Being a missionary is the best life ever.

4 de Augusto

I am, no joke, coming home in 10 days! I can barely handle it. It's the strangest feeling in the world because I really don't want to come home. I would rather just be a missionary forever because I am so happy serving the Lord. Being a missionary is the best life ever. All you do is study and live the gospel, sleep, and eat. It is theee best. It's weird to image doing anything else now. I have been just so blessed with this opportunity to serve and it's almost over. 

A ton has happened this week though. On Wednesday we had transfer meeting and I had to give my "departing testimony" even though I still worked after. haha. That was a little nerve wracking for me. 


But guess what?? Hermana Winters is my companion again!!! How crazy is that??? I am so happy to be with her again. She is so great and we have so much fun together. I could not be happier ending my mission with my best friend.

 We have a baptism coming up this weekend and I am so excited for it. Brianna has been one of my favorite people to teach in the entire world. And what better way to end the mission than by having a baptism?? The Lord really blesses me so much! (:

Love ya'll mucho!! Hermana Bateson

About coming home...

Sister de Hoyos and I at Transfer Meeting!

Sister Nelson and I at Transfers! She taught me yoga so I love her forever. 

My graceful companions(: PS I AM WITH MY DAUGHTER SISTER WINTERS AGAIN!!!! I LOVE HER!!!! (: (: (: I couldn't be happier! 

Elder Koelliker and I(: He is literally my favorite person in the whole world! #number1

Elder "Bennett" and I at Transfers.

About coming home...

I am excited too...a little. Mostly I am just sad though. I just want to be a missionary forever. It's hurting my heart to have to come home. I might be a little sad when I get home for a little bit. 

Love you and I will see you soon(: 

Hermana Bateson

So it's really crazy that I am going home in 2 weeks!

(picture sent by a women who fed them one night)

28 de Julio

So it's really crazy that I am going home in 2 weeks! It doesn't feel like it at all.
 I wish I could just live the mission life forever. It really is the BEST way to live. (:  I might be sad for a few days when I get home but I'm sure I will adjust.

 My last two weeks are going to be awesome though. We already have so much planned. Brianna (our favorite investigator) is getting baptized on August 9th and we are super excited  for that. Pray for her! She is super wonderful.
 
Currently I am reading a lot in the Bible. I am almost done with the Old Testament. Also I'm still reading the Infinite Atonement which is the best book ever. I love learning about Jesus Christ. 

I got my hair done today. I actually really like it. It's a super rich dark brown. and I can't wait for you all to see it because I think it looks pretty. (:

 I love you Hermana Bateson

P.S. Read the "Power of Everyday Missionaries" You'll love it!!

More pictures

My companion and I at the aquarium. (: I love her(: and we found a Harrison Bay sign. That is the name of our ward so we HAD to take a picture by it on the 4th of July(:

At the aquarium!!

14 de Julio

Sorry I haven't written in FOREVER!! I guess you could say I have been somewhat of a "slothful" missionary when it comes to letter writing lately.

So anyways, things over here in Tennessee are going great. We are struggling a little bit to find new investigators but we do have some solid one so we are really excited about that.

Lets see, this week we got to go to the Aquarium on P-day. It was just a really fun adventure. The rest of the week was mostly uneventful. 

We have been doing a lot of service lately which has been such a great source of finding and bringing members together. The members really are the key to missionary work. Without them....missionary work is like not effective. We can teach as many people as we want but it just won't be the same without the members!

So shout out to all the great members out there! We love you!! haha

This letter is super boring but I love you all and I will be home to see you all soon! 

Hermana Bateson

I have been pondering a lot this week about what it means to repent.

July 7 2014

So I have been pondering a lot this week about what it means to repent. I was studying in Preach My Gospel (of course) and in there it tells us that when we truly repent our nature changes and our view of the world, ourselves, and others changes.

 I was thinking about how if you just simply stop doing an action, for instance, if you stop eating chocolate because you are trying to be healthy, then you have made that step, or you have changed your action, therefore resulting in a healthier body... but, has your nature, or your character changed? 

 No. I believe that in order to be able to overcome that or be able to change your nature, you cannot do it on your own. The only thing that can actually change you (your nature) is the Savior Jesus Christ and I believe that is done through prayer.

