Preaching in Pennsylvania: REJOICE!!!!

Family dearest,

Wow. What a week! Sister Taunima left on Tuesday for Erie which was SO
HARD. Oh my heavens. I adore that girl SO MUCH. She helped me
immensely during the hardest transfer of my mission--more than she
will ever know. I love and appreciate and will miss Sister Taunima so
much!!

But I am amazed again and again how God puts me right where I need to
be at the time I need to be there with the person I need to be with at
the time I need them. So it is with Sister Simpson. She has been an
absolute angel and so patient this past week as I've been
transitioning to "leading out" the area. She is absolutely incredible
and I have already been so blessed by her beautiful spirit and
example. Not to mention we have so much in common so we get along so
well!! It has been amazing. I've really lucked out with companions.

Also, we have been singing A TON. It has been AMAZING. I love music
(as you know) with all my heart and I know that it has been and is a
huge part of my mission for a greater purpose. The hearts of the
people here in Pittsburgh are very hard. But I am convinced that music
is what will help soften their hearts--even if it is just a little
bit. Sister Simpson believes it too, and because of that, we are
utilizing every opportunity to use music. (We even used it a little bit
while we were tracting. We walked up to this one lady and said,
"Hello, we are missionaries, and we are going around sharing a song
about God's love." She said, "Well, you better save your song and go
sing it for someone else." << oh boy! these hearts sure need
softening...we'll keep workin on 'em.)

EXCITING NEWS. THERE IS *FINALLY* A DEDICATED TEMPLE IN THE BEAUTIFUL
STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA. This is something to REJOICE about!! ❤️❤️

Yesterday was such a memorable day. We spent nearly all day in an
extension of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania temple. It was such a
beautiful experience. I approached each session (three) with a
question in mind, and Heavenly Father taught me so much. I received
revelation that was tailored just for me. Thoughts on this beautiful
temple: It is so historic for this temple to be here in
Pennsylvania--in the very city where the freedoms were born that
provided us a way to have religious freedom and eventually temples.
These saints here have waiting so long to have a temple, and they
finally have one. It makes me so very happy!! It was amazing to be in
an extension of the temple, because that might be my only opportunity
to be in the temple during my mission. Hopefully not, but we'll see.

The dedicatory prayer was written by President Eyring and it was
beautiful. Elder Perkins spoke at the third session and I loved his
talk so much. He said one thing that really stuck out to me: "If we
really want to be happy then we should try to be a little more holy
each day." This is so true. And in my studies this morning I read
Moroni 4 and in one of the sacrament prayers, it asks that the Lord
may "bless and sanctify [the] bread"...it is so beautiful to me that
by blessing and sanctifying (or making holy) the bread (and water) and
by us partaking of it, our souls can be blessed and sanctified, or
made more holy. I know that it is through partaking of the Sacrament
each week we can become more holy, and more happy, and ultimately more
like our Savior. What a beautiful promise.

So once upon a time the sisters here were teaching a man named Donny
and his wife Rose. Rose is less-active and has been for a long time,
and Donny is not a member. The sisters didn't have a very good
experience because he was confrontational and didn't want to hear what
they had to say. Well, Sister Taunima and I met them a few weeks ago
and they wanted us to come back. This past week, we taught them the
Restoration, and feeling prompted by the Spirit, I invited him to be
baptized. And HE ACCEPTED!!! It was amazing. Then we sang "Joseph
Smith's First Prayer" with the member we brought with us and the
spirit was so strong. It was beautiful. He's had a change of heart or
something, because from the looks of it it seems he is so different
now than he used to be. Good things are happening there and I'm really
excited!!!

Sister Simpson and I know there are lost sheep here in the Pitt 3rd
area that we need to find. Please pray that these people's hearts will
be softened. I appreciate it more than you know. Hope you have a
rejoice-full week!!

"Keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep
growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever."
(Elder Jeffrey R. Holland)

love, love, love,
Sister Bartlett xoxo
Alma 29:9

PS: on Friday I will be ONE YEAR OLD. Where did the time go?!?

With Bishop Snow and his family