Para Siempre Dios Esté Con Vos

And Before I Go: LONG LIVE THE BARCELONA SPAIN MISSION. THE BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD. EL FARO!!!

Lots of love, y un abrazo muy grande
Hermana Birch 🇪🇸Hola a todos!

This is my last time writing to you as a full-time missionary for The
Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints. As much sadness as that
brings me, I know that God will continue to guide me and direct me in
my life even though I won't be serving a full time mission. I want you
all to know that I know that the church is true. This is the true
gospel of Jesus Christ. We are on the right path. We are led and
guided by a prophet and apostles, bishops and stake presidents who
hold the priesthood authority. I know that as we heed to the teachings
of them we will be blessed and happy.

Spain has been good to me. I've talked and connected with lots of
different people from all over the world. I've ran through these
cobblestone streets to get to a visit, meeting, church or piso on
time. I've endured drunk Catalans, tiny elevators, cigarette smoke in
my face, and alcohol odors, Jehovah's Witnesses that want to prove us
wrong, crowded metros, gypsy children, sore feet, seafood, crazy
singing ladies....and learned that nothing can stop the work of the
Lord! But I've enjoyed the Spanish bakeries, the many different
cultures I've experienced, the amazing missionaries, Ward leaders and
companions I've worked with, the Spirit that's often accompanied me in
my moments of need, the many opportunities to learn about the gospel,
how to serve others and give your all to the Lord, the peace I've
received from prayers and prayerful study of the scriptures.

I love you all so much. It's been a great year and a half of writing
you all as well!

Pan!

Hola!!

So this week was pretty great! Except there's a flu going around and all four of the hermanas, we all got it! So it's been pretty low key, we've stayed in piso for like 3 days all covered up in blankets on the couches, sleeping, drinking Aquarius, the most delicious thing ever. It's like European Gatorade. I went to the first hour of church though and played piano :) but I was just so sick everyone was like "go home and get in bed!!"

Our investigator, Sebastian, from Bogota, Colombia came to church and he has told us that he thinks that the Book of Mormon is true! So now we just have to invite him to be baptized, which we haven't done yet because we want to invite his whole family at the same time we just haven't been able to have a visit with all of them in a while because they cancelled last week which was super sad because we had the Bishop all set up to come with us! Pero bueno. Esta semana lo haremos. 

Being sick and in bed for so long has really helped me appreciate my health. I have been thinking about how lucky and blessed I am to have a body that can do so amazing things. I am so grateful for this body. I know I'm going to be better soon and I just feel super grateful to say that!

A scripture I really liked this week: Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. John 15:16

When I first got out here I though I was on my mission because I wanted to be here, because, of course, I was the one who submitted all the papers. But then I realized The Lord has been there every step of the way. Who planted the desire in my heart to serve a mission? Who has been guiding and preparing me my whole life for my mission? I didn't choose this, the Lord has chosen and ordained me. 

Love,

Hermana Birch

P.S Next week is my last Preparation Day......!

Fotos:

We made homemade bread! (Pan)

And croissants with Maria!

Also my trainer came back to Spain to visit with her parents and stopped by our piso right as we were getting home at the end of the day, about to ride the elevator up to our room!

Falling asleep on the train

Us on preparation day last week at Tibidabo

Got to see my members from Granollers at stake conference yesterday!

Tibidabo!

Hola! This was a great week!

We are seeing lots of good things, I love my companion so much. We are
seeing so many miracles.

I went on an intercambio to Vic, a super Catalan pueblo. It was super
great except I took a train at 7:30 in the morning and was pretty
tired....so yeah I fell asleep and missed my stop back to my area! So
I wandered through Barcelona Sants and rode the metro back to my area
all by myself! Haha, it was an adventure. And my companion was waiting
for me still, an hour later...whoops.

We are still teaching our two great families! The Assistants made a 2
week reading schedule for the Book of Mormon, so we gave that to our
one family, and the other one we gave them a children's Book of Mormon
to read with their kids.

I love the mission, I love this gospel, and I'm so grateful for my
Savior, Jesus Christ. As I read from the book Jesus The Christ by
Elder Talmage every day I feel the Savior nearer and I make His life
more real in mine.

Love, Hermana Birch

Golden Family!

Me and my favorite Andaluza

Our district las week on Mont Juic. Apparently the Elders didn't get the memo that we were going on a HIKE. Awkward.Hello everyone!

