For the Family is of God!

June 29, 2015

Hola familia!  I am dumbfounded at how fast this week has gone.  I just can’t believe it. 16 months in the mission...sniffle sniffle!  But let’s not think about that or I will cry. ;)

To begin this week, I’ll take you on a walk with me and Hermana Rebolledo, you know, just a normal day walking in el CAMPO [the countryside]...when we see an extremely skinny man with an immensely TALL and skinny bamboo stick.  HAHA that’s normal here. ;)  Our curiosity prompted us to ask what he was doing... “Well I am cutting down GUAVAS of course!!”  They looked like oversized pea shells to me, but they are called GUAVA.  

Ecuadorian Guava

(Here in Ecuador, what we call guava in the U.S. is called guayaba.  Ecuadorian Guava is this pea pod looking thing with a cotton-like fruit covering a black seed on the inside.)   

So at the end of the ginormous stick the extremely skinny man was carrying, is a little blade...and AHH I wish you could see the video right now because it is a little hard to explain...but basically you need to balance the long stick, which is awfully hard, and in a spearing motion cut down the guava.  

Hermana Rebolledo trying her hand at the guava harvest

My companion and I tried AND couldn’t do it.  So the extremely skinny man proceeded to cut down as many as he could find and told us to take them home with us.  :D   I just love Buena Fe! 

The Guava Tree

Before I forget, Happy Independence Day to everyone back home.  The 4th of July in America, will be EXPLODING with fireworks...but here in the mish it will be EXPLODING with THE SPIRIT ;)  Why?  Because Manuel Santana is SOO pero [but] SOO excited for his baptism this weekend.  Who am I kidding?  We are ALL so excited for his baptism. 

Manuel is the sweetest old man there is.  The other day he was beyond excited to see us, because we hadn’t been there for 2 days.  Well, in his excitement he forgot all about the rules that he can’t hug the Hermana missionaries, and he just THREW his arms up in the air, exclaiming “Hermanaitas!” [an endearing term meaning “little Hermanas”]...and then it turned into the awkward situation where you can’t accept the hug from the cute old man.  But I was tempted because it was adorable. 

The other day Manuel said, “I am ready to be baptized into the true church, and to be baptized for my dear son.”  I’m not sure if I told you all, but his son died 5 months ago.  Manuel gets his drive from his desires to be reunited with his family one day.  His greatest desire is to be baptized, and then to have the chance to enter into the temple and be baptized as a proxy for his son.  Manuel feels that his son has accepted the gospel in the spirit world and is also ready to enter into this covenant as well.  Let’s just say that this will be the BEST 4th of July yet!!! :D 

Familia Bone are PERFECT...PERO [BUT] they just won’t come to church. :(  Why?  There is a different reason every time…this week it was because some friends of their family came to visit from Quito and they hadn’t seen them in years, which is awesome we know, BUT we just want them to go to church! ;)   SO the game plan this week is to bombard them with visits from all of the ward leaders - the Primary President, Relief Society President, Elders Quorum President, Young Mens President, Young Womens President...everyone!  We are hoping with enough invitations to attend church that the WHOLE family will finally come.  Cross your fingers and your arms in fervent prayer that it works!  But happy are we because they are planning to be baptized the 1st of August.

Fernando committed to pay tithing once he is a member and to fast with us this week to truly know that this is the true church.  But of course Satan messed with his plans to go to church yesterday.  His girlfriend’s birthday was on Saturday and she decided to have a sleepover....GRRREAT. :\  But the good news is he came to a family home evening that we had on Sunday night, and we talked about how we have AGENCY to choose to follow our Heavenly Father or Satan, and how we can’t serve more than one master.  We are planning for him to be baptized July 11th. 

The best news of the week - WE FOUND ANOTHER FAMILY!  Familia Solorzano are amazing.  Just over a year ago they were meeting with the missionaries and were planning to be baptized BUT there were too many problems with the papers for getting married and so their baptism never happened. :(  (However, their 2 sons and a sobrino [cousin] were baptized.)  Marriage problems?  Good thing I happen to know someone who has gone through it all to help people get married here on the mission. haha ;) 

Gabriel, the dad, actually started paying tithing while he was listening to the missionaries and received MANY blessing by doing so. The mom’s name is Glaydis. They have two 5 year old twins, Isabel and Nicole, who are the most ADORABLE and SASSY little girls ever.  They also have two sons, Jesus and Antony who were baptized last year along with their cousin Mauricio, but the three of them stopped attending church. 

