September 13, 2010.

(Here are some miscellaneous photos scanned and sent by Julia.)

Looking forward to change!

What a great week I have ahead of me! Sister Lavatai and I got a transfer call last night and are so excited for the changes ahead. Sister Lavatai is being transferred to Niagra Falls! Wahoo! I am so excited for her. She will be working in a triple, with two other companions. She has never been to that area and I am happy for her. My predictions were correct (we always make predictions of where the sisters will go) and I am staying in North Bay! My new companion will be Sister Evanson. She is one of the two sisters I haven't met yet. I am looking forward to meeting her tomorrow SO much. I have seen pictures and she is so adorable. It will be great to write about her in my e-mail next week. Sister Lavatai and I will drive down to Brampton tomorrow morning, swap companions, and I will drive back up to the north. Eight hours of driving in a day = ...fun! I'm excited.

This week seemed pretty normal. I only have one experience to tell and it was very frustrating! Sister Lavatai and I were tracting on Wednesday morning and met a woman who was of a particular faith (you will probably be able to guess which one by my experience). The first thing she said to us is "Do you want to battle?" Um...no! We never want to battle. Contention is of the devil and the Spirit leaves the second it starts. Plus, we all know who would win, so it isn't really a battle ;) We told her no and she said "Okay, well I do have one question for you. Where was Jesus Born?" We explained that he was born in Bethlehem, which is what the Bible says. The Book of Mormon says he was born in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was just the name used for the more broad area. That is like how I say I am from Provo, but I am really from Springville. It doesn't mean I'm lying, it just means I am trying to help people know the area I am referring to. Anyway, this woman says that we have to follow the Bible exactly and was trying to prove the Book of Mormon wrong. We tried to leave as soon as we could without just walking away. I bore my testimony, told her to have a nice day, and we walked away. I wanted to scream. It was such a bad feeling. Situations like that do not shake my testimony, but rather they solidify it more. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of the TRUE Gospel and the prophet on the earth today to interpret scripture. I guess it wouldn't be a mission if I didn't get experiences like these :) Bless that lady's heart!

Friday was the annual Corn Roast at the Etches' (ward members) house. It was was really fun. Our investigator, Kelly, her three daughters, and her mother came! It was so good for them to meet so many people in the ward. There was lots of yummy food and a nice camp fire. North Bay is full of great people and I am so grateful to be here.

Sister Lavatai enjoys laughing in the office while I am in our bedroom with the vaccuum trying to kill spiders. It is one of my least favorite things. She doesn't help me, which I guess is a good thing, because I need to be independent. The spiders here are huge and they are everywhere!

We went to lunch with the Jenners (Kere and Fiona) on Saturday. It was really fun. They get me laughing so hard. I love them.

Well, that was a short, random e-mail, but that's about it for this week! If you want to send letters straight to North Bay, get the address from my mom and don't send any letters after October 11th. If you are worried about your letter getting here on-time, send it to the main mission address, which is on the blog and on my facebook page. You are all incredible. Heavenly Father's plan is perfect and as we stay on the path to eternal life, we receive blessings that we cannot imagine. I am so grateful that I know who I am. No matter what happens to me in my life, through the good times and the bad, Jesus Christ will bear me up because he is my Savior. He is the ONLY way. The Atonement is beautiful! Study it, show gratitude for it, ponder it. Thank you for your support and love. I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister Barton :)

September 7, 2010.

Happy Fall everyone!

Wow, this week was great. Sister Lavatai and I experienced so many miracles. Quick update on investigators: Nancy's boyfriend Marshall called last Monday and said they would be out of town for three weeks. Random. I'm not sure if it is true, so we will be calling Nancy this week to see what's up. We went to Kelly's on Tuesday. She is the one who thought she was a member because her mom told her that she was baptized. Well, we got the records back from the church and she was never baptized!!!!! So exciting! So Sister Lavatai and I can start teaching her as an investigator. She came to church on Sunday and brought her two young girls. She even bought an outfit for church since she didn't really own anything appropriate. I am so grateful for Kelly and her desire to learn more. It's going to be a couple of weeks until we can teach her because school is starting and being a single mom of four is a little hectic! Jenn is still doing amazing. She will be baptized on September 25th. She had been praying for weeks that her mother's heart would be softened and that she would come to Jenn's baptism (her mom originally told her she wouldn't go). Well, in our lesson over the phone with Jenn on Sunday (she moved to Ottawa for school, so each Sunday we teach her over the phone), she said that her mom called asking if she could go to the baptism!!!! The power of prayer and fasting is SO real. I have seen the miracles from them so much in my life. We are working hard to find new investigators. It is hard to go tracting for three hours and only talk to three people, but I know that as we are diligent and work our hardest, God will provide.

Wednesday was a great day. We had lots of adventures :) First of all, we met a guy named Mike and taught him the first lesson on the doorstep. Sister Lavatai was reciting the first vision in Joseph Smith's words and said "I saw a pillar of light, exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun..." and at that moment, the clouds parted and the sun beamed through. Mike said "oh, like that?" YES! Thank you Heavenly Father! Miracle! It was SO perfect. Sister Lavatai and I laughed all day about it later. Shortly after that we met a witch. Yes, that's right. A witch. She told us she practices witchcraft. She was very nice, but just a little...intense?! As she walked away, she gave a loud cackle and threw her head back. It was definitely an experience to remember hahaha. When we were walking home for dinner, we were about two blocks away from home when we felt a rain drop. Within five seconds, it was pouring down buckets. I openeed the umbrella and it broke right away. So we jogged home in what was practically a swimming pool. It was so funny. We took pictures afterward.

Funny story...I finally applied to get a health card here and got a letter back saying there was a gender discrepency. I figured there was a box checked wrong or something, so Sister Lavatai and I headed to the health center again to get it taken care of. After over five people had looked at it previously....my visa says that I am a male! I was dying laughing. So I had to mail my visa off to Alberta and am awaiting a new visa with the proper gender on it. At first, the Toronto airport said that I would have to go there in person to fix it, but we have worked it out so I could mail it. It was pretty funny.

