August 29, 2016 : Bad News Bears...

This week was an awesome week. But the most sad thing of my life happened...

Last week we had a baptism of a boy named Ramon. He is a nephew of our recent converts, Rosalba and Omar. It was super awesome because Omar was able to baptize Ramon, and it was a really special experience... until this week when the new president of the branch was putting all the information of the baptism of Ramon on the church records... 

Turns out that Omar never received the priesthood... they sustained him in Sacrament meeting to get the priesthood, but in Priesthood, they never gave it to him.. because the old president of the branch forgot... so the baptism of Ramon isn't valid because Omar doesn't have the priesthood, and Ramon has to get baptized another time... 

But the bummer is that yesterday he went to live with his grandparents in another state of Mexico and won't be coming back.... so we have to contact the mission of Sinaloa Mexico and explain to them what happened! The bummer of a life!!  But, oh well. 

On a good note, this week we had tons of amazing experiences. On Tuesday, we knocked on a door and started teaching a cool family. The sister had a Book of Mormon that she had found, but never knew what it was... And the best part is that when I was explaining to her the experience of Joseph Smith, we felt the spirit so strongly, and she started to cry, and had to excuse herself because she was crying so much. I almost started to cry myself! It is amazing how the spirit can testify of the truth of all things! 

I know that this church is true, and that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet to restore the Church of Jesus Christ, and every day when I teach this message, I have more and more confirmation in my mind and heart that it is true. 

Love you all!! Happy Grandfather's Day here in Mexico.

Oceans of love,

Hermana Barton

Pics: (description by Meredith this time)...

Adios Ramon! Kills me to know what happened but oh well, asi is life sometimes!!! BUTTT BUMMMEERR!

Still he is an awesome kid, and I have no doubt that he will be baptized in Sinaloa and continue in the church! I still count it as my baptism and my convert! ;)

August 22, 2016: Ladrones y Milagros en Peñasco

This week was super good, filled with experiences and miracles everyday. On Tuesday, we were eating with the other hermanas in our area, and they had lost their phone. They asked me to call their phone to see if it was in their backpack or something. When I called, a man answered the phone. He told me that he had found the phone, and that we could see him at the gas station on the corner in 10 minutes to pick up the phone. We all went to the gas station, and he told us that he wanted 100 pesos for the phone, or he was not going to give it to us. 

The hermanas didn't want to pay him for their own phone, and he said, "Well if it doesn't matter to you, I will just keep it."  I told him that he was robbing us. And he said, "You can pay me, or I will take the phone."

I told him we didn't have money and that all we have were pass along cards... but he told me that that didn't value anything... (worth a try..haha...) He took off with his bike and the phone, and the other hermanas didn't know what to do, because it wasn't even their phone. It is from the mission. Well we didn't have many options... so I took off pedaling after the robber to reach him and try to make a bargain with him.

 I reached him, desperate, and not knowing what to do (my comp didn't follow me because in that exact moment her tire went flat and she couldn't go anywhere... typical...  Coincidence? I think NOT! hahajk) But I asked him if he would give me the phone for 50 pesos? NO! 75? NO! 100 pesos or no deal! I was doing all I could to remember that I was a missionary and shouldn't peg the loser! 

I only had a 50 in my wallet and didn't know what to do, but when I opened my wallet to see what to do, in front of my wallet there was a 100 pesos bill. I gave him the 100 and got the phone. It was a miracle, because if there hadn't been a 100 pesos bill... who knows what would have happened! PHEW!

On Thursday my comp and I went to a conference in Hermosillo. We decided to contact all the people on our bus with the 7 hour trip we had. We started to talk to a lady, and I felt the impression that I needed to tell her that God has a plan for us and our families. When I said this she looked in my eyes helplessly and said, "Does the eternal life really exist?"  She then explained that her son had died a month before, and it was an amazing experience to explain to her that one day she can be with her son, and her family, in the presence of God, and have the eternal life. We got her number to call her and go visit her this week! There are so many experiences every week that are seriously incredible!

Ramon got baptized! It was awesome! Omar (his uncle) baptized him and it was super special! It is amazing to see how the gospel has changed the life and family of Rosalba and Omar. Rosalba was explaining to me the other day that for the months before her baptism on her pay check, she got 1000 pesos every 15 days, and that now, without reason she has been getting 2000 and it has been a miracle because they have been able to pay off some debts and have extra for some things that they needed. It is truly a miracle and promise that when we put God first in our lives we receive many blessings and always have sufficient or more than enough! 

Thanks for all the love and prayers! I love you all!  "Take luck, if you have any. Care for it"  (Bryan Regan)~To those who are starting school this week or the next! 

Oceans of love,

Hermana Barton

SUPER ZONA PUERTO PEÑASCO!

Those super hero t-shirts must have gone to Meredith's head--chasing after robbers and all on her mighty bike! Er, her Batmobile with a basket?! Yikes.

Ramon's baptism: Missionary happiness in one picture.

scripture study in Malecon in Penasco con las hermanitas

August 15, 2016: Bike Problems

After miracles last week, this week we weren't so lucky with the bikes....

On Saturday, my comp's tire was flat another time... but we just kept on going because it was night time and everything was closed. And yesterday, Sunday, we went to a member's house and he patched the bike tire. Then we went to church, and after church it was flat again.... We put air in the tire, and it helped her to go a few miles to the food where we were going to eat. 

