It's not over yet :)) 2 days

 Last weekly email & ive only shed a few tears :)) Ive said it before & ill say it again but I love my mission!! Good thing I still have 2 more days woooo!!

Tuesday: we taught Jeanne about tithing & temples & it was so so good!! Jeanne is amazing & has made a complete 180° turn around!! Its been absolutely amazing to see the light of Christ enter her life more & more as we meet with her!!

Wednesday: we did service for a member & cleaned all her blinds!! Tbh cleaning is sooo therapeutic as a missionary hahah so it was real good! We also met with our neighbor Tasha!! She lives right in the same apartment complex & we see her around every once in a while & will teach her a little when we see her!! Shes had a crazy life so its fun being able to share with her where we find joy & peace!!

Thursday: we went on exchanges with the Hermanas here in Winder!! It was soooo fun!!! I went with Sister Roane to the spanish area & it was sooo good!! We taught alot of people english & as yall know i speak NO spanish but I managed hahaha hispanics are so cute/sweet tho & have so much fun!! It was such a great exchange!!

Friday: one of my most favorite members took us to lunch at this really fancy restaurant so that was a blast!! We made watercolor calligraphy drawings & took them to the referrals we havent been able to get in contact with!! The days went by so fast this week!!

Saturday: we had another exchange & i stayed here in Winder!! I love love love exchanges! I love being able to see/learn from other missionaries & the way they do missionary work!! Its amazing!! Anyway, we made homemade applesauce with a member & wow what a project!! Also we taught Jeanne & took one of our friends a book of mormon!!

Sunday: we went to a members baptism & it was sooo special!! I love being able to see others enter into the water of baptism!! We also had a friend come to church that we met this past week! Yay for Gods timing in everything!! Jeanne got baptized!!! BEST PART OF THE WEEK!!! it was so incredible to see her make a covenant with God & to come closer to her Savior Jesus Christ. Her husband David gave a talk & it was amazing!! Ive never been so happy for someone!! It was the greatest way to end my mission!!

I am so so grateful for the privilege I've had to serve a mission. Being able to represent my Savior is something ill forever hold close to my heart. I cant imagine not being a missionary anymore but ill still be a missionary ill just change the way i do missonary work. Missions are incredible!! I love yall & ill see you soon!!

Xoxo, Sister Barton

I love my life

 To think this is my second to last email puts things in a little bit more perspective. I LOVE MY MISSION & BEING A MISSIONARY.

Tuesday: we met with Jeanee who is amazing!!! We talked a lot about the atonement & how Christ knows exactly how we feel & because of Him we can be forgiven for our sins no matter what mistakes we have made. It was a really special lesson. Its amazing to be able to love people so fast as missionaries!!

We also met with our new friend Dino!! We met him in the Aldis grocery store & got his number!! We taught him the restoration & it went so well!! I am so happy to have the opportunity to teach all these amazing people!!

Wednesday: it was Sister Higginsons Birthday!!! Dont worry I woke up at 4am to decorate  hahahah it was such a good day!! We started the day by doing service for a member by organizing her attic & it was sooo fun! We had a picnic for lunch to celebrate & had a few lessons!! We had one lesson with our new friend Jay that we met at the mailbox!! Hes from Ghana & is amazing!! Our lesson with him went really good & he said it made sense! Wooo we also taught some of the young women in our ward friends on Wednesday night!! It was cool to see teenagers so religous & being so open to talking & believing about Christ. I feel like thats so hard to find now & thats one of the things I love most about Georgia!! We had dinner with a member family & they threw a big celebration for Sister Higginson!! It was really fun & so special!! Members are amazing!!

Thursday: we taught Jeanee again!! She is my women!!! Wow i love her so much!! We talked more about baptism & she said something i loved! She said "Sister Barton, i know you want to be here for my baptism but I know you dont want me to be baptized for you." I couldnt of put it in better words myself. It would mean the world to me to see my new good friend Jeanee enter the waters of baptism but what matters most is that she knows the gospel is true & wants to come closer & follow Christ. I have no doubt Jeanee will be baptized but I am so happy that she will be baptized for all the right reasons :)

Friday: we had exchanges! I went to a different area with a sister named Sister Rowe!! It was really fun!! I love going to different areas & seeing how other missionaries do missionary work!! We did a lot of service!! We did some yard work & painted a church!! Ive learned how much i really do like service on my mission!! Its amazing being able to help people!! Painting the church was really cool because there were a lot of people there!! One of the Elders started talking to a girl there & we were able to explain more things about what we believe & basically taught her the whole restoration & plan of salvation in a complete normal & natural way!! It was so cool!! Missionary work can be just another part of our lives if we let it!

Saturday: we went to a Fall Festival & volunteered for the womens shelter for domestic violence. We usually do yard work for them once a week & she asked us if we could come help out with her booth at the festival!! It was soooo fun!! It was almost like Corna didnt exsist & I wasnt to made about it hahahha. We brought some of our calligraphy quotes & gave those out to people we talked to too!! It was so fun & we met a lot of people & got to show people that we represent Jesus Christ.

Sunday: Jeanee & David came to church :)) they are so special!! We found out David works on saturday so Jeanees going to be baptized next Sunday instead :) Jeanee has been working sooo hard to live the Word of Wisdom & I couldnt be more grateful to be here to see her grow so much & to see the light of Christ slowly start entering her life. I love the Gospel & the joy, peace, & purpose you feel once you let it into your life & start living it.

Ohhhh what a privilege it is to be a missionary for my Savior Jesus Christ. Ive got to the point where this is my normal life & i cant really imagine living in any other way than telling everyone all day about their Savior. Its the greatest thing ive ever done! Missions are incredible & im grateful for this experience.