Okay, now for P-day yesterday. I had a great day at the Jenner's house out in Bonfield. Much of their family was visiting for Labor day weekend. It was fun to laugh, talk, and relax with some of my favorite people. Sister Lavatai came home in the evening and started tracting. It is beginning to be difficult to work after about 8:15 pm because it is dark. When we knock on doors, the barking dogs wake up the sleeping children and that doesn't look very good! Plus, it's just kind of creepy to have two stranger girls show up on your doorstep in the dark. We had an appointment with a member at 8:00, but she cancelled. Anyway, it was about 8:10 pm and Sister Lavatai and I decided to see if we could contact on one of the main streets hoping to talk to college kids since school starts today. We went out to the street, looked back and forth, and then turned back around because nobody was there. As we walked back toward our car, we met three college guys named Tom, Carl, and Greg. As we approached them, in my mind I thought "Great, three guys that are going to laugh at us and make fun of us." I was wrong! We stood there and talked to them for a few minutes about God and the Book of Mormon. They had questions and seemed genuinely interested. We asked if there was another time we could teach them more and they said they had time right then and lived just a few houses down. So we walked to their house. I couldn't believe it! We sat down and basically taught them all about the restoration of the Gospel, the importance of prophets, the priesthood authority being restored, etc. They asked questions and we were able to answer them. As we were teaching, about four other guys showed up, but they were just in the kitchen (drinking beer-HA). We thought Tom was the one who was really interested, but by the end, it seemed that Carl was the one who really understood. We gave them both Book of Mormons. Sister Lavatai asked if we could pray. I didn't know what would happen or if they would say no, but this was the best part. The guys in the other room asked if we were praying and I said "Yeah, do you want to join?" So there Sister Lavatai and I were, KNEELING with seven college guys from the hockey team, praying. It was the coolest thing that's ever happened to me (maybe). We left their apartment and it was pouring rain. I didn't have an umbrella, but it was SO much fun to run in the rain. Heavenly Father blessed us to be able to share the Gospel and our testimonies. The timing was so perfect for everything and I am so grateful for this fun missionary experience.

Heavenly Father is mindful of us. He loves us individually. How eternally grateful I am to be part of his royal army, to fight for the truth. Righteousness will conquer. Be valiant. Be courageous. Do what is right! Stand for truth! I love you all! Have an amazing week and look for the Lord's tender mercies. He gives so freely to us; let us take time to give to Him. :)

Love,

Sister Barton

August 30, 2010.

Happy Fall (almost) Everyone!

The leaves have started to change a little bit here and I hope I am still in North Bay to see all of the beautiful colors. The hills are rolling with trees and I can only imagine how amazing it will be. There are only two weeks left of this transfer and it seems so strange that I will most likely get a new companion in a couple weeks. I will be sad to leave Sis. Lavatai, but I'm excited to learn from a new sister missionary. We all have so much to teach each other.

I had District Meeting on Tuesday and it was great. The AP's (Assistants to the President) showed up and it was fun to work with them. We talked about the importance of Sacrament Meeting and the invitation to church for our investigators. We ate at King's Buffet afterward and it was delicious chinese food. That night we met with Jenn and taught her everything she needed to know before leaving for school in Ottawa. She will be back in three weeks for her BAPTISM on September 25!!!! I am SO happy for her. She has an amazing testimony and the sweetest spirit. She is beautiful. I really hope I don't get transferred because I want to be at her baptism. We taught her about many of the commandments. I am so grateful for the commandments. Helaman 14:30-31 show us that obedience makes us free!!! Verse 31 says: "[Christ] hath given unto you that ye might know good from evil, and He hath given unto you that ye might choose life or death; and ye can do good, and be restored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you." YOU determine your destiny. If you want to have eternal joy and live with Heavenly Father again, then do what He asks and obey the commandments. They are a guide to get back to our eternal home.

At District Meeting, each companionship promised to reach the goal of teaching 20 lessons during the week. Our zone has really been struggling with this lately. By the time Friday arrived, Sis. Lavatai and I realized that we needed a miracle day in order to reach this goal. We prayed that we could teach six lessons that day, including members, our investigators, and people we met on the street. The Lord blessed us SO much and we were able to teach SEVEN lessons! It truly was a miracle. We taught four lessons to people we had never met before and were able to share our testimonies with them. I want you all to know that Father is mindful of us! He does answer our prayers, even if it is not in the way that we expect. I love prayers!

Sister Lavatai and I taught the combined Priesthood/Relief Society lesson in church yesterday. It was all about missionary work and how it is a commandment for everyone to do it. A general authority once said that "Members are full-time finders and missionaries are full-time teachers." We do not do missionary work to increase the numbers in the church. We do it because it is the only way for those individuals to receive salvation. We know the truth and it is our duty to share it! How grateful I am to be part of God's kingdom on the earth today. I KNOW it is true. I wouldn't be here for 18 LONG months if I didn't know that. If you do not know or feel you are lost, read the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart. It leads everyone to Christ as our Savior. It teaches about the Atonement, which is the only reason we are even here on this earth. Pray each day to know your purpose and to feel of God's love for you. I can promise you that as you do this, you will have the Spirit poured out upon you and will receive the blessings that God so desires to give you.

I love you all. Thank you for your influence on me. You are all amazing! Have a wonderful week!!!

Love,

Sister Barton :)

P.S. Next week is Labor Day on Monday, so I will most likely be e-mailing on Tuesday :)

August 23, 2010.

Dearest Friends and Family :)

Aloha! How is everyone? I hope you are all doing really well and enjoying life. It is so fun to hear from family and others what has been going on this summer. I never thought my love for each of you would increase so much as we have been apart. My week was much different than any other, mostly because Sister Lavatai and I have been sick for much of it. She got sick starting Thursday night and all day Friday, so I just read the Ensign, scriptures, rested, etc. Then Saturday I got super sick. I tried to tell myself I could keep tracting and push myself, but eventually, I told Sister Lavatai I needed to go home. That began over two hours of extreme stomach pain in bed. At one point I wanted to go to the hospital, but I just prayed and prayed. The Jenner family, who live below me, came up around 6:30 pm and Brother Jenner gave me a blessing. The power of prayer is real and the priesthood power truly is the power of God. I began to feel a little bit better after the blessing and lots of prayers. It was just a stomach bug of some kind. Sister Lavatai and I were both able to go to church yesterday, but the rest of the day we remained at home, resting (except for teaching Nancy). It's funny how I can still feel tired after a weekend full of sleeping! It will be nice to begin doing missionary work again!!!

