Transfas!

.. I'm working on dignifying my language. haha, one day in District Meeting, in front of the Zone Leaders and Assistants to President Miller, my friend Elder Bird said, "Ya, it's like what Sister Batchkoff says.. what do today what you can put off til tomorrow?" . .... I DID NOT SAY THAT hahaha . But it was still funny. anyway. :)

  Sooo I'm getting transferred ! To Rio Rancho/Corrales, NM. I have been there a couple of times for exchanges and stuff like that, so I kiiind of know what it'll be like. But still, not really haha. It is all in comPLETEly trusting in the Lord on this one. He has taken me to places I never knew I needed to be ..the biggest one being a mission. haha. But it really does not matter what we want, if it's not what we need.

  So we ended this past week with a BANG. On Thursday, we were packed with appointments in the afternoon and night, but we were going from one appointment to the next one that we had at church, and I thought. We need to visit Salvador. We hadn't been able to visit him all week because the nights had been so busy, and we had like. 10 free minutes to spare. But it was so strong that we needed to visit him. Sooo we go by there, and we're all talking, and a van pulls up. And he's all, "Oh, son los Testigos de Jehovah.. les dije que pudieron venir hoy." ...meaning..'Oh, those are the Jehovah's Witnesses. I told them that they could come by today." because Salvador is naturally a nice person. Soooo. They come up to all of us while we're talking to him, and we said hi and they sat down and stuff, and it was a father and son. And so we kept answering the questions of Salvador, and then Salvador offers the father a pamphlet to read along. He couldn't accept it, and we started talking about our differences. We were listening most of the time, but the father was explaining how they don't add on to other books, and Salvador pulls out this pamphlet of Joseph Smith's testimony that we had given him the lesson before, and he's all, "Oh no! But Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon with the power of God too! Here, you can have this pamphlet about him if you want, and see!" because Salvador is so innocent. Hahaha Salvador :D even though the man couldn't and didn't desire to take it. It was so insane though, because the entire time I was thinking. WOW. What would have happened had we not come by when I felt like we should have? What would have happened had I not said anything ? So if something is right, we have GOT to speak up, no matter what the opinions are of others. And if something is wrong, we should speak up. We just need to speak up in anything. Because I have learned that in doing so, we're learning how to not be ashamed of ourselves, and how to be true to ourselves.

  Another thing that happened this past week .... at District Meeting on Friday, a meeting with us and like. 3 or 4 other companionships of missionaries that we have every week, Elder Naumann, our District Leader, had asked us the night before to bear our testimonies on the Plan of Salvation. So. There are SO many things that we could talk about, and I hadn't planned anything to say..so we go up there, and immediately it came not my head that I needed to talk about the deaths that have happened while I've been on a mission. From Abraham, our investigator, to Uncle Bob, to Charlie, all in a transfer or so. Sooo. I started talking about that, not knowing what to say, but saying it. And I was looking at the missionaries as I was doing it of course, and this one Elder in particular's face was bright.red, and there were tears streaminggg down his face. And so I just kept talking, trying my hardest to help in the best way that I could, and after I was done, this Elder keeps looking over at me, with the sincerest smile I think I have ever seen in my life. I thought that I may have just been over thinking it, but he texted us that night to say, "Thank you so much for your testimony Sister Batchkoff. You said the things I really needed to hear." going on and on about how much he needed it. And I became so overwhelmed, and so mind blown. Finally seeing that I have truly truly helped someone. Because we know that we are always helping somebody, whether it be us or someone else. But I never really knew who I helped. But that was one of the first times I felt most effective as being God's hands, in saying what He wanted me to say to help another one of His incredible missionaries keep going, to be able to save others' lives. I'll take it. I just wanna help someone.

  That happened on Friday. Andd then on Saturday, we went with the Young Men and Women to go do service in this homeless shelter. And it was like the ones in the movies. We walked into their MPR, and there was this woman who may have been a druggy who was making us all smile as we go in...and we were there to serve them lunch. And while we were doing it, I was looking around at these people, who were braiding each other's hair, who were with their families without a father. There were so many different circumstances, and it was so sad seeing them all like that.. just living in a homeless shelter. I don't know how they can do it. I just wanted to know every story, and what happened exactly. Because these people I'm SURE weren't planning on being homeless. But it's interesting. Our choices really really DO map out our lives.

