Howdy ya´ll,
The miracles continue:
"Fátima´sbaptism and all that it entails is my miracle for the week. From June 13thwhen Jesús called us late at night to come over the next day and teach his wifeabout the purpose of life because she was feeling really weighed down, to August 25th--what an incredible journey it has been and will be one year from now when this little family that I have come to love so much is sealed together for time and eternity and ready to receive the blessings Heavenly Father has waiting for them. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the opportunity to be here, now and share a part in their story. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gotten my life in order and repented sooner so I could have served a mission at 21…but my Heavenly Father shows me time and time again that this is my time and I am on the right path."


It was truly incredible. And man, do they know how to eat after baptisms--there were 3 tables of food! I think I have a pic. We as missionaries sang Joseph Smith´s First Prayer to the tune of Come Thou Fount and Hna Pace accompanied us--this hymn is Fátima´s favorite and she was mouthing the words and crying as we sang :-) (and we all know it wasn´t because of my singing abilities...) There were rowdy kids on the floor after the actual ordinance while we were singing hymns...I don´t understand why parents here don´t discipline their children-- pet peeve--but I tried to make them be quiet and then had this idea in the form of a mental image of you, Mom. So I grabbed a big hymnbook and plopped myself on the floor in the front, right in the middle of them and gathered them around me and we sang the hymns together--me tracing the verses with their fingers. It was very sweet and worked fantastically well. That´s what Jesus would have done, right? Shushing them obviously wasn´t the way to go. Who knows, maybe I´m slowly growing up.

It has been weird without Connor, but Heavenly Father is sending me plenty of comfort and signs that we are both where we need to be. :-) It makes me very happy to hear he is home safe and sound.

Mom, I can just see you sitting in class taking notes, awww so sweet! Did you all remember that there is a hidden spare key to the Celica in front of the driver side bumper? Just checking...

I LOVE YOU!!!!!

-Hna Clarissa Dalton

A sweaty hello from Catalunya,
"My miracle for this week was during and after Fátima´s baptismal interview. We were with her husband, Jesús, in another room waiting and I could tell that he was nervous. We talked to him about faith and how she needs him to have faith in her and encourage her in this time of her life especially. She came out and was just happy. The elders said everything was great and she was so prepared. Jesús was SO happy. We had a lesson after and we asked Jesús to offer the opening prayer. It was so sweet and by the end he was crying. This is as much a miracle for him in his life and for their little family as it is for her personally."
Fátima is getting baptized on Saturday :-)))))) It feels incredible, there just aren´t words. I´ve felt a lot like that this week--just a big loss for words. I feel like I am usually pretty in control of my emotions and reactions, but this week is giving my self-control a run for its money. haha
I got a call from Pte and Hna Pace Sunday night during nightly planning. We were trying to figure out what to do the next day in the morning and nothing was working out or feeling right. Well, then they called and Hna Pace invited us to come over and bake the promised sheet cake for Fátima´s baptism...because a certain Elder would be having an exit interview. It was wonderful. Just cooking and talking and remembering it´s ok to be normal. And to be there and have some time to see and talk with Elder Dalton--it was more than I could have hoped for. They asked us to take pictures with them and they are so cute. I was crying, but held it in until after the pictures, no worries. haha In a couple of hours we have the Singing of the Angels--not gonna lie, I am very nervous. We´ve both been waiting for this day to come and now it´s here and I don´t know how to deal with it. Two sides of me are fighting--the one that wants to stay and the one that wants to come home with my brother.
But the quiet whisperings of the Spirit, which are always there if we ask and then listen, have reassured me that I am not done. I have more work to do. And if there is one thing I, Clarissa Dalton, do NOT do, it is punk out in the middle of the 4th quarter. So I´m putting the game face on and getting to work...tomorrow. Tonight I need a timeout :-) haha OK, ok I´m being slightly dramatic...but only slightly.
I just want everyone to know what an incredible young man is coming home tomorrow. He is not just my younger brother--he is my example, my best friend and my faro. He has done an amazing work here in Spain that will lay the foundation for the future and leave the legacy for all missionaries to follow. Give him lots of hugs and kisses for me when you see him--I did for you this past year. ¡Les toca! I love you and can´t wait to talk to you next week. Hopefully I can send some pics.
MUAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Hna Clarissa Dalton

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhi,
Whew, it´s hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhot. My clothes leave indentions on my skin and hurt because the humidity makes me swell up. Sounds swell, huh?...swell? get it?! ahahahaha It might be affecting my brain as well...unclear...