We are still working with Jenn to set a solid baptismal date. It will be sometime next month, probably the 25th, but it is yet to be determined. Nancy's date will probably have to be pushed back to sometime in October because she hasn't been able to come to church yet. Sister Lavatai and I met a lady named Kelly on Wednesday. We went back to her house Thursday to teach her. We were about halfway through with teaching her about the Restoration of the Gospel when she said that her mom had her baptized into the "mormon church" when she was little. It was so random. She said that she has no recollection of her baptism and just found out about it two years ago (she is now a mom with four kids). She doesn't know anything about the Church and doesn't even really know the nature of God. Sister Lavatai and I are going to try and find her records and continue teaching her. It's a strange situation. She has a daughter that is 12 and really into religions. She is trying to find one likes. Lucky her...we know the one! Each day I am here, I am more and more grateful for the knowledge that in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have the truth! It is God's kingdom on the earth again and we have evidence through the Book of Mormon. Anyone who reads it and sincerely prays about it with real intent (meaning they intend to act on the answer they receive), will know that it is true. It is the ONLY way! The plan of salvation is perfect.

Well, sorry if my e-mails are scattered and random haha. That's just how it goes with a time limit. I hope you are all enjoying life and showing gratitude for the beautiful earth we live on! I love you all and am excited to hear from you and talk to you soon!!!

Love,

Sister Barton

August 16, 2010.

Weekend of Miracles!!!!

Hello friends and family! How are you all? I miss you very much and hope you are all doing well. Just like in my last e-mail where I said there were many miracles on Thursday, there were just as many the rest of the weekend. Friday afternoon, Sister Lavatai and I taught our investigator Nancy. We commited her to baptism on September 4th!!!!!! It was HUGE! She is so sincere in her prayers and has a deep desire to grow closer to God. We taught her on Saturday about the Law of Chastity (she lives with her boyfriend of 11 years) and she commited to live it. She was also very excited to come to church. Well, yesterday morning it was quite stressful because almost everyone in the ward was out of town, so it was hard to find someone to pick Nancy up. We finally found a ward member who could go get her, and the girl who opened the door said that Nancy wasn't feeling well. By the way she was described, the girl at the door WAS Nancy. When people say on a mission you have your highest high's and lowest low's, this is what they mean. It was heart breaking that Nancy didn't come to church and didn't answer our phone calls. Sister Lavatai and I are teaching her tonight, so we will see what happened. Maybe she just got scared, especially since someone she didn't know was picking her up.

Saturday night I met someone tracting and had an amazing experience. Sister Lavatai and I had gone to drop by some potential investigators' homes after dinner but nobody answered. We started tracting a street and met a man named Mike. He was in his driveway. At first it seemed quite contentious because he didn't understand why we need the Book of Mormon if we have the Bible. We began to teach about priesthood authority and the restoration of many plain and precious truths that were lost after Christ died. This was probably one of the most memorable experiences so far on my mission, because I could see the change in Mike as we talked. His whole countenance changed. I know that he started to feel the Spirit and know that what we were saying was true. He asked questions and we had answers. He started to have a smile on his face that wouldn't go away. We gave him a Book of Mormon, the Restoration pamphlet, said a prayer with him, and set up an appointment for this week. My chest burned for about an hour after our visit. To see and feel someone's heart soften right before me was a miracle. It was a feeling I will never forget.

Yesterday Sister Lavatai and I drove out to Jenn's family cottage to have dinner with her and her mom. That is something unique to Ontario, or maybe Canada, I'm not sure. People have cottages and just stop working for a portion of the summer to go on vacation. Jenn's cottage is on the shore of Trout Lake. It was amazing! They have a dock with boats and canoes. Her grandparents' house is just up the hill next to her cottage. We ate a yummy dinner and then Sister Lavatai and I were able to sing a couple of hymns to Jenn, her mom, and her grandparents. It was great to spend some time in nature and be around all of God's beautiful creations. When we were saying goodbye to Jenn's grandparents, we hugged her grandma. Her grandpa hugged Sister Lavatai, then turned to me and told me he was giving me a "Good ol' Presbyterian hug." We were laughing so hard. How could we say no? Before we would have had the chance to tell him we can only shake his hand, he had us in a hug. It was really funny!

It's only Monday and I already have a busy week ahead! Being a missionary is exhausting! I think I am still tired from traveling back from Leadership Conference and getting back late. Feeling the Spirit is just tiring sometimes haha. But it is worth it. I am so grateful that I know my Father in Heaven loves me. He loves ALL of you and wants you to communicate to Him. I pray that you will all have a great week and know how much I love you!!!

Love,
Sister Barton

August 13, 2010.

My dearest friends and family!!!!

What a wonderful week and a half it has been since I last wrote. My mission is changed. My life is changed! Okay, I will give a few updates or stories I have. One super funny thing happened on August 4th. Sister Lavatai and I were walking down the street, and a man stopped his van in the middle of the street, turned his emergency lights on, and got out of his van. I thought maybe he was coming to tell us we dropped something. He came storming over and said "What Gospel are you preaching?" and Sister Lavatai said "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" with a big smile on her face. Then he said "You're not handing out Book of Mormons are you?" and I smiled big and said, holding mine up "Yeah, we have one right here :)" Then he said "The Book of Mormon is garbage!" Sister Lavatai told him he didn't need to get out of his van to tell us that and he said that he did and that we should be reading the Bible. He stormed back off to his car and I said "We do read the Bible :)" It was SO funny! We have been laughing about it for days. It just shows you that this is the true church. If it wasn't, Satan wouldn't work so hard to destroy it (he's never going to win, so I don't even know why he tries!). But just the fact that a guy would stop in the middle of the road to tell us that was unbelievable.

There were two days this week when it started pouring rain in the middle of tracting. I had an umbrella both times, but it didn't really help. I felt like Heavenly Father answered my prayer to help me be positive because normally, if I got soaking wet and my shoes were wet, I would not be happy. But honestly, I was laughing and smiling and I thought it was really fun. I hope I can be like that all the time when I encounter difficult situations.

Pierrette was BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!! Wahoo!!!! It was so wonderful. She was baptized on Saturday and received the Holy Ghost on Sunday. Sister Lavatai and I spent Saturday morning cleaning the font. There were huge spiders all over it. I took a video of us killing them with a broom, and I was laughing my head off. Only on a mission...:) It was great. The baptismal service went really well and Pierrette's two non-member sons came! It was so good to have them there. The confirmation on Sunday was so touching. Pierrette and I were both crying. The Spirit was strong. She is so happy. I was reminded of the importance of the Holy Ghost and how much joy He brings. I could not live my life without Him, not even for a day.

