Janice: yall I aint neva in a million years thought I'd live in'a contree of Mis-sippi with a bunch'a cows as neighbors. Me: Gurl, I'm with ya. (hug)

Not a whole lot to report this week! Sister Nash got sick again.. Our Sunday dinner appointment forgot to let us know that they've had a stomach flu going through their family. At least we knew exactly what she caught when she thought she was dying on Wednesday :) God blessed me with a great immune system and I am so grateful!! 

I don't have a picture, but we saw Kaye this week!! She called us in a great mood, we were napping because Sister Nash was sick, and she asked us to come over. We decided it was only fair because we pushed her to go to a baptism.. And then guess what happened? We set her with a baptism date! She still has a lot of things to work through, but we all agree that if this is what she wants, she can do it! So pray for her. We sure are! She wasn't at church again and that was a bummer, but we still have high hopes. 

1. Monday we had zone p-day! Again I wish I had taken more pictures.. But we had a barbeque at the Zone Leader's apartment complex :) and then we played a hardcore game of handball, complete with several injuries. Jack Black taught me that you're not hardcore unless you live hardcore! 


2-4. We taught Britney and her mom was there! We're working on possibly maybe planning a wedding :) And her little Remmy is the cutest. He gave me a flower to put in my hair, that's allowed from a 2 year old, right?? We kept trying to get a picture of one of his silly faces but he switched to a smile at the last second over and over again. What a clown. Britney is doing well! She wasn't at church again this week, but she loves conference quotes and she is slowly but surely progressing. Also, she gave sent us home with a jar of cherry and a jar of lemon lime Koolaid Pickles. Bless her.

5. Dede had a birthdy and we threw her a little party :) Complete with a dog in a duct taped diaper. 

Thank you for all your prayers and love! I love being a missionary and pray every day that I can make some kind of difference in this world. 

Have a blessed week!! 

Sister Bartsch

"Ain't nothin better happen to that turd but innair, who else would I raise hick at??"

The rain!

This week felt like 4 years. The sky was overcast and thundery most of the week, we even got caught in a really bad storm while on campus and were drenched by the time we got to the car. When the rain is bad enough, it looks white, and I miss snow :) 

We did LOTS of service this week. Nailed down vinyl hardwood floor in Miss Kaye's trailer (not the best technique, even I know that), worked at the thrift store, volunteered at Bishop'e Storehouse, and joined the Lamar county cleanup day. Dede spent most of the week with us, bless her, and she already sent my mother most of the pictures I'm going to send y'all. I love getting out and serving, it's nice to make an impact, meet new people, and wear pants! The zone got all mixed up this transfer, so it was nice to see everyone a couple times, make sure they're all alive. 

nailin dem floors

Before we nailed the floor for Kaye, we had a nice lesson! Her commitment was to find a favourite scripture and share it with US. She used the pamphlets we'd given her and chose some in 3 Nephi 27. She said that when she read them she felt peace and comfort and love. Earlier that week she had studied about prophets and had a better understanding of their role to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I just love her. She is marking her scriptures, finding answers to her prayers, and truly trying to improve herself. We woke her up Sunday morning for church, she said she wanted to come, but we think something fell through with her boyfriend giving her a ride. Her phone is off right now, but we are going by tonight to make sure all is well! I just love her. Her progression no longer surprises me! I know she can do this, I can see it! She is getting there one day at a time and I am guiding her and cheering her on as best I can. 

We found two new investigators this week!! That is a big deal for this area. One of them was in Sumrall, our small town that I have been dying to work. And the other was on Sunflower Avenue :) Her name is Jennifer and she seems perfect. We had prayed really hard about where to tract (the same way we prayed in Bossier to find Yolanda on Nattin Street, if you remember), and both felt the need to tract Sunflower! Jennifer let us right in, we taught her a really basic first discussion, and she told us that something has been bugging her to find a church home for her family. SPIRIT. She accepted a Book of Mormon and we will be seeing her again this week! I really struggle with tracting, it is not my favourite thing to do by far, but it is all worth it when we find such wonderful people who let us share our message. There's nothing better! I love when we let the Spirit guide us. There is no way we would be able to find people like Jennifer without help, there are far too many doors! 

This week was a good one. I had lots of pondering moments. I was living a part of one of my favourite talks by Barry Willardson called Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth. He said: 
"I remember looking up into the night sky as we drove on and seeing it filled with stars. ... As I gazed upon the night sky, I had this overwhelming impression that God was in His heaven and was in control. I commented on this to my companion, wondering how anyone could look up into the night sky and not feel the same thing."
There were moments this week where I felt very aware of God, and His plan for me and all of His children. Just driving home at night I thought about how short this life is. How there is so much more to our existence than what we think, and so much more going on than what we see! We have a loving Father in Heaven, a blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, and so much divine potential. I think I shared Hebrews 11 with yall already, but I still love it so much. The whole chapter is beautiful, but verses 13-16, 25-26, and 38-40 bring tears to my eyes. God loves every last one of you, as a missionary I think my heart has grown to be able to feel a little bit of His love for everyone. It's real, I promise. 

