Hermana Barton: Estoy Stoked!: October 31, 2016: "Where you from?...Cincinnati?"

Random guy on Thursday morning yelled to me from his balcony in English: "Where you from?...Cincinnati?" Random and awesome. Duh, like anyone could even know that!

This morning waking up, we had a little surprise. We just had a trickle of water to wash our clothes, ourselves, and the house! Oh well, or maybe better to do it all another day anyway. "Sometimes, when you're in Mexico, you wake up and you don't have water, jus fer fun" (Nacho Libre voice) Viva Mexico!!

This week was incredible. It is amazing that everyday, and every week, God has more and more blessings for us. We are working hard and finding lots of people. The only problem is that we can't get the people to go to church on Sunday... kind of a big deal. Ayer, we were a little frustrated, just slightly. But it was incredible to go to church, and feel peace during the sacrament. I came to understand that the fact that we didn't have people in the church wasn't a fault of faith, wasn't because we didn't deserve the blessings, or wasn't because God wasn't capable of having people go to church; it was because all in the time and will of God, that someday soon we would have people in the church. That I needed to be patient and accept the will of God. Sometimes, I think that we know that God has a will, but it is hard sometimes to have the sufficient faith to accept the will of God when it is to have more patience and wait, because God has something bigger and better planned ahead.

This week I finished the Book of Mormon another time in Spanish, and started again. It is amazing, I have read the first part like a thousand times, but every time we learn something different, and every time we come to know more our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you all have a fantastic week, and are able to read a few minutes this week in the Book of Mormon to know more your Savior and love Him.

Oceans of love from Nogales Mexico.

Hermana Barton

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Part of Meredith's letter to Mom:

Last week I wanted to tell you about a woman I met named Margarita. She lives here, but about a year ago got out of prison in the US, because she had used a false identity. She had to leave her kids with her mom for 10 months to be in prison, and they are now traumados.

She explained to me her experience there. She was baptized but had never really understood the atonement of Christ or Jose Smith. In her 10 months in the prison she read the scriptures, (what else to do?) and prayed, and really grew to understand the atonement of Christ. She shared some amazing things. One of the things I loved is that we talked about how after repentance, that when you look back on your sins or spiritual wounds, that the sadness and burden is gone! You can still remember what happened, but the sadness is replaced with joy and happiness of what you could learn from the experience, with joy to really UNDERSTAND the atonement, not only know it exists. It is like Elder Bednar said in his talk, "Do we know about Jesus Christ, or do we know Him?" It has been amazing to be here on the mission, read the BOM and really come to know Jesus Christ, because it is a testament of him. Also to put in practice his atonement has really changed my life, to feel real and pure joy that Alma the younger explains in the BOM to his son. She told me about a book that she read that I want to read that is called: [La Continua Expiacion. por: Brad Wilcox]. Sounds awesome. She shared some parts with me. It was a really neat experience. And now the pobrecita is dealing with an alcoholic husband, but just knows that through the atonement that everything will work out. She is amazing. It was incredible to meet her in an intercambio with other hermanas.

Something funny is that the cheese here is SO good! Hahaha yesterday an hermano shared some cheese and tortillas with us. And ummm... I can eat infinity of tacos with good Mexican queso. I hope they sell something similar in the Mexican tiendas close to our house so that you can understand me! hahaha

Te amo con todo mi corazon.