Emelio got baptized!! I love this work.

Hola familia!

EMELIO GOT BAPTIZED!!! AHH!! He was an investigator we taught in Ramona and I was able to attend the baptism. So beautiful! I have talked about him in other emails, but he is amazing! He gave a shout out to me and Hermana Hughes at the baptism (haha) for being so persistent and never giving up on him even though he was super duper busy, working full-time and going to school. He said he NEVER imagined himself getting baptized into the church. But the spirit touched him and he changed. Those change of heart moments make everything--every effort, every let-down, every exhausting day--so worth it.

We've had so many funny moments with recent converts lately. My favorite this week: We were talking to a recent convert yesterday about her conversion story. She was telling us about how she was on hard drugs for 10 years, and one day, not knowing why, she felt like she needed to stop. So from that day forward, she stopped cold turkey with no problems to this day. Then she talked about how she was a smoker all the way up until she was pregnant with her first son, and decided she needed to stop for him so she stopped cold turkey, no problems again. Then she was like, "You try to get me to stop eating chocolate or drinking diet coke, AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN" Hahaha. Are those things more addictive than hard drugs? Maybe. Beware.

This week has been a little rocky, but still full of great blessings. I've come to realize that every day, no matter how hard, is still full of many miracles. Being a missionary is SO HARD, but I love this work with all of my heart. I am so proud of my three brothers and everyone else who is preparing to serve missions right now. Get ready to be on the front line of the battle! Shout out to my papa who is turning 29 on Friday! Les amo!

Hermanita Barnes

Pictures:

1) Benji! (Coca's son) Happiest little birthday boy in the world!

2) Emelio and Reina at their baptism!

3) Emelio with us and the other sister missionaries who finished teaching him after we got transferred