Mi querida familia,

My miracle story this week is three events that all happened on the same night. We were making copies for english class at the locutorio of a member. While we were waiting for the copies, I told an older Spaniard gentleman that I liked his glasses, which were plaid. He started talking and kept talking! It sounded like he was just excited to have someone listen. He wasn´t very interested in the gospel, but he was interested in english class when we told him and he even called the next day to apologize for not being able to come. This was a great confidence builder to me that it´s not really about what you say--it´s just about doing it and so many people just need someone to listen.

On our way home from the locutorio, we stopped to help a young lady carry the trash from a panadería to the garbage. She was very nice and grateful for the help as well. Not a minute later, we realized we were walking behind a lady in our ward, her investigator friend that we have been teaching but were unable to connect with this week and the member´s sister who is not a member. We were able to set up a noche de hogar with all of them and get the member´s correct number so we can get ahold of them now. After a rough day and rough week, it felt really good to just know that we were in the right places at the right times, even if our numbers weren´t as great as we would like or show it. This has been a hard thing for me to handle with weeks of low numbers, but it is helping me learn the real reasons behind the numbers and how I want to work effectively the rest of my mission. Everything we go through is preparation for something else--if we are willing to take the time to learn the lessons.

I, quite simply, have the bestest family and friends in the whole wide world and the UNIVERSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I never really understood so much before the mission--especially how much I love my family and friends. All it takes is a few simple words or deeds to show it and I´m working hard to not forget it. I have been so blessed this week and YOUR prayers and YOUR birthday wishes and YOUR love has kept me going. <-not an exaggeration.

I just got back from a preparation day in Pamplona with Elder Dalton! We played some sports in the park with other missionaries in the zone and it was just what I needed. Elder Dalton takes such good care of me and is so sweet. I love being here with him and seeing each other grow and learn and just being missionaries. He is really an example to me of so many things.

Transfers are this week and I will be committing...HOMICIDE!!!!!!!!!!! Thats´s right, mission language--I will be "killing" Hna Fuentes (sending her home). I have no idea what that means for me or where I´ll be this week, if I get to go to Barcelona with her or not, no idea. But I was told that a bunch of missionaries got their visas and are coming and 6 hermanas are going home this week, so it´s going to shake things up. And we all know how much I love shaking things up! muahahahaha There aren´t enough experienced hermanas to train or hermanas to keep all the areas open and a new set in Bilbao...so basically I am telling you I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT I LOVE IT! CHANGE!!!!! Bring it on. I´m so ready.

Mom, thanks for the news, you know how much I like to know things. Give Thave(Thea and Dave) my love and congrats. What is their baby´s name? That is so exciting!

Speaking of exciting, THAT IS AMAZING ABOUT SPENCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(Utah cousin called to Arizona Phoenix Mission spanish speaking) Wow, qué bien. That should be fun-- that might have been Braden´s mission? Unsure.

I can´t wait to tell you about what has happened next week--pray for us! And remember like I do, everyday, the scriptures say "and it came to pass," not "and it came to stay" :-) Much spanish love,

Hermana Dalton

Clare's Birthday Email 2-22-2012

Hola mi querida familia,

My miracle story this week is tied in with la capacitación especializada(special zone training) and came about during one of the prácticas (trainings) with Elder Parrish. Background--One of our investigators who had a fecha (baptism date) this week has currently changed her mind because the Bishop said that her older sister can´t give the baptismal talk for various reasons that are between her and the bishop. Before she changed her mind, I gave her a little picture of Jesus calming the storm that I bought in the MTC and laminated and have carried with me ever since. I told her that we all go through the storms of life, but Heavenly Father is always mindful of us and will calm the storms in His own way and time if we turn to Him. So during the práctica (training) about using the power of the Book of Mormon Elder Parrish opened the book randomly to Alma 26 and picked verse 6 to start reading. The first phrase is "Sí, las tormentas no las abatirán en el postrer día..." ("Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day...") It was not by chance! It was a very powerful práctica and testimony to me of the Book of Mormon. We stopped by her house last night to try to share this scripture with her and just read from the Book of Mormon and let the power in the book do the work...but she wasn´t home. So we talked to her sister who has a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but is still praying for an answer to be baptized and a fecha (date). It was a very spiritual lesson. She has been sick and a member neighbor and her brother-in-law offered to give her a blessing and she said yes! She couldn´t really talk yesterday from a sore throat, but was able to talk to us. I pointed out that if she believes they have the power to heal, through the priesthood, this is another example of the testimony and faith she already has in the Restoration! She agreed and said she would pray with her sister for a date to be baptized together--which is what we have felt like should happen all along--to be baptized together. I believe all the difficulties and such this week are just Heavenly Father´s way of helping them and us work things out on His schedule and time. It has been just a witness and testimony to me."

