Hola familia!
Muchas bendiciones esta semana. This week has probably been the most eventful week of my mission. Bullet points, here we come.
--So, guess what happened at transfers? I got transferred to be a Sister Training Leader in Santee with Sister Hess! Wahoo!! We served together in Chula Vista and became the best of friends!! SHE IS INCREDIBLE!! It was always our dream to become companions someday. The whole first day we were together, we kept saying to each other, "Is this real life?! THIS IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE." I'm super excited and very humbled to have the calling as Sister Training Leader. What is a Sister Trainer, you ask? We'll find out. There are district leaders, zone leaders, and APs on the Elders' side of leadership, and then there are four Spanish Sister Training Leaders on the Sisters' side of leadership. So there's a little visual. My mission is about to get CRAZY.
--The very next day, we had Mission Leadership Council with all the leadership in the mission. It was insanely cool. There was so much power in that room. I'm so excited to see behind the scenes of the work and how it is carried out at the perspective of our mission president.
--General Conference was amazing!! Did you all LOVE it as much as I did? General Conference is like Christmas for all missionaries, it's so funny. My favorite talks were those by Elder Holland, Elder Uchtdorf, and Elder Bednar. They spoke to my soul.
--We've had so many miracles it's insane. A new companionship of Elders were given half of our area and all of our progressing investigators, so we have been expecting miracles to happen. One of them: We are teaching a family, the Gonzalez, who have wanted nothing to do with the church until now. We had a super powerful Plan of Salvation lesson with them last night and they asked us when we would come back and where the church was. Miracle! We both see them in white very soon.
--Update on Jose (the one who wants to get baptized but his divorce is not final). He is set to get baptized this Saturday!! Wahoo!! He is breaking up with his girlfriend and will not see her until his divorce is final so that he can get baptized. MIRACLE. Keep praying for him. We also have a baptism of a girl named Annie from a part-member family on Saturday. Many will be dressed in white this weekend!
--April fools karma: Last week on April Fools, Sister Pendleton called us in the morning in desperation and needing a ride to the hospital because he companion can't drive. We drove 15 min. to their apartment, with everything packed for the day and expecting to spend the day at the hospital. We got up to the door, and there they were, holding 2 beautiful plates of breakfast. "April Fools!!!" they said. Oh we were so mad. THEN, it gets better (worse?). During P-day sports later that day, we were playing soccer in the gym and Sister Pendleton ran to go kick the ball (she was wearing slippery socks) and totally ate the dust, slipped and fell on her back, and slid into the wall, leaving a giant gash in her head. We had to use one of the Elders' white shirts to stop the bleeding. The ambulence came and took her to the hospital. She had a minor concussion and had to get 3 staples in her head... CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?! It was the craziest April Fools day I've ever had. She is doing better now, but that is one for the books.
--Sister Hess and I got to teach part of zone meeting yesterday. It was intense. We taught about the Prophetic Priorities (1. Individual Conversion. 2. Strengthening Families. 3. Strengthening priesthood quorums and ward councils. 4. Using missionaries in the hastening of the work). and how if they are the priorities of the prophet, they are the priorities of God and He KNOWS we can make miracles happen so we need not be afraid to have a big vision for the work. It was so neat to feel the spirit working in us to say what all the missionaries needed to hear. We as missionaries have visions for the mission, for the zone, for our individual proselyting areas, for our branch, for each investigator, for ourselves. What is YOUR vision for doing missionary work as members? What do you want to see happen in the ward? With a friend? With yourself? Think about it!
Sorry for the ridiculously long email. I love you! Cuidense!
Con amor,
Hermana Barnes
Picture: Making tortillas for service with Hna. Fernandez! Way too many delicious tortillas in my belly.
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