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January 23, 2017

Hola familia y amigos!!

Random picture...GIANT PEAR!

Hope you're enjoying a nice peaceful winter in Utah because I'm dying of heat and suffering from claustrophobia with how many people are here in Mar del Plata on vacation.... IT’S NUTS!  It will all be over in like 1-2 months though... I can make it right? J

Well, this week I have some really great news.... 

1 - Remember my investigators in Olavarria, Claudia and her kids Yael and Francisco??  Well, THEY GOT BAPTIZED THIS WEEK!!!!!!! I'm still waiting for someone to send me photos so hopefully I’ll send some next week, :) but I am just so so happy for them and the choice they have made to follow our Savior.  It wasn't easy, but these last few weeks as I've been able to communicate through email with them since I left Olavarria, I have been able to see how prepared they truly are in this moment and the happiness the gospel has brought to their lives.  Yael and her sister Ludmila are even going to EFY this next weekend with the youth so that's super exciting too!!! 

Yael sent me this picture last week of her and her family at the church

2 - So it just so happened that on Saturday evening, while Claudia and family were being baptized in Olavarria, Hermana Davidson and I had a lesson here in Puerto with our investigator Gloria.  When we got to her home, she had a surprise for us.... ICE CREAM 🍦!!  She knows us so well! ;)  It was like 100 degrees all day and she said she was thinking about how hot and tired we probably were from walking out in the street all day so she bought us ice cream.  What a sweetheart right?!?!  Best investigator EVER!  But let's stop talking about my favorite food group and actually get to the lesson. 

So we talked to her a little bit more about baptism to help her better understand the covenant that we make and help her feel ready for this step.  We read in the Book of Mormon with her from Mosiah 18:8-10, and focused on the part that talks about that if we have desires to follow Christ and serve him and others, what's stopping us from doing it and getting baptized? Gloria expressed to us how her family (minus her dad who is already a member) doesn't support her in the decision to be baptized. In that moment, I felt impressed to share the story of a really good friend of mine that went through a similar situation before her baptism a couple years ago.  As I testified to Gloria about the importance of the decision she is making and how her Heavenly Father is so happy and proud of her and will help her every step of the way, I just felt such a peace and happiness in knowing that God really prepares his missionaries to find and teach the people that he knows need them.  I know that our Heavenly Father loves each of us and is always looking out for us and puts the people that we need, and that need us, in our path.  

So long story short... we helped Gloria feel better and set up her baptism date.... FEBRUARY 18th!!!!! :) Hna D and I are so excited for her and are so so happy and grateful to be able to meet her, teach her, and help her make this important choice in her life.  

I hope you all have a fantastic week!! Don't be too jealous on Saturday when you think of me getting to listen to an apostle speak to my mission ;) 

Con amor y leche, 

Hermana Bartholomew 

ps I think our awesome week had lots to do with this milk that I bought...It had a boost of FE (faith) ;) 

pps.  I hate bagged milk.... 

I'm so sick of bagged milk...someone please give me a gallon...NOW!!