Texas Here She Comes!!

Here's Some Pictures!!

2010-08-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

MANUEL IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!

2010-08-09T14:36:00.001-07:00

It was a great week here in Plano with Hermana Mata.. still working hard and seeing miracles!
Monday: We had an Family Home Evening with the Marrero family and their mom who is living with them and dying of cancer felt so bad that Hermana Mata's tortillas didn't turn out that she taught us how to make yummy flour tortillas and rice and CACTUS!!.. It was a yummy dinner and Hna. Mata felt a lot better about herself once her tortillas turned out!
Tuesday: We had splits planned with two of the young women in the stake so we had double appointments for the whole afternoon and then of course thirty minutes before we were going to leave one of the young women called and canceled.. so we were running around the rest of the afternoon trying to hit all of the people we made appointments with. We started the day teaching an awesome lady who at the end of the lesson told us she was going back to Mexico in three days.. I hate when that happens.. then we had a powerful lesson with Martina.. tried to set another date with her and she said she feels a lot of peace about getting baptized everytime she prays but wants more. We just told her that she is waiting for God to give her another answer and God is waiting to see what she is going to do with the answer he already gave her. So Martina is not getting baptized anytime soon but we are still not giving up on her... it was a pretty sad lesson though. And Hna. Mata was super disappointed because this was the first time in her mission she had a super disappointing lesson like we had but I just told her that if we stopped for the day or took a break then Satan was winning and the person we were suppose to find right now or needed us right now was the one loosing.. so we kept going and had a bunch of punched appointments but it was all better when we went to teach Gabina... when we first got there she was so frustrated almost on the edge of tears.. so i asked her what was the matter.. and she just sat there holding her HUGE Book of Mormon and said she had faught all night long trying to read the book... she said she put it at different distances, in different amounts of light trying to read it but couldnt do it!! I've never seen anyone with such desires to read the Book of Mormon.. it's such an example to me! That night we taught a lesson to Rosa Lopez and her son Brian actually sat in with us and at the end of the lesson where we talked about living together as a family... Brian was just sitting there almost day dreaming so we tried to pull him back to the lesson by asking what he was thinking about and he just said with the biggest smile, "I was thinking about how amazing it would be to actually live with my family forever." I love how much hope this message brings to families.. especially their family who is having lots of problems right now!
Wednesday: We brought Gabina a magnifying glass... I wish you could all see her sitting there with her huge book of mormon trying to read with her thick glasses and a magnifying glass.. but she did it!! It was super slow but she had a smile ear to ear and she just kept reading and reading and reading...It's so sad how we, people that can see and read, don't even pick up the Book of Mormon some days and here is Gabina who can barely see fighting to read it. She definitely understands the importance of the Book of Mormon.. do we? We then had a lesson with Manuel and Jorge and they told us that they knew everything was true and Jorge was able to tell us the entire Joseph Smith Story and about the first part of the Book of Mormon... they are crazy golden!!
Thursday: We had another amazing lesson with Gabina where we finished teaching her all the commandments...she is so ready to be baptized... everytime we taught her a commandment she would state her concern with living it and then solver her concern before we could say anything... she LOVES coffee.. but after we taught her the Word of Wisdom she said, "Well I guess I'm gonna learn to love hot chocolate!" We talked to her about Tithing and she thought it was BEAUTIFUL!! who thinks the law of tithing is beautiful!! She's awesome! We then had a youth come out with us and all of our appointments punched but then at the end of her three hours with us we found a potential investigator home named jorge ( a different jorge) we tried to teach him a first lesson but if we were interupted by his clients (he sells things like soda, chips, phone cards from his appartment and someone knocked at the door every five minutes) he was interupting us with tonz of questions that he wouldn't let us answer. so I finally told him that he could only ask questions on topic and could have one question at the end of the lesson.. we were teaching about Jesus Christ establishing his church and calling his twelve apostles and he said,"OHHHHH I have a question on topic... Did Jesus Christ have a wife?"... definitely not on topic Jorge! but at the end of the lesson he said the closing prayer and asked God to help him stop talking and just listen to us and really has sincere desires to know he has just been so confused over the years by so many differnet opinions.. he also blesses Hna Mata and my future husbands, childrens, jobs... he practically gave each one of us a new patriarichal blessing. :) his prayer was really thirty minutes long!! But we have a return appointment with him and I can't wait!
Friday: was a really good day.. we taught four new investigators.. all of which are awesome... they are all cute young moms. They have lots of potential and we taught all of their kids in the different lessons to sing "Soy un hijo de Dios".. that night we had dinner with recent converts for one of their birthdays and we ran over the interview questions later with Gabina so she was good to go for her baptismal interview on Saturday.
Saturday: We had lunch with the Castros.. hilarious as usual.. got two more new investigators.. then went and Gabina passed her baptismal interview..YAHOOOO!!! Then we went to pick up the young women who was suppose to come out with us for the night and she wasn't there.. her mom let her go to the mall instead of coming out with us... so i was trying to call around and see who could come with us at the last minute because if we couldnt find someone we would have to cancel our appointment with Jorge and Manuel.. but at the last minute we found Maria Del Angel who left her boyfriend to come out with us!! So we showed up to teach Manuel and Jorge but Jorge wasn't back yet but Manuel was all dressed up in a collared shirt and all shaved and clean.. he had cleaned the whole apartment even putting a tablecloth on the table and bought us waters to drink... we then started asking him why he didnt get baptized before when he was going to church for two year and he said he didnt feel ready then but that he feels ready now.. we then set a baptismal date with him for the 5th of September!!! We then started asking him if he was married or has kids trying to get to know him a little more... He then tells us that he had girlfriend and has an 8 year old son with her and they both live in Plano.. then he says.. I actually think they are members of your branch.. So we asked her name and I think i went into a state of shock when he said their last nigh twas SANDAVAL... well the Elder in our branch have been working with a family for over 6 months trying to get them married and baptized and last week they figured out a marriage date with them and then they are getting baptized with their 8 year od son on the 28th of August.. wel this is the SANDAVAL family.. and the 8 year old son that the eldesr have a baptismal date with is actualy MANUEL's son!!.. what a CRAZY coincidence.. God definitely has a sense of humor. Manuel said they are friends and fine with each other but we'll will see!! but he is still getting baptized the week after his son is baptized!
Sunday: was a good day at church but only Gabina showed up to church.. we then that night had dinner with the Cano's and then Anabella and Nelson met up with us to teach an appointment that punched so they contacted people with us then we went to visit Ariel who wasn't there but ended up teaching one of his roommates the Plan of Salvation and half way through the lesson Ariel came home so then after the lesson with the roommate we taught him. He told us he had been at his friends appartment and felt really anxious and butterflies in his stomach so he left and came home and said they disappeared as soon as he saw us. It's amazing how the spirit can really guide you to the places you need to be.. i was just happy that Ariel got to experience that first hand and understand the importance of listening to the spirit.
We had an awesome week filled with spiritual experiences, heat and fun!! love you all.. thanks for your love and support.. BUT STOP COUNTING THE DAYS!!
love,
Hermana Barber

Judith and Joana- officially members of the church!! YES!!!

2010-07-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Family!! We had another good and eventful week here in Plano, Texas! I'm glad you all are happy and healthy and I'm jealous I wasn't there to eat Ice Cream Cake Roll for Brad's Birthday... YUMMY!!! I hope you got my super nice card Bradley B!! Well here goes the update!!
Monday: First off we went to try to find sandals and after a year and a half of closed toe shoes it was too weird for me and I couldn't buy any!! OH NO I'M A WEIRD SISTER MISSIONARY!! ha ha!! We had dinner that night with the President of the branch... Presidente Cabello and his family then we got to teach one of their friends from Venezuela which was a very good lesson. We taught him about the Book of Mormon then had the Cabello's bear their testimony about it... they bore beautiful testimonies and Presidente talked about the logical evidence there is that people lived here in the American continent and the things people have found that could prove the Book of Mormon was true.. and all that stuff is really interesting to me but it is then that I realized that none of that stuff is what creates a lasting testimony. Laman and Lemuel saw ANGELS and still it didn't change them and cause them to have firm testimonies. That is when I bore my testimony of the spirit and the firm testimony that can only come through the witness of Holy Ghost.
Other side note, Sister Toro got called as 2nd counselor of the young womens and took ALL the girls to stake camp this week BY HERSELF and it was her first time too!! ha ha I think it was kinda a disaster but they had fun and she is soooo willing to serve. I love it!
Tuesday: We had a good district meeting where I was asked to do a talk on Faith which turned out okay then we went to meet with Martina to try and figure out what happened and why she doesn't want to get baptized anymore. She told us that she knows its all true she just doesnt' feel the desire to be baptized yet and that she hasn't talked to her kids about it still. So we are going to become detectives and find her real hold up and get her baptized. We then had a lesson with Judith and Joana about the Holy Ghost on the importance of their confirmation and again they taught us!! They are just so much happier.. it's crazy to see such a fast change in them. The coolest part was when they wrote me a note in my journal... I have had all of the people I am close to here in Texas write in a journal. But Judith doesn't show emotion much, she's had a really hard life... She is one year older than me and has four kids onto her third marriage and in one of them was beat.. she just acts like nothing phases her now, nothing makes her happy and that she doesnt' need anyone or anything. but she wrote in my journal and first appologized for how she was but then thanked me for the diligence and patience to get her to her baptism and then talked about how clean she felt when she came out of the water and how she KNOWS that she was cleaned by her Savior. It was an amazing note and all I could do was cry. She talked about how much she can feel the change in her heart and the happiness that wasn't there before. This gospel really is so amazing and the only thing that can heal the broken hearts that fill this world!
Wednesday: We had a good lesson with a new investigator Jasmin and in the closing prayer she prayed that we could come back.. I love investigators liek that.. that want us there instead of hiding from us!! ha ha We taught Martina again and made here this crown that said "Princesa Martina" from a Burger King crown and read a talk from Pres. Uchtdorf about our own Happily Ever Afters and we talked to her about what she wants for her life.. what would be her Happily Ever After. We then went to see the Bustos... Alejandra made me my favorite chicken tinga tosadas.. but we didn't get anywhere with them.. Alejandra is just as hard as Jose Luis now and got a offended by a member when she saw her in the store and she didn't smile at her.... While contacting we met a paletero (hispanic ice cream man) who told us that his purpose in life was the sell popsicles and that after this life there was NOTHING.. could you imagine that kind of life.. no purpose... we had an awesome contact with him and he agreed to have the missionaries over to teach him in a different area! We then had a lesson with Rosa Lopez and Hno Castro and his daughter came with us.. it was a powerful lesson on the Restoration and she knows its true jsut needs to put it as a priority in her life now.
Thursday: We have planning but the sister we live with wants us to meet all her friends.. she calls us her grand daughers.. she is so cute. So she made this HUGE lunch and invited over one of her friends Talmage Packard that just got back from her mission in the country of Georgia and her husband was called to be the new President of the Dallas Temple so she will be the Matron. That was a fun lunch hearing all of her mission stories from Georgia and before that they were in Japan and how President Eyring extended the call to them to be the Temple President. After plannning and dinner we had an appointment with Ariel and we help him study the lessons in Preach My Gospel. he has been studying on the christ like attributes and taking notes. He has such a desire to change and be the best member I love it!
Friday: (HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAD!!) After studies we did service for Sister Burrows, who we live with and we mowed her lawn.. it was an interesting experiences since it was my first time ever and Hna Mata first time ever even touching a lawn mower.. but you would have been proud of the finish results!! the process was the thing you probably wouldn't have been proud of!! ha ha oh and another funny thing is that I told Hermana Mata when we first got together that my goal was to make her FAT because she is a TWIG.. skin and bones... ha ha well she went to go put on her jeans to do service and she couldn't button them!! I told her I always accomplished every goal in my mission and I was dying laughing! Needlesstosay she started a diet the next day! We started teaching Emilio how to read in spanish and he's already got the whole alphabet done... he has such a desire so it's way faster! we then had an appointment with Judith.. well we have a super new zone leader and during Judith's baptismal interview he didnt fill out her baptismal record correctly so I was trying to fix it and I asked her about her marriage information.. she just looked at me and said, "I'm not married!" WHAT?!? I explained to her that in our missionary records it says she was married but the old brand president President Cuellar and she just kept saying tha tshe had imigration problems and it didnt go through... My life really flashed before my eyes.. i imagined my conversation to the Assistance and President Smith, "Ya I married an unmarried lady who is living with her boyfriend.. the law of chastity isn't that improtant is it??" I was freaking out.. Judith had me called Presidente Cuellar and everything.. well THIRTY MINUTES later after almost having a heart attack she told me she was kidding and gave me all her marriage information.. she thought she was sooooooo funny!! BAD JOKE JUDITH!!
Saturday: was a slow day of knocking doors, correlation, getting sick from chicken that a member fed us but we did get to teach Gabina with Hermana Toro and we read with her out of the Book Of Mormon. She is so cute.. when she saw us, she hadn't seen us in a little less than a week, and she just kept hugging us and telling us how much she missed her angels and her light.. ha ha it was funny but she is so cute and will definitely get baptized but she just a little old and slower at learning so it will be a process!
Sunday: Well of course I called Judith right before Sacrament to make sure she was on her way and she told me she wasn't coming and wasn't going to get confirmed.. i was all worried and she walked in the door two minutes latter laughing her face off.. she thinks it soooooo funny to give me a hard time.. NOT FUNNY!! ha ha but the old branch President came in from Utah so he got to confirm her instead of Baptize her and Joana. They just looked so happy and showed up wearing cute dresses! It was a good day... then we got roped into teaching Young Womens about exaltation which was actually fun! That night we went over to the Marrero's for dinner where Hna. Mata was going to teach me how to make flour tortillas and mexican rice.. the tortillas were more like frisbees than tortillas and I have officially concluded she is not from Mexico but more of a gringa than I am!!!!! We are having fun and working hard!! Thanks for all your support and love and I hope you can all make it to my homecoming on August 22nd!! PLAN NOW!! I want you all there!!
Love,
Hermana Barber

MOVED, INTERVIEWS, TEMPLE... CRAZY WEEK!!

2010-07-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hey family!!! I had a crazy busy but good week this week!! Thanks mom for the package it was perfect. Hermana Mata was so excited to get the American Flag SkyWest shirts and she is going to send two of them to her parents in Mexico for Christmas... Mom.. YOU FINALLY FOUND SOMEONE TO APPRECIATE YOUR SKYWEST PRESENTS!!! isnt' my companion the best??
On Monday we had a fun P-day with Hermana Cano who was just called with her husband to serve a service mission helping out our ward a little bit. We spent the day doing this cool craft with her where you take piece of glass and then melt them in a kiln in the microwave to make glass pendents for a necklact.. it was super sweet!! I made a little Texas Flag! That night we had dinner with Martina and the miracle was that her son that HATES the church stayed and ate with us and listened to our scripture. God really can change hearts and it was good for Martina to see that she might have more support from him then she thought. We then taught Deisy at the appartment of Juan Carlos and Mayela and it was a super good first lesson. I love teaching Deisy because after ten years you can see how much she hungers to know and come back to church!!
Tuesdaywe did some service by painting the room of Hermana Marrero's mom who has cancer really bad. We just sat and painted and talked to her then we had a lesson with Martina on the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity which she agreed to live..We had dinner with Hermana Dominguez who laid on the couch the whole time because I got her sick... oppps!!! then we had a lesson with the Toro family and they gave me a soccer shirt from honduras that her sister Mirian sent me from Honduras.. they said I am officially Honduranian now!! ha ha.. Then we spent the rest of the night and almost all of the morning on Wednesday packing, cleaning, and moving to a new members house!! We did it all by ourselves and were super hot and tired by three the next day when we were finally through and ready to start teaching again. I live with another member in an english ward named Peggy Burrows and she is the cutest little lady ever. She bought us twin size beds and decorated our whole room with pictures and bed spreads... it was so cute. I love the new place we are living. My new address is... 3928 Mesa Dr. Plano, TX 75074!! Then we went to teach Martina again with a member from one of the english wards.. .probably the best member present I've had my whole mission... on the way over there I thought I was going to die probably five times. She brought her great grandson with us who wasn't a member so I was trying to translate the whole lesson to him in english and he someone started talking to me about fireworks blowing off peoples faces and hands in the middle of the lesson that I then tried to transistion back into Nephi going and getting the brass plates from Laban... good fun!! Then the member fell asleep during the lesson and when we did ask her to share her testimony she told a story COMPLETELY off topic!! man I love members sometimes!! Then we got a phone call from Ariel saying he was going to kill himself because he lost his job again and things are really bad in his house in Nicaragua right now.... so we spent a little while trying to talk to him about faith and hope in the face of adversity. interesting day!!!
Then on Thursday we got a phone call from the zone leaders that we were having interviews with President and that we needed to change our schedule for the day to be there. So i guess the First Presidency sent a new program they wanted implemented into the missions, making things not as focused by transfers but by months.. so now interviews and zone conference will only be every quarter.. So at least I got my interview for this transfer but I will not get another zone conference in my mission so that's sad. And then they changed it where they will have three day long leadership trainings every month and instead of transfer focuses they will be monthly focuses.. and President will do a specialized training monthly however he feels he wants to... to a zone, to a district or even to a companionship. Well I can't believe I had my last interview with President Smith. It was a good interview that he mainly talked about how much I've changed and become as a missionary... I love my mission president, he is such an amazing man! That evening we made a random stop by the Bustos house because I heard that Alejandra had lost her baby. We shared with them about the Plan of Salvation but Jose Luis is still SUPER hard hearted but one day I pray they will come back! We had another lesson with Deisy who is already half way through 1 Nephi and LOVES it!!
Friday the definite highlight was getting to go to the temple that night to see the Elmore's recieve their endowments and I got to see HERMANA BRUNDAGE!!!.. or Jessica Garner now and I got to meet her husband Eric. She looks so beautiful and pretty... so that was really really fun! But it was weird to think how much time has changed considering I was with her her last transfer and now it is my last transfer!! Time flies WAY WAY WAY too fast! Caran and Steve Elmore were soooo happy!! and Steve made me promise him I would come back so I could give him a hug! The next morning on Saturday we hitched a ride with the Relief Society in our branch to go back to the temple. They just happened to be going to do baptisms together so I got to see Mayela enter the temple for her first time and be baptized for the dead!!! It was amazing... she is amazing! She has such a strong and vibrant testimony that she was continually tries to grow and learn more in the church. She LOVED the temple. Then we barely got to see her do baptisms before we had to run into the sealing for the Elmore family. It was amazing to see Caran and Steve sealed to Jonathan and Christopher. They looked sooo happy!! This gospel is amazing.. the blessings it can bring of an eternal family. what a peace and comfort!
Sunday we had only two people at church Martina and Gabina, a new investigator that is living with the Toro family from Honduras. But Mayela and Juan Carlos were there again and we talked Manuela into letting Luis coming with the Toro family even if she had to work. I also got the opportunity to sing the duet with Elder Esplin this week so it went really good. We sang I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go in spanish of course and acapello. That night we had a couple lessons and ate dinner with Sister Burrows who we just moved in with trying to get to know her better and Hermana Mata talked for an hour and half in english!! thats an accomplishment for her. She's doing AWESOME!!
Well family we had a really good week and saw lots of blessings that the gospel can bring!! I love my mission and I'm thankful for all my blessings!! Thanks for your prayers, love and support!!
con carino,
Hermana Barber

KEREN MOVED OUT AND IS GETTING BAPTIZED!

2010-06-07T11:37:00.001-07:00

Hi my dear family and friends!! It sounds like you are all doing good and I miss you all and love you TONZ!!
Monday: President changed our P-day from Monday to Tuesday because all the libraries were going to be closed and didn't want all the missionaries to e-mail at members home... so we had a full day planned on Monday.. then we walked out to our car and realized that the miles had been added up wrong and we only had 10 miles for the whole day... so we called and tried to confirm appointments who were actually going to be there... everyone canceled because it was a holiday... so monday: no miles, no appointments, and a working day!! so we grabbed water bottles and headed out walking. We walked for over five hours.. it was hot but we got all our contact points and of course a miracle came out of it!! A couple days before a member had called us and told us that we needed to go by and try to teach Elizabeth's husband so we went by and he told his daugther he didn't want to talk to us.. so we didn't have plans to go back.. but because we had no miles and no appointments and Elizabeth lives really close to our house we decided to chance it and stop by.. It just happened that their whole family was there!!! At first her husband was just sitting at the couch and wouldn't come to the table but with time he came to the table and called for his daughters to come and listen. We got the opportunity to teach their entire family about the Restoration and by the end of the last prayer he was even crying! Elizabeth was crying practically the whole lesson because he never thought in a million years her husband would ever listen to anything about jesus christ or our Heavenly Father. The spirit was so strong and I was so grateful for the unexpected change of plans for the day!
Tuesday: It was a much needed P-day!! We played volleyball as a Zone and Elder Riggs.. a 6'5" elder that played volleyball in high school spiked it right into my face!! OUCH!! Keren also called us BAWLING to tell us that she decided to leave her boyfriend and move into her mom's house so she can get baptized and start a new life!! I felt bad for her because she is going to have a lot of struggles but sooo happy because I know what blessing await her! We taught Juliomar a lesson just about God.. he told us that he has prayed more to the Virgin Maria in his life than God and that he was raised to believe in more than one God... God of the Air.. God of the Trees.. so he is having a hard time grasping who God is.. he understands the plan of salvation and all the commandments.. but to him its more of... okay i can live with God if i do all these things.. But why would I want to live with him?? I am so grateful forthe knowledge i have always had of who God is and my relationship with him! During the lesson he just looked at us and asked.. "How do I know God loves me?" We shared John 3:16 and talked about the power of the atonement... he told us that everytime we come he feels such peace and thoughts come to his head and he has such a desire to change! Its so amazing to watch someone gain a testimony and receive an answer to questions they've always had.
Wednesday: After district meeting our first four appointments punched so we found four other people to teach.. dropping to of them.. Judith and Joana picked who they wanted to baptize them.. then we got a former investigator to agree to take the lessons again-her husband is a member and her brother served a mission! We taught a new investigator named Yolanda who is really into "hearing the word" but doesn't really get it! We had dinner with the Castros.. my first BBQ in Texas that was even semi as good as Dad's BBQ!.. then we went to contact in a trailer park and ran into the Bustos... that was sad.. but good to see them!
Thursday: We taught Keren and she was SUPER nervous.. she told her boyfriend she was leaving.. he begged her to stay for a little bit but she knows the anwser she got from God.. so we read with her a taught by Elder Holland and then she said the closing prayer.. we all kneeled in a circle and she jsut broke down BAWLING during the prayer. It was honestly the most heart felt prayer I've ever heard in my life. We also set a baptismal date with her for July 18th.. the Elders in Garland were really happy to get a referral WITH A BAPTISMAL DATE!! Later that afternoon we contacted a referral we had gotten fromt eh elders who is AMAZING!! She lives with a member named Aurora who is a recent convert bu tshe goes to a different spanish ward.. but we shared her conversion story with her roommate Martina and the spirit was so strong and of course she agreed to meet with us the next day for a first lesson! We had a lesson with Ariel and he tried to give another Book of Mormon away and his friend threw it back at HIS FACE.. then he tried to get his mom and grandma's addresses in Honduras and they just yelled at him and told him he was CRAZY.. he just told us.. well I guess I'll just have to do their work one day!! He is soooo strong!
Friday: We started the day by going over and helping Keren pack and clean.. we brought another scripture to share with her for comfort and we got there adn she was absolutely happy and smiliing!! She is excited for her new life! We taught martina a first lesson with the member Aurora and she is awesome... she will get baptized for sure! We then went and served the Marrero family who's mom that lives with them is in the hospital dying of cancer... Then we had dinner at a chinese buffet with the members and the Elders.. good change up! We then went to have another lesson with Elizabeth and her family again but her husband was sleeping so we just taught her at a members house but she told us that she knows everything is TRUE!!! That's the first steps so next week were going to conquer her fears!
Saturday: We did more service for Yolanda another investigator.. we helped her paint her front room BRIGHT BLUE!! Pretty much all of our appointments canceled on us.. we even showed up to our dinner at a members and she just handed it to us to go!! so we knocked lots of doors, but found a couple promising people!!
Sunday: We had kinda frustrating Sunday.. only one person at church.. but after the storm comes the calm right!! we are going to see miracles this coming week!!! I can't wait!!
I love you all... please pray for the people in Plano to be receptive to Hermana Mata and I this week!! Thanks for everything!!
Hermana Barber

Lisbeth got BAPTIZED!!

2010-05-26T07:41:00.001-07:00

It was another great week here in Plano and the last week of miracles for Hermana Kleinman and I!!! SAD DAY!! We got transfer calls on Saturday and I am staying here in Plano and Hermana Kleinman is off.. There are no new Hermana's coming in so neither of us are training...we're not too excited for the change...but God knows best right??
Monday: I went to the doctor to get my MRI analyzed... well i have tendonitis in my right wrist and a syst in my left wrist that will eventually need to get cut out but the doctor said it is not an emergency so i'm gonna wait till i get home.. in the meantime i will be on ibprofen and braces... fun!! ha ha At night we taught a man named Miguel Escalante, a media referral, who told us his story and he sounded exactly like Joseph Smith about going to all these churchs and just wanted to know which of all of them was true... we had an amazing restoration lesson with him and he was so excited to read the Book of Mormon. We taught Ariel about the priesthood because he received the Aaronic priesthood on Sunday and he was so excited.. he is already done with Alma in his reading and is just moving along with the strongest testimony.
Tuesday:WE had a COME TO CHURCH lesson with one of our investigators, Juanita... after district meeting we had a lesson with a lady named Ulga who works nights and almost fell asleep during the first lesson.. then taught a less active who hasn't come to church in 21 years and doesn't even remember who Joseph Smith is..we watched the Restoration DVD with Judith Del Angel, the sister of a member in the branch and a former investigator... before we watched it we asked her 9 year old Joana if she remembered who Joseph Smith was and she told us his whole story almost word for word. After the lesson we asked Judith why she didn't get baptized before and she said, "Because no one ever asked me!" ha ha.. so she is know praying about a baptismal date for June. We taught Ariel with a member and we followed up on the challenge we had given him to share the gospel and a book of mormon with a friend.. we asked him how it went and he told us that his friend just looked at him and said he was crazy but his reply was.." I'm crazy? look at all the bad things your doing in your life... you're crazy." then he told us he was going to find someone else to share it with...I love how he didn't let it discourage him from sharing the truth!
Wednesday:We taught Mildre and Jayro... they were the only two that were there from the seven people we taught last week. Mildre's husband was there but gave us the "I'm Catholic" brushoff but the other two really wanted to learn. Mildre remembers when the Elders used to come to her house 6 years ago in Guatemala to teach her family and remembers the spirit the Elders used to bring and wants to learn more. Jayro doesn't know how to read or write and is really slow when we are teaching him but has such an enthusisiam to learn. At night we got to go teach a young lady named Viviana in english... a member who is 21, Lani, called us the night before and said she had been talking to her friend at work and wanted to know if we would come teach her the first lesson. OF COURSE.. she had a strong catholic background but said she notice things that just weren't right and has been going to tonz of churches looking for the missing link. We had an amazing first lesson with her.. at the end she told us she couldn't say she KNEW it was all true after on lesson but it all made sense..she said the closing prayer while bawling thanking God for showing her the right path to answer her questions. We had to turn her over to the english elders in Sherman but I know if she reads and prayers she'll get baptized..
we got to teach Mayela and Juan Carlos about the temple.. baptisms for the dead and getting sealed in a year... Mayela was so excited.. she just kept asking when she could go and how she could get her reccommend and how she could get all the information about her ancestors. She is serious AMAZING!
Thursday:We had three canceled appointments before noon :) then had a planning session and had the opportunity to contact. we taught a guy from the Phillippeans (?) then a lady from Iraq (obviously weren't tracting in a very spanish area!) We got to teach the lady from Iraq a little about what we must do to live with our families forever..she said she remembered two years ago when she got here from Iraq some missionaries bringing canned food to her door to help her and her family out... thats why she let us come in. She also told us that the way her and her husband met is he saw a picture of her then called her mom to "engage" her.. don't even think about it mom!! :) We then went to contact a member referral in the same complex we were in.. no one was home so we were walking away from the door and we went out of our way to contact this lady in the parking lot that was just getting out of her car.. after talking for a bit we figured out.. she was the referral we were trying to contact.. perfect timing or in other words.. the Lord's timing! At night we took a girl from the branch with us that is thinking about serving a mission to knock some doors in a trailer park.. it was fun.. we even got to "talk" to a Jehovah's witness for awhile.. successful night!! ha ha
Friday: our first three lesson definitely made me so thankful for my childhood, family, and all the things i have. The first lesson we had the lady was freaking out because he husband was in jail for drunk driving and they didn't have the money to get him out or get their car.. next lesson was with a lady named Thomasa who's house smelled like pee and they only had one little table in the corner of the house and all the chair were completely ripped and broken.. she couldnt' read or write but she actually really got the restoration and was completely humble.. it just makes me so sad... then in our next lesson one of the kids had just hit the other kid over the head with a remote control and his head was bledding super bad.. sorry mom!! ha ha.. We had a lesson with Manuela that night and she is almost done with the Docterine and Convenants and carried her triple with her in her purse no matter where she goes. She shared her favorite scripture which is in D&C "Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God." there is no greater happiness then seeing people you've met and helped be baptized continue to grow in their testimonies.
Saturday: During the day we had a lot of punched appointments but had some time to contact which is usually a good time with lots of fun stories... we met a man from another church going to door to door "spreading the good word" and selling cheese.. still trying to figure out how the two of them go together. We also met another guy that was pretty creepy so we gave him a pass-a-long card then we tried to hurry and leave so i just stuck out my hand to shake his hand and he went to KISS it... luckily i have "sister missionary" wierded out by boys reflexes and pulled away super duper fast and told him we couldn't do that as pretty much running away!! ha ha..We got to teach a new family we met while contacting in the trailer park, Andres, Paula, and their 15 year old son Zach... we had an amazing first lesson with them and we had to swing back by their house to give Zach a Book of Mormon in english and before we had even driven away he was sitting on his porch reading it... I hope they progress better thent he Busto family did!!! We got transfer calls that night... Hermana Kleinman is leaving and I'm staying.. we weren't too happy about spliting up but change always happens and something good always comes from it.. even if it is just a growing experience. Hermana Kleinman has been here for 6 months and this is her first area on her mission.. it will be good for her to get to see other places.. after this transfer I will have been here for 6 months also... 6 weeks in Irving, 8 months in Carrollton, and six months in Plano..haven't moved much have I? But there are obviously other people who need me this transfer so i'm excited to find them.
Sunday: Mayela showed up to church wearing her new outfit we had bought her.. she looked so cute... the Toro's came and Lisbeth was so excited for her baptism... the three girls always wear bows in their hair.. everyday.. so they bought and gave me some bows to wear with them.. it was super cute. Lisbeth's baptism was really nice.. Hermana Marrero baptized her and her aunt was their from Honduras who is not a member so it was an awesome missionary opportunity for their family.
Life is going great and excited/nervous about my new companion tomorrow!! PRAY FOR ME!! thanks for you support and love.. keep the letters coming!!
love,
Hermana Barber

Ariel and Mayela...just waiting to be confirmed!!