  Sooo. So much more has happened, but this is already way long. Hugo, our investigator, has had a complete change of heart for the better over the weekend. He's going through a hard time, and was questioning whether God was with him, or if He even exists. But he knows for a fact now. Allll of these incredible little things that keep happening. It's amazing.

  El ser u miembro de la única iglesia verdadera es algo que yo no puedo comprender. Lluvia o sol, a fuera o adentro, vamos a tener la esperanza del Evangelio de Jesucristo. Y si nada mas, El esta con nosotros. Si estamos en un mundo extraño con extranos en nuestro alrededor, todavía vamos a tener a nuestro Salvador. El ha vivido lo que vivimos día tras día. El ha sentido lo que sentimos, y ha enfrentado lo que enfrentamos.

me faltan 1 1/2 semanas hasta el 1 ano de esta misión :o!! Hasta el Lunes....

La Hermana B.

Transfer week whatt!!!

This Saturday. It's goin. DOWN. haha not really, I'll probably be here until March 14th, 2011. Leave day haha. But I'm okay with that ! So this week has been a really good one. It's really all about finding the balance of work and life, I've realized. If you have too much of one or the other, something will NOT feel right. Because we all have this potential that God has put in us, and we have one life to use it. And how disappointing will it be looking back on our lives if we can't look back on them with a smile. If we can't look back and say that we lived it up while still doing all that we needed to. Hermana Perez told me earlier, "One of the most handicapping things that one can do is treat someone for who they were yesterday." And I sat there and thought. .. ..... ":O!" How often do we look back on ourselves instead of not looking at what we have become ! If we are constantly looking back, it'll be so much easier to become who we're looking back on. Because it is so hard for the world to accept new people, and changed people. But the incredible thing about the gospel is that it changes us so much, to the point that it makes everything in the world seem so unimportant.

  On Tuesday we had a Zone Training with President Miller and all of the missionaries in our Zone. And our Zone Leaders felt inspired to teach us about how to 'learn, apply, and Endure'. I'm guessingg. That it's been tough for missionaries to be happy, generally. So the Zone Leaders said they were going to ask a couple of the happiest missionaries they knew to share what THEY do to make them the most happy. They called on 2 Elders, and then they say, "Sister Batchkoff. What is it that YOU do to stay as happy as you are on a mission?" And you know what. I had absolutely NO clue what to say haha. So I agreed with Elder Dunnington, when he said that we need to seek out the little things that keep us happy. And I also said that when we have our hardest days, when we're tracking in the sun or when investigator after investigator drops us in one day, it always ALWAYS helps me to think. "k. A year from now. this will be funny. but today it's not." hah ! It keeps a perspective, and also realizing that our lives are not nearly as hard as the ones who we are going and visiting. A perspective is what helps any one of us keep on keeping on, and also ! Finding what truly makes you happy and holding on to it. The simplest things are what we all need to do to keep us from getting caught up in a not-simple world. We just have to put the gospel in everything we love to do. And we'll love life! Haha. Another thing I realized is that all of the 'examples' of happiness came from the Spanish missionaries. I'm just saying :x. hah j/k. The English Elders are incredible too :)

  Another thing I realized, though. is that we never ever know what is going on deep down with every single person we talk to. People see us missionaries as such happy people, people who are untouchable from the world..or so I've heard. How crazy :o but we have so much deep down, that nobody deserves anything less than the most love that we have.

 Anyway. I have a scripture for y'all that I read! Well. A scripture and some chapters.

Luke 7:44-47, Luke 8

AMAZING.

La iglesia es verdadera. El amor es lo mas necesario si queremos tener una vida feliz.

Hasta el Lunes !

La Hermana B.

Salvador!

