Sunday, April 27, 2014

El Monte week 1!

Okay...... EL MONTE IS ROCKIN!!!!!!!!! There are so many people here
to talk to. We have this problem where we are late to every single
appointment because there are so many people to talk to. But what a
good problem to have!!!! We are having a ton of fun. And all the
missionaries here are like fantastic. There are 4 sets of missionaries
in the ward, and between all of them there is a baptism almost every
week. Man. This place is like a Spanish missionaries dream. And my
companion is awesome. Like, I used to pride myself in how much I
street contacted, but she gives me a run for my money! It is awesome!
We street contact like 30 people a day. There weren't even 30 people
outside in the entire city of chino, so this is like HEAVEN for me. I
love it. Finding people to teach is my favorite part of missionary
work.

ALSO I hope you have all had the chance to see the Easter video
Because of Him. If you haven't, go YouTube it right now. It is only
like three minutes long and super powerful. And then post it on your
face books. They asked us to ask all the members to post it.

Besides that this week was a little rough because we both got really
sick. And I resprained my ankle playing soccer. Speaking of that. When
I lost my wallet in October I lost my insurance cards. I think I need
to go to the doctor for my ankle. It would be awesome if you guys
could send me at least a new regence insurance card. We probably got
the whole city of El Monte sick because we were contacting so much
super sick. It was this super bad sore throat mainly.

Also, hermana Stohlton texted me the other day to say that next Sunday
manny is for sure getting baptized. So pray for him!!

Tell grandma April and grandpa it was good to hear from them and they
can email me anytime they want!

Well, I think that's all for this week!

Have a good one!

Hermana bardsley

[and in response to a separate conversation, Marie had this to say about a Book of Mormon prophet, who left a city and then came back in disguise because his life had been threatened]:

I love that part when abinadi disguises himself because one of the first things he says to them is... "Voila! It's me! Abinadi! I bet you didn't recognize me under this fake beard, but now you do... And I'm here because you still haven't repented!" It's just a face palm moment... Come on abinadi the whole point of a disguise you just kind of... Did you really do that...



Off to El Monte!!!!


So, I am now in the area of El Monte, and my companion is Hermana Hernandez. She is originally from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, but has lived in Texas for the last 10 years. I just got here a few hours ago, so I don't know too much about the area, but I know they baptize like CRAZY here so I am super excited!!

Everything is well, but when you send me another package could you send me another one of those of Dad's water bottles and some more herbal tea? I lost the water bottle and I am out of tea... My favorite kinds are Wild Berry zinger, and any of those good fruity ones. But I like the ones that aren't sweetened with stevia better. Just the regular guys. Thanks!

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

The beginning of the end

Well, this will be my last week in chino! Unless president becerra
receives some last minute revelation to leave me here, but my district
and zone leaders have already told me I am leaving. I love chino but
WHHOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOO! After six months here I am pretty excited for
a change. Exploration is calling!

As for this week, we found a pretty awesome family to teach. The
little girl, Jennifer, talked to us on the street like 2 months ago
and she had said that when she used to go to her uncle's house in
Mexico he had one of our books (Book of Mormon) and that she had loved
to read it, so we gave her a Book of Mormon. She is like 10. Well, we
didn't really think too much of it until a couple weeks ago we ran
into her again, and she told us that her and her mom read it together.
We were like.... "Wwwwhhhaaaaatttt?" So, we started trying to find a
time to teach her and her mom, but her mom works in the evenings and
she is in school during the day so it was really hard. A couple days
later she got out her Book of Mormon to show us and she has her name
written all over the sides of the pages to claim it as her Book of
Mormon. What a precious ten year old, and spiritually sensitive. Very
abnormal for a ten year old to be that into reading the scriptures.
One night we stopped by though and her older sister Monse was home
(who is in her late 20s ish and is a young mom herself) and so we
taught Monse, Jenny, and Monse's husband plus like ten of the
neighborhood kids who all love us and swarmed in. Well it was kind of
a chaotic lesson with little babies screaming and kids running in and
out of the apartment, but Monse committed to pray about what we had
taught and ask if it is true. So the next day we came back, and asked
her if she had done it and she was like "yea, and I felt so much
peace, I slept so well that night, and I just felt peaceful my whole
day at work today so I believe it is all true". It was pretty cool.
This family is super special. It's amazing how by those small and
simple things great things can come to pass. That little ten year old
girl who is so sensitive to the spirit is probably going to be the
means to get this whole family to the gospel and a lot of the
neighborhood too. Because every time we are there we are swarmed with
neighborhood children and oftentimes have to teach a quick lesson to a
hoard of Jenny's friends outside.

And yes, my mission president was called as an area authority. What a
spiritual giant. Wouldn't surprise me at all if he is the prophet one
day.

Many powerful testimonies were given this last weekend, and I would
just like to add mine to them. I know that Christ came to this earth
and payed for all our sins. I know that the only way to true happiness
is through ordinances such as baptism and the sacrament that allow for
us to be washed clean through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.
Without these ordinances none of us can live in the presence of god or
our families forever. And I know that the authority to act in the name
of Jesus Christ to perform those cleansing miracles is only found in
one place, and that is in His church, built upon the foundation He
established, the rock of revelation through prophets, apostles, and
the ability each of us have to receive personal witnesses and
revelations from god. It is the only way back to him. If we do not
share it, we do not love the people around us enough to want to un-
trap them from the personal state of apostasy in which they are in.
The state trapped from sin and lacking the true cleansing power of the
atonement that is made manifest through ordinances performed by His
authority. There is no other way back. So let's share the gospel. Let
us take Elder Ballard's challenge from conference and invite someone to
listen to the missionaries at least 4 times a year so they too can
receive the ordinances of salvation. "Shall we not go on in so great a
cause?"

Love,
Hermana bardsley

Chinoooooooooooooooooooooo

I put one o for each week I've been in chino. So I think I am going to
go to physical therapy for my ankle. It is better mostly, but it
doesn't seem to be healing beyond a point. There are still these
moments about every day where I accidentally jump or point my toe and
it is just like a sharp pain and then I can't walk on it for a few
minutes. Which wouldn't be so bad, except that I'm a dancer.... So I
can't have this injury not heal, I need to be able to point my foot.
It would be most unfortunate if it didn't heal.

As for this week, we may be having a surprise baptism this Sunday of
manny, we are not really sure yet... Pray for him. He is trying to
overcome some things, which if he can overcome he will get baptism but
he needs all the prayers he can get. He is a super awesome guy. I wish
you guys could meet him. He is hilarious. He is a bit of a larger guy,
and he was telling us the other day that we better have the crane
ready for his baptism.

We also have this really awesome investigator named alma, she worked
from 2am to 10am yesterday but still showed up for the last hour of
church. That's devotion. I would not do that. Which is funny because I
was the one who told her she needed to come even just for the last
hour even if she is passed out during it. I definitely would have gone
home to bed, but thank goodness my investigators are stronger people
than me haha! Yea, maybe sometimes I'm a hypocrite, but hey, it's for
their own good! I'm sure she got lots of blessings. The thing is with
these Latinos they are ALWAYS working, most of them at least 12 hours
a day 7 days a week. So if you let them think that god will understand
if they miss church once because they haven't slept in 2 days then you
will never see them again.

But yeaaaaaaa that's about it. Oh did I ever mention that it's kind of
funny that the trader joes chocolate you send me is made in Monrovia?
And Monrovia is inside my mission? So it's funny because they make it
here where I am, and then ship it to you, and then you buy it and ship
it back to me. Yea... So funny....

Love,
Hermana bardsley