In our first visit with Familia Solorzano, Gabriel expressed to us his concerns as a father and provider, especially for the lack of money in their family. Gabriel sells snow cones (of course the Ecuador version...let’s just say they are a tad bit different) outside of the elementary schools and at the bus stops ALL day long, and EVERY single day of the week.  He started to list off all the things that he had to pay for, and a bunch of things he should be able to provide as a father, but he just can’t make enough money.  We listened and then promised him as representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ that if he would keep the Sabbath day holy and NOT work on Sunday that the Lord would guide his portable snow shack to people who would be customers and he would have enough money to pay for his needs.  

“Mas busqad primeramente el reino de dios y TODAS LAS COSAS SERAN AÑADIDAS!”  [“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”]  As Elder Russell M. Nelson would say, the Sabbath day became a DELIGHT for the Solorzano family as they all attended church on Sunday.  I will send the list of blessings they received next week! 

I just LOVE to see families come to church…and when they get married…and of course when they are BAPTIZED.  As the primary song says -

Our Father has a family.  It’s me!  It’s you, all others too: we are His children.

He sent each one of us to earth, through birth, to live and learn here in families.

God gave us families to help us become what He wants us to be.

This is how He shares His love, for the family is of God!

Hope you all have a REJOICING EVERMORE week! 

Hermana Bartholomew 

The Kingdom of God or Nothing

June 22, 2015

FAM BAM!!! This week we had SO much to do, without enough time to do it!  BUT WE MADE IT! :D  

Bartolomeo y Rebolledo

Due to the explosion of the work here in Buena Fe, President Riggins has assigned an additional pair of missionaries to our area and as of just 10 minutes ago, 2 new hermanas arrived to help us out.  YAY!  The two new hermanas have been assigned to the Buena Fe ward, so sadly we won’t be teaching the investigatores in that area, but now we can focus ALL our energy and time with those in Buenaventura – which was my original area when I came here.

So it’s been a while since I shared any food stories.  The other day we were served soup for lunch.  I absolutely LOVE finding surprises in my soup! ;)  

Yup it is normal that your food has hairs on it!

We still don’t know exactly what it was that we ate.  HAHA

Another fun surprise is a certain cross street in Buena Fe where everyday at the strike of 5:30ish this intersection becomes THE DANGER ZONE.  Why you might ask?  Because all the birds you can imagine come from near and far to claim their spots on the power lines…and I think during the day they have never gone to the bathroom.  All you can hear is SPLAT, SPLAT, SPLAT and then the road ends up decorated with white spots EVERYWHERE.  It’s really quite lovely.  I took a video that I can’t wait to show you when I get home!  

Do you see how many birds there are?!?!

Now for a quick update on our investigatores...

Jose Quinteros just got home today from working in the mountains and his back is doing better...SO we are hoping that he can take a little time off of work and that we can actually teach him.  We are also hoping that he can come to church on Sunday.

Fernando is doing SO great.  He has a baptism date for the 11 of July.  Also, Fernando’s nephew Antony is listening to the lessons as well.  Yesterday, they both came rolling into the church parking lot on their bike!

Sadly, Familia Bone were unable to come to church on Sunday. :(  Well, the parents were not able to come, but the 4 little ones did.  Also the kids came to a ward Primary Activity on Saturday where we reenacted the story of NOAH’S ARK!  All of the kids either came dressed as animals or painted their faces.  Familia Bones kids came dressed as MINNIE and MICKEY MOUSE.  The Bible does say that Noah saved ALL the animals, so I am sure that he saved Minnie and Mickey as well, so they could exist today, right?! ;) HAHA  My companion and I were the wicked people that ended up dying; we got some good laughs from the kids!

Manuel Santana, is the most prepared person I have ever taught here on my mission.  He is so attentive in the lessons and always has a great story to tell.  He always says as he throws his arms up in the air..."I know where I want to go...and I am going to get there!"  He, like all of us, wants to be received into the kingdom of God one day.  Dad shared with me something President Brigham Young once said about how he wanted the kingdom of God or nothing…

“The Kingdom of God is all that is of real worth. All else is not worth possessing, either here or hereafter. Without it, all else would be like a dry tree prepared for the burning—it is all consumed and the ashes are driven to the four winds.

