Learning the Lesson

Dear Family!!

Wow, can you believe in just 3 months (and a little bit) i'll see your beautiful faces in real life? What the heck that's the weirdest thing to imagine. I feel like my life back home was just a dream. Sorry if that sounds mean to say that I feel like my family wasn't real, but it's true. Until I actually see you in real life I think I will always believe you were just a dream hahaha

But this week has been a great week!! We were able to learn a lot through teaching, participating, and listening in 2 zone meetings. We were assigned to teach in the Makati East zone meeting. I'm not sure why because it is not our stewardship, but it was fine for us to teach. So we taught that one on Wednesday and then on Thursday we were able to have our zone meeting as the Makati zone and wow I really felt like it was so amazing. Elder Nolty is one of the zone leaders in our zone and holy is a very creative zone leader and tries little experiments on the zone each month. This month it is called reaching for gold to get the silver. By setting really high goals and trying to get 4 baptisms per week hopefully we can see more of the zone striving for that to get at least 1 baptism per week. He also shared about how it's all about our mindset. If we set our mind for baptism and to be positive and to always think "I can" then we will be able to do anything we set our mind to. I really enjoyed his lesson and I felt like that was something that honestly was kind of a spiritual impression that I really needed at this time. After he shared about being positive always and having a mindset of knowing we can do it, I really got me motivated and just spiritually lifted. 

That night (Thursday night) after zone meeting Sister Kumari and I went out to work. We ended up getting punted, but I was so optimistic and happy and motivated to just go go go. We just OYMed a bunch of people and shared little short doctrine messages about why the gospel would help bless their life. We got so many return appointments and many potential investigators, it was amazing. We also found a cute lady who had 4 older kids who still lived with her. So we were able to share with her and testify about how the gospel will bless her life and shared about temples and families. I just really feel like this week I have had a new perspective on everything and I just feel so happy.

It was funny because this morning I was kind of looking back on my mission and experiences and companions and things and I really felt so grateful for all the many things i've learned. I have learned so many thing that I never would have learned if I hadn't come on a mission. I really feel so grateful. I remember thinking back to different times during my mission and after almost every hard time i've had on my mission at some point I would talk to President Ostler and of course he knows everything that goes on. He always asks me, "because of .... *whatever experience, what did you learn?" I really love thinking about life more from that type of perspective. To know that everything that happens to us is just for us to have an experience and to learn. It really gives me comfort to know that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for each of us and gives us experiences to grow and to learn and to be better people.

 I'm grateful for all the things that I have learned on my mission. It's amazing to think that each area, each trial, each companion has been given to me so that I can learn and so that I can grow. I love to think about the different lessons I have learned because of my mission and because of the experiences and trials I have. I'm so grateful to be a missionary. To labor so hard everyday to feel the simple joy of seeing a new face come to church and accept the gospel. 

After so much labor, 3 of the most devoted beautiful people I have ever seen will be able to enter the waters of baptism on February 5th. I know that this day will be a glorious day for them and a day they will never forget. I'm grateful to be a missionary and to be here in the Philippines serving these wonderful people. I love working and laboring with all my heart so that people can recieve the blessing that I already have. It's amazing to be a missionary and to see the truth and love of God flood into these peoples hearts and change their lives. 

I am here to love, lift, encourage, inspire, and most of all to serve. As we all get down on our knees and serve our master Jesus Christ we will feel the spirit so much more in our lives and we will love more of the people in our lives. I love you all with my whole heart and I'm excited to give everything I have to the rest of the days in my mission.

Mahal ko kayo,

Sister Barton 

ps. heres some cute pics hahaha