 This scripture in Ether 12:27 is very popular but I have been pondering a lot about it and I noticed something different that I haven't noticed before. At the end of the verse it says: "And if men humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. " It actually isn't OUR job to make our weaknesses strengths. It is actually the Saviors.

 Our job is to be humble and have faith and HE will make it strong for us. So going back to the chocolate, if you put forth the steps by not eating it, THE LORD will help you to change. 

Actually change. He will make that weakness a strength.

 I don't know if this makes sense to you or not but I am just overwhelmed with a sense of joy right now because WE CAN REPENT. How amazing is that! We can change. And not just change our actions, but through Christ, our very natures/character/temperament can be changed too... leading us to have a fresh view or ourselves, the world, and God. 

What a great blessing that is to know. I think this is my very favorite part about the gospel and I am so grateful for that. (:

Sorry for the overload but I love you(:

Hermana Bateson 

P.S  Our fourth of July was pretty interesting. We just went out to Cheddars (this cute restaurant) and then we went with the Elders to watch fireworks but everyone did their fireworks on the 3rd instead of the 4th so there really wasn't anything too good to watch.

The work is going great and I am super happy(:

Sister De Hoyos

June 24th

So anyways, this week was super different for Harrison Bay. Sister Thiriot got transferred! I knew she was going to because we go home at the same time and so I had to have another comp. So Monday and Tuesday were reallllly super busy and crazy visiting members and investigators for Sister Thiriot's last time. We were able to commit Brianna (one of our investigators) to be baptized on August 9th. She is so great! (: That will literally be like 3 days before I go home. I can't even believe it.  

Wednesday was our transfer meeting and I got a new companion! Her name is Sister De Hoyos and although her name makes you think other wise, she isn't a Spanish sister. It's really great though because she is learning it. She is such a good companion. We look a little funny together though because she is like 6 feet tall and has super long blonde hair. and well... I am the opposite. haha She is such a great missionary though. 

 

So funny story... the night before Sister Thiriot left, she dropped our phone in water so we haven't had a phone for the past week and for those of you who have done missionary work... being phoneless makes it super difficult. Good thing we have some of the best Elders in our mission to take care of us and let us use their phone everyday. hah So we have just been doing our best. 

 

Coolest thing ever... Sister De Hoyos have been making it a super high priority to pray for miracles. and... You should see all the miracles that the Lord has been blessing us with. We were able to teach this one lady named Catherine and she is definitely one of "the elect" and we were able to set up a ton of these appointments one day when our phone decided to work for like an hour. It has been amazing. 

 

 

Faith really is a true principle. We are so blessed over here in Harry Bay. Love it(: 

That is pretty much everything for me. The work is going great and I am super happy(: I love being a missionary and I love the Savior... and I love you! (: Have a happy week!(: 

Hermana Bateson

we got word on Saturday that my companion is leaving me!

Just me with a cannon. It's fine. 

How cool is this???

Huge tower!! 

We climbed up this huge tower at that battle site. This sister I am with is Sister Hatch. We went on exchanges last week (:

Most awkward district foto ever! We are unique, to say the least. haha

                          

The ride home from the Spanish conference. It was a little crazy as you can tell.

La Hermana Edlund y yo at the Spanish Conference. (aka the scariest day of my life haha) 

So we got word on Saturday that my companion is leaving me! I'm really sad. She has taught me so much. I am really scared to be so new in this area too, and to have her leave me. Let's just say I'm in distress over the whole situation.!!!

I have learned a ton this week. Mostly just about the Savior and Christ like love. I am reading this book called "The Infinite Atonement". It's so beautiful. I just love learning about Jesus and the Atonement.

I don't have much to report on but I just want to share my testimony about Christ and his enabling power. We can truly overcome weakness and temptation through prayer and his love. This is something I know because I get to see it every day, in my own life and fortunately I am lucky enough to see it in others. I am just so grateful that I even get the chance and the opportunity to be one of his missionaries. I can't even begin to express how I feel about the opportunity. I hope , I guess, that the next 8 weeks, I will continue to be able to share it with everyone!(: 

Hermana Bateson

Don't lock yourself out of the house

These are pictures from Brooke's mission website

9 de Junio

Well another week....just came and went. Had some great learning moments though. haha

Lesson #1: Don't lock yourself out of the house, or do, because a good training may come out of it. 

