Hermana Barton: Estoy Stoked!: September 19, 2016: Feliz 16 de Septiembre! Vive Mexico!! (Independence Day)

This week was excellent apart from the fact that my bike got a flat tire 6 times in a week, and all my money went to bike tubes... but oh well. My comp and I decided to buy some awesome pegs for our bikes to give rides to other missionaries that don't have bikes. Or if we get a flat tire, we can ditch the bike for later and just give each other rides. Like Napolean Dynamite style but better, "It'd be nice if you could pull me into town."

We have been teaching a man named Adolfo, and we invited him to church. Truly, I didnt expect that he would come. We went outside to call him before the service started, and when he answered he said he was walking in the gate. I started yelling and grinning with happiness that I couldn't hold inside me... I had to hang up so I didn't look like such a loca. But it was awesome because he came, and the mission president was there for a conference, and he greeteed him, and he had a really cool experience and is excited to come next week too.

This week we had to gain a little respect from a menos active brother and I taught my comp how to shovel dirt. To the surprise of the brother we shoveled a truck load of dirt. And it was worth it because now we gained a little respect and the brother is reading the Book of Mormon, and progressing. Got to be glad for Saturday work days and shoveling dirt. It really does pay off! ;)

Today, it is raining in Peñasco. It is a rare occasion when it rains in the desert, but a blessing that always happens when the mission president comes to visit!

Love you all!

Oceans of love,

Hermana Barton

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A piece of Mer's letter to Joe:

This week the Hno Galindo was making a patio behind his house and had a huge truck load of dirt. I told him that I was going to help him shovel the dirt. He looked at me like I was kidding. We shared a message with his family, then said a prayer and I asked him, "Okay, where's your shovel?" He thought I was kidding, until I started shoveling and knew that it was for real. I taught my comp how to shovel too, and we shoveled half the pile. But then we had an appointment. I told him that in the morning, we would come back to finish. He didn't believe me, until the next morning when we woke him up at 6 before he had to go to work to finish shoveling the dirt and move the pile out of his yard. It was awesome. This is the man who has drinking problems, and you have to gain respect in someway. No better way than shoveling dirt. But now he listens to our messages, and is reading the BOM and completing with his homework assignments that we leave him! Thanks for teaching me how to work and shovel dirt, Mi Papito!