I know that Keisy and Dalleli will be baptized. I don´t know when, but they will :-) Of this, I have ZERO doubts. Faith, not fear.

This week has been off the chain crazy--Monday/Tues we traveled back and forth from Bilbao for a capacitación especializada training with the zone. It was an hour y poco travel time each way,each day. We leave for Zaragoza in a few hours to spend the night (I get to see Hna Preston one more time!!!!) pick up Hna Fuentes´ last DNI card and visit some of her recent converts. We might actually get to get some work done in San Sebastian this weekend--but who knows!haha The training was incredible--we focused on how to leverage the power of the members, especially in working with the ward council and using the power of the Book of Mormon more, which --let me tell you--is my favorite way to do anything! I do not leave piso(home) without my Libro de Mormón and rarely talk without it in my hands.haha I LOVE just opening it randomly with an investigator, member or family and just start reading and trust in the Spirit. I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Works every time. I always feel the Spirit every time I read anything from it.

Elder Dalton made me cry on multiple occasions this week. I don´t know what I did to be so blessed in this life with the family I have, but it is more than I could ever ask for. The best birthday present I think I have ever received, to date, came in the form of a letter from my dear brother, Elder Dalton. I will cherish it forever. He bore his testimony during the training, as well, and made everyone cry again and made them jealous that they aren´t serving with a sibling. What can I say? Heavenly Father is the best!

The intercambio(exchange) with Hna Moulton was INCREDIBLE! I love Pamplona. We ran to castles in the morning and ate an obscene amount of gluten-free crepes and had some very spiritual experiences with investigators and great lessons. Pamplona also has the best napolitanas in Spain, hands down. Beatriz wins. And it is because they have white chocolate ones. I learned a ton from Hna Moulton and hope we get to serve together again in the future.

I´ve learned even more this week that I don´t have time to explain, but it was definitely the best/worst week yet.haha But with the worst, I have learned so much that will help me the rest of my life. I just have to apply it and remember it. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for these opportunities to learn, improve, repent and trust in Him. I wouldn´t have it any other way.

I got the package Mom! Thanks to everyone so much! You all are amazing! Did you ever get my package from SLC with the red jacket and pictures and stuff? Hna Hoyos said she sent it.

Thatcher and the hawaiian food sounds amazing. It is so good to hear everything. Especially from Chloe! Way to go, girl! Get it!haha The YW activities sound like so much fun. Enjoy it all! And snow--woowzers! We have had a little bit more sun, thank heavens, and things might be warming up a little bit...we hope.

I love you all! Pray for me, please. I need them these next few weeks. Thanks for the birthday wishes and presents. I am borderline spoiled--shhhh, don´t tell anyone.haha

Much spanish love,

Hna. Dalton

Rough Week--Happy Valentine's!

Hello! :-)

"My miracle story for this week actually happened this morning. It has been a hard, trying week. It has been difficult for me to keep a positive attitude. I would have a great experience and then pessimism would set in immediately after. We did not have a good week numbers-wise and it is easy for me to get frustrated because I want to try and do new things, but Hermana Fuentes and I are not always on the same page and I´m not good with working with other people all the time. I went to bed frustrated last night and woke up still trying to shrug it off. I´ve learned that the first place I need to go in times like this is to my knees in prayer and then open the scriptures. We invite our investigators to do it every week--so we should be doing it, too, right? So I felt like I should start in PME, chapter 6. I read the Christ-like attribute of patience again and decided to do the exercise along with it. It was exactly what I needed: the comparison between Alma 17:10-11 when the Sons of Mosiah are frustrated and Alma 26:27 when Ammon is looking back and sees the blessings of their patience, diligence and long-suffering and how they were able to bring many souls to Christ because of their work. It´s not about the moment--it´s about the long run. These scriptures and the change in perspective were the answers to my prayers."

So yeah, frustrating week, but I decided that being frustrated isn´t going to solve anything so...I decided to make peanut butter cookies and valentine´s for the elders in our district for our meeting tomorrow! Yah! haha We all know that I strongly dislike valentine´s day, but might as well make the most of it. I took pics so you can see thefruits of my labors :-) When you have rough days, you do something about it!haha So I did and I´m going to keep my chin up this week.

