iPads. Enough said.

Not to make you all jealous, but I am sitting here in the church
talking into my iPad as it types what I'm saying to it. That's right,
we got iPads. It is kind of awkward though, because my companion is
also sitting across the room talking into Siri doing her emails. This
is crazy though, what missionary work is becoming. It is something
else. I never imagined when I left for my mission that I would be
using more technology on my mission than I was before I left. I am
still not sure how I feel about it. Here in the Arcadia mission we
have been one of the pilot missions for losing all their cars, the new
teaching method, Facebook, and iPads. I doubt that there is any other
mission in the world that is a pilot group group for so many things at
one time. The general authorities really trust President Becerra and
us. The hastening of the work is a crazy thing. This really is the
last big bang before the end and god is pulling out all his weapons,
but of course, so is satan.

This week was really awesome though! Aurora is on page hundred and 80
of the Book of Mormon; she just never stops reading it. It is amazing
to see the spirit work through her as she reads so much of the Book of
Mormon. And at our last lesson with her we thought we should teach
tithing because that is something a lot of people have a problem with,
especially a lot of these really poor people who do not make even
enough money to live on. So we taught tithing, and she was like "oh
that makes perfect sense! The first thing I do when I get my paycheck
is to set apart a little bit of money that I send my dad in Mexico. He
always tells me not to but I know that because I do that I always have
at least beans and tortillas to eat! And so I figure tithing is the
same if I always set apart that little bit of money I will always have
at least something to eat." People amaze me so much. It is crazy that
having never been religious she understands that concept so well. It
is obviously the spirit teaching her. But then at the end of the
lesson we decided to show her the Bible video of Jesus Christ getting
baptized. As she watched we could tell that it was impacting her a
lot. Then at the end she said she had felt something she had never
felt before, so we told her that will be her in the water in two weeks
getting dunked,  well that wasn't our exact words, but you get the
point, and she got really excited. I think that will be what will help
her to give up the last few things she needs to in order to get
baptized. Those Bible videos are so cool. Oh, and we showed it on our
iPads, of course.

Also! I don't know if you remember me talking about the family we were
teaching before, the Zunigas. Well we had dropped them about two
months ago, but deep down in my heart I always knew one day that they
would accept the gospel, they just needed a little time. Well, me and
Hermana Stohlton had been talking about going back there, but we
weren't sure when would be the right time. We tried a couple times a
couple weeks ago and they weren't home, so we figured it must not be
the right time yet. But one day when we were biking by where they live
I just kind of said a prayer to myself and said to god that the day
that we happen to run into them outside, since we bike past their house
 almost every day, I would know that it was the right time to go
back and teach them. So as we are biking past and we had biked a
little farther. About five minutes away both me and Hermana Stohlton
got the feeling like we should go visit a potential investigator who
lives a couple streets back. So we turned around and went back to the
street. Then when we were on the street there are a ton of people
outside, so we decided to get off our bikes and walk. Right after we
did that, we ran into the Zuniga family walking home from school. So
we set up a return appointment with them, and ever since then they
have been awesome. They are keeping all of their commitments. They are
reading from the Book of Mormon. And it looks like now they are ready
to progress! We are super excited because we were super sad when we
had to drop that family but it felt like the right thing to do at the
time. Some people need a slight separation from the missionaries to
realize the difference in their lives. We were finally able to teach
them the plan of salvation, which is my favorite lesson to teach to
families. It is amazing how much this plan really just makes sense. I
don't know why other people haven't come up with it. I guess that's
why we need prophets, but it seems like if people were just smart they
could come up with it. But it was so cool to see that understanding
enter their eyes. It is so new to people who have been Catholic or
really anything else their whole life.

And mom and dad, congratulations on your wedding anniversary. Although
both of your emails were slightly on the sappy side this week, and we
all know how I feel about sap. But it's okay I will forgive you. And
do you really think I am going to remember your advice about picking
an eternal companion? Come on, I am doing everything in my power to
forget everything about anything to do with finding eternal companion
right now. Boys have cooties. I am going to marry an iPad. Just
kidding, the truth is I don't really like them that much. It has been
quite an adjustment for me and my companion using these iPads. We were
probably the least excited missionaries in the mission to get iPads.

Well, have a grand old day. Share the gospel because it is true. With much love,
Hermana bardsley