Leadership Conference was AMAZING!!!! It was lifechanging! Sister Lavatai and I drove down to Brampton (about 4 hours away) on Sunday night and came home Wednesday night. We got to stay with the Brampton sisters, Sister Olsen (INCREDIBLE missionary!) and Sister Brandley (one of my MTC companions). It was so great to be with them. I have a testimony that President Brower is called of God. When he enters the room, I am flooded with the Spirit. He is pure and the most charitable man I know. I will never forget his kindness and example to me. He puts everyone else before himself and has so much respect for Sister Brower. This conference was the first leadership conference ever. It is a new revelation from the First Presidency to hold the conference and it truly was inspired. We were taught from on High for three days and each night we went out in Brampton to apply the things that we learned. My companion was Sister Olsen each night. Monday night there was a baptism! I was able to play "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing" on a VIOLIN! It was incredible to play the violin. It has been so long, and to have the opportunity to play it for a baptism is something I will never forget. Tuesday night was a miracle night. I tried to follow and learn from Sister Olsen and I learned so much! We taught three people on the street, gave them Book of Mormons, and commited two of them to baptism. The Spirit was our constant companion. One of the main points we learned from leadership conference is that our role is to Find, Teach, and Baptize!!!! Baptism by the proper priesthood authority is the gate into Heaven and back to live with our Heavenly Father forever. We MUST have the ordinance or we cannot have eternal joy. Aside from learning how to be a much better missionary, I had a lot of fun at the conference meeting missionaries. It was all of the District Leaders, Zone Leaders, Trainers, and 10 of the 12 sisters. I made a lot of friends and I learned something from each person. Leadership conference will be every two months and President is still debating on whether or not to invite the sisters to come every time. I definitely think we will be going to the next one.

Yesterday was my first day working back in North Bay after the conference and it was also a day full of miracles. We had an appointment with a member and she wasn't home, so we tracted a street by her house. On the last door we knocked on, we were able to teach a girl named Ally about the Restoration, give her a Book of Mormon, and invite her to church. She had so much faith and I am excited to teach her again. Sister Lavatai and I also experience miracles as we taught our investigator Jenn. Jenn had told us last week that she will be baptized before the end of the year. Sister Lavatai and I prayed about her being baptized on September 11th and told her we knew she would be ready. We will fast for her this Sunday. Sister Lavatai bore a powerful testimony that as Jenn puts her trust in the Lord, He will work everything out. Jenn wants the support of her mother the most, which is wonderful. We know that as she puts her trust in the Lord and takes this step of faith, she will receive countless blessings and the strength she needs. I am SO excited for her to pray about the date. More to come on that later! We are excited to teach Nancy again today and will be committing her to baptism. Heavenly Father is preparing His children to hear the Word and to come unto Him and I will be forever grateful that I can be a part of it. I know that as you give your burdens to the Lord, He will carry you. D&C 84:88 ...Angels will surround you to bear you up!!!! I know that is true. Heavenly Father loves each one of you and desires to bless you as you come unto Him. I love you all as well and am grateful for your prayers and your examples to me. Have an amazing week and look for missionary opportunities!!!

Love,

Sister Barton

August 3, 2010.

Happy August!!!!

How is everyone? I finished my first transfer in the mission field!!! Wahoo :) Sister Lavatai and I were ecstatic when we didn't get a transfer call! We will both be staying in North Bay for another transfer! Okay, here are a few highlights of my week :)

I spent last P-day sewing a prayer pillow. My knees got callouses on them from praying on our hardwood floors and everytime I prayed I was in pain. I decided to put my crafty talents to work and team up with Sister Jenner Jr. to sew a pillow that I could kneel on when I pray. Brother Jenner makes fun of me almost everyday for it, but I don't care. I love to pray and I love my pillow! The best part about it is that I can take the cover off of it and wash it! :)

I had "supper" at a member's house out in the middle of nowhere. Before we ate, Sister Lavatai and I got bowls and went out to the long driveway to pick wild raspberries. They were so tiny and delicious! It was super fun, except for the part where the electric fence shocked me and I almost threw my whole bowl of raspberries in the air! On the way home, we saw something in the middle of the road, so we slowed down. As we approached it, we thought "Oh, it's a Beaver." To our surprise, we looked closer to find it was a HUGE turtle walking across the dirt road! I swear it was an endangered dinosaur turtle or something. It had a huge long tail with spikes on it like a stegosaurus. It was amazing. We didn't have our cameras (we learned our lesson to always have our cameras) so we tried to take a picture with our phone. It was so great.

We got FOUR new investigators this week!!! We met Nancy and Marshall on the street and made an appointment. We taught them and they were very receptive. Marshall says he's a Jehovah's Witness, but I don't think he is. Maybe he grew up that way, but doesn't practice or something. I grew a love for Nancy the moment I met her. I'm excited to go back and teach them about the Plan of Salvation. Later in the week we contacted Marley and Charles. We taught them a couple days later and it was great. They are 17 and 18 years old and were excited to read the Book of Mormon. Pierrette gets baptized on SATURDAY!!!!! I am SO happy for her. Sister Lavatai and I taught her last night about the gift of the Holy Ghost, which she will receive on Sunday. She is an amazing woman and I can't wait to e-mail all about her baptism next week.

I had an experience that was much different than any I've had before. Sister L. and I were walking down the street and a man yelled "Sisters!" We turned around and he walked across the street to us. His name was Sam. We could tell right away that his main purpose was to argue with us. We started talking about certain doctrines and he told us he wouldn't listen if we used the Book of Mormon. His theories were confusing and he didn't understand the Bible, even though he thought he knew it. He didn't believe we were spirits before we came to this earth and he thought it was blasphemy that we can become like God. He called the fall of Adam and Eve a "fail." We tried to teach plainly and testified. At one point, I testified for over a minute straight. I could feel the Spirit speaking through me. I was given the words to say and they came out with much power. I testified that our Heavenly Father loves us and we can most certianly become as He is. That is the purpose of this life! The fall of Adam and Eve was necessary and without it, we would not be here and there would be no progression. This was an experience where Satan tried to shake my testimony, and instead, I found it only became stronger. When we are built upon the Rock, who is Christ, we have a sure foundation. We cannot and will not fall! I know that as we come to learn more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his marvelous Atonement, we will come to realize the elect, amazing children of God that we are! We are all divine. Turn to the Lord. Pray often and sincerely. I am so grateful for this life to prepare to meet my God again. I love Him :) I love YOU! Have a fantastic week and know that I am praying for you!