2010-05-03T11:05:00.001-07:00

This was honestly a great week and so full of joy!! First off CONGRATS MICHAEL GLENN BARBER!!!!.. can't believe you're a dentist... you're awesome! I can't wait for y'all and Mindy and Tales all to be in Utah again.. the Barber Gang will all be back together!! YAHOO!!!
Monday: We went to go contact a referral we got a for a man named Derby... you can imagine how surprised we were when a young man opens the door and says, "Hi sisters!!".. it turns out that Derby is actually a member and lives with two other members that are RETURNED MISSIONARIES! They havent' been to church in three years because of work but we're helping them get back... they asked their bosses the next day for Sundays off and Marvin and Derby are getting every other Sunday off. I'm so excited!! Then we helped the Bustos that night to move into their new trailer...I really will always care for them a ton... but they're just so comfortable with life they're not willing tow open their eyes to whatelse they need. Alejandra also told us that she's pregnant.. Jose Luis doesn't know yet but now he will marry her. It's so crazy how Satan is using complacency to keep people from listening to us.. they're lives are good enough so why should they change.. listen to us. What they don't understand is how much BETTER they can be! It was funny though because when Alejandra was telling us she was pregnant we said.. oh wow your 6th child and she said no my 8th!! we were like.. what?? where are your other two.. she laughed and said "Hermana Klayman y Barbie!" Man how I wish she got it! Before we left that night Jose Luis asked me to say a closing prayer in their new house and bless them and their new changes in life.
Tuesday: was interviews and training which I always LOVE.. it's fun to see President and Sister Smith and hear their trainings. We had trainings on how to include members more in the conversion process so that after baptism converts are stronger. My interview with President Smith was AWESOME as usual.. he is amazing. and for once instead of me crying in an interview.. he cried!! :) He talked about when the day comes when he stands in the presence of his Savior and it brought him to tears.. he really is an amazing man. You know you really are on the downhill when he starts bringing up that your going home in your interview... TIME JUST STOP!! After interviews and training we went to get the oil changed at a Pep Boys.. and I am for sure a weird sister missionary.. i asked the guys at Pep Boys to turn off the TV because it was talking about not such good things so i could read my scriptures.. yep it happened! ha ha
We got ahold of Juan Garcia again after two months.. he's still confused but we're going to try to teach him again... We had a lesson with a new family we met.. Miriam and Luis... they are super smart and really get the message of the Restoration. It was super embaressing though because during the openning prayer their little girl was on the couch next to me playing with a loud music toy so i couldn't hear the prayer at all. So I was sitting their and all of a sudden heard just silence... I said Amen and looked up to Hermana Kleinman and then just staring at me... then Hermana Kleinman just asked if i had fallen asleep and they all started laughing at me. At night we taught Juan Carlos and Mayela the ten commandments, tithing, and fasting... then we found out it was Juan Carlos' birthday so we ate little mexican cake things with them and sang. We also planned her program and got permission for Juan Carlos to speak at Mayela's baptism... they were sooo excited!
Wednesday: the best day of tracting EVER!! fun stories to let you know how tracting goes down here... we meet people from all over the world and from all different religions.. even their own made up religions... So we were trying to contact a less active who wasn't there so we knocked around his house. We knock on this door and waited then heard someone knocking at us through their window... it was an old lady.. she read our tags then turned around and walked away... her daughter came to the door a little later and was super sweet but her mom was in the background tell her to tell us we already have a church and to go away. The daughter yelled back.. "They're christians, mom" and the mom yelled back in spanish "no they aren't they're mormons" ha ha so i talked back to her in spanish and she was a little shocked... it was funny! then right after that we went to contact an african american man that was sitting outside his garage.. we started talking to him and he told us that he had gone to a lot of churches and that their were a lot of Bible but the one that was most correct was the King James version but even that one was mission things... we were super excited... so we started teaching him about prophets and he told us that his mom was a prophet... and then out walked his mom! We introduced ourselves as Sister Barber and Sister Kleinman then she introduced herself as Sister Jones... we finished contacting her son and were walking away when she stopped us to talk. She starts wobbling and bowing down as she telling us that she has been called and anointed by God adn that she has been prophesied about in the Bible in the books of Isaiah and Jerimiah.. that she is the Daughter of Zion talked about in those books. She proceeds to show us her palm and clams she has a star of David and a Z in the creases in her hand.. I couldn't see it. Then she told us that at night the stars spell out ZION above her house with a question mark because she can ask God anything she wants.. then some airplanes flew by and she yelled in the middle of her sentence "THERE GOES MY HATERS.".. She then tells us that all the destruction that is happening in the world she prophesied about a couple months before... she then saw a pass-a-long card we had with a picture of Jesus on it and started telling us that Jesus is black and if we didn't stop preaching about the wrong Jesus Christ we were going to Hell.. so at that point we told her to have a nice day and walked away and she called after us all down the street calling out scriptures and telling us we are going to Hell... it was sooo funny!!
Thursday: We taught Ariel that night about the interview questions for his baptismal interview. It is so cool how sincere he is. He pulled out a notebook to take notes on the questions so he could study and pass his interview... but as we went on he realize he already knew all the answers and was super excited to get baptized. We taught Luis and watched Finding Faith in Christ with him and talked about the importance of following Christ example then set another date with him for the 9th of May to be baptized with Lisbeth.
Friday: We taught a couple lesson but the people were just too confortable to really listen again... this whole week i just kept thinking of the quote that says the gospel of Jesus Christ is here to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.. we just have to cause a need for these people so they'll actually listen. We had dinner with Manuela and actually talked to Leo again and he promised to come see Luis' baptisms which is a huge step for us and him again. That night we gave Mayela one of those necklaces that you sent me mom.. she loved it!! thanks!! And Hno. Marrero picked up Mayela and Ariel for their baptismal interviews.. they of course passed!! and they seemed soooo happy!!! I couldnt' wait for Sunday.. it felt like waiting for Christmas!
Saturday: we did a lot of service... we went to visit a less active family and showed up right as they were moving all their stuff to a storage unit because they had lost their house and were going to live in a hotel for a week till they can figure otu what they are going to do.. so sad. We also went and bought Ariel a white shirt and tie.. he was sooooooo excited!! He tried it on for us and we said "Lord I would follow thee" with him and had a prayer... honestly I almost cried because the spirit was so strong. Ariel really has changed his whole life to follow his savior...there is no greater feeling then being able to be apart of helping someone come to know their Savior and feel his love and cleansing power!
At night we finished all the lessons with Lisbeth Toro so we will spend next week gettign her readdy for her baptismal interview... she is so cute!
Sunday: the GREATEST day!! Mayela, Juan Carlos, Ariel and the Toro's all showed up at church. Mayela was wearing her necklace and Ariel his white shirt and tie. Juan Carlos bore his testimony during testimony meeting about the importance of this church in his life and how big of a miracle this day was for him and his family... The baptismal service was absolutely beautiful and Juan Carlos did an awesome job on his talk on the Holy Ghost.. he was super nervous though! After the baptism we went in to help Mayela get ready and asked her how she felt and she just kept saying soooo good.. then said so grateful. After second of my mission is worth it when you see people change their lives like that!! I LOVE IT HERE!! There really is no greater joy!
Thank you for all your prayers and support!! love y'all and miss you!!
con carino,
Hermana Katie Barber

Good-bye Bustos :(

2010-04-26T12:36:00.001-07:00

Howdy Y'all!!! It was another GREAT week here in Plano with some ups, downs, and funnies!! Everyone at home sounds like they're doing great and being blessed which makes me super happy... miss y'all but time is going WAY too fast!!!
Monday: We taught Ariel about the word of wisdom and Law of Chastity.. the only things we thought could keep him from his baptism next week but he was so willing to live them... he had no questions or problems. He told us he had one concern and that was his tattooes.. he said he didn't want to go to church and be a bad example for the youth so they look at him and think it's alright to get tattooes and live that life. He wants to get them removed but it's too much money. We explained more about the atonement but I love how sincerely he wants to change and follow Christ example and also be a true example for others in word, looks and actions. Then we went to teach the Bustos... the night started by Alejandra being offended because she say a member at the park who appartently didn't smile at her then came out other doubts and concerns... we tried to settle them then get one with a lesson of the Plan of Salvation but the spirit just wasn't there at all. Hermana Kleinman would just pause once in awhile and stare at each other.. I was having the strongest impressions that we need to drop them and just leave... but not one part of my heart wanted to. But spiritual impressions aren't always easy but they're always right. So through many tears, I beared my testimony of the truthfulness of this gospel and how much their family needed it then invited them to pray together as a family about the truthfulness of this message and call us when they were ready to learn and have these blessings and then they called on my to say the pray... man was that the hardest night... especially walking away from Alex.. I KNOW he is suppose to serve a mission...but God can change hearts and he prepares people.. so maybe this was a part of their preparation. It also was a comfort to me that I know we did what was right because Hermana Kleinman and I both had the same prompting.. Please pray for them!
Tuesday:... the day of creepers!! We did a lot of contacting because most of our appointments fell through so we were knocking in this appartment complex and this completely drunk guy answered the door... i started doing a door contact on him but soon realized he was not interested in talking about the gospel with me so we gave him a pass-a-long card and walked away.. we were walking to our car and he came out of his back door and started yelling at me what my name was... after a couple times i told him I didn't have a name and he just said.. "Well I guess I'm just going to have to find you then." He continued to watch us until we had driven away... not to worry two days later we went back to that complex and i was hoping not to see him but of course he was the FIRST person I saw... he was trying to find out my name again and be flirty.. i was nice.. but VERY serious with him about my purpose there and since then everytime i see him he doesn't approach me!! good thing!! then that night we were contacting some referrals in a trailer park and we knocked on this older guys door who wasn't all there in the mind.. we started contacting him and getting to know him and he just said, "Why all the questions?" ha ha... We gave him a pass-a-long card and went to walk away and he just started following us... he finally left us alone when we started contacting his neighbor in the street and all of a sudden we just heard something fall and looked over and he had been watching us through the blinds and they had fallen down.. he was frantically trying to put them back up.. i was laughing sooooo hard!!
Wednesday: In the morning we taught Keren who told us that she is going to go to a different churh this Sunday just because her mom invited her for bonding time... It's so sad to see these people who were so fired up about gettign baptized and knew it was true... but they can't get baptized really fast because of some kind of reason.. usually because they're not married. And Satan just pounds them until they start doubting and just fall. I went to the doctor in the afternoon for my wrists that have been bugging me since November.. the doctor says I have systs in my wrists that i will eventually have to get cut out.. but Sister Smith said I would have to go home from my mission to do it.. so I'm just taking some anti inflammatory medicines and getting back to work!! I got an amazing blessing that night from Elder Andrus and we met in the home of a less active... After my blessing Hermana Dominguez asked for one.. even though it was in english we translated some of it to her afterwards.. but the really cool part is that her husband hasn't come to church in 20 years and the spirit was soooo strong in their house and all he could do was say thank you over and over again with tears in his eyes.
Thursday: We taught Ariel with Hno. Marrero which was a great lesson on fasting, tithing, and ten commandments.. he is set to get baptized on May 2nd and is super excited. We asked him how his reading was doing and he told us he is in Alma and he loves it. He really is sooo golden. We then went adn taught the Toro family the third lesson about the five steps we need to do to recieve the Celestial Kingdom... Lisbeth is still on for her baptism on Mother's Day and it was Lilieth's birthday so we brought her awesome cupcakes and sang.
Friday: We found a new investigator with six kids living in her house.. they didn't have much time so we made a return appointment but taught all the kids how to sing "Soy un Hijo de Dios" then one of them prayed for us. I love watching the church the gospel can bring into even the smallest child. AMAZING!! We taught Luis and he still didn't want to come to church because of the primary kids.. he actually started BAWLING!! It was so sad but we promised him we would go to class with him that Sunday so he agreed.
Saturday: we had a big service project with some of the elders to help Sylvia Rodriguez clear out her yard.. her back yard had grass up to our waists... it was fun but hot and lots of work. She made us homemade chicken fingers though for our help but the Elders didn't want to eat them because they're on some kind of slimfast diet... so being the sensitive person I am right in front of Sylvia I told her how much the Elders just LOVE chicken fingers and probably would eat 10 or 12 each... she looked at me and was like REALLY.. and started making more.. the Elders just looked at me with death stares... so needlesstosay when we went back out to do yard work i got attacked with the water hose and was SOAKED!! so to get them back while we were eating everytime they finished a plate i would say , "You don't want more??", "Is that ALL you're going to eat?" I think they both ended up eating 10 plus she gave them some to take home! ha ha... but Sylvia was sooo appreciative for all our hard work.. we were able to teach her about the importance of a prophet and they came to church the next day. They are going to the english ward but they LOVED it especially Anastasia the little girl and she just kept asking her grandma when they were coming back and when we could go teach them again. service really leads to love, trust, and respect... serve everyone around you!!
We taught Mayela that night and Juan Carlos was actually there. We drew out the five steps and asked her to filled them in.. most investigators get one or two and out of order.. but she said them all right in order and then explained each one perfectly... she's been reading the gospel principles book and is almost done with it. She even told us why it was important for her to be baptized in this church and not other ones... Her husband Juan Carlos still has no clue she's getting baptized and was probably thinking the whole time.. why aren't these sisters committing her to baptism??... are they crazy?? ha ha.. little does he know!! :)
Sunday: was an awesome day!! We first went to church with Sylvia and her grandkids then ran to our ward where it was missionary sunday. The elders both spoke and so did MANUELA!!!! .. she just got up there and read straight out of preach my gospel then sat down... i was just proud of her that she agreed to give a talk and got up there... she was super nervous. Then Hermana Kleinman and I sang I Know that My Redeemer Lives to a beautiful piano arrangement Elder Esplin made up... it went really well. Then after sacrament we went to go to class with Luis like we promised and they didnt' have a class so we got nominated to be the teachers.. but it worked about really well because we got to get Luis more involved and the kids were really nice to him.. i think he really enjoyed himself. I think the highlight of the day was when Juan Carlos walked in to the church with Mayela!!!... he was even crying through the closing song... he's going to be sooo excited at Mayela's baptism! We had an amazing week but next sunday is going to be soooo much better... two baptisms for some of the most amazing investigators i've met on my mission!! I love this place!! I love my mission and I love these people. Please pray for them especially Mayela and Ariel that they make it to the waters of baptism!!
con carino,
Hermana Katie Barber

Ariel's getting baptized on the 2nd of May

2010-04-12T10:43:00.001-07:00

So this week has honestly been miracle week here in Plano and the whole week has been absolutely CRAZY!!! So if you don't normally read all my incredibly long e-mails (BRAD!!!!!) you will want to read this one!!
Monday: After all our P-day fun we went to dinner where we had lasagna with ham.. interesting.. then we went to teach Leo who was suppose to get baptized this weekend, but definitely can't. He started by telling us that he didn't want to get baptized.. we asked him why and he kept saying there was no reason. After pushing a little harder and asking what changed from out lesson a couple weeks ago on Friday to that Sunday that made him not want to come to church. He finally told us he got into a fight and in his own words "gutted" someone.. so needless-to-say Leo will not be getting baptized this weekend!! But we will keep working with him and try to help him change. I pray one day he can find the peace of the Atonement.
Tuesday: (HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MATT!) we had district meeting then our first couple appointments of the day canceled on us so we made some stop-bys and got a couple return appointments.. then we were heading to the woodland appartments where the Busto Family lives. The weekend before we had met a lady having an easter party with her family.. she said we could come back but we didn't think she was very promising. She lived in the other side of the Woodland complex which is HUGE and we are hardly ever on the side she lives because it's opposite of where our other investigators live. Well we drove around trying to find vistor parking and finally ended up parking on the street...and as soon as we get out of the car there is a lady standing there waiting to talk to us.. a little strange. After finding out we speak spanish and being estatic she asked us where the church was... we were a little taken back because normal people don't beg us to come to church. Well come to find out that her Lilian Toro and her husband Renae and three girls, Lilibeth, Lilieth, and Lizbeth are all members that just moved her from Houston and they have been looking for the church. Lizbeth actually saw us the weekend before while we were making an appointment with the grandma at the Easter party and had told he mom.. so when we were driving around looking for a parking spot they had seen us and she ran out to find us... turns out the lady we met at the Easter Party lives right next to the Toro Family and she wasn't even there for the appointment we made with her. God definitely places us where people need us. And the best part is that their little give Lizbeth is 9 and isn't baptized so we get to teach their whole family the lessons agaion to prepare Lizbeth to be baptized in May!! MIRACLE #1
We also got two media referrals that day when we haven't gotten ANY the whole time I've been here.. MIRACLE #2
We had dinner with the Castro Family and as usual they were HILARIOUS.. Hermano had taken a picture of Hermana Kleinman and I on Sunday and photoshoped it and had printed us an 8 x 10 picture for each of us.. they're awesome.
Wednesday:We did some random contacting then went to go to our appointment with Manuel a less active and his wife Rosie who isn't a member. Their car wasn't their so we knew we had a little time to contact more. There was a guy sitting on his step outside his appartment getting ready to smoke so we approached him and started contacting him. Hermana Kleinman and I felt a little weird about the contact considering he was blowing smoke in our faces and I was about to just give him a pass along card and walk away when the thought came to me to ask him if he was happy... He kinda looked a me shocked and said well... yea.. then he added all the problems he was having too.He told us his name was Carlos and had not really heard of the church before. But after telling him that we knew the gospel could bringing him happiness to his life... he said, "I Know." We come to find out that his real name is Juan Carlos and he was baptized 8 years ago... he got the Melquesieck (can't spell it sorry!! ha ha) and everything... but that his wife had told him that he had to choose her and the catholic church or his church and he chose her... he has now gone down a back road including drugs, drinking, and other things.. he has no job and his marriage is falling apart. He told us he wanted to give us his Triple to give to someone who could actually use it.. we told him no.. that he was going to use it again!! I gave him my Book of Mormon to read a passage in 3 Nephi and I have never seen someone hunger so bad to read that book.. he started flipping through and by the end had given US a reading assignment. he told us stories about when he used to go out with missionaries and it was amazing how his countanence physically changed.. he went from blank stares and no hope to light escaping from his eyes and such HOPE!! he ended up giving us his cigarettes and took his ear out of his ear to give to us.. and we devised a plan to come back and knock on Friday night to try to get his wife to listen to us!! And once again our other appointment never showed up... God placed us again right where he needed us to be! MIRACLE #3!!
That night we went to get to know the Toro family where we got a second dinner and I got to know Lilian figure out a little more about their church history while Hermana Kleinman was talkign to their friend and their conversation led into a first lesson ending in a soft commitment to baptism.. while I figured out when Lizbeth was going to get baptized.. It was a successful night!
Thursday: During planning we were looking through all of the old investigator sheets in our area book and I stumbled across one that said MANUELA LEMUS LOPEZ!!!... Elders two years ago had found Leo and Jesse, Manuela's sons in the Fiesta parking lot and were teaching them for awhile.. Leo actually read 1/2 of the Book of Mormon.. but then they got to busy so the Elder's dropped them. I guess everyone just has their time! That night we had a member Hermana Saldias come with us to a lesson with Gregonio and the rest of the gang in the trailer and we taught them a Plan of Salvation. When we got in the car after the lesson.. Hermana Saldias just said "I never realized how hard your guy's job is... trying to help people believe when they really don't care.. we are so lucky we had the faith to accept this gospel."
So Thursday night we were laying in our bunk beds.. i was half asleep and we hear a knock... Hermana Kleinman freaks out and says "Someone is knocking on our window!" I just brushed her off thinking it was someone at the door so I yelled COME IN... but no one came in.. I just thought it was Sue, our roomie, knocking on our door... then the knock came again and it was from the window.. I looked out the window and there was a young man standing there...I just yelled.. WHO ARE YOU!!! I thought he said BUENO and I started freaking out thinking someone we had contacted or an investigator had followed us home.. then he said.. "Oh I mush have the wrong how does sue live here??" Well it ended up being Sue's grandson who is 18 knocking on the wrong window and scaring the daylights out of me.. so I went and got Sue and when I got back... Sister Kleinman just looked at me and said, "I just want you to know you just invited an 18 year-old to come in your room through the window ON YOUR MISSION!!!" We were laughing sooooo hard!
Friday: We taught Keren, when we got there she was in a really bad mood because her and her boyfriend had been fighting alot and she is probably going to leave him. We ended up having her watch part of the Special Witnesses of Christ DVD since she didn't come to church... by the end of the lesson she was smiling and said she knew we had a prophet on the earth today.. the gospel brings happiness.. NO DOUBT!! We had a lesson with Luis who isn't getting baptized this Sunday and doesn't even really want to come to church because of some rude things the kids in primary said to him.. so we are going to push for the 25 of April instead.. please pray for him!
Our next scheduled appointment was to go and knock on Juan Carlos' door and try to get his "crazy catholic" wife to listen to us. We were SUPER nervous because we had no clue what to expect.. but we got there and Juan Carlos had all the doors open waiting for us and when we got there he told his wife the door was for her.. she was sleeping so had to change and as she is walking to the door and asked who it was he said, "Las Misioneras, they can come in right?" without really giving her a choice he let us in and we all sat down at their table to talk. He pulled out a briefcase filled with 2 triples, 2 book of mormons, tons of Liahonas and church manuels and said... well what are you going to teach us. I talked to his wife Mayela for a minute and she told us she would take the lessons but didn't think she would come to our church. So I told her we could come back another time or start today depending on her schedule and she told us to go for it. We taught her the first lesson about the Restoration of the gospel and it was honestly one of the most powerful lessons of my mission. She had AMAZING questions like.. after explaining the great apostasy she said, "So where's the prophet today?" then after the first vision she blurted out "So what'd they say... which one did he join?" while explaining about where the Bible was from and where her ancestors were from she said, "So shouldnt' we have a Bible in the America's too!?!" Yep the Book of Mormon. Then we asked her husband Juan Carlos to bear his testimony...he was a little anxious at first but the spirit RUSHED in as he told her that he knew it was true and that she could know for herself it was true also. he told her that the happiest time of his life was while he was in the church and he never wanted for anything he ever needed. He told her that he knew God sent us at this time because they needed this gospel. After he was done she just turned to us and said "I can come to church this Sunday.. we'll be waiting and ready for someone to take us." AMAZING MIRACLE #4... God can change hearts!
Saturday: we did a blitz for the elders since elder Esplin has been out of commission for a while with his kidney stones so we knocked doors.. taught some lessons plus dinner but nothing I can remember to report.. good day! Wait a second.. that's a lie.. We taught Ariel the plan of Salvation on his porch and ended up setting a baptismal date with him for May 2nd.. he's super excited!! and GOLDEN!! MIRACLE #5
We waited and waited and waiting expecting a transfer call that night and IT NEVER CAME!!! Hermana Kleinman and I are staying together in Plano for another 6 weeks and we couldn't be happier!
Sunday: was a little frustrating.. but still good!! Keren didn't come to church.. we don't know why.. we stopped by our investigators/ recent converts in the morning and Joe was at his girlfriends... Leo was still hung over and couldn't even stand up when we went to pass by to see if he was coming to church... others weren't home. and Juan Carlos went out with his friends the night before and Mayela didn't know where he was at noon on Sunday. Then the member that was suppose to go by to for Ariel couldnt' find his appartment so just came to church without him... leaving Ariel waiting to come to church all day. But the amazing thing of the day was MAYELA CAME TO CHURCH.. even without her husband!! The "crazy Catholic" as she husband described LOVED church and told us she is coming back next week... now the only problem we have is getting her husband there. But it's amazing how God changes hearts and prepares a way! And Manuela said the closing prayer in sacrament meeting.. she went up there.. introduced herself and then said the prayer with her eyes open like she was giving a talk.. it was hilarious and she was sooo nervous. She is giving a talk on missionary work in a couple week.. that should be interesting can't wait!!
This has been an amazing week!! Thanks for all your prayers and support.. hope this week is just as exciting!
con carino,
Hermana Katie Barber

Sacrament Talk In Spanish!!

2010-04-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

Hey Family!!! HAPPY EASTER and MATT... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!! Wasn't conference AMAZING?? I wish I could have been there to hang out with all of y'all and have fun with my sweet niece and nephews but that time will come oh too fast!! Thanks mom for my Easter package filled with goodies... i gave out the candy to the kids at the church during conference and it kept them entertained for a little longer.. thanks you're the best! We had a great week here in Plano like always with more and more miracles every week! Transfer calls are this Saturday and we probably won't stay together another week so we're going to make the most out of our last week (probably) together.
Monday:We did the normal chores on P-day but then we borrowed bikes from the Elders and went on an hour and a half bike ride picking up one of our investigators, Alejandra Bustos, on the way... It was super fun but my bottom was sore for the next couple days :) We ate dinner with Manuela that night, some yummy tamales she promised she would teach us how to make!!..She was kinda sad because a member in the ward is going to start taking over her new member lessons and out of no where she said I have lots of trust in you two and love you so much.. thank you. We had a lesson that night with the Bustos on the Book of Mormon and the importance of reading everyday... we opened it up for questions and they had none.. I think Youth Conference really helped Alex have a lot more faith in the truthfulness of the truth.. YEAH!!!
Tuesday: We had district meeting, lunch, then went home to wait for Sister Smith... she came up to have us help her with a talk she had to give in Spanish that night at a relief society party. We helped her for a couple hours and it was super fun having more one on one time with her and it made me realize I know more spanish than i give myself credit for.. reading and writing at least! We had dinner with the Cazeras... pollo de tinga otra vez.. I think the word is getting out that that is my favorite dish because we are having it a lot lately.. but I'm okay with that. We taught Gregonio again that night with his "son" Juliomar and soft committed them to baptism but they didn't come to conference so we'll see if they really progress. We then went and watched The Restoration with Mario but he still just doesn't get it so we gave him our number and pretty much dropped him but will stop back in awhile to see if he gets it more yet.. we need to save our time for those that are more willing to progress.
Wednesday: We had an awesome lesson with Keren and brought a member from the english ward who is amazing... her name is Katie Trusty. She served a mission and joined the church when she was 19. Her and Keren got along really well and she helped us control the kids during the lesson who were all home from school sick. we taught her the ten commandments and the importance of a prophet to receive commandments and then Sister Trusty invited her to conference at her house.. We were reading through the ten commandments and we got to #7.. don't commit adultery.. but instead of reading it like that she said.. don't do what Keren is doing.. She has such a desire to change but her circumstance is sooo crazy hard.. I can't even imagine being 23 with four kids already having a failed marriage and having to decide whether to stay with my boyfriend and marry him who is not the best either or to leave with my kids to a shelter. Please pray for her! Keren said the closing pray and Sister Trusty was crying by the end of it... I wish y'all could hear Keren's prayers.. they are so heart felt, a real conversation with God. Another shocking part of the lesson was when we got to commandment number 10.. Thou shalt not covet.. we explained it to her and almost crying she said you know what I covet or envy.. and we said no and she said,"you're happiness." You just look like you always roll out of bed smiling.. like you have everything in your life figured out. We explained the hope and happiness the gospel brings to your life no matter what you are asked to face. Do we as members of the church really understand what happiness and difference this gospel can bring in our lives?... I know I've always taken it for granted until I have been able to see how others live or believe... and how much this world really needs the hope and happiness of the gospel!
In the afternoon we took a 16 year old member from the English ward tracting with us and to contact referrals it was an eventful afternoon and i think we talked her into serving a mission. At night we took a funny gift to the elders.. Elder Esplin's kidney stone still hasn't even MOVED.. so he went to the doctor and the doctor said he has another one sitting in his kidney waiting to come out as soon as he passes this one.. he wasn't too happy.. so we being the sensitive sisters we are found these chocolates that look EXACTLY like little rocks and wrote him a note that said, "We hope these stones pass easier than your kidney stone!" it was super super funny!
Thursday (APRIL FOOLS DAY!)- April Fool's Day Tricks: We called some of the elders and gave them the PERFECT referral.. a mom with five kids, three over 8... we already soft committed her to baptism but she wants to go to the english ward. They were SOOO PUMPED!! Then we called them back and said,"we forgot to tell you something about them.. APRIL FOOLS!! They were so confused and didn't even know it was April 1st.. we got them good. Then I called Sister Smith and told her that I was having a hard time and I don't know if i can do it anymore and kinda want to go home. I felt pretty back because she was sooooo concerned and said well what is it that is bothering you and I said, "Well maybe because it's April Fools Day." She just paused and said,"well in that case.. I'll buy you a ticket home this afternoon!" It was a super effective companionship study :) Right after we got done with our phone calls our "roommate"Sue.. fell out of the shower and we found her flat on her back...interesting experience but luckily she didn't break anything! We taught a first lesson with a referral who was super super interested but then found out we were "mormons" and a wall went up.. hope we're good wall climbers! We had american hamburgers for dinner.. long time since I've had a good one of those so that was nice.. then we contacted another referral who was super interested and probably would have gone somewhere if her mom wasn't right behind her the whole time saying, "somos catolicos." ONE DAY!!
Friday: Most of our appointments canceled on us and all the stop by's we made no one was home so we went and tried to contact Manuel (super less active) and his wife Rosi (the one who's brother was on his mission in Provo) and the first thing they said to us was WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!!! we thought you forgot about us! So we've started working with them again so that will be good. We taught the Busto family and ate some chicken with them... we gave them each a calendar to mark their reading, prayers, and church attendance on so hopefully they'll get better at keeping their commitments. We then went to the Marrero's to do some service and had more chicken... then we went ot our dinner appointment with the Dominguez and had more chicken.. NO MORE CHICKEN FOR ME!! I came home that night.. just when i thought my family forgot about me for Easter and found my package from mom!! thanks mom! I waiting till Sunday morning to open it though.
Saturday: I LOVE CONFERENCE!!! My favorite talk in the first session was the first one from Elder Packer on Fathers and their importance on presiding in the home. It made me think of dad..and how he has always been worthy to baptize us, ordain my brothers, give us father's blessings anytime we asked.. Thanks dad!! It really hit me the importance the priesthood in your home! Between sessions we went and picked up Hna. Berrios, a member, and went to teach a lesson to a guy named Ariel that we met at the laundry mat of this complex... we had gone one time before and met his roommates but didn't have much time to teach them so we told them our purpose and gave them a pamphlet to read on the restoration which no one ends up reading... EVER. So we get there and ask if he had read and he had!! During the lesson he was giving the definition of things he had remembered from his reading and we were able to soft commit him to baptism on the first real lesson. We had also told him in our first "our purpose" lesson that he was going to have to say the closing prayer next time we came by to teach him... so that time came for him to say the closing prayer and I went to give him his pamphlet where we had wrote the steps of prayer and he went and grabbed a notebook where he had written out a prayer and had been practicing how to pray just right all week! He has such a desire to know and to do what's right.. GOLDEN!! He is from Nicaragua, around 25 and is 6"4'.. the tallest Hispanic I've ever seen!!
During the second session my favorite talk was L.Tom Perry's I loved how he said he remembered his mom having the dinning room table filled with reference materials for her lessons.. that is EXACTLY MY MOM!!! I'll never forget orange choice and accountability stuff alllllllll over the table or your combat gear for your other talk for Girl's camp on year... I also loved how he said his mom had so much material she couldn't possibly share it in one class but she always used the things she learned to bless him and his other siblings... so true!! thanks mom!! I also LOVED Elder Holland's talk.. he always lays it down!!!
After conference we went and dyed Easter eggs with Karen and Alejandra Bustos and she made us dinner even though we told her we had a dinner appointment... but then we left for our dinner appointment and Alejandra came with us.. so we made her eat two dinners too!! We were all so full and it hurt to laugh! But at least we made her suffer with us.. ha ha!!
Sunday: We watched the first session in spanish and Alejandra came with Alex and Karen.. she loved it and was crying by the end of the closing prayer.... I tried to listen while translating in my head my notes into english and keep Alex and Karen entertained.. I didn't get the most out of that session but i loved listening to it in spanish because my notes aren't word for word what the person said but instead they are the true impressions and the things I got out of their talks.. we had lunch as a branch in between sessions then we watched the last session in english... Neil's talk was really good and I thought that was Mike's mission president.. that name sounded sooo familiar.. I bet that was super cool for Mike! We had dinner with Hna. Saldiaz, then we went and chastise Manuel and Rosi for not coming to church.. then we went to meet with a less active.. who is Hna. Dominguez's husband.. he hasn't come to church in 20 years... so we taught him the five steps focusing on Enduring to the end then ended up eating a second dinner with them of carne asada... YUMMY and a enchilada casserole thing!! I was yummy but I could not eat for a couple days and be perfectly fine!! Well I hope y'all had an amazing Easter. I am so thankful for my Savior and Redeemer and for the opportunity I have to share everyday that HE LIVES and that because he lives we will too and that we have the opportunity to live with our families forever..... this gospel really is a message of love, hope and happiness!! i love you all and miss you tonz but I'll see you WAY WAY WAY too soon.. STOP TIME!!!
Love you
Hermana Katie Barber