The things you feel are as real as the things you see. The Spirit is real because it is discernible.

I love yall. Have a blessed week! 

Sister Bartsch

P.s. a quick explanation about the subject line:  This is a Classic Kaye. She is talking about her boyfriend Tony. And raising hick is kind of like raising Cain, which is like doing mean things, like you know, Cain in the Bible! Raising hick is less violent, I think. 

Lamar County Cleanup!

Curent Purvis District 

Goodbye Elder Peck! He went to the Shreveport Zone!

Lamar County Cleanup!

Lamar County Cleanup!

 MY BABY AND GRANDBABY!!!!

Regan Trussell opened her mission call to the Philippines!

 Sister Scott (MTC companion) came to my Zone!!!! ❤❤

"I really wish yall would go without me, but yall jus aint havin it." -Kaye

I'll be staying here in Oak Grove for another six weeks! That will make six months here :) And six months in Bossier. And two transfers for every companion. My mission is very predictable. But I am thrilled to stay, I love this place and I really feel that the area has turned around. Also the zone is flipping upside down! We are adopting 4 more companionships, changing up a couple districts, getting a new Zone Leader (fifth one I've worked with since being here), and getting a whole bunch'a new missionaries. We even get another set of Sisters! Hooray!

Saturday might have been one of the best days of my mission. Absolutely nothing went as planned! I found out that Nicole's baptism was at 1:00 out in Columbia. I had taught her on exchanges a few months ago and I have been waiting for this day ever since! She still has my Plan of Salvation drawing on her fridge, and she says she is going to get it laminated. Anyways, we can't go to baptisms without an investigator. So we called EVERYONE (because we wanted them to feel the Spirit and learn and stuff, obviously. Not because we wanted to go) and guess who agreed? MISS KAYE. I'm telling yall, she is wonderful. We invited Dede to drive us out there and promised to buy her lunch. All Kaye wanted was a cold Coke. So we have 30 minutes until we have to leave, and we run to Five Guys. Guess who is working? Yolanda! Her daughters were the ones that gave me my whip dance lesson on exchanges in Hattiesburg. YALL SHE GAVE US FREE LUNCH, a wink, and a big hug. Being an STL and doing a bunch of exchanges has never paid off so well. Then Kaye calls again asking us to go without her. Somehow she agreed again (email subject line). We ate lunch with Dede, picked up Kaye, and drove the 40 minutes to Columbia with the windows down. Sister Nash and I were just beaming in the backseat. I hadn't done anything spontaneous in 10 months, it felt pretty good. The baptism was lovely. I was so happy we could be there with Nicole! The four of us almost doubled the people there, so we were glad to support her. After Nicole was baptized, the Brother conducting thought he was funny and said "anyone else want to get in?" I wish yall could see Kaye's face!! She ran. Man, I love her, and I laughed about that for a long time. Afterwards we got snocones and took her back home. She got out of the car and said "See yall ladies tomorrow!" We realized she had just invited herself to Church, and we all drove off in shock. She didn't end up coming, but it's okay :) I felt her testimony grow and I know that is uncomfortable for her. She needed some time. We finished Saturday off by going for Mexican Food with a cute family, and holding kittens. Good day. 

Yesterday Branden came to church! He was a referral from a member that we started teaching this week. We were on exchanges, of course, so Sister Nash taught him without me. He is a big guy with a huge beard and a 5 year old son. Super sweet and interested in the Gospel. I hope to have more news about him soon!

YALL I JUST FOUND OUT I AM A GRANDMA!!!! Sister Maughan is going to be the best trainer. I can't wait! 

This week we began acting on the plans we've made to solve our ward's problems, help our Sisters find new people to teach, start the culture change in the zone, and change the reputation of this area. Things are going well, thanks for the prayers :)

