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