The Day Has Come

Family,

Hello to you all! This week has been absolutely fantastic wanna know why...? Because THE DAY HAS COME!!! I am officially companions with the one and only Sister Holzworth!!! Ahhhh I don't think you guys even understand how happy I am. After everything that has happened I am finally with my pre-mortal bff. My MTC companion. My cool ascent Australian.. Sister Holzworth. If you can't tell i'm just a tad bit excited!! We are going to have the best transfer ever. Like literally I think this transfer will be the best transfer of my mission. We just kinda get each other. We are like completely opposites, but the same in a lot of things as well. Ahhhh i'm just excited cuz I think this'll be a really good transfer. So that's the cool news of this week.

The other cool news is that my area got split so we also now have new Sister's in our branch, they took most of my progressing investigators... but that's alright, cuz we will work hard and find some more. Now we have 5 companionships in our stewardship, but it'll be fun cuz it just means some more exchanges and things. 

Some more really great news is that it was the most wonderful time of the year, CONFERENCE!! I got to watch general conference and it was in English and it was wonderful and I was really happy. So that was awesome.. Some highlights of Conference that I really liked (not really quoted cuz all I had was a notebook so my thoughts/ their words)

1. I loved how much they talked about missionaries and the importance of Member Missionary work. Living in Utah it's a little bit harder... so I invite you all to move out of Utah for 5 years and work with the missionaries everyday. Just kidding cuz you can't do that, but Jensen told me a cool experience of still being a member missionary so I like that, but just remember we are all missionaries even if we aren't wearing a missionary badge. Member's are lifetime missionaries. (Dallin H. Oaks 7 points were really good as well, especially the last one. "loosen their thumbs" hahaha so get at it Kels Bels because you are like social media queen)

2. We need to love everyone with our whole heart. No matter who they are. Skinny, Fat, Black, White, Short, Tall, Doesn't matter, everyone! I loved Robert D. Hales talk. One thing he says is something like, "Serving God's children will help us suffer less spiritually... Help them come converted by being filled with the Savior's love... We loved Him, because He loved us first.." That one was just really great.

3.The importance of understanding Prayer, Faith, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Plan of Salvation, and the need and importance of the Restoration. It is so important for us to study these things so when we all have the opportunity to share the gospel we are prepared. Ahhh I love being a missionary and I know you do to. Just gaining the knowledge I have gained has been awesome. I was talking to Sister Holzworth earlier this morning and she was like when I first met you, you knew nothing. haha I remember in the MTC I had told her I hadn't read the whole Book of Mormon cover to cover in my whole life. She was like "what the heck? are you serious and you were born in the covenant?" One thing was for sure, I didn't value the gospel nearly as much as I value it now. I don't think anyone even realizes how blessed we are to have the gospel and to be able to know the things we know through all the resources Heavenly Father gives us. Wow. And with a living Prophet on the earth we just receive that much more everyday. It is amazing. 

4. Lastly, all throughout conference we kept hearing many inspired talks about Repentance and the importance of being clean. No unclean thing can enter the kingdom of God. We are all unclean because we all make mistakes every single day. Big and Small. No matter what mistake it is or how big of a sin it is, it doesn't matter. It is still a sin. And a sin makes us unclean, so it is so important for all of us to repent every single day to feel peace in our lives and to know that we are clean and prepared for the day Jesus Christ comes again to the earth. (I really loved Dale G. Renlund's talk, SO GOOD)

But anyway those are just some good things I like during conference. I received so much revelation and it was absolutely amazing. Can you believe next conference I will only have 2 or 3 weeks and then I will be coming home... crazy how fast time is flying...! 

How blessed we are to have a living Prophet. To have the Book of Mormon. To have a perfect gospel, and the only true gospel of Jesus Christ. We are so blessed. I am trying my best everyday to live the way the Savior lived. I am trying my very hardest to work as he worked and be as he was. I am doing everything I can to be the best person I can. I have seen many things on my mission. Wonderful, marvelous, beautiful things and I am so grateful I get this chance for 18 months to be a full time missionary. I love you all and I invite you to continue to read the Book of Mormon, to chose the right, and to value the wonderful gospel we have. 

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Barton

These are some pics of me with my cute friends in the area I gave to the new Sisters...