It was transfers week, we are staying together!! We are so happy!

We are teaching some great people! We are so excited! One, is the
family we teach. We went and picked them up to go to church and we got
there and they were getting ready! So we waited and played with their
pet bunnies! Then we walked to church with the dad and two of the
young sons. During sacrament meeting I taught the 10 year old son the
story of the Book of Mormon with pictures, to keep him entertained :)

Also, a lady started taking to the elders in the grocery store, and
she wanted them to come over to her house like right then, so they
went and she was so excited to have them in her house, and she showed
them her Book Of Mormon. And she said she wanted the missionaries to
come over and teach her whole family when they get home from work and
school!!! Turns out, she lives in OUR area, so we went and visited
them last night and they are GOLDEN. They dad and the son and the mom
were there. They are from Bogota, Colombia and they have heard about
the church and been a few times but they still don't know that much.
As we talked to them, I just felt like I was at home. They already had
this light and spirit in this home. It was a really cool experience.
They are super open and receptive. The son is like 21, doesn't smoke,
drink, party. (So rare here, teenagers so many times get corrupted by
Spanish culture) He's studying to be an engineer. The dad is an
electrician. He asked us if we could share a favorite verse or chapter
from the Book Of Mormon with them and explain it. I was like floored.
I was like "right now?? You would like me to share a verse with you?
Like right now? Like you're ASKING me to do it?" It was so funny.

When we are in the service of others we are happy! I'm so grateful for
the chance to testify of my Savior everyday! It's the best!

Love, Hermana Birch 🇪🇸

Press Forward

Also we did a 3k with two of the wards

Hermana Birch 🇪🇸Hola!

This week was awesome! We finally got to have a lesson with a woman I
contacted one of my first weeks here. She is American and lived in
Florida for a long time but now has been in Spain for awhile. She's
funny. She came to church, but didn't really like it! It was long for
her, also she was hungry and she said it was boring. I felt really
bad. I hope we can get her to come again soon.

Also a Pakistani came up behind us in the street a few days ago
wanting to learn more about Jesus. So we had a visit with him in the
church on Friday and he wants to be baptized! We gave him a Book of
Mormon in Urdu. He took it home and his roommate saw it, then his mom
called him all in a rage that he can't change religions. So that's
really sad for us.

But we are working still with the family of John and Lucia! We brought
a member with us to the visit and when they said they couldn't come to
church because it would be too difficult with the baby, the member
came in and said that he would personally make sure that his wife
helped her with the baby, and promised them that there are many other
mothers of young kids that manage just fine. Then they said, well I
guess we'll come!! Which was a big step for them! It was awesome!

So, all in all, a great week! Sorry, no time!

Love, Hermana Birch

Spaceships

Our ghetto area. This isn't even the bad part.Hello!

This has been a crazy week, from bible bashing with Romanians to
Christian Pakistanis contacting us in the street, to a member asking
us if angels travel by spacecraft to crazy old Spanish ladies
singing...it's been a great week.

We are seeing so many miracles! Our investigator came to church on
Sunday! His name is Diego and he really has a strong desire to learn
about Christ and what we believe in our church. Also we are teaching a
family, the mom is Ecuadorian and the dad is Peruvian. They are super
cute! Also we are working with a Chilean lady and her Spanish husband.
She's a member, but he's not. It was a miracle because he usually
hides when we come over, but he stayed and knelt with us for the
kneeling prayer!

I really wanted these two Romanian boys to just accept the Book Of
Mormon, but it didn't matter what we said, they wouldn't read it,
because they were afraid that it contradicted the Bible. It was really
really hard to let them go, because I could just see how much the true
gospel would bless their lives. But, we did everything we could. I
remember that Christ was rejected, and people even that walked with
Him and saw Him perform the miracles, wouldn't accept Him as the Son
of God.

I know that God truly loves His children. As missionaries we get to
see that so clearly, I believe that so strongly. If we have the
Spirit, we can see people how God sees them and our love for them
grows and we don't judge them.

I love this crazy area and I love this church!

Love, Hermana Birch 🇪🇸

Me and Spanish "pan"

Bike contacting

The Sagrada Familia! My first time going inside! And we got in for free because we told them we are a religious group. So they gave us free tickets and let us skip the line!!!

Me and my companion :) she changed her name to LarSON.

Hello everyone!