After getting a little more than lost, we finally found the lady in the boon docks where we were going to eat. We ate, and then when we went outside for the bikes, now the back tire of my comp's bike was flat and we were basically out in the nowhere. So we were peddling through the sand very slowly... when I told her that we could switch. She told me, "But you are going to suffer." And I told her, "Well, I like to suffer and we are SUpeR far away from where we can put air in your tire." 

We went a few blocks and SASS (like Hna Luna always says), the tube of the tire fell out of the tire and got stuck up in all the wheel making it impossible to go anywhere.... 

In front of us were some guys that had bikes, and we asked them if they had another tube. Of course they didn't, but they said they could give us a ride, because we were super far away from our area, and we didn't have any money...

 They loaded up the bikes in the back and we got in back thinking they were all going to give us a lift. The guy told his son to hop in, and told us to take care of his son, and that his son was going to give us a ride, and that we could tell him how to get where we were going. We started going, and I asked the kid how old he was..... hahaha he told me he was 11 years old... hahahahah.... no wonder he had a hard time getting the old thing to start up! 

After much prayers and many guardian angels... we got to where we were going. Alive, and laughing at all that had happened! But everything worked out okay!! Like the Aunt Kathy quote, "I'm OKAY!!"

Never ceases to be a dull moment in Mexico, and that's why I love it! Enjoy the moments and keep it real!

Oh and a Ramon update: (the 14 year old boy we are teaching)  He is awesome! This week he told me that one night he was super sad, because he doesn't know where his mom is, and that he was praying for like an hour, and couldn't sleep, and decided to read one of the pamphlets that we gave him. And he read about faith and confidence in Jesus Christ, and knew that the Savior could help him and protect his mom wherever she is... pobrecito. He is super stoked to baptize this Saturday! 

Oceans of love,

Hermana Barton

This scripture epitomizes missionary work. So perfect! Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth  me."

August 8, 2016: In case of emergency: Apply Chocolate

This week it was super hot. So hot that yesterday our leaders called us and told us that we had to stay inside until we went to church and couldn't work until 5 pm... It was lame.. but oh well...

Also this week, my comp had a headache from the heat.. so I gave her some chocolate and an Advil and it went away in an instant.. the power of chocolate is REAL!! haha "In case of emergency: apply chocolate."

On Friday we had a member call us crying that she had something happen with her husband... We had to go flying to her house from the other side of our area. Of course, classicness, and the wheel of my comp's bike was flat... so I switched her and was going as fast as I could with the flat tire through the thick sand. I was praying as hard as I could to have help, and seriously felt angels pushing me through the sand. I was going faster through the sand in the dark with a flat tire, than in the day time with a good tire. It was a miracle!  And we made it to her house fast, and were able to help the hermana.

Yesterday, at church, the 14 year old boy from last week came to church with a suit and tie super stoked!! It was pretty awesome!

Love you all tons! 

Oceans of love to all,

Hermana Barton

__________________

From Meredith's letter to Mom:

...This week was awesome! The flood didn't damage much, only houses and streets were filled nothing dramatic like you thought....but the ironic thing is that there is NO water in Peñasco... and no one can shower or anything.. and we might have our baptisms in the beach because we can't fill the baptism font.. awesome!

The 14 yr old is Ramon. He is the nephew of Rosalba And Omar who just got baptized, and will be baptized on the 20th. He is awesome. Fasted for the first time yesterday, and came to church alone in a suit and a huge smile!

Pictures to tell the stories...

Riquelme and I at the temple with the family Lizarraga Suaso

Riquelme and I had to or GOT to work together last pday because we didn't work the day we went to the temple... and we were contacting close to the beach so it called for a quick pic session

Livin right on friday night..pizza, coca, helado. Oh what a delight! 

The flood in Peñasco and boat in the road. 

It was classic because the kids were stopping traffic with their boat to cruise the road.

pics in the malecon (Hauck, Luna, Barton, and Camacho)

Mission buddies from the start

August 1, 2016: Flood in Peñasco....

This week was full of experiences! To start, on Wednesday night our lights went out and so we didn't have air conditioning... in 100 degree weather with lots of humidity... We couldn't sleep because it was super stuffy and hard to breathe in our little room where we live. So we got towels and cold water, and it helped for only 10 min. My comp was so sweaty and just stuck her head in the freezer.... We were about to go outside and sleep in the neighbor's hammock at 2:30 in the morning, and I was praying that the light could come back. When I walked outside to go sleep in the hammock, a blessing sparkle--the lights came back and we were able to sleep in our house with the air.

Then on Friday night there was a huge storm with rain and lightning and thunder. It doesn't rain much here in the desert so there is no drainage system and all the houses have leaks... so Peñasco practically flooded. the roads were like rivers. In places where we couldn't cross our bikes, we took off our shoes and put them in my basket, and rolled up our pants because the water came up to our knees. We passed the day biking barefoot through the rivers in Peñasco. And there were some kids who had a paddle boat in the street and gave us a ride to cross the street. (I will attach a pic). It was pretty awesome. But the bad thing was all the houses and people that got flooded. But thankfully the water is lowering and everything is back to normal!

This week we were teaching a 14 year old boy who is reading the Book of Mormon for the first time. His dad has been in and out of jail for drugs and stuff and his mom is MIA...  you can bet that he has lots of problems in his life and it's not too easy going. I asked him how he feels when he reads the Book of Mormon, and he told me: "I feel so calm and at peace when I am reading the book of Mormon, like all the problems in my life go away and I can just focus on what God wants me to do so that I can return to live with Him some day."  It was pretty awesome, and incredible. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it can change our lives like it has changed mine. I know that it can bring us peace and answers to the questions and turbulence in our lives. 

Oceans of love to all, 

Hermana Barton