December 22, 2015: Feliz Navidad!!!!

Yesterday we had a reunion with all of the mision. They have never done it before because we are really spread out, but it worked out this year. It was an awesome experience to be all together as a mission family especially since we are not with our real families this year.  I got to see Hermana Dickson. She truly is SUPER awesome, you will have to meet her someday! This comp I have is nothing like Dickson, so it was so good to feel her love and friendship. And also see other friends!! Hermana Robinson is awesome and Pres Robinson (mission president and his wife). I feel so much love from them. They really want the best for all of the missionaries and love us so much! 

Each zone had to do a special musical number... And of course all the other zones sang hymns. But of course, our leaders thought we could sing other songs too... so they chose: Mi Burrito Sabanero. You have to look it up on YouTube to get a good picture. But it is a lot different than a nice little hymn, and ended in us laughing in front of the whole mission. So glad it is done!

When we were practicing, I was confused of the meaning of the song, haha, thinking of burrito, like the food that we eat. And imagining a little boy on the road to Bethlehem with a burrito to gift to the baby Jesus. But... really burro means donkey, and burrito means little donkey, which makes SO much more sense, that we are singing about a boy with his donkey going to Bethlehem!! haha 

I am super stoked for Christmas here. It is awesome because the little kids believe in Santa, (of course), and also in the Three Kings--that they also receive gifts from the three wise men, which makes so much sense. I love this because it helps us focus more on the true meaning of Christmas. That really Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. These past weeks we have been sharing a video with all the people in the streets that is from the Church called: ¨¨Ha Nacido un Salvador.¨¨ It is on lds.org, and awesome if you haven't already seen it!

The other day I saw a quote in a kitchen that I like and wrote it down to share:

¨¨Alimenta tu FE y tus miedos moriran de hambre.¨¨

I love all of you so much. Thanks for the love and support I feel. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Or as Raffi sings: I fish you a hairy Chris-moose and a hippo new year!!

Oceans of love,

Hermana Barton

The old CCM crew reunited!

Missiones crew reunited. my "mama y papa misional"

Meredith, Castro and Dickson all together!

La Hermana Dickson, my sister from another mister

Missing my friends from mission in the other ward I was in

Friends from my last zone

My last zone

Familia Jimenez and the elders in our district now

Mayita--someday I will tell you about this lady!!

Amy speaking here--this was our Christmas miracle. We sent Meredith some packages for Christmas back in November, and long story short, they were NOT arriving to her. It seemed like they wouldn't make it there in time for Christmas, if ever. But thanks to Meredith's good old friend she had made from Hermosillo named Sarahi, she got ALL of the packages we sent. Seriously amazing!  She delivered them to Meredith while she was at the mission "reunion" on Monday in Hermosillo. Hallelujah! The pic of the group is of Sarahi and her parents and Meredith and Castro together again.

December 14, 2015: Casita Nueva

Guaymas is awesome! I love the people, and the views!! The ocean here looks like a lake, or kind of like San Francisco. There are tons of mountains and hills here, and the people live in these crazy houses tucked away in these mountains, and we spend lots of our days hiking and contacting the awesome people that live here.

My first day here, I was told that we had to find a new house, and meanwhile, that we would be staying with other misioneras until we found a new one. I am quite good friends with my new companion now, after we spent the first week together sleeping squished in too close of quarters. But this gave us animos (sorry can't think of the word in English...) to find a house so that we could sleep more comfortably! 

This house was not as easy to find, like the blue one I found in Hermosillo, with a Virgin Mary. I saw that house and knew it was the one. But this time it was different. We spent all day hiking up and down the mountains looking for a house to rent, and finally at 7 pm one of the members called and said that his neighbor wanted to rent to us. We went to look at it and it was perfect. She gave us the keys before we left and told us we could sleep there that night. Wow!! We still haven't paid her, or finalized things with the other house. But we do have a new house, and actually can sleep now!! 

And best thing of all is that we live next door to members who treat us like their kids and feed us and help us all the time! No complaints!!  They are the familia Jimenez!  They are like my missionary family. Whatever thing we need they are next door and MORE than willing to help. They are seriously so awesome!!! You never need to worry about me here, there are angels and so many great people who take such good care of us.

