CHRISTmas

Hello!!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all doing good. As for me, mission is honestly the hardest thing ive ever done in my life, but its also so good. Hard to explain unless you've done it yourself. haha I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go to the temple this morning which was so good. I honestly gain so much strength through attending the temple. I love the temple. I am so blessed to have one in my mission. So yay for temples! haha as for the week... so much happens just in one day so it is really hard to share everything in one email that I have to write super fast. haha but i'll try my best to share with you what I am feeling and seeing.

First off, thank you to all the youth in my ward!! I loved the cute messages you gave me! I got the letter last week at our mission christmas party! (which was the highlight of chrismas so far) haha but I honestly appreciate it so much! I love letters! Thank you thank you! And Mom, you are the cutest person ever. I love the present thing. Opening one everyday is the highlight of my day! Even if some of them are silly gifts, I LOVE THEM! So thanks!

It has been raining a lot the past couple of days, and when it rains here it really really rains. Like it'll rain for like 72 hrs. straight. I asked an Elder what the longest time is that it will just non stop rain and he said it can rain non stop for like 4 months straight. Are you kidding me?! haha that's freaking nuts. Just in the little 3 days that it rained the roads were flooding and houses were getting ruined and man the rain here is crazy! haha 

This week I really want to focus on the Atonement of Jesus Christ in my letter. I have been studying the Atonement just a little bit this past week, but I feel like i've deepened my knowledge greatly. A mission is a huge struggle. It is an emotional roller coaster. Somedays I feel like yes yes I love missionary work, I love being a missionary, I never want to leave, I love this!! Then the next day I am really struggling with everything that we do and with what is going on and it is just terrible. So to say a mission is hard is the biggest understatement that i have ever heard. It is so much more than hard. A mission is physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting. I can't even begin to express the hardships that come with serving a mission and i've only been out in the field for 3 weeks. Like oh my heck i have so much that awaits me. 

One thing that I absolutely love tho is something that Sister Coombs shared with me. (A sister in my district from Australia, we bond cuz she speaks English haha) but anyway she said God gives us hard time so we can find more joy. Obviously if he wants us to experience the fullest joy we can experience on earth he needs us to experience the fullness of hardships, pains, and trials. I love that. It's hard to feel like no one is listening and around to help you in your trials and afflictions, but I can truly testify to you that if you ever feel weak, sad, or discouraged in anything in life you can litterally just go in your room and kneel. Praying to our Heavenly Father to feel the comfort of Jesus's Christ is remarkable. Jesus Christ knows what each and everyone of us feel and so much more. We cannot comprehend what Jesus Christ went through and he went through it because he loves God and he loves each and everyone of us. He overcame not only physical, but spiritual death so that we can each return back to our loving Heavenly Father and one day be like him. I am so grateful for our savior Jesus Christ. It gives me so much comfort to know he is always with me. Every step I take as a missionary and just in life in general he is with me and will comfort me in times of need. I feel so humbled that someone would go what Jesus Christ went through for me. I love the song "I Stand All Amazed" It really shares how great our savior Jesus Christ is. So as we enjoy this happy holiday of Christmas lets always remember Jesus Christ and how his sweet mother Mary endured all the pains of persecution and sadness, but brought our amazing Reedemer Jesus Christ into this world. I love Christmas time and I love Christ. What better way to show Christ you love him during CHRISTmas, then to be serving him. And that's what I get to do everyday. Is share this beautiful gospel with the beautiful people of the Philippines. I love you all so much and I'm so excited to talk to my family on Friday (Thursday for you) lol. I LOVE YOU ALL AND HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Love,

Sister Barton