Not running faster than I have strength...but enough that my lungs are burning

Hey Ya´ll

Well, we had a pretty good week this week, under the circumstances. Hermana McMaster was way sick this week. I felt really bad for her, being that sick, much less being that sick during her last week in the mission. She was a trooper, though. We worked every day. We did go home early two nights, but I was just amazed that she was working at all. She was sick, sick. But she´s feeling better now. Mom, I already know you are going to ask if I took Echinacea….yes…and many other vitamins : ) I feel fine. I think I got lucky, usually when one is sick we´re both sick.

Well, we had a really good week, but unfortunately it was raining Sunday morning so hardly anyone came to church. I thought a lot about you guys while we were walking to church. It reminded me of taking summer morning walks with Momma back at home. So peaceful. It was a beautiful experience. Trunky as it may be. Jajaja.

I found out this morning that my new companion will be Hermana Campos. She is from Santiago. I think I´ll probably be with her for two cambios, so my Spanish should be amazing by the end of this companionship. I don´t think that she speaks near as much English as Hermana Aponte, so I can´t even cheat : ) It´s going to be solid Spanish for 3 months. That´s good stuff. Just this morning I was praying and asking that Heavenly Father will help me learn the language better, and to help me have the discipline to only speak Spanish to my companions…well, prayers are answered. He must have known I don´t have the discipline strong enough so he just took away the other option : ) Hahaha. I am excited to work with her. I think I am going to learn a lot. I think that she is still pretty new in the mission too, so it will be good to learn from each other.

The Spanish is really coming along well. I mean, I think I am to the point right now where I know how to speak pretty decently, but I get hard on myself when my mind doesn´t think fast enough. I need to count my blessings though, everyone says my Spanish is really good, but I think maybe they’re just being nice. I am excited to learn a lot the next few months. I am starting to pick up the subjunctive a little bit more. That one is always the hardest, but I like it. It´s fun to learn and listen to.

We had a really great Noche de Hogar with the ward this week. I think it inspired the members to take more part in the work. We had some very powerful testimonies shared, including the testimony of a friend of Claudia (our recent convert who is deaf), Christina (who is also deaf). She shared that because of Claudia, she has began sharing with us, and she told everyone that she would really like to be baptized as well! It was neat to hear her testimony, as it was the first time that we had heard her share it. I think it was good for the members to see that people are prepared, we just have to invite them. Please, I am begging you all. Be member missionaries. Give the missionaries in the ward one referral a month. Just think of the people that you know that could be prepared and then pray about it. I know that we know so many people that are or have been prepared to hear the good word. Share it!!!! Don´t be selfish. Help the missionaries. The work would be so much more effective if the members took the counsel of the Prophet and became missionaries too. That is where the work is successful. That is where the members are retained. Please do it. If you don´t I´m going to chew you all out a lot when I get home : ) …but seriously. Also, please pamper the Elders in the ward. Just spoil them. Do anything for them. Their lives can be hard sometimes. DO IT! They will love you more than you think for it.

I love you guys more than I can say. You all are the best. Thank you for the emails.

That´s about all the news I have for this week. I resent the pictures from last week. Pretty cool experiences right there. Oh, the adventures of the mission. I remember that when I started to think about going on a mission, Mom said, “Well, I can´t imagine that she´ll turn back now…she can´t live without adventure.” Let´s just say I am so very glad that the Lord gave me the opportunity to have this adventure. I know that I will never ever regret this. It’s such a tender mercy in my life. How undeserving I am of such a great thing! Gosh. Love this.

I love you all tons.

-Hermana Bertagnole