Howdy Y'all!!! It was another GREAT week here in Plano with some ups, downs, and funnies!! Everyone at home sounds like they're doing great and being blessed which makes me super happy... miss y'all but time is going WAY too fast!!!
Monday: We taught Ariel about the word of wisdom and Law of Chastity.. the only things we thought could keep him from his baptism next week but he was so willing to live them... he had no questions or problems. He told us he had one concern and that was his tattooes.. he said he didn't want to go to church and be a bad example for the youth so they look at him and think it's alright to get tattooes and live that life. He wants to get them removed but it's too much money. We explained more about the atonement but I love how sincerely he wants to change and follow Christ example and also be a true example for others in word, looks and actions. Then we went to teach the Bustos... the night started by Alejandra being offended because she say a member at the park who appartently didn't smile at her then came out other doubts and concerns... we tried to settle them then get one with a lesson of the Plan of Salvation but the spirit just wasn't there at all. Hermana Kleinman would just pause once in awhile and stare at each other.. I was having the strongest impressions that we need to drop them and just leave... but not one part of my heart wanted to. But spiritual impressions aren't always easy but they're always right. So through many tears, I beared my testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel and how much their family needed it then invited them to pray together as a family about the truthfulness of this message and call us when they were ready to learn and have these blessings and then they called on my to say the pray... man was that the hardest night... especially walking away from Alex.. I KNOW he is suppose to serve a mission...but God can change hearts and he prepares people.. so maybe this was a part of their preparation. It also was a comfort to me that I know we did what was right because Hermana Kleinman and I both had the same prompting.. Please pray for them!
Tuesday:... the day of creepers!! We did a lot of contacting because most of our appointments fell through so we were knocking in this appartment complex and this completely drunk guy answered the door... i started doing a door contact on him but soon realized he was not interested in talking about the gospel with me so we gave him a pass-a-long card and walked away.. we were walking to our car and he came out of his back door and started yelling at me what my name was... after a couple times i told him I didn't have a name and he just said.. "Well I guess I'm just going to have to find you then." He continued to watch us until we had driven away... not to worry two days later we went back to that complex and i was hoping not to see him but of course he was the FIRST person I saw... he was trying to find out my name again and be flirty.. i was nice.. but VERY serious with him about my purpose there and since then everytime i see him he doesn't approach me!! good thing!! then that night we were contacting some referrals in a trailer park and we knocked on this older guys door who wasn't all there in the mind.. we started contacting him and getting to know him and he just said, "Why all the questions?" ha ha... We gave him a pass-a-long card and went to walk away and he just started following us... he finally left us alone when we started contacting his neighbor in the street and all of a sudden we just heard something fall and looked over and he had been watching us through the blinds and they had fallen down.. he was frantically trying to put them back up.. i was laughing sooooo hard!!
Wednesday: In the morning we taught Keren who told us that she is going to go to a different churh this Sunday just because her mom invited her for bonding time... It's so sad to see these people who were so fired up about gettign baptized and knew it was true... but they can't get baptized really fast because of some kind of reason.. usually because they're not married. And Satan just pounds them until they start doubting and just fall. I went to the doctor in the afternoon for my wrists that have been bugging me since November.. the doctor says I have systs in my wrists that i will eventually have to get cut out.. but Sister Smith said I would have to go home from my mission to do it.. so I'm just taking some anti inflammatory medicines and getting back to work!! I got an amazing blessing that night from Elder Andrus and we met in the home of a less active... After my blessing Hermana Dominguez asked for one.. even though it was in english we translated some of it to her afterwards.. but the really cool part is that her husband hasn't come to church in 20 years and the spirit was soooo strong in their house and all he could do was say thank you over and over again with tears in his eyes.
Thursday: We taught Ariel with Hno. Marrero which was a great lesson on fasting, tithing, and ten commandments.. he is set to get baptized on May 2nd and is super excited. We asked him how his reading was doing and he told us he is in Alma and he loves it. He really is sooo golden. We then went adn taught the Toro family the third lesson about the five steps we need to do to recieve the Celestial Kingdom... Lisbeth is still on for her baptism on Mother's Day and it was Lilieth's birthday so we brought her awesome cupcakes and sang.
Friday: We found a new investigator with six kids living in her house.. they didn't have much time so we made a return appointment but taught all the kids how to sing "Soy un Hijo de Dios" then one of them prayed for us. I love watching the church the gospel can bring into even the smallest child. AMAZING!! We taught Luis and he still didn't want to come to church because of the primary kids.. he actually started BAWLING!! It was so sad but we promised him we would go to class with him that Sunday so he agreed.
Saturday: we had a big service project with some of the elders to help Sylvia Rodriguez clear out her yard.. her back yard had grass up to our waists... it was fun but hot and lots of work. She made us homemade chicken fingers though for our help but the Elders didn't want to eat them because they're on some kind of slimfast diet... so being the sensitive person I am right in front of Sylvia I told her how much the Elders just LOVE chicken fingers and probably would eat 10 or 12 each... she looked at me and was like REALLY.. and started making more.. the Elders just looked at me with death stares... so needlesstosay when we went back out to do yard work i got attacked with the water hose and was SOAKED!! so to get them back while we were eating everytime they finished a plate i would say , "You don't want more??", "Is that ALL you're going to eat?" I think they both ended up eating 10 plus she gave them some to take home! ha ha... but Sylvia was sooo appreciative for all our hard work.. we were able to teach her about the importance of a prophet and they came to church the next day. They are going to the english ward but they LOVED it especially Anastasia the little girl and she just kept asking her grandma when they were coming back and when we could go teach them again. service really leads to love, trust, and respect... serve everyone around you!!