Mom, you will find it ironic that the past few weeks, my mission has felt chillingly like the movie "Errand of Angels." Remember my comments about that? Well, it is so much closer to the truth than I even believed. And we are even getting to do intercambios this week!ahaha I will be in Pamplona tomorrow through Friday--that´s Elder Dalton´s district!haha We won´t see each other, though. But I am oh-so excited for the change and seeing how other missionaries work and their pace/style.

Thanks for the support and kind words. I can´t wait to read the emails when I get back to piso today! Life is hard, the mission is harder, but that's what makes it so worth it! Here are some pics-oh, if I look pasty-that´s because I am. Pray for me and the sun--we miss each other a lot. I miss my tan :-( haha

Keep smiling,

Hermana Dalton

MIRACLES!!!!!!!

"What a week of miracles!!! In Zone Enfoque, we talked about using the power of the Book of Mormon more with investigators and the Zone leaders shared a story about opening the Book of Mormon to answer whatever question/concern an investigator had. I felt like we should do this with an investigator we are teaching named Dalleli. I prayed the whole way to the visit asking Heavenly Father to help us find out her needs and to touch her heart; we didn´t know what she needed, but He did. She told us that she is still not sure about prophets and Joseph Smith. I promised her that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and contains the answers to all of our questions. So I asked her to open up to a page and we would start reading and find her answer. Of course, she opened up to 2 Nephi, the Isaiah chapters. It was page 108 en castellano, 2 Nephi 20. She read verse 15...and I had no idea what it meant or how it related to her question (check it out!), but I just opened my mouth and started talking. I took her down to the footnotes to help explain. I have no idea what I said, but she seemed to be listening very closely and understanding. We invited her to do the same thing personally--to think of a question she needed an answer to, pray for Heavenly Father to direct her to the answer, and then open the Book of Mormon and start reading. In her closing prayer, she thanked Heavenly Father for “the sisters who have touched my heart.” The exact same words I had used in my prayer on the way to the visit!
When we followed up with her a few days later, she was very excited to tell us how it went. She said she got up early one morning and asked Heavenly Father whom she could serve for Him in her life and what He wanted her to do. She started reading in the Book of Mormon...but didn´t find an answer...until she remembered about the footnotes we had shared with her. She followed one to Isaiah 42: 1,6 and this was her answer! It talked about being a servant of God and a light unto the nations. She shared this with her sister and brother-in-law, who are members, and he told her she is going to serve a mission and be a light unto the nations. She started crying and it really touched her. She said she´s not ready to be baptized yet, but she has received a witness of the power and truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. I also received (again) these witnesses and a renewed testimony to utilize this power in my own life. Her younger sister also decided to be baptized this week and I think this will help her, as well! ¡Qué milagros!"

That´s right, Keisy finally chose a date. I felt really strongly last week to back off, teach Dalleli more and not talk to Keisy about baptism--and it was the right thing to do! She came to US and chose the 24th of February and already had the prayers, hymns and speakers picked out!  haha We skyped with her Mom in Honduras last night to ask for permission and we are going to go 'techtastic' to get her Mom skyped in for the actual baptism, too (no worries, we cleared it with the Ayudantes [Assistants] already) I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!! This family is SO special. Their brother-in-law´s son was the boy´s baptism from Barcelona that we helped out with here back in December. What tender mercies! Fabi has been sick, but is preparing as well. And we haven´t been able to teach Amil yet, even though he is already asking for a day off for his baptism!  haha

On a weather note...IT´S FREEZING!!!!!!!!!! My white little frenemy called snow popped back into my life this week...TWICE!!!!!!!! The temps have been in the negatives all week--Connor´s not exaggerating! It doesn´t matter how many layers of tights, Philmont socks, underarmour, cardigans, sweaters and jackets--the cold here just seeps into your bones. But if it is snowing, then at least it´s not as wet as when it´s raining, right? Right. And it can´t last forever,  so soon I will be lamenting about the heat and humidity, eh? haha You just work through it.

Everyone sounds great with parties and birthdays and Superbowls...what are those again? haha  It is all so great to hear and keeps me going. Happy birthday Megan!!!!! I hope it was fantabulous! Way to go Mom on the indexing! I want to do more of that when I get back. Spirit of Elijah--here I come.

It´s cold, but hey, that´s life. Enjoy it while it´s here. That´s what I am trying to do--enjoy the moment. It has always been hard for me to not look forward to something else and just be grateful for what I have NOW. Work in progress, as usual. But the blessings and miracles come, poco a poco.

Les quiero mucho,

Hna Dalton

PS. on an unrighteous note that my companion would be upset at me sharing with you...I got to watch her fall off the stairs of the bus yesterday.ahaha simple pleasures and a good story. Someday I will explain.muahahaha