Dearest Family-
Where to begin?? I'm in paradise. White sand, emerald water, 70 degrees. palm trees, toads everwhere :) my apartment is spacious and we have a car. Destin is the wealthiest area in my mission, so much so that me and my companion Sister Christian laugh at how we dont got house tracting we go resort hopping bc people here either live in beachside resorts, gated manchine communities, or private condo's. i've seen more Mercedes this week than in my entire life!! Sometimes I just look up at the sun and emerald water and smile and feel full of light and God's love. I've never felt so full of joy as when I'm out trying to teach people with Sis. Christian in all His beauty. He must love me and know me to send me here.I love sis. Christian. She goes home in 6 weeks so she is an excellent trainer, and i as her greeny am "killing her off"! We are the only missionaries in the area which is somewhat hard but we also love the challenge. We have all the control! but it's lonely to a degree. We only have a branch here bc many people are inactive or less active bc they travel so much and have multiple homes, but the ones who are here?! incredible. I love them. I am amazed how quickly I can love them. Particularly Sister Deann Rodgers..we bonded instantly.they are all like mormon paula dean's!! haha but they love the Lord. We both gave talk's this Sunday (how's that for a welcome?!) but it went beautifully!! It's all thanks to the Spirit..My topic was how to be a missionary. I used DC 11:21, 42:131-17, 100:6-8 and Ephesians 3: 14-19. I didnt even look at my written talk! The spirit is amazing and puts into my mind what i need to say in the very moment I need it.
So much has happened i don't know how to begin so I am going to divide it like this: Missionary work is a compilation of a series of triumphs and tragedies. I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK. we have 3 hours of study for my fisrt 12 weeks instead of 2, but after that we go out and DO WORK!! I LOVE finding people and searching for people, however I quickly learned that this can also be very heartbreaking :(
Many people here don't let us in because they are already Baptist, Methodist, or so wealthy and preocccupied by the world they "don't need church, we're very busy". What hurt me most is when we see families come outside to stop us before we even reach the door. One particular time we walked up to this GORGEOUS house and the dad answered the door and put his hand in my face before I could even speak. And then said they were methodist, don't bother...but what really got me, was his little son behind peeked around and looked at me and smiled and said, "Hi! I'm keaton!" he looked 4..then his dad shut the door in my face. I felt so much love for that little boy, I wanted him to know the gospel so bad...it broke my heart to turn around and walk away. But I will spare you of those stories...here are some of the TRIUMPHS!!
The best part about missionaray work is that by doing His work, He is with you and you can feel His will and His love for His children. It is beautiful. Powerful, Pure, and Joyous. Last night, Sunday, we finally had great success. We had been mansion hopping all night, and we were about to go home for dinner but decided to keep trying. We came to the Harris home. It was dark and as we approached there was a man out front smoking and drinking. Bro. harris- He is an excommunicated member...he greeted us. He talked with us...just small talk. I felt such love for Him...I saw HIm as God saw him..A great man who had just lost his way and fallen broken. He invited us in to meet his family!! He also quickly threw out his cigar and vodka I noticed. His wife was cleaning the kitchen and packing lunches and they have 2 daughters, one 14 like Kristen a freshmen, and one 10 like Stacey. It put a lump in my throat to see them and once again I was overcome with love for them. I gave them all this advice about highschool. I told them I had sisters their ages and this softened them. The litle girls never took their eyes off me and we all talked and laughed in their kitchen for almost an hour!! The spirit was so strong in the room family i wish you could've been there!! Then Bro. Harris got out all these photos and showed us pics of back when he was active..this made the mom who is a nonmenber uncomfortable. It got later so we asked if we could come back another time and the mom who was very kind and loving put up a wall suddenly and said basically no lessons. We said we understood so then we asked if we could just share a scripture. The mom was uncomfortable again, but the dad and the little girl lit up like christmas trees and then Leann the one who is Kristen's age looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Do it Sister Betoldo." the parents looked down. I recited my beloved 1 Nephi 3:7 bc I felt i should and the whole time Leann never stopped eye contact with me. I was surprised. We then wished them all goodnight and I told the mom she had a lovely spirit in her home which softened her some and she smiled and thanked us. Then Bro. Harris walked us out and stopped us in the garage and said, "Sisters, can I share a scripture too?" My heart was about to burst..yes yes yes!! we said, and we waited as he fumbled for his scriptures in the garage. He read us Galatians ch. 3 so quietly we couldn't hear a word he said, but we listened. Then the coolest thing, he said, "Can you sisters come back? I have more pictures to show you. I admire you both..and your parents. I couldnt do it. I couldnt serve a mission." yes yes yes!! we said. and we have an appointment to see them next week. As we were walking home, I told Sis. Christian how odd but wonderful it was that Leann was so enthusiastic about the scripture, and she told me,"oh i forgot to tell you! Leann is the only member in the home! she was baptized that's why this family is in our records." I cried. We are determined to help her and her family get back to church. bless her heart!! imagine being the only member in your family. No wonder she wanted the scripture in her home! No wonder she couldnt take her eyes away and asked us to come back!! what a valiant girl.
This is an amazing work. These are GOD'S CHILDREN and I get to go into their homes and feel God's love for them..it is astounding and i am filled with joy...even though the rejection is hard. dad I admire you so much for doing this. Jared my heart rejoices for you for what lies in your near future and it breaks for you bc I know the pain that comes with it to. But it is worth it! 3 other families have let us in this week, i will tell another time, but one lady, Tiarra Cameron, is an inactive. She is a fitness model with her own protein line. We saw her last night and as we neared her mansion and saw hummers with posters of her all over it. She was on her way to the Carribean in the morning for a photoshoot, but her and her daughter felt so familiar to me. I told her my background with fitness and personal training which opened the door ;) and she let us in!! her daughter India is so sweet, Lindsey's age. she has a nanny. Tiarra was very warm and after we talked about fitness we talked about church and she said when she gets back she wants to come and bring her daughter. Sis. Christian shared Moroni 10:32 and the spirit was strong. These aree just 2 stories but as you can see, this is a Marvelous work and a wonder!!
I love you all so much. Mom and dad- thank you for raising me in the scriptures. They are my lifeline here. I don't miss my computer, phone, or fb, I am happy and joyful removed from those distractions and focusing on others, not myself. I see things so much clearer now. I will never be the same and it's only been a week. Know that I am joyous and feel Christ with me. Dad- I'm singing in our branch next week too! and I told the sisters of my dietary needs and they are happy to help me. I love and miss you all. Please write me or send me a healthy package full of turkey jerky or something haha. oh yeah, i find a toad 4 times a day, which fills me with glee!! haha My only day to email is monday so please respond sometime soon, I will write back each monday, but letters I can receive at any time. Also, we volunteer at the local children's library and nursing home. It is a joy. I am also memorizing scripture masteries like crazy...4-5 a week is my goal bc so far that's what i've done thanks to the power of the Holy Ghost, it is far greater than my natural ability! Jared and Kristen- the more you learn now the better you'll be! you are both so amazing. So are you stacey and michael and Haley and Lindsey and Ashley. Our goal is to make this branch a ward within the next 3 months or so. Write back soon, I will send pics. I love you. add this to grandma's emails. mom and dad- you should come here, you would love it!
love,
Sister Bertoldo