I love yall!!!

Xoxo, Sister Barton 

Great week!

 Another week that was way to good!!

Tuesday: we went to a self referrals home to do a bible study & she came out telling us she didn't know we were Mormons & that she actually doesn't want to study with us because she doesn't believe the same things. We asked if we could talk with her & explain the things she has questions on. She was a little hesitant at first but then decided we could talk. We sat down & after about 2 minutes she opened up to us about her challenges & basically her whole life. It was incredible. We even brought her one of the cute quotes we made & she just "happened" to have a tattoo of it. Definitely a divine signature from God :)

We had a birthday party for Sheila!! It was soooo fun to be able to celebrate with her!! She has no family here so it's been so cool to watch her gain relationships with the members & for us to be able to love her & spend even more time with her.

Last but not least we met with Jeanie & David. I mentioned that they came to General Conference in my last email but we actually got to teach them this week! We taught them about the restoration & why the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints is the only true church on the earth. They were very receptive & after the lesson David said "I just want to go home & study this book." It made me smile because the restoration is so important & they both are seeing a glimpse of how amazing it really is.

Wednesday: we had a Training Leader Conference & it went so good. I learned a lot about not only being a missionary & a leader but about being a friend to everyone. It was a really great conference.

We went on exchanges & I went to Collins Hill with a Sister named Sister Jensen!! We had SO much fun!! We water colored & made our farmers marker quotes & then had a lesson with one of their friends!! It was a really good exchange & i even got to sleep over woooo!!

Thursday: we started another exchange & I stayed in Winder with Sister Andersen. We finished some of the farmers market stuff & made brownies for some of our members neighbors who they referred to us. We stopped by their home & it went soooo good!! They let us right in & we were immediate friends with them!! So good!!

Friday: we exchanged back & did service for a member. We went & cleaned her home & it felt so good to serve again!! We had interviews with President Harris & they went extremely well. President Harris told me to make sure I enjoy my last two weeks & to keep doing & being me. Yay!! Such a good feeling when your mission President give you so much comfort & encouragement.

Saturday: we went & did more service & painted some doors!! We had a lesson with our new friends Brandon & Jake!! They are juniors in high school & we even had their friends who are members come!! It was so cool to see all these teenagers have such a desire to learn & grow closer to Christ. We had dinner with the same members that came to the lesson & they brought another nonmember to dinner!!! Its so cool! As we make strong relationships with the members everything falls into place. Ive learned so much on my mission about the importance of relationships. As we grow closer together we grow closer to Christ. Its amazing!!

Sunday: we went on a Church swap with our friends Jeanie & David!! They were SO excited to bring us to their church it was so cute!! They both brought their Book of Mormons into their church & we were loving it hahaha in Sunday school we even made a comment & shared a scripture from the book of mormon & everyone seemed to agree. Ohhh it was so amazing hahaha at the end we even gave the pastor a Book of Mormon!! Jeanie & David came to our church after & they loved it. They already have so many friends & I'm soooo excited for them!! In the evening we all met back up at the church & taught them both the Gospel of Jesus Christ & invited them to be baptized. Jeanie was soooo excited & is now planning on being baptized on October 24th!! YAYAY!!! David said he wants a little more time to study things out but there is no doubt in my mind that he will follow her example. They are so prepared & want nothing more that to come unto Christ.

I am so grateful for all the opportunities I've had to be able to recognize the Lords hand in my life. I have seen so many divine signatures this week where I know God is aware of me. I am so grateful to be a missionary & I know that true happiness only comes from the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love yall!!

xoxo, Sister Barton 

Wooot

 Another week that went by to fast. It became a little real that im actually going to be going home someday!! The mission is great & we are seeing so many great things!!

Tuesday: we went to Sister Hemsleys home to learn how to do artsy things because we want to be apart of the farmers market & want to make it sooo creative!! Hahaha it was really fun tho! She lives in this cute old southern home & is just the cutest southern mom!! Literally what i aspire to be hahaha so much good here in Georgia its amazing!!

Wednesday: Zone Conference!! It was so good!! President & Sister Harris talked alot about unity & focusing on Christ!! Ohhhh so good!!! At the end of the meeting he had all the missionaries going home at the end of the transfer share their testimonies. I had the chance to reflect on what my missions meant to me & I was overwhelmed with emotions. I have loved being a missionary with every piece of my soul & i couldnt even begin to put all my thoughts into words. My mission has been such a privilege.

Thursday: we had District Council & then went to get sushi wooo!! We went & made lots of artsy stuff & went to little botiques, salons, & shops to give them some of our stuff for them to be able to leave on their counter for free for people to take!! We put our contact information on the backs & wooo hopefully it gets somewhere!!

Friday: we went to Sheilas English class & it was so fun!! I have loved being here & seeing Sheilas progress & when she makes the connections of the language!! It really is so special to be apart of!! I love Sheila!!! I cant wait until I get to come back to Georiga & visit Sheila & we will finally be able to have a conversation together! Yay!!

Saturday: General Conference!!! I absolutely loved General Conference! I felt so much peace & found so many answers to my questions!! After the first session we went to meet a lady named Jeanie!! The Hermanas met her husband in walmart & he stopped them asking if they are the people who volunteer on facebook to serve!! They got his number & then we contacted them!! Anyways we went to Jeanies & she is soooo fun!! She told us she loves post malone & you betcha we bonded over the song sunflower hahahahahah i dont know much post malone songs but she sure thought i was cool when i mentioned sunflower so you bet im running with that haha we taught her the restoration & then we had some members pick her up & take her to the church & we watched the second session all together!! It was so fun & she loved it!! This was my first time meeting jeanie & i was already convinced i was meant to meet her!! Woooo!! We watched the womens session & wow!! I love love love that we are still recieving guidance from apostles & prophets & that God will never leave us alone.