So it was like 6:30 in the morning and we had just finished our run and we locked ourselves out with no phone and no key gracias  a La Hermana Bateson. So we went over to the Brodniak's and...oh, and by the way, we were supposed to be at the church at 9 because we had Zone Conference and we were giving a training!! haha Anyways so we had to come up with our training in 30 minutes with next to nothing. The Rocky Face Hermana brought us clothes and we showered at the Brodniak's. Needless to say, it ended up going really well. I was grateful for the help of the Lord. (:

Lesson#2: Love EVERYBODY and be an overachiever.

We exchanged with the Dalton sisters and I got to be with L Herman Edlund otravez and she is just so loving and I just want to be like that. I love her too much. 

And I love you !! Have the best semana ever!   Brookie

One of the scariest things of my whole life happened to me this week.

photos from Zone Conference and Spanish Confernce

So this week went by super fast! It went really, really well. One of the scariest things of my whole life happened to me this week. 

So I got a call from Elder Erekson and he told me that I was going to have to "give a training"  at the Spanish Conference that was held on Friday. Basically, I had to...
1) stand up in front of all the Spanish missionaries
2) train them on how to better "talk with everyone"
3) for 30 minutes.. oh and
4) in Spanish and
5) Elder Pino de los Setenta was there!
It was so scary but after I sat down I learned something. I felt the Spirit so strongly and what I felt was peace because I truly had to put my trust in the Lord and he helped me so much. 

I never would have attempted that like even a few months ago. It's true that "who the Lord calls he qualifies" it was an amazing experience for me. I was grateful.

Also, an awesome experience too was one day we had some appointments fall through and we felt like we had tried everyone in this certain trailer park and so we started to drive away. We ended up going back because my comp and I just felt like we needed to go back. We tried this one last referral and anyways he is our new, super, awesome, investigator named Joseph. He came to church this Sunday and said he loved it. We are going to teach him this Thursday. I think he is going to get baptized so pray for Joseph!!

For the most part it has been such a blessing this week. I am so grateful for the gospel. the gospel makes people so happy and I get to be a part of it.

But how are you all? I hope you are doing good(:
I love you all muchisimo!!

Hermana Bateson

We went to this place called " Mexico Chiquito"

We went on exchange with the Rocky Face sisters this week and I got to be with my chaparrita Hermana Winters but we went to this place called "Mexico Chiquitta" and I just loved it so I had to take a picture. hahahaha It is so funny there. (:

26 de Mayo

 So this week was full of ups and downs but right now I feel really good. I have learned so much about prayer and trust in the Lord. I have learned a whole new level of this idea this week. Each and everyday is a new day to be able to be led by the spirit and that's one of my greatest joys is to be led by the Holy Ghost and to be humble enough to accept God's will. 
It has come and will continue trial and error on our part in the way we decide to use our agency, but wow.... it's a great feeling to feel that you have chosen correctly.

I was able to to something very fun for me this week. I was able to go on exchange with Hermana Winters-my baby. It was wonderful to be with and learn from her. She has grown so much and we were both able to grow together. We went to this place called " Mexico Chiquito" and we found 5 new investigators!! It was super awesome! Loved It.

Today was a really fun P-day. We went to the church and played scum! haha Loved it too. Reminds me of the good old days at Grandmas! haha  Love you all.  

Hermana Bateson

P. S.  I'm reading the Gospels right now and I am obsessed!!... I'm trying to be like Jesus... haha

My week was an adventure as usual.

19 de Mayo

Hello!(: How was yalls week?! Mine was an adventure as usual. We are just doing all we can to be good missionaries. It was great being able to Skype last Sunday. I loved it. It's just crazy to know I'll be home so soon. It motivates me mucho.

Lets see, I have learned so much this week. Wednesday was a really successful day- we taught a lot that day. 

I actually got sick on Thursday and we couldn't go out because I was just dead. We went to the doctor and turns out I'm just a wimp with a cold. I did get better though and we had a great weekend.