Oh, right....WAY EXCITING NEWS!!!!! I just got an e-mail from my mission president saying that Sister Lavatai and I have been invited to the Leadership Training Conference in Brampton NEXT WEEK!!!!! AHHH!!!! We are SO excited. That means we will drive down to Brampton (4 hours) and stay for three days having one-on-one training with the Mission President. We will work all over Brampton applying what we learn each day. I am SO excited.

Love,
Sister Barton :)

July 26, 2010.

Happy Summer Everyone!!!!

How are you all? I hope everything is wonderful in America. Boy have I got a good story to start out with :) It happened last Monday after I e-mailed, so it seems like it's old news, but it is still really funny. Okay, so two Fridays ago (July 16), Sister Lavatai, a girl from our ward, and I taught a guy named Eric the first lesson (I don't know if I mentioned him in last week's e-mail). We taught him the whole first lesson and then he asked "Wait, what religion are you?" He thought we were Roman Catholic, and when he found out we weren't, he said he wasn't interested. Well, the girl from out ward that came with us gave him her number and told him maybe they could hang out sometime. He just moved here, so he might be interested in some friends. Sister Lavatai and I gave him our number on a pamphlet we left and he kept asked questions like "Wait, who's number is this?" so we told him it was OUR number. When we got in the car, Sister Lavatai laughed really hard because she said Eric was crushing on me. I couldn't tell at all. Okay, so here's the story. Monday, I came out of the washroom (a.k.a. bathroom), and Sister Lavatai handed me the phone saying it was for me. First of all, nobody calls the missionaries and asks for a specific one. So I answered "Hello, this is Sister Barton," and the reply was "Hey, this is Eric!" AHHH! I was laughing so hard inside. I could see Sister Lavatai in the next room cracking up. He proceeded to ask me if I would be available that night to go get some coffee with him! Hahaha. He said "I just have the biggest crush on you!" Funniest thing ever. I had to explain yet again that as missionaries, we do not date or hang out for the time we are on our missions. I told him a mission is 18 months, and he asked me how much time I had left. "16 months!" I replied. It was hilarious. I tried to be nice about it and not make it seem like he just got shot down. Bless his heart :)

It was another week full of teaching and finding people to teach. Welcome to the life of a missionary! Sister Lavatai and I taught most of our lessons at the beginning of the week and were left with lots of finding time Saturday and Sunday. We are almost out of K's (kilometers) for the month, so on those two days we walked only. I've never walked so much in my life. I felt like a pioneer. My feet are bruised and each step feels like my bones are shattering. And to top it all off, I got the worst sunburn ever on my neck, so now wearing shirts is uncomfortable. I am definitely loading on the sunscreen from now on. I ate dinner at a ward member's house on Friday night and she joked around with us the night before telling us she was making "Goose breast." When we got to her house for dinner, we realized it was no joke. I ate Canadian goose for dinner! I had to have major mind control for that one! It actually wasn't bad. It tasted like steak. I guess the worst part was that she said it was from 2007.

Pierrette is still set to be baptized on August 7 and I can't wait. I love her and am so happy for her. Tracy probably won't be getting baptized until she moves to Calgary at the end of October. Sister Lavatai and I have done all we can to help her, but I don't feel like she is truly converted and isn't thirsting after the Gospel on her own. I am really excited to teach a few new people this week. I contacted a couple on the street last week and will be teaching the woman on Thursday. Her boyfriend said he was a Jehovah's Witness, but it seemed like he just grew up that way or something, because he didn't say much. The woman's name is Nancy, and she said she would like to learn! It was a miracle :)

Heavenly Father watches over all of His children. He loves each of us. Mosiah 7:33 says "But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in Him, and serve Him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, He will, according to His own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage." That's my favorite scripture of the week. As we turn to the Lord, we realize the true meaning of life and the reason we go through the trials we go through. We can either let our trials bring us down, or we can use them to perfect us! This life truly is the time to prepare to meet God. What a great opportunity! I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week! Pray, read your scriptures, serve others, and SMILE! :)

Love,

Sister Barton

July 19, 2010.

Hello All!

What a great week! The highlight of my week was Zone Conference on Tuesday. I met President and Sister Brower! They are amazing :) I felt the Spirit SO strongly from them and know they were called of God to be here at this time. President Brower introduced many new mission programs that have come from the First Presidency. We are one of the first missions to receive these instructions. The MTC won't know about them for months. One of the new items of business was that we now only have Zone Conference once every quarter, instead of each transfer (6 weeks). The new programs will allow the missionaries to work more closely with the mission president and be trained by him. It is so exciting to get new revelation from the prophet on how God wants His work to be done :) Sister Lavatai and I are the only sisters in our Zone. It was fun to see all of the other missionaries and meet many of them for the first time. It was a life-changing day. We talked about who we really are as servants of the Lord. It was incredible. Sister Lavatai and I prepared "Jesus the Very Thought of Thee" to sing as a musical number. Then President Brower asked us if we would sing it again for the closing hymn. The Spirit was so strong. I had interviews with President Brower and Sister Brower and truly felt their love for me. I think it was just what I needed. It's really hard to be away from parents' love and I felt as if they were my parents in a sense. This was the first week I was able to focus more on the work I am doing than on thinking about my family and the future. The drive home from Zone Conference was a great one. Sister Lavatai and I were so pumped that each time we made a stop (getting dinner, stopping in a city to teach a member), we shared the Gospel with everyone we saw. When we got back into North Bay, we immediately started tracting. I was changed as a missionary! I was excited and fearless. I was able to open my mouth and the Holy Ghost spoke through me. We met many people that night, one of whom we are teaching tomorrow night.

Wednesday was full of miracles as well. I was able to testify and teach many people. We tracted into a woman named Francis (in French pronounced Franswas) and I was able to share Joseph Smith's experience when he prayed to know which church to join. I started crying. I KNOW that this is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. When Christ was on the earth, he set up a perfect church because He was perfect. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is that same church, restored to the earth today. It's hard for me to fathom how so many people don't believe. The Gospel has been restored many times since the world was created. That's why we read about all of the prophets in the Bible (Moses, Noah, Enoch, etc.). This just happens to be the final time because it will never leave the earth again. We are preparing for Christ to come. He IS coming and it will be a glorious day for those who are prepared. The more I teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the more it makes sense. Everything about it makes sense. You can know of its truth as you pray. The Holy Ghost will fill your heart :)

Anyway, Wednesday night we taught a guy named Eric. We brought a member of our ward with us too and she was great. We practically finished the whole first lesson and the member was summarizing because Eric wasn't looking like he was understanding. Then he said "wait, what church are you from? ...You're not Roman Catholic? ....oh, then I'm not interested." HAHA. Wow, took him an hour to notice. Haha. He was really great though. The member we were with said when we got in the car "He will join the Church. I am never wrong when I say that. Just wait." It was great. I don't think he understands what we do as missionaries though because he asked for our home number and wanted to go dirt biking with us. Hahaha. Sorry, but no. It was a great experience all together. I learned a lot about how I need to improve my listening.

