it snowed! Like a ton!...

Well I would definitely say it was a good week. (:

Let me tell you a few of my highlights:

First things first, it snowed! Like a ton!... Welll... not like Utah or anything but it was a good 5 or 6 inches and so it was exciting. It started snowing on Tuesday morning and that was the day that we had to travel all the way over to Farragut for this Leadership Conference thing. So we were driving over in Maryville trying to get to the Zone Leader's casa and we like totally slipped up and down these hills and I'm sure you can imagine me in the car. I was like freaking out of course, and Sister Malloy is just calm and trying ever so patiently to calm me down while Hermana Winters was asleep the whole time in the back seat. Lovely. So we got to the conference (eventually) and the whole thing was about how we need to be good leaders and there was a part all about "staying calm under pressure" hahaha Loved it. We ended up having to get a ride home from the mission home at like 10 in the Assistant's truck. Snow in Tennessee is just sooo funny(: hahah

Also, fun fact: because of the snow, the kids were out of school literally all week. hahah

Best thing ever happened this Saturday. Elder L. Tom Perry from the Quorum of the Twelve came to visit us! He is amazing! He is 91 years old and he has the energy of like a fifteen year old! He was great. He talked to us a ton about how the Ward Council needs to step up their game in missionary work. I think that it really pumped up the members to get out and HELP US! hahah Oh, and I was on the third row. I felt like I was meeting a celebrity or something. (: haha

Scariest thing of my life... so we are all just sitting in Relief Society just enjoying ourselves and this girl taps me on the back and has that awful headset in her hands and tells me I need to translate. LIKE WHAT?? For any of you that know me... The Spanish thing is super hard for me and so I bucked up and did my best. Needless to say, I was super embarrassed and stuff but I did it. (: Sometimes the Lord makes us to REALLY hard things. "My ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts. " haha

Pray for my Spanish. haha

Well, I love you all. (: Esa me basta esta semana (:

Hermana Bateson

This week was SUPER awesome!

Brooke with some of her old companions

Zone Conference

Training session

Email 1-27-14
So basically this week was pretty interesting. Sometimes we like to say that the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. That is so true! I can't even express how true that is! Everyday when I wake up it feels like I am about to run a marathon but then whenever my head hits the pillow Sunday night I am just so confused because it goes by so fast! Also it's crazy because March will be my year mark. Everytime when I think about it I just feel so scared! haha 

So last Monday was good. We had a lot of time for some reason and so we went to the church for like 3 hours and played basketball with the Elders. Let me just take a moment to reiterate how horrible I am at sports. I am horrible. horrible. 

But best thing ever happened. I bought these "cuties" they are like little oranges at Krogers and I have been eating like 5 or 6 a day. My new obsession. (: 

 Tuesday we had dinner with the Abregus and let me tell you they are the funnies people in this world. Like this little kid Fabrizio can rap and beatbox like soooo good. It is awesome. Also one of the sisters... she like barely speaks English and it was so funny. It started to snow like the tiniest bit and she went over to the window and lifted up the blinds and was like "Oh my gosh" sooo fast! Hermana Winters and I could not stop laughing! hahah 

Wednesday was a pretty boring day. We just visited with some people. We haven't been able to see like any of our investigators this week because they all have the flu. I used to think it was annoying when mom would take me in to get a flu shot but I am definitely not annoyed now. Everyone and their dog has the flu right now. It. is. awful. 

Oh yesterday the craziest thing happened. So we got this call while I was in the middle of like holding my face over the sink with a bloddy nose... ( Okay, sorry you definitely did NOT need to know that haha) but anyways. It was President Irion. And so he told me that I was going to be a Sister Training Leader and (for those of you who don't know missionary words.. it is like the equivalent of a zone leader but just for the sisters) so I just barely got a new companion and her name is Sister Malloy. I did already serve with her in Loudon for a week. But its just fun to see what the mission brings. Everyday is some new adventure you weren't expecting. Loving it(: 

Anyways... I love you all and I hope you have a great week. (: (: 

Hermana Bateson

Letter:
 Guess what?? This week was SUPER awesome! So the coolest thing ever happened. We were able to find and teach 3 new families about the Gospel. (: Seriously, it was awesome. I LOVE teaching the gospel to people that are actually interested. haha

Tambien, this week we ate over at these peoples house that are like literally crazy and I forgot what I was going to say about that but let me say that some people are just strait up loco!!

