10.14.2024: Tbh I identify as an 🐊🐊🐊

 

Hellooo! 

Thank you to everyone who reached out to me and my parents during the hurricane. I'm safe and doing great! Florida is going through it though, so keep those prayers coming  

SO much happened this week so I'll try to condense everything and keep it brief! 

Our mission president evacuated ALL of the missionaries up to Ocala to make sure everyone was safe... which meant that I lived with 80 sister missionaries for 4 days! It was just a HUGE sleepover x chaos.

These couple days were some of the hardest of my mission so far- if you know me, you know I hate being indoors! Despite it being hard for a slough of reasons, Heavenly Father helped me to learn SO much and see SO many miracles! 

After the hurricane  passed, we got to go back to Tampa and God provided for SO many miracles! Due to the storm, most people were out of power, streets were flooded, SO many trees down, but everyone was home! So we were able to share the hope of Jesus Christ with so many people during these devastating times. 

We met a woman named Felicia who was really down. We stopped her in this flooded parking lot to ask her how she was doing. She was really sad and she shared that she had many trials going on. We shared Helaman 5:12 with her which reads " remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." 

We shared with her that while Florida just experienced a physical hurricane, we each have spiritual and emotional hurricanes as well. However, Jesus Christ provides hope amidst these storms of life. If we make our rock and foundation Jesus Christ, we can endure all of life's trials. 

It was so beautiful to be able to help Felicia know that God loves her and is aware of her. He loves each and everyone of you and knows you perfectly, which is why He sent His son Jesus Christ to provide a way of light and hope  

I FINALLY SAW ALLIGATORS!! 4!!! I'm guessing after the hurricane the water got chopped up and gross so they came out of hiding??? Seriously saw 4 within 30 mins! 

I tried to get a photo of one but it's pretty low quality haha! But basically I found out I really identify with alligators because all of them were just laying in the sun tanning and making a day out of it  

It's the thing on the grass  

Oh, also I moved areas! I'm up in Brooksville now with Sister McClain! I'm loving it here so far! It's more country vibes which is so fun! And I get to drive!! Schwippin it in Florida! 

Spiritual Thought : 

" More important than where you are is the direction you face, and especially Whom you face." - Neil L. Andersen

I love this quote! It can be really easy to get discouraged and feel like we are making no progress in life or that our trials are too heavy. However, it's all about Whom we are looking to for solace. I promise you that as you look and face Jesus Christ, He will face you and you will feel of the infinite love He has for you 

I hope you each have a fantastic week! Love you and miss you! 

 Sister Barton 

Saying bye to sister heath  

My new comp being an angel and cutting this lady's toe nails  

Cows in Florida!?