We taught Mayela that night and Juan Carlos was actually there. We drew out the five steps and asked her to filled them in.. most investigators get one or two and out of order.. but she said them all right in order and then explained each one perfectly... she's been reading the gospel principles book and is almost done with it. She even told us why it was important for her to be baptized in this church and not other ones... Her husband Juan Carlos still has no clue she's getting baptized and was probably thinking the whole time.. why aren't these sisters committing her to baptism??... are they crazy?? ha ha.. little does he know!! :)
Sunday: was an awesome day!! We first went to church with Sylvia and her grandkids then ran to our ward where it was missionary sunday. The elders both spoke and so did MANUELA!!!! .. she just got up there and read straight out of preach my gospel then sat down... i was just proud of her that she agreed to give a talk and got up there... she was super nervous. Then Hermana Kleinman and I sang I Know that My Redeemer Lives to a beautiful piano arrangement Elder Esplin made up... it went really well. Then after sacrament we went to go to class with Luis like we promised and they didnt' have a class so we got nominated to be the teachers.. but it worked about really well because we got to get Luis more involved and the kids were really nice to him.. i think he really enjoyed himself. I think the highlight of the day was when Juan Carlos walked in to the church with Mayela!!!... he was even crying through the closing song... he's going to be sooo excited at Mayela's baptism! We had an amazing week but next sunday is going to be soooo much better... two baptisms for some of the most amazing investigators i've met on my mission!! I love this place!! I love my mission and I love these people. Please pray for them especially Mayela and Ariel that they make it to the waters of baptism!!
con carino,
Hermana Katie Barber
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Ariel's getting baptized on the 2nd of May
So this week has honestly been miracle week here in Plano and the whole week has been absolutely CRAZY!!! So if you don't normally read all my incredibly long e-mails (BRAD!!!!!) you will want to read this one!!
Monday: After all our P-day fun we went to dinner where we had lasagna with ham.. interesting.. then we went to teach Leo who was suppose to get baptized this weekend, but definitely can't. He started by telling us that he didn't want to get baptized.. we asked him why and he kept saying there was no reason. After pushing a little harder and asking what changed from out lesson a couple weeks ago on Friday to that Sunday that made him not want to come to church. He finally told us he got into a fight and in his own words "gutted" someone.. so needless-to-say Leo will not be getting baptized this weekend!! But we will keep working with him and try to help him change. I pray one day he can find the peace of the Atonement.
Tuesday: (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MATT!) we had district meeting then our first couple appointments of the day canceled on us so we made some stop-bys and got a couple return appointments.. then we were heading to the woodland appartments where the Busto Family lives. The weekend before we had met a lady having an easter party with her family.. she said we could come back but we didn't think she was very promising. She lived in the other side of the Woodland complex which is HUGE and we are hardly ever on the side she lives because it's opposite of where our other investigators live. Well we drove around trying to find vistor parking and finally ended up parking on the street...and as soon as we get out of the car there is a lady standing there waiting to talk to us.. a little strange. After finding out we speak spanish and being estatic she asked us where the church was... we were a little taken back because normal people don't beg us to come to church. Well come to find out that her Lilian Toro and her husband Renae and three girls, Lilibeth, Lilieth, and Lizbeth are all members that just moved her from Houston and they have been looking for the church. Lizbeth actually saw us the weekend before while we were making an appointment with the grandma at the Easter party and had told he mom.. so when we were driving around looking for a parking spot they had seen us and she ran out to find us... turns out the lady we met at the Easter Party lives right next to the Toro Family and she wasn't even there for the appointment we made with her. God definitely places us where people need us. And the best part is that their little give Lizbeth is 9 and isn't baptized so we get to teach their whole family the lessons agaion to prepare Lizbeth to be baptized in May!! MIRACLE #1
We also got two media referrals that day when we haven't gotten ANY the whole time I've been here.. MIRACLE #2
We had dinner with the Castro Family and as usual they were HILARIOUS.. Hermano had taken a picture of Hermana Kleinman and I on Sunday and photoshoped it and had printed us an 8 x 10 picture for each of us.. they're awesome.
Wednesday:We did some random contacting then went to go to our appointment with Manuel a less active and his wife Rosie who isn't a member. Their car wasn't their so we knew we had a little time to contact more. There was a guy sitting on his step outside his appartment getting ready to smoke so we approached him and started contacting him. Hermana Kleinman and I felt a little weird about the contact considering he was blowing smoke in our faces and I was about to just give him a pass along card and walk away when the thought came to me to ask him if he was happy... He kinda looked a me shocked and said well... yea.. then he added all the problems he was having too.He told us his name was Carlos and had not really heard of the church before. But after telling him that we knew the gospel could bringing him happiness to his life... he said, "I Know." We come to find out that his real name is Juan Carlos and he was baptized 8 years ago... he got the Melquesieck (can't spell it sorry!! ha ha) and everything... but that his wife had told him that he had to choose her and the catholic church or his church and he chose her... he has now gone down a back road including drugs, drinking, and other things.. he has no job and his marriage is falling apart. He told us he wanted to give us his Triple to give to someone who could actually use it.. we told him no.. that he was going to use it again!! I gave him my Book of Mormon to read a passage in 3 Nephi and I have never seen someone hunger so bad to read that book.. he started flipping through and by the end had given US a reading assignment. he told us stories about when he used to go out with missionaries and it was amazing how his countanence physically changed.. he went from blank stares and no hope to light escaping from his eyes and such HOPE!! he ended up giving us his cigarettes and took his ear out of his ear to give to us.. and we devised a plan to come back and knock on Friday night to try to get his wife to listen to us!! And once again our other appointment never showed up... God placed us again right where he needed us to be! MIRACLE #3!!
