Sister Dakota 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