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

"Yall know your in North Carolina, right??"

hahah Funniest thing ever. We were up in the Smokies with Bonnie one P-day and all of the sudden this guy on the Indian reservation goes, "Yall know your in North Carolina, right??" hahahah We had no idea. So I decided to take a picture of this little street. I am almost positive this was the entire town. haha

This is up in the Smoky Mountains. It is way prettier when everything is green but I think you get the point. It's beautiful(:

Me holding a baby kitten. (:

Momma Saas, Ashley, and Mi companera holding baby kittens. 

This is my investigator Ton. He is so funny I can't even handle myself. haha

Sister Shurtleff and I finally went on exchange together. It was one of the best days of my life(: hahahahah 

This picture is of the garden we did with the Murphy's. It was probably one of the funnest service projects I have ever done. (:

Yeah I am sorry I couldn't get to send you a letter this week. It is because I didn't have any stamps and I forgot to buy some. :( But I am almost positive I am going to remember today so keep your fingers crossed on that one.

So how is everything else?

Hermana Bateson

I must be going through like a "mid- life crisis" or something in my mission

Mission Leadership Council 3-9-2014

17 de Marzo

For some reason.... I am just really struggling. I must be going through like a "mid- life crisis" or something in my mission because this week has been so hard. I have learned a lot though. Mostly just that I have so much to learn.

One super fun thing that happened to us was we went tracting and I swear to you it was like our thousandth door and all the sudden it started pouring rain. POURING!! And we were at least a half a mile from the car. haha Needless to say by the time we reached the car we were sopping wet. We still tried to see some people and nobody was home so we went home and changed. 

Also, our investigator Raisa! Oh yeah. This is the best story ever. So we go on Wednesday and we tried to show her some church videos and it ended up being a huge test of my patience. We went back on Saturday and she told us that she spent 3 hours praying and she told us that God told her she needs to be baptized. LIKE WHAT!? hallelujah! por fin!!! She also says that she needs to go to the temple in Utah. haha ANYWAYS... that is super exciting!!

P.S Moroni 7: 45 I need more of this!!!
 45 And ^acharity suffereth long, and is ^bkind, and ^cenvieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily ^dprovoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.


25 de Marzo

Well this week has been the longest roller coaster of my life.  Monday started off pretty safe. We did some service at the Glatz house but not much more to report. Same with Tuesday and Wednesday, I got to exchange with the only "sister" I like in the whole mission, Sister Shurtleff. She is so awesome and funny but I probs won't ever get to be her companion because she isn't a Spanish missionary. 

But anyways...we committed Raisa to live the Word of Wisdom and so far it's been like five days since she has had coffee or tea!! Yayy!!(:

Thursday... was a good day too except for Hermana Malloy and I had to give yet another training. (why me...? haha) So then we had to go tracting and I will just be honest....Sister Bateson and tracting DON'T GET ALONG! haha But Sister Malloy is patient with me and she helps me get through it haha By the time Friday came along I decided I was mostly sick of tracting and trying to find people to teach then ... Saturday came and we found out the news that I will be staying in Seymour for my 5th transfer. I cried. Actually, bawled. But I think I can do it. This is what we like to call.. "Sevierville Endurance!" But really...it is truly testing my mission endurance here in Sevierville. There are a few people that i really love such as Bonnie and Scarlett and without them I would have died already.

 Oh coolest thing ever! We were tracting the other day in this neighborhood called Eagle Den and this kid came out and we were like talking to him and we asked him which church he went to and he said, "Um...I don't go to church I'm Asian" hahaha So anyways we are now teaching this kid named Ton who is from Thailand!! How cool is that?! It is a little different though because he doesn't have a Christian background and this is the first time doing that so I feel like a "newbie" all over again! haha

Sorry back to Sevierville Endurance. Please pray for me because I will be going on 7 months here and my patience is wearing thin, but that's all I'm going to say about that. 

So back to Ton. He sang for us the other day my most favorite song in the whole world called " You'll be in my heart" (yes, the one on Tarzan) and also some  T- Swift and Justin Bieber.  LOVED IT!

Today we are up in the Great Smoky Mountains with Bonnie and we went to the Cherokee Indian Reservation. It's beautiful up here although I wish it was a little more green. It's still all brown but still pretty wet. Well enough about me I love you! Gracias por escucharme(: 

Hermana Bateson

P.S.  I AM SO EXCITED FOR CONFERENCE!!!!!!!! This is going to be the best weekend of my life!!!(: Seriously can't even wait right now. Did you watch the Women's conference?? Wasn't it like the best thing that you have ever seen in your whole life? Well I thought so. (:

Please pray for me I am really struggling with everything right now.

                                                                                                                        10 de Marzo

Well, this week went well. For some reason it seemed a little longer than usual but still. So in case any of you were wondering, yes, I am still in Sevierville. It's pretty crazy how I have almost been here 6 months. Oh and news flash, people!!! I will be coming home in ... August!!  I'm  telling you, it's loco, like hot cocoa. 

So anyways some stories about this week. We have really been working to find new investigators right now. This area is pretty difficult for me. I get frustrated sometimes probably with myself more than anything because I make a lot of mistakes. Thank goodness for the Atonement, right? 

My companera was sick this week so on Thursday I did some solo weekly planning and I studied a lot. On Saturday, guess what?? I got to go to Loudon again! Yayyyy! It was so cool. I got to spend the day with Hermana Horrocks, one of my old companions and it was great. We got to go teach Matt, Matt and Amy who I got to teach and baptize and we went out to eat with Johnny and had dinner with Yamel. So that was great.