To me it is the Kingdom of God or nothing upon the earth. Without it I would not give a farthing for the wealth, glory, prestige and power of all the world combined; for like the dew upon the grass, it passeth away and is forgotten, and like the flower of the grass it withereth, and is not. Death levels the most powerful monarch with the poorest starving beggar; and both must stand before the judgment seat of Christ to answer for the deeds done in the body. 

With us, it is the Kingdom of God, or nothing; and we will maintain it, or die in trying—though we shall not die in trying. It is comforting to many to be assured that we shall not die in trying; but we shall live in trying. We will maintain the Kingdom of God, living; and if we do not maintain it, we shall be found dying not only a temporal, but also an eternal death. Then take a course to live.

If you give anything for the building up of the Kingdom of God, give the best you have. What is the best thing you have to devote to the Kingdom of God? It is the talents God has given you. How many? Every one of them. What beautiful talents! What a beautiful gift! … Let us devote every qualification we are in possession of to the building up of God’s Kingdom, and you will accomplish the whole of it.” –Brigham Young

Like Manuel and Brigham Young, I too want the kingdom of God and to have eternal life with God, Christ and my family.  I absolutely LOVE helping building the kingdom of God here on earth today.  To put it simply, I Feel ALIVE! 

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful and HAPPY week! 

Con amor,

Hermana Bartholomew

Pictures from last week:

Hilda and Andres Signing the deal 6-12-15
Aren't they so cute?  They were matching from head to toe!

Hna Rebolledo, Hna B, Hilda, Andres and son before their baptism on 6-13-15

Hilda and Andres with Wilmer - the Ward Mission Leader

Family and Friends of Hilda and Andres

Family Home Evening with recent converts and their crazy children ;)

Still Rejoicing Evermore!

June 15, 2015

Hola Familia,

PO!  I just love, love, love, my compi and I together!  Everyone says that we are TRUE sisters, which is a compliment for me because she is perfect!  As you all know, I love CHILENAS.  The stress is there from working as lideresas and covering 2 wards, BUT we LOVE all the work.  It makes us feel ALIVE! ;) 

An update on some of our investigators…

Out of ALL the couples that we have helped marry...NOT ONE of them were as happy as HILDA y ANDRES!  They were smiling...and when I say smiling I mean SMILING! :D Teeth and all...but not in the pictures, not sure why? HAHA!  Hilda kept saying "Hermanas, I just feel SO good, there is something in my heart telling me that I KNOW I am doing the right thing!" We are SO happy for them and even happier that a year from now they will be able to seal their love in the temple for an eternal friendship! 

Jose Quinteros was working in the mountains all week, and is now having spinal problems, so we haven’t seen him ALL week...SATAN.  It never ceases to amaze me at HOW much Satan works on those who are about to get baptized.  BUT, with faith and love and a little pixie dust (that could be referred to as the Spirit) Satan will never win!

Talking about Satan messing around with our investigatores...Fernando´s girlfriend told him that he shouldn’t get baptized so quickly and that we just want him to get baptized for his money.  LIE.  We are hoping to talk with him this week and explain about tithing and help him remember WHY he should be baptized.  

The story about Virginia is SUPER long, but here is the short version.  About 2 months ago, Hna Blacutt and I witnessed a motorcycle accident where a man was thrown off his motorcycle and into a wall.  I won’t go into much detail, but let me say it broke my heart...and even more when I saw his dear wife CRYING uncontrollably asking for help.  I remember her desperate cries and her eyes fixed on the heavens begging that her dear husband would be ok. 

Now fast forward to a few weeks ago on Mother’s Day.  As we were out walking, talking to any MOM that we could find on the street and giving them all a big hug to let her know she is loved (since we couldn’t hug our own moms, we hugged everyone else’s), we formally met Virginia.  She invited us to come back the next day, which we so cheerfully did.  That day she began to explain how her husband had passed away just a few weeks before, only 2 blocks from their house in a motorcycle accident.  My companion and I just looked at each other and I felt a strong impression "you were there..."  DING!  It finally clicked in my head who she was...she was the dear wife of the wounded man on the street calling for help.  We testified to her of the Plan of Salvation and that families can be together after this life.  She begged US to help her and while looking at the heavens once more, asked God to make it possible to see her husband again.  SHE is un AMOR [a sweetheart]!  Virginia didn’t attend Church yesterday because her mom was sick and she needed to take care of her, but we hope she comes next week! 

