I don't even know where to begin! This week has been incredible...and I mean INCREÍBLE! I am going to squeeze it all in real fast though so sorry about the scatterbrain that's about to happen. First of all it sounds like you all are doing great!! That's awesome that Tay and Court both had good semesters! So jealous about the cruise! Look at the fun life you have Kel and Mark living it up while you can haha. That's so cool though. I'm glad you liked it. If it's anything like Spain (Puerto Rico) then of course it was beautiful! Spain has so much history and so many cool places to see. Some of the streets are just the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life. I'm glad people liked the good cop/bad cop thing. It's worked this week though...More to come about that later. Mom I'm glad you liked the song (Bless My Son). I want that CD! It's so good. A lot of the missionaries have it. I really do love hearing what is going on at home. Hermana Porter and I swap stories every week after email. So keep the good stories coming so I have good things to share! Cause my family is the BEST!
So to start out this week we had zone enfoque (conference). It was awesome. Hermana Porter and I were asked to share how to have companion unity. We also won the game "who knows their comp". We sang a song as well. It was a really good enfoque. At the end, I got a package from someone in Valencia. It was an African dress that Princess from my ward made me!! It's so cool. I will have pictures to come next week. I told Princess that I wanted an African dress so she made me one and surprised me! so cute! haha.
That night we had a practice for the stake choir for stake conference last weekend. When we went in, it was all sunny and beautiful. When we came out it was POURING RAIN!! To top it off, we had no umbrellas and we were late so we had to run! By the time I got home, I was soaked from head to toe. It was fun after the fact.
The real reason this week has been so amazing is that the Lord has really blessed Hermana Porter and I. We have seen so many miracles in this area. Every day we are blessed with a miracle whether it is meeting someone new, or just making the train on time. This week we even had a train stop for us after it had started leaving! I think that´s a first in the history of Spain! I tried really hard this week to not focus on the work, but really focus on the people. I decided that I needed more faith too. This week I really tried to remember every day that this is the Lord's work and we are nothing without Him. We talk, but He does the work. It brought about great miracles.
As a mission we have this thing called pautas (or standards). They are different goals that we try to reach as companionship every week. I have never reached more than two of the five pautas. This week Hermana Porter and I reached 4 of the 5! The only one we didn't get was a baptism this week. It was truly amazing! I know that it had something to do with the faith that we showed. Also, we never stop working. If we don't have a cita or anything going on, we go knock doors or talk to people in the street. We are always talking about the gospel in one way or another.
One of the goals that we had was to help Eva, Michella (10yrs), and Anahi (8yrs) commit to a baptism date. They have been investigating for a few months now. We were both a little hesitant, but we went in with faith knowing that the Lord would provide a way if it was right for them. We set goals with them as a family having the grand meta (goal) as baptism on the 22 of February. They accepted and even made short term goals in order to reach that goal!! it was a miracle. The girls are the cutest! I am so excited to really work with them.
I am really amazed at how much this mission has changed me. I have so much more love and patience for everyone. I don't know how I ever even questioned coming on a mission. It's hard to be away from the people I care about, but it if it means helping others to be together forever, then I think I can spare a little bit of time.
So I can't leave without a funny story so here you go. I have now had 4 people in Martorell tell me I'm a little bit loca! (crazy) When I ask why they say that, they say it's because I have a personality and they aren't used to missionaries who have a strong personality. One woman in the ward told me it was about time that someone showed a "real" personality. haha I guess I am a little loca! But a little loca never hurt anyone!
Well that's about it right now. I love you all and I hope that you took the reading challenge I sent. I know it can really help your testimonies. Oh and dad I really liked your idea about the gospel conversations. We are going to try that in our ward this week.
We'll be safe keep praying and have faith that things are going to work out for the best. I love you all and I pray for every single one of you every day. Keep being un faro en el oscuro! (light in the darkness)
con amor
Hermana Barker
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