WUDDUPP fam !! Sorry.... We've been at da aquarium all day long, so we're just getting e-mail done right now :o

  But hey!! Salvador got baptized on Saturday!! It was SUCH a cool baptism. Apparently, after he got out of the water and went to change, Elder Naumann asked him how he felt and he said all happy, "I feel like a new person!" haha he. is SO incredible ! He seems so much happier, and I feel like HE feels like he's somewhere where he belongs now, which people who really truly care about him. Cool huh. :)

  So! Salvador's baptism happened. It was so weird, the service started at 3 p.m., so we had the morning to get ready with everything. And Satan was working so hard on us! He was trying so hard to get into our heads, so we were trying to keep ourselves from being stressed out, because the rest of us felt absolutely calm, but he was just trying to get into our heads so much, and give us a reason to stress out, or freak out. But everything went way well. And it was so cool, because Salvador was a referral from the English-speaking Elders.. they had knocked into him, and they were SO excited to find out he was getting baptized, so them along with sooo many other missionaries were there for him. HOW amazing. :)

  That has been what we have been working on all week long, so I don't really have much more that's that interesting. But LUCKY. We have a GRIPP of cool pictures to send ya'll's way ;)

  One thing that I have been learning so much about myself lately is how unbelievably weak I am! It's not fun at.all having it thrown in your face constantly, but Heavenly Father gives ou just enough to chip you off and keep you going. All my life I have been a people-pleaser.. and because of that, I have always looked for ways to relate to others, without being able to truly trly be myself. So after the baptism, us and the Elders went to this El Salvadorian restaurant to have pupusas, and I asked the simple question.. 'what are your dreams?' ..and when it came to it being my turn, I had absolutely NO idea what to say. Everyone knew who they were so much, and had their distinct answers picked out. And when it came to it being my turn, I didn't know what to say. I just want to be happy. So as long as I'm happy, I would imagine that that would be the dream. But that was nothing specific. So I went home, completely crushed. And I started going through Ensigns and Liahonas, looking for what I thought was beautiful. Getting absolutely no other outside opinion but my own, so that I could truly decide for myself. And I put all the pictures I found in a notebook.. and this is some of what I came up with..

-special needs children

-interracial couples

-prisoners who listen to church speakers who go to prisons to give firesides

-happy fathers with their children

-children laughing

-how people look when they cry

-women with no makeup

the simple things like that. so what's beautiful ? and who ARE we really, rather then defining ourselves by what we wear. what do we want to do with ourselves, and the beauty that we all have ?

Anyway though. That's what I got for this week. I have A LOT of pictures to send y'all.. and not a lot of time. So the Church will ALWAYS. be absolutely true. On the flip side.. 

La Hermana B.

Todays the 11 month! :o

Whoa. So guess what CHECK IT. Salvador's getting baptized this Saturday whoop WHOOPP ! I. am SO excited for him ! He's already changed so much. It's so SO cool seeing how the changes someone makes on the inside show so much on the outside, just in how differently they act. It's like Heavenly Father just chips us and refines and refines and refines us, so that others can see Him when they look at us.

  So I'm way excited for Salvador. But we can use all the prayers that we can get k ! This week could be a hard one for him. But it's GO time down here. It ain't NOTHin.. ... ? hah

  Also, we've been having thunderstorms like.whoa. over here. We were gonna leave a less active family's home last night at liiiike. 8:45 or so. But out of nowhere, it just starts. POURING. and thundering, louder and brighter than I have ever seen it before in.mylife. So we stayed there a little longer, since it wasn't too safe. And Hna. Orozco gave us milk and homemade copies and bread.. anndd then. When we saw that it wasn't dying down at all, we just decided to go home so we wouldn't be way late. And we start driving out of the neighborhood, and the streets have waves of water, and the water was up to where our doors start ! hah after only like. 20 or 30 minutes of it. Crazy huh :o

