Happy 5 de Mayo

Hi!

So I asked a Mexican what he does in Mexico on 5 de mayo and he said
nada which means nothing. So idk happy 5 de mayo anyway

So this week was pretty good! Always ups and downs of course but
overall it was good. I love this area and these people so much and I'm
working the hardest and trying to work harder for them.

Transfers went well. I love Hermana Simmons and it was weird being
here without her! But I love Hermana Lewis too. She is a really really
great missionary and I have already learned a lot from her. She is
super diligent and just overall awesome. I discovered the gym in our
apartment complex this week so, she's helping me do good things haha.

Transfer meeting was really great, President Fenn talked more about
Joseph Smith and shared some things he was going to share at the
mission conference but didn't. He promised us that when we teach
that Joseph Smith was a prophet, we will have the spirit. There were a
couple times this week that I found that to be true. There is
incredible power in the message of the restoration.

One of these experiences was in our first lesson with 2 new
investigators. They started out at the door where the mom says "sorry
we already have our church" or something like that. We invited them to
just listen to us a little bit so they could see the difference of our
church and they were like fine fine and let us in. So we are going
through the first few points and a couple times before we get to
Joseph Smith she interrupts and says wow we believe in that too and
that too and this is basically the same as what we believe... And we
had to just be like hold on hold on wait for it wait for it. So we
shared the first vision and Joseph Smith's story, and things just got
quiet. She then realized oh. Wow. This is different. the spirit was
there, and they agreed to pray about Joseph Smith. It's crazy how I
feel when I share about Joseph Smith and the restoration, it's hard
for me to describe. But it's something I want to continue to do my
whole life because I know it brings the spirit.

Another time was in the street when a couple who were baptists
continued to interrupt us as we were leading into talking about Joseph
Smith (helping them understand the need for a restoration and giving
them background). But once we told about Joseph Smith it was just kind
of an oh...That is different.. Moment for them. They did not want to
hear more about him. I was happy to declare my testimony that he was a
Prophet of God.

My testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ was strengthened
greatly yesterday. So amalia and isabel were on date to be
baptized on the 24th of May- and to be baptized then, they had to go
to church yesterday and the next two Sundays. So we worked so hard all
week to keep in daily contact with them, to visit them, to call them
and remind them, and we prayed our hearts out for them. Especially
amalia. Because last Monday night she told us that she and her
"husband" got a marriage license! What a miracle- she is
willing to get married in order to get baptized. We were so excited
and still are! But as we waited outside the church yesterday in the
spot That she was expecting us, she didn't come. Maite didn't come,
Isabel didn't come, Joaquin didn't come either. Some members
went to pick up this other investigator family too and they weren't
there.

During the sacrament I was just thinking about them and about this
message and this Gospel. That's when I really really felt my testimony
grow. I felt even more about how deeply I know these things are true
and how deeply I want them to know it too. What on earth is better
than this? What message is there that is greater than this one? God
speaks through a living prophet. The authority of God is on the earth.
Why am I so lucky to be chosen to live it and know it and share it.
Why don't they see that? Why isn't it easier to help them understand.
And of course the quote from Jeffery r. holland came to my mind.

"I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is
not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of
Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How
could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy
for Him?"  (Missionary Work and the Atonement)

so, we carry on. It's not going to be easy and it's going to require
more and more sacrifice to have the spirit. Please pray for these
people. I believe in miracles. We will see them here this transfer!

I hope you all have a chance this week to really ponder about what you
know to be true. It'll be a revelatory experience.

Love you so much!

Hermana Barlow

Ps. Read 2 nephi 26. I love how the Book of Mormon shows Gods mercy!