"A candle under a bushel does no good"... or something like that. -Brother Tolbert

Hey, Yall!

I almost wasn't able to write, but I stumbled on some extra time so I'll share a little bit about what's going on here in Oak Grove :)

Russell is great! We saw him three times this week :) He is preparing himself for the covenant of baptism and we are (of course) thrilled to be helping him there! He didn't make it to church yesterday because he was locked in his trailer.... hahahaha, I don't want to talk about it.

Sister Kelly and I went on two exchanges! We are halfway through our tour (We call it a tour to make it sound more exciting). I got to work with Sister Garner and Sister Stephens, two wonderful Sisters that I now love.

There were some meetings, I interviewed with President, saw some Christmas lights (still no snow), Star Wars came out (how do I know? people skipped Church for it..) and we went to Golden Corral with Brother Graves and Sister Curry (two people we know individually but had no idea knew each other. Turns out they're the most unlikely best friends. I'll attach a picture of this, the most awkward dinner appointment of my mission).

We had the chance to share Christmas messages with anyone who would listen. I love Christmas. I especially love this year because as a missionary, I don't get all caught up in Santa Claus and shopping. I love all of that stuff, but it has been nice to be able to focus on our Saviour and to be a reminder of Jesus Christ in others' lives. President Uchtdorf in the Christmas Devotional said
"I invite each one of us to find, during this Christmas season, a  moment in the quiet of our souls to acknowledge and offer heartfelt  gratitude to “the Generous One.” Let us consider the  compassionate, beloved, and boundless mercy of our Father in  Heaven."
As we shop for gifts—as we give and receive them may we also take time to quietly contemplate the bountiful gifts God has showered upon us, His children."

Take his invitation! It has been very rewarding for me and I know it will be for you :) Have a blessed Christmas, everyone! I love you ALL!!

Sister Bartsch

A very awkward dinner appointment - and an unlikely friendship!

Sister Kelly and Sister Bartsch

With the Sister Training Leaders from the Coast!

"Not Lucky.... Blessed" Someone's Front Porch

Hey Yall!

Is there snow where you are? If so, please appreciate it and maybe mail me some. 

So I have been in Mississippi for a week now. This area is very different from Bossier. There's the University of Southern Mississippi (where I am right now) that brings in a LOT more young people. During my time in Bossier, I could count on one hand the number of people I met that were my age. Also, this place is very, very wealthy. Lots of large houses and nice cars. Last night Sister Kelly took me on a tour of Cambrake- a huge community of mansions. It blew my mind. I have seen very few mobile home communities and small homes, which is where I have gotten very comfortable! So this is an adjustment. People in huge houses don't answer their doors to us very often. I guess I can understand, do they even hear my weak knocking?? Door-to-door isn't the most efficient way to share the Gospel in this area, but we do it anyway! Obedience brings blessings, right? 

This last week we spent most of our time helping out at the Stake Center! We had a two-night activity with over 200 nativities, videos, Old Bethlehem for the kids, and pretty musical performances. Coolest part: there was a combined LDS/local Methodist Church Choir led by the music director at USM. It was beautiful. Not as many people came as last year, but I certainly had fun! All the missionaries got to help out and it was a fun way for me to get to know the members here. 

I love Christmas. And the Thomleys in our ward have a CHRISTMAS TREE FARM. They donated a whole bunch of trees to the stake activity AND on Saturday they let Sister Kelly and I share Christmas pass along card with people buying trees. Of course we took lots of pictures. It was the coolest place! 

Despite all the adjusting to the area, responsibility, and companion, I have seen some serious miracles. Russell. Russell is our age and is living with his uncle's family who are members. Their grandfather had just passed away and the family had been struggling with the loss. He had come to church once before I got here and had asked for missionaries to come teach him! I got to be here for his first lesson :) Of course, all his cousins wanted to be a part of this, so the lesson was kind of crazy. They live in a trailer right now while they build a home, and there were brand new kittens and puppies all over the place! Even though it was pretty distracting, the Spirit was really strong. But Russell was really quiet. He listened carefully, though, and accepted a baptism date on January 9th! We left the lesson a little concerned about how noisy it got and how silent he was, but then he came to church! He stayed pretty quiet, but you could tell he was listening. Last night we got to teach him again. This time it was us, a Sister from the ward, Russell, and his uncle. He totally opened up, asked questions, and shared that right before his grandfather passed away, he told Russell that all of the problems we face in life can be solved by the teachings of the Book or Mormon. He told him to learn about it and read it. WOW. We got to teach him about the Atonement of our Saviour and all that it includes for us. 

Teaching about the Atonement is my absolute favourite. I love helping people feel Christ's love for them individually. I love hearing them share the times that they have felt His love and support in their lives. And I am always so grateful to be able to share my personal testimony of Him. The best thing you could ever do is build a relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They are there EVERYday, not just on a really bad or a really good day. They love you always. If you allow them to be a part of you every day life, you will be able to feel their presence and influence easier when times are hard and especially when they are good! Learn to recognize them always, that's what I have been working on, and I am seeing miraculous changes in myself. 

I love the South, I love my companion, and I love being a missionary! Thanks for all your support!

Have a blessed week

Sister Bartsch

"Man's way leads to a hopeless end -- Christ's way leads to an endless hope" -Random President Olsen quote

Christmas.mormon.org

H-burg

MIRACLE: Mary Osburn got baptized last night! She was being taught by Elders in the ward and had been contemplating joining the Church for a while now She received an answer to her prayers! She rushed her baptism so Elder Hendrickson and I could be there, and though it was rushed, everything came together beautifully. She is such a wonderful woman and I was so glad to be a part of her special night!

I got to accept my first transfer, yall!! Bossier has been my home for almost six months now. I absolutely loved it. The most wonderful people live there and they will hold a very special place in my heart. This morning, I got up at 4:30 so I could go say goodbye to sweet Sunny. Talk about a special place in my heart <3 Please keep her in your prayers as she continues to grow and amaze me with her testimony! I also really, really loved my time with Sister Maughan. We experienced the good and the hard of missionary work, that's for sure!! That includes Thanksgiving.

But NOW, I am in Hattiesburg, Mississippi! I will be serving in the Oak Grove area with my very experienced companion Sister Kelly! (Sorry, no pictures yet, we got wet in the rain) I am a Sister Training Leader in the Hattiesburg zone and I'm excited to have some fun with this position. Pretty much I just help out the Sisters in the area in any way I can and I get to trade companions for a day with all of them. These Sisters are wonderful to me already and I can't wait to get to serve them and get to know them better. My area is fairly wealthy, and that can sometimes make finding people to teach difficult. But not always! They have seen some good success here and I am excited to join in the work.

My new address is:
18 Dawn Drive
Hattiesburg, MS 39402

And I wish I had more time to write, but I haven't eaten all day long and we have tons of work to do. I am so grateful for the time I spent in Bossier. I learned volumes about humility and hard work. I discovered what humidity really was and was taught how to make pecan pies. The people there have such open and loving hearts and I truly felt so blessed. I hope to see great things here in H-Burg, too! I love you all. Have a blessed week!

Sister Bartsch