Now there are 2!

May 18, 2015

WHERE in the world will she go?! DA DA DA DAAAA! ARGENTINA!!!  I so so SO grateful for the opportunity that I had to see Megs open her call and I couldn’t helped but squeal for excitement when I heard where she will be going.  She will be called HERMANA “B”, Hermana “BARTOLOMÊ”, Hermana BARTOLOMEO”, or whatever you want to call us...and now there are 2! ;)  I am especially excited that after the mission we will be able to talk in Spanish and Mom won’t understand what we are saying! Woot! Woot! (Just joking mom we will translate it for you afterwards) AND she will change so many hearts with her powerful testimony. There aren’t enough adjectives to describe my excitement...BUT truly I am absolutely positively beyond happy for my "little" sis! 

Two Hermana B's

The work of the Lord is continually growing here in Buena Fe.  President Riggins said last week that Buena Fe is about to EXPLODE!  And I have come to know that he is full of inspiration, so we trust that we will see the progress with the 15 families who are investigating and the 21 families we are reactivating in the coming weeks and months! 

Genesis y Milton estàn SUPER animados [Genesis and Milton are SUPER excited] for their baptism, and start the wedding bells once more...they will be married on May 26th!  Like I have said before, Genesis LOVES to learn.  At times, her husband is not present during the lessons because he is at work, but without fail, once he walks in the door she tells him to sit down and gives him a brief summary of everything she has learned.  And she always ends with..."so if we apply this (the principle she just finished explaining), in 1 year we can become an eternal family."  They are the greatest! 

GOOD news!  Do you remember Mabel?  The Mabel that was going to be baptized, but then her ex wanted her back, and she moved back with him to another city?!  Yeah, her.  Well she called and told us that one day she was sitting on the porch patiently waiting for her husband to come home, when she saw 2 men in white shirts and ties walking by.  They stopped and asked her neighbor, "What can we do for you?" The neighbor declined to listen to them, but Mabel shouted out "HEY! I am almost a Mormon!" Haha.  She then explained that she was listening to the "greatest sister missionaries on the planet" (her words not mine) ;) and that she wants to get baptized.  I can only imagine how shocked the missionaries were.  Probably something like I was in Babahoyo when the young girl shouted to Hermana Toledo and I that she wanted to get baptized.  I am so grateful that we planted the seed for Mabel here in Buena Fe and that soon she will be baptized. The church is true my friends! 

Here on the mission I am coming to know who God truly is.  He is the ONLY TRUE GOD, like it says in John 17 verse 3.  I gained a greater knowledge of who He is this week while I was studying the parable of the prodigal son junto [together] with a talk Elder Jeffrey Holland gave called “The Other Prodigal Son”

Our quest in life is to kill the natural man that is within us...we have all sinned and at some point maybe we have felt like the prodigal son did as recorded in Luke chapter 15 verses 20 and 21,

“And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”

Have you ever said this or something similar before?  Perhaps when your heart was broken and your sprit contrite in prayer with our Heavenly Father?  Have you ever felt unworthy to be called HIS son or daughter?  LISTEN to what the father’s response was...

“But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the BEST ROBE, and put it on him; and put a RING on his hand, and SHOES on his feet:

And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry...

For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

Our Heavenly Father and HIS son saw you and will have compassion and RUN and embrace you.  In his talk, Elder Holland taught,

"Only the Father and His Only Begotten Son can do that. Salvation is in Them only. So we pray that They will help us, that They will “come out” to meet and embrace us and bring us into the feast They have prepared. They will do this!"

This morning I pondered about the items and accessories mentioned in the scripture...the BEST ROBE, a RING and SHOES. 

Our Heavenly Father, in those moments of "I am unworthy to be called thy son or daughter" will clothe us with the ROBES of HIS son.  The BEST ROBE he could ever offer us. 

Elder Holland said, "I know that if we will be faithful, there is a perfectly tailored robe of righteousness ready and waiting for everyone, robes … made … white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Then I thought of the RING.  In most cultures a ring is a symbol of love and commitment in marriage.  Many say that as missionaries we aren’t really single ladies because we are married to CHRIST.  The truth is, is that when we are baptized we are ALL married to, or better said, become part of the family of Christ.  After our baptism we express our love and commitment to Him by keeping the commandments and continuing the process of changing, repenting and constantly renewing of covenants with Him.   

The SHOES brings to my mind the thought that we may walk in the footsteps of HIS Son and follow His example continually.  And, I will add that they are the GREATEST brand of shoes ;) because they will ENDURE TO THE END.  

I know with ALL my heart that if we come unto our Father in HEAVEN and ask for forgiveness, like the prodigal son, HE will give us THE BEST ROBE, a RING of promise and SHOES.  I also know that HE will, like the scripture says in Spanish, throw a "fiesta" because HIS son or daughter has been found! 

I will forever be grateful for my Heavenly Father that He has given me these things and will continually bless me until the end!

I love you all SO much, have a HAPPY week! 

Hermana Bartholomew