7 and 1/2 months in Carrollton and another GREENIE!!

Another great but VERY COLD week in Carrollton!! Monday (Nov. 10th) was a fun P-day but the Yeaman's ended up canceling on us because they were sick... we had no miles since it was the end of the month so ended up staying in Coppell where we had been for P-day but it turned out perfectbecause we got to contact Teresa and teach her a lesson.. yes still Teresa Andrade.. I'm so determined to get her baptized. She wants to she just doesn't want to change. So we started the lesson and her little boy Davin that is 5 say the opening prayer then we asked him what his greatest dream was and he just pointed to his mom and said live with her forever and ever and ever and ever... etc. Then we looked at Teresa and asked her what her greatest desire was and of course she said that
same... then we asked her what she needed to do. Of course she said the five steps and committed to work towards them again... I hope it happens this time!!
Tuesday we had a zone meeting which was way good on solving our investigators concerns using the Book of Mormon. We did role plays andthe zone leaders were pretty hard investigators trying to make us work for it. It was amazing thought because that night we went and taught a part member family and every single one of the concerns we had used in zone conference he actually brought up... it's amazing how the Lord prepares us here in the field to face anything! After that we went and taught Josue and Aliz Flores again... the parents are back together and they have decided together they want to be active again. They all came to church on Sunday as a family now we are just waiting on their dad to be able to baptize them. We then went and taught another part-member family, Christina Martinez and her children Melissa and Sophia Gomez. She was baptized when she was 15 but moved and hasn't been to church in years. We started re-teaching them but the says church is too early to come and that she has nothing to wear... she won't tell us what her real concern is even if we dig and dig and dig... but we'll get them there next week. She knows her family really needs the gospel and her kids need to have this foundation to grow and make different decisions then she did but I think apart of her thinks she is so far off the path she can never come back. That where we come in... help her feel that divine love again.
Wednesday we taught Nancy Adame who is so ready to get baptized but her husband won't let her come to church in Farmers Branch where the chapel is because the police are known for deporting... but they're moving out building to the stake center in Carrollton at the start of the month so maybe then she will start to progress. We found an old investigator named Silvia Orozco that we committed to take the lessons again. Then we went and ate with a Columbian family... the Sacristan. I love lentils that they eat with every meal but then after the meal she asked if we wanted hot chocolate which was said yes... then she said, "Con Queso??" so yes I ate my first hot chocolate with cheese... not the biggest fan!!
After dinner we headed over to the Yeaman's to check on Jason and how he was doing on not smoking and he's doing amazing!! We then talked about him quitting coffee and he made an agreement with me that Melinda was ecstatic about... he is going to stop coffee on January 1st which is also their wedding anniversary and we got him to express his desires to be sealed with his family in the temple!! That will be one of the greatest days of my life... I love this family!
On Thursday we taught Gerardo the Word of Wisdom and The Law of Chastity. I thought it was going to be an interesting lesson but I wasn't prepared for what he said to us. He said he has always felt his body was very sacred and then quoted the scripture in Corinthians about our bodies being temples which I was planning on sharing... he honestly
is sooooooooo prepared... and every time I commit him to live anything he always says "CLARO Hermana Barbara!" ... We planned his baptism and he wants Hermano Garibaldi to baptize him. I'm doing a talk on Baptism, Hermana Gomez on Holy Ghost and we're singing a special musical number. I can't wait!!
Friday we got to go to the temple with the Aguilar's. They received their endowments and I did my first session all in Spanish...it was super fun and so amazing to see how happy they were. It was my first time going to the temple for an endowment session in my mission... man do I miss that!
On Saturday we got transfer calls... I was sure I was getting transferred so I had been passing around my address book and journal to everyone in the area and was finally at grips that I wouldn't be spending the holidays here in Carrollton. Well you can imagine my surprise when President called us and told me that I was STAYING in Carrollton another transfer and TRAINING AGAIN!!! Three transfers...three greenies... can you say EXHAUSTING BUT EXCITING!! President Smith said I'm going to be the trainer extrodinare because I'm done.... I'm excited but I'm going to miss Hermana Gomez so much! We
were rocking it together!
Sunday Gerardo passed his baptismal interview with flying colors and will be baptized next week at five!! I can't wait!
Sorry this e-mail is shorter than usual but we have so much to do today to get ready for transfers tomorrow!! I love you all and thanks for the support and prayers!!

Con amor,
Hermana Barber