OK now for THE greatest story ever.  GOLDEN INVESTIGATOR alert!  His name is Manuel.  His daughter, Dianna, is the young women’s president of one of the wards here in Buena Fe.  She was baptized when she was 15, she is an adorable orthodontist, AND 28, and single.  (I told her to come and live in Utah and she would get married just like THAT!)  Over the past 13 years since his daughter was baptized, Manuel had never attended church until yesterday!  So how did that happen?

Dianna and I are really close.  She is always telling me about her dad and I ALWAYS felt that one day we should meet him, but that would happen when the time was right.  A week ago on Sunday night Dianna called us with a reference for us to teach her sister-in-law.  We set up an appointment for this past Wednesday BUT when we showed up, we found out that her sister- in-law had gotten sick from a mosquito disease here called Chiconguya so we couldn’t go and visit her.  BUT guess who was there?  HER DAD! 

Manuel invited us into their home and was incredibly kind.  As we sat down, right off he just started to share all of his experiences of how he KNOWS that God is real and that He hears his prayers.  HE taught more in the lesson than we did.  ;)  He accepted our invitation to go to church on Sunday and he came…all handsome in a WHITE SHIRT.  And since Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for everything, in the Sunday School gospel principles class the teacher taught about the Plan of Salvation, which was inspired because Manuel’s son passed away about 4 months ago.  After the class was over Manuel said, “Hermanas I am never going to stop coming to church. NEVER!  For the first time, someone explained to me where my son is and I want for him to receive the missionaries in the spirit world and be baptized as well.”  AWWE! 

Oh wait it gets even better.  We stopped by his house after church on Sunday and as soon as we entered Manuel greeted us with the question, “Can you ladies help me be baptized?”  UMM YEAH!  He is beyond anxious for his baptism which is set for JULY 4^th.  Looks like I will be celebrating the 4^th this year with a big water splash and fireworks of the spirit!  ;) 

Finally, Familia Bone (the huge family of 15) are still great, but because we were in Guayaquil and the dad is constantly working we haven’t met with them much.  BUT 2 of the family came to church on Sunday!

OK!  I almost forgot.  Remember Mabel Bermeo (we started teaching her here in Buena Fe and then she moved to another town)?!?!  Well the elders told me that she is getting BAPTIZED next weekend!  WAHOO!  I am beyond happy for her and I hope I can attend her baptism if it isn’t too far for me to travel.

Also last night we had a Family Home Evening with ALL the young couples in the ward, and I made lasagna and garlic bread!  Thanks for teaching me mom. ;)  Everyone loved it! 

Let’s just say it was a REJOICING EVERMORE kind of week! 

Love you all,

Hermana Bartholomew   

Buena Fe is about to EXPLODE!

June 8, 2015

"¡YA PO!" como dicen en CHILE!!! [as they say in Chile] [“Ya Po” is a common phrase used in Chile.  It basically means, “OK then”]  Dad, it looks like we will definitely need to go and visit your mission and while we are there make a few stops…One in Los Angeles to see Hermana Toledo, another in Santiago to see Hermana Latorre and finally...to see MY NEW COMPI HERMANA REBOLLEDO in Concepcion!!!  Let’s just say I LOVE Chilenas.  They are crazy, fun, and PODEROSAS [powerful] - just the way I like um. ;)  My new compi also has THE CUTEST accent when she speaks English.  President wants me to help her practice.

Hermana Rebolledo

  

I saw Hna Rebolledo when she first started her mission ...yup I’m an oldie now :( and I felt that maybe one day we would become companions.  Beyond those feelings, now it looks like President Riggin’s prophecy that Buena Fe is about to explode is coming true...

So quick run-down on what is truly exploding...

1.  My companion was called as one of the new lidersas, so she and I are basically zone leaders of all the Hermanas in QUEVEDO.  FULL intercambios!  Wahoo!  I adore all the Hermanas here in Quevedo, some I even call mis ñañas from another mother but we have the SAME heavenly father ;) haha.  We are so excited to help each one of them here in the mission and to teach them to REJOICE EVERMORE! 

2. So as you all may know, there are 2 wards (congregations) here in Buena Fe.  One is called Buenaventure and the other is called Buena Fe.  Prior to last week we had both a set of Hermanas (me and Hna Blacutt], as well as a set of Elders working here in Buena Fe.  Well, just like what happened in my last area of Primavera, Duran, the Elders who had been working here were transferred to other areas and were not replaced, so Hermana Rebolledo and I are now in charge of 2 wards! 