We exchanged with the Brainerd Sisters and I learned so much from that. 

Saturday night and Sunday morning was Stake Conference  and Elder Arnold de los Stenta came to visit us. It was wonderful. 

One thing that has been really different for me was that now I am with a companion that doesn't speak Spanish and it has been quite a change for me to not be able to speak to my companion in Spanish. Also we have like 4 or 5 Spanish investigators right now and so sometimes I have to teach by myself which is tricky but I just am taking it hour by hour and praying for the best. haha

It's still something that is hard for me. So, pray I will be able to understand these people. haha

Anyways, it's starting to look super beautiful and green outside. The summers in Tennessee truly are so beautiful i wish i could just go on a walk or something but... obviously that will have to wait. well I love you all. Have a fun, spirit filled week. haha

P. s. Tengo gozo en mi alma hoy....

I feel like its hard to keep in touch with all of you!

8 of the 9 "Hermanas" in Brooke's mission

How are you all? The longer I'm out here, the more I feel like its hard to keep in touch with all of you! Sorry if it seems short sometimes. Just trying to find a good balance. I still love and care about you and your lives. I also think the longer I am here I forget truly how different life is as a missionary.

 Our mission President challenged us to make a list of like all of the things we are going to do after our missions. Week by week my list gets longer. It truly is such a blessing to be here and to learn so much. I feel really different. Mostly I just feel privileged every day to go out and serve the Lord.

I am getting transferred on Wednesday. It feels scary to be leaving Sevierville because I have spent the last 8 months here. I trust the Lord though. He knows what is best.

Raisa got baptized!  Raisa se bautizo! I am so excited and happy for her. She was baptized yesterday (Sunday) and it was beautiful. I am grateful the Lord let me stay here to see it happen. Yayy!

Well I miss you so much It's going to be a great reunion when I come home. We will have to take a huge trip to Cafe Rio and then to the temple. haha

I have to make one quick confession. Being over here in the "Bible-belt" has caused me to do  a fair amount of study in it. Here is something I learned about the Spirit this week. 

1 Corinthians 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.


I love you and miss yall. See you soon.  Hermana Bateson

Cinco de Mayo!

Cinco de Mayo!

I love the gospel. I love being able to watch it change peoples lives.  It's such a huge blessing.

 I hope you all are doing well. I should be coming home here within the next few months so that should be good. I'm a little excited but not at the same time because I will miss being a missionary.

Yes,  I am going to be skyping. I don't know what time because I am getting transferred tomorrow and so I will be in a new area and I won't really know anything until probably like Thursday. I want to say its going to be sometime in the afternoonish... although I am not for sure. I will just have to call you and it will be a surprise or something. haha I don't know. 

Yes, we had a baptism yesterday. It was great. It was a spanglish service. haha I will hopefully be able to send more pictures next week because I forgot my adapter this week so I won't be able to send pictures this week. :(  

Welllll...... Love yall Hermana Bateson

We will be having an emergency baptism THIS SUNDAY !

4 de april

GUESS WHAT???? 

I realized that I am always super depressed and frustrated right before something cool happens. Stupid Satan! Stop messing with me. Warning: Try not to pay too much attention to my last weeks letter. That was just me venting. 

 

 

ANYWAYS.... so we went to church yesterday just thinking that it was going to be a normal day. We went to Ward Council and Sacrament and Sunday School was a little crazy as usual, we went to Relief Society and that was.... well, relief society and then there was this baptism for the cutest little 8 year old kid named David Ortiz so he gets baptized and there was some time when him and his dad were changing and Hermano Henriquez stands up and he is all, "if anybody wants to share their testimonios that would be okay" so then we are all sitting there and Raisa (our investigator) stands up and of course I am like freaking out thinking that she is going to say something crazy and she just gets up and starts to give her testimony about Jose Smith and the Book of Mormon and how she made the decision at that moment to be baptized and it was like the best moment of my life. Like the whole Latino population of our ward was there and they all just were like staring at us and everyone got SOOO awesome and it's just like the most exciting thing to see an investigator actually GET IT. (: I loved it. So we will be having an emergency baptism THIS SUNDAY for Raisa Gonzalez! (: (: (: 

 

I just feel so blessed. She is going to be such a great member. I love her. I am so grateful that I could help someone understand the gospel. I love missionary work. 