I am just super exhausted today and honestly don't know what to write.
But it has been an incredible week. I feel the Spirit so strong
sometimes, it's like how I feel when I'm at the temple. I love it. I
look forward to church and sacrament meeting like I never have in my
life. I really have felt like I'm coming closer to my Savior and it's
hard to describe but it makes me so happy.

This week we were walking at night in the ghetto, and I saw a guy
about to ride past us on his bike and I stopped him and he screeched
to a halt! We shared with him our message about Jesus Christ and set
up a return visit. He was a great young guy from Guatemala. We even
said a prayer with him. It was so funny to stop someone on their bike.
I know that the Lord puts people in our path and we have to be bold
enough to open our mouths and find them!

Also we had a ward activity this week because everyone had the day
off. We went to a park and had a barbecue. I bought two huge jump
ropes and we did double Dutch with everyone, it was super fun! This is
a great ward.

Please continue to pray for the missionary efforts. There are so many
people that are being prepared to accept the gospel, but they struggle
with temptations and difficulties and we need to pray for
opportunities to help them come unto Christ. I know that the Lord
works through us if we make ourselves available to it :)

Also, other super funny thing about this week: apparently it's a thing
here to have pet birds. But not only do you have a pet bird, you put
it in a little portable lunch-box looking thing and carry it around
the city. And when you reach a nice park, you unzip the flap on the
lunchbox and let your bird get some sun. It's so funny. I'll have to
get a picture sometime. Yesterday we saw an old man with three!

Lots of love,
Hermana Birch

Bring it on!

Went to the Rambla today! Best piso mates ever:)) my companion is the one on the right

Some say, "I do not like to do it, for we never began to build a
temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring." I want to hear
them ring again. -Brigham Young

I LOVE this quote by Brigham Young. I think of missionary work.
Literally nothing about missionary work is easy and Satan is at every
side trying to thwart and destroy the family and religion. But I want
to be like Brigham Young and say BRING IT ON!

My testimony of the gospel grows everyday, and it has grown so much. I
just think of my belief in Jesus Christ before the mission, and then
now, and it's incredible. And I am so excited for General Conference!
What a treat to hear the words of the apostles and our prophet as they
speak to us about Christ. I love this church. I have faith that this
is the only true church and that it was restored by Joseph Smith. I
would say I know, but if I know, then I don't have to have faith. And
my faith is what keeps me anchored. There are so many things I don't
know, but I know that Christ is our Savior and that He lived and died
to fulfill the glorious Plan Of Happiness that has been prepared for
us so that we can be happy with our families forever.

This week in Badalona was pretty exciting.

Number of times we got yelled at by drunk men: 2
Number of time guys were being inappropriate on the metro: 1 (and that
was enough)
Number of times we got sung to by gypsy kids: 1
Number of times a drunk guy stalked us/made faces at us through the
window of a store: 1 (and it was one too many)

I tell you these things because I think it's funny, not because I want
you to think I am going to get mugged, we are actually very safe ;)

Lots of love, Hermana Birch

In the hood

Cool graffiti in the hood.
Dear family and friends,

What an incredible week I've had here, my first one in Badalona! We
got here and I just decided we were going to go-go-go and we saw so
many miracles! It was amazing! My testimony just keeps growing that
when we plan and we tell the Lord where we are going to be, He puts
people in our path! I got here and we had NO visits set up and nothing
to do. So we hit the passby lists and we just went. We planned
beforehand which neighborhoods we were going to go by and I also
really asked for the Spirit to guide us and He did! We found so many
new investigators and we also found/contacted two very inactive
members that we are going to start working with. It was so funny, we
passed by an old investigator from past hermanas, Luis, and he wasn't
home. We were able to get into the building and knock his door though.
So we were about to leave but I just had this feeling that we should
knock the building, even though I really didn't want to, and I figured
we could just go try and finish the rest of the passbys, so we kept
leaving down the stairs, but I had the feeling again (and I remembered
what the Area Seventy said about how inspiration is a thought
confirmed by a feeling) so we went back up and knocked the building!
And we found a new investigator AND as we were leaving Luis, the guy
we had been looking for, popped out of nowhere when I was asking for
directions to the metro. And neither of us had ever met him, and he
gave us the directions, then we left, then he called from behind us
and recognized us as the missionaries!