Sunday: More conference!! In the afternoon Jeanie & her husband David came & watched it with us!! I can not believe how prepared they are. David has been apart of many churches & currently is a decon at his church. He came & loved how so much was mentioned suffering & how it truly is ok to suffer because thats how we turn to Christ & grow stronger. They both are looking for something & THIS IS IT!!! I love the gospel of Jesus Christ & im so so happy I have this experience of seeing others come unto Him.

In the saturday morning session on of the talks was about seeing deeply. I loved this because its been something ive strived for & now want to work on even more!! We need to see people for their soul & love them as a child of God instead of their appearance or even our first impression with them!!

I love representing my Savior & being able to come closer to Him!! I invite all yall to listen to conference if you havent already! Have the best week!!

Xoxo, Sister Barton

Wooo

 What a week it has been!! Yayyy so excited i get to have 4 more!! Missions are the best!!

Tuesday: we had MLC!!! It was sooo good!! I got to see so many of my friends & i think thats why i love meetings so much!! Hahaha we talked a lot about knowing why were here & our purpose as missionaries. It was very powerful. President Harris said "we are all Gods & Godesses in training." When he first said that I was like ok thats kinda much & then kept thinking about it & realized how much potential we have! We are limitless, because we are all children of God. If we then towards Jesus Christ we can be our best selves & accomplish anything. Ohhh how amazing it is that this life is all about progression & we are able to become better & better & more like Christ!

Wednesday: we had exchanges with the Senior Sister Training Leaders!! I stayed here in winder & Sister Thomas came to be my companion for the day. We had a lot of fun!! We taught Sister Mixon (my best friend) & talked about the come follow me for this week!!! We also had service!! The Blaines son Jensen is getting baptized & we went over & cleaned her home & set up beds so there was room for their family to come. I love member relationships!! Sometimes I feel like these members are my extended family!! Its amazing how loving these people in Georgia are! We also went to the young womens activity!! We bleached shirts & painted rocks!! It was a blast & i got to meet so many of the young women!!

Thursday: we had District Council!! Sister Higginson & I gave a training on Diligence! Sometimes I think we think in order to be diligent we have to be sooooo busy & cant stop moving!! Hahah but ive learned that being diligent really depends on where our hearts at. Sometimes heavenly father will ask me to do something & instead of having the mindset of "yes ill do it because i love my heavenly father" sometimes i do it because i feel obligated, but the times when i do it out of a heart full of love, THATS when I learn, grow, see miracles, & become better. Everything in life falls back to our Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ & our love for them. What are we willing to do for them? What did they do for us? I know i will never be able to repay either of them but I want to do my very best to be the best tool I can in bringing others to them & finding happiness.

Friday: we had more exchanges & i went to an area called Commerce!! We had a lot of fun & i learned a lot from Sister Tanner about meeting people where there at & on their level. It was a great exchange! In the evening we did a FHE with a family where the Dad is very less active. We ate pizza, played games, & shared a fun message!! We were really happy because the dad participated!! It was a really good day all around!!

Saturday: we went to Jensen Blaine's Baptism!! There were 3 nonmember families there!! People here in Georgia here something about Christ & they're there!! Hahahah it went really well! We gave a presentation & talked a lot about why were on earth & how we can return to heavenly father. It went really well & the spirit was so strong. Baptisms are so powerful & helps me remember whats truly important in life.

Sunday: we had Fast Sunday & guess who came to church!! Remember that family we did FHE with?? The DAD WAS THERE!!! We were so happy!!! Not only was he there but he bore his testimony! We were amazed!! The spirit works miracles if we let it into our hearts!! We had a meeting with all the missionaries & talked about unity. Unity is one of my favorites because there is so much strength when we are all one. We also talked about when we pray together for eachother & our friends we can see miracles. It was really amazing because at the end of our meeting we all knelt down (31 missionaries) & prayed together. There was sooo much power, stength, love, & motivation in the room. Ohhhh I am so blessed to know about prayer & the experiences we can have.

I am sooo blessed to be a disciple of Christ. Whearing his name on my chest everyday has been a privilege. I love my Savior, I love my Father in Heaven, & im so grateful to be led & directed constantly by the Holy Ghost. The gospel of Jesus Christ bring true & everlasting joy if we chose to live it.

I love yall!!
Xoxo, Sister Barton 

We make miracles possible

 Time is going wayyyy to fast but im loving every minute of it!! Missions are incredible!! This week was such a good week!!

Tuesday: We had transfers!!! Transfers are sooo weird if you think about it but now so normal hahahah all of the missionaries meet & we switch around & then we are with someone weve never met 24/7 & somehow it becomes completely normal hahaha. My new companions name is Sister Higginson & both of our first names are Kelsey! Wooo!

After transfers on tuesday we taught Sheila!! Elder Gnatiko who weve been calling into our lessons to translate for us actually got transfered here & was able to come in person to the lesson!! It was so fun to have him there in person & see him & Sheila having so much fun talking in French together!! We taught Sheila about Family History. Before the mission I didnt really care much about family history. I was like ancestors haha who are they?? But on the mission I have learned sooo much more & have been able to understand why we do family history. It helps to gain relationships & understand who our ancestors are & why we are the way that we are. Its also cool because when we find their records & do their work to invite them to the covenant path we grow love for them. I never thought I could have so much gratitude & love for people I dont even know! Family History is amazing!