We have TWO baptismal dates!!!! Monday night was amazing. Sister Lavatai and I taught Pierrette and before we had even begun, she had a certain look on her face. Then she asked "Can I be baptized?" I started crying! It was so amazing. She is ready. She will be baptized August 7th and confirmed the next day. There is no greater joy as a missionary. Tracy was set to be baptized July 25th, but we will have to push it back a couple of weeks because of some health stuff. But I'm so excited for her as well.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful week! Know that I am thinking about you and praying for you. May the Spirit be with you! Look for opportunities to serve. Pray often. Be positive. Have faith :)

Visit: Mormon.org

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Love,

Sister Barton

July 12, 2010 :)

Happy Summer!!!!!

Wow, what a week! I will recap each day a little bit. Last Monday after e-mailing, Sister Lavatai and I went to Sister Jenner's house (we live above the Jenner Jr.'s and the Jenner "Sr.'s" live about 30 minutes away...they are all some of my favorite people ever!). Sister Jenner took us to her lake and we spent some time with her at her house. It was really fun to go on a short adventure instead of spending the whole day writing letters, although that can be fun too. I also got a steak dinner for the second night in a row! Lucky me :)

Tuesday was a great day overall. Sis. L. and I went to Mattawa (about 45 minutes from North Bay) with Sister Etches from our ward to visit some inactive members. The first woman we visited was Madeline. She had a french accent. Sister Etches was frids with her when she was active in the church but hadn't visited her for years. Madeline told us how she had a stroke about four years ago. She has been going to church with her parents since then because she can't drive or anything. She was such a sweet lady. She wasn't very old. Anyway, Sis. L. and I sang her "I Need Thee Every Hour." She was crying. She said "Oh thank you so much. You are my angels. You make my day. That is my favorite song." Earlier that day we had prayed for angels to assist us. To know that we were someone else's angels is a miracle. I know that the Lord knows Madeline's heart and she will be blessed. We made two other visits to women and sang then songs as well. Music is an instrument of the Spirit and I am go grateful for it. It softens hearts like nothing else can. After Mattawa, we visited a man from our ward who was in the hospital because he broke his femur. He was doing really well and it was a delight to talk to him. We also taught Tracy before going home for the night.

Wednesday I had my first district meeting. It was in Sudbury, which is about an hour and a half west of North Bay. It was fun to see other missionaries. There are just four elders and my companionship in the district, so it's pretty small. We all went out to eat after and it was fun. We got to go to Institute that night because we had an investigator come as well. On our way into our apartment, Sister Jenner spoke to us outside her window and said to come in. We made fry bread...not the best thing to eat right before bed haha. But it was fun to spend a few minutes there.

Thursday it rained really hard for about an hour, which made the rest of the day really nice. We taughed Tracy and tracted for much of the day. We had two people say that we could come back. The miracle of the day was meeting Scott. We were tracting and Scott pulled up in his car and started walking to his house. He said hello to us and we told him we are missionaries. He practically said "Oh, awesome, come teach me now!" So we sat outside and taught him about the Restoration of the Gospel! It was so amazing. Definitely a miracle. We hope to teach him again soon.

Friday we visited a few members about thirty minutes away. One couple fed us lunch and I could hardly move after. She kept trying to give us more. Note to self: eat slower. We are going there again next week, so I will have to prepare myself haha. We met a woman named Angela that night as we tracted and she was so friendly. She already attends a Catholic church and wasn't really interested, but she kept chatting with us for a few minutes. Sis. L. and I sang her a hymn and she started crying. Then she told us to visit again sometime. I've been praying that the Lord will soften her heart :)

Saturday was a wonderful day. It was the first time we accomplished all of our goals as far as numbers go and we got 2 NEW INVESTIGATORS!!! We were able to teach a young girl named Tessie who we met Thursday night. She is 15 years old and said that she has never really gone to church. She prays every night! She was going to come to church yesterday, but didn't make it. We have an appointment with her on Friday, so I'm excited for that. As we tracted that night, we got a phone call from a member asking if we could come teach her boyfriend the second lesson. Sis. L. and her last companion already taught him about the Restoration in May. His name is Matt. He is very logical, so we spent a lot of the time answering his questions. It is a joy to teach the Gospel. It is intimidating at times, but those are the moments where I just testify.

Church was great yesterday. Tracy came and so did Jenn, our almost-investigator haha. We teach her for the first time Wednesday, but she has already had most of the missionary lessons. I taught the Gospel Principles class about Gifts of the Spirit. I am enjoying teaching because I've never had a calling as a teacher before.

This week is very busy. I have zone confence tomorrow so I will meet President Brower and his wife for the first time!!! I'm looking forward to it and to being spiritually uplifted. If anybody needs to e-mail me for any reason, just contact my mom. I cannot e-mail friends back, but if you put your address in your e-mail, I can write you a letter. I'm interested to see how many people are doing (like Aubrey and Kevin and your new BABY!!!!!). Anway, this Gospel of Jesus Christ is true! It is everything. It is the only way back to God! Without it we would not be on this earth. I love my Father in Heaven, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost which guides me daily. I hope you have a wonderful week and remember that you are loved!!!

Love,
Sister Barton :)

Week 3 in North Bay.

Hello Hello!

Wow, it's already been a week since my last e-mail. It feels like it's gone by fast, but at the same time, I feel like I've been here for months! Lots happened this week and Sister Lavatai and I were super busy. The first half of the week was freezing and I wore pants under my skirt, my coat, a scarf, etc. Now...It is BOILING hot! It's really humid today. I'm already sunburned just from tracting yesterday. I have a very adventurous story about yesterday that will come later in my e-mail. I'll just give some updates of my week.

