Weekly Update: November 17-24, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been quite an interesting week. Like most weeks it had its ups and its downs, but it ended on a high note which is great. On Monday we spent most of the day doing service for non-members in Okotoks as a zone. We helped them move. It was a lot of fun and a great way to start the week. Wednesday during we lunch we had a surprise birthday party for one of my zone leaders and another elder in the zone, so we made a cool cake for that then played pin the tie on the missionary. Then we went down town street contacting. At one point Sister Howard and both talked to people at the same time who were walking past us and had two different converstations. My conversation didn't last very long, but hers did. I would have felt weird to just go join her conversation, so I left her to talk to the man on her on and continuted trying to talk to other people on the street within sight and sound of Sister Howard. Sister Howard ended up giving this man a BOM after finding out his whole life story. I was so proud of her, and she was so excited that she was able to that. It boosted her confidence and gave her the fire to talk to every one else we did that day. I love seeing her grow and take those steps. Its awesome!

Wednesday night was the beggining of the down side of my week. I felt sick when we got home and ended up going to bed. The next day I was sick the whole day and we couldn't do anything. Sister Howard kept getting hopeful that I would be better and we could go out and teach, but it didn't happen that day. I got a priesthood blessing from the zone leaders which was just what I needed. By the next day I was feeling almost completely better, I was just exhausted a lot still. By Saturday I was back to good health again.Friday night to Saturday afternoon we went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders. I went with Sister Harris (my trainer) to the ysa ward and Sister Hassan went with Sister Howard in our ward. On exchanges we were able to see lots of miracles and set up appointments with less-actives they have been trying to contact. During our companion study we were able to see how eachother has grown and changed. I'm so grateful I had to opportunity to go on exchanges with my trainer, it almost felt like we never stopped being each other's companion.

Saturday evening after exchanges we had two dinners. The second dinner was with Bro. Schindler. As we taught him about hope afterwards we were able to make a break thru and figure out what is holding him back. On Sunday we found out about a new potential investigator who is friends with a member and wants to be baptized. She is chinese so she might be taught by the Mandarin Elders, or us, whichever she prefers, but she will probably come to our ward. Also on Sunday Bernard was able to get confirmed and met with the bishop. From what Brother Mitchell our ward mission leader said, Bernard will be getting the priesthood this upcoming week. And that would be the end of a crazy week, but I have learned a lot. I love being a missionary and helping others use the atonement to change and come unto Christ. Every little step forward that those we teach make, brings happiness to me. I know this church is true and that the atonement is real. 

I just want to share a scripture that I have definitely learned to be true on my mission. It is Isaiah 55:8-9:

8 ¶For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith theLord.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God does know better than us. We must put him first in our lives then everything else will work out perfectly. God sees our true potential and if we allow him into our lives and follow his counsel we can reach that. I know I've been talking a lot putting God first and truly coming unto him, but that seems to be all that I learn about in my study, even when I don't plan to study that topic. It just happens that way. I hope you take time to ponder where God is on your priorities and make an effort to put him first. I know God loves us so much. We are his children and everything he does is out of pure love for each of us. I love this gospel. Have a great day!

Love Sister Barton

Weekly Update: November 10-17,2014

Dear Family and Friends,

 

It has been one crazy week! It's been a good crazy though. I have learned so much about conversion. It has come everyday this week in my personal study and we teach atleast one person a day about it. I guess God knows our area needs to become more converted so he helping me to learn that too so I can teach from personal experience. I want to invite you all to read the talk by Elder Dallin H. Oaks called "The Challenge to Become." It is an amazing talk that helped me understand more about conversion and the gospel. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/10/the-challenge-to-become?lang=eng