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2010-02-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

We had a great week but Christmas hit Texas the week of Valentine's Day. We had record snow this week in Texas and had so much fun tracting in the snow, mud,and slush...ha ha my shoes are still drying!! Hermana Kleinman and I made a snowman with some of the Elders this week and it was a Missionary snowman with a tie, tag, suit coat, and even a Book of Mormon and the funnest part is that while we were making it some of our investigators, David and Dagoberto, walked by and helped us.
Monday night we had an appointment with the Bustos family where the dad wasn't present because he was sleeping but we watched the Restoration DVD, while drinking hot chocolate and animal crackers...they said they felt really good about everything and we had a BLAST with them. They are cutest family ever and I'm super excited to teach them more. We also got to teach Manuela which is always a highlight of my week.. she is so amazing and prepared.. she is already past Mosiah in the Book of Mormon.. and we got to start teaching her 8 year old son who she wants to get baptized. Teaching kids is always an adventure. We taught him the 10 commandmants using hand motions and thought he wasn't paying attention at all but surprised us by being abled to tell us them all when we asked him!!! I don't think he'll be ready to be baptized with his mom in a little over a week but we're going to try..
Tuesday we had an awesome lesson with this lady named Sandra who really wants to come to our church. She has a five week old baby and she told us that she told her baby this week, "We are going to go to the church of the hermanitas... I know what they're saying is true." (doesn't sound the same translated into english but she was super excited) but her husband decided that she can't go to church if it's not a catholic church so now we have an appointment to meet her husband... wish us luck!
That night we took our investigator Juan Garcia to a special fireside with Elder Evans fromt the seventy.. it was only for missionaries, recent converts, investigators and less-actives so it was pretty much amazing. He really hit hard the importance of the church the differences..and one of the funnest parts was that i got to see the Harkness family...they all said how much they miss me and I them..but they are still on to get baptized on the 21st so I'm excited to go back for that!
Wednesday we had our zone conference with Elder Evans which was very enlightening.. we did a bunch of role plays and he gave us tons of new challenges.. He also talked to us on a topic that is quite odd to talk to missionaries about but about marriage...He told us that one of the main reasons we were set to our mission was to learn and become close to our mission president and his wife. He said in the pre-exsistence we promised to serve together and that we had kept that promise. He then had us make a list on a board of the things we think about when we hear Presdient Smith or Sister Smith..they were two seperate lists... then he challenged us to find those characteristics in our future spouse or develop those in ourselves. It was a cool training and something to think about. I love my mission president and sister smith they truely are amazing and I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to know them!
Thursday was snowing really bad so at 7 pm we were told to go home for the night and stop driving but before that we went to teach Manuela and her husband actually sat down and talked to us which is a lot of improvement and she told us her daughter is meeting with the missionaries in Irving!!
Friday we taught alot of lessons trying to make up for canceled appointments on Thursday but my favorite lessons were with the Dominguez family who were less active when i got her but have gone to church three times now and her friends Elizabeth and her daughters Stephany and Ashley. We made Valentine's cupcakes with them then followed up on Elizabeth's reading... we committed her to come to church too!! She really is so darling and it has been such a blessing because Hermana Dominguez knows she has to be an example...We then got to teach a man named Antolin who is a very strong catholic but we asked about his reading and praying and he told us he has always KNOWN that the catholic church is the true church but now he is confused... good sign :)!! We then got to teach the Bustos again and this time their dad was there... we read with them out of the Book of Mormon and commited them to come to church after a long discussion with Alejandra, the mom, that a skirt will not make her look fat!! got to love girls!! They didn't end up calling..actually called to left us a message yesterday with a loud ambulance siren in the background so i couldn't understand but they confirmed out appointment for tonight so I hope everything is alright!
Saturday I got to go back to Carrollton on splits and Hermana Kleinman stayed her to go to all our appointments only for a couple hours though. Sophia Gomez got baptized and it was so awesome. Her mom and grandma who are completely less active were there and after the baptism her mom pulled me aside.. i've been teaching them since before October, and she just gave me a huge hug and thanked me for never giving up on her family. And promised to start bringing all her kids to church and change her life. I pray she really does it this time!! I talked to Sophia's sister Melissa at the baptism too and asked her when she was finally gonna go through with it and she said hopefully Feb.21st or March 7th!! Plus I got to see the Harkness family and Miguel who are all going through with their baptisms this coming sunday!! I can't wait!!! Carrollton will always have a huge part of my heart!!
Sunday we had 5 people at church... Juan came to the english ward in the morning because he had work during the spanish branch time but David, Emilio, Elizabeth and her daughters came to our branch. Elizabeth actually has five women that are her friends from the ward already and fit right in.. she told us her little daughter Ashley woke her up in them morning really early and asked her if it was time to go to church yet!! ha ha and she's super excited to come next week too.. With all the friends Elizabeth has in the ward it was really interesting that it took the less-active to invite her to take the lessons... there really are people all around us ready to hear the gospel or that need to hear the gospel we just have to have the courage to share our testimonies and invite them!!
I love this work and I'm loving Plano too!! thanks for all your prayers and love!!!
love your guts,
Hermana Katie Barber

PREACHING in the rain is WAY better than SINGING!!

2010-02-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

My AMAZING companion Hermana Kleinman and I had an awesome week and a BLAST doing it!! So President Smith changed some of our key indicators this week so we now have a key indicator for contacts.. we have to get 20 contacts a day and if we do we get 2 points! A girl from the english ward asked us what we got for our pints at the end of the week like a brownie or what.. it was then that i realized.. absolutely nothing but then in that same second I realized we receive miracles, blessings, joy that is undescribable!! Man do i love my mission! So Monday after P-day and dinner it was around 6 and we had ZERO contacts for the day so off we went to an apartment complex to meet some fine people.. we were walking around trying to decide where we wanted to knock when i passed
an apartment with tons of paper crosses taped up in the window and on the door... Hermana Kleinman said before she knew what i was doing i was knocking on the door. A man openned the door and as soon as he saw the word Jesucristo on my name tag started handing me free jell-o and water bottles.. little did we know but he was the "tienda" for the complex and sold jell-o, sodas, phone cards to the whole complex... So as i begin to contact the Jell-O man Hermana Kleinman starts contacting all of his neighbors coming to buy things. Isn't it amazing how God places us in situation to accomplish all our goals!! Well I started explaining the Book of Mormon to Mr. Jell-o and he proceeds to tell me to take it to someone in the prision who really needs it then grabs a stack of five bibles and while pounding on them tells me that this is all the truth he needs.. little did he know that he was holding all the proof of the apostasy in his hands and the very reason why he really needs the Book of Mormon. He didn't want to listen to us but as one of his customers walked away he yelled at him to come and back and told him to REPENT and listen to us!! ha ha then the customer looked at him confused and said, "But i go to your church!!" Mr. Jell-o proceeded to tell him it didn't matter and he should listen to us because we brought the word of God! I walked away laughing SOOOOO hard and amazed once again at the Lord's hand in the work and at the Lord's sense of humor!!
Tuesday we had district meeting.. my zone is not as close here but it will be good to learn from new people. We ended up knocking alot but met some great new people who we scheduled appointments for later in the week. We were finally able to contact that one investigator that was already here when i got here.. his name is Juan and he is studying to be a preacher for the Church of Christ... the whole time they have been teaching him he only allows them to over come his doubts by using the Bible and not the Book of Mormon. So we had a very bold lesson with him about the fruits of the Book of Mormon and that we are there to teach him things he doesn't know and that the glory of the restoration is that we are able to find clarifications that we can't find in the Bible. We committed him to pray to know that the restoration really happened and if he doesn't allow us to use the Book of Mormon in our next appointment we are going to have to drop him which is sad because Hna. Kleinman and I both know he has received his answer already that these things are true he is just too afraid to change... why are some people content in their ignorance?
Wednesday we had another great day and taught another man that was very knowledgable in the Bible but he would just throw in pointless scriptures from the Bible that didn't even fit with anything we were teaching him in the first lesson.. so at one point I was just sick of it... and I think I shocked Hna. Kleinman a little bit because he went
to agrue with me and i held up my hand and told him... NO ITS MY TURN TO TALK.. ha ha.. I proceeded to tell him I knew he was intelligent and had a lot of faith but that we were here to add to his knowledge and help him come closer to God and Jesus Christ.. I taught him about the Book of Mormon without a peep out of him.. then I bore a simple, sincere testimony of prayer and the truth of these things. He then asked when we could come back!! We also had a lesson that night with an eternal investigator who is also taking lessons with the Jehovah Witnesses... and we had a break through.. she told us she knew that Joseph Smith was a true profeta and that Book of Mormon is the word of God... but then her little daughter who was 9 said she wanted to get baptized.. WHEN
SHE'S THIRTY!!!... we were thinking months.. not YEARS but at least they know they need to get baptized right?
Thursday it was raining like CATS AND DOGS.... and we barely had time to plan because we had so many appointments planned with people we had just knocked into.... some of them punched so we ended up knocking doors in the rain for a couple hours.. then we taught a couple new investigators Laura and Guermo which will probably go somewhere then we had a lesson with MANUELA!! We followed up on her prayer and reading and she told us she knew it was true but that she had only read a little bit.. she showed us where she had read to and she read the entire introduction plus up to 1 Nephi 5.. and she had it all marked up in red pen. She loved the Plan of Salvation lesson and was so excited to come to church on Sunday. That night we had a youth from the english ward come out with us.. it was still raining really hard and we needed a couple more contacts for the day so we knocked an apartment complex in the rain and the best part was that the parking lots were like lakes so we walked through water up past our ankles.. it only took three days for our shoes to dry out.. but we had a BLAST!! People would open their doors and thought we were absolutely crazy but would let us in even just to get our of the rain and cold but then we got to share a message with them!! Preaching in the rain is WAY better than singing!!
Friday we ate with the cutest family in the branch, The Angeles.. then taught a less active then did some service from Sister Kerr who we live with. At night we got to teach a less active Hermana Dominguez who came to church on Sunday and her friend was actually there too and we got a return appointment with her this week!! Another week highlight happened on Friday night.. there was a door contact that Hermana Richardson and Hermana Kleinman had made months back with a lady named Pamola..She's about our age with two little kids and a husband and she always made excuses why we couldn't come back.. so last week i talked her into meeting with us so when we showed up on Friday she was looking for an excuse to make us go away but we got in and actually taught her a first lesson.... it was amazing!! At the end of the lesson she just looked at us and said,"I'm gonna tell you the truth (all we could think was OH NO here it comes!!)... I REALLY love what you're teaching me.. But I'm hispanic... I'm CATHOLIC.. how can I just change?" We committed her to take the lessons, soft committed her to baptism and to pray to know it
was true. She made a solid appointment with us for this coming week and even told us her cell phone number that she supposedly didn't have before.. ha ha.. It 's amazing how this gospel changes people right before your eyes! After that appointment, it was probably the coldest night I've felt in Texas so far, so we of course decided to knocked doors :).. it was around eight.. we were tired, and FREEZING... couldn't feel our feet but we knocked this one door and I will never forget when it opened... This 15 year old boy stood there but he had a light in his eyes that you NEVER see knocking doors and I had a distinct impression that he needs to serve a mission! He let us in and we had the opportunity to teach his family a little about the Book of Mormon.. they were all very sincere to know and we made a return appointment with them tonight.. Familia Bustos. I very anxious and nervous to teach them because I know what Heavenly Father wants fo them!! Please pray for this family!
Saturday was a nother freezing day.. we had tons of canceled appointment but at night we went to teach a lady named Maria Salazar who we thought was just going to be another punched appointment but she let us in.. we taught her a first... she's so prepared. And she collects pigs (just like you right mindy?? ha ha!!!) and cows and she gave me and Hermana Kleinman two piggy banks.. my first one was cream with brown spots and flowers all over it and lucky pennies glued to the outside... SUPER ugly.. ha ha but my other one is pink and says With God Nothing is Impossible!! They are awesome!
This Sunday was WAY better and I got to know the members better since I wasn't super sick... They are all way strong and over 80% of this branch are recent converts from this year.. so they are super good fellowshippers. Manuela came to church with her 8 year old son Luis even though they were super sick... everyone was super nice to them and she just kept telling us how she was going to bring her daughter and
granddaugther the next week. We were so happy!! After church and dinner around 6:30PM we still had to get one new investigator for the week to meet our companionship goal of 12 new investigators this week. So we headed off to an appointment where the people we had the appointment with weren't their but we contacted the person that answered the door and he let us in.. We taught them a first lesson and they were super excited to know and read.. so not only did we get one investigator.. we got FOUR!! God always blesses us with more than we even think is possible as long as we are diligent and obedient!
Hermana Kleinman and I had a great week and we're super excited for the week to come to get all our new investigators to progress and get to church!! Thanks so much for all your prayers, love and support!! I love TEXAS!!! and guess what I'm fluent in Spanglish... aren't you so proud!! :)!!!!
con amor y gratitud,
Hermana Katie Barber

Hola From Plano!!

2010-01-25T09:43:00.000-08:00

So i spent all day Monday saying goodbye to my family in Carrollton which was really hard for me because I'm not good at change or goodbyes but a part of me was really excited for a change after 8 months in Carrollton.. but the other part of me was sad I wasn't going to be there to get all our investigators to their baptisms.. but They will get there especially since Hermana Richardson got transfered back into Carrollton
for her last transfer in the mission. All our investigators getting baptized she didn't really teach so they will be new to her but she at least knows the area and branch. I got transfered on Tuesday morning to Plano, TX where Hermana Richardson was before so we just did a swap and swapped "greenies" in the process too. My new companion in Hermana Kleinman who has been out one transfer and is AMAZING! we get along really well and have really high goals for this area this transfer. It is in the exact opposite shape as Carrollton which means we are going to be knocking alot of doors which i haven't done in 8 months so it will be good for me right! My highlight of the week happened on Friday. It was a gorgeous day so we decided to walk some streets knocking and contacting old potential investigators. So we knocked this one door asking for a potential investigator Miguel but some lady answered the door and before we were even through our whole door contact she said.. come back tomorrow at 5pm and started closing the door. I walked away thinking it was a little strange and Hermana Kleinman and I both thought she wouldn't be there the next day. So 5 PM on Saturday rolls around and we knocked on her door, Her name is Manuela, and she invites us straight in. We taught her a solid first lesson and her eyes were wide the entiretime and just kept saying, Si...si..si.. and she answered every question right. Then we gave her a Libro de Mormon and she told us she used to
have one and the boy missionaries used to visit her but they stopped coming. She told us how she had been praying for God to show her the right way in her life and that is when we knocked at her door and she was taken off guard but that she knew God put us in her life. We sang for her and then said a closing prayer...she had tears streaming down
her face. We let the silence last for a little bit then i asked her how she felt in that moment and she said peace, happiness, hope.. I explained it was an answer from the spirit that the things we taught her are true and she jsut said, "I know." We walked out of that house and Hermana Kleinman said that was one of the best experiences she had on
her mission and i just told her Welcome to six weeks of miracles like that! I'm excited for this area and to find new solid people prepared by God. The branch here is tiny and most filled with recent converts but they are strong and so willing to fellowship and love! It should be an amazing new experience.
I also live in a members house here, Dianne and Steve Kerr... we live and study in a room in their house. It is different then having apartments with just my companion my whole mission but they are super sweet for letting us live there and are very nice people... I'm excited to get to know them better!! my new address for the next 6 weeks at
least is 3113 E. Park Blvd Plano, TX 75074.
Well love y'all so much!! Pray for us and our NEW investigators!!
con amor,
Hermana Barber

7 and 1/2 months in Carrollton and another GREENIE!!

2009-12-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

Another great but VERY COLD week in Carrollton!! Monday (Nov. 10th) was a fun P-day but the Yeaman's ended up canceling on us because they were sick... we had no miles since it was the end of the month so ended up staying in Coppell where we had been for P-day but it turned out perfectbecause we got to contact Teresa and teach her a lesson.. yes still Teresa Andrade.. I'm so determined to get her baptized. She wants to she just doesn't want to change. So we started the lesson and her little boy Davin that is 5 say the opening prayer then we asked him what his greatest dream was and he just pointed to his mom and said live with her forever and ever and ever and ever... etc. Then we looked at Teresa and asked her what her greatest desire was and of course she said that
same... then we asked her what she needed to do. Of course she said the five steps and committed to work towards them again... I hope it happens this time!!
Tuesday we had a zone meeting which was way good on solving our investigators concerns using the Book of Mormon. We did role plays andthe zone leaders were pretty hard investigators trying to make us work for it. It was amazing thought because that night we went and taught a part member family and every single one of the concerns we had used in zone conference he actually brought up... it's amazing how the Lord prepares us here in the field to face anything! After that we went and taught Josue and Aliz Flores again... the parents are back together and they have decided together they want to be active again. They all came to church on Sunday as a family now we are just waiting on their dad to be able to baptize them. We then went and taught another part-member family, Christina Martinez and her children Melissa and Sophia Gomez. She was baptized when she was 15 but moved and hasn't been to church in years. We started re-teaching them but the says church is too early to come and that she has nothing to wear... she won't tell us what her real concern is even if we dig and dig and dig... but we'll get them there next week. She knows her family really needs the gospel and her kids need to have this foundation to grow and make different decisions then she did but I think apart of her thinks she is so far off the path she can never come back. That where we come in... help her feel that divine love again.
Wednesday we taught Nancy Adame who is so ready to get baptized but her husband won't let her come to church in Farmers Branch where the chapel is because the police are known for deporting... but they're moving out building to the stake center in Carrollton at the start of the month so maybe then she will start to progress. We found an old investigator named Silvia Orozco that we committed to take the lessons again. Then we went and ate with a Columbian family... the Sacristan. I love lentils that they eat with every meal but then after the meal she asked if we wanted hot chocolate which was said yes... then she said, "Con Queso??" so yes I ate my first hot chocolate with cheese... not the biggest fan!!
After dinner we headed over to the Yeaman's to check on Jason and how he was doing on not smoking and he's doing amazing!! We then talked about him quitting coffee and he made an agreement with me that Melinda was ecstatic about... he is going to stop coffee on January 1st which is also their wedding anniversary and we got him to express his desires to be sealed with his family in the temple!! That will be one of the greatest days of my life... I love this family!
On Thursday we taught Gerardo the Word of Wisdom and The Law of Chastity. I thought it was going to be an interesting lesson but I wasn't prepared for what he said to us. He said he has always felt his body was very sacred and then quoted the scripture in Corinthians about our bodies being temples which I was planning on sharing... he honestly
is sooooooooo prepared... and every time I commit him to live anything he always says "CLARO Hermana Barbara!" ... We planned his baptism and he wants Hermano Garibaldi to baptize him. I'm doing a talk on Baptism, Hermana Gomez on Holy Ghost and we're singing a special musical number. I can't wait!!
Friday we got to go to the temple with the Aguilar's. They received their endowments and I did my first session all in Spanish...it was super fun and so amazing to see how happy they were. It was my first time going to the temple for an endowment session in my mission... man do I miss that!
On Saturday we got transfer calls... I was sure I was getting transferred so I had been passing around my address book and journal to everyone in the area and was finally at grips that I wouldn't be spending the holidays here in Carrollton. Well you can imagine my surprise when President called us and told me that I was STAYING in Carrollton another transfer and TRAINING AGAIN!!! Three transfers...three greenies... can you say EXHAUSTING BUT EXCITING!! President Smith said I'm going to be the trainer extrodinare because I'm done.... I'm excited but I'm going to miss Hermana Gomez so much! We
were rocking it together!
Sunday Gerardo passed his baptismal interview with flying colors and will be baptized next week at five!! I can't wait!
Sorry this e-mail is shorter than usual but we have so much to do today to get ready for transfers tomorrow!! I love you all and thanks for the support and prayers!!

Con amor,
Hermana Barber

December 13!!...CAN'T WAIT!!

2009-11-30T15:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Late Thanksgiving!!! It sounds like the family all had a great Thanksgiving and I did too!! Thanks for sending me the Banana Cream Pie recipe even thought I got it way too late!! I definitely missed mom's banana cream pie and homemade rolls and dad's stuffing and honey carrots.... No one can cook as well as y'all.. SORRY!!!
Well Sunday I talked to an old member in my English ward that I had gotten really close to named Melinda Yeaman... her husband is less active and trying to quit smoking and I have gotten really close to this family. I told her about a quit smoking program that we as missionaries teach and she just said her husband would never go for it... on Sunday
night we were doing out planning and all our appointments for Monday were falling through-we had three..Then as we were sitting trying to decide what we could do Sister Yeaman called me and said her husband wanted me to teach him that program! So I guessed the canceled appointment were an answer to prayers because we got to teach him the
next night and get him started right away. So on Monday night he made us all dinner.. Yummy filet minions!! And then we taught him the quit smoking program and one of the steps is that they can't drink alcohol, coffee or tea for the week they're trying to quit.. He told me he didn't think he could do it because coffee is like his crutch so I just offered to take his espresso maker away.. ha ha which I did along with all of his nice coffees!! His wife I think was in shock that he really let me walk out the front door with all his lighters and coffee plus way nice espresso maker. While she was driving us home she talked about how he used to not even come out and talk to missionaries or would say hi and just disappear and how other missionaries were intimidated or scared by his boldness or personality.. So I guess thank goodness for my thick skin.. she told me how much he respects me and it made me realize how we really are put in the places we are just to touch certain people... He thinks I'm giving him back his espresso maker in two weeks.. Little does he know the next step is getting him to quit coffee and back to church J
Tuesday was an interesting day because we were going to have a zone meeting and some of the sisters totaled their 2009 Malibu on the way over to the meeting.. hmmmm sounds familiar... I have decided they shouldn't let sisters drive!! (I'm sure my dad would agree) so we spent the rest of the afternoon driving the sisters around, getting them ice
packs, dinners, going to their appointment and so on but we did by 7 get to go to one of our own appointments with Gerardo, Mr. GOLD!! He told us how different he feels since he met us and how he was out with his brother over the weekend and just wanted to rush home to read the Book of Mormon and how peaceful he feels when he reads it. We then taught him
the Plan of Salvation briefly including the 5 steps he needs to do to live in the Celestial Kingdom forever. He said he realizes he is on the step of repentance and says he feels 50% ready to make the next step of baptism..and for only our second lesson with him I will take 50%!!
On Wednesday we had a great day and walked probably 10 miles...we were running low on miles since it's the end of the month but it is such great weather her still that we took advantage of it. We taught an old old investigator Maria Sandoval and got her to commit to take the lessons again with her family..Then we knocked some doors and visited
some members and less actives. We ended up eating two dinners.. Carne asada with familia Sanchez which was AMAZING.. and her husband is less active and his friend who has been less active for 8 years was there also so we had a nice lesson and talk with them. We taught Hermano Rojo who is a recent convert and they haven't been to church since I've been here since July so were going to start teaching them the lessons again because he said he really doesn't see the difference between our church and the catholic church.. Probably not a good sign! We then had another dinner with familia Navarro who are from Nicaragua which is where Hermana Gomez's family is from so she was soooo excited to have that food again... I didn't care for it that much but downed it... the fried bananas and cheese wasn't too bad. We then went and taught Aliz and Josue Flores again.. still painfully shy but still want to get baptized so hopefully we can get them there within the next couple months and get their dad to be able to baptize them.
Thursday (Happy Thanksgiving!!) was such a fun day filled with tons of good food! I started the day by making the rest of the breadstick mix that Janene sent me and brownies to bring to our three thanksgiving dinners. We first went to the Elmore's house where I helped Caran make the sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and corn... I love this house and them.. I really feel just like home there. We had a nice dinner then we played a game of Clue which I have been promising the boys I would play (and kill them at) for months!! We then made our way over to the Carraquillos where they had a casserole of every different veggie I think.. she did have homemade rolls, strawberry jam, and a banana cream pie so I tried really hard to stuff it done but was
so full I don't think I thoroughly enjoyed it. We then headed to the Aguilars where we had a nice ham since none of us really like turkey that much anyway but I felt pretty bad because I couldn't eat that much because honestly I felt like I was going to explode. We made turkey with them where the feathers were all the things they are thankful for and one of Hermana Corina Aguilars was that she is thankful to get to go to the temple on December 5th to receive her endowments!! I was soooo excited!! They aren't getting sealed until they have money to do a wedding since she never got one but at least they are progressing and going to the temple.. I got permission to go already and can't wait! It was a good day and I have so much to be thankful for.. I'm so thankful for this experience but it also made me realize how thankful I am for my amazing family who I love so much (and miss!!) Friday we had studies and did a little planning then ate two o'clock went and taught Gerardo with Hermana Caceras. We taught him the five steps (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end) again more in
depth focusing on repentance since that is the step he said he was on.. then at the end of the lesson we asked him what he felt like he needed to do to be ready for the next step and he said.. well I guess nothing and he felt ready! We told him we have some more lessons to teach him and that he needed to come to church but he is so excited and filled
with animo I love teaching him! We then went and taught a lady that just showed up to Relief Society last week, Sofia Gonzalez, it was an amazing lesson especially since one of her roommates is a way active member so she has a way good example already. She also had just found out that her daughter that is still in Guatemala has dangia fever (?) and in the hospital and she hasn't been able to find a job yet since being in the
United States. We taught her the first lesson, prayed, and sang for her and she just expressed what peace she felt.. I love this work! After teaching her for some reason I felt like I should call an old investigator that I haven't talked to in months and he won't meet with the other English sisters that got put in... So I called Joseph Esters to wish him a Happy Thanksgiving and he told me that his nephew Thurnell had passed away the day before Thanksgiving and his family were having a super hard time. So I went and bought them a lasagna dinner with a note and went to visit him... we got into talking and teaching him and got to sing for him and pray. He is still reading his Book of Mormon and highlighting the scriptures I gave him. I just testified to him that this is the only way he can live with Thurnell again and that I know Thurnell wants him to have this opportunity. He knows it is true just too scared to make the leap... but he didn't tell me pretty emotional that no matter where me or Hermana Richardson get transferred or changed we're never far away because we are his angels and close to his heart. He said I think God programmed to you Sister Barber just so you could get into my heart... there are very few people I let close to me and y'all are some of them! It was definitely another tender moment where I realized I am here for a reason. We then went to familia Escalante and helped them set up their Christmas tree and caroled with them. Saturday a lot of our appointments fell through and our day was going kind of crappy so we decided to make a stop by at Gerardo's since we were already in the area.. so we read the Book of Mormon with him sitting on his front steps of his apartment complex. We read 3 Nephi 11 with him when Christ came to the Americas but it had never stood out to me until we read it this time that when Christ comes after everyone gets the chance to feel the marks in his hands and feet he then calls Nephi to come to him and gives him the power baptize and teaches how and the importance of that. After we read Gerardo told us he was ready to get baptized and wanted to know when he could so we set a date with him for Sunday, December 13th after his third time coming to church. He is so excited... but he wears a hat all the time and told us that he wasn't going to take it off to come to church... that he never takes off this hat! We decided that was a minor problem and we could overcome that!! Ha ha We had dinner when a member family then went up to Lewisville to teach that less active Amelia we met knocking doors and her husband who is a non-member was there so we got to teach them a powerful first lesson..I don't think he completely gets it all but he at least agreed and was excited to read the Book of Mormon which is a huge converting tool.. it works miracles!
Sunday was such an amazing day!! Gerardo came to church with Hermano Garibaldi NOT WEARING HIS HAT, plus we had TEN OTHER INVESTIGATORS come to church...we were definitely not counting on that many plus the Escalante family brought some of their family to church that we have taught once and thought they wanted nothing to do with the church.. plus the Aguilars brought someone we thought the same thing about and then a member brought her sister and nephew who are not members... AMAZING!!
But the meetings were pretty intense meetings with sacrament about tithing which we had never taught Gerardo so we were pretty nervous about all that. So after church we went to eat with Tony Herinquez and Anias Zariate which is always an experience. Then we had the opportunity to teach Pedro Masias again who was a media referral from a month or so ago.. he really wants his kids to learn and come to church so I think they will go somewhere even if they progress kind of slow.. then we went and taught the old investigator Esperanza who we haven't seen in almost two months... well needless to say her pastor at the Baptist church had asked her where she had been and she told him about us and so he gave her some anti.. so our lesson with here was very interesting and I doubt I go back while I am in the area... just sad that she knew it was true and has completely rejected it like that.. it broke my heart. Then we had a appointment with a lady we just knocked into but found out she was sick so we went to her house just to sing to her and say a prayer which she really appreciated and said she was anxious for us to come back and teach her when she was better.. then we went over to Gerardo's to answer questions from church and teach him about tithing... we got there and asked him what questions he had and he just told us he has always felt like someone was missing.. that he had used his money to take care of his needs and send some home to Mexico and he felt like he was being blessed but he said that the church is the missing link.. He felt like tithing was his way of giving back to God. He said he is EXCITED to pay tithing and will pay it gladly...he is too perfect!!! Ha ha he said church was amazing that everyone was so nice and he felt like when Presidente Carraquillo was talking about how finding the church is like finding a light and the path that he was talking directly to him. He
said he learned so much that he was so excited to learn more and more every week. And couldn't wait for his baptism. He told us he knew we weren't always going to be with him but that he will always be grateful we showed him the right way and he said, "I will always hear Hermana Gomez saying go this way and Hermana Barbara saying do this!" He is so sincere and we walked away from that appointment and Hermana Gomez just looked at me and said, "moments like that make me love my mission!" It is so true!
I love my mission and I love this area of Carrollton. Transfer calls are on Saturday and I am praying that I can stay in this area for one more transfer and with Hermana Gomez for one more transfer too and continue to grow in confidence with my spanish and in our friendship.. she is great! Thanks for all your prayers and love and support!! Please pray for Gerardo and his baptismal date to go through!!
Love,
Hermana Katie Barber
P.S. If you haven't written me a letter in a while the holidays would be
a GREAT time to for me to hear from you!! Ha ha.. Thanks love you all!!

Angie Vasquez is Baptized!!

