going to be training... again

So this week came and went by super fast. As usual. Something amazing happened to me this week. So Wednesday is transfers so we got the transfers call on Saturday while we were doing some service and first we found out that I was going to be training... again. So I just assumed that they were going to take away Hermana Horrocks but then we kept listening and turns out that we are going to train together! I am so excited(:   That means I get a whole six more weeks with  her! I am just super excited about that because we have the best times ever together. I am so grateful. Also, that does mean we have to train which is always such a learning experience because these Hermanas are coming from Mexico MTC now and I love to hear all about that. I hope she is cool. That's all I have to say about that.

My companion is helping to stop me biting my nails and you would be so proud to see how long my nails are now! Also, today we went and got our nails done and the little Asain lady that did my nails took one look and was like, "you bite! You stop bite!" haha it was so funny!

Oh my goodness I have to tell you about the spiritual experience I had today. So our appointment that we had at 8 cancelled because she was sick. So we went to go see this familia that we sorta lost faith in because they weren't progressing or anything so we decided to stop by and it ended up being a total bomb. I have learned to love feeling the spirit work through me. I love sharing my testimony. I am so grateful to be a member in the church. What a privilege and honor it is to be a missionary.

How are you all?? I hope everyone is doing well. I am looking forward to Christmas (: 
Hermana Bateson

2 letters this time

One day, we were driving around trying to contact these people and we found them but they were still at work so we started tracting on this beautiful mountain until they got home and I turned around and saw this... que bonito!(:

This picture is absolutely terrible of me but it's a good one of the district and our Zone Leaders! love them!(:

I know I have been slacking but... I finally got the fish mailbox(:

(oh and in case you were wondering... it was FREEZING that day!

4 de Noviembre

Hello, Everyone, How is everyone doing? I have sure missed Utah lately although I have heard some rumors that it's snowing so maybe I don't miss it that much. haha

Okay two quick thoughts before I forget:
1) I am grateful to mi madre this week because she raised me to be a hard worker. Even when it's hard and you don't want to. I am so lucky  to have the work ethic I have because that truly is what these people out here are missing. I have been thinking so much about that lately. I'm so lucky to have such a good mommy.
2) I love learning. I seriously do. It's my new favorite. I can't believe that it took serving a year and a half in Tennessee to realize that. haha

So this week was Halloween! We had a super fun "Trunk or Treat" out at the church on Wednesday with the ward. I was able to better get to know a lot more people in the branch and me and Hermana bought the same cardigan and dressed up as twins!

Sooo on Sunday I had a bit of an experience. I went to Relief Society and was chosen to be the translator. yayyyy..not.  haha Let's be honest right now, my Spanish is not that good and so I ended up translating Sociedad de Socorro for some Spanish sisters and after I asked them if they could understand and they said "un poco" which means "a little" so basically I need  to step it up and all that I could do was laugh because I honestly and truly did my best. haha slap in the face haha. It is hard when you seriously have no Spanish investigators or anything. Pray for my Spanish It needs some work. haha

Alrighty, well shout out to the Young Women for sending me that adorable package and all the quotes. I love ya'll remember who you are and stay beautiful!!

Love you all!!!

Hermana Bateson


11-13-13

This week was super fun. And by fun, I mean productive. haha Monday was super awesome because my beautiful companera and I got new coats at Banana Republic so now not only do we have the truth... we also look great sharing it(: Thanks Mom! haha Tuesday we spend our time in the mountains... it was beautiful. I think I sent a picture but I swear it is fifty thousand times better in real life! (: Wednesday... I spend yet another day in Knoxville with the Sister Training Leaders for exchanges. I learned muchisimo!(: Knoxville is so boring though. I am totally converted to serving in the country. And by country I mean Tennessee middle of nowhere country where the houses are ten miles apart and the walking up the driveway could easily be taken as scaling a mountain. haha

Guess what?? I played the piano at District meeting!! (: Yayy! It was so exciting, I'm not kidding, I thought I was the coolest. (: I played "We thank thee O God For a Prophet" and "Love One Another" Of course they were in the easy hymn book but still... I played and people sang to it. Goal? Accomplished.

Also, there is this super awesome family in the ward named the Boles and let me tell you... if anyone does member missionary work, it's them. We found a solid investigator through them. Member missionary work. Do it. I mean, this is the work of the Lord guys. How can you not want to be a part of it?? It makes me soo happy(: (:

Um... I think that is all for now. I absolutely am so happy here. No doubt, its the hardest thing of my life but I can't think of anything more rewarding... literally I have tried and there is nothing. haha  I love being a missionary and I love learning and I love the gospel and I love YOU!(:

Hermana Bateson

I'm doing great in Sevierville!