  Umm. We et someone named "Angel Fire." He was a borracho-a drunk- who was outside his apartment, and we were on our way to an appointment. But. He was outside, so we went up and talked to him. So we start talking to him, he tells us his name is Angel Fire, and he has his 40 right next to him. And we did what we do ! We started bearing our testimonies to him, telling him that the restored gospel is on the Earth, that'll take us back to our Heavenly Father with our families..while his friends are inside laughing at us hah. And he says, "You know what. We're not going to heaven. heaven's coming to US." . .... .. ...and I felt SO BAD, not being able to say anything, knowing that I would start laughing if I did. But in the reality of it all, it is so sad seeing people so caught up in sin.. Hermana Perez was telling me yesterday how her grandma had told her, "It's not easy to sin. It's not easy to live with guilt, and too feel bad constantly, and to do the only thing you know how to do more and keep sinning." It's so hard that people look for the complete wrong ways to justify it and make it feel right. But how many times do we keep doing what we do, hoping, or feeling that if it becomes a habit, it becomes okay ? An Elder I know said that people do what they do because they don't see a way out. We shouldn't have to get to the point where we don't see a way out, but Hna. Perez told me this too.. that every single step in the right direction is a step.. no matter how big or small it is. It's one more than you took yesterday.

  I also learned this week that you need to learn to respect yourself if you want respect from anyone else. It's hard being in situations where you're made fun of, or talked down to, even if it's just joking. There is not one single person that has the same life as anyone. There is no point in generalizing anybody, or in putting anyone in a stereotype. Because once we do that, we stop listening. And we stop seeing how much worth every single soul has. And once we see our own worth, and we show that we know what we are worth, we will notice that everyone will start to treat us better. And that we are not EVER worth being talked down to.. and that none else is either.

  Ayyy pues. Asi es la vida esta semana. Ojala que tengamos mas fotos del bautismo de Salvador en este Lunes que viene. Cada dia hay tanto que necesitamos aprender, y disfrutar también. Ojala que busquen estas oportunida

des para ver la felicidad que puedan experimentar. Ojala que vean que el amor es lo mas importante, y que no hay ningún lugar para nada mas. Les quiero, y oro por ustedes. Siemmmpre voy a tener tanta gratitud por cada palabra de esperanza y apoyo, la cual me ha dado mucha mas fortaleza aquí. Gracias gracias !

hasta. la vista baby.

La Hermana B.

 

 

Una Semana

... til I hit the 11-month mark :o ! I hear that after the 1-year mark time just FLIES.. not that I would know. I haven't gotten there yet :)

  But anyways!! You want to hear something way cool?? We felt like visiting this investigator of ours one day, but she wasn't home. Bt outside of the home next to her, we saw this woman sitting down. She's elderly, and doesn't have much hair and looks like she may be sick. We decided to go over there, and we approached her and say hi. And we got the absolute coldest look ever. And she was just staring at us and says, "well. what." so! We told her that we have a message for her about Jesus Christ. And we sat down on her porch in front of her, and! we start sharing with her the plan of salvation. and we start talking to her about prayer, and we decided to ask her if she prays. And she starts telling us how she prays in the morning, night, nd before her meals. And I don't know what happened, but out of nowhere she starts crying. sobbing crying. And she just says in between her tears, "Yes. I pray." by the time we got out of that lesson, her heart and attitude had COMPLETELY changed. They had become complete opposites, and she had become so much more open to us and what we had to say. In the matter of less than an hour. I think it is very easy for us to undermind (is that the word ?) the power that our Heavenly Father has. He can make anything happen that we couldn't believe would be possible in our wildest dreams. He can change any- and everyone :)

  Speaking of which! I still have pictures of Salvador dumping out his coffee under the porch of his home when I remember to bring the cord :) He has been beer-free for one week yesterday :) and he came to church again yesterday, and is changing so much! I always wanted to be able to see the hands of our Savior working in the life of someone who has an addiction.. it is so amazing what He can do !

  Heavenly Father has shown me so many weaknesses that I have, in just the short almost 11 months that I have been out here. And Hermana Perez and I keep talking about our weaknesses, and how similar ours are. It is so easy for a missionary to recognize them and be so hard on themselves, but in the reality of life, we're out here trying to consecrate ourselves and be the best we can be, but we don't realize that we still have the rest of our lives to improve after this mission. We may get down on ourselves for not doing right what we keep striving to, or not getting a good grade for example. But life will keep going on! We will keep growing, and we will keep learning from every single day if we search for the lesson in it. There is always a reason Heavenly Father gives us another day. We just don't look for the reason all the time. We will always be weak. But we will always be loved, and always be carried so that we do not feel alone in our weakness.