2009-11-10T09:17:00.000-08:00

This week has been absolutely amazing, stressful, but busy!! Monday started out with most of our appointments canceling so we went to Presidente Carrasquillo's house to teach a friend of his son who had questions about the church in english. We tried to teach him the first lesson but we later found out in the lesson he only came because he was determined to prove our church wrong and to get more material for his lesson he was going to teach the youth in his church about our church being a cult and non-christians... it was an interesting experience but it was amazing how our simple testimonies he couldn't dispute. Its so hard because my heart hurts for them just to know the truth and really want to search for the truth and open their hearts.. but the experience also made me happy I'm a spanish missionary!! Tuesday we had interviews and training with President and Sister Smith.. I love them!! We are focusing on the Book of Mormon this transfer and introducing it at the begining of our lessons and using it in door contacts and all.. so as a mission we all got the Book of Mormons we pass out everyday and we are reading it twice together as a mission.
The first time we are marking everytime the Book of Mormon refers to Jesus Christ or God plus all the pronouns.. then the next time we are marking key doctrines. I am through first Nephi marking the names of God and Jesus Christ and it is AMAZING!! You should all do it.. I've never known how much every page of the Book of Mormon helps us see more about our Father in Heaven and his son.. It truly is another testament of Jesus Christ.. each page hold precious truths! I also had an amazing interview with President Smith and as we were sitting there he said, "Hermana Barber there are 1...no 2... no 3 families waiting to be baptized in this area before Christmas. You need to take your greenie and go knock some doors." It was amazing to see him receive that revelation for me and our area right on the spot.. he is definitely called of God. So if you couldn't have guessed.. we went out and knocked some doors!! Within an hour we had talked to a man that said reincarnation and resurrection are the exact same thing, another man who said the reason we don't hear about Jesus in the Bible before his ministry at 33 is because he was abducted by aliens, and another lady that said she has the same power that Jesus Christ had because he gave it to her.. I asked her to show me in the bible where it said that.. she said she was going to go get her own bible.. she slammed the door.. i waiting a little bit but she never came back :)!! But we also found an amazing family.. Carlos and Lilianna with two kids and one on the way and she has a cousin that is a member!! We are going to teach them all
this week and i'm super super excited!!
On Wednesday we knocked some more doors and got a lady that asked us if we were from the mormon tabernacle choir so we told her yes and sang for her and she told us we were angels... she wasn't all there but it was fun!! We also went and visited an old referral named Romeo.. he was who we were going to teach when sister Richardson totaled the Malibu and we never went back. We taught him outside his apartment complex and it was an amazing lesson and he really wants to come to church.
Well on Wednesday Sister Smith called us and asked us if we would sing a song for our Zone Conference on Saturday and I agreed because my new companion really wanted to and i thought it would be a fun experience for her... but honestly i hate singing in front of people.. i would rather give a thirty minute talk than sing three minutes any day.. but I thought why not... so on Thursday we went to go print out the sheet music and all the libraries were closed so by the time we got it we had to be singing it in less than 48 hours.. Then the person that was going to play the piano we were told bailed... then i found out that the reason we were singing the song is because the wife or the seventy that was going to be speaking wanted it sung!! I had not agreed while knowing i was singing in a meeting where a seventy was speaking, Elder Flukiger... then i get to the church on Saturday to sing and the person i had finally found to play it was no where to be found so we grabbed a random sister to play.. practiced twice... oh and i get to our "zone conference" and find out it is really a multi zone conference including every missionary except for about 40 out east.. too far away.. so there were about 125 missionaries.. I definitely didn't bargin for that!! But of course i did it and it turned out pretty good. Sister Smith and Flukiger kept thanking us afterwards... but the best was when Elder Metcalf came up to me.. ha ha Cindy Metcalf has been trying to get me to sing in our home ward since i was 12 I think with you mom and i always told her NO!!... ha ha.. Mark just walked up to me and said,"You are going to be in SOOOOOOOOO much trouble when i tell my mom!!" I was laughing so hard.. Sister Smith heard the comment so he told her how i would never sing before my mission and she said, "Sometimes it takes a mission to step-up and do the unthinkable.." I don't think any statement could explain my mission more!!
Well we got out of Zone Conference late and barely got back to Carrollton in time to get things ready for our baptism.. the Zone Leaders Elder Andrus and Elder Roberts saved me by hurrying back to filled up the font while i waited for a ride that never showed up so
finally Hermana Richardson and Hermana Beetso (who are now companions) drove us back to Carrollton. Angie Vasquez's baptism was amazing.. her husband got to baptize her and confirm her.. Hermana Gomez and I had taught her three year old to sing "Soy un Hijo de Dios" and sang it with her at the baptism... Right after she got baptized she just sat in the water and started crying.. then after the baptism her husband came up to me and just kept thanking me with tears in his eyes. It's moments like that that make this whole mission worth it.. they are so excited to get sealed in a year!
Sunday five people came to church.. we went to go try to contact that lady Deana Alfonzo that went to Mexico for a couple months to see her dad again and ended up getting in her apartment and teaching her roommate who we found out is a very less-active member.. and her sister is actually the one that called us to refer us to Deana and told us her sister would NEVER listen to us.. but guess what she did.. we taught her and her father-in-law the first lesson and have another lesson with them tonight.. At night after eating yummy tacos with the Aguilars we went and sang to Sister Redo who is recoping from surgery to remove her cancer.. The spirit was so strong in that room..maybe the strongest i have felt in a long time.
Well i'm excited for this week to find our three families that need to get baptized for Christmas.. this work is amazing!! I miss y'all so much but we get to party for eternity!! Can't wait!!
Hermana Barber

Survivor of Swine Flue 2009 :)

2009-10-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Hola Familia y amigos!!
Well first off.. I AM AN AUNT AGAIN!! and can i just say that i have the cutest niece and nephews in the world.. when i come back I'm spending days just playing with them.. I can't wait.. please give them extra loves for me!! TATE is so super cute and I'm so excited for you Matt and Bean! My other shout-out is a Happy Birthday for Reilly Carlyle Barber.. I can't believe you are 23.. we are SOOOOO old... Love you and I'm writing you a birthday letter today!
Well my week was an interesting but exciting week for sure! On Monday we had an amazing Family Home Evening lesson with the Escalante Family.. we played Church Bingo with them that I made...(it reminded me of Christmas Bingo... dad you should send me my small set in my closet to play with people here..that would be an AWESOME christmas gift!!) but everytime we called out a word they had to define it or say why it was important.. the best was when i called out el templo and the Mom, Betty, started talking about how many there are in the world and how she can get married with her family for eternity there and throwing out all other kinds of facts and I was shocked.. i asked her where she learned so much and she said she had been studying on the church website!! This family is SOOOOOO ready to get baptized.. i pray for a miracle for them everyday.. (oh and I bought Landrea's birthday present from them too that night.. Landrea I was laughing sooooo hard!! I can't wait to send it to you!!!) But another highlight was at the end of the night when Vidal said the closing prayer and talked about el gozo or joy he feels everytime we come over and how he KNOWS he is on the correct pathway for Jesus Christ to follow in his example.. I love this family with all my heart!
On Tuesday we had district meeting and by the end of district meeting I wasn't feeling very hot.... so my zone leaders sent me home and gave me a blessing before. I had called Sister Smith to tell her some of my symptons and she said I had them all except for the fever for swine flu so she told me just to take it easy.. so the next two days I spent sleeping...I was so worn out and sick. But I don't listen to leaders that well and I had already scheduled an appointment with Teresa (my old baptismal date that started working so she couldn't get baptize cause she wasn't coming to church) and i wasn't going to miss that for ANYTHING.. so of course on Tuesday night I went.. and good thing because we set a new baptismal date with her for November 14th.. i pray she actually can this time!! It was really interesting thougth in my blessing from the zone leaders he mentioned patiences like three times...patience with myself, and my investigators and President Smith said that same thing in our interviews... I was so frustrated with myself because i was sick and couldn't go to most of our appointments for the week.. so I think there is a theme in the transfer.. PATIENCE.. and I'm going to either learn it or the Lords gonna keep giving me situations to learn it.. ha ha! So Wednesday the Zone Leaders called Hermana Beetso and told her not to let me leave.. so i was held hostage by my greenie and had such 'cabin fever' no one could have kept me in on Thursday.
After Studies on Thursday we went to Coppell and did a four hour service project for and investigator of the zone leaders.. we literally cleared out a forest in her backyard and i have the scratches to prove it.. but i did get to use a chainsaw.. the Elders were pretty scared not gonna lie ;)!! ha ha The lady's name was Mary that we were helping and she just kept saying, "When I told people that two young men came to my house and offered to help me they all just kept saying oh you'll never see them again.. they'll never come back and help you.. But you did and you brought 8 other people to help you!! you rekindled my faith and I know that Jesus and the Holy Mother sent you..(obviously they haven't taught her enough)" It was fun seeing how affected she was by a measely four hours of our help.. and it was fun!!
Friday we were out working and Hermana Beetso finally told me she wasn't feeling good.. we took her temperature and she had a fever.. so back to the appartment! But we left again that night for three appointments.. one with the Flores family.. Hermano Flores can baptize his kids in three weeks.. well two weeks now.. So he will baptize at least Josue his son in November but we dont' have the exact date yet! Its so fun seeing their family come back to church though and really starting to get the difference the gospel can make if they allow themselves to live this gospel again.. this gospel really is amazing! We also went to Teresa's and celebrated her birthday with her and gave her a calendar with her baptismal date and everything she needed to do to be ready for the 1 th!! she seems really excited... and so am I!!
Saturday was an interesting day because we had 7 confirmed appointments and everything canceled on us and our backup plans were no good so we spent a lot of time knocking doors but i don't think me and Hermana Beetso have ever laughed so much since we've been together so it was a good bonding day.. I am starting to understand her and her culture better and it is fun... she is great and is really trying hard, and I've seen a huge change in her this week.
Sunday we only had three investigators at church which was kinda frustrating but we had two "eternalgators" of part-member families agree to meet with us that haven't met with missionaries in awhile so i was really excited about that! Do you remember Elsy? the one we were teaching, getting ready to give a baptismal date.. then she told us she was already baptize.. well we areteaching her granddaught now and we taught her and she said the closing prayer and asked to be able to remember and understand everything we were teaching her.. especially about the mormon bible.. She is 15 and super cute.. then after her prayer she looked at me and said, "Was that a good one?" She wants to know and this was our second lesson to her and I asked her if she had prayed about the stuff we taught her the first time and how she felt and she said,"I just feel alot better about myself.. like i know who i really am!" That is a knowledge i have taken for granted... we are really children of god... sons and daughters!! I think how much my parents love me, and everything they have done and want to do for me in my life to help me succeed.. My Father in Heaven has so much love for me.. FOR YOU!!! and one of the things he has given us and done for us to help us succeed is given us this gospel, a prophet, the scriptures, the opportunity to communicate with him through prayer!! How many times do we really stop and think how amazingly blessed we are then thank our Father... that's my
challenge for you this week!!! Well after Melissa's we went to teach our investigator Maricruz but she wasn't there.. she is the hospital because she is really sick.. so I was walking to the car and really needed to use a restroom and there were a group of people sitting outside the laundry mat so i asked them if i could use one of their restrooms.. the first guy told me i could use his but i told him i couldn't because there wasn't another woman in his house.. (rules are blessings.. you just wait!) so the woman told me i could use hers..long story short we start talking to her and find out she is a MEMBER.. yep.. was baptized in Honduras seven years ago and hasn't gone to church 'cause the one she thought she found was super far away.. so now she is coming back to church this week and we are teaching her husband she married here!! Her name is Maritza and her husband Hector.. we see miracles EVERYDAY!!
Then last night we taught a part member family.. Tomja is a member and from the Dominican Republic and her husband Luis is from Cuba.. Tomja is pregnant and we had an amazing lesson on the Plan of Salvation. Luis is a little confused but mainly very comfortable with his ways and is young and doesn't want to change but is very willing to listen to us. I love this family.. they have a little girl named Sophie that really reminds me of Jules everytime I'm there.. I love it.. she always wants me to hold her and I can't and it makes me so sad.. it might remind me so much of Jules because she has barely any hair ;)!! I hope we can help them become a forever family... Tomja wants it so bad!!
Well family my week has been crazy fun and an adventure.. I am feeling 100% and ready for another week of miracles, lessons on patience :) and helping my brothers and sister here in Texas come closer to Christ!... I love this place...Everything is better in Texas, they're right!
con amor,
Hermana Katie Barber

I will never eat cake again!!

2009-10-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Hola!!
Well I don't have tonz of time but I just want to thank everyone for all their letters, packages, and love!!! i had an awesome birthday and did miss all of you but it was great.. this week was amazing also.. Monday after e-mailing we went shopping at the mall because my shoes broke so i bought new shoes.. then we went to go to lunch at outback and it was closed.. i was so sad until later that day I got a letter and a giftcard for outback from Landrea, Thanks Jane.. you know me so well! we went to go to Johnny Corinos a restuarant instead... ate our meal and were getting ready to pay when the waitress said that our bills had been taken care of already.. there happened to be a random member in the restuarant.. saw us and paid for our meals. super nice. At night we went to the Elmore families and they made me a yummy chicken dish and made a homemade chocolate cake that was to die for and since she works for mary kay she gave me some mary kay products for my birthday.. it was perfect! They really are like my family here and i started crying when i thanked them for everything.. i was feeling a little homesick so it was nice to have them and their love for me! We then went to the Aguilars who are recent converts and they also made me my favorite mexican dish of chicken tinga and torillas.. they also got me cake, didn't push my face in it just wiped it all over my face and their son Giovani learned how to play happy birthday on the violin for me!! ha ha.. But i think my greatest birthday gift was that the Elmore and the Aguilars called my trainer Jessica Brundage so i could talk to her.. and guess what SHE IS ENGAGED!! yep she is not even waiting for me (Love you Hermanita!! ha ha) she is getting married on January 29th and is sooooo happy!! I'm excited for her but mom and dad you have to go to the reception since i can't.. then that same night I found out that Eduardo is getting married to a lady from the ward!! ha ha.. I was so thrilled... truly he has changed his entire life!
Tuesday we had district meeting, volunteered at the Bishop's storehouse where i got to help the people who speak spanish which was really fun!! then we went to an appointment we made with a street contact named Berta.. we knocked on her door and it was definitely not her!!But we asked Ana who answered the door if we could teach her and she let us in.. we taught her and her sister and nephew and they were so intense into the lesson.. her sister Rosa really wanted her son to learn about God.. It's amazing how God places people in our paths that really want to learn even if we had the appointment with them or not. Then we had another birthday dinner with the Quinn family and Sister Quinn made me a German Chocolate cake because it is my favorite (oh and i forgot to tell you that the management office where i live, JJ and Jorge bought me a cake on my birthday... so this was my 6th cake of my birthday!... honest i never want another sweet again!) Then we went and taught a less active in the ward named Joel the first lesson.. he was baptized when he was
younger and knows nothing so when we asked him how he felt at the end of the lesson he just said.. i feel like i need to come back to church!! then his mom said the prayer and was bawling and prayed about how thankful she was...I pray her really gets it.
Wednesday was pretty much an amazing day.. do you remember the Flores family we taught then had to hand over to the elders because they weren't in our area.. well they have been avoiding us for over two months and would never meet with us again.. well our day started out at 8 AM with Hermano Flores calling us and asking when we were coming to teach his kids again.. so we said how about tonight! Then we went to an appointment at 9 AM because it was the only time this media referral named Wilbert could meet with us. We started the lesson with God is our loving Heavenly Father and he was trying to define what he thought the Godhead was... he was having such a difficult time so i read D&C 130:22.. the just stared at me and said.. exactly.. so simple! Then it was like everything else we taught him he COMPLETELY agreed with just because we were able to help him define his own belief of God with a scripture.. it was awesome! Then we went to contact a member referral named Naomi well once again Naomi wasn't there but her roommate Maria was so we started talking to her and found out she had a friend in honduras that was a member but has passed away so we started teaching her the Plan of Salvation and then she started crying (I don't know what i make people cry.. i should work on that!! ha ha) then she told us a couple months ago she had lost a baby and had always wondered where he was.. I am so thankful for preach my gospel and the opportunity we have to listen to the spirit and teach to the needs of the investigators!
That night we had two member present lessons.. the first one was with the Flores family and we taught them them the Plan of Salvation lesson too and at the end of the lesson the dad just looked at us and said When are you coming back? tomorrow? You have God with you.. i can tell! Then he started telling us stories from his own mission and we made an appointment to come back the next night and teach them.. then he said I want to baptize my kids!! The fire is starting to ignite in his eyes again and he is beginning to understand the importance of it in the lives of his kids! Then we had a lesson with a lady named Sandra Garcia they friend of Verenice.. we taught her a powerful first and the members testimonies were amazing.. we all kneed at the end of the lesson and prayed and Sandra said such an innocent and amazing prayer.
Thursday was planning... dinner with the Garibaldi's who still don't have a job and I am so sad about it.. i pray for them daily.. they aresuch an amazing family! They made me my favorite tres leche cake.. yep more cake! Then we had to cancel an appointment becasue their was such a bad thunderstorm for an hour then it was like bright and blue skies.. weird texas weather.. honestly! We taught the Flores kids with a cute young woman Yazmin Ruiz and it was so funny because we taught them the Law of Chastity and Word of Wisdom by using a picture of a temple in a page protector and took a red dry erase marker and put marks all over the temple for grafiti.. it was really a good example then we read out of the for Strength for youth one by one.. but it was super funny because it got to the young womans turn and she had to read the really bold paragraph in the sexual purity section.. ha ha her face was red!! I guess it doesn't phase me anymore!! ha ha Friday we had an AWESOME lesson with Rosibel on Prophets... she is finally starting to get it and we clarified the part about praying to know. she thought we were asking her to pray TO joseph smith not ABOUT joseph smith.. So knows she is getting it.. We went to Esperanza's and asked her all the baptismal interview questions.. the answered perfectly, now her boyfriend just needs to marry her and he won't. So she is moving back to honduras in a couple months... So I guess I have a baptism referrall for Chad Anderson :)!! We went and taught Estefania a new investigators and were teaching her a lesson and she said oh wait i have a scripture about that from my reading.. then she opened the BOOK OF MORMON and read us a scripture exactly about what we were talking about!! She is so full of questions and just dying to know... I love teaching people so prepared to listen and change. We then went and visited a part member family and her husband who is not a member wasn't there and she just kept telling us how she didn't think he would want to meet with us.. then he came home from work as we were leaving and said When are you coming back to teach me!! ha ha.. he made the appointment with us for this week! Saturday morning we at breakfast with some members, went to General conference in the Coppell building.. Neil's talk on repentance was amazing.. he is so humble and filled with the spirit.. During the afternoon session i was getting kinda homesick again.. just thinking what all y'all were doing with conference and how i would be normally watching it with y'all.. then right when i was thinking that i was watching the choir and saw AUNT JANENE singing in the choir.. I know that my redeemer lives!! what a tender mercy.. love you nene!!
Sunday we passed by Rosibels to do what i thought was wake her up for conference before the Garibaldi's passed by to get her for conference and she opened the door all dressed up and beautiful.. She came to conference and i was so estatic.. there were 7 investigators at conference for the first session on sunday and each talk answered a different question for our investigators especially the talk on personal revelation by Elder Nelson was perfect for Rosibel and her need to know if prophets are true!.. Elder Holland's talk was one of my favorites.. he is sooooo powerful and Elder McAllister (i think that is his name) was amazing.. he pretty much bible bashed for fifteen minutes!! he should come to this mission for a couple days!! That night we made some stop bys and found an inactive family with a boy that is ready to get baptized they having been to church in a year but they are going to start coming back and we are going to start teaching the family once a week to prepare the boy to get baptized.. we were really blessed this week and taught alot of lesson and met every single one of our goals which was amazing! We are trying to work hard and for that we are seeing alot of miracles! .. and yes i'm still exhausted but it is getting easier to work through the tiredness because of the help of the savior.. this morning we studied with Elder Moala and yep he brought four cakes and ice cream for my belated birthday... so i think i totalled a 11 or 12 cakes for my birthday!! I just hope never to see another cake again in my life :)!!! well I love each one of you and miss you tonz.. please keep our investigators in you prayers so many of them are so close to making the sacred convenant of baptism and i pray i can be a good enough teacher and help them come to this decision and grow in their
testimonies.. I love you all.. thanks for everything.. Y'ALL HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!
Hermana Barbie

Somebody has WAY too much faith in me!!

2009-09-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

hola familia y amigos,
well this week has definitely been a whirlwind of events and emotions... This letter is really going to be exciting.. Brad and Matt you better read the entire thing!! I am glad everyone in the family sounds really blessed and doing amazing.. I pray for y'all everynight!!
Well I started my week last week with the greatest surprise ever!! I was buying groceries at Kroger and found GRATERS ICE CREAM!!! I of course bought a pint and ate it in memory of Matt and Charlene! ha ha.. Monday night we had dinner and FHE with the First Counselor in the sunbeck spanish branch.. he is from Argentina and she went on her mission to Argentina..they met on their mission and are so adorable! We then headed up to Coppell for our lesson with Teresa and she wasnt' there again.. I'm super sad about that situation but i'm still going to be persistant... she knows its true, but needs money so bad right now that she can't concentrate on anything else. But we were blessed an able to teach another family in Coppell a mom named Carina, daughter Biri and two twin boys named Chris and Christian... the little boys are so shy and never talk to anyone but I got them to talk to me thanks for CANDY.. thanks for teaching me to bribe kids with candy mindy!! :)!! On Tuesday I made it safely to district meeting without getting a ticket from officer Tran.. the assistants ended up coming to our district meeting the one week that the Elders talked me and Hermana Richardson in singing a duet... great! We sang I Need Thee Every Hour in spanish and english and it turned out really pretty.. that hymn is like my theme song now from the mission. We went and helped at the bishop's storehouse again so I got to see Elder Moala and then we were walking out and President and Sister Smith were walking in to interview the senior couples so I got to see them too.. which is always fun! We then had an appointment with Angel and Darwin scheduled and they weren't there so we went to contact a referral that we had in the area... we knocked on the door and asked for Robert and the lady just looked at us really strange and said no one by that name lived there so we tried to teach her instead.. after bearing testimony she just looked at us and said.. one minute.. shut the door then came back and let us in to teach her and her kids and her cousin that lived there named ROBERTO!!! she lied to us.. ha ha but at the end of the lesson when we were leaving she told us we are always welcome back and her homes was ours too.. she is a sweetheart.. then as we were walking to out other appointment we ran into angel taking out the trash... when God wants you to learn the gospel you can't hide from him or us.. even by not answering the door! ha ha.. We then had a lesson with Blanca and for the first time her husband Fernando and he actually invited us back and scheduled the appointment with us so it was amazing.
That night we had dinner with a recent convert and less active family and we taught them the five steps of the gospel focusing on enduring the end... we shared 2 Nephi 31:17-21 with them and asked them to find an aspect of their lives they could change to follow the lord more fully!..they gave sister richardson and I a nice compliment by saying when we were teaching it was almost like one voice they didn't even notice when someone switched teaching... that is what companionship strive for.. we finallly have it and we are getting switched.. kinda stinks.. but the funny part was they all committed to work on something then while i was driving away i looked in my rearview mirror and saw the women on the porch smoking.. i'm guessing that is not the thing she decided to change.. it's so sad. Well our appointments for the night fell through but we visited other less actives and actually got one of the boys to agree to come back to church if his mom bought him new church clothes.. we talked to him mom and she told us the last set she bought him he cut up.. ha ha we asked him why and he said he didn't liek them.. guess he has never heard of returning..I love watching people be filled with the spirit again and gain that desire to return and feel the love of Christ and their heavenly Father for them.
Wednesday I was really nervous because we had an appointment with the lady we had helped moved from the week before. She was member referral but everytime we talked to her she seemed very devote to her church.. so we went to the appointment and asked her if she found out who gave us her name and address and she told us it was her chiropracter. She then started going off on how much she loved him and his family.. i just kept having this impression over and over ask her if she noticed anything differnt in him and his family than other families.. so I did and she stopped paused and said that she did... that he is so blessed by the lord and his family is so well behaved and have the best relationships and she would always go to him for advice. I then bore testimony that he didn't just send us as missionaries to help her move but also to help her have that same gift in the life of her family... she expressed doubts she had with ehr chruch and then agreed to take the lessons and just said she was looking for hope!... it was a really cool experience how the Lord will give you a way to reach everyones heart if you are just willing to listen to the promptings of the spirit and then say what he needs you to say. That night we had a lesson with a recent convert family the Aguilars that are preparing to get sealed in the temple at the end of this year.. this gospel really changes lives!!
On Thursday we had dinner with the Garibaldi familia like every Thursday.. they are like my family here in Carrollton.. i Love going to their house.. after dinner we taught the Gonzales family and we asked him if he had prayed abou getting baptized.. he told us he knows he will be baptized and soon and then he gave the most sincere thanks to us for how much we had influenced and changed his family.. he even got teary eyed.. there is no where I would rather be! His daughter Claudia closed with the sweetest prayer and in it said, "Jesus I sure hope you love us.." I just wanted to reach out and hug and her and tell her how much he loves her.. i feel it everytime i teach them. There are so many people out there longing for the love of their Savior, I am so happy I get to help some of them find it! We then had a lesson with a man named Jose Hernandez who is in a part member family and watched the Restoration video with him and he said he knew it was true and wants to learn more so he can get baptized...
Friday was officially my 6 month mark.. can you believe it? Time is FLYING!!! On Friday Joseph Esters called during our spanish study and said he had some time which he NEVER has time so we dropped everything and went and taught him.... he is so sad that the "dynamic duo" is slipting up.. ha ha We challenged him again to get baptized and he said that he had told his sister a couple years ago he felt like he needed to get rebaptized but he never told her in which church then he started laughing... he actually lives with his girlfriend Brandy who is realy sick and he told us that she started anti-ing him the other day and all he did was look at her and said, "Don't talk about something you don't know or don't understand... if you don't like it you can leave my house." ha ha.. he knows its true and I can't wait for him to baptized.. He also told sister Richardson and I thanks for never giving up on him and that he knew God sent the two of us to him because God knew he would need some persistant and bold missionaries! We taught Paola Martinez after Joseph and her husband Darwin was there so we invited him in on the lesson.. we taught the second lesson then he ended up asking so many questions that we taught him the first too! I pray they act on their faith because there is no doubt in my mind that god wants this family to have this message and gospel in their lives right now. At night we taught an english less active family and one of the little girls started crying because her brother knew the answer and she didn't.. she actually looked at her parents while crying and told them she wanted to go to church so she could learn about Jesus... I will always teach my children of the Savior, take them to church.. they need it especially in this world that grows worse and worse every day!
Saturday we had a Blitz that wasn't organized at all and spent the entire afternoon tracting in the rain.. SUPER FUN :)!!! and we also got to "talk" with a Jehovah Witness missionary... that really was fun! We contacted referrals in Lewisville all day and ended up getting four new investigators... had dinner with Familia Escalante and during dinner I was teasing their son Roberto about having a girlfriend (and he doesn't) but their mom said... "He can't have a girlfriend until after his mission.." and they aren't even members yet!! They want to get baptized so bad!! please pray her divorce goes through soon and Betty and Vidal can get married and the family can be baptized!! Well after dinner we went to see Sister Redo because she just got out of the hospital.. the doctors found a huge growth on her liver that they have now identified as melanoma and the doctors are baffled because they thought african american's couldnt' get skin cancer but I guess it went in through her eyes or something like that.. please pray for her.. Well while we were sitting visiting with her our investigator Jose called us and we usually don't answer during an appointment but we wanted to see if he was coming to church.. well we then spent the next hour and a half trying to talk him out of committing suicide.. it was a scary/crazy experience as we ran around town trying to get his wife to talk to him and other family members and then we finally turned it over to the branch president of the spanish ward.. the craziest thing was that he showed up at church the next day!!! But at least he is alive... So after all of that we finally get home that night literally exhausted, drenching wet, and then we get TRANSFER CALLS... Hermana Richardson talks to them first and finds out she is leaving and training a new missionary then I get to talk to Elder Erickson, the AP, (remember this is only the end of my third transfer as a spanish missionary, I have been learning spanish for six months, and honestly... not that confident in it yet!!) He tells me that I am staying in Carrollton and TRAINING... then he preceeds to tell me that the other set of missionaries in the sunbeck branch with me are getting double transfered out and that I am taking over their area and will be only doing spanish work that my english ward is getting it's own set of english elders.... I am training and taking over ALL the work in the WHOLE branch....I don't think I have ever in my entire life felt so inadequate...I was finally feeling comfortable in my ablities in spanish and then he throws me into deep water to see if I can swim.. but really I think he always has to do it to me to remind me that I can't do this work without his help... I'm excited for the challenge and I know I am going to grow so close to my Savior through this experience.. probably while getting some good bruises on my knees!! I just hope I can be as good of a trainer that Hermana Brundage was for me.. If i ever needed your prayers and support before it would be NOW.. especially during this next six weeks... Part of me doesn't think I can do this but with the Lord I guess everything is possible right?? and I guess my spanish is going to have to come REALLY fast!! PRAY FOR ME!!!
Well today we had a real treat because we had the opportunity for half of the Dallas Mission and half of the Fortworth mission to meet together and listen to Elder M.Russell Ballard and Elder Costa in the Presidency of the Seventy and their wives. I was on the third row of the chapel and the spirit was so completely strong.. Elder Costa talked about always teaching and being guided by the spirit.. sister Costa told us to thank our parents for teaching us amazing things!! Elder Ballard was so funny.. at the beginning he had us stand up and said he would have us do "Head, Shoulder, Knees and Toes" but him and Sister Ballard wouldn't be able to make it up from touching their knees.. he was so funny, whitty and smart..He talked alot about teaching skills, praying and expecting miracles, and reading the scriptures daily. He also bore an amazing testimony abou the power of the atonement he said that him the apostles in his words, "are a bunch of old men, but we're pretty cool." He then talked aboutsometimes when his age would take a toll on him and his work and he really thought he was so exhausted he could do no more... then he said he thinks of the Atonement of the savior, him suffering in the Garden on the cross for him and his glorious ressurrection and that instantly he is healed.. that he has the energy he needs. When we are focused on the Savior and use his Atonement we are putting Savior exactly where he wants to be in our life ... he wants to be our source of power and strength. We then got to have a Question and Answer session with him.. it was amazing. There is no doubt in my mind that we have apostles of the Lord and a prophet leading and guiding us today.. President Monson talks directly with God and if we follow ALL of their counsel we can gain the greatest reward EVER... Eternal life with our families.. I love you family and miss you everyday but I know I am exactly where I am needed right now!!
Tonight i get to go pick up the new sisters and take them out for their first night in Texas (and I'll see Elder Metcalf who sounds like he is doing wonderful!!) then tomorrow I'll perminantly get my "greenie".. wish me luck.. but i'm gonna need a lot more than luck!! I love you all.. y'all have a blessed day!! (people really say that down here!! it's great!!)
con amor- Hermana Barber

Some Pictures!!

2009-09-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Almost Done With My Third Transfer!

