is definitely safe! This morning Hermana Martinez (The lady I told you about last week) let us use her washing machine. And also made us pancakes and mango smoothies. She is an angel! ("This corn is like an angel")

Last night we had a HUGE storm, and our house flooded! But we couldn't really do anything about it. We had puddles throughout our house, especially in our room! and places dripping through the ceiling. The power was out, so we had no light or air conditioning... So just tried to sleep but we were all wet from rain, and sweat because our house was 100 degree (gross! But true!). Today we had to clean up the puddles and dead cockroaches in our house!

Also, today for an activity with the other missionaries we played capture the flag with water balloons, which was pretty epic!

This week we found 17 new investigators, which was a huge blessing, and had several people attend the chapel yesterday which was another miracle! God never ceases to bless each of us, which is so amazing! Probably the best experience I had this week was with a lady and her son who has down syndrome. They were sweeping their steps,and we stopped to help them. At first they would not accept help, but reluctantly agreed after 10 min. Their phone rang so the mom went inside to answer it. While we were sweeping, the son came over to my companion and I and pointed next to us and said, "God is right here." Wow! I knew that he was right! I know that God is with all of us, if we have faith and pray to have his spirit and presence with us.

The hardest thing of the mission so far is that I have so much I want to say, and my heart is so full of love for these people, but I don't know the words to share them. but I just have to be patient, and continue to have faith and practice!

I hope everyone is well! And thank you for your love and prayers, I definitely feel them!

Oceans of love,

Hermana Barton

Hermana Castro, Me, Hermana Hernandez, Hermana Martinez

Hna. Hernandez, Hna. Martinez, Me, Hna. Castro, JC Castro(at his house after his baptism), Elder Diaz, Elder Thayne, Elder Allen, Elder Williams

August 10, 2015: La Ducha..!! (The Shower)

This week has been so great and quite the adventure! One of my highlights was the shower. So I got in the shower and there was a hose thing and a shower head, and I was expecting that the water would come out of the shower head.... but it was coming out of the hose thing. So I turned the water higher, and the almost broken hose, broke! So water was just coming out of a hole and shooting into the shower wall. So I tried to hold the hose onto the hole of the shower with one hand, and use the other hand to shower... But the hose holding the shower was receiving a low key electric shock while I was trying to use the pathetic hose thing to rinse off... So now I have an old yogurt container, and I fill it up with water from the hole that shoots into the wall, and shower off bucket by bucket!

Also the other night there was a huge rain storm and it dumped for about an hour and a half. And the streets were filled with water, so I was tromping through a river of water calf high to try to find an investigator's house. Now we keep sandals with us, so that next time, we can just wear those, instead of heavy wet shoes!

My companion´s name is Hermana Castro. I am super grateful for her! She is the only member in her family. She has been a member for only two years, but has a huge testimony and knowledge of the gospel! She is super nice,and so helpful and patient! She also loves food, and to buy treats all the time.. so we get along well! :)

There is a family here who owns a hot dog stand on the way home to our house each night. I was not a fan of hot dogs before my mission, but for some reason, the hot dogs here are bombdiggity. I seriously cant believe I am saying this, but you are going to have to trust me on this or ¨ come see for yourself Napoleon!¨

Also, there is a member lady that lives near us, that is like a mom to us, Hermana. Martinez. She is super awesome and helps us out ALOT!

One of my greatest experiences this week was with a familia we are teaching, the Palmeryn family. We were teaching them and asked them to be baptized. They accepted, and the dad said, that he felt the spirit so strong. Especially when I was testifying of Jesus Christ. He says he understands the power of God because he knows it is a miracle that I am sitting in his house speaking Spanish, and he feels the spirit and the truthfulness of my message, and can understand me. Wow! I was floored at this experience! I know that when I open my mouth, I have no idea what I am going to say, but the words come with help from God and the Spirit, and I am able to share the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gift of tongues is a real thing!

Oceans of love to all,

Hermana Barton

The hose is supposed to be connected to this part of the shower. But it electrically heats up the water so when you touch it, you get electrocuted. But thanks to plastic flip flops, you don't get too electrocuted. Then I resorted to a yogurt container instead to not get electrocuted anymore... Maddy, you're a genius!

August 5, 2015: Soy Elder Calhoun (Best Two Years)

Ejole! I am in Hermosillo! I have no idea most of the time what people are saying, but I am so happy to finally be here! Especially the relief society president is way hard to understand. She has a lisp, and I don't know if I would be able to understand her if she was speaking English! But she is so cute, and nice. I love her even if I have no clue what language she is speaking!

I wanted to tell you the biggest thing I have learned during my time in the CCM was the true meaning of "feast on the words of Christ" and "hunger after righteousness." As you well know I hate reading. And really reading scriptures I knew was a good thing, but I definitely treated it as a chore that I needed to do. During my time in the CCM, I had time to actually study the scriptures. And have grown to love them. I search them every day highlighting them with verses that talk about the Savior, or other revelation that I receive. I feel like I am on a treasure hunt, and this is the best buried gold I could ever find! The other day I was reading the Isaiah chapters in Spanish. Usually I don't understand these, and rush through them mindlessly. However, I was reading in Spanish, and using English when I needed, and as I tried so hard to understand what each word meant, I understood better the message of these chapters, which is all about Christ! And when Lehi prophesies about the promised land and his posterity being blessed to be free, he is talking about the U.S. And when he says that if we disregard the laws of God, this promise will be broken and the people will lose blessings. And this is just like my blessing when it talks about how I need to be a warning voice that when we disregard the laws of God, we cannot expect to be blessed. WOW! the scriptures are so amazing, and I have an increasing testimony of them every day!

Back to Hermosillo, my new companera is from Peru. She doesn't speak much English, and I don't speak much Spanish, which is perfect. Because this is exactly what I need to be able to get better at this language. In six weeks of speaking zero English I think my companion will help me be loads better! She is super patient with me, which is a blessing sparkle!! She is new to the area that we are in too. So picture a short Peruvian chica and a tall (compared to my companion) white girl, wandering the streets in Hermosillo completely lost! It is so awesome, I love it, and look forward to it!

One of my favorite phrases is "Esta Bien" because even though I have no idea what is going on most of the time, and we are lost and it is only the first day, and there was no toilet paper in our casita, and I'm pretty sure this shirt that I am wearing is already turning yellow because it is super hot and I am constantly sweating, ESTA BIEN! Because I am so happy to be here, serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and I know that God has a plan. So entonces.... Esta Bien!

Gracias for all your love!

Oceans of love,

Hermana Barton

______________________________

First picture--and the District is OFF to new places!

Second and Third pictures--

From Meredith: These are the people I have grown to love in the CCM. Unfortunately Elder Lunt (left) has to go home because he has knee problems. but he is going to return as soon as possible! The girl in striped and the friar girl are some of my favorite gems from the CCM. I will miss them loads!

The otro foto is my new compañera!

These fotos are un poco feo pero I thought you would want to see her! She made me this sign in the background!