That night we went to get to know the Toro family where we got a second dinner and I got to know Lilian figure out a little more about their church history while Hermana Kleinman was talkign to their friend and their conversation led into a first lesson ending in a soft commitment to baptism.. while I figured out when Lizbeth was going to get baptized.. It was a successful night!
Thursday: During planning we were looking through all of the old investigator sheets in our area book and I stumbled across one that said MANUELA LEMUS LOPEZ!!!... Elders two years ago had found Leo and Jesse, Manuela's sons in the Fiesta parking lot and were teaching them for awhile.. Leo actually read 1/2 of the Book of Mormon.. but then they got to busy so the Elder's dropped them. I guess everyone just has their time! That night we had a member Hermana Saldias come with us to a lesson with Gregonio and the rest of the gang in the trailer and we taught them a Plan of Salvation. When we got in the car after the lesson.. Hermana Saldias just said "I never realized how hard your guy's job is... trying to help people believe when they really don't care.. we are so lucky we had the faith to accept this gospel."
So Thursday night we were laying in our bunk beds.. i was half asleep and we hear a knock... Hermana Kleinman freaks out and says "Someone is knocking on our window!" I just brushed her off thinking it was someone at the door so I yelled COME IN... but no one came in.. I just thought it was Sue, our roomie, knocking on our door... then the knock came again and it was from the window.. I looked out the window and there was a young man standing there...I just yelled.. WHO ARE YOU!!! I thought he said BUENO and I started freaking out thinking someone we had contacted or an investigator had followed us home.. then he said.. "Oh I mush have the wrong how does sue live here??" Well it ended up being Sue's grandson who is 18 knocking on the wrong window and scaring the daylights out of me.. so I went and got Sue and when I got back... Sister Kleinman just looked at me and said, "I just want you to know you just invited an 18 year-old to come in your room through the window ON YOUR MISSION!!!" We were laughing sooooo hard!
Friday: We taught Keren, when we got there she was in a really bad mood because her and her boyfriend had been fighting alot and she is probably going to leave him. We ended up having her watch part of the Special Witnesses of Christ DVD since she didn't come to church... by the end of the lesson she was smiling and said she knew we had a prophet on the earth today.. the gospel brings happiness.. NO DOUBT!! We had a lesson with Luis who isn't getting baptized this Sunday and doesn't even really want to come to church because of some rude things the kids in primary said to him.. so we are going to push for the 25 of April instead.. please pray for him!
Our next scheduled appointment was to go and knock on Juan Carlos' door and try to get his "crazy catholic" wife to listen to us. We were SUPER nervous because we had no clue what to expect.. but we got there and Juan Carlos had all the doors open waiting for us and when we got there he told his wife the door was for her.. she was sleeping so had to change and as she is walking to the door and asked who it was he said, "Las Misioneras, they can come in right?" without really giving her a choice he let us in and we all sat down at their table to talk. He pulled out a briefcase filled with 2 triples, 2 book of mormons, tons of Liahonas and church manuels and said... well what are you going to teach us. I talked to his wife Mayela for a minute and she told us she would take the lessons but didn't think she would come to our church. So I told her we could come back another time or start today depending on her schedule and she told us to go for it. We taught her the first lesson about the Restoration of the gospel and it was honestly one of the most powerful lessons of my mission. She had AMAZING questions like.. after explaining the great apostasy she said, "So where's the prophet today?" then after the first vision she blurted out "So what'd they say... which one did he join?" while explaining about where the Bible was from and where her ancestors were from she said, "So shouldnt' we have a Bible in the America's too!?!" Yep the Book of Mormon. Then we asked her husband Juan Carlos to bear his testimony...he was a little anxious at first but the spirit RUSHED in as he told her that he knew it was true and that she could know for herself it was true also. he told her that the happiest time of his life was while he was in the church and he never wanted for anything he ever needed. He told her that he knew God sent us at this time because they needed this gospel. After he was done she just turned to us and said "I can come to church this Sunday.. we'll be waiting and ready for someone to take us." AMAZING MIRACLE #4... God can change hearts!
Saturday: we did a blitz for the elders since elder Esplin has been out of commission for a while with his kidney stones so we knocked doors.. taught some lessons plus dinner but nothing I can remember to report.. good day! Wait a second.. that's a lie.. We taught Ariel the plan of Salvation on his porch and ended up setting a baptismal date with him for May 2nd.. he's super excited!! and GOLDEN!! MIRACLE #5
We waited and waited and waiting expecting a transfer call that night and IT NEVER CAME!!! Hermana Kleinman and I are staying together in Plano for another 6 weeks and we couldn't be happier!
Sunday: was a little frustrating.. but still good!! Keren didn't come to church.. we don't know why.. we stopped by our investigators/ recent converts in the morning and Joe was at his girlfriends... Leo was still hung over and couldn't even stand up when we went to pass by to see if he was coming to church... others weren't home. and Juan Carlos went out with his friends the night before and Mayela didn't know where he was at noon on Sunday. Then the member that was suppose to go by to for Ariel couldnt' find his appartment so just came to church without him... leaving Ariel waiting to come to church all day. But the amazing thing of the day was MAYELA CAME TO CHURCH.. even without her husband!! The "crazy Catholic" as she husband described LOVED church and told us she is coming back next week... now the only problem we have is getting her husband there. But it's amazing how God changes hearts and prepares a way! And Manuela said the closing prayer in sacrament meeting.. she went up there.. introduced herself and then said the prayer with her eyes open like she was giving a talk.. it was hilarious and she was sooo nervous. She is giving a talk on missionary work in a couple week.. that should be interesting can't wait!!