Hearing that, you may have just thought to yourself...“poor girls” or something along the lines of "that’s stressful" ahah. But the truth is that we are SO HAPPY and ready to roll up our sleeves and go to work!  Not that it is going to be easy.  Let’s be honest, yesterday the phrase “take a deep breath” was uttered a few times in my head.  But we have been trying to see everyone as the Savior would this week and we know that like President said, Buena Fe will EXPLODE with miracles. 

Have I told you all how much I LOVE teaching a lesson with the presence of the spirit SO strong that it has the effect of astonishing the people?  Yeah, well it is one of my favorite things on the mish!  I literally have SO many stories, and NO time to write them all!  We are off to Guayaquil again, yea!  Our lives are too busy but we love it!  I’ll share as much as I can before I have to leave.

So as we gained ALL the investigators that were working with the Elders here, believe it or not we are helping another family get married this week.  (I’m starting to think I should reconsider my career and become a wedding planner haha ;))  Andres and Hilda are their names and they are seriously the perfect couple and are beyond excited for their baptism this week.  We feel like we have known them months but it has only been a week!   We sold Queso de Leche [milk cheese] this week to have enough money for them to get married this coming Friday.  I will tell you more about them next week, along with sending all their beautiful pictures dressed in WHITE on their baptism day!  

Jose Quinteros is another investigator that we are teaching who LOVES the Book of Mormon.  He was attending church in Machala for about a year but never got baptized.  He knows SO much about the church and every time we teach him he just says..."Hermanas, I know what I need to do. Baptize me!" 

Jose told us yesterday of a dream that he had where there were two WHITE angels with long skirts and then said, “Guess who those angels are?  YOU TWO!  Look how white you two are with your long skirts." Haha.  When he woke up from his dream, he wanted to know who those angels were, so as he had been counseled by many missionaries before, he decided to say a prayer.  He said, “As I was praying, I heard a voice that said, they WILL come.  I thought someone was in the room, so I turned around in a circle a few times to make sure no one was there...and then I remembered, OH this is the spirit speaking to me.”  He then teared up and said, you two are here to fight for me, so that I can choose to follow Christ just as I did before I came to this earth.  Heavenly Father has big plans for Jose Quinteros and we are humbled to be HIS angels to bring about this important work. 

Another highlight of the week…we found a family of 15 people.  I am not kidding.  And 10 of them are old enough to be baptized.  Familia Bone se llaman [They are called the Bone Family]. My companion and I are so excited to continue to teach them and help this HUGE family enter the waters of baptism and one day become an eternal one!

Remind me next week to tell you about Neiva and Byron, and Virginia and Fernando! They are INCREDIBLE stories that 1 hour in the cyber café does not permit me to write! 

One thing about Ecuador that I LOVE, is that they are such a prayerful people.  So thanks dad for sending this quote to me...

“I know that you are a praying people.  That is a wonderful thing in this day and time when the practice of prayer has slipped from many lives.  To call upon the Lord for wisdom beyond our own, for strength to do what we ought to do, for comfort and consolation…and most importantly, for the expression of gratitude is a significant and wonderful thing.  Be prayerful.  You can’t do it alone.  You know that.  You can’t make it alone and do your best.  You need the help of the Lord.”  - Gordon B. Hinckley

With our new added responsibilities and bigger area now to cover, I KNOW that I cannot do it alone.  I need HIS help.  And I know and love that “the more we let God take over, the more truly ourselves we become, because he made us.”  I love being here in Ecuador, trusting in the Lord and becoming who he wants me to be! 

I love you all dearly!  REJOICE EVERMORE! 

Hermana Bartholomew 

More Pictures from Last Week - 

El Bombero filling the baptism font at the church for Genesis and Milton
#savingbaptisms

Baptism Day for Milton and Genesis Lino

Genesis, Milton and their son
Tell me that they are not the cutest little family

20 References from Familia Romero

Los Bomberos

June 1, 2015

¡Hola familia!

Did you guys know that firefighters not only save lives but they can save baptisms too?! Well they do!  However we will get to that momentarily! ;)

So today I am writing to you all from Guayaquil, as I bid farewell to my compi today (BLACUUTTT will be missed dearly), and am here until I get my new companion.  