2009-08-31T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well family y'all seem super busy and just having a blast without me.. i hope you somewhat miss me ;)!!! I'm glad everyone sounds so dang good!!
Well my week has been great as usual!! Hermana Richardson and I are still having a blast and got called the dynamic duo this week by one of our investigators.. we only have about two and 1/2 weeks lefts together and we're really sad but we are going to make the most out of it! Monday night after P-day brother Moala tooks us to dinner at Chick-fil-a
because he knows it my favorite and not only did he buy us dinner then we were getting ready to leave and he was like Sister there is food waiting for you at the counter I bought for you to take home. He is such a generous guy and I can never thank him enough for everything he does for me... If i ever have hand fulls of money I hope I can be as charitable as he is!! AFter that we had an FHE with the familia Islas in the spanish ward and their sister from Mexico lives with them who is not a member. We had a great first lesson with her and she will end up getting baptized but she had a little baby on Thursday so I dont know when we are going to be able to go back and teach her!! On Tuesday we spent a long time tracting which was fun and we taught a lesson to a man
named Bernidino.. he is from the Phillipeans and barely knows english but we taught him a really realy simple first lesson and then we ordered him a book of mormon and gospel principles book in Tagalog for him!!.. We are trying to find someone in the stake that served their mission there because he is so genuine and so CUTE!! We were also knocking doors and this man answered.. looked at us and said hold on.. then came back to the door carrying a Triple and said.. I've read it all the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price.. I know its true and Joseph Smith was inspired by god... we just sat there... then he told us he has studied theology his whole life and knows that mormons as the closest to what Jesus Christ taught and all this CRAZY stuff!! I told him I know.. becaus we are the same church that Jesus Christ establish.. well we got a return appointment with him on Sunday and went back and taught him a first lesson.. he knew it all.. but its sad because he is so knowledgable that he is just stupid... here I am a 22 year old girl.. i haven't studied my whole life but i have more light and knowledge because I can actually listen to the spirit.. We are going to continue to teach Chris lingle... please pray he listens to the spirit! On Wednesday was Zone Conference in McKinny.. and it was super fun!! Our whole zone wore green to show our unity and the trainings and talks were amazing... One of the AP's Elder Erickson talked about the miracles we see everyday on the misison and it is so true!! He gave five steps to seeing miracles 1. Faith-all miracles are based on it 2. Look to the Loard for your blessings Mosiah 8:18 3. Make the sacrifice- give allt he world up to accomplish your goals here! 4. Expect the miracle- if you don't expect it you won't recognize it when it comes 2 Nephi 26:13 5: Receive the miracle with complete humility Alma 26:11 you didn't do it the Lord did!! The other talk I LOVED was by President Smith.. he is amazing! He said something to the extent of ... I'm sending this now because the I don't want the computer to kick me off and loose it!!
okay my computer was acting funny so here is the rest of the e-mail.. so President Smith said something to the extent of... " WE never stand still- we're either going forward or backward. Do that which is difficult everyday.. try to find the wall of fire and walk through it. Do not try to find what is easy.. find the difficult. If you always look for the life of least resistance, you will become less resistant to the temptations of Satan. you never hear,"I hope they call me on a mission and I get to sweat all day..." No one said it was going to be easy. Never be comforable as a missionary.. the reason you grow so much at the beginning of your mission is because you push outside your comfort zone. You become a great missionary by doing the hard things others aren't willing to do!" I LOVED THAT TALK!! ... missions are hard.. but this mission has changed the rest of my life.. pushed me beyond where I even imagined I could be and has forced me to do things I never thought possible but with the help of the Lord really everything is possible!
We had a testimony meeting and I bore my testimony about grown, change, and protection from the Lord... most of you know how I decided to go on a mission I got my answers when I asked the quesiton where Heavenly Father would have me be in my life so I could walk where Jesus would walk if he was here today.. but what i didn't realize before my mission is that not only do i walk in the footsteps of Christ everyday he is walking right next to me.. it is amazing how much my relationship with my brother Jesus Christ has grown..I owe him everything in my life! That night we met with Teresa and her baptismal date is still on but her work was goign to have her satrt working on Sundays.. she asked for ti off but they said they really need her.. she didn't comet o church on Sunday which means she can't be baptized ont he 12th anymore.. we have an appointment with her tonight.. I hope for some good news.. man does Satan try to keep people form making this amazing blessing in their lives!! Teresa's son Davin is five and like my bestest buddy.. all during the lessons he leaves the room and comes back with some kind of candy for me.. then leaves then come back with more candy.. he's so funny and cute.. We met with Rosibel Flores again this week and walked the REstoration video with her.. at the end of the lesson she told us that the day she met us she had been praying to Heavenly Father for someone to invite her to church and tell her how to become closer to
him!! then she ran into us!! ha ha.. man if God amazing.. he definitely prepares people everywhere we go!! now we just have to get her to find a new job so she isn't working at a bar!! ha ha... GREAT!!
We went to dinner with a memeber family on Thursday and her kids had just moved in with ehr from Garland and her step-son had just got out of jail so we are going to start teachign him this week which will be fun too :)!! We also taught that little 11 year old named Jessica the first lesson this week and she is SOOOOOOOOO excited to come to church and the activities.. she is kinda a space case but she is super cute and she has a really hard family life so i'm excited for her to have a constant something good in her life.. On Sunday we took the Elmores to this special fireside where Elder Fluekinger from the Seventy came and spoke to us on the subject of whether mormons are considered christians or not.. it was a special fireside for misisonaries and either less actives, investigators, or recend converts and it was amazing!! My week has been GREAT!! and I have seen the Lords hand in every aspect of my life.. thank you for all yours prayers.. please pray for Teresa Andrade, Familia Gonzales, and Jessica Jackson by name.. the power of prayer is amazing!! I pray for you all daily.. thank you for all yoru support and love!! Only 28 days till my birthday!! HAHA!!
con amor,
Hermana Barber

Time Flies When You're Having FUN!

2009-08-25T10:25:00.000-07:00

hola familia y amigos,
como estan? Well first off I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD on the 27th!! How old are you turning?... 20? (you can send me money for that later ;)!) Also i want to say CONGRATS to LIZZY HENDERSON soon to be JENSEN!!! I can't believe it and I am soooooooooooo excited for you... what a lucky guy! Thanks Matt for the cute videos of Jules, she is doll and getting so big.. can't wait to play with her when I get home. Mom and Dad it just sounds like you partied all weekend with the family. I was a little jealous and miss you all but I know i'm right where i need to be.
This week was a GREAT week filled with lots of hard work and exhaustion but also miracles! On Monday for p-day we had a zone p-day and played dodgeball against the Yound Men and Yound Women in the stake, it was so fun because most of us missionaries showed up wearing shirts i helped design for the zone that say JUST DO IT! on the front with the baptism sign then ont he back says 09 TDM (texas dallas mission) and sponsered by MOALA.. he paid for them!! they are Texas Longhorn orange and SWEET!! ha ha.. then that night we did FHE with two inactive spanish families...It was really fun but it is so hard to see the light in peoples eyes slowing fading and them not even realizing it!! Tuesday we had a district meeting then afterwards our whole district plus the zone leaders came and did a BLITZ in our area (where they all just come and knock doors in our area or contact people for us!) It was amazing and they found us five new investigators and it is a new challenge in our mission to get baptismal commitments (at least soft ones) during the first lesson.. and the elders got TWO baptismal commitment for us during the BLITZ...they haven't all panned out yet but still new investigators and people to work with is great! The BLITZ was two hours of knockingdoors in the middle of the afternoon and it was really hot but I think it was one of the funnest experiences of knocking doors i have had...Hermana Richardson and I just laughed for two hours straight... she is so funny and we get along so well, at every door she would say somethingwhitty and i would just die laughing.. we also found two new investigators and got four return appointments... oh and we got to offer a pray in the house of a catholic lady and we were praying right next to a table where there were probably ten candles burning and five pictures of the virgin Mary.... felt pretty awkward.. and yet they say they don't worship idols.. can't figure that one out! For service hours that night I tutored a little girl of an inactive family in math for an hour... I found out that i miss school and i love learning.. random side note!
Wednesday was a really really good day also... the english ward i am in Dallas 6th randomly had a 13 year old boy's record show up in their directory and sent us out to figure out who he was and what was his story. So we got an appointment with him and visited him on Wednesday. He lived with his grandma in Alaska and took the lessons and joined by himself... he just moved back to Texas to live with his Dad and step sister Jessica who is 11 and she know wants to take the lessons. The Dad said he has a beef with the big man upstairs but would sit in on our lessons.. his name is Alex Jackson, please pray his heart softens!! They are so cute and I am really excited to teach her... she came to church on Sunday and we went to primary with her and she was so excited just to make friends, just to be there! Then after we met with the Jackson family we drove to Copell and met with a spanish young lady who is 21 named Teresa Andrade... she was a missionary referral from the Elders up in Garland and she took all the lessons with her parents before she moved out to Copell with her five year old son Davin. Her parents got baptized yesterday in Garland.. but she backed out on her old baptismal date. It was a really cool experience as we taught her the first lesson again and answered her questions... then i just looked at her and said, "You know it's true." She just looked at me and said, "i know." Then we set a baptismal date for September 12th!! My first real baptismal date..just pray that she has the strength and time to keep this one! This will change her and her sons life forever!!!
Thursday was planning and there is a family that feeds us every Thursday Familia Garibaldi.. they are amazing. They have very very little but they insist on feeding us every week because they say they always get blessings from it.. we always insist they can feed us every other week and they say NO!!! They have such faith... well they couldn't feed us last Thursday so they gave us money (after I refused it three times and they were getting really really frustrated with me!!) so on Thursday we treated ourselves and went to my favorite restuarant OUTBACK!! YUMMMMY!! Then that night we had two lessons.. one with an investigator then an Less Active English family.
On Friday we fasted for the Gonzales Familia that has been taught for five months and come to church almost every week... we just wanted to know how we could get them to progress or in other words get baptized. Well Friday during the day we were invited to a 16 year old birthday party for a less active girl in the ward and we showed up and we were the only ones there.. it was so sad good thing we got her a gift or she would have only got one shirt from her mom for her birthday. then we ate at this old spanish ladies house.. the creepiest/weirdest dinner i have had on the mission... she handed us this oatmeal, milk drink...i told her i have milk allergies.. which i do but Hermana Richardson had to drink it and was sooooooooooooo sick the rest of the night. We walked into her house and we asked her if she lived alone and she said no I live with my dolls.. there were dolls everywhere and mannequins too.. really creepy!! then after that went to teach the Gonzales family... Hermana Richardson wanted to commit them to baptism so I just took the backseat but they told her they still didn't feel ready but we finally got them to pray about a date and we told them we would set one next appointment.. so this coming week!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pray for them!!
Sunday we had 5 people at church and got to go to Primary so all in all it was a good day :)!! Plus all of the men Sister Brundage baptized while she was here and the recent converts i've been blessed to work with received the Melchizedek priesthood yesterday Brother Elmore, Brother Gregory, and Hermano Aguilar.. Hermano Aguilar also blessed the sacrament for the first time in a sharp looking suit.. he did awesome. And Brother Elmore got his first call as the Ward Executive Secretary.. they are AWESOME!! I am really coming to love the people here in Carrollton.. I hope I don't get transfered in three weeks 'cause i'm already planning my Birthday with them in a month!! (ha ha.. anyone that knows me would not expect anything less... my birthday is a big deal!!) Mom about my birthday I could use some journals, church cd's (not the Mormon Tabernacle choir), and I can't really think of anything else.. oh maybe spanish scripture cases for my biblia y libro de mormon... but they are bigger than normal so i don't know if you will be able to figure that out!! Love you all.. hope you can all figure out what to send me for my birthday ;) you only have one month and four days to figure it out!! ha ha ;)!!! Thanks for all your love and support and prayers.. missions are great.. EVERYTHING IS BETTER
IN TEXAS!!
con amor,
Hermana Barber

Eduardo Is Baptized!!

2009-08-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hola familia y amigos!!
This week has been an incredible week!! not only did I get oddles of mail from all of you I also got two packages filled with goodies from Zach and Kelly and also one from Amber!! Also the cutest letter I have ever received came from Lacee this week.. she had her primary class all write me letters about being a missionary...It was so cute!! Thanks Lee!! Well I guess Stewart got blessed yesterday without me there but i hope my card made it to him... Charlene tried to send me pictures but the computer at the library wouldn't let me open them and i was pretty bummed. You all sound like you are doing amazing... Aunt Diane, I hope you know I love you and you are in my prayers every day.. day and night.
This week honestly has been amazing.. I started the week last Monday by getting to go and get the two new sisters from the mission home to take them out for their first night in Texas. It was one english sister named Sister Crawley and a spanish sister from samoa/missouri named Hermana Ulberg. We took them to a spanish lesson with the familia Gonzales who we have been working with for quite some time and they just aren't getting the concept of praying and recieving an anwser but our lesson with them was AMAZING... they actually prayed and we were able to help them connect the good feelings they
had after they prayed to an anwser from the holy ghost.... the light CLICK!!! love that. Then the teenage daughter Claudia had been promising me for two visits she would say the closing prayer but never would and this time i was not letter her get off the hook... she made excuse after excuse and finally found out she didn't feel comfortable praying in spanish.. so she said the most beautiful pray in english and will never forget her thanking heavenly father that we were there and that her family could learn about Jesus Christ. This is such an amazing job.. being an missionary.. nothing better! The family also came to church on Sunday and loved it.. the two teenage daughters loved young womans and the little girl who is a doll didn't scream her head off like she had the times before when she came.. (probably because I bribed her with candy.. I guess i am learning something from Mindy :)!!) After the Gonzales we went to a FHE with a recent convert english family the Elmores and it was fun seeing the dad trying to be such a faithful member doing everything he has been asked to do.. he prepared a lesson on honesty and the kids were SO ROWDY, and joking and wouldn't be serious.. he was getting frustrated and all i could do was laugh because I felt like home again!! ha ha!!! We then took the sisters back to the mission home and it is ALWAYS fun getting to see President and Sister Smith.. they're amazing.. but what was even weirder to me is that it was 3 months ago I was going out for my first night in Texas... man does time fly!! I remember it like it was yesterday.. seriously!!
Well we are teaching a lady named Esperanza from Honduras that i have told y'all about before but she has stopped coming to church and we were getting really frustrated because she told us her "espovio" (live in boyfriend) told her she couldn't go to church because she wasn't home in time to make her lunch... well we asked her if she would let us come and teach him and talk to him. I was a little nervous because i didn't think he was going to take the aspect of two young ladies telling him what to do.. but honestly the lesson was amazing! We showed up on Saturday and not only was Miguel and Esperanza there but also his brother sat in for the lesson. We taught him the first lesson and he asked us to come back and said it was beautiful... he also said he was going to come with Esperanza to church next week!! man does the Lord bless us and guide us in this work. Well we had to go to the car to get another Book of Mormon for Miguel but it was the most incredible sight to see that as we were walking back up to the apartment Miguel's brother Ivan was already on the back porch reading from the Book of Mormon... he was honestly "feasting" on the words!! It made me realize how much I take for granted this amazing book and the guidance and help we receive as members because of it! We also got to teach a recent convert new member lesson this week to a man named Brother Gregory and his daughter April who is 10 years old. We showed up to the lesson and couldn't get a woman to come with us so we had to teach him on his porch but the best part about this lesson was April had invited two of her ten year old friends to come over to play and be at the lesson. The whole lesson she explained to them what things were, why we believed them, and why we needed them. It was so simple for her to share her testimony... she has been a member less than a year and she is TEN and she had no reserve in sharing what she knew to be true. Share your testimony with everyone... don't be embarressed or think it will ruin your friendship... the greatest gift you could give someone you love is your
testimony and the amazing blessings that come with this gospel.
We are teaching another lady named Elsy and she was so close to being baptized... we went into the lesson with thoughts of setting a date... She has been so entuned with the spirit since the first lesson and loves the story of Joseph Smith.. she started giving the restoration videos we gave her away to her friends... well long story short we asked her to get baptized and she just looked at us and said.. i'm not gonna lie.. i was already baptized in 1990... so no wonder she was no entuned to the spirit she has the gift of the holy ghost!! A lot of the work in this area is less active work but it is so amazing when she them walk in to church on Sunday or realize the importance of the sacrament in their lives...
We got food poisioning twice this week from eating with members...thats all
i'm going to say about that...
Sunday was the best day of my mission so far.. we had eight people in sacrament meeting which means more stress for the misisonaries but that is our game day.. that is what we work for so it was awesome! Then after church we had dinner with a recent convert family who sent their brother-in-law who is not a member to buy us pizzas for dinner... I felt like a sinner eating the pizza on the Sabbath.. ha ha i guess out next lesson with them should be Keep the Sabbath day holy!! after dinner the Quinn Couple from the englishward drove us to Iriving for Eduardo's baptism.. IT WAS LIKE COMING HOME!!! I walked in the building Eduardo was sitting on the couch waiting to see me with a huge smile all dressed up in his church pants, white shirt and tie!! I can't even explain the feelings I had that day.. i've never felt them before. I saw all my family in Irving... got so many hugs, kisses on the cheek, smiles.. I miss them so much and man do they miss me.. :) ha ha they all said they're praying for me come back.. i hope i finish my mission in Irving! Well the baptism service was awesome and the WHOLE ward was there.. the chapel was FILLED... we had a talk on Baptism then Eduardo was baptized by the old first counselor in the bishopric Hermano Magana.. and i started crying during his baptism.. all the little kids looked at me and were like why are you crying Hermana Barbie.. ha ha.. then we had a talk on the Holy Ghost then Eduardo got up and bore his testimony and thanked God for the Misioneras that found him and saved his life. he then said he felt alone before he found the church and looked out and said now i have a bigger
family then i know what to do with!! ha ha.. he then said this was the best decision he has ever made in his life!! and I agree!! ha ha... i gave him the stain glass dove that Aunt Janene made and gave me that symbolized the holy ghost during the story of Jesus getting baptized and is suppose to remind him of his baptism day... i also gave Eduardo a three page letter I wrote in ALL SPANISH!!! aren't you so proud of me? I'm sure it has tons of mistakes and took me three days of language study to write but I did it!! ha ha... I will never forget the smile on Eduardo's face, the tears in his eyes, and the strength of his testimony.... This work is so worth it! It effects people's eternities!!
Well family I am doing amazing and Hermana Richardson and I are going to rock this transfer... we work so well together and we see miracles and the lord's hand in thiswork everyday!! Keep praying for our investigators!!
love you so much! thanks for the love, support and prayers!
con amor,
Hermana Katie Barber

I'M STILL ALIVE!!

2009-08-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hi familia!!
Well I have had a really exciting week this week so I'm just gonna jump right into telling you all my fun stories. Well after e-mailing last Monday I went with all the elders to go to dinner with the head elder at the Bishop's storehouse...His name is Elder Willie Moala...I felt kinda bad going to dinner with him at this Brazilian Meat Restuarant which is expensive when i didn't even know him. But it was the most amazing lunch/dinner ever! Brother Moala sat right next to me and there were 18 other missionaries but we ended up talking the whole dinner. He told me all about his life. He graduated from high school when he was 14...played professional rugby for new zealand by 16... joined the church when he turned 20 and went to byu hawaii. He played rugby at BYU provo and was scouted to play football for the Denver Broncos and played for them for five years when he had never even played football before! Anyway he owns his own general contracting company and is very successful... But he was so inspiring because we talked about my future dreams and schooling and he told me as long as i always remembered to put God first I would be successful in whatever I did. Mom that is cool that he called you and I am shocked that he really called y'all and offered to do that.... he really does want to do it out of the sincerity of his heart. Willie is an amazing man who has given his life to the lord and loves this missionary work... I have his address and have already sent him a thank you card for spending so much on us for dinner... He serves with nothing expected in return... I hope I can live such a selfless life like him. And I am happy that Presidentsucc Carrasquillo called you too.. he is AWESOME!! i love this spanish branch and I love his family... he wants me to marry his son! ha ha..
Well the next eventful day was on Wednesday... On Wednesday Hermana Richardson and I were on our way to an appointment and we were in the 2009 Malibu. She was turning left on a road she thought was three lanes.... but i noticed it was really four lanes when i saw a red F-250 truck heading right towards me really fast! I yelled to Hna. Richardson to go FASTER but instead she tapped on the brake... I just remember thinking HOW CAN YOU BE SO STUPID!! then the next thing i remember is facing the other way down the street and Hna. Richardson was hitting the air bag out of my face and my head completely POUNDING! The next couple hours were kinda a blur... but pretty comical now that i look back. The paramedics were talking to me trying to decide if I should go to the hospital and they asked..."What is today?" I knew it was Wednesday but as a missionary i loose track of the days... Hna. Richardson leaned over and said, "It's the 29th!" The paramedic just looked at her not amused and said, "You can't help her!" ha ha talk about companionship unity! Well then he thought i didn't remember anything so i looked at the paramedic (remember I was in complete shock!) and said, "I know it is wednesday and i have an appointment with romeo right down the road right now. I am a missionary for the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints. I speak spanish...well kinda. I know that today is the 29th because yesterday was two months until my 22nd birthday." Yep... he just stared at me and said, "I'm gonna recommend you go to the hospital!" Well i refused a ambulance...but me and my companion just sat there on the side of the road. Another funny thing was my companion was talking on the phone to the missionaries int he office and She told Elder Hansen that she was going to go try to back up the car and get it off it street... and i look in the street and there is a wrecker getting ready to take the totaled Malibu off the road.. i told her she couldnt move it but she just kept repeating she was gonna go drive the car! ha ha.. well we were not in the best of shape so the Mission President and his wife wanted us to go get checked out... after a CAT scan, and spine X-day i got some pain killer, ice packs and went on my way with some whiplash. Well Elder Hansen from the mission office went to go look at the car the next day and just called us and said all he could do is pray and thank God we walked out of the car.... honestly if Hermana Richardson didn't tap on the brake our car would have been T-boned right at my door and it was so bad I know the outcome would have not been good. I know angels were watching over us...even though we have been really sore we are very grateful we are okay! We actually got back to work a full day on Saturday and I am feeling GREAT now!! So now I am the designated driver and Hna. Richardson can't drive the rest of the mission... we got a new car.. well a 2005 Malibu! ha ha Well that night after having a REALLY LONG BAD day... I was laying on my bed with ice packs all over, on a muscle relaxer and pain reliever and i got a phone call from a number i didnt' recognize so i answered... I asked who it was and it was ELDER PINCOCK my Z.L. from Iriving he proceeds to say, "So you don't happen to remember an investigator named Eduardo do you?" all i could say was NO WAY!!! Well yep Eduardo is getting BAPTIZED on August 9th and I can't wait! The Elder said he comes to church every week in a white shirt and tie (and they said they were nice ties like Donald Trump times.. ha ha!!) I have never experienced the joy i felt when i heard that news! The Elders might get the number but Eduardo will always be the miracle and answer to prayers for me and Hermana Brundage. Hermana Brundage and I always wanted to give away one of the stain glass doves that Aunt Janene gave me and now we are going to! God always answers prayers its just in his timing and in his way. Well I got permission to go back to the baptism and I can't wait!
Well transfer calls were on Saturday and we didn't get a call which means I am staying in Carrollton with Hermana Richardson for six more weeks and I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!! We are going to rock it this next 6 weeks... Thanks for all your prayers, love, and letters!! Texas is GREAT!!! ADIOS Y'all!! (that is my Tex-mex spanish for you!! ha ha) con amor- Hermana Katie Barber

Last week of second transfer!

2009-07-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

HOLA!!!!!!
Hi my dear family!!! Man how i love getting e-mail... they always makeme laugh my face off and miss y'all just a little more. This has definitely been my most interesting week in the mission and honest pretty unproductive. We spent most of Monday packing up the old apartment which consisted of junk from years of missionaries... honestly there was globes, sombreros, car seats... who knows!! Then on Tuesday we spent the day unpacking and moving into the new apartment but I am not complaining because I HAVE HOT WATER!!! and we live in a complex with three other way cute couples from the ward so that has been fun... plus the manager LOVES us.. her name is JJ Jantz, she loves us but she hates the church. Kinda ironic. I guess one time one of the couples gave her a Finding Faith in Christ DVD and she gave it back to them. But she comes and visits us like everyday and asked us to pray for her daughter-in-law that has cancer so maybe we are making little steps with her. She really is a loud, crazy, texan though with the big hair and all and i love her!! On Wednesday we spent the day deep cleaning the old apartment which was pretty gross but we are breaking our lease so we didn't want to give them any excuse to do anything to the church... so that took some hours. Then we thought we were done for the week and Elder Hansen (from the mission office) told us we need to take our 2009 Malibu in for a Oil change and then he asked if we could drive into the office and drop off the keys to the old appartment. So we spent the day at Pep Boys and Dallas... Then we were so happy because we finally thought we could really get to work then Hermana Richardson got a bad cold!!! We still worked really hard this week don't get me wrong it was just so mixed up with "worldly" chores!! So on Sunday we got done at dinner (I made spaghetti!! aren't you proud of me!) and went out to work and it started pouring like cats and dogs and lightning and thundering but we went out anyway!! Then we got home at 9 PM and our building was the only one in the whole building that didn't have power!! We asked the neighbors what happened and I guess lightning struck the electrical pole RIGHT OUTSIDE our front door!! ha ha.. so pretty much we didn't get power till one in the morning our apartment was scorching.. but hey we had HOT WATER!! ha ha.. aren't we the luckiest hermanas you've ever heard of!!??? Another funny thing from this week... two weeks ago two Elder in our Zone got hit by cars while they were riding their bikes so for district meeting on Tuesday I made a better than #%* cake and brought it to them with a label on it saying "In honor of Elder Dalley and Elder Zobell... Better than "getting hit by a car" Cake" Everyone laughed so hard and the cake was SUPER good!! But on the spiritual stuff of the week!! The spanish ward is kind of falling apart with lots of less active families and even the long time members of the ward don't really GET the gospel. So we have been contacting a lot of less active families this week and it has been amazing to watch from the second you enter their house to when you leave... they feel the spirit and understand the need to come back... all of them have fifty million reason why not to or have been offended by something but none of them deny the truthfulness of this gospel and the power of the spirit. All they need is to feel the love and that they are missed.... it was amazing to watch two of the families walk into sacrament meeting on Sunday!!! I was so happy! i love the spanish branch though.. the President is amazing.. his name is Presidente Carasquillo and his wife Hermana Carasquillo went on her mission to Argentina and is American... they are so loving and truly care so much about the ward and about this missionary work. He took us to lunch at Chili's this week to discuss the new ward missionary leader and what the plan was going to be and my companion and I shared a chocolate moulton cake... at the end of the meeting he thanked us for coming and then looked at me and said, " It was an EXPERIENCE watching you eat that cake.. i never knew someone could love chocolate as much as my wife but i think i just found her!!" I was laughing so hard.. he always gives me such a hard time! But he is going to Vegas this week for work meetings and i gave him mom's cell number (the only one i could remember) and he should be calling y'all since he is going to be in "my neck of the woods" like he said... he is hilarious!
One of my goals this week has been to talk to everyone I see...even if it's awkward just talk to them... well we were coming out of an apartment and I saw a lady pushing a stroller a little ways off.. out of my way so I was not going to go talk to her since we were late for another appointment but then my goal popped in my mind so I went up and talked to her and got a return appointment for that Friday. We went back to teach her on Friday and her name is Nancy Adame and has the cutest little boy ever... she pretty much told US the Joseph Smith story.. She remembered it from when she lived in El Salvador when she was 14.. she said some young men used to come teach her and her friends at school but she hadn't seen missionaries since they were transfered out. We asked her how she felt and she said she knew it was true... she is so prepared!! Our next step like with every other hispanic is to get her a job that she doesn't work on Sunday so she can come to church and for her husband to give up his catholic tradition!! But i just thought it was amazing how much the Lord knows us and longs to help us accomplish our goals when we are willing to put in our work and effort!
We got a couple great english referrals this week from a couple that live in our same complex... They are the Hansen family and honestly theyare the cutest little family I have ever seen... Brother Hansen is going to the Chiropracter school her and Sister Hansen takes care of their two little boys... they are from somewhere in Utah. But they called us this week and left us a message about a referral they had for us. They preceeded to tell us that they had been having a picnic at the park and
gave a Book of Mormon and our number to a homeless lady that lived on the south side of a certain bridge... We haven't been able to find her yet! Then they called us and gave us another referral of a lady thatlives in our complex...they invited her to dinner with us and she said she didn't know if she had time because she had to take care of the complex's ducks... she feeds them, talks to them, and has named them! So pretty much we are getting some outstanding english referrals this week!! ha ha.. got to love the Hansens! We can't get ahold of Willie this week which is really weird... it is the same thing that happened with Eduardo in Iriving.. they are like GOLDEN!!! and then we can't find them for a week or a month... so I'm praying she comes back as prepared as Eduardo was!! We also met an amazing older man this week named Joseph Esters that we are going back to teach this week.. He is really really really smart in the Bible so our lessons are going to be interesting.. but he is caring for his wife and nephew right now who are in the hospital with cancer, plus his little granddaughter and still trying to work on top of that!! His wife used to be a preacher but stop because she realized her church was hypocritical... so we are really really excited to go teach him and hopefully his wife when she gets out of the hospital. We have one family in the spanish ward that is ready to get baptized but the wife has to get a divorce from her old husband in Mexico first who won't give her the divorce because she has the two boys.... but she has to get that first so she can marry her boyfriend she is living with now so they can all get baptized.. We almost set a date with another lady this week named Esperanza but she has to marry her boyfriend of ten years also because she can and he doesn't see the need to be married.. most of the time i feel more like a wedding planner than a missionary. but it will all work out in the Lord's time... please pray for them!
Well I feel like my letter is completely jumbled just like my mind this week... I guess I have really realized the importance of being set apart from the world while you are on your mission and focusing all your attention on the work!! I am excited for this week and know it is going to be AMAZING!!! Love you family!!
con amor-
Hermana Barber

CARROLLTON + HOT WATER = HAPPY KATIE!!

2009-07-26T22:22:00.000-07:00

Hola familia y amigos!!
I want to start my letter today by wishing MY VERY OLD BROTHER WHO IS TURNING TWENTY FOUR AND NOT MARRIED a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Love you Bubbie!! your card is in the mail.. I'm just sending it to the house! wish i could be there to celebrate... don't do anything too crazy! I can't believe Matt and Charlene just picked up and went to Hawaii.. super jealous.. and I heard matt is starting school in August.. so did he get into BYU or choose a different school? Stewart sounds like he growing healthy and Mike and Kara are having a riot being parents.. and I'm excited for Brandon Howick to get married.. please tell him i said CONGRATS!! mindy and tales are still ridicuously hopelessly romantic...enough said! Brad... still waiting for another e-mail from him.. as always! Brad.... did you ever make that phone call??
Well my week has been great! i have been in carrollton for two weeks now which means two weeks without a hot shower. But they have been dealing with this for over eight months now in that complex so we are breaking the lease and moving into a new apartment tomorrow that is really cute and in a way better part of town. So yes i have to pack all my stuff up again!! plus the rest of the apartment today!! super fun huh?? i am just excited for the HOT SHOWER!!! Plus in the complex is like four young couples going to Parker the Chiropracter school here and they are super excited for us to live close by... its like moving into the same complex as family... so i'm super excited and will feel super safe there!
We had zone conference this week in Frisco which was amazing as usual... my President and his wife are truly the sweetest most amazing, funniest couple ever!! Our whole conference was about getting investigators to church and then how to help them have the best experience possible once we get them there. We talked a lot about how each of our investigators don't just need someone to fellowship them but friendshipping.. not just being there becasue they are on assignment because they really care! We have been doing a lot of member training in hopes that our investigators will feel more welcome at church and stay... members really have a desire to help in the work but a lot of the time they have no clue what to do... so it has been fun getting to know the members more and do some little trainings on friendshiping our investigators. I always love zone conference because it is like a pep rally... we get all pumped for the work again and spiritually revived!! I talked to President and Sister smith after the conference and they gave me a little insight... we have one spanish sister coming in in two weeks so I really dont' know how transfers are going to go in two weeks we are praying that me and Hermana Richardson stay together and they seperate the threesome but that would mean they would probably double transfer someone back into
Iriving which doesn't really make sense since I know the area.. so it might be another shocker transfer.. but then we have three new sisters coming in in September and President said to me... just so you know all sisters that have over a month in the field will be training so I would study hard if i was you! with a little smile... then said most people don't get that much insight before such a big change!! i really am super nervous.. three transfers in the field.. four months in Texas and
training. Y'all better pray doubletime for me!! PLEASE!! Spanish work here in Carrollton in a lot more receptive and progressing then the english work here.. which shouldn't be a shocker! We have some fun families that are investigating but not progressing very fast for marriage problems or others... they are Familia Escalante, Familia Gonzales. We are also teaching older ladies named Elsy and Esperanza.. they are just kinda lazy and not willing to do the work to change. But really i have fallen in love with the hispanic culture and people. They are so warm and loving... plus they make good food! The english ward has some great families that I love.. one of the strongest families in the branch are actually converts from Sister Brundage... the Elmore Family and you should just meet them.. they are incredible and have such a desire to learn and grow in the gospel... Brother Elmore actually does his home teaching with a smile!! imagine that! It is amazing to see people come into the gospel after never having it in their lives and then I truly realize all the things I have taken for granted in my life always having the church...simple things like home teaching, visiting teaching, going to the temple... makes such a huge difference!! But the english work has really been suffering in this area there are lots of inactive families we have been trying to get back to church and we have been trying to find some solid english families and Man, has the lord blessed us! We got six new english investigators this week which is honestly unreal!! The first one is named Anne McDougal-Thompson and i'm not going ot lie is a bit of a nutcase. She loves world of warcraft and is a computer programmer that loves cats. She was in the former investigators pile from years ago and in her record it said she had an online boyfriend who was LDS. so my companion a couple weeks back went and knocked on her door and a guy answered the door and after they did their contacting spill thinking
anne didn't live there anymore he look at them and said, "I'm an Elder." So pretty much we went back and met Anne and she had married her online boyfriend, he moved away from his parents that were pushing him to break up with anne and go on a mission so he left... moved to Texas and they are married now. We found his records on the ward list and no one has EVER tried to visit him. So we started the lessons with Anne this week. She went to a lot of churches when she was younger and has some crazy
concepts of God... but we started teaching her and I stopped and had the impression to ask Zach how the gospel has blessed his life and his families. This was kinda a risky thing considering he hasn't come to church in over a year and I had no clue if he even had a testimony anymore. but the spirit poured into the room as he bore such a sweet testimony and was bawling as he talked about the power of the priesthood and other blessings. It was amazing... Anne still has crazy theories but at lease Zach is on his way of coming back to church! So then later in the week we got a media referral for a Bible for a person named Willie Owens... now usually when you get a referral for a Bible here in Texas they don't go anywhere.. or lead to bible bashing. But we decided to set up an appointment with Willie on Friday and we showed up to a older african american lady with a really strong and deep accent who loves the bible!! At first I honestly didn't think it was going to go anywhere.. we would share a quick scripture from the Bible and leave....then she started openning up to us and telling us about how her daughter had just died from cancer and she has gone from church to chruch trying to find something... so right then we knew we needed to share a first! She really related to Joseph Smith about going from church to church and wanting to know which of all of them were right. After the first vision she just looked at us and said with excited REALLY!!! well we committed her to pray about it and read and then set up an appointment for the next day. The next day we went back and we followed up if she had prayed and she said... you know i haven't slept since my daughter died and i prayed last night, felt complete peace, and slept like a rock until eleven in the afternoon. Then she continued to tell us how she had been praying that God would send someone to heal her broken heart and then we came along. She said she knew we wer from God. She is honestly golden and has such a caring, loving spirit about her. After we explained the steps to return to the celestial kingdom, faith,
repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost, and endure to the end. She said, "So do i need to get baptized again in your church?".... we explained proper authority and re-explained the apostasy but that is the PERFECT question that every missionary wants to hear! we have another appointment with her tonight... so wish us luck..well i guess you don't need luck as long as you've got the spirit!!
I am definitely seeing miracles here in Texas and God answers our prayers everyday even in small ways...even if it is just giving us hot showers again! ha ha.. but this the best work I could be doing right now in my life.. i'm in the business of saving souls and answering people's prayers... can't think of anything better to be doing with my time!
Thanks for all your love, prayers and support! My letters are starting to dwindle... DONT FORGET ABOUT ME!!!
love you all,
Hermana Barber

Hola from Carrollton, TX!