I don't know if I ever talked about this family the Murphy's but I love them so much and yesterday we went over and had dinner with them and it really truly is when I am with members that my testimony grows because they are just amazing(: 

We went with Scarlet Flores (16) and Nicole Abregu (14) well they actually came with us all day on Saturday and we ended up having this amazing lesson with an investigator and they were bearing their testimonies to this investigator and she started crying. I love the young women in the church. Some of them are like the only LDS people in their whole school and they are such great examples and I could go on and on but for lack of time and space I won't, I just love them(: 

Sorry so boring this week Hermana Bateson
P.S. Love y'all. Miss you! See you in September

I have really struggled this week with like, everything.

I hope y'all are doing great. I have been hearing that some of you ( you know who you are) are getting back into church. That makes me so happy. I also know that the Lord is even happier than I am.

So I have to admit that I have really struggled this week with like, everything. For some reason my faith was lacking and I felt sad for a few days. I was praying and fasting for support and most of the people we were teaching were just Bible-bashing with us and just about every door was being slammed in our faces. So for a couple of days I honestly just cried. haha 
It sounds crazy but I felt so discouraged. On Friday I was able to receive priesthood blessing from one of the Elders and guess what happened that night?? We found 7 potential investigators!! That Elder blessed me with and increase of faith and the strength to continue. I know that the Priesthood is real and that the Lord hears and answers prayers, even in the times when we think He is not, (oh and not to mention we found this amazing family tonight and one of our former investigators texted us and said she is coming back to church.)

 I love the gospel. I feel so blessed to be a part of His work. More adventures to come next week. Love you all Muchisimo.(:   Hermana Bateson

P.S. guess what people call me now??   Chaparrita... Look it up (: Apparently I'm super short... haha

Mosiah 2:22 And behold, all that he ^arequires of you is to ^bkeep his commandments; and he has ^cpromised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth ^dvary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do ^ekeep his ^fcommandments he doth bless you and prosper you.

Tracting in this one trailer park

 

 1-13-14

 

 Oh the funniest thing ever happened to me the other day. So we were tracting in this one trailer park we had never been before and we did like three doors and all the people just like slammed the doors or whatever. Then we got up to this one house and there was this girl in there and she wouldn't answer the door and then all the sudden this car pulls up and this lady gets out and she of course just told us to leave. So we start going more and more down the street and so then that lady came out of her house and yelled across the street and was like " I just called the cops on you guys. You better leave because these people don't want what your selling." And then I slowly stepped up a little and was like "we aren't selling anything, we are giving away everything we have." And then she was like "Oh honey I know who you are. Y'all are Jehovah witness and these people don't want to be bothered around here with you knocking on their doors. "  So then I was like" actually we are from the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints" and she was like" well, these people don't want to be bothered and the cops are on their way" ... and so at this point I had two options. 1. keep tracting. these people NEED the gospel. 2. leave to help her to have good feelings about the church.

We went with option 2. hahah

As we were pulling out, we saw 2, not 1, 2... sheriffs cars pulling in. Best. day. ever. hahah Just kidding. It was actually really frustrating but it definitely makes for a good story. haha

Sorry I just wanted to tell that story for some reason. Love you. (:

Brooke Bateson

I made some resolutions for myself

How was everyone's New Year? I hope it was good for all of you. I made some resolutions for myself as I'm sure most of you did. Here are mine: 

1) No more sugar for the rest of my mission! ( and to clarify on that, I mean like sweets and desserts. I am fully aware that there is sugar in most everything we eat.)

2) Stay faithful at memorizing a scripture a day. 1 in English and 1 in Spanish. Anyways what are yours??

This week was a great one. We lost Hermana Horrocks but that's because she is going to be serving in Loudon! She is so lucky! I love and miss that place. Hermana Winters and I have been working so hard though. We have been doing our best teaching and at least for me, my mindset is very different about missionary work, because for some reason September seems so close so I am just working so hard... it feels like I will be home in like an instant! haha loco!