I love you all so much and hope you are happy and healthy in these holiday seasons!!

Oceans of love,

Hermana Barton

Hermana Alejandrina from Hermosillo: My Christmas "wish for the world" would be to someday be able to help this lady. She is so awesome, a convert, basically has nothing but is always giving,and sharing the gospel with EVERYONE!! Her son and her and I were all crying when we had to say goodbye.

Her son, only because on Sundays he always asked me for treats in sacrament meeting and he would sit next to me, and we colored or made paper frogs and ate little treats...

Mis chicas y soul sistahs of Lainie + my new companion: Hermana Abadia

View of Hermosillo before leaving for Guaymas

December 7, 2015: GUAYMAS!!!!!!!

Puras mentiras!! [Editor's note again: if you translated this it would mean "pure lies." I think it must be slang, like "No way!!" Maybe? All I can think of. Back to Meredith]

Well.... someone with more power than the President of the mission decided that my time in Hermosillo was done, and that it was time for me to go to Guaymas. My compañera is Hermana Abadia. She is from Mexico. She trained my companera in the CCM, Hermana Harmon. Guaymas is next to the beach, and I feel like I am home just to see the ocean, and best of all smell the ocean. 

I am super sad to leave Hermana Dickson, and for the crazy curls to be separated, but I know that God has a plan for me here in Guaymas.

I will miss Hermana Dickson tons!! This week we were walking and talking about an investigator and then all of a sudden Hermana Dickson said: Ain't nobody got time for that!!! (This is a quote from a Youtube video of a funny Black lady named Sweet Brown. If you don't know it, ask Lainie to imitate it for you!!! ;)

The day before, we contacted a man, and when we finished he said, AMEN!!! And I don't know what happened... I tried to contain myself but couldn't, and chanted: AMEN Y Hallelujah!!!! I couldn't believe that this slipped out, but Hermana Dickson was laughing for about an hour after, and I was still shocked at what had slipped out of my mouth!

I am stoked to be here in Guaymas, and have lots of neat experiences here with my new companion and with the people in my area. 

Oceans of love all the way from Guaymas, Sonora!!!

Hermana Barton

PS:You'll be glad to hear that Josefina is all good, and in her house, and came to church yesterday and knows that only with the Gospel can she be happy and receive blessings for her family.

Le quiero MUCHO!!!!.               [Josefina is the woman who had a heart attack last week!]

Hna. Dickson, and Hna. Josefina

Hna. Betty (hippest and coolest lady ever!)

Hno. and Hna. Martinez 

Mayita, a crazy neighbor lady that we tried to teach, but she ended up just feeding us all the time. And her daughter. 

One night we were freezing, so she followed us home secretly, then knocked on our door, and she lent us some huge, and ugly fur coats. They were actaully pretty warm... I dont know if they ever got back to her. She also came and gifted me some huge earrings, so nice of her. 

Street pics are always necessary.

Our faces acidentally captures after taking a video of us eating two jalepenos

Saying goodbye to Hna. Josefina

Hna Dickson is the best!

E. Rodeback, E. Quero, Hna. Dickson, Me.

Familia Castro (Mom didnt get baptized because first she had to get married, but an amazing lady, who always came to church).

Hermana Ceci, always made the best food

Some of the Funny personal emails sent to Mom From "Hermana Pearl"

Ama,

I love you so much! I love to imagine Olga on a jet ski in her swim suit she used to have, but also pretty that for reals you and her kayaked!  Sounds like a blast and a half in Mexico. 

It is so true that Lainie it the coolest 11 year old ever! Stoked that she got my card and enjoyed it,and bummed that Mia's never got there... I doubt it, that I would have cleaned up the confetti. I seldom like to clean up things like that. :) TRAP

Tony and Albas... my favorite, nothing like their delicious burnt crust and a plead from Mia for a quarter to lose on one of the arcade games! Am I right? It is just a blast and a half, and almost as perfect as a sandwich with lots of mayonnaise and tuna on it! (EWW the other day I had to eat this and I was gagging in my mouth and did all I could to keep it in).