This has been an amazing week!! Thanks for all your prayers and support.. hope this week is just as exciting!
con carino,
Hermana Katie Barber
Monday: After all our P-day fun we went to dinner where we had lasagna with ham.. interesting.. then we went to teach Leo who was suppose to get baptized this weekend, but definitely can't. He started by telling us that he didn't want to get baptized.. we asked him why and he kept saying there was no reason. After pushing a little harder and asking what changed from out lesson a couple weeks ago on Friday to that Sunday that made him not want to come to church. He finally told us he got into a fight and in his own words "gutted" someone.. so needless-to-say Leo will not be getting baptized this weekend!! But we will keep working with him and try to help him change. I pray one day he can find the peace of the Atonement.
Tuesday: (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MATT!) we had district meeting then our first couple appointments of the day canceled on us so we made some stop-bys and got a couple return appointments.. then we were heading to the woodland appartments where the Busto Family lives. The weekend before we had met a lady having an easter party with her family.. she said we could come back but we didn't think she was very promising. She lived in the other side of the Woodland complex which is HUGE and we are hardly ever on the side she lives because it's opposite of where our other investigators live. Well we drove around trying to find vistor parking and finally ended up parking on the street...and as soon as we get out of the car there is a lady standing there waiting to talk to us.. a little strange. After finding out we speak spanish and being estatic she asked us where the church was... we were a little taken back because normal people don't beg us to come to church. Well come to find out that her Lilian Toro and her husband Renae and three girls, Lilibeth, Lilieth, and Lizbeth are all members that just moved her from Houston and they have been looking for the church. Lizbeth actually saw us the weekend before while we were making an appointment with the grandma at the Easter party and had told he mom.. so when we were driving around looking for a parking spot they had seen us and she ran out to find us... turns out the lady we met at the Easter Party lives right next to the Toro Family and she wasn't even there for the appointment we made with her. God definitely places us where people need us. And the best part is that their little give Lizbeth is 9 and isn't baptized so we get to teach their whole family the lessons agaion to prepare Lizbeth to be baptized in May!! MIRACLE #1
We also got two media referrals that day when we haven't gotten ANY the whole time I've been here.. MIRACLE #2
We had dinner with the Castro Family and as usual they were HILARIOUS.. Hermano had taken a picture of Hermana Kleinman and I on Sunday and photoshoped it and had printed us an 8 x 10 picture for each of us.. they're awesome.
Wednesday:We did some random contacting then went to go to our appointment with Manuel a less active and his wife Rosie who isn't a member. Their car wasn't their so we knew we had a little time to contact more. There was a guy sitting on his step outside his appartment getting ready to smoke so we approached him and started contacting him. Hermana Kleinman and I felt a little weird about the contact considering he was blowing smoke in our faces and I was about to just give him a pass along card and walk away when the thought came to me to ask him if he was happy... He kinda looked a me shocked and said well... yea.. then he added all the problems he was having too.He told us his name was Carlos and had not really heard of the church before. But after telling him that we knew the gospel could bringing him happiness to his life... he said, "I Know." We come to find out that his real name is Juan Carlos and he was baptized 8 years ago... he got the Melquesieck (can't spell it sorry!! ha ha) and everything... but that his wife had told him that he had to choose her and the catholic church or his church and he chose her... he has now gone down a back road including drugs, drinking, and other things.. he has no job and his marriage is falling apart. He told us he wanted to give us his Triple to give to someone who could actually use it.. we told him no.. that he was going to use it again!! I gave him my Book of Mormon to read a passage in 3 Nephi and I have never seen someone hunger so bad to read that book.. he started flipping through and by the end had given US a reading assignment. he told us stories about when he used to go out with missionaries and it was amazing how his countanence physically changed.. he went from blank stares and no hope to light escaping from his eyes and such HOPE!! he ended up giving us his cigarettes and took his ear out of his ear to give to us.. and we devised a plan to come back and knock on Friday night to try to get his wife to listen to us!! And once again our other appointment never showed up... God placed us again right where he needed us to be! MIRACLE #3!!
That night we went to get to know the Toro family where we got a second dinner and I got to know Lilian figure out a little more about their church history while Hermana Kleinman was talkign to their friend and their conversation led into a first lesson ending in a soft commitment to baptism.. while I figured out when Lizbeth was going to get baptized.. It was a successful night!
Thursday: During planning we were looking through all of the old investigator sheets in our area book and I stumbled across one that said MANUELA LEMUS LOPEZ!!!... Elders two years ago had found Leo and Jesse, Manuela's sons in the Fiesta parking lot and were teaching them for awhile.. Leo actually read 1/2 of the Book of Mormon.. but then they got to busy so the Elder's dropped them. I guess everyone just has their time! That night we had a member Hermana Saldias come with us to a lesson with Gregonio and the rest of the gang in the trailer and we taught them a Plan of Salvation. When we got in the car after the lesson.. Hermana Saldias just said "I never realized how hard your guy's job is... trying to help people believe when they really don't care.. we are so lucky we had the faith to accept this gospel."
