April 18, 2011.

Hello Hello!

How is everyone? First of all, Happy 75th Birthday Grandpa White! Yay! I hope you have a wonderful day! Is it sunny and warm in Utah yet? We had a rollercoaster yesterday of sunshine and intense blizzards haha. It was a typical spring here I guess. I remember it snowing last year at the end of April in Utah, so it's not too different. Last week Sister Cheng and I had 27 hours of tracting (knocking on doors)! And guess how many new investigators we found...zero! BUT...we shall continue the work and find them this week! I know there are people prepared to receive the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but we just need to be in tune with the Spirit to find them!

Sandy was confirmed yesterday! He was looking forward to it all week and kept referring to it as the "most important part of baptism." He's right! The Gift of the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift we can receive in this life and it is essential. The stake president's wife invited us over for dinner last night and it was so much fun. I love seeing different families and how much fun they have together. I love my family, every single person in it :)

The other day we had a dinner appointment and right when we walked in the house, I knew I was done for. I could smell the dinner....it was fish. I do not like sea food and especially don't like fish. I ate it anyway and honestly, it wasn't THAT bad. I still wouldn't cook it for myself or choose to eat it any other time, but at least I could get it down! Then came the dessert. Cherry pie, also one of my least favorite foods. Sister Cheng doesn't like it either and it was funny watching her try to get it down haha. But the crust was good. Look at the positive, right? ;)

I started a little gratitude journal where I write a few things that I am grateful for at the end of each day. They could be experiences of the day or just things that I had been thinking about. I want to show my gratitude more. I also started reading the New Testament while I eat breakfast this morning. I don't really have time to do an in-depth study of it on my mission, but I can at least go through it once and become more familiar with it. There is so much to learn from the Bible.

We have lots of people telling us to go home and spend all of our money, get married, have kids, have fun, etc. all because the earth is going to end in 2012. If any of you are wondering about this....stop wondering. It's not going to happen. Just because it was on a calendar that a man made doesn't mean that it is in God's plan for the earth hahaha. I asked a man if he really believed the world would end next year and he said yes. I asked him if he prayed about it and he didn't really have anything to say :) There is much to happen still before the second coming of the Messiah! May we ever pray to do all we can to be prepareed for that day!

Easter is coming this week, one of the most significant days of the year. We celebrate the resurrection and life of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He died for us and He lives for us. Would we die for Him and do we live for Him? Show gratitude for His infinite atoning sacrifice which makes it possible for us to return to live with our Father in Heaven again! Strive to be like Him this week! Have a marvelous week and "let the Holy Spirit guide!"

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Barton