"Miraclestory: Some members know about Fátima´s fecha now after consejo de barrio and congratulated her at church and she flipped out. It was all just too much for her to handle and she left halfway through church. Her husband came to find us and tell us. We decided to pray and then go visit her. She was frustration cleaning (an automatic emotional coping mechanism for most females or something, or so I´m told--I just go play basketball…) But she was trying to keep it together and couldn´t and burst (literally) into tears. We tried to comfort her and she just kept saying she didn´t want to get baptized. I had no idea what to say so I was praying. We told her not to worry and we wouldn´t talk about or plan her baptism until she told us to and we just talked and she calmed down. We had an appointment with her for later in the afternoon so we told her we would still come back. I felt like we needed some study time after mediodía because we didn´t get it with church. We studied personally and as a companionship and Hna Pazuengo reminded me that we had talked a lot about Fátima while watching "The District" segment about Laura. So we watched it again and decided to watch it with her--it covers her conversion process and how she was baptized even though she initially had lots of doubts and didn´t want to set a date. So we watched it for the visit and she really liked it and was able to relate, which is what she needs with her personality. At the end we promised her again that we wouldn´t talk about baptism until she brought it up with us…and she said that she had thought about it and felt good and wanted to keep her fecha for the 25th of August.   What a miracle!!!
Isaac´s baptism was great and really showed what happens when you have the support of the ward and Bishop. Things ran relatively smoothly and there was such a great spirit there.  His smile is contagious and I can see him as a future missionary. I feel strongly that his strength and example will help bring his father back into the fold."

Wow, what to say about this week? Things are great here and it seems like so many other areas are struggling for whatever reason right now in the mission...but personally, this transfer has been harder for me, even though I know I shouldn´t complain. It has been great and better than any other, but harder than any other, too. I don´t know how to explain it. But we keep smiling and plugging along
:-)

We are not getting the new piso :-((((( the dueña is nuts. (Landlord) so we are looking again. Patience and diligence anyone? Oh well, what can you do? Things will work out when they need to, I just have to hang in there.

Speaking of hanging in there, I can´t believe transfers are this week and I have NO idea what I am going to do when Connor leaves. I have a mental block up...first bad sign. We´ll cross that bridge when it comes...Well, we are in a sketchy locutorio after spending the day with other Hnas which was so fun, but exhausting and now we have to run home to change and go read with Fátima. We are reading with her every day to prevent future breakdowns and cleaning frenzies.  haha  I love her so much. We are the same age! Weird right? I know.
Love ya´ll bunches and thanks for keeping me going. MUAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Hna Clarissa Dalton

Howdy ho,

Vacation sounds so vacationy. haha Glad to hear it was enjoyable and a good break from life. I am uploading pics as we spèak, so they better work and you should have lots of good ones...maybe. We just got back from dropping Hna Abellán off at the train station and are ready to work as a trio--Hnas Pazuengo, Stephenson y yo!

Miracle story for the week:
"The son of our Primary President is almost 10 and not baptized because they have been waiting for his Dad to shape up and come back to church so he can baptize him. He came one Sunday and then has not come back or met with us since. So we have been talking to Isaac and his Mom, Deisy, and last transfer they wanted to wait until December for the baptism because that´s when his birthday is. But we had another visit with them this past week and every visit we have talked about baptism and in this one they told us "We aren´t waiting anymore." Isaac wants the first counselor in the Bishopric to baptize him and he leaves on vacation towards the end of August, so they asked if he could be baptized on the 11th! We said of course! We planned it all out right there with a baptismal calendar and are working through the ward council to pull it all together. Isaac and Deisy have been waiting for almost 2 years and just needed someone to invite them to pray and think about Isaac´s baptism because he is ready and waiting to be a member. This family needs the blessings that will come with this step of faith and the example he will be for his father."

So we are preparing for Isaac´s baptism this Saturday. The Primary is going to sing :-) I am so excited. He really is a great kid and full of so much energy. (And he loves Superman and Spiderman so we get along juuuust fine.) I think Isaac´s baptism and example for his Dad will be key is his Dad finding his testimony again. Fátima is still preparing for baptism on the 25th. Every week is a roller coaster, but that is life and we just keep having visits to bring the Spirit so she can remember why she wants/needs to be baptized. We read 3 Nephi 11 together instead of a "formal" lesson and I think it helped. Their family came to Cinthya´s baptism, but got there late and missed the ordinance. But the Zone Leaders taught a mini lesson while Cinthya was changing and we sang "Las familias pueden ser eternas" for the closing hymn and she said those 2 things really impacted her and she was visualizing her baptism. Momento clave :-) We are trying to coordinate with Hna Pace, who is a phenomenal pianist--reminds me of you Mom--to sing a special musical number. Oh, and did I mention as a trio we are working 2 areas and 2 wards? Yeah, it´s going to be CRAZY until transfers...especially still living in the cra...elder´s old piso :-( but I like things a little bit crazy because you feel and sleep better and it naturally makes you rely on the Spirit more because there is NO way you can do any of it without Him.

OH! I got a surprise phone call last night and Keisy and her sister´s family are coming to Barçelona this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited. We are going to work it out to see them.

:-))))))))))))) I hope Dalleli is with them, too. I think they have also met Connor :-)

Thanks for the emails and love. Mom and everyone else--just send anything to the mission office address. We are close enough to get it just as fast. IF we ever get our new piso, I´ll give you the address. haha

Clarissa Dalton

Spain Barcelona Mission

Calle Calatrava No. 10-12, bajos

08017 Barcelona

SPAIN