Letters from Kelsey - 13

Howdy y'all

So tomorrow is my 3 month mark!! It feels like I have been in Texas forever! Everything is going good and we had our first baptism of the transfer yesterday!! His name is Carlos Villatoro and he is from Honduras! He is awesome and has such a strong testimony. It was such an interesting experience last night. I have to be honest I didn't feel anything different until he walked down into the font, and then the Spirit was so strong and it was a feeling that I can't even really describe. It was amazing and it was an experience I will always remember. We had an investigator, Giovanni, come to the baptism and he came to church yesterday for the 2nd time also. He is the one that is really intelligent and is here investigating his brothers death. He really enjoys church and I can see the Spirit, through reading the Book of Mormon and going to church, softening his heart so hopefully he will be open to praying here pretty soon. We taught him the Restoration last week and it all made sense to him and he didn't have any questions. His questions all come from the readings we give him. He is so logical that he has questions about particular verses that we had never even though of before! The Spirit will keep working on him and I know that once he prays he will get all of his answers. He will be baptized before we know it!

So surprise!! You know how I told y'all that my trainer is on her last transfer? Well guess what... that's not true. I found out this week that she was extended before I got here so she has one more transfer. Which changes up my thinking a bit. I was so nervous because thinking that this was her last one meant that there was a pretty good chance that I would have to take over the area. The area is going so good that its very doubtful that they would whitewash the area, that's when they bring in 2 new missionaries. So it was just logical that I would be the one to say, but now with her not going home yet there are of course 3 options! 1- I get transferred. 2- She gets transferred. 3- We both stay. I'm convinced that she will probably stay and train because there is going to be a huge turnover of spanish sisters here really soon and we get 4 new ones this next transfer which is March 23, but we will see what happens and what the Lord has planned! At this point we have 7 investigators with a date, 15 progressing, and we had 10 at church yesterday which was pretty awesome! The work of the Lord is in full force here that is for sure!

I feel impressed to ask a favor of y'all. I'm not quite sure who is all on the email list or who all reads this every week, my mom tells me that people have been added, but I hope you all feel some sort of spiritual uplifting and enlightenment each week. I have thought this week about what I wanted to write about today. I have thought about how I am taking 18 months of my life to come to Texas and help strangers find true happiness in their life and how to fully allow Savior's Atonement to make their life easier, yet there may be people at home that I love and care about and mean so much to me that might not have found this true happiness for themselves yet. So my favor is for all of you to do as the Introduction to the Book of Mormon says and ask God, the Eternal Father, if these things are true. Just read a little bit of the Book of Mormon, my personal favorites are Enos 1:1-8, Ether 12:17, and 3 Nephi 27. Read these, or even just read Joseph Smith's account, and humble yourself to pray to our Heavenly Father to know if these things are true. I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that you will receive and answer and that you will know of a surety that these thing are true. The second part of the favor is, if you feel comfortable, to write me and tell me of your experience and how you know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. With these experiences I can help my investigators understand what to look for and all the different ways that we can receive our answers through the Holy Ghost.

Anyway... I hope all is going well with all of you!! As I do every week I want to thank you all for your letters, emails, love, and continued support. Spanish is coming along slowly but surely and I know the Lord will continue to bless me. Right now I am in a town called Brazos. Its totally country and I love it! ha ha. We are just spending the day with some other sisters and things are going well. The weather is totally spring weather with it being cool in the mornings and nights, but warmer during the day. May our Heavenly Father's choicest blessings be upon y'all!!

Love always,
Sister Kelsey Berg