I have a funny story, a little inappropriate... the other day I wanted to look up imortalidad in the bible dictionary, so while trying to look I thought I was looking at the right word...( but was looking at inmoralidad) and beyond confused when I read ¨ Imortalidad sexual¨  which was really inmoralidad sexual... VERY DIFFERENT!!! hahah

I love you so much!!! Thanks for the updates and love and support always.

I think about you always when I eat a spoonful of Nutella and peanut butter when I need a little chocolate!

Lubalubaloo

Hermana Pearl

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I absolutely love all of these fotos! My all time favorite is Olga in her do up in the beach! 

I have a few questions, 

1. to pay for my mission, is the money coming out of my bank account, or how does it work?

2. Can you send me the recipe for french bread and pizza (I am going to make it with a family here)

3 and the recipe for pancakes, like dad used to make

4. how do you say baking power and baking soda in Spanish? I cant find it here...

5 did you know that I had to sing in Relief society and I think that the ladies in there really need some therapy after they heard my beautiful voice, and laughed when I remember our Xmas talent show one year with grandpa and I sang Nacho Libre and Grandpa was not pleased and stopped me and told me that was enough

6 TRAP

7 the poop and random candle emoji

8 Did you know that I love you and thanks for all you do for me!!!!!

Muahug. Good night mom, good night dad, goodnight Maribelle, mom, ¨¨ what are we doing tomorrow?¨¨

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Ama BQ,

I had to write earlier today because at 2 me and my district are going to a clinic to donate blood for a girl here in the ward. 

It was super sad because this week the husband of Hermana Martinez had to go to the hospital because he has an infection in his lungs. a year ago he was in Obregon with the same problem in the other lung, but they didn't know that both were infected...

This week was good! Sometimes when people cant feed us, they give us money to buy food. So on Friday I made something similar to that yummy asparagus peanut butter Chinese pasta that you make, but I made it with green beans and broccoli. It was pretty Bombastic if I do say so myself. ( I don't want to brag but I got some moves. I'm a raging ball of brown fur) 

If you have any recipes you want to send of food on the stove top that I can make that would be fantastic!! How's your leg doing? Do you have plans for Thanksgiving?  

I can't believe how fast my time here on the mission is going! In one month we get to talk on the phone! Wahoo!! Crazy!!!!

I love you so much and more! TRAP.

Mares de Amor,

Hermana Pearl

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I have the Eat More recipe.. thanks!

Good to hear about Madsen! So sad for him, and shoot prayers his way often!

The other morning Dickson and I did some zumba-robics, just a little bit, and some yoga to goofy EFY songs..

haha

Lubablubaloo

Mom what are we doing tomorrow?

Mom..... Mom..... your gonna die.......

Adios for reals...

I love you so beyond much.......

Say hi to Joanna for me and Richelle!!1 Por Favor... And kick them in the bum for me!!!

If you want, you can also borrow my swim suit that I used for my swim finals.. :) 

November 30, 2015: Vanilla y Chocolate

This week several times people shouted out at the chinas (curly haired crazies) walking by "vanilla y chocolate!" 

 Last week we went to donate plaquetas (forgot how to say this in English) [*editor's note, aka Amy: plasma?] for one of the girls in our ward who is super sick. After fasting and waiting around all day to help this girl out, the doctor told me I did not have veins to donate plaquetas (because you need bigger veins) so I wanted to donate blood so they could take the plaquetas out of the blood... but when they tested my blood, the doctor told me I had a really low count of plaquetas and couldn't donate... (How am I living without veins or plaquetas?!!)  Classic. Out of the 6 of us who went to donate, none of us were capable of donating plaquetas or blood. Super sad for this girl who is in desperate need, but we did what we could! 