Wednesday: First full day with Sister Higginson!! We had a lesson with our friend Bri that we meant on facebook last week! Sister Clark saw that she does Holy Yoga & decided to send her a message!! We met her at a coffee shop & talked about Holy Yoga & what we do as missionaries. It was amazing because it was soooo normal & natural! She is looking for a church & is so open to learning more!! I love having lessons with people because you feel so much of the love God has for them soooo fast. Its truly incredible!!

Thursday: we had our first district council & then went to Sister Teschners house to make some cookies for some of the sisters in the ward!! It was such a fun way to serve!!

We went store contacting @ walmart & ohhhh it went so good. Before we went we prayed about who it was God wanted us to find. We both felt like we need to find a mom with a family. We were in the store talking to a lot of people but werent sure who it was exactly that God wanted us to talk to. I had this thought "lets go to the toys, kids love toys & where theres kids there will be a mom." We headed over to the toys & saw a lady who seemed about our age! We started talking to her & she told us what a blessing it was that we came down the same isle as her. She told us many hardships that are going on in her life & with her kids & how her mom has been praying & praying for her. She had tears in her eyes & the spirit was so strong. We knew we were in the right place at the right time!! It was a miracle experience!

Friday: we went to Sheilas english class!!! It was so fun to have simple conversations with her & help her learn new words!! Sheila is amazing & has soooo much dedication in doing the things she put her mind & heart to!! I love Sheila & cant wait to communicate with her in english one day.

Saturday: we did something so fun!!! Friday night we made all this calligraphy art & lots of chocolate popcorn & then saturday morning we set up a table & had signs & gave it all out for free!! It was SO FUN & we actually talked to & found lots of people!! Its starting to feel like fall here & i got to wear my sweater so that was a huge plus!! We are actually hoping to be able to be apart of the farmers market here next week but we will see how that goes!!

We also taught our friend Ruben!! He was a self referral & we did a zoom call with him & then werent able to have a solid contact with him for awhile. We called him & told him that we had a special gift that means a lot to us that we wanted to give him. We went over & he let us come inside wooo!! His girlfriend was there too & we were able to talk about the book of mormon & why it means so much to us. Ruben has had a rough past so we told him the story of Alma the younger who was completely wicked & was destroying the church but then an angle appeared to him & for 3 days all of his sins & mistakes were playing in his head. We talked about how this experience changed Alma & how from that point on he dud what he could to live the gospel & then became an amazing prophet. We are never to far away from Christ that we cant come back. He is ALWAYS open to having us come closer to him & feel the love he has for us. The spirit was so strong during this lesson I was truly amazed. We walked in & it felt a little off. I wasnt sure what happened there before we came but while we were in that home talking about the truthfulness of the book of mormon the spirit came so strong & touched all of our hearts. We invited them to come to church & they both said yes!! Ohhhh it was an amazing experience!!

Sunday: we had church & Ruben & Lori came!!! YAYAYAYAY!!! I know that they came because they were eager to feel the same spirit they felt on saturday in our lesson. It was a great sacrament focused on hope & love that comes through the savior. I am so excited for Ruben & Lori!

We made a video for our facebook page & the tech specialist in the mission came to record the video & they just happen to be my two besties!!! Sister Graff & Sister Swapp woooo!! We filmed our friend Zach who has been a member for about 1.5 years!! It went really good & im excited to put it up on facebook so yall can see it!!

This week was filled with MIRACLES. Sister Higginson & I have been talking a lot about miracles & how we create them for ourselves. If we have the faith that amazing things will happen, we will see those amazing things because God is more than ready to put them in our path! Miracles are real & im so grateful for the privilege I have to see them everyday!

I invite everyone to pray for a special miracle you are needing in your life & then have the faith to act on it!! I love yall & have the best week!!

Xoxo, Sister Barton

serve someone fun :))

 Another week!!

Tuesday: we did service at peace place again!! I never knew you could do so much yard work in the same place hahaha we also did another exchange!! I love learning new ideas of how to do missionary work here in quarantine. We had Zone Conference over zoom & I felt very motivated. Its crazy to think I only have 1 transfer left! Where has the time gone??!! We taught Sarah & we talked about the temple & how special it is. One of my favorite things is teaching anyone & everyone about the temple! Its sooo special that we get to go to the house of the Lord & feel his presence so strongly!

Wednesday: we went on another exchange & i got to go to their area!! Yay!! I think my favorite part about going on exchanges with other missionaries is meeting & getting to know other sisters. Its very inspiring to see why they are here & what motivates them to be a good missionary. After exchanges we went to one of our Spanish friends house & had a great conversation with them!! The mom is the only active one in the family & by the time we left the daughter said she wants to come to church on sunday too!! Its amazing to be able to witness the holy ghost softening hearts!

Thursday: our last district council! I cant believe this transfer is already over! I only have 6 more weeks to be a missionary & i cant believe it. Time is going way to fast but im ever so grateful for this opportunity to serve my Savior!

Friday: we had another exchange with missionaries & went & heart attacked Sister Mixon! Shes so cute & loves having us heart attack her! Last time she left the hearts on the door for about a month after! Haha we also did service for a family in our ward! We did some yard work & worked in the garden! So many people thinks its a burden to ask for help & to have us serve them when in reality WE LOVE IT. Lately I have really noticed & felt the importance of service! I have never wanted to serve more in my life because complete joy comes when we turn outward & serve!!