So Bernard got baptized on Saturday. I wasn't sure if that day would ever come; I thought he might turn into an eternal investigator. This past week everytime I thought Bernard and his baptism I always said to myself, "This is not my baptism, or convert. This is Jesus Christ's baptism. I did nothing, but be an instrument in his hands." I wouldn't take the credit for Bernard's decsion. When people would tell me congradulations I always wanted to say, and sometimes did say, "It wasn't me, It was the Savior Jesus Christ." Earlier in my mission when I helped another child of god make the decision to be baptized, I gave all the credit to myself. She was my convert. But now I understand that I'm just an instrument, and it is not my right to take the credit. I know without the Savior on my side, I would not be able to do the work I'm doing. It is his work and will be done in his own way. I have to be willing to follow his plan, and let go of myself. That is something I have been working on doing, I'm not perfect at it, but I'm getting better everyday. All my wants and wishes may or may not happen, it is whatever the Lord has in store for me. With his guidance I can reach my full potential. I will always rely on him and give him gratitude for all that I have. Without God, I'm nothing. Without the spirit I would just be someone from Utah living in Canada for 18 months trying to share what I believe. With the spirit and my willingness to follow the will of the Lord I am becoming an insturment he can use to harvest his field that is white.

Now we have no investigators and have been working really hard to try and find new ones. We have been trying to also work with more less-actives, but it is really hard to get in with many of them and others we are finding have moved. We did get to have some really good lessons this week.  Brother Schindler is a returning member, but after a bold lesson last night and as guided by the spirit we found out what his hold up is. We know he is struggling with smoking, but we found out he has no hope. He doens't have hope that he can quit. That's what we will focus our next lesson on so we can help him more.

Being a missionary is the best decision I have made thusfar in my life. It has changed my life for the better and taught me how to change so that I can be more align with God's will. I love seeing the atonement change other people's lives. I know this gosepl is true.

Love Sister Barton

Weekly Update: November 4-1-, 2014 Buses and Baptisms

Hello family and Friends,

I have been reading an amazing talk this week by Joseph Smith about the
nature of God. I have learned so much more about God. One thing I have
learned is the importance it is for everyone to come to know the true
nature of God. It is only by coming to know God, that we can come to know
ourselves. Because we are children of God.  As his children he wants us to
reach our fullest potential and make it back to live with him. The better
we know God, the better we will know ourselves. God is not selfish.
Everything he does if for us now and in the eternities. If we will have
faith in and folllow with exactness, his will for us, we came become like
him. I know God lives and that he will help us reach our full potential if
we will follow his will.

Can I just say it has been one crazy week!!!! WE have had our ups and our
lows, but many fun and memorable experiences for sure. Where to start, I
don't know, but I guess at the beginning of the week. So on Tuesday we had
district meetings. We used to have to drive 30 minutes out of the city to
ours, but then some missionaries got emergency trasnferred and our district
changed to included the spanish elders now. So we meet in the city at the
stake centre which we deffinately like. We had to spend some time getting
to know the new Elders in the district, but it will be a great one! After
district meeting we went on exchanges. I went with Sister Hassan to the YSA
ward. After eating lunch we tried to contact people until it was dinner
time. Then we had dinner with the zone leaders at a member of their
Bishopric's house. After trying to visit other people we made our way home.

Wednesday was one of the most interesting, but best days of the week. While
still on exchanges we taught a few lessons before heading to the train
station to go down town street contacting. On our way Sister Hassan was
talking and walking with someone and we passed a girl sitting down on the
ground. I felt impressed to talk to her so I said Hi, but kept walking
because I couldn't leave my companion. When she finished her conversation
she turned to me and said lets go back and talk to that girl, so we did.
She was waiting for her bus, and after a couple of minutes it arrived. We
didn't have any contact information so we decided to go for an adventure
and follow her onto the bus. The bus drive noticed we were unsure of where
we were going asked if we were going to the "Mormon Temple" quickly we said
and paid our fare and sat down by the girl to continue talking with her. By
the time the girl had to get off the bus, we had gotten all the information
we needed so missionaries in her area can contact her. We stayed on the bus
until the busdriver called out our stop for us, the "Mormon Temple." We
looked out the window and found that it was not the Calgary temple, but
just a church building. We got off the bus, not really knowing what part of
the city we were in and started walking and talking to people. All the
people we talked to were interested in learning more about the church. Then
the missionaries in that area drove by and we gave them the referrals we
had just gotten. Eventually we got on another bus and went to the train
station to go down town, even though we knew we didn't have alot of time
left. On the C-train I started talking to a man sitting by me. I learned he
was having a hard time, but needed someone to talk to. As we continued to
talk I gave him a BOM and got his contact information so missionaries can
contact him. The journey we had while on exchanges was not what we planned,
but because we followed the impressions of the spirit we were able to talk
to specific people God needed us to talk to. I love this gospel and I love
being a missionary, even if it means we get temporarily lost.