One thing that's been really hard for me this week was adjusting to a
new companion. It's been really hard doing street contacts and lessons
with her because she's still so uncomfortable in Spanish, and I tend
to just take over and do everything. But I know the only way she's
going to learn is if I let her struggle for the words in the moment
and be patient with her. I'm super excited for what the rest of this
transfer will bring, I'm already learning so much about myself and how
to be a better person. I'm so grateful for the mission!

Also, being in this Ward is such a blessing. The Bishop is awesome and
I just love the people here. Even though it is super ghetto. There's
just a bunch of poor, poor people here. Lots of Muslims, Pakistanis,
gypsies, Africans, everything.

Love, Hermana Birch

We spent our Preparation Day helping someone move!

Gypsies!

Yep that's right, I have been transferred! So sad and so hard to leave my favorite and the most beautiful area of the mission, and guess where I got called to go, Badalona! Which is the most ghetto area of the mission! It's famous for singing, cat-calling gypsies (that are notorious for being homeless, lazy, and drunk). So, that's comforting. Haha, I really am exciting to be here though. I'm finishing the training of my new companion! So she's only been out on the mission for 4 weeks, because this was a short transfer! But she's awesome, her Spanish is already so good, and she seems like an awesome missionary already, I think she came pretrained. ;)

It's so weird to be back in a big city, with a metro, 4 girls in our apartment, 2 wards that meet in our building! It's going to be awesome!

This last week in San Sebastián was so great! I was so nervous all week that I would be getting transferred! I have like a curse, I never have very long, like more than 2 transfers in an area anymore. Also I've had like 5 companions for just one transfer! It's so weird! I think it's because I just get bored, I need that change to switch things up. (Or maybe I'm just an awful companion and no one can handle me for more than 6 weeks...) But change makes me thrive! So I'm so grateful for the chance to grow and change this transfer!

Saying goodbye to everyone was so sad. I only cried a little bit though!

I love the mission so much! I got to talk to some missionaries who have been serving in my old areas today on the train, and I got to ask about my recent converts and my investigators and it's so hear that everyone is doing good! The gospel really has changed these people's lives!

This is Sonia, I taught her in Valencia, she got baptized a several weeks after I left, and apparently she's still going strong and coming to church every week! I love the gospel!

Love you all so much! The church is true, I've never been more sure of it in my life!
Hermana Birch
Hi everyone! This has been a crazy day! I woke up at 5am to take a 7
hour train from Bilbao to Barcelona! Insane!

Lighthouse!

Today we hiked up to this lighthouse!

As far as our area goes and the missionary work we are doing, things are going really well. We contact a lot on the streets and we are finding a ton of people that seem interested, but then later when we call the,m or passby, they are too busy. A few of them seem pretty golden, so we are working with them, it just seems like no one is progressing quickly. Which is kind of frustrating. We are inviting people to be baptized daily, which is something our zone has really been focusing on.

A miracle contact we had the other day was when I contacted a guy, and he immediately started talking to me in English! And he was like, I know you! And I couldn't remember him, but then as we talked to him I realized that me and Hermana Wiseman had talked to him around Christmas time. Hermana Wiseman saw them at the very end of the day as we were walking home and saw that they were taking a selfie and offered to take a picture of them. Something so simple, nothing came of it at that moment, but now we are going to start meeting with him! He's cool. He's from Ecuador!

I'm getting really nervous about transfers this week, I'm scared that I'm leaving! And I really don't want to leave! I love this area and we are seeing so many great things! Also I love working with Hermana Crofts! I don't want to leave!!

Me and Hermana Crofts

sights from the prettiest area of the mission! ;)

So it's been a great week. I'm so grateful for all the members that help us so much. This week we had a family home evening and a convert of like 2 years brought her friend. A member that is putting in his mission papers gave lesson on the atonement after we explained the Book of Mormon, and it was probably the most spiritual lesson Ive ever had in my mission. The investigator was crying. It was so beautiful. The friend of the investigator was testifying of the truth of he Book of Mormon and of Jesus Christ and it was so amazing. That's how missionary work works!

I love you all so much, I'm so excited to be a missionary forever!

Love, Hermana BirchHola a todos!

This week was a crazy week, they just keep flying by so fast! I
started the week off with some weird sickness where I was like feeling
really nauseous and faint and couldn't walk very fast without feeling
sick, so the elders gave me a blessing of health. It was a super
special blessing, my first one in a while, and I felt God's love for
me and that he really does know me. The blessing didn't even talk so
much about my sickness, but about my mission and who I am. It was
really cool, and since the blessing I've been feeling great and back
up to normal!