2009-07-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

Hola from Carrollton, TX!
Well last monday after I got done writing my e-mail we got a phone call from the A.P.'s saying that since there are only 5 hermanas in the whole mission who speak spanish and one is going home in a transfer and we are getting four new ones...(which mean we are all probably going to have to train) he was changing us all around to prepare for that. So we got that phone call about one in the afternoon and we had to be out of our apartment and to District meeting the next day by 10:30 am. It was crazy night of visiting tons of members and getting addresses/pictures and telling them all to pray that I come back!! ha ha... it would be fun to go back there when i know spanish tonz better. We said goodbye to some of our investigators but i didn't get to say goodbye to Eduardo because he was in Missouri working so we just called him and luckily he has met the other elders and knows people in the ward so i think he is goign to be okay. It is funny how attached you get to complete strangers and how much you come to love them and they love you. I was so sad to leave but everything happens for a reason. I spent probably three hours working on the AREA BOOK for the Elders that talks about all our investigators and potential investigators so that no one would fall through the cracks, I wrote up all our appointments we had already scheduled for the week plus put a sticky note on everyones teaching records to let them know exactly what we were going to teach and their background so hopefully we don't loose anyone that would have progressed... but the elders in my other district are amazing and I made them promise me they would at least get Eduardo baptized.. and it was really funny 'cause when I called to say bye to Eduardo I told him i had already gotten permission to come back for his baptism... ha ha and he doesn't even have a date but all he said was okay! ha ha Well the next day I went to district meeting, then to eat with my district. hermana Medlyn went to Grand Praire which is in the same Zone, like 15 minutes away into a threesome with hermana Christensen and Hermana Schulte... then the Missionaries from the Mission office Sister and Elder Hansen came and picked me up and took me to the mission office to meet with my new companion.... There were like seven sister there at the mission office doing transfers also and I met up with Hermana Richardson and then we came out to Carrollton,TX.... it is about 15 minutes away from the mission home and the temple so i'm realy close to downtown dallas. We have a HUGE area and cover a small part english and then all of it is spanish. We have a English Ward Dallas 6th... then a Spanish Branch, Sunbeck. I have loved the members in the English ward so far because there is a Chiropractic school called Parker here in Dallas so a lot of the members of the ward are young couples that just came here from BYU and they are so sweet..it's kinda like eating with mike and Kara... it's really fun. I went to church in English yesterday for the first time in almost 5 months which was actually really weird! and now we have to trade off teaching in english and spanish and i really CAN'T pray in english!! Which is probably a good sign with my spanish! Well the area has a lot of eternal investigators and part member families that have been worked with for YEARS so this week is going to be a lot of tracting to find new investigators especially english work and cleaning out the old investigators that aren't going anywhere. It will be good especially since my new companion and I work so well together. her name is Hermana Heather Richardson and she is 24 and from Woods Cross, UT. She has onlybeen out 6 months earlier than me and kinda has had a hard time learning spanish because she is dislexic but she is definitely better than me and can get her point across. She actually helps me in door contacts and I actually feel pretty confinant walking into lesson which is definitely a good change. We are growing and learning together which is also fun! Sorry I don't have any amazing spiritual stories this week... its kinda just been a week of getting to know everyone and the area which is huge.. all of Carrollton, Addison, Lewisville, and Coppell and it's a lot more ritzy then Irving was.. i never realized I was in such a ghetto part of Dallas before.. i loved it! But this area will be great also and I'm excited to meet new people and grow to love them as much as i love the people in Irving! With my new address... maybe only send letters there this week because we don't have hot water in our apartment and they have been promising to fix it for 8 months so we are moving to a new apartment maybe this week.. not sure!
It was good to hear that everyone seems to be doing great at home! i can't believe Jules is Two.. and that TemeKula Riley is turning 5 this week!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEKE!!! i hear my little nephew stewart is cuter than ever and I hope he still lets me snuggle him when I get home. Brad is still trying to find a wife...you better not even think about getting married till i get home! Mindy and Tales are still in their mushy gushy newlywed stage. Mom and Dad ya'll sound like you are traveling the world to see your kids and grandkids! I love you all and miss you tons!! thanks for all your love and support... keep the letters coming PLEASE!!!
con amor-
Hermana Katie Barber

Probably my BEST SUNDAY so far!!

2009-07-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Hi familia and amigos!!!
This has been a great week and I have tons of fun stories for you all!!..especially you Hermana Brundage.. you are going to DIE at these updates!! Well we spent the first part of the week just tracting and I thoguht I was going to die from tracting the same appartment complexes for six weeks straight then it was like as we started driving around new apartment complexes were popping out of no where. We have found some really good places to tract that are really densely populated with hispanics and haven't been knocked much... We met some really great families and my week this week is filled with appointment with them so I pray they go somewhere. We are teaching a recent convert named Stacy Martinez who didn't really know much when she was baptized but it is amazing everytime we teach her she gets more and more and longs to learn. this week we taught her an awesome lesson about the five steps in the gospel.. faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the holy ghost, and endure to the end and we centered it around the atonement. I have never felt the spirit so strong in a lesson and the light went on in her head... she talked about how pure she felt at her baptism and then when we explain the holy ghost she was like.. "oh that's what they is?" then told us amazing stories about feeling the holy ghost in her life. i was hoping she would come to church this week since she has been in the hospital with some sort of flu... kinda like swine flu but she didn't show up to church yesterday because her boyfriend was in town from San Antonia.. so I've gotta get her there next sunday.
Friday and Sunday were the best days of the week though!! On Friday we started the day off with a interviews with President Smith and Training from him, Sister Smith, and the Zone leaders which was amazing. My interview with President Smith was such a boost for me... he has such confidence in me and when I talk to him I feel like I can reach the potential he thinks I can.. it was really good but kinda confusing at the same time because I guess in Hermana Medlyn's interview he asked her how she felt about doing English work and talked about doing mid transfer changes because she had been praying about it or something and in my interview said that this "experience" might be even shorter than I expect... so who knows, but Hermana Medlyn and I are actually doing pretty okay now... we are starting to figure out how to work together and I have grown in the last two weeks in ways I wouldn't have without this situation so I am actually realy thankful for it! The training we had was more like our mission council training about focusing on getting member to help "friendship" our investigators and creating the best experience for them possible. I love trainings because I get new ideas and get to see areas i can improve as a missionary. I also told President and Sister smith all about Mark coming in and they were super excited!! He wasn't on their list yet or new missionaries but they should be getting an updated one in a couple weeks... President Smith also wanted to know if Mark and his family were related to Derek or Wayne Metcalf from up north.. I guess Wayne was President Smith's old mission companion and good friend...just wondering.. but they are super excited to meet him. I talked him up so he better get ready!!
Right after training I got permission to go the Dallas Temple to the sealing of a family in our ward named Familia Corona... they were inactive for a long time and their daughter was just baptized in February.. they got sealed without two of their kids but it was still beautiful and my first sealing with kids involved.... This family is known as the " Missionary Family" and has pictures of missionaries hanging all over their living room... like shrines of missionaries... ha ha well there were 16 missionaries in the sealing... it was crazy. Then they took us to dinner afterwards. It was amazing thought inside the temple how much I thought about our family, we never went through that experience because thankfully mom and dad have lived worthy of their convenants but it really hit me that we are get to live together FOREVER!!! I can't wait.. thanks mommy and daddy for being married in the temple, for being worthy so I can have that amazing gift!!
Sunday was an amazing day though... we had SIX investigators at church!!! Hermana Medlyn was playing the piano for Sacrament meeting so it was up to me to get them all settled.. i dont think i've ever been so stressed and nervous in my life. We started teaching a family again that Hermana Brundage and I dropped because she was too sick and would never keep our appointments... her names is Maria Rico.. her daughters name is Maria Rico and she brought her nephew Hector Rico. Hermana Rodriguez, the Relief Society President who is AMAZING, picked them up for church, sat by them during sacrament meeting, took the kids to their classes, introduce Maria to friends to take her to class and relief society.. I didnt' even have to worry about her.. that is what fellowshipping should be, I couldn't have been happier. After Church I asked her how she felt and she loved it.. her little girl ran up to me after primary so exicited she had met two new friends and proudly said, "I now know how to PRAY!!", the nephew told me about the stuff he learned about Jesus Christ... it was so cool!!!
The other investigator that came to church.. (ready to freak out Hermana Brundage!!!) was EDUARDO HERNANDEZ!!!! He is the miracle man that Hermana Brundage and I found over a month and a 1/2 ago and he disappeared and Hermana Brundage saw him again the week before she left while she was on exchanges... well we went and taught him on the Fourth of July (Dad Hispanics don't really ever need a reason to have parties.. so they party just because its a holiday more than the celebrate the actual holiday i think!! ha ha) and during his lesson we talked about the Plan of Salvations and the steps to reach the celestial kingdom... he told us that he wants to be baptized and has wanted to since he went to the baptism he just feels like he is on the step of faith right now.... and wants to feel it more in his heart before he gets baptized. So i commited him like twelve times to come to church and started my fast that night that he would recieve his strong anwswer at church the next day.
Well he showed up to church on Sunday and i was SOOOOOOOOO excited to see him walk in the door I focused all my attention on him and forgot I was suppose to be waiting for antoher investigator named Hugo Garcia. Well I sat Eduardo next to a younger man in the ward and was explaining about Fast and Testimony meeting when Hugo walks in with the other elders and they set him on the other side of the member!! I explained everything to Eduardo as we went through the meeting and cute little kids bore their testimonies and the other testimonies were perfect and not about Crazy doctrines which i was happy... we read scriptures during sacrament, sang all the songs and even during Gospel Principle class he was flipping to the scriptures, participating... it was amazing. He went to Priesthood then after Priesthood I invited him to this testimony meeting/dinner thing with all the single adults in the ward and the missionaries since we were going there for dinner... it started at five and I didn't think he would come but I invited him anyway...(to be continued)back to Sacrament meeting... Hugo came to Sacrament meeting and sat by the member and I had asked the member previously to explain the sacrament and everythign to him... well he wasn't and I thought Hugo was completely confused and didn't like sacrament and I was really stressed when he just walked out after Sacrament and didn't come talk to us... After Sacrament meeting Elder Kelly our Zone leader comes up to us is like.. "So I was standing in the foyer and all of a sudden this male model with muscles buldging is walking down the hall and walks up to me asking where Hermana Barbie (that is what everyone calls me) is... ha ha.. where do you Hermanas go tracting anyway??" I was laughing so hard.. it's not our fault if they are the only ones who will listen to us!!! But anyway we called Hugo after church to see where he went and why he ran off.. and he told us he thought it was over but loved it... then he asked how you tell the difference between missionarys and members they were all in white shirts and ties and skirts... so we explained... then we told him visitors are always welcome and he asked how he can become not a visitor so we gladly explained baptism.. he have two appointments with him this week!!
Back to Eduardo.. So we are sitting at the single adults testimony meeting and he wasn't there so I didn't think he was going to show up.. then he walks in the door about ten minutes after it started.. at the very end of the meeting the people on either side of him had already bore their testimony and so Eduardo was like, "Well i guess it is my turn!!" I was SHOCKED!!! since this was the first time he had come to church adn around these people.... well my state of shocked turned into panic as he went off for 15 mintues telling these people a story i didn't really understand but I did understand the words tomar (to drink), embarressado (pregnant), policia (police), and matar (to kill!!)... yep don't even worry about it.. I was FREAKING OUT IN MY SEAT!!! and on top of that he was bawling... I didnt know what to do. Then after he was done everyone in the meeting welcomed him and told him he was right where he needed to be and Hermano Magana shared a powerful scripture about Jesus Christ being the only way to overcome his pain.. I guess the story he told was about him changing his life from being an alcoholic, a lady he was dating that was pregnant then her ex-husband came adn killed her two kids and how much pain he has been through and how he is ready to change his life. Then at the end of the story he said he has gone to many churches and didn't like them and now he has finally found a place he likes and feels welcome. He then sat and ate with everyone and when we left he was still there making friends.. I feel like my fast was definitely answered!!! He is not only spiritually converted but also socially converted... and after that meeting Hermano Magana the first counselor came up to us and said... He's ready to be baptized!! and I agree... he is amazing. The Lord really prepares people for us and I am seeing mircales in this area sprout up left and right I am I have felt joy this week that I have NEVER experienced in my life... yes the work is hard, yes I am exhausted, but Sunday made everything I've gone through, sacrificed, or lack of sleep so worth it!!
I hope you are all happy.. I hope Jule's birthday was wonderful.. and Thanks mom for the shirts they all fit AMAZING... and they are so cute. You are so good at shopping for me now mom!! I am the most stylish missionary out here.. ha ha.. love you.. and dad about your new grill and BBQ.. i'm so jealous I keep looking for that amazing Texas BBQ everyone talks about and can't find anything better than yours!! love you all and miss you!! please keep writing me!!
Con amor,
Hermana Barber!!!

NEW TRANSFER, NEW COMPANION!!

2009-06-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

HOLA!!!
Well today was such a fun day with e-mails and shocking updates from everyone!! First i want to wish my lovely little neice the happiest second birthday this week.. JULES BEVERLY BARBER I LOVE YOU AND HOPE YOU HAVE THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!! I wish i was there to celebrate you entering your terrible two's.. good luck BEAN!! ha ha.. next I got a e-mail from aunt Lisseth asking if i was in her good friend's ward Veronica Salomon.. and as a matter of fact I AM!! Hermana Salomon feeds us like every week and has given us some good refferals.... such a small world.. but she is in Argentina for a couple months so I'll have to tell her hi when she gets back! ... I got a letter this week from a girl i went to High School with from her mission in Gionia Brazil and she didn't know I was on a mission but she saw a picture of me and Hermana Brundage that an Elder in her district got!! ha ha..(you know who that Elder is Hermana Jessica Brundage!!) once again what a small world!! THE CRAZIEST NEWS I GOT THIS WEEK WAS THAT KENNETH MARK METCALF GOT HIS MISSION CALL!!! which I am so excited about... but what is even crazier is that HE IS COMING TO DALLAS TEXAS WITH ME!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I was so shocked!!! I am so excited for you Markus.. you are going to LOVE IT... and LOVE LOVE LOVE your mission president.. they are great! I will start spreading the news to all my English buddies that the greatest missionary from St.George is coming.. make sure you are studying up in your Bible and ready to BASH!! ha ha.. I mean.. don't bash that's bad!! ha ah..I really am so so so excited for you and it will be fun seeing you around!! well here is Texas wa sa week of changes... my trainer went home from her mission and it was a hard day for me.. i was crying during transfer meeting.. i'm a baby what can i say... I don't think you really understand how good you had it until they are gone... honestly she
became one of my best friends, was such an incredible missionary, and I could walk into any situation with her with confidence knowing even if i threw the lesson away she would save it!! Man do i miss her!! My new companion is Hermana Medlyn from Ely, Nevada and she only has two transfers left in the mission... we have had an interesting week and her and Hermana Brundage are probably the most opposite missionaries there could ever be!! I am striving to learn something new from her everyday and we are learning to teach together after a couple train wreck lessons.. it has been kinda frustrating but also a growing week because I have done most of the door contacts in spanish and our first night together I actually taught an entire lesson in s panish by myself as she just kinda sat there and helped me once in awhile with spanish words.. it was interesting but has been a really growing experience with my spanish because now i am being forced to use every ounce of spanish i know!! so it has been good. You probably all remember a story about the GOLDEN family that just showed up the church about a month ago... Familia Moreno.. well they went to Houston last week to visit her brother and we have just been waiting for themt o get back and teach them this week and we wanted to set a baptismal date with their family this week. Well on Friday we went to their house and only the husband was there, he told us they had decided to move to Houston and that the rest of the family just stayed and he had only come back to move all their stuff.. i guess Taco Bell laid off all the employees that didn't have their papers so since half of our teaching pool worked at Taco Bell... everyone is out of a job. I was so sad... but they said they already found the church in Houston and I got their address to send the missionaries there. The highlight of my week was Friday though. On Wednesday I got a phone call from the A.P.'s (Elder Erickson) and he invited me and my companion to come to Mission Council that Friday. Mission Council is just a meeting with the A.P.'s, President and Sister Smith, and only the zone
leaders from around the mission... then us. Here i was in a meeting from 9-3 with all the best missionaries in the mission... the spirit was so strong and I felt completely inadequate. President did a training on how fear keeps us from reaching our potential and interferes with this work... then we had a training on teaching memeber to FRIENDSHIP new investigators not just FELLOWSHIP... I have never learned so much and made so many goals on the kind of missionary i want to become.. i have a LONG way to go but every day I will try to develop my talents and skills to try to help reach the people here in Texas.. well at the end of the meeting there was a testimony meeting and everyone got up and bore their testimonies... and i have really never felt a spirit so strong in a testimony meetin gin my life... but during one of the testimonies an Elder got up and talked about how he was going home at the end of this transfer and was so depressed to go home and then make him take off his tag...I think it is then that it hit me that in August i only have a year left to make a difference here and the time is going to fly.. i am going to feel that same depression at the thought of not being a missionary.. I have a lot of work to do. I want to come home with no regrets and be the best missionary i can possibly be!! Please pray for me that i can develop the talents that i need to and speak the language how i must to reach the people here. Yesterday we were stopping by an appartment complex called Sandpebble to see why a new investigator didn't come to chruch.. he wasn't home so we were walking out and there was a man leaning against a railing on the second floor of this complex so of course i starting talking to him and he said," So what are you Elders' names?" I kinda started laughing and told him we were sisters from the church and as i rambled off our church's name in Spanish.. he FINISHED IT!! I was kinda shocked and asked him if he knew of the church before... then he said, "Yes I'm a member!!" Well i guess he joined the church seven years ago in Honduros but hasn't come to church since he moved to the USA four years ago.. so we got his information and he is going to come back to chruch and we are
goign to starts teaching his friends in the complex (Hermana Brundage.. do you remember Reine and Julio the guys we taught on their front sidewalk by Carlos's house??... kinda awkward... ya they are his friends!! ha ha!!) But everyday i see little stories like this that the Lord's hand is in the work.. that he puts us in the right place at the right time if we are willing to listen and follow the spirit!! I love you all please pray for me and especially pray for the people in this area that they will be willing to listen to our message! I love you all and pray for you daily.... please we safe... AND WRITE ME!!! once again HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUBEE!!!
con amor,
Hermana Katie Barber

Almost Done With One Transfer!!

2009-06-18T12:19:00.000-07:00

Hola from Irving, TX!! I can't believe I've almost been in Texas for 6 weeks and starting on my next transfer. My trainer who is amazing goes home in a week and I am super sad and super nervous for next transfer. I am guessing they are going to send another Hermana into this area with me instead of pulling me out... I would love to stay with all the members in this amazing ward but this area is really tough and that would make me the one familiar with the area which makes me really nervous.. but hey nada es imposible con Dios!! (Nothing is impossible with God!!) i know every situation just makes me stronger!! Just some quick notes... CONGRATS ON YOUR HANDSOME LITTLE GUY MIKE AND KARA!!! I am so happy he is healthy... y'all are going to be the best parents ever.. thanks for the pictures it made me feel a little closer
to you all!! Charlene and Matt??... how is everything in life?? how is everyone feeling? business? my cute little niece!! Mindy and Tales.. Hilton Head huh?? all you two do is have fun I swear!! Love you... And my little Brad... glad to be home huh?? WRITE ME!! Happy Birthday Nicole Kristan Anderson Mahoney... 21 TODAY!!! Wish I was there to party with you but I'm definitely there in spirit!! Kristan.... tell Chad I am so excited for him and I work with a couple people here from Honduras and they are so humble and amazing.. he is going to love it... start studying spanish now especially gospel words.. you will be happy you did once you get there.. maybe start reading a spanish Preach my Gospel with an english one.. it would help alot!! love you and can't wait to talk when we get back.. WRITE ME!! Whitney... i'm glad everything went amazing with the wedding and they are so happy!! About Travis!! AHHHHHH!!! i can't believe guys in his district got swine flu.. that was liek the running joke in the MTC that that place would be like an incubator if anyone got it.. i guess its not much of a joke now!! He has been there so long... I would like to write him a letter.. maybe brighten his spirits a little if you get a second to send me his e-mail!! I'll be praying for him!! my week has been a good week... most of our appointments weren't there when we got there so we spent a lot of time knocking doors.. and knocking wasn't even very sucessful this week but we had some fun things happen still.... Our miracle man for a couple weeks back Eduardo disappeared a couple weeks ago.. his number was changed, his truck was no where to be found, and no one answered his appartments.. we thought he had gotten deported and were super sad.. then this week were teaching a lesson at his apartment and he pulled in!! He found work in Missouri so he is there all week comes home on Friday night then leaves again Sunday morning. We haven't gotten the opportunity to teach him again but i'm happy that he is still around so we can in the future teach him.. he really is golden. The hardest thing about working with hispanics is there amazing work ethic though.. they are never home.. and it is so hard to try to have someone change their priorities from just trying to meet their needs to putting God first and having faith they will help them meet their needs. We are still meeting with the Moreno Family and they are also amazing.. they went to church last week and cub scouts plus we taught them twice and finally got the opportunity to teach the dad who was super receptive. The only problem with them is they come to church but at 2 instead of 1 because of her work and they miss sacrament meeting which means they technically aren't progressing!! So we have to talk to them about that this week! On Wednesday night we knocked some doors then were heading to a lesson with a new member named Stacy Martinez... as soon as we got in the car it started raining really hard, lightening, thundering, and the wind started blowing really hard... Hna. Brundage said if it was too bad for us to be working the office would call us so we just kept driving. Then we were parked at a stoplight at all of a sudden we see Palentaros (hispanic ice cream men here that walk around pushing like fridges and ringing bells.) running for cover and the sirens for tornado warning for the city started going off!! it was actually a really eiry sound/sight... but we just kept on driving to our appointment because we didnt' get any kind of phone call.. we got the members door and knocked.. and she anwsered in shock... ha ha.. then she told us there were tornadoes on the other side of the freeway from our area!! ha ha.. well no need to waste time so we taught her a lesson anyway.. it was actually a blessing in disguss because no one was around when the house is usally SUPER loud and distracting and it was the most important lesson we had to teach her... the spirit was so strong and she finally understood the magnitude of her baptismal covenant and the necessity to obey certain commandments.. it is amazing how the lord's tender mercies come!! By the time the lesson was done it wasn't even raining anymore and we drove home.. but then the storm came back and lasted for over 24 hours! nothing compares to texas storms! On Friday I actually had the opportunity to go on an exchange in a different area called Grand Praire.. and I actually went with Hermana Schulte the one I thought was going to be my trainer in the first place and Hermana Christensen came to Iriving.. It was weird to serve in a suceessful area for a day!! HA HA!! We had teaching appointments all day and we only knocked on doors for like 30 minutes. It was a fun exchange and I learned a lot of Hermana Schulte.. she is very knowledgable about the Bible and a great missionary. We did study time in our own areas and Hermana Schulte just called me the night before to tell me about the lessons we would be teaching kinda what i needed to study... i had no clue who the investigators were or what was goign on in their life... but i felt
impressed to study the need for the Book of Mormon and not just the Bible. That night we were sitting in a lesson with a man named Freddy who honestly knows the gospel is true just won't act on it.. we were reading in the Book of Mormon with him and he looked at us and said, "Why do I need the Book of Mormon even if it is the word of God I have the Bible that says pretty much the same thing." Eveything I had studied came back to me in that very moment... it was amazing.. and how if we listen to the spirit and stay worthy of the spirit.. he will guide us in every aspect of this work... We truly are instruments in the Lords hands!! This morning we went to get our hair cut by a lady in the ward and she ended up highlight Hermana Brundage's hair and cutting it... I even let her trim my hair.. then she gave us like all this nice shampoo and product when we told her NO and tried to pay her. She is a single mom, trying to support her and her little girl by being a hairdresser... super hard life....These people love us.. she looked at us and said the way we were goign to pay her back was by letting her and her little girl come to our weddings!! ha ha... way far off but I love these people already and want to stay close to them forever!! I am so happy i am serving here... Yes they are poor.. and all i see is ghetto, poor Texas but they are so humble, and so much more receptive then all other races here!!! I love it!! Thanks for all your support, love and prayers... Please continue to keep in touch!! love you!
con amor,
Hermana Katie Barber

3 Semana

2009-06-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

Hola!!!
Well this week has been jammed pack with goodness and fun!! I have seen the Lord's hand in every aspect of this work and I am amazed daily at the miracles here in Texas!! First off... Mom and Dad HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!I love you both so much and hope you are so happy!! thanks for being the best parents EVER!! And Amber Nicole Varley Every I hope you have the BEST 21st Birthday.. wish I was there! Landy Jane I'm still waiting for that long DETAILED letter but thanks for the little note so I know you are still alive. Lacee Lee I also got your letter (and e-mail.. he he he) I started your letter already so I'll send it out today.. Give Beck and Teme a HUGE hug for me! Did anyone go to logan and Dani's wedding?? If not Whitney please give them hugs for me and tell them I wish them all the happiness in the world and I'm so excited for them! P.S. whit how is Travis doing?? He should have just gotten to Mexico if I am thinking right! Mike and Kara I'm getting so excited for ya'll!! Three weeks and counting till little Stewart huh?? I bet your are so anxious... I can't wait to see pictures... give him a hug and a kiss for me and tell him his aunty Katie loves his face! Matt...BYU huh?? wow do I not deserve all the crap I got when I went there! How is the house searching going? How is my sweet little (tall) Jules? Bean how are you feeling with the little baby in your tummy?? Mindy and Tales.. i love you! Nothing sounds really new in your lives but I still pray for you daily. Bradley B...how is Chicago.. I was thinking about what to send you for your birthday the other day and then I saw this perfect sticker on the back of a truck and since i know you love stickers on your car i'm gonna find you one.. it says HIGH CLASS WHITE TRASH!! ha ha.. (love you!)mom thinks you need to get married she said and don't worry about it.. i found you a wife already and she comes home from her mission in four weeks!! Her name is Jessica Brundage and she is my AMAZING trainer... and plus she is already writing mom just to get on her good side (ha ha... she wants to kill me right now!! ha ha) But really on Saturday we go to the mailbox to get letters and I was so excited to see who I had letters from because you don't get some for a couple days and i open the mailbox and there is a letter from MY MOM.. to MY COMPANION!! thanks mom!! ha ha This week has been amazing I don't even know if I am going to be able to do it justice with this e-mail but I will try. So last week was a really really tough week then to make a great ending to the week we met with the Bishop of the spanish ward and he doesn' t like Hermana let's just say and kinda told us we were worthless for an hour and my trainer was crying.. i don't know how to speak spanish so I couldn't really do anything.. lets just say it was a rough day. So we decided that we were going to work our tails off this week so no matter what he said to us on Sunday we knew that we did our best and God knew we did our best. So Monday after P-day we had some appointments at these one appartments and one of our appointments weren't there so we went to visit some other families we know in the apartment complex. After visiting we started walking home and Hna. Brundage stopped us and said we should walk the other way... the long way.. so we did and right as we rounded the corner there was Eduardo sitting on his truck bed just smiling at us. We started talking to him and he is GOLDEN. We met him a week ago and we have already taught him twice and he came to a baptism on Saturday and we have already commited him to work towards baptism on June 20th...He is just searching for the truth and it is sooooo cool to hear him talk about how good he feels and how he doesn't feel alone for the first time in a long time. This gospel changes lives! But Satan is also so aware of the work we are doing.. Eduardo never works on Sunday and yesterday we called him to see where he was for church and he said they had all of a sudden called him into work. That is the hardest thing about teaching hispanics is they have the best work ethic ever.. always working which means they are never home for us to teach or can't come to church! That is the problem with another family we are teaching the Ibarra Family.. they are so cute and they read the scriptures everyday and pray as a family.. the only thing that is keeping them from becoming progressing investigators is the parents have work on Sunday and won't let there kids come with out them. They don't have the faith to quit and let God take care of them...To our appointments with the Ibarra's and Eduardo's we invited the Relief Society president Hermana Rodriguez who is so super cute. Well she showed up with her little girl also named Daniela who is 8! Daniela gets out of the truck with a FUTURE MISSIONARY tag on and her scripture case. During the lessons she said either the openning or closing prayer, read scriptures, and even bore her testimony. I have never felt the spirit so strong in a lesson ever! It is amazing how this church blesses families. Kids grow up with knowledge that practically no gown adult even knows about the love of their Heavenly Father, the power of the Atonement, and who they are meant to become! On Friday this week we went to visit a member (Claudia Moran) to talk to her about a referral she had given us and we showed up and she was surrounded by mounds of pictures so we offered to help her out for a little while. Which was good because we hadn't done a service activity for the week yet. But I was so humbled listening to her life. She told us of how she crossed the border, how her ex-husband is in jail, she can't get child support from him because he is not a citizen, she has been looking for work for months and finally got a job at Taco Bell, she is raising two little kids all on her own, and she just got into remission for Breast cancer... then to top all of it off she tells us she just qualified for food stamps and wanted to know what OUR favorite food was so she could get stuff we could eat... the members and really so loving and would give you the shirt off their back even if it was their last one. We of course assured her we had food and to spend them on her kids but really that type of love and charity is so humbling. Talking about member feeding us I had my favorite food ever this week at familia Segovia's... it was chicken tostada's and then for dessert we got BLUE BELL ice cream.. amazing.. and we never get dessert here because the hispanics give you a piece of fruit for dessert..!! not then I really feel like eating it much because i am so stuffed by the end of the meal! Another fun meal with members happened on Sunday. We went to the familia Orozco's house with the Segovia's and the other four spanish Elders. They were fixing dinner and we didn't think anything was up until they started setting up the video camera and I was super confused... then we had me and Hermana Brundage sit in certain seats... ha ha then they brought out our food and everything on my plate was dyed GREEN!! it was my GREENIE breakfast... green pancakes, eggs, milk, and orange juice.. it was so cute of them and I was laughing so hard. Then they brought out Hermana Brundage's food and it was all dyed RED since she is STOPPING her mission! They were so
cute and I love these families.. they loves us! Well Texas is really filled with such interesting people. I used to hate knocking doors and talking to random people but now I love it... honestly you never know what character will appear behind the next door especially since my area is not very densely hispanic populated I get all sorts of funny people that speak all sorts of fun languages... and yes Texan is the hardest to understand! ha ha... but while we are knocking doors I really try to listen to the phrases Hermana Brundage says then use them on the next doors. Well it was really hot, I was tired and obviously not really thinking and we walked up to this door and knocked I said we were missionaries, asked the ladies name, then said, "Soy la Hermana Brundage..." then Hermana Brundage looked at me and said, "Soy la Hermana Brundage tambien?" ha ha I was laughing so hard luckily the lady told us later she couldn't read but I think she was really confused! Other fun things about being in Texas is that we get to work with people from all different cultures.. mainly from Mexico and El Salvador but also Argentina, Honduras, Peru... it is fun! I get to try different foods and hear differend dialects. Just two more stories to show how much the Lord's hand is in this work... On Saturday night we were running to get gas right before we had to be home for the night... we weren't going to stop but we thought we should better be safe then sorry! Well we got gas and our reciept didn't print so we had to go inside to get it. We started talking to the lady behind the counter and of course she asked what our tags were for.. we told her the church name and said, "Oh are you the church that gives out free dvd's.." and we said yes and she continued to tell us how she had an appointment with missionaries to get her dvd and is really interested and the missionaries never came!! We gave her the dvd then got her information for the english elders.. but the Lord really puts people in our path constantly everyday ready to hear this message. Well at the beginning of the week we decided we wanted to find a familiy and bring them to church that Sunday so we drew a picture of them on our whiteboard at church and wrote familia desconocido..(family unknown).. so every prayer we prayed for this family to come to church and all week long knocking doors we would say okay.. this is our family and we never found a solid family to come to church on sunday but we still had faith we wouldn't find them even till Saturday night... well church came and we were a little disappointed because not even Eduardo showed up and we just said oh well... definitely next week. Then we are sitting in a combined Priesthood and Relief Society class with five minutes left and one of the other spanish elder's slide on the bench looks at me and whispers "Follow Me".. I was super confused but we did.. then we got into the lobby and all he said was "Go get 'em.. there is an investigator waiting for you outside." We walked out of the church to a family... Mom, Dad, and four kids talking to the Primary Presidency already... saying they were coming to mutaul on Tuesday. We made an appointment with them and found out they are friends with the Segovia Family so they already have a fellowship family too!! Heavenly Father brought our family to church.. an even better and bigger family then we had drawn on the board at our appartment. Familia desconocido's name is Familia Morano! Really faith and prayers bring about miracles in this work! God has prepared people just for us to reach and brought me to Texas at this specific time to meet specific people. I know this gospel is true and when we truly understand it and who we are and the power of the Atonement it can change any life! I am so happy to be here as a representative of Jesus Christ... and no it is not easy at all.. it is actually the hardest thing i've done in my life. But like Elder Holland said how can I expect to call myself a servant of Jesus Christ one of his soliders and not expect to go through even a little bit of what he went through! This is the most rewarding thing I have done.. It is a different kind of Joy... I've never been so happy to hear someone else pray, feel the love of Christ, or walk into the church an dfeel the power of the spirit! Please pray for my investigators... Eduardo, Familia Ibarra, and Familia Morano especially!! I love you all and appreciate your love, support and prayers!!
con amor-
Hermana Katie Barber

Hola From TX!!