Me by the sign again

Ahhhh Tennessee

Mi companera y yo con masks(:

Mi companera y yo with our mustache pens we found at The Cracker Barrel(:

The leaves are be-a-u-tiful here in Tennessee right now(: Here is a sample

For some reason, we were practicing our sad faces in the car one day so... enjoy. hah

It's so weird because it seems like each day in the mission is like a freakin marathon but somehow, P day comes around sooo fast! It's crazy! But anyways... how are y'all? 

I  am doing great here in Sevierville. It's a great place for me to be. I feel very lucky to be serving aqui. My district is super awesome - all Spanish speakers and I love that. Plus there are actually people in the ward that are Spanish ( or Natives... whatever you call them) and so I love it. 

This week has been awesome. Mi companera is a boss at the piano so thanks to her and my "Hymns made easy " book, I have agreed to play the piano at District Meeting on Friday. I'm super nervous, but I think it will be good for me to get some time in playing with actual people singing along.

 Also, I had to give a talk yesterday in church and it was super awesome because I really didn't have to prepare all that much and I wasn't even nerviosa or anything! I'm thinking that it has to be like a missionary thing because it was always super scary to give talks back home but now, it's just sorta like teaching a lesson or something.

So you guts, the best thing ever happened this week. We were able to teach this girl named Courtni and she gets the Gospel.  Por ejemplo, so we taught the whole restauracion up to Jose Smith and we said that God and Jesus Christ appeared to him ( which to us Mormons that seems like no big deal, right??) Well, it is. She said, "What??? There is God and there is Jesus?" and we were like, "yeah, isn't that amazing?" And she literally sat back and said, "I have always believed that. It just makes sense." It was amazing. (:

Also, I know the priesthood is real. So, the Elders had a baptism on Saturday and she wanted to be confirmed at her baptism which usually doesn't happen but anyways... so Elder Peterson confirmed her and immediately when he put his hands on her head, I just knew, in my heart that it was real  and to sorta tell you why that was so profound, earlier this week we had been totally bible-bashing, like hardcore with this gut who was about to go to "Bible school" -about the priesthood and weird stuff like that. So anyways, that confirmation was just a witness that it is true.

I love the gospel, I love the church, I am just so happy to be a Mormon. We are so Blessed.

Anyways, so this week I got a "compliment" from one of the Elders. I couldn't actually decide if he was trying to be nice or calling me stupid in a nice way. Anyways, he said I acted exactly like Buddy the Elf. I thought about that for awhile and decided to take it as a compliment because seriously... who doesn't like Buddy the Elf??? Am I right or am I right? 

Anyways, okay I love you all! Sorry to ramble. haha   Hermana Bateson

The first cold day

Mi companera y yo. (: 

This was the first cold day and so we had to take a picture of us all bundled up and FREEZING! haha (:

Isn't this the cutest sign?? 

I think so too(:

Okay so how are you all doing?? This week was one of my most interesting yet. So it started out like any other week. P-day was super fun. We went up to Pigeon Forge and played tennis with the Elders. I figured out that I'm glad that I i didn't try to play sports ever in my life because no matter who I play with ..... we LOSE! I'm serious. It's un poco depressing.

Tuesday, we went to Bonnie's house for like seven hours and made pies and oh my gosh... my baking skills are like a TON better than my sports skills. I learned how to make pie crusts! It's sooo fun (: I will teach you all how to do it as soon as I return.

Wednesday we went to this funeral and I'm pretty sure that it was my first funeral so.. yeah!    Plan of Salvation = real.

Thursday we went all the way up to Gatlinberg for this meal appointment. It was Beautiful!!! It actually reminded me of Utah  a little bit with the "mountains" (more like big hills if you ask me) and the leaves are all changing and just, WOW.

Saturday we committed our new investigator Evan to be baptized! Yay! La obra  misional!! So it was only a monumental experience because Hermana Horrocks  hasn't had that experience yet on her mission so it was really good for her to see Missionary work change someones life. I seriously  do have la mejor companera. I am so lucky to be with her.

Friday (sorry backtracking) we had la cena con esta familia en Espanol y apparently not only do they correct my Spanish but this guy was correcting my English too!! haha Oh and Mom, they were from Argentina!(: 

Monday (ayer), Elder Corbridge came to speak to us. He is such ans amazing man and he taught us about teaching the most important thing. Guess what it is? The Gospel. El evangelio is singlehandidly (haha -note her spelling) the most important thing because only through it can we receive a remission of our sins. Amazing!!! Well  I am out of time(:  Les quiero

P.S. Go read the talk "the Way" by Elder Corbridge from Conference.