I have to say that lately the thing that has brought me the most joy lately is studying the scriptures. Every time I read them I just get so happy I can't even handle myself(: Best thing ever. I am so grateful to have them in my life. 

Sunday we had this super duper long mission leadership meeting. Like it literally lasted 6 hours but it was really good. There are some dang good missionaries in this mission. It blows my mind sometimes. Anyways, that's basically it for me. I hope you all are good and happy.(: 

I love you and don't forget me. Hermana Bateson

Emails:

By the way... please pray for me mom because I am really struggling with everything right now. It is impossible to find people to teach and my attitude is horrible and my companion and I have to give this training for all these missionaries and .... well. Enough with that. Just pray for me. I know the Lord will answer YOUR prayers because you are a mother and mothers have top priority. hah Sorry and thanks. 


I think that I want to try and go to Utah State for a semester or SLCC or something and then I could try going to BYU the next year or semester because I honestly don't think that I could get in with my grades right now. 

As far as major, right now I would probably be an undeclared or something like that for a while and then I think I want to do Nutrition or Exercise science or something and I also want to Minor in Spanish FOR SURE. 

I don't know. I just am really nervous to get home and move in living with my family and just working or something and I am scared of getting super bored and depressed and all of that because out here I have been learning so much and I have all of these goals and plans and how I want to be successful and really live my life that way but I am scared of going home and just forgetting. It makes me nervous to not be in school and stuff. I just don't want the knowledge and the initiative that I have learned out here to go away. I am really scared of that. I bet you felt that way after your mission. It just makes me a little sad that I didn't learn earlier because I probably would be better off right now with school and everything if I just applied myself in High School better. But sorry about my ranting. Um... I will continue to pray on it and things. 

My mission president says that I could come home in August if I want to be able to start school and stuff. Do you think that I should? I am leaning towards it because I want to have a little bit of time and everything. Let me know because I need some direction here. It's stressing me out. 

Love you Mom. Thanks for everything that you do. 

Hermana Bateson

We finished the Book of Mormon and I got a call from my mission President and he tells me that I need to apply for schools.

Me and Elder Parke who just went down to Argentina!

One of my favorite elders, Elder Toomey and one of the best Hermana's, Hermana Collier.

Okay for reals... I don't have favorite Elders.... but if I did... it would be this guy. News flash everyone. He is actually from Chile. Like, the country. Cool, right?? (: Funniest, most inspiring Elder in the world. 

We finished the Book of Mormon. It was pretty hard but we did it. On Saturday night at like literally 10:29 I finished. One minute to spare! It was so awesome to just see like how the whole entire Book of Mormon is focused on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how we can receive those blessings. It. was. awesome. Loved it. (: 

I got a call from my mission President March 3rd and he tells me that I need to apply for schools and stuff. It matters because I might come home a few weeks early depending on what day/ what school I go to.

One of my other thoughts that I had was to just apply to a ton of schools. Like all the ones and just to see where I would even get in because I don't think I could actually get into BYU even though that is eventually where I want to go. We will see.  

So could you get online and get some of that info together for me? If you could just do USU, BYU, BYU Idaho, and SLCC I guess because that idea is growing on me a little. I do think that I will be home in August though. Just to be able to go to school and stuff that first semester. 

Sorry about my loads of emails. hahah Your getting a healthy dose of Hermana Bateson this week. hahah 

I am trying to get everyone to read the Book of Mormon with me in one week!!

It snowed!!!! This is us and the Murphy's (my favorite family) when we were playing in the snow(:

Oh and we rolled this huge snowball into the pond. Good times.

This is Keegan. The cutest little boy that I am not allowed to hold. hah

hahah and this is Bonnie. hhaha

This is me and the biggest, most yummiest cookie we got from the Trapps for Valentines Day. (: 

24 de febrero

So this week was very interesante and I had a bunch of ups and downs....

 So last Monday we had a good day, just went up to Sevierville as usual and we had dinner with this super cool family the Turleys. He is literally 6 ft. 8 in. and she is like as tall as me. haha it's so funny. Also they fed us these tortillas and I honestly don't think I have ever had a tortilla that delicious in my life.

Tuesday we did service for Bonnie by picking up sticks in her yard. haha She is the funniest woman.

Wednesday we did exchanges and I got to spend the day with Sister Jones. She is a really good Sister but that day I was super stressed ( which I felt bad about) but I probably wasn't the best Sister Training Leader to her. We did get some good less- active work in though.

Thursday we had 3 (what I thought to be solid) appointments which  all inevitably..... fell through. por supuesto. haha

Friday we had a great district meeting as usual and we just did some more finding. 

Saturday honestly was one of the best days of my mission. 1. For some reason like everyone in this neighborhood like loves to Bible bash with us and so practically my whole day was spent bashing with like every house we went into but whats so great about the Spirit is that they could be totally rambling about something that seems to make sense to them and the Spirit just helps you know exactly what to say/do. It is fabulous. Just constantly striving to know the scriptures is all you need to do and thus far I have not been confounded. Love it.

Also I had this super awesome idea a few days ago. I am trying to get everyone to read the Book of Mormon with me in one week!! I am so excited and you should do it with me. You can start Sunday morning and you have to read 76 pages a day to finish it but you should  do it. (:  (Mom that means you) haha and also tell Grandma. (: Well I love you all!! Miss you. 

Hermana Bateson