  Entonces, yo no se que mas debo compartir. Hoy vamos a hacer papusas..? una comida de El Salvador ;) pero les quiero muchisimo. No se que decir del mundo, sino que no mire la pelicula de Harry Potter. Pero gracias les doy por las 3 cartas de correo electronico que recibi yo, explicando que tan asombrosa que fue ajaj ! Broma :p pero con todo que tengo yo, el Evangelio es real, y es lo unico que nos trae el descanso que necesitamos. En los momentos de sonido mas fuerte, nos trae el Evangelio la paz que buscamos.

Portense bien mi familia. Y brace yourselves. 7 meses.

jaja o nunca. los dos estan bien. ;)

La Iglesia es Verdadera....

La Hermana B

And WHAT! Unodostres :o

Hahahh so in 2 weeks I'm gonna hit my 11-month mark :o so loco no. Pero andele ! Vamanos.

  We have this investigator, Salvador. He is SO INCREDIBLE!! He has been trying and trying to quit coffee and beer, and he has a baptismal date for this coming 30th de Julio. We are so excited for him. The other day we went over his house, and we asked him about his coffee and brought him this coffee substitute we had bought him. And so we asked him to go inside and get his coffee, and so he brings it out, and we asked him if he was ready to leave it. he said yes, so we invited- ;)- him to dump it out underneath his porch hahh ! I'VE ALWAYS wanted to do that ahhah. So I got a picture with him while he was dumping it out, and then afterwards with him and the Nescafe jar. He has such a happy smile on his face! But I forgot my camera cord. So next week. :)

  Allllso, we had a lesson with Salvador last night. He had beer yesterday :/ and knowing that by being a missionary of God, He can give me His power to be able to help others in whatever way they need it. So when he told us this, he kind of laughed, not realizing that. well. drinking is bad. hah, but I started praying to know what to say, or how to bring up the fact that what he did was wrong, so that he knows not to do it again. And then Hermana Perez starts bringing up the commandments, like completely setting it up for me to be able to talk to him about drinking. So before we knew it, we're talking without even realizing how bold we were being, and needed to be. So now! We are going to get him bottles of Coca Cola so that whenever his friends offer him something, he can say. "Oh naw I'm cool, I already have a drink !" genius. haha, but it was so cool, feeling Heavenly Father working through us to help one of His children stop drinking, and be happier! I don't think I will ever be able to fully realize how happy we as human beings can make others. Everything we do can become so contagious.

  Salvador is our main story for this week. We are so excited to see who we can help together. Heavenly Father's hands are in our lives constantly! And I don't mean the lives of me and my companion. Every single one of our lives, if we let Him. YO siento que somos los que lo hacen mas dificil para dejar que nuestro Padre Celestial nos ayude. Pero es mi punto de vista :) yo no puedo predicar lo que no practico, pero de propias experiencias mias, yo se que la vida en general es mas facil que damos todo al Senor. Solamente es dificil hacerlo. Pero asi es. Vamos a tener que econtrar nuestra fe cada dia nuevamente. Porque si no caminamos por la fe, de que caminamos ?

  Ok entonces, es mi tiempo para irme. No recorde mi agenda, entonces no recuerdo la semana cuando pase eso. jaja bien hecho Hermana ! Pero mi familia. TODA mi familia, de la sangre y del amor, les quiero tantisisisimo. Ojala que sepan esto siempre jamas ! Portense bien. :)

La Hermana B.