So Thursday night we were laying in our bunk beds.. i was half asleep and we hear a knock... Hermana Kleinman freaks out and says "Someone is knocking on our window!" I just brushed her off thinking it was someone at the door so I yelled COME IN... but no one came in.. I just thought it was Sue, our roomie, knocking on our door... then the knock came again and it was from the window.. I looked out the window and there was a young man standing there...I just yelled.. WHO ARE YOU!!! I thought he said BUENO and I started freaking out thinking someone we had contacted or an investigator had followed us home.. then he said.. "Oh I mush have the wrong how does sue live here??" Well it ended up being Sue's grandson who is 18 knocking on the wrong window and scaring the daylights out of me.. so I went and got Sue and when I got back... Sister Kleinman just looked at me and said, "I just want you to know you just invited an 18 year-old to come in your room through the window ON YOUR MISSION!!!" We were laughing sooooo hard!
Friday: We taught Keren, when we got there she was in a really bad mood because her and her boyfriend had been fighting alot and she is probably going to leave him. We ended up having her watch part of the Special Witnesses of Christ DVD since she didn't come to church... by the end of the lesson she was smiling and said she knew we had a prophet on the earth today.. the gospel brings happiness.. NO DOUBT!! We had a lesson with Luis who isn't getting baptized this Sunday and doesn't even really want to come to church because of some rude things the kids in primary said to him.. so we are going to push for the 25 of April instead.. please pray for him!
Our next scheduled appointment was to go and knock on Juan Carlos' door and try to get his "crazy catholic" wife to listen to us. We were SUPER nervous because we had no clue what to expect.. but we got there and Juan Carlos had all the doors open waiting for us and when we got there he told his wife the door was for her.. she was sleeping so had to change and as she is walking to the door and asked who it was he said, "Las Misioneras, they can come in right?" without really giving her a choice he let us in and we all sat down at their table to talk. He pulled out a briefcase filled with 2 triples, 2 book of mormons, tons of Liahonas and church manuels and said... well what are you going to teach us. I talked to his wife Mayela for a minute and she told us she would take the lessons but didn't think she would come to our church. So I told her we could come back another time or start today depending on her schedule and she told us to go for it. We taught her the first lesson about the Restoration of the gospel and it was honestly one of the most powerful lessons of my mission. She had AMAZING questions like.. after explaining the great apostasy she said, "So where's the prophet today?" then after the first vision she blurted out "So what'd they say... which one did he join?" while explaining about where the Bible was from and where her ancestors were from she said, "So shouldnt' we have a Bible in the America's too!?!" Yep the Book of Mormon. Then we asked her husband Juan Carlos to bear his testimony...he was a little anxious at first but the spirit RUSHED in as he told her that he knew it was true and that she could know for herself it was true also. he told her that the happiest time of his life was while he was in the church and he never wanted for anything he ever needed. He told her that he knew God sent us at this time because they needed this gospel. After he was done she just turned to us and said "I can come to church this Sunday.. we'll be waiting and ready for someone to take us." AMAZING MIRACLE #4... God can change hearts!
Saturday: we did a blitz for the elders since elder Esplin has been out of commission for a while with his kidney stones so we knocked doors.. taught some lessons plus dinner but nothing I can remember to report.. good day! Wait a second.. that's a lie.. We taught Ariel the plan of Salvation on his porch and ended up setting a baptismal date with him for May 2nd.. he's super excited!! and GOLDEN!! MIRACLE #5
We waited and waited and waiting expecting a transfer call that night and IT NEVER CAME!!! Hermana Kleinman and I are staying together in Plano for another 6 weeks and we couldn't be happier!
Sunday: was a little frustrating.. but still good!! Keren didn't come to church.. we don't know why.. we stopped by our investigators/ recent converts in the morning and Joe was at his girlfriends... Leo was still hung over and couldn't even stand up when we went to pass by to see if he was coming to church... others weren't home. and Juan Carlos went out with his friends the night before and Mayela didn't know where he was at noon on Sunday. Then the member that was suppose to go by to for Ariel couldnt' find his appartment so just came to church without him... leaving Ariel waiting to come to church all day. But the amazing thing of the day was MAYELA CAME TO CHURCH.. even without her husband!! The "crazy Catholic" as she husband described LOVED church and told us she is coming back next week... now the only problem we have is getting her husband there. But it's amazing how God changes hearts and prepares a way! And Manuela said the closing prayer in sacrament meeting.. she went up there.. introduced herself and then said the prayer with her eyes open like she was giving a talk.. it was hilarious and she was sooo nervous. She is giving a talk on missionary work in a couple week.. that should be interesting can't wait!!
This has been an amazing week!! Thanks for all your prayers and support.. hope this week is just as exciting!
con carino,
Hermana Katie Barber
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Sacrament Talk In Spanish!!
Hey Family!!! HAPPY EASTER and MATT... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!! Wasn't conference AMAZING?? I wish I could have been there to hang out with all of y'all and have fun with my sweet niece and nephews but that time will come oh too fast!! Thanks mom for my Easter package filled with goodies... i gave out the candy to the kids at the church during conference and it kept them entertained for a little longer.. thanks you're the best! We had a great week here in Plano like always with more and more miracles every week! Transfer calls are this Saturday and we probably won't stay together another week so we're going to make the most out of our last week (probably) together.
Monday:We did the normal chores on P-day but then we borrowed bikes from the Elders and went on an hour and a half bike ride picking up one of our investigators, Alejandra Bustos, on the way... It was super fun but my bottom was sore for the next couple days :) We ate dinner with Manuela that night, some yummy tamales she promised she would teach us how to make!!..She was kinda sad because a member in the ward is going to start taking over her new member lessons and out of no where she said I have lots of trust in you two and love you so much.. thank you. We had a lesson that night with the Bustos on the Book of Mormon and the importance of reading everyday... we opened it up for questions and they had none.. I think Youth Conference really helped Alex have a lot more faith in the truthfulness of the truth.. YEAH!!!
