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
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