Hermana Emily Barlow: Feeling the TSAM Pride

The invitations for Pres Nelson devotional :))))

Hey y'all!

Guess what?? Less than 2 weeks until the Prophet comes to San Antonio! Everyone is PUMPED around here. Unfortunately, transfer day is like 3 days before President Nelson comes, so please pray for Sister Monroe and I that we get to stay another transfer or at least be close to San Antonio Haahah :)

We went on exchanges with the San Marcos sisters this week, it was so much fun to be with Sister Boyer again in her area :) and Halloween was kind of a bummer haha. We were planning on going to the Halloween parade that is right outside of the thrift store that we volunteer at, and sitting with Mike and his family who are non members (Mike works at the store). But it ended up raining & we were all out of miles on our car & we weren't allowed to go out unless if we had set appointments. So yeah it was a bummer, but instead we just decided to deep clean our apartment cause it has been needing it haha :))) so woohoo for a clean apartment on Halloween! Saw a lot of spooky things like years of dust build-up under our appliances ;)

Exchanges with San Marcos!

MLC was on Friday, and it definitely made me feel pumped again to go out and do the work! My first MLC, we came up with the goal of 40 baptisms per month as a mission, but since then we have been really slacking at meeting that goal. We talked a lot about recognizing how this is God's time that we're on, and evaluating ourselves on how we are using our time each day to find people to teach. We also talked about being truly excited about the work and helping other missionaries to catch that excitement & motivation to work (One of the AP's talked about having the TSAM Pride and it reminded me so much of having that Lone Peak Knight pride haha) But seriously though it has been so refreshing to renew this excitement to the work within myself, and to also help the sisters in our stewardship to have that same excitement as well.

I got to be a part of my first cottage meeting on Saturday night! Our ward mission leader and his wife hosted us and 2 couples for dinner & games along with us sharing a message. Michele & Elmer came along with Sister Higgins and her husband who isn't a member (He comes to church with her but isn't interested in taking the discussions). It was a really successful cottage meeting! We shared the video "The Hope of God's Light" and Brother Higgins was participating a lot with our conversation after the video. And everyone just got along so well! Also at one point Brother Marshall was talking about serving a senior couple mission with his wife, and Elmer said "Yeah Michele and I want to do that too, right?" He looks at Michele, and she seriously was so sincere with her answer! "Yes I want to do that!" Sister Monroe and I looked at each other and just died inside :))))

And then this morning I just got some pictures from Indira, the cutest girl that got baptized in my last area! She is back in her country in Colombia right now, and she just got to see the newly built temple in her home city of Barranquilla! Seriously just made my day :))))

The gospel is so good, y'all. Words can't even describe how amazing it is to be a part of God's work and to be a servant of the Lord, helping to gather His sheep.