Tuesday: We had district meeting, lunch, then went home to wait for Sister Smith... she came up to have us help her with a talk she had to give in Spanish that night at a relief society party. We helped her for a couple hours and it was super fun having more one on one time with her and it made me realize I know more spanish than i give myself credit for.. reading and writing at least! We had dinner with the Cazeras... pollo de tinga otra vez.. I think the word is getting out that that is my favorite dish because we are having it a lot lately.. but I'm okay with that. We taught Gregonio again that night with his "son" Juliomar and soft committed them to baptism but they didn't come to conference so we'll see if they really progress. We then went and watched The Restoration with Mario but he still just doesn't get it so we gave him our number and pretty much dropped him but will stop back in awhile to see if he gets it more yet.. we need to save our time for those that are more willing to progress.
Wednesday: We had an awesome lesson with Keren and brought a member from the english ward who is amazing... her name is Katie Trusty. She served a mission and joined the church when she was 19. Her and Keren got along really well and she helped us control the kids during the lesson who were all home from school sick. we taught her the ten commandments and the importance of a prophet to receive commandments and then Sister Trusty invited her to conference at her house.. We were reading through the ten commandments and we got to #7.. don't commit adultery.. but instead of reading it like that she said.. don't do what Keren is doing.. She has such a desire to change but her circumstance is sooo crazy hard.. I can't even imagine being 23 with four kids already having a failed marriage and having to decide whether to stay with my boyfriend and marry him who is not the best either or to leave with my kids to a shelter. Please pray for her! Keren said the closing pray and Sister Trusty was crying by the end of it... I wish y'all could hear Keren's prayers.. they are so heart felt, a real conversation with God. Another shocking part of the lesson was when we got to commandment number 10.. Thou shalt not covet.. we explained it to her and almost crying she said you know what I covet or envy.. and we said no and she said,"you're happiness." You just look like you always roll out of bed smiling.. like you have everything in your life figured out. We explained the hope and happiness the gospel brings to your life no matter what you are asked to face. Do we as members of the church really understand what happiness and difference this gospel can bring in our lives?... I know I've always taken it for granted until I have been able to see how others live or believe... and how much this world really needs the hope and happiness of the gospel!
In the afternoon we took a 16 year old member from the English ward tracting with us and to contact referrals it was an eventful afternoon and i think we talked her into serving a mission. At night we took a funny gift to the elders.. Elder Esplin's kidney stone still hasn't even MOVED.. so he went to the doctor and the doctor said he has another one sitting in his kidney waiting to come out as soon as he passes this one.. he wasn't too happy.. so we being the sensitive sisters we are found these chocolates that look EXACTLY like little rocks and wrote him a note that said, "We hope these stones pass easier than your kidney stone!" it was super super funny!
Thursday (APRIL FOOLS DAY!)- April Fool's Day Tricks: We called some of the elders and gave them the PERFECT referral.. a mom with five kids, three over 8... we already soft committed her to baptism but she wants to go to the english ward. They were SOOO PUMPED!! Then we called them back and said,"we forgot to tell you something about them.. APRIL FOOLS!! They were so confused and didn't even know it was April 1st.. we got them good. Then I called Sister Smith and told her that I was having a hard time and I don't know if i can do it anymore and kinda want to go home. I felt pretty back because she was sooooo concerned and said well what is it that is bothering you and I said, "Well maybe because it's April Fools Day." She just paused and said,"well in that case.. I'll buy you a ticket home this afternoon!" It was a super effective companionship study :) Right after we got done with our phone calls our "roommate"Sue.. fell out of the shower and we found her flat on her back...interesting experience but luckily she didn't break anything! We taught a first lesson with a referral who was super super interested but then found out we were "mormons" and a wall went up.. hope we're good wall climbers! We had american hamburgers for dinner.. long time since I've had a good one of those so that was nice.. then we contacted another referral who was super interested and probably would have gone somewhere if her mom wasn't right behind her the whole time saying, "somos catolicos." ONE DAY!!
Friday: Most of our appointments canceled on us and all the stop by's we made no one was home so we went and tried to contact Manuel (super less active) and his wife Rosi (the one who's brother was on his mission in Provo) and the first thing they said to us was WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!! we thought you forgot about us! So we've started working with them again so that will be good. We taught the Busto family and ate some chicken with them... we gave them each a calendar to mark their reading, prayers, and church attendance on so hopefully they'll get better at keeping their commitments. We then went to the Marrero's to do some service and had more chicken... then we went ot our dinner appointment with the Dominguez and had more chicken.. NO MORE CHICKEN FOR ME!! I came home that night.. just when i thought my family forgot about me for Easter and found my package from mom!! thanks mom! I waiting till Sunday morning to open it though.
Saturday: I LOVE CONFERENCE!!! My favorite talk in the first session was the first one from Elder Packer on Fathers and their importance on presiding in the home. It made me think of dad..and how he has always been worthy to baptize us, ordain my brothers, give us father's blessings anytime we asked.. Thanks dad!! It really hit me the importance the priesthood in your home! Between sessions we went and picked up Hna. Berrios, a member, and went to teach a lesson to a guy named Ariel that we met at the laundry mat of this complex... we had gone one time before and met his roommates but didn't have much time to teach them so we told them our purpose and gave them a pamphlet to read on the restoration which no one ends up reading... EVER. So we get there and ask if he had read and he had!! During the lesson he was giving the definition of things he had remembered from his reading and we were able to soft commit him to baptism on the first real lesson. We had also told him in our first "our purpose" lesson that he was going to have to say the closing prayer next time we came by to teach him... so that time came for him to say the closing prayer and I went to give him his pamphlet where we had wrote the steps of prayer and he went and grabbed a notebook where he had written out a prayer and had been practicing how to pray just right all week! He has such a desire to know and to do what's right.. GOLDEN!! He is from Nicaragua, around 25 and is 6"4'.. the tallest Hispanic I've ever seen!!