Saturday: we did lots of planning but after we got to go to a football game for a little boy the Hermanas are teaching!! It was so fun & brought back lots of memories going to all of Jensens games!! We also had dinner at Marthas!! Haha sometimes (actually a lot of the time) i feel like im actually a spanish missionary who doesnt speak spanish haha 😂 the Hispanics love making food!! As we were eating more food just kept coming!! By the time we got done eating it looked like we hadnt even eaten a thing haha!!

Sunday: we went to the spanish group & tracie the less active daughter came with her mom!!! Yay!! Also Sister Mixon came to church & I was soooo happy!! She got offended a while ago in the winder ward & has been going to a different ward since. Seeing her back made my heart soooo full! So many people expressed their love to her & made her feel so welcome!! I hope she keeps coming because everyone missed her!

Lately ive been thinking alot about my Savior Jesus Christ & how he ministered while he was on earth. Im amazed that the corona virus has taught me how to be serve more like Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ didnt go around knocking on doors begging the people to accept Him. He put himself in situations to serve & be a good example & from those situations was able to teach. I am so grateful I have learned this way of missionary work because when we realize we can teach the gospel in normal, natural, & everyday ways we realize we can always be a missionary.

I invite yall to find one service opportunity to do this week :)) pure joy will come as you serve with pure love for whoever you decide to serve!!

I LOVE YALL & HAVE THE BEST WEEK!

xoxo, Sister Barton 

I LOVE MY LIFE

 Here we are another week that flew by!!

Tuesday: we spent the morning doing service for a place called the Peace Place. Its a safe house for women! We did lots of yard work & went with 11 missionaries total so we had lots of hands!! It was sooo fun!!

We did another service! A family in our ward was getting evicted from their home & had to be out that day so we went over their last minute & packed EVERYTHING up. It was sooo sad to see this young family having to leave their home with no idea where to go but im grateful we were able to be there to help them!!

Wednesday: we had a Training Leader conference!! It was soooo good!! The Senior Training Leaders gave a training & so did Sister Harris!! It was great to be able to council with other sisters & get ideas about whats working during covid & being quarantined & all that. It gave me even more motivation for the work & to help other sister missionaries!!

Ok now for the fun part... GUESS WHAT... on wednesday the WANGEMANNS FROM BACK HOME took my whole house to lunch!!! I cant even put into words how fun it was & what it meant to me. Seeing their whole family here in Georgia was incredible!! Some of my favorite people right here in my favorite place!! Soo shout out to them for being soooo kind & taking a group of missionaries to lunch! Wooo

Thursday: we had District Council as usual & afted got to do service together at the peace place!! We moved lots of beds & loaded & unloaded lots of things!! I never thought I would like service as much as i do but woooo!

We taught a self referral through zoom! His name is Ruben & we spent most of the time getting to know him & telling him what we do as missionaries. Hopefully he will have a desire to learn more because were not really sure how interested he is so pray for him!!

Friday: we spent our morning cleaning a members home!! Her husband has worked double over time since the virus started & hasnt been able to clean her home so we went & cleaned it for her!! She had so much appreciation for what we were doing. Yay for service!!

We had lunch with Sister Wallace & usually her daughter lauren joins us but she wasnt feeling up for it. Lauren has a mental disability & bishop wallace really wants her to have more social interaction so we go over there once a week & have lunch & visit with them. Its great to be making a impact by doing such a small thing. Even when Lauren doesnt participate it helps sister wallace to be able to chat with us!

Saturday: we helped the penningtons get everything out of their house & get MOVED!! wow sooo many people from the ward were there i dont think ive ever seen so much help from a ward. The winder ward is definitely a ward family. It got to a point where there were to many hands & not enough work!! Incredible!! The penningtons are awesome tho & have definitely impacted my time here in winder!

Sunday: we had the spanish group, church & then we did a zoom call with a member!! Sundays are my favorite days!! We got the teach our neighbor rachel who is amazing!! We met her because her friend is a member & about 2 weeks ago they came knocking on our door asking if we could pray for them!! It was a really cool experience & opened the door for us to teach rachel!! So we went over & got to know her & sang her a hymn!! It was soooo good!!

We went to Marthas for dinner & its always a good time!! Its crazy because i love Martha sooo much even tho i cant communicate with her at all. We just like get eachother woooo!!

Yay for another week as a missionary!! Missionary work is the best kind of work & ohhh what a privilege it is to be apart of it! I love being a missionary & im so grateful for the time i still have to be here in Georgia loving all the people!!

Have a great week everyone!! Love yall!!

Xoxo, Sister Barton

service wooo

 What a week!!

Tuesday: we had exchanges with the spanish sisters in commerce!! I stayed in Winder & Sister Bruening came here with me!!

We taught Sheila about the temple & it was such a great lesson!! She was so excited to one day be able to perform ordinances for her ancestors & to be sealed with her family!! I love Sheila & her gratitude for the gospel.

Wednesday: we studied come follow me with Sister Mixon!! What a cutie she is!! After we went to the peace place which is a safe house & we are going to do some service there!! We went & met with the volunteer coordinator & they have sooo much for us to do!! She was saying how its been way hard during covid & how grateful she was for us. We are sooo excited to serve them!!

We had interviews with President Harris!! He is an amazing man! He lives his life so close to the spirit you can feel it so strongly when you're in his presence. Even his countenance radiates the spirit. I absolutely love interviews because I feel like its a little pep talk & then you're so motivated to get back to work. Its the best!!

Thursday: we had District Council which is always a blast!! Trainings were given on love & service & they both were very powerful.

