Missionary Master Chef

January 21, 2016

HOLA familia y amigos from 104 degree Bahìa Blanca....

Oh my heavens, I am going to die.  We have officially entered into the dead heat of summer and everyone keeps telling us that it’s going to stay this way for the next couple months...greeaaat. I'm just dying, but it’s fine. 

Two Peas in a Pod

How are the rest of you? :) Hopefully enjoying the cold for me!  The only relief we get is from ice cream.  Being in an area in the city of Bahia Blanca has its perks because today, we got to spend our morning playing volleyball with President and Hermana Cifuentes.   Afterward, we all piled into their car and they treated us to ice cream - what sweethearts!  Love that mission president of ours, and yes I got lucky with my shotgun seat. :) 

How Many Hermanas can you squeeze into a car?

We Love Ice Cream

Yesterday (Wednesday) we had the chance to watch a worldwide missionary conference broadcast from SLC.  We got to hear from two of the Apostles - Elder Anderson and Elder Oaks, along with Elder Clayton from the 70, the General YW President Bonnie Oscarson, and a few other leaders of the church talk to all the missionaries in the world.  It was AWESOME!  We had a bit of a slow connection issue, and broadcast to us in Spanish so I didn't understand everything, BUT from what I did understand, I learned so much!  They talked about how we can improve ourselves as missionaries and teachers to better let the Spirit teach and testify to our investigators.  It was like a mini general conference for just the missionaries and was so great to hear from our leaders! 

They say to Share the Gospel with EVERYONE!

Well this week was super busy and went by super quick!  We finally found Juan home again and had a great lesson with him on Saturday.  He promised to come to church the next day...but yeah it didn't happen. :(  Ugh it’s so hard with him because he always says he really wants to come to church and read the scriptures and everything but never follows through on his commitments.  Oh well, as hard as it is sometimes as missionaries, we have to remember that people have their agency to choose and as long as we do our job which is to invite them to come to Christ, the rest is in their hands.  

On the flip side of that experience, we had another lesson with Jessica!  Let's just say that she read the intro to the Book of Mormon and the chapter we invited her to read and had then written a little summary about what she read and several questions she had for us.  Who does that?!  Oh my, she's so great!!  She really is so attentive to what we are saying and wants to do what we invite her to do.  We have another lesson coming up this weekend and are so excited to help her learn more and come closer to her Savior.  

In the April 2015 General Conference, Elder Robert D Hales said "The blessings we enjoy now are because we made the choice to follow the Savior before this life.  To everyone hearing or reading these words, whoever you are and whatever your past may be, remember this; it is not too late to make that same choice again and follow him."  I love this quote because this is really what I am doing right now in the mission.  My purpose is to remind people of the choice they made to follow our Savior Jesus Christ before this life and help them to make it again.  How great is that?  

Life is good folks, super hot and busy, but good :)

My mad pano skills

Wishing you all a great week!  

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Bartholomew 

This week on Missionary Master Chef (Hermana Baird and I are thinking of starting our own TV reality show to teach missionaries how to cook) the Hermanas of Villa Floresta made their own bread, fajitas, fettuccini alfredo, grilled cheese and banana bread again! haha :) 

Missionary Master Chef