Weekend of Harvesting

Hi Family!

Not much to report this week. The weeks are just slipping away. 

Most of this week was spent prepping for our 2 baptisms. 

Tuesday we got to watch Meet the Mormons. It was super good! I'm glad we got a chance to view it :) My favorite story is the one of the candy bomber! I told sis Howard after that THATS ME! haha

The elders also dropped off Krispy Kreme and chocolate milk! :) Its been a running joke for a while and something we have said we needed anytime they asked if there was anything they could do for us. We didn't expect them to actually do it but it came when I was having a hard morning and really needed it. 

Thursday we met with one of our investigators who is on date for baptism. Her name is A and she is the cutest thing. She is so ready for this and excited and I always leave just feeling so uplifted! 

Friday night we realized we still didnt have a pianist for the muscal number we were asked to do at J's baptism. Stressful right? Luckily an hour before curfew one of our ward mission leaders (Captain America haha)  told us He played piano and would be willing to practice and learn the song. What a tender mercy that he could and would do that so last minute and on a friday night!

Saturday we had our 2 baptisms :) P.. and J. Both meetings were so full of the spirit. And one of our investigators was able to go to J's baptism and feel the spirit there. After we got to go over to the temple with her and have a lesson about baptism and the temple. She wants it but is scared about her family and what they will think. She is from Bangladesh so its a hard transition. 

Sunday was a great day. We had both confirmations. The first was P... and the testimony meeting after was incredible. It was one of our recent convert's 2 year mark from baptism and she was the first to testify as she talked about the opportunity it was to renew her baptismal covenants with God on the anniversary of her baptism. It just set the whole mode. It was so focused on conference and missionary work and miracles. An elder who served in this mission 2 years ago got up and testified. He sat right behind P... and was overwhelmed with emotion as he realized part way into the meeting that his sister was a girl he taught when he had served here and to see the influence she has had on her family. There was an amazing spirit there. The bishop said that in all the the testimony meetings he has been to in his life he has never felt the spirit so strong. We then went to J's confirmation and B.. (Returning member) came even though her husband couldn't make it. C.. was at first the driving force but its so cool to start hearing B...'s experiences and her now leading the way to temple covenants. I'm so glad she was able to set that example and come on her own with an 8 month old baby. And then we went to go talk to her in the hall and caught her paying tithing. i was so happy and overwhelmed with joy at the progress she has made. I LOVE their family! Then long story short last night we got a call from J... saying he met up with one of his old friends after his confirmation because he had a layover in salt lake and he started giving him a presentation how he was making a bad decision and giving him all this anti-mormon literature. It was so worry some but it was a trial of his faith. I cant imagine being faced with that so soon after joining the church. He said his faith wasn't shaken though and although he doesnt know everything he told his friend what it comes down to is whether or not joseph smith is a prophet of god and if he is then that's all that matters. I'm so grateful for his faith!

I think that is all for the week! I love you lots! Have a great week!

Sister Balero

General Conference

Well. It has been a LONG week. I dont know why but it seems like decades ago that I last sat at a computer to email. 

Monday I thought we were going to have lots of time and had little to none instead. We went out with sister B like we normally do and then went up to the canyon. Just past Vivian Park. ( All of the stories President Monson talks about being in Provo canyon are there.) And in the canyon we finally got show and tell. The thing about show and tell though is that we cant talk about show and tell. So I have been waiting months to see and I can tell you that it was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life! I wish I could say more. I am just so grateful for all that I have and for the temple that seals us together as families. That evening we met with M to get her baptism record signed and we found out that she didnt know anything about her FHE group. She missed the first one and now she has been totally out of the loop. It made me so sad. So we had our own personal little FHE with her and bought her ice cream after. She is seriously the sweetest thing! I love her!

Tuesday through friday was just full of teaching and finding and meeting.

Saturday we watched the morning session with sister B which was good. Then we went to the H's for the afternoon session. 

Sunday was long. We watched the first session in the morning with some YSA girls and S. One of the girls made cinnamon rolls! Total tender mercy. Then we went to sister B's again. We had some other places we wanted to go but none of them worked out. She fed us in between and the conference report stuff was on the TV in the background. There was a snipit that showed some sister missionaries coming home and hugging their families and crying and it became real and i just started bawling and couldnt stop to save my life. I'm not ready to come home. The thought is just overwhelming. I know there will be good things about it but it was so hard to see it become reality. We then had 2 baptismal interviews which both went well even thought hey took forever haha. It will be a good next week. 5 weeks left. That is insane. I love you all and wish i had more to report. 

Sister Balero