On Monday night we met Jeremy in Kaye's trailer park. He seemed to know the Bible well, have good outlooks, and an interest in the Gospel. He's one of those people that refuses to call us by our last name and feels the need to tell us his opinion on every controversial topic. It's hard to get anything passed his head to his heart, if you know what I mean. It's hard to explain. But by the third lesson we were struggling with him not understanding what our purpose is and why we leave him commitments. For example he says "When I pray I just say thank you, whenever something goes right I say thank you. That is just how I pray!" and we invite him to begin forming a relationship with God! Talk with him, thank him for your blessings, but also ask him for help, guidance, and truth! He was kind of fighting us with stuff like this as we were trying to leave, and he just wasn't understanding. Sister Nash looked him in the eye and said "Jeremy, we invite people to change. (long pause) To come closer to Jesus Christ. Do you want to change?" He didn't give us a solid answer, but she sure got me thinking! I am so grateful for change! I have seen so many wonderful people change before and during my mission. I have had hope for change in myself and others my whole life. I love knowing that it is always possible through our Savior Jesus Christ. It's never too late! We are never too far! I invite people every day to make simple changes that will bring immeasurable blessings, and I have made those same changes in myself. I can't put to words how much happier I have become over the last 10 months. So, everyone, you know it's coming, I invite you to make a change! Do something more! Maybe that means beginning to pray, going to the temple more, or showing a little extra love to others. Tell your Heavenly Father you want to make this change. He will not only help you, but he will also bless you :)

Most Southern moment of my life. Kaye just got her riding lawnmower back from being fixed, she rode down to her big burn pile in the back of her trailer park so we could help with her bonfire. She sends us back to the trailer to get a rake and a HUGE dog broke it's leash and jumped on Sister Nash (she's ok) and so we woke up the owner and she came out in her pajamas to chase it down. 

Turns out the dog's leash was an extension cord.. so we all followed her with the cord, Kaye on the mower, and Sister Nash with the rake. I was at the back laughing so hard I couldn't hold my camera still to take pictures. I had to get a side shot of Kaye so you could see the Coke and the slippers, too. WHERE AM I? 

I love you all so much. Thank you for your sweet support :)

Have a blessed week!

Sister Bartsch

"Somewhere between now and your third child you will realize the mission was the best thing FOR your life." -Brother Tolbert

Lots happened this week!!!

Crawfish cookin'

Southern food. Yall, I had some experiences this week. First, Kool-Aid Pickles (Koolickles) ARE SO GOOD. I never would have expected it, but I am going to get the recipe out of this guy and show all of you. He's trying to keep it a secret, but I think I can trade the gospel for the recipe, c'mon. It looks like you might have already seen my crawfish boil, that was a first for me! But Southerners know what they are doing. Dede & Joel and Britney & Matthew bought 40 pounds of live mudbugs from Petal, MS and there was SO MUCH. We are actually doing another boil today for other missionaries :)

This week was MLC!! As usual, I loved seeing everyone. We counseled and decided on some more big changes for the mission! We'll be telling the Zone on Wednesday, I really hope they catch the same vision we have. This mission could really use a culture change! And we are trying to bring it about by following advice and suggestions from the Missionary Department. Pray for us! The highlight of my MLC weekend, though, was seeing my baby, Sister Maughan!! We got to stay the night at her apartment in Madison :) She is doing so well. We laughed and cried and I still love her so much.

 Koolickles

And then, of course, General Conference! I've never looked forward to it like I have on my mission. I sit and listen to every word and I love it. For me, the theme was reminding us of our divine identity as children of God. Understanding that is something that changes us! I know God loves me, I have felt that love. And I have felt small little bits of His care for others as I serve them. I know our loving Heavenly Father sees so much potential in each of us. With obedience to His guidance we can reach that! Our Savior Jesus Christ has a greater understanding of our lives, all that we go through, all that is asked of us, all of our struggles, and all of our rejoicing than we could ever imagine. He is only as far away as we push Him! I'm working every day to let Him help me, to follow His promptings instead of my own silly thoughts, and to trust in His timing. By doing all of that I know that He will make of my much more than I ever could make of myself :)

This is such a happy time for me. Being a missionary is so not what I expected it to be. But I love it! The more I consecrate myself, the happier I am. I know that I have so much support from home, I know that there are people praying for my companion, my investigators, my area, and little 'ol me! I know that I am simply telling the children of God the truth all day every day. And there is just nothing better than that! Yesterday I was driving (kind of fast) down long windy roads from Sumrall to Oak Grove between General Conference sessions. Leaving the crawfish boil was hard, so we were running behind, I was even still eating a koolickle.  Everything was so green and pretty, we were listening to some folk-y hymns, and pondering General Conference messages. I've never felt more Southern. And I realized how happy I really am right now! Prayers are answered and the Atonement is real. Hallelujah!

2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (I love this whole chapter.)
16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

And I love every last one of you.
Have a blessed week!!

Sister Bartsch

Baby Gurl

Britney!

Crawfish cookin'

Britney's son Remmy during conference. Happiest kid. 

Crawfish cookin'

Driving to MLC

Sister Stephens and I on splits.

3. SouthMouth deli plays good music AND has yummy food. We go often.