We went to Marthas!! Shes a Spanish member & the Hermanas do service for her so we go too!! We got there thinking we were going to paint & everyone was talking (i can't understand) & then all of a sudden im handed scissors & her daughter is standing in front of me!! Hahaha i was so happy to be back in ny element! It was really special because her daughters haven't gotten their hair cut professionally for over 10 years & had so much gratitude to be able to get their haircut!! Yay for service & being able to share talents & do what I love!!

Friday: we had exchanges with the commerce english sisters!! I went to commerce & we visited a member & made goodie bags for their ward!! Exchanges are great because its like a mini vacation hahaha you get to see this new part of Georgia & spend the day with completely different people.

We went fishing at a members home that we had dinner with! I dont think ive ever fished more or even been fishing before coming to Winder hahaha its way fun & maybe a new hobby of mine hahaha

Saturday: our ward mission leader took all 6 of us missionaries out to a Mexican restaurant. Ohhh my goodness he is the most loving old man youll ever meet. Him & his wife are constantly thinking of other people!!

The hermanas had a spanish party & it was sooo cute!! They are trying to start a Spanish branch & want the members to be as united as they can. We made lots of treats & helped set up! They planned lots of games but if you know hispanics they could just talk for hours so that's what it turned into! Haha

Sunday: we went to the spanish group but the our english ward doesnt do church on the 5th Sunday so we were able to go to the bishops home & have lunch & the sacrament.

We made cookies for some of the members with the otto girls who are young women in our ward! It was so fun & they wanted us to come back for dinner hahaha so we went & had dinner with their family!! I love Georgia & the people here!!

If ive learned anything this week its that joy comes from serving others. When we serve others we are turning outward & forgetting ourselves. It really is the best way to forget our problems & truly love others & see them how God does. Im convinced that service grows our hearts in ways we never would've imagined.

I love yall & find ways to serve!

Xoxo, Sister Barton 

Yay!

 Hey yall!! Hope everyone is good!! Time is moving so fast here in Georgia!! How are we already in our last week of August?!? A lot of the time I feel like im in a dream because time is so weird on the mission!

Tuesday: we did some Facebook finding & found 5 new people!!! Wooo facebook finding is weird because its so simple but you've got to be creative & have lots of ideas! We decided to try posting a question in a few groups to see if anyone would respond. We asked "how are yall able to stay positive during this time?" We had a lot of people comment & because were in Georgia a lot of their answers were to pray or trust in God. From their comments we were able to respond back & just create real & natural conversations with these people! Its really cool to be able to do missionary work through social media!!

We also taught Sheila! I keep having this cool thought about when I come back to Georgia in a few years & I get to see Sheila she will probably speak english by then & we will actually be able to communicate with no translator!! It makes me excited to think about because Sheila is so amazing & right now we can't even fully understand eachother so just imagine when we can hahaha!

Wednesday: we went on exchanges with the Hermanas here in Winder & that was fun! We went & painted a members home & it was a good time! I love painting! Hahah

We also were able to do a bible study with someone we found on facebook on tuesday & his wife joined the call too! They actually live in Missouri so we will have to refer them to the missionaries there but it went really good & we set up to study every wednesday together so wooo!!

Thursday: instead of District Council we had a Zone Council. Our mission has come up with 2 new mission goals! 1. Every companionship to baptize 2. Strive for exact obedience. It was a very motivational council to discuss ways we are going to achieve these goals!! Yay for goals!!

After we went to Marthas who is a spanish member & did some more painting!! I think im actually starting to get an idea of whats going on when im there hahaha so Martha & i have started to become friends because she really likes that i am starting to "understand" her hahah in reality i just anticipate her more hahaha

Friday: we had exchanges with the Senior STLs!! I went to Lilburn & got to see their area & how they do missionary work there! It was really good to get new ideas & brainstorm with them ways we can be better. There is so much power that comes through exchanges i always leaved recharged to do missionary work!!

Saturday: we went on a hike in the morning with some of the young women!! It was beautiful!! I'll attach pics so everyone can see the beauty in Georgia lol!!

We had another exchange with other sisters in our zone. They are actually quarantined & dont get to leave their apartment until right before transfer so we just did an exchange over zoom. It went really good & it was filled with so much motivation & purpose.

We went & helped the penningtons pack up some more of their stuff to get ready to move!! Yay for service!! We also had a sisters zoom call in the evening where we played a game over zoom! Most of the sisters in the zone are quarantined so this has been a fun way to still see eachother & get to know everyone better.

Sunday: we went to the spanish group again & then to our english ward! I love being able to go to church & being able to meet members we normally wouldnt. We had a few meetings too & overall it was just a real busy day!!

This week I've been thinking a lot about my mission & how much it means to me. I am so grateful for the opportunity I've had to serve a mission. Being able to represent my Savior Jesus Christ is something I find complete joy in & i will forever hold these experiences so close to my heart. Yay for missions!!

I hope all yall have the best week💫

Xoxo, Sister Barton

Sarah got baptized :))

 I couldnt be more content with my life as a missionary. I am experiencing great things & creating lasting relationships. Ohhhh i feel so blessed to be given this opportunity.

Tuesday: we had a zone conference over zoom with Elder Martino & elder hollland (elder hollands son) who is from the seventy!! It was really special to hear insight from them about missionary work. It inspired me to work harder & be a diligent & dedicated missionary.

We taught Sheila again & ohhhh my goodness. She is the sweetest & radiates the light of Christ. We asked her what her thoughts were about her baptism & she said she felt something different after she was baptized & how the baptism went even better than she had hoped for!! We read in the Book of Mormon with her in 3 Nephi 11 where Jesus Christ comes to the Americas. Its very interesting to see what Jesus first tells the Nephites. He first explains the atonement & how its for each of them. To me this shows how much he loves us & wants us to use him in our everyday lives. Then he goes on & talks about baptism & the importance. This shows me that first we need to accept Him & get to know Him & second we need to be baptized & make those promises with Him so we can return to God. This really shows the importance & urgency because this was the very first thing he wanted to Nephites to know.