During the second session my favorite talk was L.Tom Perry's I loved how he said he remembered his mom having the dinning room table filled with reference materials for her lessons.. that is EXACTLY MY MOM!!! I'll never forget orange choice and accountability stuff alllllllll over the table or your combat gear for your other talk for Girl's camp on year... I also loved how he said his mom had so much material she couldn't possibly share it in one class but she always used the things she learned to bless him and his other siblings... so true!! thanks mom!! I also LOVED Elder Holland's talk.. he always lays it down!!!
After conference we went and dyed Easter eggs with Karen and Alejandra Bustos and she made us dinner even though we told her we had a dinner appointment... but then we left for our dinner appointment and Alejandra came with us.. so we made her eat two dinners too!! We were all so full and it hurt to laugh! But at least we made her suffer with us.. ha ha!!
Sunday: We watched the first session in spanish and Alejandra came with Alex and Karen.. she loved it and was crying by the end of the closing prayer.... I tried to listen while translating in my head my notes into english and keep Alex and Karen entertained.. I didn't get the most out of that session but i loved listening to it in spanish because my notes aren't word for word what the person said but instead they are the true impressions and the things I got out of their talks.. we had lunch as a branch in between sessions then we watched the last session in english... Neil's talk was really good and I thought that was Mike's mission president.. that name sounded sooo familiar.. I bet that was super cool for Mike! We had dinner with Hna. Saldiaz, then we went and chastise Manuel and Rosi for not coming to church.. then we went to meet with a less active.. who is Hna. Dominguez's husband.. he hasn't come to church in 20 years... so we taught him the five steps focusing on Enduring to the end then ended up eating a second dinner with them of carne asada... YUMMY and a enchilada casserole thing!! I was yummy but I could not eat for a couple days and be perfectly fine!! Well I hope y'all had an amazing Easter. I am so thankful for my Savior and Redeemer and for the opportunity I have to share everyday that HE LIVES and that because he lives we will too and that we have the opportunity to live with our families forever..... this gospel really is a message of love, hope and happiness!! i love you all and miss you tonz but I'll see you WAY WAY WAY too soon.. STOP TIME!!!
Love you
Hermana Katie Barber
Monday:We did the normal chores on P-day but then we borrowed bikes from the Elders and went on an hour and a half bike ride picking up one of our investigators, Alejandra Bustos, on the way... It was super fun but my bottom was sore for the next couple days :) We ate dinner with Manuela that night, some yummy tamales she promised she would teach us how to make!!..She was kinda sad because a member in the ward is going to start taking over her new member lessons and out of no where she said I have lots of trust in you two and love you so much.. thank you. We had a lesson that night with the Bustos on the Book of Mormon and the importance of reading everyday... we opened it up for questions and they had none.. I think Youth Conference really helped Alex have a lot more faith in the truthfulness of the truth.. YEAH!!!
Tuesday: We had district meeting, lunch, then went home to wait for Sister Smith... she came up to have us help her with a talk she had to give in Spanish that night at a relief society party. We helped her for a couple hours and it was super fun having more one on one time with her and it made me realize I know more spanish than i give myself credit for.. reading and writing at least! We had dinner with the Cazeras... pollo de tinga otra vez.. I think the word is getting out that that is my favorite dish because we are having it a lot lately.. but I'm okay with that. We taught Gregonio again that night with his "son" Juliomar and soft committed them to baptism but they didn't come to conference so we'll see if they really progress. We then went and watched The Restoration with Mario but he still just doesn't get it so we gave him our number and pretty much dropped him but will stop back in awhile to see if he gets it more yet.. we need to save our time for those that are more willing to progress.
Wednesday: We had an awesome lesson with Keren and brought a member from the english ward who is amazing... her name is Katie Trusty. She served a mission and joined the church when she was 19. Her and Keren got along really well and she helped us control the kids during the lesson who were all home from school sick. we taught her the ten commandments and the importance of a prophet to receive commandments and then Sister Trusty invited her to conference at her house.. We were reading through the ten commandments and we got to #7.. don't commit adultery.. but instead of reading it like that she said.. don't do what Keren is doing.. She has such a desire to change but her circumstance is sooo crazy hard.. I can't even imagine being 23 with four kids already having a failed marriage and having to decide whether to stay with my boyfriend and marry him who is not the best either or to leave with my kids to a shelter. Please pray for her! Keren said the closing pray and Sister Trusty was crying by the end of it... I wish y'all could hear Keren's prayers.. they are so heart felt, a real conversation with God. Another shocking part of the lesson was when we got to commandment number 10.. Thou shalt not covet.. we explained it to her and almost crying she said you know what I covet or envy.. and we said no and she said,"you're happiness." You just look like you always roll out of bed smiling.. like you have everything in your life figured out. We explained the hope and happiness the gospel brings to your life no matter what you are asked to face. Do we as members of the church really understand what happiness and difference this gospel can bring in our lives?... I know I've always taken it for granted until I have been able to see how others live or believe... and how much this world really needs the hope and happiness of the gospel!
In the afternoon we took a 16 year old member from the English ward tracting with us and to contact referrals it was an eventful afternoon and i think we talked her into serving a mission. At night we took a funny gift to the elders.. Elder Esplin's kidney stone still hasn't even MOVED.. so he went to the doctor and the doctor said he has another one sitting in his kidney waiting to come out as soon as he passes this one.. he wasn't too happy.. so we being the sensitive sisters we are found these chocolates that look EXACTLY like little rocks and wrote him a note that said, "We hope these stones pass easier than your kidney stone!" it was super super funny!
