Tidbits from online chatting with Brooke

I know this looks super lame, but it really isn't! This is a picture of "sapo the gato" We found him tracting. This guy was standing outside of his house and we started talking to him and 5 minutes later I walked away with this toilet paper holder shaped like a cat! (: haha

I didn't write you yesterday because we had a General Authority come to our mission so our Pday is today instead! (: The one that came was Elder Corbridge, he actually spoke in General Conference. You should read his talk. It was really great. But yeah, he came to our mission and it was such a good meeting. Sorry about my letter last week. I was so busy with transfers and all that I didn't get it in the mail until the next Saturday! hah Lo siento!(: 

Did that guy give you his toilet paper holder?

hahahahahahah No. He made a ton of them and just gave one to us because he was moving. hahahah 

No pictures of you this week?  

 I didn't take any. It was a busy week. Im really trying to get this area going hahah It's been slooooww here for a while but I am trying to get some work going. 
  

Only 10 1/2 more months! 

I'm proud of myself too because I haven't even gotten fat yet and that is a surprise because they feed us soooo much! haha

What do you do for exercise? During your exercise time?

Yeah I get up early so I have enough time to workout good. haha And I do like intervals with jogging, sprinting, and like resistance training such as pushups and planks and stuff. 

Does your companion do it too?

 She doesn't like getting up early but she goes out there with me and does some jogging and walking usually. 
  
Emily mentions she runs out of money for food. How are you doing?

 Sometimes I do but that's because I buy a lot of other stuff too. I don't just buy food usually. I'm doing pretty good right now I think. 

But anyways... I have to go now. My time is almost up. Love you Mom! (: 

Tenga una buena semana(:

1st transfer

This is my old bedroom! hah Mine is the bed with the black flowers(:

Is this dog not the cutest dog everrrr? I love him. His name is Winston(:

I know this looks weird of me but I just want everyone to know that sister missionaries in the South have thee cutest bikes ever! (:

Downtown Loudon(: Voy a extranar a Loudon!

Best sign ever! I finally took a picture of it like the day I left Loudon. The Elders made this sign like 4 or 5 months ago and I loved it so much I had to get a picture!

The other side of it. (:

This is the old study room down in my beloved Loudon!

1st letter this week: 

Hola, Another week! Holey Moley! I am really so confused on how it is already October, but whatevs I guess. Does time go by this fast in real life? Just wondering because it's starting to scare me. haha

Well conference was this week and wow. It gets better and better every time I watch it. We are so blessed. Want to know what my thoughts were the whole time?? Well... to sorta preface my thoughts... they kinda go along with Uchtdorfs talk and this guys conversion story I heard. He said, " I don't want to be a Mormon" 
Wake up call everyone- living the gospel is hard and most people aren't willing to it. Also, people (at least in the South) go to church and listen to their Preacher tell them that we are a cult and to stay away from us. Why would you want to walk around with the churches name taped to your chest or even have the courage to express membership?? he said, "I don't want to be a Mormon... but why are we?? Because it's true."
Hello! It really is true. The blessings are really and truly there. It's amazing. I am so grateful to be part of this church. How blessed we are to have a prophet- the mouthpiece of God.

Also, Sunday morning we were driving over to the Elder's casa to pick them up for Conference and every single church that we passed (besides the Seventh-day Adventists haha) had full parking lots and we pulled up to the parking lot to our little humble  church and we were the only car there. If those Baptists, Methodists, etc, only knew that THE prophet of God was speaking they would do anything to go there. Truly, how great is our work. Bringing them to the truth. Anyways, sorry for that missionary soapbox. Sometimes I can't help myself. haha 
LOVED CONFERENCE! 

P.S. The Lord has truly tested my patience this week, There is this Elder where I am serving with a lot of "different" philosophies about missionary work and the rules and stuff. Let me tell you... I have only raised my voice once and I am proud of myself (: haha

P.S.S. Big News! I almost forgot to tell you! GUESS WHAT??? I am getting transferred for my very first time. I am so sad to leave Loudon but I completely trust that it is what the Lord wants. I am very scared though. I feel like I'm going to a brand new mission or something. Estoy nerviosa :/

2nd letter: October 14th

Well this week has been very different for me. I actually got transferred for my very first time! It was so crazy, I'm telling you. So now guess where I am?? Sevierville! It's super loco. 
My new companion is freakin awesome too (: I love her and her name is Hermana Horrocks. She is from Bountiful, Utah and I just don't even know what to say... oh yeah. She is one of those "sporty girls" haha. She is super good at sports.

So we live with these miembras called the House's and that is pretty different. The house we live in is an old farm house built in the 1800's and so its super like "southern slave" material. It's crazy. And awesome. 

It's really weird because right now in the area we didn't have any investigators. Like none. So I am working super hard just to find new investigators... Someone to teach! haha And my comp has been here for 12 weeks and hasn't exactly had any investigators or baptized anyone so we have a lot of work to do. Also, she just got done being trained so I really want to help her to have more faith in the area and la obra misional.

Anyways, I'm really excited to be here.(:  My Spanish has also been improving too because we actually have Spanish members and all of my district is Spanish so it's fun to actually speak Spanish and have people understand me. haha

Tengan una buena semana!! Hermana Bateson

We went to this old "cotton mill" or whatever it's called and when we showed up after riding our bikes like three miles to get there.. this was all it was. haha BUT it was still a little fun.

This was about 5 minutes before I, Brooke Bateson, put my foot in the Tennessee River. It was pretty gross but I had to do it, just to say I did it. (:

I have had such a good week! Being a missionary RULES THE WORLD! haha This week we got to go down to Farragut and go to the La reunion de Sociedad de Socorro. (Relief Society Meeting) It was amazing! I will tell you, the second the Prophet stood up and started to address us, I felt the Spirit so strongly. I know he is the prophet of God on the earth today and just knowing that is such a blessing. I loved what he said about prayer. All he said was, "Remember Prayer" and it was just so profound. Best night of the mission for sure. Plus, the women in Tennessee have such big hearts, I love spending time with them. 
(:

NEWS FLASH: Sister Bateson had her first Spanish investigator at church yesterday!!! It was soooo sweet! I was so happy to see her come. It was our fast Sunday and I was able to go and dar (give) my testimony en espanol and it was just a neat experience to be able to do that. (: (: 

Also, I'm starting to get better at this whole "Bible belt" Tennessee thing. I mean, I wouldn't exactly call it "Bible bashing" but kinda in a sweet little sister missionary way. haha  I have put a lot of trust in Heavenly Father's promise that if you bare sincere testimony you will not be confounded before men. And the Lord keeps his promises. I have never once had my testimony be put down and for that I am grateful. But really and truly, these people need to know the truth and that's what we have so I am just doing everything I can to let them know what we have. ** okay missionary soapbox moment** haha

SECOND NEWS FLASH: Sister Bateson was asked to give a training ( for hose that don't know what that is, it's basically when missionaries teach other missionaries) at Zone Conference on Friday! Ummmm... Hello! Are you loco?? Haha I definitely should not be up there training other missionaries. haha I still feel brand new at this! More on that next week... I will tell you how it goes! haha 

LOVE YOU ALL!               Hermana Bateson

P.S. Shout out to all the kids in Daybreak 2nd ward who wrote me! I hope they call me on a mission...