July 25, 2016: Hermosillo Otra Vez!!! (another time)

Riquelme and I got special permission to ditch our comps in Peñasco and go to the temple together with the ward, to see a family get sealed. We left at 12 midnight and traveled all the night until we got to Hermosillo at 7 am. It took a super long time because for the first time in forever (Frozen song) it rained super hard in Hermosillo, and all the trip there. But it was so worth it! We got to go with this family and their three little kids and see them get sealed together forever and ever, and it was super amazing! 

The rest of this week was awesome also! We went to visit a family that are recent converts. And one of their granddaughters asked me. "What does it mean 'Latter Days?'" and I told her. "It means like the last days until Jesus Christ is going to come to the earth again."  And she told me: "Jesus came to visit my family...." And it was super special, because this little girl knows and has a testimony that Jesus lives and that He is with us, and all the experiences and blessings that she and her family have received from the gospel are real.

I keep loving Peñasco. It is super funny because Peñasco is super small so everyone knows the white girl on the bike with super curly hair. And everyone we pass waves to us and greets us, and my comp always asks, "Do you know everyone here?" But it is just because I live by the motto of Maddy: Give people something to stare at." Like a crazy white girl on a bike with a skirt and now pants with an afro sticking out from a bright pink helmet and a ghetto basket, crying the people to repentance and loving every second of it!

Stay stoked people! Oceans of love to you all! Shout out to the Barton family reunion and the sun burns and memories to come!  

Love you all!  Muahug!!

Hermana Barton

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Part of Meredith's letter to Mom. A sacred experience in the temple:

On Friday night, Riquelme and I left our comps in Peñasco and we tripped it to Hermosillo with the members to go to the temple and see their sealing! It was amazing! So beautiful!! I was crying tons! Also I had a really cool experience with your dad another time... I was sitting waiting for my turn to pass the veil and felt like an unreal switch of vision and felt his presence super strongly, and then they called me up to the veil, and all I could do was look at the hands of the worker and remember your experience and I was just crying and felt super strong the spirit and felt like I could see his hands exactly like you explained them to me... it sounds strange, but it is SO real to me!!

And the experiences I have had here with your dad have been something that I never expected, but something amazing. And I am so thankful for all that I have felt and learned and seen.... The 350 pesos I spent were the best 350 pesos I have spent in all my mission! MY time in the temple was incredible!!

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From Mom about this picture: That dimple!  I want to see it in person. 5 months more! This is yet another shot of the restaurant by the sea that a member of the church owns and lets the missionaries enjoy on their pday.  Lucky Hermanas!  The view and the drinks alone sound like a good break from the missionary grind. The middle Hermana (Amy Hauck) was in Meredith's original group in the CCM/MTC and they have never been comps, but have been in the same area for a good chunk of their mission. She is from St. George UT. And Riquelme is still close by as you can see!  And sporting a matching bracelet to Meredith's fav one. These are a few of my favorite things...