On Friday we got a call from Bernard. As I talked to him he told me he
wanted to be baptized this upcoming week. I was in shock! I thought he
would never call us. Just when we had decided to drop him, he makes the
decision we've been waiting for him to make. He told me we can schedule his
baptism for whatever day we would like and make the arrangements, he has no
prefences. So that's what we did! Bernard will be getting baptized on
Saturday November 15th! I'm so happy that he has finally made the decision
to follow Jesus Christ and didn't turn into an eternal investigator like we
thought he was going to. As for our other investigator Emily who was on
date for the same day, she has decided she is not interested in joining the
church and doesn't want to meet with us anymore. It's always heartbreaking
when that happens!

Winter has begun, the white stuff has come to stay and so has the cold
temperatures. In one week we went from 10 degrees celisius to -20 degrees
celsius with about 6 inches of snow. I'm ready, it definetly doesn't seem
as cold as it did last year, but maybe that's because I now know how to
dress for it. Sister Howard is struggling with cold being from Arizona and
all, but she will be fine.

I love you all and hope you are having a wonderful week!!! I hope to hear
from you all soon.

Love Sister Barton

Weekly Update: October 28- November 3, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a crazy week, like always I guess!! I had a lot of fun and
was spiritually uplifted in many ways. For P-day we went with some other
missionaries to the mountains to a place called Sheep River Falls in
Kanaskis. It was beautiful, but a bit cold, with snow on the ground in
places in the shade. We built a campfire and cooked food over it, then we
told stories. It was so simple yet so fun! I love being in the outdoors
even if I do have to bundle in sweats and a jacket and huddle around a
campfire.

We also had the opportunity to have a zone conference, which ended up being
just what I needed. I had been struggling and needed some revelation which
I was able to get on Thursday at Zone Conference. Halloween night we had to
be in at 6pm so we got some extra study time and personal revelation of
things we need to work on. It was great! On Saturday we had a tri-stake
relief society Fireside where Carol M. Stevens the first counselor in the
general relief society presidency. I want to share some things I learned
from all of these things.

*In the church we learn of the things we need to DO to become like God, but
more important than doing Godlike things, is to BECOME Godlike. Sister
Carol M. Stevens gave us for ways to do this. They are 1. Be focused 2. Be
Obedient 3. Be a seeker 4. Be a disciple. I know as we do each of these
things we can become more like God and our Savior Jesus Christ. This is the
will of God, this is why we are here, to become like him. I hope you will
ponder on this and commit to not only do, but BE!*

In the past two days on Sunday and this morning we decided to drop two of
our three investigators. That was really difficult, but nothing is going to
happen with them so we might as well not waste our time on them. We dropped
Bernard because once again we lost complete contact with him. He won't
answer any of our calls or return them. We are going to have our ward
mission leader Brother Mitchell call him every Sunday to see if he needs a
ride to church, but we are going to stop chasing him. This morning we gave
up some of our p-day time to teach Rocio. As we taught her I got the
impression that we need to drop her as an investigator. She is not
progressing and does not want to be. We will still continue to visit her
because she needs the gospel discussions we have to help her, but we will
not count them as investigator lessons and one day in the future we hope
she will soften her heart to change her religion. Emily our third
investigator went out of town this weekend so we haven't been able to teach
her, but we will teach her. Her baptismal date is going to be pushed back
because she needs more time to change. We have some solid potentials we are
working with to schedule a time to teach them though.
I know this church is true. I know Heavenly Father knows me and knows what
I need to hear, say, and do. I know through his spirit I can the Lord's
work in his own way and time. The atonement is everything. It is there for
me and will not only help me be forgiven of my mistakes, but strengthen me
when I think I can do know more. I know I need to rely on it even more than
I have been. I love this gospel. I love being a missionary! I love helping
people come unto Christ and change their lives.

I love you guys! Enjoy the pictures.

Love Sister Barton