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
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!!
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
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
Monday, February 1, 2010
PREACHING in the rain is WAY better than SINGING!!
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
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
Monday, January 25, 2010
Hola From Plano!!
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
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
Monday, December 7, 2009
7 and 1/2 months in Carrollton and another GREENIE!!
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
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
Monday, November 30, 2009
December 13!!...CAN'T WAIT!!
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!!
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!!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Angie Vasquez is Baptized!!
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
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
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