How Many Awkward Moments Can We Fit Into One Week

Dear family and friends,

How are you all? I hope you're having an awesome week. It's really
cold here. There is snow on the mountains and it's really rainy.
Luckily I bought a pair of rubber rain boots and a member gave us warm
scarves, so we're good to go.

So because it's been raining a lot, it means that we are talking to
lots of people in the rain. But if we can find an open building, we
knock it. So we had just finished knocking a building, and we actually
found some really awesome people there, and we were by the elevator
and a black guy walked in the building, so naturally I started talking
to him. He was super nice and cool, from Ghana, and we said a prayer
right there with him and he said we could visit him another day. So
later in the week, we passed by. His Spanish wife answered the door,
and when we said that we were missionaries she didn't look too
impressed, but she went and got her husband and he let us in! Which
was a big deal, this was the first house I've been let into in 2
weeks! So we were pretty excited! He speaks English. We were on the
sofa with him, and the wife was at the table on her computer. I wanted
to speak in Spanish so that just in case she was listening would
understand and feel the Spirit. Sabes? But the guy would keep
switching to English so it was super weird. Also we are supposed to be
inviting people to be baptized in the first lesson, but his wife was
like there listening, and I don't know how much English she knows, but
I didn't want to like scare her off by asking him to be baptized, so
instead we went from talking about the video we watched, to
introducing him to the Book of Mormon, to talking about the plan of
salvation. Then he said he didn't want or need 2 bibles. Then we told
him he could learn even more about God and receive even more
blessings. And then he was like, I don't even need more blessings.
I've got my house, my wife, my job. I send things to kids from my
country that don't have anything, I'm good. And in my mind I was like,
all we have to give this guy is blessings, what can we do for this
guy?" Anyway there's not like a miraculous end to this story, like he
wants to be baptized or anything but it just goes to show that some
people need more help than you think.

Love you all, Hermana Birch

Opa!

Big holiday, Día de San Sebastián! Doesn't he look like Barney Fife? ;)

Chistorra!! Fancy sausage and cheese in a flour tortilla, they only sell these on holidays!

Los tamboros, drums, in front of the cathedral!

Love, Hermana Birch



Hola! Opa!

Our family from Honduras finally read in the Book Of Mormon on their
own! Their countenances were literally shining! It was so awesome! We
had come in to darles caña (give them the business) and get them
reading, turns they had each read, and they read a lot! And then the
dad came to church on Sunday, for the first time ever, and with his
baby daughter! The mom works on Sunday's, so couldn't make it. But it
was so awesome!

Also, we had a great Family Home Evening with Jacques, and I know he
must have felt the Spirit, because he said that he would commit to
live the Word of Wisdom. We talked about how he needed to give up
coffee and he said he would and he'd drink hot chocolate instead! We
were so happy! But then he kind of fell off the face of the planet for
a few days. So we were suspicious, and he didn't come to church. Well
we met with him last night, and turns out he had drank some coffee,
and for the parties that we were having in the city, he drank some
beer. And he said he won't give them up, he says he doesn't see the
harm. We were really sad. We tried to find out what the real heart of
the problem was, and we realized he hasn't had a change of heart yet.
As great as he is, as knowledgable as he is about God, he is too
prideful to give up these worldly things and follow the word of
wisdom. He kept talking about why coffee and wine are actually good
for you, and we were like, you know what it doesn't matter, all that
matters is that God has told us not to, so what are you going to do?
So he told us he doesn't want a baptismal goal right now, but that he
will keep praying and try to receive an answer. It will be hard to
receive an answer if he's not humble enough to follow what he already
knew to be true.

I love the mission, I learn so much everyday about my weaknesses,
about my Savior and about my purpose.

Miracles

Took our favorite people for their first milkshake ever!

Sorry no time to write! We had interviews in Bilbao today! but I love you all and I love the mission!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Love, Hermana Birch

Intercambio with my friend from the Mtc!

That's my home

The gospel is such a blessing, we can see miracles everyday. When I first told Kenneth that something was a miracle, he was like, I wouldn't really consider that a miracle. But this week, when he helped us, he was the one that was like, "that was a miracle! And it will be a full miracle when they get baptized!" Yeah Kenneth!