Thursday (APRIL FOOLS DAY!)- April Fool's Day Tricks: We called some of the elders and gave them the PERFECT referral.. a mom with five kids, three over 8... we already soft committed her to baptism but she wants to go to the english ward. They were SOOO PUMPED!! Then we called them back and said,"we forgot to tell you something about them.. APRIL FOOLS!! They were so confused and didn't even know it was April 1st.. we got them good. Then I called Sister Smith and told her that I was having a hard time and I don't know if i can do it anymore and kinda want to go home. I felt pretty back because she was sooooo concerned and said well what is it that is bothering you and I said, "Well maybe because it's April Fools Day." She just paused and said,"well in that case.. I'll buy you a ticket home this afternoon!" It was a super effective companionship study :) Right after we got done with our phone calls our "roommate"Sue.. fell out of the shower and we found her flat on her back...interesting experience but luckily she didn't break anything! We taught a first lesson with a referral who was super super interested but then found out we were "mormons" and a wall went up.. hope we're good wall climbers! We had american hamburgers for dinner.. long time since I've had a good one of those so that was nice.. then we contacted another referral who was super interested and probably would have gone somewhere if her mom wasn't right behind her the whole time saying, "somos catolicos." ONE DAY!!
Friday: Most of our appointments canceled on us and all the stop by's we made no one was home so we went and tried to contact Manuel (super less active) and his wife Rosi (the one who's brother was on his mission in Provo) and the first thing they said to us was WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!! we thought you forgot about us! So we've started working with them again so that will be good. We taught the Busto family and ate some chicken with them... we gave them each a calendar to mark their reading, prayers, and church attendance on so hopefully they'll get better at keeping their commitments. We then went to the Marrero's to do some service and had more chicken... then we went ot our dinner appointment with the Dominguez and had more chicken.. NO MORE CHICKEN FOR ME!! I came home that night.. just when i thought my family forgot about me for Easter and found my package from mom!! thanks mom! I waiting till Sunday morning to open it though.
Saturday: I LOVE CONFERENCE!!! My favorite talk in the first session was the first one from Elder Packer on Fathers and their importance on presiding in the home. It made me think of dad..and how he has always been worthy to baptize us, ordain my brothers, give us father's blessings anytime we asked.. Thanks dad!! It really hit me the importance the priesthood in your home! Between sessions we went and picked up Hna. Berrios, a member, and went to teach a lesson to a guy named Ariel that we met at the laundry mat of this complex... we had gone one time before and met his roommates but didn't have much time to teach them so we told them our purpose and gave them a pamphlet to read on the restoration which no one ends up reading... EVER. So we get there and ask if he had read and he had!! During the lesson he was giving the definition of things he had remembered from his reading and we were able to soft commit him to baptism on the first real lesson. We had also told him in our first "our purpose" lesson that he was going to have to say the closing prayer next time we came by to teach him... so that time came for him to say the closing prayer and I went to give him his pamphlet where we had wrote the steps of prayer and he went and grabbed a notebook where he had written out a prayer and had been practicing how to pray just right all week! He has such a desire to know and to do what's right.. GOLDEN!! He is from Nicaragua, around 25 and is 6"4'.. the tallest Hispanic I've ever seen!!
During the second session my favorite talk was L.Tom Perry's I loved how he said he remembered his mom having the dinning room table filled with reference materials for her lessons.. that is EXACTLY MY MOM!!! I'll never forget orange choice and accountability stuff alllllllll over the table or your combat gear for your other talk for Girl's camp on year... I also loved how he said his mom had so much material she couldn't possibly share it in one class but she always used the things she learned to bless him and his other siblings... so true!! thanks mom!! I also LOVED Elder Holland's talk.. he always lays it down!!!
After conference we went and dyed Easter eggs with Karen and Alejandra Bustos and she made us dinner even though we told her we had a dinner appointment... but then we left for our dinner appointment and Alejandra came with us.. so we made her eat two dinners too!! We were all so full and it hurt to laugh! But at least we made her suffer with us.. ha ha!!
Sunday: We watched the first session in spanish and Alejandra came with Alex and Karen.. she loved it and was crying by the end of the closing prayer.... I tried to listen while translating in my head my notes into english and keep Alex and Karen entertained.. I didn't get the most out of that session but i loved listening to it in spanish because my notes aren't word for word what the person said but instead they are the true impressions and the things I got out of their talks.. we had lunch as a branch in between sessions then we watched the last session in english... Neil's talk was really good and I thought that was Mike's mission president.. that name sounded sooo familiar.. I bet that was super cool for Mike! We had dinner with Hna. Saldiaz, then we went and chastise Manuel and Rosi for not coming to church.. then we went to meet with a less active.. who is Hna. Dominguez's husband.. he hasn't come to church in 20 years... so we taught him the five steps focusing on Enduring to the end then ended up eating a second dinner with them of carne asada... YUMMY and a enchilada casserole thing!! I was yummy but I could not eat for a couple days and be perfectly fine!! Well I hope y'all had an amazing Easter. I am so thankful for my Savior and Redeemer and for the opportunity I have to share everyday that HE LIVES and that because he lives we will too and that we have the opportunity to live with our families forever..... this gospel really is a message of love, hope and happiness!! i love you all and miss you tonz but I'll see you WAY WAY WAY too soon.. STOP TIME!!!
Love you
Hermana Katie Barber
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