2009-05-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

Hola mi Familia,
It was so good to hear from you!!! I love getting your letters and hearing all the funny stories from home. Thanks for you letter Kristan Anderson... so good to hear from you and all the updates about my friends!! ha ha.. i can't believe everyone is getting married as soon as i left.. it's like they didn't want me at the weddings.. j/k! That is awesome about Kara's boards.. congrats Kara.. you are so smart!! now here come your little boy!! can't wait for you both you're going to be amazign parents.. how did your trip go? Matt and Charlene... found a house yet?? I love that jules is starting her terrible twos.. keep telling me all the fun stories about getting locked in the basement. Good luck Bradley B. on your training.. dad's said your trainign to be a Papa John's managers but i'm hoping it is still for Jimmy Johns... ha ha... Miny and Tales life sounds really really lovely for ya'll and like everythign is working out PERFECTLY!!! Mom and dad you're life sounds quiet as usual but like you're doing some traveling and not being completely alone will everyone stopping by all the time!! I'm happy that you are forwarding these e-mails to aunt kay!! i don't have tons of time to write letters but i'm gonna try to write her a little something within the next couple weeks.. but make sure she knows i love her!! THanks for your letter Janene.. they always make my dad reading your poems or hearing
updates from your family!! Thanks!! Thanks for all the support from everyone.. i really do love you all and miss you so much. Mom forwarded me a letter this week from a letter that got sent to our home and it was so funny... Mom did you know what that letter was even!! It was from one of mindy's old mission companions named Kimberly Inglish.. or something... she sent me a letter she found that she somehow had from Mindy's mission... So i got a letter from Mindy on her mission.. to me while on my mission... Kinda ironic but cool! The letter was from when she was in Franca with a really hairy companion and I was laughing the whole time because I could finally realy relate!! Well this week was a lot of hard work. We did a lot of tracting.. knocking on doors which is really hard because our area is SO mixed and alot of other areas in Texas aren't. and since we are only allowed to teach in espanol we give a lot of referrals to the English Elders. This is definitely the "Buckle" of the Bible Belt... everyone either has their church or doesn't really want a church so I'm not gonna lie it has been difficult finding people to listen but we just keep trucking along.. or i guess i could say knocking along! We get fed every day by the members here which they are great but they make us eat so much.. we don't want to offend them... one day this week it was raining really hard so i had wrapped all my scriptures up in plastic bags so they wouldn't get wet.. so at dinner with a member we were soooo full and she was in the other room so i took my scriptures out of one of the bags and put like 5 tomales in the bag and hid them in my back pack.. my companion was laughing so hard but i just couldn't eat anymore. It is so weird here because whenever we go to a members to eat they NEVER eat with us.. they always serve the whole time so it's hard to get to know all the members.. and we were talking to a lady after dinner one night and she had just fed 6 missionaries and found out her husband has been out of work for two months and they have like no money.. they are such generous people and have such faith i am constantly amazed! On Thursday we had the opportunity to have interviews and training with President Smith and Sister Smith. He is so funny I can't even explain it. He did our training on DONUTS.. ha ha says every town in Texas is not a town with out a donut shop, Sonic Drive through and a dollar store. He talked about how fattening and tempting donuts are and how they never fill you up and you always have to eat like a dozen to even attempt to feel full and you never are.. He said the donut is like the world..it will never fill you and always leave you wanting more. During my interview with President he was so nice and we talked about how amzing my trainer is and how she is my strength and her smile always pushes me forward even into uncomfortable situations... and he said well learn all you can because someday soon you will be that for another missionary.. He has such confidence in me.. i hope I can live up to what he thinks I can be... Then Sister SMith gave me a hug when we were leaving and said, "We are so happy we got you!! Sorry I didn't call you this week to see how you were doing but i knew you would be doing perfectly fine!!" THey are just such sweet people that radiate their love and all you can do is laugh when you're around them!! I really love them already... Well my spanish comes more and more everyday but I still can't say close to as much as a I want to!! Please pray for me and for this area that we can start finding more success and people to listen to us! Thanks for all your support and love!! Miss you all... and HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!
con amor-
Hermama Katie Barber

FIRST WEEK IN TEXAS!

2009-05-19T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hola mi familia,
como estan? Well this week has definitely been an adventure of a lifetime... one I will never forget in a million years. I flew into Dallas on Monday and it was so fun talking to mom and dad on the phone... hearing your voices made me miss you even more! Well as we looked at the window over Dallas as we were landing I had a peaceful
feeling as I looked at the COMPLETELY flat ground and all the green that i was suppose to be here... my home away from home for 16 more months... we walked out of the terminal into the baggage claim and there was my mission president President Barry Smith and his sweet wife with the AP's Elder Erickson and Elder Ford waiting to help us with our bags... Sister Smith ran up to us and gave us the biggest hugs and later in the testimony meeting said she had never got such enthusiatic and excited hugs before!! After that me and Hermana Christensen rode with President and Sister S mith to the mission office adn sincer there were only four of us that came in.. they said they had never had such a small group of missionaries come in before.. we had our orientation and lunch at the mission office. After the orientation we headed over to the mission home to write letters, get interviewed by President and the AP's, take pictures, have dinner, and had a quaint little testimony meeting. Then at six o'clock two sisters came and picked me and Hermana Christensen up to go out on two appointments with them that night. I actually wasnt' as overwhelmed with the language as I thoguht I would be, but didn't really say anything either! ha ha... but I was really really impressed by one of the sisters we went out with named Hermana Brundage who spoke spanish so well and used her PERSONALITY in spanish.... in my journal that night i wrote about how i want to be as powerful and loving as she is while also being able to speak spanish.. she was just so cute! Well that dropped us off that night and Hermana Christensen and I just hung out with Sister Smith and there 17 year old daughter Garnet then slept at the mission home which is really nice. My mission president and his wife are GREAT!! they are hilarious, down to earth, but you still knwo they mean business.. They are exactly the personality I needed. I am not exactly sure what he did.. but all I know is he sold his PLANE to come be a mission president so I don't think they are bad off! ha ha.. but really they are great and I love them already. The next day we got to sleep in till 7 and I was so grateful then we went to transfer meeting and had to sit on the stand waiting to see who our traniner was. I wasn't very nervous because I thought it was goign to be Sister Shulte the one I told you about in my last e-mail and Sister Smith had said how amazing she was so I wasn't too nervous... but then they called Hermana Christensen's name and announced her trainer as Hermana Shulte.. .I was completely confused!! Then I got the best surprise ever! They called my name then Hermana Brundage!!! I was so excited! her name is Jessice Brundage from Idaho Falls, she leaves at the end of this transfer and she is amazing... but i was still confused because she had told me the night before at our appointments that she
was gettign transfered out of Carolton... well you probably guessed it... We got double transfered.... I am whitewashing an area for my first area.. and I am the first person Hermana Brundage has ever trained. I am serving in Irving,TX in the Dallas Zone. It is on the border of the Fortworth mission and right outside of Dallas the city. My area i calld Shady Grove. We were both pretty anxious and nervous then we got into the appartment and saw that the Elder left us like NO investigators... and when we called the ones they did leave us... the investigators either didn't remember who the elders were or completely avoided a time to meet with us!! So pretty much we had no investigators. So we started by meeting all the members and after hearing fun stories from them we realized that the Elders president pulled out probably weren't the most obedient missionaries! So this week has been hard...to say the least... we are two missionaries that have no clue where we are, I don't speak spanish, and we had NO investigators, and knew no one!! Sound FUN?? ha ha.. it has been!! We have worked really hard, laughed alot, prayed our guts out, and put our complete trust in God! We started by contacting all the members, part-members, and less-active families which helped us get some references. My first member referral was from Claudia Moran and we went to the appartment of the referral and it was of a little chinese lady who wouldn't even open the appartment door for us!! ha ha.. no the right referral... We met a great partmember family named the Illades.. Reina the wife is not a member and we went by and met her then that night the relief Society president called us and she she wanted to feed us the next day. So we asked her if I couldn't come teach her the lessons to practice my spanish since i feel so comfortable with her and she said YES... she cross your fingers. I am in an all spanish area. Most of the areas in the mission you do both english and spanish work but i am consumed by spanish here. We actually have the
only spanish ward in the mission instead of just a branch. There are four other spanish elders in the ward with us so all six of us go to dinner at the members almost ever night together... I've had some yummy homemade tomalies (?) and tacos... Alot of the members here in Shady Grove are from Mexico or there are tons from El Salvador... we ate with a lady from Argentina last night... so I get a really wide range! They are so sweet and sometimes laugh at my spanish but I can take it! So
this week has been sun up to sun down exhaustion from working, praying, fasting, trying to find people that are interested in the gospel since we had no one to start with. It is so amazing how the Lord listened to our prayers and his hand is so in this work! We were contacting in an apartment complex this week and a man came out and waved us down... told us he was a worker at the complex and also a member.. he told us where all the hispanics lived! We had a guy cross the street the other day and just start talking to us! ha ha.. it is crazy how the Lord places people in our paths. On Saturday it was pouring rain here but we had planned another day full of tracting with some lessons at night... we threw on our raincoats, and put our hair in pony tails and got ready to go... we went to the apartment complex we were going to tract at and the first door we knocked on was Josefina's and she let us in and we taught her and her daughter the first lesson... they understood it all and were like GOLDEN investigators.. we will see how that works out this week.. Later that night we taught the cutest family that we got from a Media referral.. they saw the commercial for the Lamb of God and we brought it to her and taught her and her husband.. her name is Keydy (Katie) and Alex.. please pray for them we have another lesson with them on Wednesday. The biggest coincedince was that we made these little goodie bag things for the members with our phone numbers and asking for their help and we went and visited all of them. President Smith is really big on the missionaries making way good relationships and gaining the trustof the members so they can help us a little bit. Well we went to go seea member family and we were in the parking lot praying in our car andboth me and my companion peeked during the prayer and saw a young manstanding at the car right next to us. We got out and he was scraping asticker off his car and we offered him our help... he didn't want the
help but he was stuck so we took the opportunity to teach him... Hisname is Anothoy.. he is in his 20's and knows he needs to change hislife and is looking for God. Well we got an appointment for him tonightand then asked for his address and phone number.. he lives in appartment2025... wierd thing is his address is the exact address of the memberfamily we were suppose to be visiting but Anthony said he had beenliving there for 1 1/2 years and our ward directory is from a month ago.TheLord's hand truly is in this work and I see miracles everyday as wework hard and put our trust in him. So we started Tuesday with noinvestigators and after an exhausting week we have 8 investigators...two of which being families! Please pray for them... I think myspiritual highlight of the week was on Wednesday during our first lessonand I offered my first prayer in front of an investigator in spanish. I was so nervous, but afterwards my companion leaned over to me and said she felt the spirit the strongest during the lesson when I was offering that simple prayer in broken spanish. My spanish has come leaps and bounds though because i am constantly having to speak it and contact in it! I am doing good at the door approaches and last night I taught the first and second principles in the first lesson in complete spanish to a lady named Araseli! I was so happy and pray I get better ever day... I understand a lot but still look at people with blank stares or turn to my companion for translation but I know it will come!! Oh ya funny story!! so my Hermana Brundage and I were knocking doors for an hour or and we were so worn out that everythign was funny... so we were standing at this door and I turned to her and said, "Maybe they
will let us in if they think we are mental challenged cause they will feel bad for us..." So we started making funny faces and then i turn to my right only to see the person in the house looking at us through her blinds... needless to say... she didn't answer the door!! ha ha...It is so funny because the people like peek through the windows and think we can't see them and they don't come to the door but we just keep knocking... then they finally come and eventually slam the door in our faces but hey at least we tried right!! If i thought the MTC was a humbling experience I was so wrong... this has been one of the hardest weeks of my life, the most exhausting but i have worked harder than i ever have in my life, prayed most then i have ever prayed, and laughed longer than i have ever laughed!! Hermana Brundage is my strength and the best trainer ever.. we have so much fun but work so hard! I am so
thankful that President Smith and my Heavenly Father trusted me enough to put me in this area and in such circumstance because I have grown more than I could have even imagined was possible in a week... in my spanish, testimony, and who I am!!! I know this church is true with ever fiber of my being and if I only find one other person in Texas that accepts that and changes their life because of it it will be worth it... I'm gonna knock every door (probably literally) in this town of Irving (well in my area... shady grove north) until I find them!! Please pray for me and my amazing companion Hermana Brundage... we could use all the prayers we can get! I am so happy though.. honestly this decision to serve was the best i ever made! LOVE YOU!!!
con amor (with love)-
Hermana Katie Barber

Last Email In The MTC!!

2009-05-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Hola Familia... como esta?? Well here is the last letter from my nine week stay in the MTC... i leave on Monday May 11th. I have to check into the travel office at 5 AM.. then we drive up to the airport.. check in and our flight leaves at 8:30 to DALLAS TEXAS!!! I don't know how long I will have to call but i'm guessing i will be calling by 7 i hope.. because i will have to board the flight at like 8!! so around then which should be before mom goes to work! Melissa's phone card she sent me should be plenty!! THANKS MELISSA!! you're the best!! I am the travel leader of four of us.. my companion Hermana Christensen and then two elders that came in three weeks ago going to dallas engligh. I am getting REALLY nervous... kinda excited. I just have to keep reminding myself that who the Lord calls he also qualifies! I am picking up spanish but the more i learn the more I realize i have TONS more to learn... but it will come. I'm excited to get out there and teach the people!! The MTC has been an amazing experience.. one I will always love and cherish.. I will never want to eat this food ever again in my life but I have learned so much here. I will miss my district when we leave on Monday. We at first thought that Hermana Christensen were going to leave on Mondy the 11th and the rest of our district wasn't leaving til the 12th but our flight plans changed and we all get to leave together. That is going to be the hardest part is saying goodbye to my MTC Family... we have done this all together.. work together, laughed together, struggled together, served together, and most importantly leared what true christ like love is together. I will forever have a place in my heart for Elder Dan Mosman, Elder Alma Benjamin King, Elder Brick Cory Petty, Elder Lance Ole Einerson, Hermana Kari Lyn Christensen, and Hermana Lachelle Crandell... I have learned more from these six people than i ever thought it was possible to learn from a group of people- i have learned love, patience, service, true diligence. It is going to be rough to leave but there are tons of people in Dallas ready to fill the void in my heart!! I CANT WAIT!! This week has been a good week just kinda filled with getting ready to go.. getting all my pictures devoloped, things bought, bags packed, trying to ready and study as much as possible. We got a new teacher this week and my girl teacher Hermana Evans got changed... They change teachers around after semesters are over... Well my new teachers name is Hermano anderson and he subbed for us once a couple weeks ago.. well funny story.. There was a random elder that came up to me in the MTC
like three weeks ago and was like hey are you going to Dallas Texas spanish and i was like SI... and he said oh my sister is going to be your trainer.. i asked him how he knew and he said that his sister wrote him and told him that President Smith (my mission president in Texas) told her she was training a new sister that looks like Lindsay Lohan.. so that must be me.. OF COURSE!! WOW!! well her name is sister Shulte.. Well Hermano Anderson found out that I was going to DAllas Texas and preceeds to tell us that he was going to marry a girl but she decided to go on a mission instead.. and guess who it was.. SISTER SHULTE!!. i told him my story and instantly.. he hated me!! YEP!! fun huh?? But i think he air is almost clear now considering i didn't do ANYTHING!! .. just a really really small world huh? Well that story was kinda pointless but here is a not so pointless story for you.. Last night I heard from another apostle.. can you believe it.. two months and i have heard from three apostles.. SUPER LUCKY!! Elder Ballard and his radiant wife came and spoke to us last night. The first think i noticed was when we were singing the opening song of called to serve and i watched him sing and it hit me.. here i am serving for only 16 months.. think how long he was truely called to serve. My measely amount of time means nothing. Well Elder Ballard talked to us about DESIRES.. that we must have a pure desire to serve God and that will be our motivation to find, teach and baptize as many people as we can while we are in the field. He siad they have done tons of studies as a church and the #1 factor for an investigator getting baptizeds is how they feel when they are in the presence of the missionary. You as missionaries are more important than the doctrince at the beginning.. it's what they feel not what they know in the beginning!! wow what a responsibility..Well even if i can't speak spanish maybe they can feel my spirit and just jump in the water.. that is what i'm counting on right now!! HA HA... he also said that we have to be the best teachers that the church has ever sent out. He said the world is immersed in sound bits, internet, texting, blogging and not slowing down long enough to think of who they are, where they came from, or even care about where they are going. We, as missionaries have to be able to penetrate all the clutter and pierce their hearts with that DESIRE to know the lords will for them in their lives. Another fun thing that he told us is that when ever he talks to ministers they always ask him how our church gets their youth to serve missions and asks how much they have to pay us.. when they find out we come voluntarily and pay our own way some how they are astonished... he said you wouldn't be here unless you knew it was true. He then left with us an blessing that we woudl have kindled in our hearts a deep, burning desire to find, teach adn baptize. He blessed us with health, strength, wisdom (know what is going on around us), increase in the gift of decerment and the Holy Ghost become our constand companions. At the very end he said, " In your next letter home tell your parents that you on behalf of the First Presidency and the Quorem of the Twelve.. So thanks mom and dad... thanks for letting me come and be here having this amazing experience i can't believe i have already been here for 9 weeks and only have 16 months left till i come home!! WIERD!!!! Matt and Charlene.. where are you moving to? I am going to come home and not even know where to find you.. Mike and Kara on the other hand i know exactly where to find you.. Mike will still have 20 years left of School!! ha ha!! I am so excited for stewart.. he is coming so soon and CONGRATS on graduating Kara.. Mindy and Tales.. I love you! And Brad please bring me my suit case... por favor!! GRACIAS!! thanks for your letter Lesseth.. and about swine fever.. I will be very careful.. they have banned us from even shaking hands in the MTC..so not only can we
not hug we can not shake hands.. plus we wash our hands every chance we get plus there are hand santitizers all over we use.. so hopefully i'll stay healthy but it would be just my luck since I have caught everything else!! Well i love you all and i can't wait to talk to you mom and dad in FIVE DAYS!! you are the best family!! And i love you my sweet friends also!! Write me!! I love hearing about all of your lives!
Con amor- Hermana Katie Barber

Only 1 and a 1/2 Weeks!!

2009-04-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hola my amazing family!! I got so many fun updates today and everyone sounds like they are doing amazing!! First off... MATT AND CHARLENE ARE HAVING A BOY!!! I am so so so so excited!! I definitely agree with the name BONECRUSHER also... I can't wait... I also caught a hint that your MOVING?? did you guy finally find a house? Where? I still need pictures of Jules and I need pictures of you prego Charlene!!! Matt I'm excited for your MBA... When do you think you will start? So many fun changes in your life.. Kara congrats on graduating on Saturday.. i can't wait for
you.. how are you feeling with the baby and everything.. ready to be a mom?? Mike you decided to do more schooling huh?? that is amazing what your bishop said...how many more years of schooling would you be in? so i guess you won't be in Ogden by the time i get back.. Mindy and Tales.. how are you? i will keep praying that
everythign with Tales papers work out great! Brad.. what are you doing with you life?? Amber wrote me yesterday and said she saw you at the gym and you looked HUGE like all you do is go to the gym.. do you go to work?? and the most important question is are you going to school? She also said she saw you with Landrea.. how are the wedding plans coming between you two?? ha ha (love you both!! ) Melissa thanks so much for the calling card.. amazing!!! mom i don't know how long I will get to talk I should get my flight plans today... so i'll let you know! Lacee Lee... CAFE RIO would be amazing... pork salad black beans only lettuce and house dressing if you can figure out how to get it to me.. i will even pay you for it!! ha ha.. i have already started your letter so i will send it out today. Amber.. your long e-mail from dear elder never got to me so i had no clue you are moving and not going to byu anymore.. please send it again if you can.. i am also working on your letter. Mom and Dad I love you.. i'm so excited for your new stove and yes mom all the talk of homecooking did no good for me.. i miss it so bad!! and DAd be super safe flying to Michigan please and give Kara a hug and a huge congrats from me!! that is such an accomplishment... My week here at the MTC has actually been quite slow.. i think my whole district is really anxious to get in the field but still completely humbled by spanish!! We taught in total spanish again during our teaching appointment on friday and the pretend investigator was atheist.. and i am not going to lie.. it was REALLY HARD!! we walked out of the teaching appointment completely humbled.. but the spirit helped so much. There is no way to do this work without the spirit. Saturday was my longest day at the MTC so far.. I think the five minutes between 4:00-4:05 felt like a whole 'nother seven weeks at the MTC. Then Sunday was great as it always is... I love my branch presidency... Thatcher, Hanks, and Lindsey and since there are only three hermanas in our district now the wives are super close to us! I am definitely feeling way better and almost back up to 100% in health which is so nice.. i can actually concentrate on the language! On sunday night we had a devotional by Stephen Allen who is the directors of missionary work or something and it was a great talk.. he talked about how in Alma even Ammon the great missionary had feelings of disappointment and wanted to turn back but that God comforted him in his trials and tribulations.. i am definitely passed the point of wanted to come home but there are
still disappointments there and feelings of inadequacies that if we turn to the lord he will definitely strengthen and comfort us...One cool story i had this week was that as a companionship we decided we needed to have more investigator focused companion study.. so we took the teaching record for our pretend investigator for this Friday and studied for her.. on the teaching record it says she just lost her brother from cancer and got a divorce and is in mourning and grieving.. so we studied
scriptures and quotes together that you could use to console someone who is grieving of the passing of a loved one... well the next day we went to our service assignment and the girl that works there and tells us what we need to clean we found out her cousin was one of the two boys that were 18 and 19 that died in Ogden by getting T-boned by that car with the gang members runnign from the cops or something.. i don't know the whole story.. but it was amazing how everything we had studied came
back into play as I talked to this college aged girl who is actually from ST. George. If we study by the spirit and study with our investigators in mind i know that the Lord will direct us to the specific things we need to learn to bring others unto Christ.. even members!!! On Tuesday night we heard from a seventy named Lynn Robbins and he gave a really good talk about developing Christlike Attributes.. we have to not only have to do what Christ would do but we have to be what he would be...he said it would take a lot of DO's to get to one BE of christ but once you get the the BE stage you will do the DO's automatically!!! Then he said that this, the mission field, is the Lord's University... it is better schooling then oxford and harvard.. we are enrolled in classes such as Cleaning your room 101, Frugality 101,
Patience, and Diligence 502 (advanced course!), and Pre-marriage 504.. he said to pray for a difficult companion and you will really be enrolled in pre-marriage!! I think i have also been enrolled in selflessness 101, charity and love 207, and relying on Christ 357!!! I have learned so much here that i could have not learned anywhere else in my life. I am so thankful and grateful for this opportunity. Then just a little quote from Stephen Allen from Sunday nights devotional for all my sibilings.. he said that if you come home and call yourself a returned missionary then your service was a waste of time!!... during your mission you should become a disiciple of christ.. a calling you will never be released from!!! I just thought that was an amazing thought.. this experience is not just preparing me to teach the gospel for 18 months of my life.. but if i am truely converted i will share this
gospel the rest of my life!! I love you family and am so happy to be here!! Keep the letters coming.. they are like GOLD and make my day!!!
Love you and be safe!
con amor- Hermana Barber

Leaving In Three!

2009-04-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

Hola mi familia!! como estan? I am so good and so happy here at the MTC but very ready to leave! Thank you for all your letters and everyone sounds WONDERFUL!! Kara your belly is so cute and my nephew stewart is going to be the BOMB!! Happy Birthday and I'm sorry I missed it.. Mike said you had a great day though. Good luck putting together the stoller Mike and I better get a letter on your four week break!! Mindy and Tales I love you both and thanks for all yoru letters and support. Matt and Charlene.. WHAT ARE YOU HAVING!! when do you find out? Please give Jules a big kiss and hug for me and send me pictures when you get a chance I WOULD LOVE THEM!! Mom and Dad i'm so excited for you new gas stove I know you have always wanted one and that will be a nice up grade.. man do i miss your cooking!! I need to real food if anyone wants to pull some magic.. HINTHINT!! but i'm out of here in three weeks and I am eating to my hearts content at the airport. Dont worry about me anymore i finally went to the doctors after being sick for three weeks and the doctor got made at me cause i guess i had the starts of bronchitis or something.. but they gave me an
antibiotic and i feel like 100%... on Friday last week we taught our first lesson in pure espanol.. can you believe it?? i can't!! the spirit was so strong.. what we do is teach a volunteer the first lesson and they pretend to be an investigator.. well you can imagine how taken back we were when our PRETEND investigator started bawling so hard she couldn't talk.. our teach stopped our lesson and asked her if she was
okay.. well i guess everythign we shared with her made her think of when she was meeting with the sister missionaries and brough back tender feelings and tender moments.. and the cool things was that i had told my companions that mornign that i thought we needed to change the scripture we shared with her and it ended up being exactly what she needed.. man the spirit really guides you when you stop to listen!! The gift of tongues is so real when you have faith, listen to the investigator and
really listen to what they need. My companion Hermana Christensen has really been struggling with spanish and she only spoke a little but what she did say astounded me!! the gift of tongues is REAL.. the Lord helps us every step of the way. As long as I study my guts out and do all i can do he will help me in my hour of need. Another cool thing was on Sunday for Relief Society Sister Sheri Dew came to speak with us and brought along with her, her friend who is Elder Nelson's wife!! So i got
to meet them both. Sheri Dew is such a woman of power. She talked to us abou the need for purity and cleanliness.. she told us a couple cool stories one about how she was cleaning in the Bountiful Temple and they gave her a tiny brush and asked her to make sure there was NO DUST on the alters... she said as she rain this tinie brush on the alters she realized just as the temple gets maticulously cleaned every night we must do the same.. if we are pure we will stand out from the world. she told another story about VIP week at the Manhatten Temple open house and there was a well known journalist that went through and was talking to someone as he left asking why are your girls so much pretty then all the other girls in the world.. and the man just looked at him and said becasue they are pure and clean... it makes such a difference.. then she asked a question that i never thought about in my life.. she said, "what if it was your assignment to distract your fellow missionaries or to distract the next generation.. what would you do? Satan is so good at his job.. he tries to distract missionaries with the things of the world.... she said that he 1. tries to get us to forget who we are literal sons and daughters of god.. 2 forget the power of the atonement and what our savior did for us...3 tries to make it so we never realize how to obtain personal revelation.. NEVER FORGET ANY OF THOSE!! Monday some more elders left for Mexico and I lost another couple brothers... but I am getting better at saying goodbye. Tuesday in the Resource center where we call people about the stuff they ordered i sent out three missionaries with Book of Mormons.. then a lady called in named Tamara.. and i asked her why she felt prompted to call in and get the DVD finding Faith in Christ and she said that she just feels liek she need to COME UNTO CHRIST!! ha ha in my head I just laughed becasue here is an investigator stating my very missionary purpose in the front of Preach My Gospel.. INVITE OTHERS TO COME UNTO CHRIST!! she said in her own words that she FIERCELY needed the truth. I bore testimony to her about the hope and the answers the gospel brings in a troubles world and I asked her if i could send missionaries and the next day wasn't soon enough for her!! ha ha.. she asked me to call her back so I'll call her next week to make sure she is doing good.. there are such chosen people out there just SEARCHING for the truth all we have to do is open our mouths and the spirt will fill them... once you get someone to open up to you and start talking about there life you can ALWAYS find some reason they need the gospel. Well last night we had the opportunity to hear from Elder Craig Zwick and he dear wife... and it just brought me back to memories of Mindy's wedding and seeing him in white. something awesome that Sister Zwick said was a story about a people in mexico who still spoke an ancient dialect of Myan and when they greet each other translated they asked, "How is your heart?" then she had us do a self examination of our heart and talked about how we need to say , Lord her is my heart and my will!! let it be swallowed up in yours. I really feel like when i first got here the only thing keeping me was the will of the Lord but now I REALLY LOVE IT HERE!! I love what i'm doing.. i love what i'm learning.. don't get me wrong it is the hardest thing i've ever done.. but also the most rewarding.. I think of my dreams of someday getting married in the temple and having little kids and living together with my family forever... I am giving other people in Texas my dream!! Without the gospel they can't even dream the things i get to dream.. through this experience not only am i making it so i can be a better mom and wife.. i've giving other families the opportunity to have a better life!! awesome to think about!! Elder zwick gave an amazing talk but a couple things i loved from his talk was he said the lord will prepare you as you put your willing hand into his. he then said that so many times poeple fail to unwrap the gift of the holy ghost because they fail to listen. Another cool thing he said is when he quoted Elder Eyrings dad who was a well known scientist and a very smart man and he said, "I can learn something from everyone, they have all experienced soemthing i never have!" Man i found another weakness with his talk on LISTENING!! i talk to much.. everyone knows that but i have to learn to listen.. that is my goal! Also something cool about the fireside last night was that one of the counselors in the MTC Presidency's daughter was my relief society president in my BYU singles ward... sooooo my best friend/roommate from last sememster is one of her counselors her name is Lizzy Henderson.. well she came last night to the fireside so i got to see her!! I ran up after the fireside and gave her a HUGE hug and started bawling.. it was so nice to see a familiar face espeically a
face that other than Mindy's example was a huge example to get me here to serve!! Also this week Hermana Christensen and i talked out of differneces one on one and now she is actually turning into one of my best friends.. sometimes it just takes getting to know the other persons side.. Thanks for all yoru support and i love you all!! i miss you but I'm doing a great work.. so keep praying for my spanish!! miss you mommy and daddy and all my brothers and sisters and freinds.. but i am doing great so no worries about me!!
con amor!!
Hermana Barber

OVER THE ONE MONTH HUMP!!!

