Monday, November 25, 2013 HUMP DAY?!!!!

Dear Family,

Happy Thanksgiving! We were eating on Thursday in the house of a member and I looked at the other American Elder and said, It looks like thanksgiving dinner. And he said, yeah but thanksgiving is still a few weeks off. And then I thought about it for a minute and realized that it was really thanksgiving. So strange how the time passes. 

I found out this last week what day I´ll be going home. The old mission secretary knows all the dates and he was trying to make me homesick (didn´t work), but, more than likely, I´ll be boarding the plane 1 year from today. He said I´ll catch the plane the 25 and arrive home the 26th. Holy smokes. How did that happen?  A mission is an extremely short amount of time. 

I think it´s Isaac´s birthday tomorrow, so send him an email if you get a chance. Sounds like he´s doing well in the américa central. 

Good to hear about Grandma and Grandpa, I´m excited for them. Sounds like basketball is going to be great this year.

Love you all so much. I feel so close to my Savior lately. I really feel like I´m getting to know Him. Obedience really is the key to happiness.

Have a great Week!

Elder Barker

Monday, November 18, 2013

This week was awesome. The temple was a great experience. The new video arrived in Brasil and it really was amazing. I love going to the temple and I got to see a bunch of old companions and friends. I got called as district leader this last week. It´s been a good experience so far. The zone leaders are in my district and I´m learning a lot with them. Our district is made up of the two companionships in Parelheiros and the two in Casa Grande. 

It looks like we´ll be moving into the new house 10 of December. So for now it´ll be a little bit tight, but it´s all good. Elder Dudley and E. Neris are our new house mates. Elder Dudley is from Michigan and Neris is from Fortaleza, Ciara (Brasil). They´re great missionaries and both have about 4 or 5 months on the mission. We´re going to divide the area this week. 

Snow storms, closed roads and basketball games... winter arrived. It seems so far off for me, it really is strange. It´s been really hot here, with a lot of rain. Real Rain. It´s the kind of rain that soaks you even if you have an umbrella (I didn´t have one). I was unprepared because it was a really clear hot day, but I won´t make that mistake again. 

And my guess for Grandma and Grandpa is Cleveland, OH. They´ll be working there and also a little bit in the Kirtland visitors´ center.

As far as the package goes... I´m happy with whatever ;) but I would like a step counter and maybe deoderant if it were possible. PB is always a prized possession.

Love you so much. Thank you for everything!

Will

Hey mia,

Don´t worry, I know your life gets pretty busy. I´m doing great! I ate Mcdonalds and Subway, but just one time. And I made french fries and hamburgers last P-day, so that was good. My companion is Elder Parraguez. He´s from Chile. But I live with two other missionaries too. They´re really cool. I have a weight in my new house, so I get swell now. And I go running. It´s so cool here! I love you so much! Make sure everybody in the house is reading their scriptures!

Love, Will

         Dear William,

            Hey, sorry I haven't Wrote in a while.  Life's great! How are you doing?  Do you get to eat American food much? Basketball just ended:( . But volleyball is just starting, at least my traveling team is :) . I miss you so much :( . But I know you are doing the right thing.  (First grade is going great.) fourth grade is good to. But my back pack is way to heavy. Who are your companions? Please write back soon!


                                                                                              Love,
                                                                                              Mia

Monday, November 11, 2013

Hey Family,

Another week come and gone. Good to hear that everyone´s doing well! Haha putting up flags... good times. When I think about it, the things that prepared me most for the mission were things like putting up flags, service projects, collecting fast offerings, shoveling snow, working on the ranch, home teaching and things like that. Seminary and Mission Prep. were important too, but the mission really is just work. What makes a good missionary is his desire to work and willingness to serve the Lord. I´m really finding great joy in His service. I have so many things to get better at, but I know that the Lord accepts our service when we work with our heart, might, mind and strength.

I can´t believe it´s November. I´ll be going to the temple on Thursday, so I´m excited about that. And we´re going to receive the new missionaries tomorrow. I think we´re going to move to another house, too. Lot´s of exciting things going on right now! The Lord is hastening His work, and we get to be a part of it. It´s awesome. This is certainly a historic time.

 

Monday, November 4, 2013

Hello!

I´m doing great in my new area. We are working really well with the ward and we´re already seeing great progress.

Transfer is next week and we´re going to receive two more missionaries here in our area. It should, be good. We´re going to get Bunk Beds and divide the area and everything, so it will be exciting. 

So the pictures, from top to bottom are 

1. The payphone outside of my new house. Basically in the middle of nothing, but it comes in handy for us.

2. My old district. (Elder Ribeiro, my trainer is in the front right. Elder Cerda is at my side)

3. My Ward Mission Leader in my last area. He´s awesome. Osmano. He lived in the U.S. 11 years. His wife his Filipina.

4. Hiking up to our new house. It´s way, way up there. In the picture is Elder Pereira and E. Colunga, they´re in my zone. They just helped us haul everything to our house.

I´m excited about Olivia! That´s really cool. They´ll have to send some pictures for me.

Love you all, and keep up the good missionary work! Our family will be blessed because of it. I´m proud of you guys.

Keep me updated on the mission call of Gma and Gpa.

Love, William

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday, October 28, 2013

Hello from Parelheiros!

So this week was exciting. Feels like it was a longer than a week, because so much happened. 

I got thrown into another emergency transfer. I got called on Wednesday and I came here on Thursday. I´m opening an area called Parelheiros with Elder Parraguez. He´s also from Chile, Santiago. He has about 4 months on the mission. Neither of us are familiar with the area, and it´s the biggest area in the mission. It´s more interior, and it´s actually neighboring Cipó, my first area. And the districts have changed since I left, so I´ll be going on exchanges there in Cipó! It´ll be cool to see everyone again.

I don´t really know why President closed the area, but for this to happen is very rare. It´s been a little bit challenging, but it´s good for us. President said that he trusts us, so it´s a good feeling.

Parelheiros is really cool. It´s a HUGE area. We have to take the bus to get to a lot of the neighborhoods. And there´s a lot more trees and hills here, so I like it. President also said that we´re going to have another companionship here in a couple weeks, so that´ll be nice to split up the area. So they say there´s an indiginous tribe in our area... but it´s not as cool as you think. They have houses and everything. I imagine it´s a lot like the indians from 

Rawlins.

Life is good. It was good to hear from you. I loved the pictures. I tried to send pictures, but it didn´t work and I got frustrated and quit. But I´ll try again next week. And I did get the package with the shirt. It´s awesome! 

Happy Birthday to Bridger and Happy Halloween! (They don´t really celebrate here, just little things... lame)

Remember Elder Ballard´s talk, and extend a hand from now until Christmas for at least one person ;)

Love you all, 

Elder Barker