 

BEST STORY EVER, RIGHT??? (: (: 

Hermana Bateson

I am doing just fine out here in the good ol South.

12 de Abril

So this week was pretty good. 

On Monday we went bowling and I won! Yayyy. haha
 So on Tuesday I did a ton of service. I swear it was like an all day service day or something. We cleaned houses and weeded. On Wednesday we basically just tried out best to find people to teach and  went to Erick Flores' despidida ( farewell) pretty cool.

A guy in our ward got his call to Ogden  and so that should be great for him. Thursday we got to see some less actives and some of them watched Conference and everything. Yayy again!

Coolest thing ever: Raisa ( investigadora) is taking a job for Sister Minton (miembro) so ... she will be baptized in no time! haha

Scariest thing ever: So Sunday morning we woke up and there was this ambulance outside and basically they just took Brother House to U.T. Hospital and now he is having open heart surgery. Que loco! Pray for him. 

But seriously, I am doing just fine out here in the good ol South. hahahah It is still pretty crazy here. These people are just so funny. Like the things they believe are soooooo just crazy.  Nobody has like a foundation for truth. They just believe whatever the preacher tells them and it is just so sad. Go read 

2 timothy 3: 5, 7 

5 Having a ^aform of godliness, but ^bdenying the power thereof: from such turn away.

7 Ever ^alearning, and never able to come to the ^bknowledge of the ^ctruth.

and that will explain this area I am in right now. I am going on 7 months here and wowwww I am just going to go crazy.

All around it was just a great week.(: I love the gospel and I love the scriptures. I love yall! 

Hermana Bateson

PS I got stung by a wasp!!! while standing on someone's porch. haha
News flash: STAY AWAY FROM WASPS!!!
Sorry it's really late. Gotta go. Love ya mucho.

General Conference was awesome, right?? Loved it all!!

Mission Leadership Council meetings

31 de Marzo

So this week was ...stressful. We had like no miles this week and so we had to do quite a bit of walking and our area isn't exactly a walk area, to say the least. So anyways, other than that it was really great because we got to watch Women's Conference and that was just a joy and a half. haha I loved every second. 

We also have like the greatest investigator known to man named Ton who is from Thailand. I probably told you about him but he is just like a blessing for me. (: He says the funniest things because he is just so honest about everything. haha

I have been thinking a lot about humility and pride and that whole cycle. Pride is like the major thing that keeps us from being close to God. I have been able to see it so much in myself lately which has truly helped me to change. Also, I am just almost overwhelmed with my love for the scriptures.

 Oh no. It's almost 10:27! Sorry got to go! Love ya all! Hermana Bateson

7 de Abril

General Conference was awesome, right?? Loved it all!! I especially loved Elder Holland's testimony and Elder Bednar talk. We all went to the church to watch it and we ended up pulling up chairs and couches to be able to be more comfy. haha Ton our investigator came. He left halfway through though which Sister Malloy and I were pretty sad about. Hopefully we will be able to talk to him about that. 

We also had the Mission Leadership Council meeting this week and Zone meeting so I would say that I have definitely been fed well spiritually this week. 

So how are you guys? We had quite a bit of success teaching this week. It was really cool. We got like 3 or 4 new solid investigators that I am pretty excited about as weel as I think Raisa is getting close to baptism. The only thing that is keeping her is just a bit of humility issues. But, if I was in her position I would probably act and do the same things. I really have learned a TON in the last few weeks about pride and humility. It has been on my mind a lot that it's basically a catalyst for all the other things that take the Spirit away from us. ( kinda like it says in Mosiah 3:19)

19 For the ^anatural ^bman is an ^cenemy to God, and has been from the ^dfall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he ^eyields to the enticings of the ^fHoly Spirit, and ^gputteth off the ^hnatural man and becometh a ⁱsaint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a ^jchild, ^ksubmissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father.

But, anyways, we did a lot of good this week with lots of study and prayer. Is there anything I can do for you all? Sometimes I feel like I just go on and on. haha Thank you for all the support that you have given me and I will continue to pray for you all. 

Love you, Hermana Bateson