2009-04-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hola!!!
So I love Wednesday's and getting fun family updates... especially want to give Brad a shout out for his effort!! ha ha... I loved your letter Brad.. you make my day! About getting anything to me well you know if you can think of a way to get me any kind of real food namely cafe rio pork salad black beans with only lettuce and chips i would owe you for the rest of my life!! I have lost over seven pounds in here in the last month just 'cause the food doesn't agree with me.. i'm a little picky.. okay a lot picky!! your weekend with Matt, Charlene, Jules and Branen sounds like a blast and i'm not gonna lie.. i'm super jealous. I heard it is amazing weather in St. George and it is cold and rainy up here. But i Love it! My week was full of ups and downs actually but for the most part AMAZING!! On Easter I woke up all by myself and openned the packages I had saved from Mom, Mindy, Lacee, and Tia!! I got a bunch of candy which is all very YUMMY and exciting so muchas gracias! And then i got the
cutest robe ever!! (nice work mom.. you're the best!) then i got nylons.. i never thought i would ever be so excited for nylons in my life but they made my day a whole lot better! Easter Sunday was kinda like every other sunday here... very spiritual and very focused on Christ.. we had another district leave for Mexico this Monday so of course i cried during testimony meeting.. one elder bore his testimony for 35 minutes and it was ridiculous actually. I am offically Coordinating Sister now so I got to go to Branch Council which was fun and there is a new district coming in tonight.. ten elders going to Mexico... It is hard mom to get to close to them and then say goodbye but I just remember they are about a greater work!! and they are all going to be amazing missionaries. Yesterday was one of my best days at the MTC so far! I was in the RC (call center) and call this man to see if he had his Book of Mormon delievered yet. His name was Arnold and he told me he has read it and
felt a feeling he had never felt before. I of course explain to him it was the holy ghost and asked him if he would like to learn more.. he said he was really depressed with the passing of his wife and didn't feel like talkign to anyone... it is so weird how the opportunties to share the gospel always arise... i bore testimony of the peace and faith and joy the gospel brings especially with the knowledge of where our loved ones have gone and testified he can live with his wife again through the gospel and told him how i longed for him to hear the message of the gospel... he accepted to talk to the missionaries and then i challenged him to continue to read the Book of Mormon and pray to know the truth.. then he said, "Oh there is no doubt in my mind it is true!!" GOLDEN!! ha ha it made my day! Then we had a day of studying and the last couple days i have been struggling. I have been really sick the past week and have gotten really frustrated with myself because i haven't been at the top of my game. My mind has felt blurry and like nothing in espanol is sticking. I honestly just wanted my mommy to care for me, my dad's chicken noodle soup, and to sit on the couch eating popsicles with grandma. Then on Monday night
i was laying in bed and just looking at the pictures i brought with me of my familiy and friends and i kept lookin gat my giant smile... and me being the whiner i am got n my knees and asked my Heavenly Father why he would take me from a life of such happiness to a place that is filled with such ups and downs... a place where my face is always plastered with a smile but not alwasy followed up by my heart and head!! then I got the most chastising answer i have ever received in my life. An anwser that trulyl humbled me... all i heard was, "Katie your life has been so selfish." It hurt to hear but then i looked at my life of ease.. mainly because of the love and sacrifices of my parents... i have done a lot of amazing things with my life and had amazing opportunity but every thing i have done has benefited me in somehow... even if for the good or the gospel. .. i have never served someone else 100 % of even a day!! Well then last night we had the amazing opportunity of hearing at our Tuesday night devotional from an apostle of the Lord... probably my favorite apostles if you are allowed to have favorites... Elder Jeffrey R. Holland and he spoke straight to me. I took pages of notes but i am going to try and address the most amazing parts of the talk... the part he said for me was, "You are his disciple and maybe for the first time in your life you're going to do somethign for someone else 24/7. you are disciples of Christ the second you open your eyes to the second you close them at night." Then he told us an amazing story about how on his way to speak with us he got a call from a couple who needed him to go bless their baby at the ICU at primary children's hospital.. he was so tender and he talk of the innocent babies suffering on tables and the morning parents.. all needed healing in somewya. Then he said... why are you here and what are you doing? He said, you have been called and sent to answer the prayers like the families in the ICU all over the world-in need and needing to be healds. yo uhave come to savior's on mount zion. yo uhave come to preach safety, hope and future to a world who doesn't have that. THE WHOLE WORLD IS A HOSPITAL: and we are sending you with first aid training- scout's knives, turnicates, and first-aid kits. You are not surgeons, bu tyou go in the name of the greatest, most seasoned surgeon. Go in his name- remember you were set apart by someone who was set apart by someone (etc.) who was set apart by the hands of God. You are called to save the world. You can't do it, but you can go with someone who can. Hit the ground running and run until they carry you home. You have never done anything as important as you are doing now. He continued to tell us that everythign good in his life has stemed from his mission ... it changed his life and his heart. He owes everything to his measely, homely GESTURE I gave to the Lord for 24 months and he has blessed my life forever. Don't miss it.. Don't miss nay of it.. good or bad! This is the great, grand right of passage for our church... lvoe every second of it snow rain, rejection, flat tire. Show God your growing up from a boy and a girl into men and women of god! I plead with you to stay a missionary the rest of your life...being a missionary is the closest thing to REAL LIFE. This isn't about you! This about God, Christ, angels, heavens, my grandchildren and your grandchildren. YOU OWE THIS.. you owe this to Heaven, you owe this to eternity, you owe genereation that come tha tyou will never meet. Be persistant- at least as persistant as an Avon lady- yo uare selling more than mascara!!(that is pretty persistant!! ha ha) .. then the last closing remark that I love tha the said was, "You will come to know Christ if you will venture into Gethsamane with him. The road to salvation ALWAYS goes through Gethsamane.. take a step or two to calvary.. I pray yo uwill feel what it feels to have a cross on your back and feel loneliness. You can not know him if you don't go to Gethsamane because tha tis where he is. He is still out there somewhere between Gethsamane adn Calvary working.. he won't be happy until all who will receive him have.!!" The talk was amazing and really changed my entire attitude and how I will serve this amazing gift I have been given to serve a mission.. This is not my time it is the Lord.. I am 100% his disciple... thank you for your prayers your support and especially mom and dad for raising me in this amazing, true gospel and helping me find my true father in Heaven and feel his love.. i owe everything to you!! i love you all!! pray for me and learning spanish!!
con amor- Hermana Barber

ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY!!

2009-04-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hola!!!
So this week was a week filled with fun news!! Matt and Charlene first and foremost... Happy Birthday Matt.. Can't believe you are so old. Sounds like Charlene went way out of her way to make it a GREAT day for you! hope you gave her lots of kisses. And secondCharlene...CONGRATS!!! I was so excited i was screaming in the computer lab and everyone looked at me like I was crazy. I have been putting your name on the prayer roll at the temple every week since I have been here... didn't know why and now I do!! I'll keep praying for the little GUY!! I'm calling a boy... please let me know as soon as you find out. You don't even know how excited I am! Mike and Kara thanks for the picture... Kara you are the cutest pregnant little lady ever... Stewart really is growing I bet you guys are so excited and can't wait! How is school going Mike and Kara?? finals are coming up i'm guess and Kara's boards.. STRESSFUL!! i'll pray for ya! Mindy and Tales when am i getting the news on your new little Barbacoa Brurrito?? huh Britos?? ha ha I think i'm so funny!! Oh thanks for the package Mindy for Easter.. but have you ever heard of cruel and unusual punishment.. MAKING ME WAIT TIL EASTER!! but i am.. you should be proud of me. Brad...still haven't heard anything about your life...are you alive? Well your friend Nate Harris is on my floor in the same building as me in the MTC so i run into him all the time.. he told me to give you a shout out and would love your address... now that i think about it I would love your address too!! Love you bubbie! Mom and Dad... I love all your letters, e-mails and support. You sound like life isn't changing much other than having to buy new appliances.. hope you find that dryer for a good price. Mom thanks for having Grandma write me on your last letter.. just seeing that little bit made me cry... give her a kiss for me. How is she hanging in there? So General Conference here at the MTC was amazing!! I can't believe Neil is an apostle!! I wanted to call all of you so bad you don't even know... it was hard but he will do so great! And then when he said his mom was there in his talk I could just see Aunt Kay's smiling face and Uncle Lyle smiling from above. He is gonna need a lot of prayers in his new calling! Also I did hear President Munday get called as an area authority.. where over?? That is so exciting and he is a such a great man. That is cool about Benj Munday getting to sit in on the setting apart of Elder Andersen. Conference in the MTC was a very needed break from spanish classes. I took 26 pages of notes- they could just print the ensign out of my notes!! I got so much out of it and i swear every talk was written for me especially Elder Hollands talk about the Savior being completely alone. I bawled... i think that was the best talk I have ever heard on the Savior. I also loved Elder Perry's talk about how Members should do the finding so missionaries could spend more of their time teaching... lets hope some members in Texas heard that talk! The Friday before conference for our challenge at the teaching center we had to talk to someone on the bus about the gospel in spanish for fifteen minutes and I actually did really really well!! Sometime i feel like I know nothing here and I should know more.. but i have to remember I have only been here for a month.. it is coming so pray for me. We also for our challenge had to teach the second lesson in english thank goodness. But we changed our teaching style so we were having more of a gospel conversation then a lesson... it is more geared towards the investigator and less of a "I'm just here to teach you and don't care what your questions are." It is actually a lot harder but the spirit is so strong and completely guides you. Our companionship is like one when we teach and we are all getting so so so close! I had a cool experience while we were teaching... I felt impressed to share a scripture about the celestial kingdom but i was looking and looking for it and couldn't remember the reference and then in my head i said, "Oh well i'll paraphrase it"... then i looked down and my scriptures were openned right to the scripture. It is so true that without the spirit there is no power in this work. Just as Neil said we are nothing and as soon as we forget that the Lord will remind us and usually it is not so pleasant... here i have really realized I am nothing without the Lord walking right beside me and the spirit filling my mouth with the right words. Not this Friday but next Friday we have to teach the first lesson entirely in spanish for our teaching challenge... please pray for me!! This place is really overwhelming and exhausting- physically, mentally, and spiritually. I got sick like two weeks ago and my body just is not bouncing back.. I think I have streap... but i'll get better soon
hopefully! On Monday my favorite district in my zone left.... that was Hermana Porter's district. They left for Argentina.. that was really hard for me to say good-bye to them because first off Hermana Porter was my angel in disguse and became my sister.. and the Elders were completely my brothers... They made this MTC home. Watching them walk away and not having them anymore makes the MTC unfamiliar again, but the same will continue to happen I'm guessing every transfer so I'm trying
not to let it get to me... the day after they left I got a letter we got letters from the Elders in the mail... ha ha made my day! I am making so many amazing friends here that I can't even imagine not knowing now!! Even me and Hermana Christensen are 100% great friends and I actually vent and cry to her now... My companionship actually gets along great with no drama what so ever! This week my coordinating sister responsibilities really took over when a new district came in of 12... four sisters! All the sisters actually leave in 3 weeks for the Spain MTC... so pretty much they get here before me and leave before me.. NOT COOL!! ha ha but they are sweethearts and hilarious.. one of them went to Dixie State and actually was in Landrea's singles ward which is fun. This world is so small... one of Hermana Porter's companions in my zone grew up with Amber Varley Every.. weird and small world. Well yesterday in the RC (call center) I talked to five different people... from LA, NY, SC, TN, and VA and I got missionary referrals to alll of them.. they all accepted to listen to the missionaries. It is such an amazing feeling to be able to bear sweet testimony and actually hear the spark ignite in these people as they are seaching for the truth. It makes your testimony feel like it actually matters!! Last night we had a fireside by Vaughn J. Featherstone and it was an amazing fireside but he talked really really fast that it was hard to get notes. One thing he said was BE CAREFUL YOU DONT KNOW WHO YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO BECOME!! I have no clue who I am suppose to be in this life but all i know is my decisions now are influencing that! He also read a poem and at the end it said, "Thank God, Thank God they thought it worth the price they paid." And all i could think about is my ancestors who crossed the plans and gave up so much so I could have this gospel.. and my parents who sacrificed so much to have me... and also My savior who loved me enough to pay the ultimate price. Then I asked my self if all those people looked at my life today and my choices would they still think it was worth the price they paid!! I hope after my mission someone looks back and is thankful that I served... I think it is worth it to bring this gospel to even one person in Texas.. Pray for me!! I love you all and miss you so much... WRITE ME LETTERS!!! They are Gold in the
MTC!! I love you all and hope you have a HAPPY HAPPY EASTER!! My first holiday from home... PRAY FOR ME and I pray for each of you always... con amor- Hermana Katie Barber!! love you all!!! MISS YOUR FACES!!! The church is so true... and I love it!!

Third Week Mark!!

2009-04-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

Hola mi familia, como estan? I hope all is well with each of you!! Happy Birthday Matt on the 6th!! I can't believe you are gonna be thirty.. super old! I love you and wish i could celebrate with you but i'll sing you happy birthday from the MTC. Charlene thanks for updating my blog.. i can't see it but i got your mom's comment from my dad.. i have met your cousin he is in the zone next to me so we have like gym, meals and stuff together.. he is a sweetheart. Mike and Kara!! how are you?? I
never saw the picture of stewart and don't really have time to look at them on the internet!! you should send me pictures of Kara's pregnant belly!! Miny and Tales thanks for all your e-mails, letters and support!! i love you both!!! Brad thanks for the little e-mail write me a letter though so I have more details about your and landrea's marriage!! ha ha.. and if packages only cost you two dollars why don't you send me more somoas and taglog girl scout cookies!!! I love you all so much family!! mom yes i want you to forward my e-mails to all those people i said and greg and melissa would be great!! Thanks for looking for a robe for me.. it will come in handy!! Just a lite weight cute one will work wonders!! Mom can you also send me a letter like today with my mission home address in Texas on it.. i have my favorite district leaving on monday and we are switching addresses on sunday so if you e-mail it to me i won't get it till next wednesday..but if you send it in a letter i get it in like two days!! thanks!! Tell Lisseth that i did get both her e-mails and love love love hearing from her!! Tell Mary hi!! the language is definitely coming and i can't wait to talk to her and her mother in spanish when i get back!! My week has been crazy as always!! i can't believe i have been here for three weeks already but at sometimes it feel like i have been in the MTC for a year!! I am learning so much and i would never give up this experience for anything. I can't even believe how three weeks can change a person and the rest of their life!! I have such a solid foundation of the gospel and an unwavering testimony that will just continue to grow
everyday!! I can't even begin to tell you how amazing it is to learn here in the MTC.. the spirit is so strong and you learn more about the scriptures, doctrines, and language than you would anywhere else and all the credit has to go to Heavenly Father. Truly who he calls he also qualifies! We have had the opportunity to hear from a couple from the seventy this week in the Sunday and Tuesday fireside.. and then we had mission conference on Sunday which means all of the elders and sisters in the MTC sit in a 2 hour meeting with the MTC president.. it was actually amazing and all about teaching with the spirit and constantly having the spirit with you... we have the power to convince but only the spirit has the power to convert.. also our purpose as a missionary is to invite others to come unto christ by helping them recieve a testimony in Jesus christ and his atonement.. and they made a really interesting point that the reason we are in the MTC is not to invite others to come
unto christ but ot come unto christ ourselves so we can show others where to go... how can we invite others to go to a place we have never been!! during one of the firesides a seventy talked about the plan of salvation and talked about the premortal life and how we chose to come and faught for our agency... then he said you also faught for the agency of the people you are going to teach where ever you go... you faught so they could reject your message... you faught so they could accept there message.. so i guess when i get to dallas when the doors are shut in my
face i better just smile because they are exercising their agency right?? ha ha... another speaker last night was an ameritis of the seventy or however you spell it and first off he told us something really cool!! right now as missionaries and a church we use the spanish bible translated by the queen or something so not the king james version but this seventy was the head to the committee who translated a new bible in spanish for the church and he said it is going to be out for our use before fall conference!! so i will be able to switch bibles on my mission.. it will be more true!! i am so excited!! he also said that with the same assurity that i know the sun will rise quietly each morning that i can have the same assurity that the lord knows me... he knows me by name.. and he is guiding my life.. and i know he is. This
decision to serve a mission has been the best decision i have made in a long time.. yes it has been super hard and exhausting and somedays i really wonder why i am here... but only here...pushed beyond myself and i going to find myself.. and find the person my Heavenly Father wants me to be!!! I had a very touching moment this week that is pretty personal... I was reading with my district and my teacher in Alma 18:32 that says, "Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men, and he knows all the thoughts and intents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning." I just started crying... i guess my whole life i have known that i was created after the image of Heavenly Father but i always kinda had this assembly line product mentality in my head....but at the moment it clicked.. i was created by him to be like him. I was created by my father who is perfect and makes no mistakes. It was funny that i was in a room with my entire district but my mind wondered to an image of me standing in front of my father in heaven and he held my arms looking in my eyes.. he kissed my forehead and said, "Here is your body, my gift for you... you are perfect and beautiful and I love you!" All i could do was bawl and i have never in my life felt my Fathers love so much as in that moment.. it was like no one else was in the room with me. I know that i am perfect in his sight... i have the body i was suppose to.. the personality i was suppose to have... and he makes no mistakes! He loves me so much and he knows each one of us!! ( that was a really personal story... please just forward to like family and my close friends.. not on my blog!! thanks!!) Even since that experience i have not had a doubt that he is here with me pushing me along.. i know i have a great work to do and that there are people in Dallas only I can touch.. I just hope i will be able to
communicate my personality over ot spanish!! pray for me! About the lady in the call center that is homebound that i was suppose to call back and teach.. i called her back yesterday and she was on her way to the hospital.. the doctors told her they think it is her time to go so i don't know if i will ever talk to her again but she begged me to try and told me to pray for her and that she loved me.. i told her i
loved her back.. Then i had two more calls.. one from a man in new jersey and another for a lady in California names Carolina and i got both of them to agree to meet with the missionaries so i sent a referral to the missionaries in their areas!! it is so funny how you can care so much for complete strangers and ache for their acceptance of your simply testimony you bear!! I pray that they actually listen.. i am having some amazing experiences in here and my companions and i are geting along
great.. me and Hermana Christensen are like best friends now and have worked out most of our differences i can see us staying in touch after the mission... Hermana Crandell's sweetness has kinda turned into a "mom" and she constantly tries to tell us what to do... but i just hold everything in and not try to cause any kind of drama!! my district is amazing and last night after the fireside we all had a district meeting and bore our testimonies and all bawled.. we are all so close already..like brother and sisters and it killed me that i couldn't hug them when
they were crying! My favorite district in the zone leaves on Mondy to Argentina including Hermana Porter my tender mercy from the lord is leaving me.. but we also got a new district today with 12 people in it!! there are four sisters so that will be fun to get to know them.. they all seem really really cute, but they will only be here for 3 weeks then they head off to the MTC in spain.. so you will be hearing about them next week more!! Well to close this is for Matt and Mike to be really proud of me.. ha ha in gym i have been shooting alot and i beat a guy in around the world this week in gym!! just showing my skills!! ha ha..but then he beat me and then beat me twice in HORSE!! but hey at least i won once right!! ha ha.. i love you all!!! write me please!! If i think of anything else i will write it in a letter so my siblings don't have to complain about my letters being too long!! glad you guys like hearing from me so much!! ha ha.. i can't help it if i type fast and have lots
to say!! i miss you guys more than you know but i'm happy to be here!
!love you mom and dad!! you are the best parents ever!!
MUAH!! Hermana Barber

Week Two!

2009-03-26T10:06:00.000-07:00

Hola Mi Familia...
Wow did i have a lot of e-mails to read when i got on here this morning..luckily i just printed them off so it didn't run out all my time. about the letters or e-mail factor i like getting letters because i get them on other days other than wednesday.. but either one is great.. i love hearing from you guys.. i got a letter from you on Tuesday the one you sent monday and it was exactly what i needed to hear and gives me the spiritual boost.. i got fun leters from tales and mindy also but mindy's letters always make me cry.. i dont know why.. but they do! I miss you guys and love hearing from you... luckly everyday i have been in the MTC which has been 14 days now i have gotten at least two letters everyday!! So i am loved! ha ha..but i get really behind writing people back and that is why i just write you an e-mail.. ill be better at writing more letter letters! So after p-day last wednesday we had class as usual. then on Thursday we had class and study time all day again but we were really nervous because our companionship had to go teach the first lesson on Friday and we had to contact someone in Spanish at the Teaching Center here at the MTC... they are just volunteers from BYU but they still try to act like investigators.. so on thursday we were pretend teaching our teacher Hermano Cave and i was telling him we were missionaries from the church and that we had a message for him... but instead of saying message... i said we had a massage for him.. ya don't worry about it.. i was dying laughing and so was he. Then on thursday i was feeling really really nervous with my spanish and we went to a language study workshop and it was amazing what i got out of it... the only thing holding me back from learning this language is my unbelief... faith is a gift.. faith had always come so natural to me before but now i am praying for it and working for it. I have had some great conversations with my Heavenly Father this week and man is he blessing me. On Friday we had our teaching appointment and contacted three people in spanish...even though it was pretend i still felt the spirit there and afterwards our teacher Hermano Cave said we did the best of all the sisters he has ever had... so we felt pretty confident.. then he told me that instead of saying the Atonement of Jesus christ with is expiacion.. i said the expiration date of Jesus Christ... expiracion!! so ya.. i'm doing great... people will think i want to give them massages and expiration
dates!! ha ha.. but we taught the first lesson for the first time and i said joseph smiths first vision from memory and the spirit was so strong... the investigators told our teacher afterwards that they gave us an 8 out of 10! For our first time.. I'll take it!! Sunday we got to hear from Elder D. Todd Christoffersen's wife during Relief Society which was amazing and she talked to us on faith going right along with what i was striving to work on for the week! Then after relief society the branch president asked to talk to me and called me as the cooridinating sister for the zone when the old one leaves in two weeks.. so i get to go to branch meetings and stuff so it will be fun to get to know the presidency more! But he told me not to tell my companions or anyone in our zone yet.. so that is under wraps but exciting!! The old coordinating sister that is leaving in Hermana porter the one who has become like my best friend here and i am so depressed she leaves so soon.. but it is so funny because she was in my room the other night and saw the picture i had up of me and Nikki Anderson Mahoney.. and she was like NOWAY!! Her cousin is my ex-fiance... ha ha.. then we figured otu that i have hung out with ehr before at the
anderson's house and in california before!! The lord truely loves me and constantly blesses me with such tender mercies.. On sunday at Four we did get to go to the Draper Temple Dedication which was amazing to me.. i started bawling when i saw the brethern especially the Prophet in white and it reminded me about the first time i went through the temple and saw my whole family in white!!... the prophet is my brother.. and he loves me like his sister and guides me today!! i know he is a true prophet.. then when he prayed for the missionaries in the dedicatory prayer all i could do was bawl.. there is something unreal that happens inside of you... such a peace when you know people are praying for you.. especially the prophet.... That night for devotional we had the coordinating director for all of misisonary work and he just went over all the rules and being obedient.. it is all kinda getting repeatitous but it is good!! 100% obedience here!! On Monday's we have service, gym and normal classes... then yesterday on Tuesday we had Gym, classes then we had another devotional from a elder in the seventy named Kenneth Johnson.. he is from England and did an incredible job.. hereminded us that we can never get burned out on the mission only on fire by the spirit!! he also told us that here we discover who we are.. it is amazing that i am 21 and through this experience i am finally seeing who i am, what i want to be, and what the lord wants and expects me to accomplish in my life! Then we had district meeting which is always a treat since our
district is so close and the boys are like spiritual, funny giants.. it is like hanging out with Brad, Smalls, and scano again.. great fun.. but one of the elders said, "if you are having a bad day, or discouraged the only people you are hurting are the people you didn't teach!! " I think that is will stick with me the rest of my mission.. i am trying to loose myself in this work.. i struggle with it a little since i love all my friends and fmailiy and loved my life before the mission... but it is slowly coming.. i can't believe i have been here for two weeks but at the same time i can't believe it has only been two weeks!! Some times time flies other times it drags on.. I really like it here and i am doing so good and have such a spiritual high!! i love all of you and miss you so much.. please keep writing me.. especially letters.. thanks for the e-mail mike, kara, mindy, and kinda matt!! ha ha!! I love you all!!! Mom i am happy so don't worry about me.. dad thanks for your sweet e-mail... i love you and you are truly in my head always telling me to chill!! and you would be proud of me i have been quite relaxed! !ha ha.. the language will come with the help of Heavenly Father!! Love you!! my time is blinking at me so i better sendthis!!
Love you,
Hermana Barber!

My First Email

2009-03-18T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hola mi familia!!!
So i only have 28 minutes left to write you guys and there is an annoying red number count down on the corner so i'm gonna try to write everything since I have no more time to write a letter today. So this experience has definitely been a roller coaster ride of emotions. I cried on Saturday and at least of a couple of times asked why am i here...but everyone said to wait till Sunday and it gets better and they were right! My first day and a half here we had already learned to bear a simple testimony and prayer in spanish. They really push us here and it is hard but great!! I have two companions... Hermana Crandell who is going to the New York, New York south spanish speaking mission and Hermana Christsensen is going to Texas with me. Hermana Crandell is a sweet heart that is always working and constantly pushes me to be better. Hermana Christensen makes our companionship more of a competition and loves talking about herself... i definitely think this is the quietest I have ever been.. but i am striving to get along with them and love this opportunity. We have fun and laugh together most the time though! I have two teachers that go to BYU named hermano cave and hermana evans and they are great and really fun teachers. My district is actually great and there are four elders all going to New York, New York spanish and they are so funny and spiritual giants... love them! To answer some questions mom asked me.... the food here is alright i mainly eat the salads or the wraps from the bar... we can make our own!! I eat the ice cream from the BYU creamery on Wednesday and Sunday though!! YUMMY!!! Yes i am so happy i brought my seseme street blanket and my max a million teddy bear... they have helped the homesickness... I'm not gonna lie i miss my family and my freedom! I miss being ALONE and not having a companion stuck to your hip but i also know that i was suppose to come on this mission... I was suppose to come spanish speaking it has truly humbled me...made me see my weaknesses and realize i need to relie on God more!! It is amazing the spirit here at the MTC... i think i have prayed more in the last week than i have in my entire life, but during personal and companionship study i almost feel like Heavenly Father is sitting right next to me explaining the scriptures and doctrine to me himself!! My understanding of the scriptures and applying them to myself have been drastically changed and I feel the strength of this
knowledge already. About the gym time we get to go five times a week and there are basketball courts, track, volleyball courts.. i usually go run or bike for twenty minutes, do Charlene's ab routine, then shoot the basketball around.. my first gym was on Saturday and I know it saved me.. i was getting so restless in this place. We also get to go to a place called the RC where we get to make outbound calls to real people to ask them if they have recieved the videos or books they have requested. I talked to a handicap guy on the phone for ten minutes while he just kept telling me he doesn't want anything but the word of God and that our religion was just man made!! All i could do was bear sweet testimony but he wouldn't listen to me or let me
go!! I guess I just got a taste of Texas...but i felt so bad for him.. i wish he would soften his heart and just listen! On Sunday's and on Tuesday nights we have devotionals and on Sunday it was just a guy from the Presidency at the MTC...but they don't tell us who is going to be speaking on Tuesday night devotional.. but guess who it was? ELDER L.TOM PERRY!!! I got to hear from an apostle of the Lord.. i was singing in the choir so I had good seats. It is amazing the feeling of the spirit so strong when they walk into the room... our branch president related it later to how investigators or non members will feel when we as missionaries walk into their house..we must alway stay worthy of that spirit. I definitely got a rebuke though when Elder Perry started talking about the importance of loving and unifying your companionship...since then our companionship has had a complete change of heart and are having a blast and working hard together. My district had a meeting right after the devotional and all our Elder's bore their testimonies and were crying.. they are spiritual giants... They don't even annoy me at all!!ha ha... Brad so i found the perfect girl for you.. her name is Hermana Porter.. 23 and going to Argentina... so i show her a picture of you and Benj from my Homecoming... what a small world she went out with Benj right before she went on her mission!! ask Benj about a Lauren Porter.. she is my coordinating sister here in my zone and she has been my lifesaver and tender mercies. she is just like me and we laugh together and vent to each other... so nice!! oh and by the way anyone can e-mail me i just can only e-mail you guys back!! well i have to run! love you guys so much and i miss you more than you will ever know!! PLEASE WRITE!! Love you!
Hermana Barber

Mission Pics

2009-02-10T11:19:00.000-08:00

Katasha Cox took a bunch of Pre-Mish pics and it was so much fun!

Watch Out Texas!!

2008-12-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

I received my mission call on December 19th after a week of anticipation. I made my parents check the mailbox in St.George on Wednesday and Thursday and it didn't come so disappointed, I got ready to wait another week. Then on Friday, right after my last final of the semester, my mom called me to tell me she had waited til noon to head up to Provo and good thing she did because my call had come!!My mom then traveled in a snow storm and traffic so I could open my call at 5 PM. Surrounded by some friends, family members, and 6 cell phones; I opened my call. So it is official.... on March 11, 2009 I will be a sister missionary for the Dallas, Texas Mission and will be speaking Spanish!