May 2, 2011.

April showers bring...May showers?

I don't really see many flowers yet. The trees don't even have leaves. It is still raining here but we did have a very sunny day this week. It was a good week, but still no new investigators. The whole zone is struggling to find new people to teach. We were able to give out one Book of Mormon to a man named Raj who is Hindu. He's interested to read but I don't know about teaching him. It was good to share that with him though. I sang in church yesterday before everyone shared their testimonies. I sang "It Was For Me" (from Sally DeFord) and it was so great. That song really brings the Spirit into the room and I got a lot of comments after.

Happy Birthday to me this week :) I'm sure it won't be very eventful here, but it will still be a great day to show my gratitude for life and my many blessings!

I was studying about Family History today because I was reading in Preach My Gospel about different finding ideas. Some people here in Burlington are familiar with the LDS Church because of our family history center and the emphasis we have on geneology. I want to use this to find more people to teach! We have a family history center in our church and I think it would be a great tool to ask those we meet if they would be interested in going. I got reading scriptures about this topic and I am so excited to be able to do this work when I get home. The research, the learning, and most of all the temple are so very important. True to the Faith says "As you receive priesthood ordinances in behalf of those who have died, you become as a savior on Mount Zion for them (see Obadiah 1:21)." Through temples, we really do become one with God in His "work and [His] glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). In D&C 128:18, we read "For we without them [those who are dead] cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect." Those who have passed on before us need our help. They cannot receive these blessings on their own. Go to the temple. Do your family history research. Pray to know how you can help Heavenly Father in His glorious work! I can hardly wait to spend more time doing this when I get home. After all, the work I am in right now is for the living!

Well, my mom will be out of town on Mother's day so I guess I will be able to call her the next week. I can still call my dad and Heather (my stepmom, not me haha) next week which I am looking forward to. I love Mother's day :) I love that every woman gets to celebrate. We all have or had mothers, grandmothers, friends, children, grandchildren, aunts, etc. whom we have had the opportunity to love. Show your gratitude for them. It is a beautiful time of year :) I am SO grateful for the women in my life! Have a wonderful week. Know that I love you all and would love to hear from any of you!

Love,

Sister Barton :)