May 26 A Birthday Reminder

Hello Family! Wanna hear about some miracles?? READY SET GO! 1. Here's the deal. Anyone that says they like tracting is really pulling your chain. I avoid tracting like the plague. Well we had a random name in our area book of a couple that used to meet with the missionaries. They had a street but no house number. Well, the first logical thing to do is ask the members on the street if they knew them. Our one member on that street said they didn't. Which means it was time to tract. We started/parked our car at a house that had like a bazillion dogs. Nobody came to the door other than the dogs so we quickly moved onto the next house. After knocking and knocking we couldn't find these people. We even went over to the members house and asked who everyone was on the street. No luck. We were walking back to our car when I noticed that the garage door of the first house was open. We decided to try again! As we walked up those dogs started yapping again. In two minutes a cute little old lady came out with a cute southern accent and everything! She looked at my name tag, signed, and said, "Well girls I was hoping you would finally show up!" WHAT?!?! She asked us to come inside then had lots of questions for us. Mae explained that she had gone to the church open house back in January and really wanted to attend a service. The only problem was her recently converted mormon friend told her that you have to be a member to go into the church. FALSE DOCTRINE! We invited her to church and asked her if we could start teaching her. She said wants to go to church one time and then we can start teaching her! MIRACLE! 2. We had so many good lessons with investigators this week! Sandy is back from vacation so we got to meet with her. As soon as we walked into her house she proudly told us all about how she was in 2 nephi and showed us all of her notes and questions! She came to church on Sunday for the first time and LOVED IT! She was only able to go to the last half of sunday school and then relief society but next week she plans of being at all three hours. As we were walking her to her car she told us that being in Relief Society gave her the best feeling she has felt in a long time! THIS WOMAN WAS GLOWING! I love the spirit! Watching Sandy progress this past month has been one of the greatest blessings. She told us that she hates going a day without reading the Book of Mormon. She bore her testimony about how it brings her peace. Testifying about the power of the Book of Mormon and the Holy Ghost was incredible! Sandy is too perfect! We got to go on exchanges this week! The really fun part was I got to go with Sister Harrington to Tucson. Remember her? The good old MTC companion? Yes, we spent the entire day reminiscing on the good old days! The MTC feels like it was yesterday but we are both completely different people. The first thing she asked me was if I remember her philosopy on eating a cookie "You can be sad or mad before eating a cookie. You can be sad or mad after eating a cookie. BUT there is no way you can be mad while you're eating a cookie." I was pretty proud that I remembered that! I passed the test! Teaching with Sister Harrington was kinda weird but it was fun to see how much we really have grown and changed. Mission Birthdays. Well, I'll be honest, I didn't tell anyone about my birthday. The plan was to make it just another amazing day of mission life....Sister Dominguez didn't like that idea. She told every member she could behind my back! As soon as I wasn't looking she told someone else! I went into my birthday thinking nobody knew...by the end of the night we had eaten 1 lemon cake, 3 cheese cakes, 2 chocolate cakes (one with vanilla frosting one with chocolate), 3 ice cream cones, 1 pineapple Popsicle (Sister Priest knows me too well), 1 fried/jellied thingy, 1 boston cream pie, and 10 big candy bars. Woof! All throughout the day members would call us asking to come over or randomly showed up in our apartment or brought cakes to lessons that we had with investigators. I felt so spoiled and kinda like a balloon at the same time! My birthday was wonderful and I'm so grateful for everyone that was so nice to us. The members hear spoil us so much! I feel blessed to be so close to so many people here! How could I ask for anything more?!?! To top the whole week off we had our new investigator Dave come to church! It was a week full of miracles and blessings. I know that the Lord is aware of us. I know that he loves us. I an coming to realize more and more that he has it figured out way before we do. He has a plan for us. He knows what we need and exactly how to bless us. I hope you are all able to see that! Thank you so much for your birthday wishes and mail! That music is much appreciated! We are in heaven! Have a good week! -Sister Barton