Mom and Raincoats

MTC District

WE GOT AN INVESTIGATOR!!!

Well I have way too much to tell you than I have time for!
Tuesday...WE GOT AN INVESTIGATOR! It was so exciting!! She has been wanting to be baptized since she was 12 but has been in Foster care and has not had permission. She is turning 18 on July 4th though and can finally be baptized! The only bummer is that our first lesson with her is when we went on exchanges. :'( So I have not met with her yet.

That night we went to a Progressive dinner in one of the wards which was awesome because we got to know the members better and build their trust and got to meet some less actives and a nonmember! 

One tender experience I witnessed. The nonmember stopped a lady in the ward as she was on her way out and said "Let me know if you need any help because I know what it's like to be a single mom because I was one." The other lady said thank you with tears in her eyes and left. If only all of us could be that receptive to peoples needs and kindly do what we can to let them know that we are there for them when they need it.

 Wednesday I got my package with 2 letters and 4 letters in the mail! And the day before 3 letters! It was awesome! I love getting mail! :) We also had the trek fireside that day! It was great! I felt the spirit so strong!! And memories came flooding back!

Thursday we went to the temple which was great. We then went on exchanges which were good. I love being able to teach but its hard when the only time I do teach is on exchanges! And back in our area I was missing our investigator lesson and they had 5 lessons which is more than we have even had in a week so far. I guess I will have plenty of opportunities in the future though! The Jensens remind me of us though and its our 3rd Payson family! haha. The other family is the Phillips!

The Phillips are awesome! I love them to death! They all remind me of Fairy in their own way but the youngest McKenzie especially. We have been spending a lot of time together and they are awesome! And they are all sooo talented!! The oldest Megan wants to serve a mission and she writes and plays songs on the guitar! She is incredible! I could listen to her forever! She gave us a CD of one song she went and recorded and it is amazing! She is so talented!! We listen to it on repeat and told her she better record more! Even if its just with an Ipad or something! You have no idea! so Friday night was Amanda- the middle girl's birthday so we went over and played volleyball with them and had cake and icecream and sang songs together! It was so much fun! 

We got some new skirts! Momma helps with sorting donations and stuff so she got a bunch of free skirts! Now I have 3 more than I had!

Yesterday was Fathers day! Happy Fathers day! And for breakfast we had a delicious breakfast at mom and dads. And then we had two dinners planned! Thank goodness one of them changed it to lunch. So we ate breakfast for lunch at the Phillips and then we had dinner later.

So that's my week in a nutshell!

A couple of last things.

Also one of these past weeks 940 missionaries entered the MTC! That's a record!

Oh and I got a small package with sticky notes and thank you cards from Sister Harrison which was awesome! I can't wait to use them! :)

Well I think I got everything! LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU LOTS!!! :)

Love,

Sister Balero

Pictures, Pictures, and More Pictures

More Pictures!

 Sister Balero and Sister Rees

 Sister Balero and Sister Rees

Sister Balero and Sister Hadley

Provo Food!

Did I mention that the average weight gain of missionaries in Provo is 60 lbs? Its no wonder why. Delicious food!

Sister Balero and Hermana Rhoten

Sister Camry Balero and Hermana Rhoten

Happy Father's Day

 

 

Okay so this week has been all over the place! First of all HAPPY FATHERS DAY ON SUNDAY! I can't wait for you to get my card! :) Secondly, Megan- I cannot wait until you enter the MTC this Wednesday! YOU WILL LOVE IT! :)

Tuesday was pretty much the best day ever because WE GOT A CAR!! It is a beautiful 2013 Toyota Corolla. The only downfall is its not a Camry! haha. We were crazy and dancing all over the place when we heard the news! We first introduced out beautiful car to the Batman soundtrack and we named him Bane! Cade Farmer will appreciate this! haha.

We then found out that we had to do exchanges the next day and were frustrated but they needed to be done. So we had a training meeting Wednesday morning and I got to see some MTC friends Sister Hadley, Sister Rees and Elder Niuia-Tofa! It was great to catch up with them! I then went on exchanges. I got to teach for the first time!! It was awesome! I just focused on the people and I loved the experience because of it! I definitely missed Sister Reynolds though!

I feel like this is so short but I don't think there is anything else of importance to report. Just one last experience I had. I was thinking about the age change and how it affected so many individuals and how many of them felt like it was an answer to prayer as I did and we knew it was for us immediately. I think we were all foreordained to be a part of this change to be that group to start this last final big wave of the gospel. And the spirit touched us when we heard the change. We knew because the spirit brings us into remembrance of the things we knew before. We remembered our plan. We knew it was our own God given plan then because we knew it before and we were prepared and excited for that experience! How cool is that! It really hit me.