I keep forgetting to write about Sister Lavatai's food allergies. It really reminds me of Jon (my brother) because she is allergic to gluten. She made gluten free brownies yesterday and it made me smile. She is also allergic to dairy, sunflower seeds, pineapple, beef, and a few other things! Crazy, huh? I don't know what I would do. As a result, members have to be creative with what they feed us. Let's just say my third member appointment for dinner was not my favorite! It smelled pretty good and I sat down at the table to find that we were eating FISH! Gross. Haha. It actually wasn't too bad because it was in a rice casserole, so once I put ketchup on it, it just tasted like chicken. Only on a mission...:) That phrase is becoming more funny each day. We ate at a members home yesterday and she cooked Sis. L. fish and I got a huge steak! It was the best steak of my life.

Tuesday Sis. L. and I ended up going home an hour early because I was really sick with a stomach ache. I have felt sick a few times since being here. I just rested an extra hour and the next day I was good to go!

As for an update on our investigators: Pierrette is still doing well. She just has to tell her sons that she wants to be baptized and then we will set a date. I loved her the moment I met her. She reminds me so much of my mom. She is happy, has short hair, is very kind, and is always striving to learn about the Gospel. I'm so happy for her to be baptized and learn more about the amazing daughter of God that she is. Tracy is our other investigator and things are going well with her too. Sis. L. and I have taught her lessons 1, 2, 3, and the Word of Wisdom. We don't quite feel that she is ready to be committed to baptism yet, but we will just have to continue to listen to the Spirit. Yesterday was her first day at church! She really liked it. There's a boy in our ward who just put his mission papers in and he brought a girl "friend" to church as well. Her name is Jen. She has been investigating the church for a few months now and has definitely been prepared. She was taught by the missionaries right before she came home for the summer, but I guess they put a lot of pressure on her to be baptized. Sis. L. and I will start teaching her sometime this week. I'm so excited to get to know her and help her come closer to our Savior. When she knows the importance of baptism and how eternally happy it will make her, she won't want to wait to be baptized.

Now...my adventurous story from yesterday. Sister Lavatai and I were so excited that Tracy would be at church. We had arranged for her to drive her scooter to the bottom of the hill that the church is on (Airport Road). It was quite a ways away from her house. She has never really left her apartment except to go to her bank, so she was not very confident in finding directions. Sister L. and I left the church building at 9:00 am and walked down Airport Road. Tracy called us when we were about to the bottom of the hill and told us she was lost. It was already 9:30 and church started at 10:00! I soon saw Tracy driving her scooter about 10 mph (I still don't know how to convert miles/hour into kilometers or farenheit into celsius haha) down the middle of the highway road. Wow, what a sight hahaha. After about 15 minutes of directing on our cell phone and Tracy driving her scooter, she made it to us at about 9:45 am. Then we had to hike up the huge hill. Keep in mind that it is July and extremely hot outside. We were super pressed for time so we had to go as fast as we could. AND it was Fast Sunday, so we hadn't had any water or food. Anyway, we had to jog/walk quickly up the hill and were sweating so much. We were only five minutes late to Sacrament meeting! After church we had a whole other adventure. Sis. L. and I told Tracy how to make it home from the church. Then we went to a meeting. Right after the meeting, we got a phone call from Tracy. She was lost. We got in our car and drove down to where she was. We struggled to get her to figure out how to get to our car and cross the intersections. As she crossed the intersection, guess who pulled up? A policeman! He was really nice and he basically told her that she can't be driving her scooter on the road and she can't talk on her cell phone while she is "driving." He told her to go back across the intersection and take the bike trail that should take her back to her house. Sis. L. and I walked over to the bike trail with Tracy and told her to follow it home. We got back in our car and began driving home. We got yet another phone call from Tracy saying that the bike trail ended! Sis. L. and I went to her rescue again and walked with her until we knew she could find her way home. We were finally headed home, soaking wet from the heat of the sun. It was quite the morning and afternoon.

We didn't have much luck as we knocked a few doors yesterday either. To give you a taste of what it is like to be a missionary, imagine this scenario in your head: Sister Lavatai and I approach our next house and knock on the front door. A woman comes outside the side door and says "Make it quick." Sister Lavatai says with a smile on her face "We're missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of..." and is interrupted by the woman saying "Why are you here? You're not welcome here. We are all Christian already. Don't come back!" Wow! Some people say they are Christian and then act completely opposite. It's really sad. One of the greatest lessons to learn while tracting is just to smile constantly. We can't afford to get low in spirit just because of some person who obviously does not understand her purpose in life :)

It's incredible to think that Sister Lavatai and I have stewardship over all of North Bay. There are over 54,000 people here and we are the only missionaries. God has a lot of trust in us! It's wonderful though. I'm getting the hang of things slowly but surely. It does make me feel good that Sister Lavatai says she has never been so blessed with tender mercies and miracles as she has been in the past couple of weeks. I don't know what that means exactly, but I'll take it! Although many are not ready to hear the Gospel, it is still wonderful to partake of their goodness. Many are appreciative of our service. A catholic man even gave us two ice cold water bottles when it was so hot outside. It is amazing to view people as children of God because that's exactly what every person on this earth is. Heavenly Father loves us SO much! Never quit. Never give up. Never stop having faith. If you find yourself doubting, turn to the Lord. Read the scriptures, say your prayers, go to church. "By small and simple things are great things come to pass" is a true statement. Through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we have hope. It is a marvelous thing :) I pray that you will all have a wonderful week! I'm excited for District Meeting on Wednesday...it's the first time I get mail :) Yay! Thank you for your prayers. May the Spirit be with you this week!

Love you all!

Sister Barton <3

North Bay week 2 :)

Hello everyone!!!!

Today starts week 2 of my North Bay transfer. I am starting to get the hang of things and it's starting to get more exciting. Sister Lavatai and I have tracted (knocked doors) everyday. The days have been long. I finally understand what it is like to have the door slammed in your face ALL day! But it is surprising how kind some people are. Sister L said that she's never gotten so many compliments in a day before. So many people tell us that they really admire us for what we are doing and they wish us luck.

