I'm hoping this week's letter to you will be better. I have a list of all the things that I have to include so hopefully that way I won't forget anything! And I also have a feel for how much time I have and how much time it really takes to send e-mails to everyone! Did you get all the pictures I sent last week? Did you like them? Please keep all of them so I have them when I get back! This will be in order as much as I can manage, but there will be some jumping around :)
So last Thursday we had a really cool experience as a companionship. We were preparing our lesson for our investigator Carolina and then one of the teachers came in. She told us that we were not allowed to take our notes in. At first we were mad, but she had us read a few scriptures and then we practiced teaching her by the Spirit. We started asking her questions and Hna. Marquez was prompted to ask her about her prayers. We were talking and I felt prompted to say some things...that I don't remember anymore. Hna. Marquez looked shocked and said that what I said in Spanish was exactly what she had wanted to say, but couldn't because she didn't know how. The Spirit was very strong as we were teaching her. So cool! The next day we taught Carolina for the last time. It went well! We taught by the Spirit and didn't use notes and we asked her to be baptized. She said no because she still wanted to know more. But a no isn't bad! It just means we can figure out why not and then work to remedy that!
Hna. Gibbons (Carolina) is now our teacher in the afternoon. She is so great. She served her mission in Chile...Santiago I think. She is five months pregnant and so cute haha. As Carolina she made a video about what she felt from our teaching her. The best things was that she said she didn't really notice our Spanish because of how she felt the Spirit. What a relief!!! Oh! I don't think I told you, but my teacher in the morning is on the BYU Ballroom Back-up team so she knows my teacher and TA from dance! Haha small world. Sorry if I already told you that!
I got a package slip on Friday, but it was too late to go get it that night so I went on Saturday. Thank you for the Cocoa Bean cupcakes! They were delicious! I made sure to share them with my district. We were going to record us with them singing happy birthday, but apparently that is not allowed! So we just took some pictures and then ate them. We still sang to you though! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! I would have told you on your actual birthday, but I don't think they would have liked me doing that! I just want to tell you that I love you and I am so glad that you are my mother. I miss you and I am just so thankful for you in my life. You really are the best mom out there. I know everyone says that, but they were all wrong! Heavenly Father really did bless me when He sent me to you and Dad. And I'm glad that you guys were willing to have a sixth kid!!
Which reminds me. We get to watch Music and the Spoken Word every Sunday before Relief Society and I really like the special Mothers Day one. It was hard of course, because I hadn't even been gone a week yet, but it was so good. I really liked the How Great Thou Art. I didn't really care for the singers voice (he was fine, just not my cup of tea!) but the Spirit really touched me and I really love that song. The program made me greatful for you and excited to be a mom! In the distant future of course haha. My companions keep teasing me that I will be a mom of 12 and will own one of those 15 passenger vans...room for my kids, me, my husband, and our dog haha. That's definitely not going to happen!!! They also call me Mama Bear and they are my Baby Bears haha which is funny since they are both older than me! We have an elder in our district who is extremely good at drawing so he drew us as bears on the board. We definitely had to get a picture with it!
I don't really remember everything that I wrote in my letter last week so sorry if this is a repeat! I got called, or rather assigned they said, to be the Branch Music Coordinator. Thanks a lot for making me take lessons all those years!!! But I really am grateful for you for that. I am glad that I know how to play the piano and that I am able to use that ability a lot. We sent of our first district in our Zone this past week and I accompanied them for their special musical number on Sunday. They sang Come Thou Fount, another great song! It was weird seeing them leave. We met together as a Zone after the films to sing God Be With you Till We Meet Again in español. It was really cool to be able to do that! We also started singing as a District every night before we go back to our rooms. I really love my District! They are just wonderful and so fun to be with and so spiritually strong to learn from. On Sunday we go on a walk to the temple and this week we got a bunch of pictures as a district and as a zone. Our speaker on Sunday was Mary Edmunds. She was so great! She was hilarious and spiritual all at the same time. Something she said that really stood out to me was that over 1,000,000 million missions have been served, but not this one, not the one I am on. What a powerful, motivating message! I want to be a lot like her when I'm older. Strong in the gospel, but incredibly humble and not taking myself too seriously.
We had our first TRC experience yesterday which is where we teach members. They are volunteers and they are wonderful. We taught two 20 minute lessons. The second one was to this older lady. She was so kind and the spirit was really strong. She talked most of them time, but we were able to talk about our lesson on the importance of keeping the commandments. I know that it is so important. Especially here. Several people have said that we receive a greater abundance of the spirit because we have to keep more rules!! Which I think is true. But we are blessed any time we keep the commandments, not just while on a mission so I know that it is key to keep the commandments the Lord has given us...I mean after all, He has given them to us for a reason and we need them!
We are getting two new roommates today in the new influx of missionaries. Should be interesting and definitely an adjustment since we are used to it only being the three of us. They are English speaking though so they will only be here 12 days! Of course there is a lot more I could say, but I am out of time. I do want to bear my testimony in Spanish though!!
Sé que la iglesia de Jesucristo de los snatos du los úlitmos días es verdadera. Sé que Thomas S. Monson es un profeta de Dios. Sé que las familias son eternas. Sé que el Libro de Mormón es la palabra de Dios y verdadero. Creo en el poder de oracion. Sé que Dios escucha mis oraciones.
There is just a little teaser of the Spanish I know!! I love you! Stay strong! Make every day count because time flies by!
Con mi amor,
Hermana Baria