Bus ride to Guayaquil with Hna. Blacutt

The assistants to the President gave me a hint that I might TRAIN again, but I am still unsure!  Maybe Hna Vilchez will have a sister haha! But who knows – stay tuned and you will find out next week. :) 

So….DA DA DA DAAAA!!!  Genesis and Milton were married last week and are SO beyond ready for their happily ever after.  Up until right before the wedding, everything went PERFECTLY.  As you all know, I have just a bit of experience planning weddings here in Ecuador and with almost every wedding we have had some sort of adversity or problem.  From lawyers yelling at me, to dropping ID cards down drains, to not having enough money and making 200 cupcakes for a bake sale…the list goes on and on!  But with Genesis and Milton everything was just too perfect!  We thought Satan was maybe taking a nap or something, because like I said, it was all perfect.  But don’t worry, Satan woke up from his nap 10 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to begin. 

Prior to a wedding ceremony here in Ecuador, documentation on the bride and groom must be input into a type of marriage registry system for the country.  Well, right before the wedding for Geneiss and Milton, as the lady at the civil registry was verifying the marriage license forms and trying to input their information into the system, well yeah you guessed it, THAT system wasn’t working.  The marriage was supposed to begin at 3 o’clock and it was now about 4:30 and we were STILL waiting (keep in mind that the rehistro civil [civil registry] closes at 5 pm).  Their extended family, who are not members of the church, were murmuring that maybe God was sending Genesis and Milton a sign telling them that they shouldn’t be married.  Milton simply said...“Nope, HE DOES!”  

Milton then whispered to my companion and I that we should offer a prayer, and he knew that it would work out. My companion then offered the most heartfelt prayer that I had ever heard from her and just pleaded with Heavenly Father that the workers would be inspired and be able to fix the problem with their system.  The spirit was SO strong in the little waiting room that even the murmuring, doubting family members started to believe as well that the prayer would work. 

Finally, at 4:50 a man called the lady that was at the desk, and well, I only heard half of the conversation, but I understood that he walked her through another way to get into the system.  Within just a few minutes everything was input and we were cleared for them to be married.  HALLELUJAH!  Genesis and Milton’s faces just beamed, especially Milton´s.  After they were married, Milton was so giddy when the officiator said, “you may now kiss the bride” that he didn’t even give Genesis a good kiss because he couldn’t stop smiling.  HAHA 

The Happy Couple - Genesis y Milton

Okay, so now onto the story with the firefighters!  On Saturday, my companion and I went to the church to clean the baptismal font and then fill it up.  BUT of course we found there was no water in the church!  So who do you call that has a big red truck with a LOT of water?!?!  LOS BOMBEROS (the firefighters).  The head captain, or whatever you call her, of the Buena Fe bomberos is a member of the church and once told us if we ever needed her help to just let them know.  SWEET!  After the firefighters arrived, and we started trying to fill the font, we discovered that the drain wasn’t plugged.  So then it took a while to figure out where the switch was for the plug so that it would finally fill up!  But thankfully we figured it out and were very grateful for not only the LIFESAVERS but also the BAPTISM-SAVERS! 

He is probably the coolest person I have met, he has a good serious face right?! 

The baptism service was a “rejoice evermore” occasion.  To see this family, dressed in white on Saturday, about to enter the waters of baptism, was the absolute greatest thing ever!!!  They both were BEAMING after their baptism and Genesis said, NOW I have been baptized by someone holding the authority from God to do so.  I love, love, love seeing families baptized together because I can always imagine in my mind one day seeing that same husband, wife and children entering into the holy temple to be sealed together for ALL eternity! 

Genesis and Milton - Baptism Day

On Sunday, after their confirmation as members of the ONLY true church on the earth today, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, they asked us a billion and two questions on everything from where they should pay their tithing, to what a talk was (Milton asked me when HE would be assigned to give a talk in sacrament meeting...haha usually people don’t like to give talks, but he is really excited), to when he would get the priesthood so that he can baptize their son when he turns 8. 

After the baptism we had a farewell for my sweet compi in Familia Romero’s house and they also invited other young couples and their kids along with Genesis and Milton and their son.  Now they are all basically best friends and we have a TOUR of Family Home Evenings planned for the next month, rotating from house to house each Monday where we will be eating, laughing, and feeling the spirit! 

I have so many other stories from this week that I am DYING to share will you all, but I don’t have time.  SO I will leave you in anticipation for next week! ;)  

I love being a missionary more than ANYTHING!  Hope you all have a wonderful week! 

I LOVE YOU

Hermana Bartholomew 

This is Paola.  She is the greatest because she gives us WAY too much food and WASHES all my clothes;) 

and we love her for many other things!