Transfas! - 7/4/2011

Sooo THIS transfer's different. Hermana Holland's getting transferred to Horizon TAY-HAWS. My first area!! I couldn't even be sad, because I know how happy she's going to be down there, and how 'made' she'll have it, with how amazing it is. I am s completely and thoroughly convinced that it is the best area in the entire world.. I'm not kidding. hah. But of course, this area is absolutely amazing too. Ayy YAY ! I can't believe I'm a missionary. I don't think I ever will. But Hermana Perez is going to be coming up here with me..she's been out a transfer less than me, and didn't speak any Spanish before her mission I believe. But she has the name. Lucky. hahahh ! I'm kidding :)

  Well this week was TAN locita ! We met this woman from Columbia, Janett, who we had given a pass-along card to one day, and Hna. Holland wanted to follow up on it. She's black! Her and her entire family, but her husband is from Cuba, and they all speak Spanish. It is so crazy seeing it, but it's my ab.solute DREAM. hah. but forreall. She's so cool too! And it turns out, miracle of miracles, that she had been having the missionaries over about 2 years ago, and wanted to get baptized and everything! So we taught her again, and never..ever EVER had I seen someone listen so intently in a lesson before. She is so amazing.

  We also have our investigator Salvador! He was a referral from the English Elders, our neighbors, and we were visiting him for a little while, and out of nowhere we visited him the other day, and he's all, "Yo oro? Ok. Yo lo hago." ..like. "I'll pray? Ok, I'll do it." and just starts praying! And he had read his Libro de Mormon, and you know what? Lessons are SO MUCH BETTER wen one reads and prays! haha, now he is trying to give up la cerveza (beer) and coffee in the mornings. We're gonna get him a substitute today :) so! Way cool. Please pray for him. pleaseeee please please these people need them more than us family. :) lives can be made so much better!

  ALSO. We have been visiting the Ramirez family everyday, and they're doing well! It's not easy for them, having lost Abraham. But they have so much support, so they're gonna be okay :) I feel that slowwwly. but surely. Everything will be put back together with the family. They can only get better from here.

  You know what the biggest lesson I learned this week was? Because to start off. After speaking at a funeral for our investigator, Abraham, on Friday, and then hearing about Charlie on Monday, I was so exhausted, and drained, and overwhelmed that we just went home after e-mailing, and I cried until we went out to work..only to get dropped by investigators that night hah. But I just cried. and cried. But I gave it all to the Lord. Knowing that there was NO possible way I would be able to go out to work and smile without Him. And He carried me, through every single step that I took. Through every moment of sadness, it was like He was filling it the sadness with even more love that I couldn't have possibly been able to provide myself. It was so incredible, knowing that HE knew just what I needed. And it's what got me through! He is what gets every single one of us through.

  Another cool thing that happened! We were on our way to visit the Ramirez's the other day, when all of a sudden I felt that we shouldn't have been there. What may have happened, I didn't know. But I felt that we should have visited one of our investigators, Gabi. Even though we had just visited her less than a day before. WAY weird, but it was SO CLEAR. So we stopped by Janett's before, who wasn't home. Smart. on our part. Way smart. But I told Hna. Holland about it, and we decided to go to Gabi. On the other side of the city hah. The entire time we were driving there, I was thinking, kay this is miles. Am I ABSOLUTELY SURE that that is what I thought.  And then I thought about it and I was all. Nothing. EVER has come so clear to me as her name did. So! We walked in and talked to them, seeing if everything was okay, saying that we just had a feeling that we should come over to make sure. And Gabi's mouth DROPPED, and her mom was saying that everything was fine, but Gabi looked at me and shook her head, as if it wasn't. WOW the Spirit is SO COOL! Sooo. We talked with them a little, and they're fine now. But paying attention.. REALLY paying attention and basing our hearts and actions off of what Heavenly Father tells us is how we're going to go about doing the most good. How cool is THAT.

  Sooo I'm gonna get going so I can send pictures. Today for the 4th of July we went to this GORGEOUS park to play ultimate frisbee with the Tompkins, and the Pratt's and our Branch President and his family. That's why we're so late. Cuz dude I dominated. hahah ! Just kidding.

  ANyway I love you family! Thank you for all of your support, for all of your love and pray, por mi, pero mas, por nuestros investigadores. Muchas MUCHAS gracias.

La Iglesia es verdadera !

La Hermana B.