On our way home last night we passed a Catholic mass that was going on so we sneaked a peek. It was very cool. Singing, reciting, the priest doing the Sacrament. It was focused on Christ's death and sacrifice, and it was nice and everything, but I have to say, the restored gospel is so much better :)

Love, Hermana Birch



Hola a todos!

This week has been amazing and full of miracles!

Our big miracle is that we found Jacques! We contacted him in the
street and we met with him the same day at the library a little later!
And he wants to be baptized! He's the sweetest guy. He spends all his
time in the library reading, he's super smart, super humble guy. He's
from Cameroon and so is our bishop! He came to church on Sunday and
he's already telling people about his baptism on the 23rd! He's so
great and really prepared! What a blessing to teach someone with real
desires to learn and change. As we taught him about the celestial
kingdom he said "that's where I want to be. That's my home." :)

Also, funny things happen sometimes on the mission. Like when three
different investigators suddenly each have family members that won't
let them listen to us, all in one week! But it's okay. They each have
a Book Of Mormon and it's just not their time yet!

On Sunday night we had a cool miracle! We didn't have any planned
visits so we were just passing by a few people, with our favorite
member who always helps and comes with us, Kenneth from Nigeria. It
was cold, dark and rainy so we've got our umbrellas. Well we contacted
a lady from Cape Verde named Tina! She was so adorable! She told us
that we are beautiful and that we have a light, and that she's looking
for light! Best thing is, we already had her number in our phone
because the hermanas were teaching her a year ago! She gave us cute
African bracelets and said she'd come to church on Sunday and does she
have to bring chocolate, and we aren't ones to turn down chocolate, so
we said no you don't have to but we like chocolate! Haha she was
adorable

Also, sad news, a cute young family that we have been teaching, we
found out that they're not married, and that the man actually has a
wife that he still hasn't divorced from yet in Honduras. So that
complicates things a bit, but no pasa nada, we will keep helping them
develop a testimony of the Book Of Mormon then they will have more
desire to get married!

This week was 3 Kings Day and it was super fun! We saw a parade and
each wiseman had his own float. They were throwing candy to the crowd
and there were mules and children carrying torches and bands. Also for
3 Kings Day they eat Roscón de Reyes and it's really yummy!

¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Today for Preparation Day we ordered a pizza and took a nice long nap. It was really nice. Now we're in this adorable cafe.

For New Years Day we got invited to the Honduran party :) it was so much fun dad! The lady who hosted it, Alquilina, is from Honduras and served her mission in your mission in San Pedro Sula in 1994! We made tortillas de maiz.

Our Mission President's wife shared this with us, I love it.

Have a wonderful week!
2 Nephi 26:28 Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden.

Love, Hermana Birch

Hello everyone :)

What another fantastic week. I feel so blessed to be here and to
experiencing all the things that I am. Thank you for your sacrifice
and love so that I can be here.

On Sunday night we had a nice miracle. After knocking a whole 6 floor
building full of Spaniards with no success, we decided to head back to
our main area via bus. I was feeling like we really needed to see a
miracle before we left. Waiting at the bus stop we started talking to
this Guatemalan girl and as we talked to her the other two guys at the
bus stop started joining in, turns out they're all cousins. They were
awesome. One of the guys lives right around the corner from a LDS
chapel in Guatemala. The other guy just got here to Spain 3 days ago,
he's 19 and here to earn money to support his family because he has 3
younger siblings and his mom doesn't work and his dad is really old
and can't work a lot. He said he'll come to English class on Saturday!

Today me and Hermana Wiseman decided to read in our mission journals.
Looking back to my training one of my entries said "This is really
tough. We never have time to just sit down and rest and think about
ourselves." And I realized today that that's still true, but I've
gotten used to it and my heart has changed. I think to what I would be
if I hadn't come to the mission. I think I would have gone my whole
life active in the church, but without a deeper understanding of it
all. Or at least it would have taken me a lot longer to get to the
point where I am now.

I started crying today, reading my old entries. I am so grateful for
all the people I've met and all the spiritual experiences I've had.

Today as we were shopping, we ran into one of our investigators in the
rainy street. He couldn't pay his rent this month, so he's kind of in
a rough spot, living with a friend, trying to find more work. He has a
one-time job tomorrow helping with a special fancy event as a host,
but he has to wear a suit and he doesn't have one. So I was like, our
bishop is your same size and I'm sure he has one you can wear! He was
so grateful! So we are going to try to get one to him tonight!