Wednesday: we had a zoom call Missionary Leadership Council with Elder Martino & Elder Holland!! It was truly an incredible experience & being able to council together about ideas for the mission brought the spirit so strong.

We got to do come follow me over the phone with sister Mixon!!! I love how much she loves having our lessons!! She is always trying to notice something new in the scriptures with the intent of learning & applying it to herself!! Ohhh i love that women!!

Thursday: we woke up & went & did yard work!! We pulled weeds & did all the funstuff! I think I wanna be a gardener! Everyone here in Georgia has beautiful yards & its amazing!! After we had District Council!! Its crazy because most missionaries changed this transfer so its good to spend time & get to know them!!

We also did more service for the penningtons who are the family we painted for. They've sold their home & now are slowly starting to pack so we started packing up sister penningtons book collection & wow i never knew someone could own so many books!! Book cases & book cases full!

Friday: we did lots of planning & basically just prepared for all the busy things going on. It was a good day but mind draining haha

Saturday: Sarah got baptized!!!! Ohhhh it was sooo special!! It was her birthday too so we were celebrating lots of things!! I was able to give a talk on the Holy Ghost & I am so grateful for the guidance I have been given through the Holy Ghost & that I was able to share that with Sarah!

After the baptism we did a car wash with our district & it was sooo fun!! Only a few cars came but they were all none members so that was good!! I love how creative/fun we can have now as were all learning together what the best way to do missionary work is during Corona! Its very cool how things happen so we can learn new things & better ways.

Sunday: we went to the spanish group with the hermanas & ask ne why hahahaha. I knew absolutely nothing that was going on. Ha i sat there for 2 hrs so confused & then get this... at the end of the meeting they asked me to say the prayer HA little did they know i had been faking paying attention for the last 2 hrs 😂 hahaha

we had church with our English ward & i would say that went alot better. I am very grateful we are now able to meet & have church together!!

Im so grateful to be here in Georgia & to be able to preach the gospel during this pandemic. I have learned soo much & have loved experiencing seeing others come to Christ.

I love yall & stay happy!!
Xoxo, Sister Barton

Sheilas baptism :))

 What a week!! This week has been full of soooo much change & was kinda crazy!! Sheila got baptized & it was one of the most amazing experiences!

Tuesday: we had Transfers!!! We woke up & finished packing everyone in the apartment & drove to lilburn. It really sad because my whole apartment was leaving me & i have grown so close with them. I was excited because i didnt know any of the sisters i was going to live with but also really scared. But life goes on. My new companion is Sister Clark from Draper!! We exchanged & we were off!! Here I was with 3 complete strangers driving them back to the apartment ive been living in for 3 months. Missions are so weird hahahahaha. But the rest or the day we went to the store & helped them unpack. It went pretty good overall, other than my few breakdowns about leaving my friends.

Wednesday: we had a jam day with a member!! She taught us how to make home made jam & gave us canned chicken that she made for lunch! Kinda cool but kinda interesting.

We also taught Sheila the Commandments!! Sheila is sooo amazing!! She has such strong faith & a true desire to learn. She asks so many inspired questions so she can really understand for herselfm wow shes awesome!

We also taught Sarah the commandments & played a matching game to explain them. Im so excited for all of our friends & their progress!!

Thursday: we had our first district council & it was sooo weird. Our whole district of 10 people all got transfered but me & 1 elded. CRAZY! So it was all like way new & different but change is good! Right? Im trying to convince myself on this one hahaha we also made treats & took them to some members!! It was good to do random service!!

Friday: we had a mini MLC over zoom & we got told we were going to be having another MLC with a general authority on wenesday!! Im excited to see what he has in store for us! Hahaha we also get to have a zone conference with him on Tuesday so our missions about to be sooo inspired lol! The rest of the day we planned & then had Sheilas baptisimal interview!!! Its been amazing to see her excitement for baptism.

Saturday: we had mission correlation & talked/planned alot for Sheilas baptism on sunday!! Ohhhh I was so excited for her & the decision she was making!! After we went to the park to do our studies & i havent loved anything more!! Ohhh it was sooo good to be outside & have it actually feel like summer!!

Sunday: SHEILA GOT BAPTIZED!!!!! Sheilas baptism was at 10am & it was sooo special!! Elder Gnatiko whos been able to translate our lessons was able to come & give a talk in French about baptism & it was so special!! One of our members also speaks a LITTLE bit of French & she memorized her whole talk in French so Sheila could understand. The spirit was so strong & it was amazing for me to see the blessings & miracles from being a member of the church. It will not only bless her but past & future generations of her family. Ohhhh i got very emotional to say the least. The gospel is amazing!!

I am so grateful to be a missionary & to be able to see great miracles everyday! This worldwide pandemic wont stop the work from progressing & I have been a witness of that!! I love missionary work & know God has a purpose and a way for everything.

Love yall!!
Xoxo, Sister Barton!!

Yay for people coming to Christ :)

 This is a long email & im real sorry but what an eventful week!!! Read if you wanna or just scroll to the pics hahaha but definitely read if you wanna see the good of God in my life this week :)

Tuesday: Zone Conference!! We had zone conference with one other zone in the mission. It was fun to be together with other missionaries but also way weird because of social distancing & masks & ll that hahah. It was President Harrises first Zone Conference & I really enjoyed it!! We gave a presentation on working with other missionaries! In winder I have really felt the importance of not only being united with your companion but with everyone you work with. Unity is the key to success & brings so much strength to the work.