 Yesterday at church, one of the members that we have been working with a lot finally came, Josefina. At the end of the service she was feeling really sick. She asked us to find some water for her and a cup to take a pill. I found a random cup and washed it in the bathroom for her (how kind? but I didn't know what else to do!) and she was able to take a pill. We ended the service and she told me that she had a lot of pain in her chest and right arm, and that she has hypertension.... all the signs of a HEART ATTACK..... She told me that her pill she took would help her and that she was going to drive home. I was not going to let her drive home alone, so we asked one of the ladies in the ward to drive with us in her car to take her home. We all got in the car and started driving, and on the corner of the street of the church Josefina passed out, almost unconscious (doesn't remember any of this). She told us to go to her house and her husband would take her to the hospital. We called her husband on the way to her house so he could come out and go quickly. (We couldn't take her to the hospital ourselves because you have to have papers to be accepted.) We got to her house. Her husband was nowhere in sight!  We started banging on the doors and windows, and he finally came out. He went over to his passed out wife trying to wake her up and take her in the house, I was trying to tell him that she was going to have a heart attack and needed to go to the hospital. He was taking FOREVER. Then her daughter came out, who is studying to be a nurse. She took her pulse and said, "Yep, she is having a heart attack." We called an ambulance, and her daughter was going to go with her. And she went into the house for like 20 minutes, then came out in her nurse outfit to go to the hospital. (SERIOUSLY LADY?!!! YOUR MOM IS HAVING A HEART ATTACK AND YOU CHANGE INTO YOUR NURSE OUTFIT?!!)  

At this point, the ambulance was not going to come. (They have only two in Hermosillo and told us they were busy...Love Mexico!!!) And I was ready to take the keys from Josefina's husband and take her myself to the hospital...but finally this family got their act together and took their mom to the hospital. Later in the night, Josefina called us and told us that if she had not taken that pill, (if I had not used that nasty cup), she would have had a heart attack and died, and that we saved her life, and "thanks so much!" I really could not believe all that went down. It was crazy!!

Always the craziest things happen when you have two chinas, vanilla and chocolate, lost and crazy somewhere in Mexico!

But things ALWAYS turn out all right if we put our confidence in God, and follow His guide and spirit. Who knows what this week will bring, but I do know that God has a plan for all of us, and I am so happy to be His representative and share His gospel here in Hermosillo!!  

Oceans of love to all,

Hermana Barton

The hermano that took us to donate blood bought us hamburgers after because we had been fasting all day. 

Vanilla y Chocolate Hermanas

At the Hermosillo Temple

District "Selfie"

Another picture of our district

November 23, 2015: Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving this week! It is weird to think that here in Mexico I won't be celebrating Thanksgiving. And Happy Birthday to my Bartner partner in crime, Maddy (Yydam)!

This week we had interviews with our mission president, and he told my comp and I that he is going to leave us together for a transfer more!!! This means that I will stay here with Hermana Dickson and be here in Hermosillo for Christmas! I'm stoked about this!!!

This week the girl Jasmín who jumped off of a church building, that we were teaching, told us that she was bored with our word about God.  I think the hardest thing in the mission, (and life, for that matter), is when people know the truth, and they choose not to accept it, and turn their back on what they know is right. It is so beyond sad, but we have to respect their decisions and just hope that they can figure it out one day. I watched the video of Jasmín when she jumped from the church (the video is on Youtube (niña que tiró de una iglesia en Navajoa).  I literally have no idea how this girl is still living. It is a miracle. I know that Heavenly Father must have something else for her to do on this earth, and this is the reason she is living.

Here in Hermosillo the people LOVE jello. It is gross. I thought that it was only a Utah thing... But the good thing is that my comp loves it, so she can eat my share too!

Oceans of happiness and love all the way from Hermosillo Mexico!!
Hermana Barton

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A couple of pics (Amy here--I always ask Meredith for pics. Sometimes I beg. That's why she sent these this time. If you're tired of them, you can easily skip them. I can't get enough personally. I know they're similar to others she has sent. Sorry, not sorry. :) Love you all and Happy Thanksgiving to you each. Back to Mer...)
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Sarahi going strong! (insisted that we snap a pic after church)

Virgencita going strong (because Hermana Dickson needed a photo with her too)