Also I was reading Alma 4 yesterday and the people were afflicted because of the loss of their brethren. But it says they were awakened to a remembrance of their duty and began to establish the church and thousands were converted because of their diligence. We may struggle or be weighed down but we need to remember our purpose and as we focus on that we will forget our struggles and experience great joy because of those we will bring unto Christ and the joy they will experience!

I love you all and thank you for all of your letters and words of support and encouragement! I really appreciate it! You're all wonderful!

Your Sister in the Gospel,

Sister Balero

"The longest and hardest week of my life...but it is in those moments when I forget myself and go to work that all of a sudden everything makes sense again and I do not need to worry "

I have so much to write this week and no time! I'm sorry I wasn't able to write yesterday. Because of Memorial Day, everything was closed. Well, this week was the longest and hardest week of my whole life. There were so many times I just wanted to give up. Monday was P-day which was fun! We  played sports! And then calling home was wonderful!! :) Tuesday we got temporary bikes and when we went out to see people the bike I got from the mission basically died on me. The brakes did not work and the seat practically fell off. There were also a lot of other problems that we were stuggling to deal with. Then that night we got our other bikes which were much better but we learned that riding a bike in a skirt is not so much fun! There is a constant breeze here that picks up your skirt, and they ride up and if your skirt is too long it gets caught in the bike. There are also a lot of hills here. I am seriously wondering why the Elders got the new car... I'm trying to be positive but it is a challenge trying to stay modest. Wednesday I got a blessing which was exactly what I needed to hear. We also tried a Thailand fruit which was delicious because the family we ate with had gone on a trip to Thailand over thanksgiving!  Thursday we began running...6:20 am. Already a bad start. We were going to run 1 mile at first. I am super out of shape but thought I can handle one mile. Right at the start there was a hill and I was struggling so much. I felt so sick. And I pushed on because of my Payson Mom but then had to stop because I felt so sick! And we weren't even close to finished. I was dying and it was like Satan had been collecting all of my doubts and fears that I had pushed aside and in that moment dumped them all on me. The weight was more than I could handle. I was walking and Momma kept saying just pick up your feet and keep going but I couldn't and I walked more than I should have. When I finished I was a mess. I felt so sick and when we went home I just cried. I didn't know what to do because I couldn't get rid of all that was dumped on me in that moment. I felt a little better later. For dinner we ate at a home where they had our plates which was such a tender mercy but made me miss home a lot. Friday my companion and I went to talk to President McCune about some things and I didn't feel as resolved about them as I had hoped I would but then we went to the temple and got to participate in Sealings which was a neat experience. We also got to see Sister Harrison and went and ate at this place called The Awful Waffle and it was DELICIOUS! They have waffles, crepes and pizza! I got an omelete type crepe and it was so good! I wanted to try everything though! Saturday we did a lot of service got to go visit some people which was awesome! Sunday was the first day that I had that I felt so good and so productive. We spoke in 2 wards, made cupcakes, met with a Relief Society president, and went to Mission prep to help out. When we got home I said that I felt that I deserved a Gold Star for the first time in the field and immediately I was more sick than I have ever been in my whole life. My comp and I have been sick with our stomaches upset but not too bad for the last two weeks but all of a sudden I was just so sick. I spent practically the whole night in the bathroom crying. All I wanted to do was call my mom and the fact that I couldn't do that crushed me. Sister Reynolds let our Payson mom know that we wouldn't be able to run in the morning and the next thing I know she is over at 11:30  at night with every sort of thing you could imagine to help me feel better! I was so glad to have her in that moment of need because I couldn't have my own family. And then she acted out all of her very dramatic vomiting experiences. She was so out of it and it was hilarious! haha. I finally fell asleep at 3 I think. I barely ate anything yesterday because there was no way I was going to be sick any longer. One of the Elders also told me that it was my fault that I was sick and that I chose to be sick.I was so upset and was wondering if it was a righteous desire to have him take all of the pain and sickness I felt so that I could tell him he chose it. Probably not though! haha. It was Brooklyn's 5th Bday ( sister) and we just spent all day out in the sun while they played on the water bounce house. haha. Anyway it has been a rough week and I wish I had more inspiring things to say but I am out of time completely! I love you so much! I am feeling better and hope I can make you proud! All of you praying and supporting me is what keeps me going! It is in those moments when I forget myself and go to work that all of a sudden everything makes sense again and I do not need to worry. Also, Momma shared with me a talk I believe although the clip said Advice from Elder Bushe. I encourage you all to find it and listen or read it because it is incredible and helped me get through one of the roughest weeks of my life. (Christa-Maybe you can share it on my fb?) Well I love you! Stay strong even when life is tough!

Love,

Sister Balero