After Zone Conference we had a lesson with Sheila!! We taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the help of Gnatiko who speaks french. Its amazing how strong you can feel the spirit when you dont even speak the same language. Truly incredible. We had a member there who is really good friends with Sheila & she was able to share how being baptized has blessed her life & what miracles she has seen from being a member of the church. Her & Sheila both were very emotional & the spirit was so present. We ended up putting Sheila on date for baptism for August 9th!!

We also taught Tricia!! Yes this day was very busy but sooooo good busy!!! We taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ & its really amazing because everything just seems to make sense to her. She lives a life as if she is already a member of Christ church. We talked about the need for baptism & she told us she has been thinking about that a lot & how she knows God put us in her life for a reason. We set a baptismal date for August 16th & are so excited for her. I have been so blessed her in Winder to be able to participate in so many experiences to bring others to Christ as well as myself. Such an amazing experience.

Wednesday: We did a lot of service!! There is a family in our ward that has 10 KIDS!! yes 10!! Incredible!! The mom saves all their clothes so when the next child is big enough they can wear them. Its really smart & she has like 15 buckets full of clothes labelled in sizes but what we did was change all the clothes out. So we took out all the summer/early fall clothes & put winter clothes in!! It was really fun & you could tell how much we were helping her by participating in such a small thing.

In the evening we went to the yw&ym activity & it was so fun! We watched the music festival that the church broadcasted outside on a big blow up screen with lots of treats! It was fun to meet more of the youth & sarah (who we are teaching) & her sister emily ended up going too & it was really good to help them be more involved with the ward.

Thursday: we did more service!! I never knew how much i loved service until I became a missionary!! Service is literally the best!! Being able to show someone so much love by your efforts & truly doing what Christ would is one of the greatest opportunities. We helped sister Pennington finish painting her house!! I kept thinking why would she trust 4 random sister missionaries who have no idea what they are doing finish painting her house?? & then i realized how great of an opportunity she was giving us to serve her!! Giving others opportunities to serve is just as great as doing the actual service. Being humble enough to let others step in when you need it is huge!! Even if they have no idea what they're doing (US) hahahaha

We also taught Sarah again!! Ohhh how I love the Wilson family!!! They're the shyest & quietest family ive ever met but so full of love!! Its so cute because everytime we have a lesson they pull up to the church in their 15 passenger van & their whole family comes. We went over the plan of Salvation & had the primart president there to share her testimony of what the Plan of Salvation means to her. It went very well & I am so grateful to be able to teach Sarah & have the whole Wilson family be apart of it.

Friday: we did come follow me with Sister Mixon!! Ohhh what a cutie lady!! Its been really sad not being able to visit her but good thing we have technology so we can still contact her & do lessons over the phone. Shes my bff & definitely a big part of why i love Winder so much!!

We taught Tricia again & helped her to understand the commandments we live & things that make us different from other churches. It went really well & helped me realize even more how blessed we are to have these guidelines to keep us from the world.

Saturday: We tried to go blueberry picking but that was closed but kinda a fun idea right? Hahaha instead we just went to lunch but it was great!! Sister Swapp & i wanted to do something fun before transfers because you never know whats gonna happen & if someone's gonna get transfered!!

In the evening we taught Sarah/the wilson fam the Gospel of Jesus Christ!! We made it into a game & it was sooo fun!! We had a picture of God on a wall & then had sarah stand on the other side of the room. We asked her to make it to God without touching the floor. She obviously couldnt do it & thought we were crazy hahaha but then we put down the steps it takes to return back to God. Starting with Faith, repentance, baptism, recieve the holy ghost, & enduring to the end by continuing this throughout life. It was a fun lesson & its been awesome to see Sarah slowly start to open up to us!! Shes the cutest lil girl ever!!

Sunday: WE HAD CHURCH!!! ohhhh it felt so good to be able to get back to church & see so many members together! Sheila & the Wilson family were also at church & it made me sooo happy.

After Church we had dinner with members & the rules got changed so we can now eat with Elders at the same time in a members home so we were all there together!! It was fun but weird becasue ive gone my whole mission with that being a no to now getting a new mission president & it being a yes. Hahaha it was really fun tho & the members that fed us are amazing!!!

We got transfer calls & ohhhh let me tell ya... did we get transfer calls... the Hermanas we live with got a call at like 7:30 while we were still at the members home that they were both leaving & what their new area was & who their new comps were. Then the elders got a call while we were at the members home that one was leaving. Sister Swapp & I were so happy & content because now we would have an apartment & a car to ourselves & were just thinking of all the selfish greatness. Hahaha like how now we dont have to share 1 shower with 4 sisters & have no room in the fridge & ya the list goes on. BUT then like an hourish later OUR PHONE RINGS. PLOT FREAKIN TWIST. Sister Swapp gets told shes leaving & IM GETTING 3 NEW SISTERS & in this area with me & WERE ALL ENGLISH. WHATTTTT???!!!! ya it was crazy & to say im overwhelmed is an understatement hahahaha im teaching 3 missionaries the area as well as teaching one of them how to be in leadership. Ya definitely not the plan sister Swapp & I had in mind. Hahahahaha but i guess God knows best!!

Missions are full of the unexpected. You think one thing right when something else happens. I have learned more than ever to trust in God while ive been a missionary. He seese the entire picture & knows whats best for us. I love yall & stay happy!!

Xoxo, Sister Barton