I don't remember what I said in my last e-mail, but I will just talk a little bit about the investigator situation currently. We have one progressing investigator who is ready to set a baptism date. Her name is Pierrette. She is a middle-aged woman and is so sweet. The only thing keeping her from setting a date is that she is trying to find the perfect time to tell her sons that she is getting baptized. I am excited to share the scriptures Alma 7:4-5 with her. In them, Alma talks about being baptized and how we have no need to fear. I have only met her twice and I already love her. It's amazing how quickly love and charity come when you pray for someone multiple times each day. Our other investigator is a woman named Tracy. We taught her for the first time yesterday. She was a member referral from a member in Calgary, Canada, who is her fiance. Sister L and I went to her apartment and we taught her all about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She invited us back and we are going back to teach her all about the Plan of Salvation tonight. She lives alone with her cat and is in a wheel chair. From what she said to us, it sounds like she has had a lot of health problems in her life. She lost her leg in April so now cannot walk, although she may have been in a wheelchair before that anyway. She is probably in her late 20s or so and met her fiance on the internet. They've been dating for about two years and hope to be married this summer or fall. The Spirit was strong as we taught her and I am so happy she felt it. It was my first time sitting down and teaching a whole lesson, so it was a great experience for me. As Sister L and I tracted last night we also had college boy named Jacob tell us we could come back today, so I'm looking forward to teaching him tonight too.

There are SO many churches here. The reason most people don't let us in is because they already go to another church (well the real reason is just that they aren't ready to hear about the Gospel of Jesus Christ yet. God is still gathering His children and they will all be ready at different times hehe). Church was great yesterday. The bishop was out of town but he had me prepare a talk on Patriotism. Funny that I spoke on that and I am from America, eh? It is Canada day on Thursday, so it will be a fun week. After Sacrament meeting, I taught Gospel Principles about baptism. Then Sister L. and I taught the three young women about personal revelation. They are darling and so strong in the Church. Technically North Bay has a "ward" and not a "branch" because there are a lot of members here. However, only about thirty or less people attend church, so it's more like a branch. We are working with a lot of less active members right now too. We have our first dinner appointments this week and I am so excited. The one we had on Saturday evening cancelled.

Sister Lavatai has been an amazing trainer and companion. I definitely have a lot of worries and I think about a lot of things that I should probably just relax about. She always listens and instead of trying to fix me or tell me to calm down, she gives me words of comfort. She helps me feel that everything is alright. I don't know what I would have done with any other trainer.

The accents here crack me up. There are lots of people that have such a heavy accent I keep thinking they are from Ireland or Scotland or something. The lady at the grocery store asked me if I wanted a "beg" today and it took me like a minute to figure out what she was saying. Oh...BAG!!! Got it. Note-to-self: a beg is a bag, aboot is about, and a washroom is a bathroom. The people here are so great. We are really great friends with the family that lives below us. They are the Jenner Jr.s and their parents are the Jenner Sr.s that live across town :) They like to play pranks on the missionaries. They give us good laughs. I think Sister L and I are going to watch a church movie today with Sister Jenner Jr and her kids.

By the way...I am only going to get mail about twice a transfer! All of the mail goes straight to the mission office and then I don't get it until Zone conference and interviews when the president brings it up. So sorry if you don't get a response as quickly as you would like. I will for sure do my best on P-days to answer everyone back :) It's quite different being here and never getting mail than it was in the MTC where everyone was so close so I heard from others a lot more often.

Hmm....I think that is it for this week. I am sure I will have a lot to write next week because it will be my first full week in North Bay and I will have met a lot more people. You are all incredible and I thank you for your examples to me. I would love to hear from anyone and everyone! Have a wonderful week and remember that you are children of our loving Heavenly Father. We can feel of His love for us every single day if we ask for it!

Love,

Sister Barton :)

First week in Canada.

HELLO from Canada!

Wow! So much has happened since I last e-mailed. I am now in my first area in the great land of Ontario. I will write about it in a minute. I ended my MTC stay on Wednesday and it was great. It was sad to leave, but I was happy to go on another journey. I auditioned to sing and was able to sing "O My Soul Hungered" at the departure devotional on Sunday night. It was a really special experience and I will never forget it. The last week and a half at the MTC, I had many wonderful experiences with music. My companions and I practiced a few songs and would walk all over the MTC singing to missionaries. Our golden song was "Amazing Grace." It was amazing how well we blended. We made many friends as we sang for them and felt the spirit very strongly. I love good, wholesome music!

Tuesday night, my companions and I were called to the travel office. We were told the news that apparently we were supposed to fly to Canada on Monday!!! The travel plans got mixed up and instead, our flights were for Wednesday. My mission president waited at the airport for about three hours and then called to find out that we weren't coming until Wednesday! All of our trainers were waiting for us at the mission home and everything! It was crazy. They tried to re-arrange the flights, but it would have cost far too much money. Because the President was sending 27 missionaries home Wednesday night, he could not pick us up. We got to have a very unique experience and stay in a hotel! There were 14 of us (3 Sisters and 11 Elders). We stayed the night in a hotel and then my mission president picked us up in the morning.

We traveled to the mission president's house from the hotel around 9:00 am. The home is absolutely BEAUTIFUL! It is so nice and it was so great to be there. I get a new mission president next week, so it was nice to meet the current one and learn a little bit about him. After each new missionary was interviewed with the mission president, he assigned us companions. My companion is Sister Lavatai. She is from Edmonton, Canada. She has been so incredible so far. We are serving in an area called North Bay right now. It spans about an hour and a half across. It is four hours north of Brampton, so we had a long drive ahead of us. It was so incredibly gorgeous on the drive! It is so green here. It was so nice to have a long conversation with Sis. Lavatai. We learned a lot about each other. She is a singer and writes her own music. She is very talented. I know that my mission president was inspired to put us together. I feel that we have a great work to do and hopefully we can do much of it with music. I am so excited to learn from Sister Lavatai. I am her first trainee, so this is new for both of us.

We are treating part of today like a preparation day because we won't get one until Monday. P-days are changed to Mondays now, so that's when I will be e-mailing. We knocked some doors today and have talked to people on the street a little bit. Knocking doors is hard. Nobody listened. We told them we are missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and once we said we have a message about Jesus Christ, they held their hands out and closed the door. I don't want to be discouraged, but I can see how doing this everyday could be hard. Those are just the people that aren't ready. The Lord has promised us that "the field is white already to harvest!" We are NOT here to plant seeds for future missionaries. We are here to baptize and bring the people who are ready to Christ. That is who we search out. No wonder we say so many prayers in a day haha. We have a dinner appointment tonight with a member family and then we have a less-active member lesson. I'm excited to get to work since we have spent today as a mini-preparation day.

Keep smiling, praying, reading, serving, and loving! That is my advice for now :) I will write again on Monday and hopefully have some fun stories! Have a wonderful weekend :)

Love,

Sister Barton