7.31.17: Martorell yyayyya

GUYSSS! I am no longer allowed to say guys, cool, awesome, sweet, or sick--those words make up about half my vocab so we will see how that goes. My mission president is really big on using "dignified language"-- Pray for me!!

 I AM OFFICIALLY A REAL MISSIONARY...wut? I made it out of the mtc alive and I am now serving in my first area called Martorell. It is a ciudad about 40 mins outside of Barcelona and our area includes some adorable little pueblos as well. I ADORE being a missionary! It is the bestttttt--especially being able to walk around and talk to people instead of sitting in a classroom all day. The ccm was wonderful but by the end I was defs ready to break out! 

We have a miracle of an investigator named Paco who has a baptismal date set for August 12! This man has seriously been through it all. He has quite the story but I don't have time to type it all out... basically he has been on the streets since he was 8 and served 30 years in prison for robberies, and now he has totally changed his life around and does nothing but service with the Red Cross and teaching niños how to play chess. Last week he was smoking 20 cigarettes a day and yesterday he was already down to 6! He basically just walks around town listening to the Book of Mormon on audio... he is the BEST. 

My companion is Hermana Harris. The similarities between us = we are both missionaries.  Other than that, we are exactly opposite... especially in the food category, hahaha. But we get along great and I adore her. She is very patient with me and my lack of Spanish skills, jajaja. Bless her! She is from the heart of potato country. It is hilarious, even in Spain when you say "Idaho" people say oh yeah, potatoes, haha.

Today we went into Barcelona with the other sisters in our district and we saw the Sagrada Familia! It is marvelous! (It was really difficult not to say "cool" while I was there.) It is truly one of a kind! It looks like a drip castle that you would build in the sand on a beach. 

I hope all is well! I love you all! 

<3 Hermana Barton

_________________________________________________

Part of Maddy's email to Dad on the same day: 

I love Spain and I adore being a missionary! I met the ward on Saturday night because the ward mission leader got married. They are super sweet, but as of right now my communication with them is pretty basic, haha. Yesterday in Sunday school they had a 10 min discussion about the logistics of cleaning the church and I felt right at home... the church really is the same everywhere, hahaha. Our investigator right now is so solid. He seriously is a miracle. He told us that his right tear duct hasn't worked for like 3 years because he had some face trauma, but when he read the plan of salvation pamphlet he cried out of both eyes! He is adorable! I want him to get baptized right now!! But he has to stop smoking first. He has been smoking since he was a homeless little 8 year old which makes me sooooo sad. He smokes so much because he has really bad anxiety because of all the traumatic experiences he has been through, but he is on medication now so hopefully that helps!

Every time we talk to him about smoking less he tells us that when he listens to the 
Book of Mormon, God helps him to not have the need to smoke. Basically he is the bestttt. Anyway, I love you and hope that all is well! Stay ripped... one day there will be workout named after you too, move over Murph!