Coolest thing ever... we went to the Barrazas a few nights ago, (like our only dinner this week- yes, the life of a missionary is sometimes so sad haha) and they served us like this special Peruvian food and it was literally the best food I have ever had. It came with this delicious drink se llama Chica Morada. Muy bien! I loved it! They put real black corn and mix it with pineapple and limes. I'm obsessed. 

Never forget the Church is true. I love you all. Hermana Bateson

P.S. One thought that I had all week that just makes me think is this: "Christ is love, light and happiness and hope" and so if this is true... if Christ didn't come we wouldn't have love, light, hope or happiness. What would we do without him???

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Me and Sister Glatz! She got us these cute scarfs and sunglasses for Christmas! It was so adorable(:

Mi companeras y yo el 24 de Deciembre(: Somos bonitas!(:

Look at our cute little tree!(:

Look at this poster!!! Thank you to everyone who signed it!(: I loved it so much!(:

My beautiful companeras Christmas morning(:

El Distrito(:

12-23-2013:

FELIZ NAVIDAD! Well tomorrow is Christmas eve and as you can tell, I'm pretty excited. (:  I guess you will probably get this letter after Christmas so how was it?? I hope ya'll had a really great Christmas. I miss you guys. Especially  I am sad I missed the Christmas Eve party at the Harper's. I look forward to that every year. I really do hope that you guys had a great time and I bet that brand new baby is getting spoiled. haha

So this week was pretty fun. The coolest thing ever happened. So we went caroling around the neighborhood with the Abregu's and the Glatz's and we found some potential investigators. Well Sunday rolls around and guess what? These new people show up at church and I try and talk to them and what do you know, we had caroled at their house! So hopefully we are going to be able to go over and see them tomorrow. So excited! I will take any success I can get. haha

I also learned this week that Dolly Parton has a house in my area! How cool is that! We tried tracting into her house to convert her but there was a gate around it so we couldn't get it. 

My voice also got dramatically better this week. We got into a lot of peoples homes because we just caroled to everyone! haha Good times!
Well, Merry Christmas! Remember the reason for the season.         Hermana Bateson


12-30-13

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! So how are you all? How is everyone's holidays going? I actually had a really great Christmas out here. I woke up Christmas morning and opened our presents (of course) then we had a super delicious Southern breakfast with the Houses. After we got to Skype and that was really good. I was just so happy to see Mommy's face(: Then we went over to the Sheet's house to eat and we ended up playing games and it was a good time. I learned that I'm not very good at these loco mind games. haha Apparently I'm not "smart" WHATEVS!! haha so I ended up having a really great Christmas.

Thanks to all those who support me and send me cards and stuff. I really love it-- even thoughI don't always get a lot of time to right back. So thank you. It means a lot to me. 

Well this week was pretty fruitful. We were able to teach this awesome family, the Madsens. I'm really excited for them to start progressing in the gospel. Also, we are trying to help Tracy stop smoking which I am really excited about. She is getting better but it's a struggle for a lot of people so we are just being patient and loving and working our best.

Well. remember that the Church is true and that HE is the way(:     Hermana Bateson

Pictures

This is me and one of my dear friends(: We got the same scarf at our missionary Christmas party a few days ago and so we had to take a picture together(:

This is probs one of the most awkward pictures I have on here and it makes me laugh everytime. Me and Sister Shurtluff were taking a picture together and all of the sudden Elder Ary, one of our AP's just comes right on into our picture. The best part is is that we are both SUPER short and he looks like a skyscraper next to us... so here you go (: haha

This is Debbie one of my investigators(: We made a poster for her the other day so that she could help all the kids she lives with to follow more rules. haha

 We make pies at Bonnies at least once a week. From scratch. Crust and all. No big deal. haha 

     This is me doing... something. I can't figure out what now that I look at it. haha

The farmhouse we live in! (:

Some of these members shot this REALLY BIG BEAR! (:

We went caroling with La Familia Abregu the other day... it's a little blurry but I thought it was cute. They are the best ever! (: