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

Monday, October 21, 2013

So, we´re four hours ahead now instead of three. And... We spoke in church yesterday. It went a lot better this time. Everyone understood what we were saying and everyone is getting more excited about missionary work!

President Pinho got super excited after General Conference and we have a new program that we´re going to apply. It´s based on the talk that M. Russel Ballard gave. Estender a mão para apenas um entre hoje e Natal. Que presente maravilhosa para o Salvador. It means to extend a hand to at least one person from now until Christmas. What a marvelous gift for the Savior. Elder Ballard said that If everyone in our wards and stakes invites at least one person to talk with the missionaries, we will help millions of people join the church.

We´re going to pass by the houses of all of the members now and ask a lot more referrals. I´m inviting all of you to extend a hand as well. In our family alone it would be 6 more people in the ward, if you don´t count Zoe. It will be awesome!

I feel great satisfaction in the service of the Lord. There really is no feeling like it. Even though sometimes we don´t see the results we want, I sleep well at night.

Is Bridger getting excited for his Birthday? Happy birthday B-ridge! (much warmer than the happy birthday he gave me a few years ago) Happy birthday, jerk. I think it was over a Frosty at Wendy´s that he got upset.

Love you all!

Elder Barker

Monday, October 14, 2013

Hello Family,

Thanks Mom for the updates and information. You´re the best. This week was good. I´ve still been thinking a lot about conference. It´s been a lot warmer lately and we had some cool rain storms. Yesterday we were just walking down the street and it was a hot, muggy day and in less than 3 seconds it was pouring rain. It came out of nowhere It was kind of crazy. We didn´t have umbrellas so we just waited it out a few minutes until it stopped and then it was just hot and muggy again.

Remember that family I said that we found at the end of that really long day? Well they went to church that week, went to conference (and watched the rest on line), and went to church yesterday too. They´re a really cool family. The ward loves them too. There baptism could be this Saturday, but the dad, Nelson, has doubts about the Book of Mormon, so we´ll see. I´ll keep you updated. But their names are Nelson, Adriana, Jessica and Guilherme.

Not much more to report on... Saturday was Day of the Children. All the kids get a bunch of candy and toys and stuff. It was also the day of one of the catholic saints. Nossa Senhora Aparecida. I don´t know what it is in English.

 

Anyways, I love this work and I´m grateful to be a part of it. I´ve really been blessed with amazing experiences. I´ve witnessed a lot of crazy things and a lot of miracles. I´ve learned a lot in these few short months. Talk to you soon!

Elder Barker

Monday, October 7, 2013

Bom Dia Familia,

Mais uma semana! 

We weren´t transfered, so we´re happy about that, everyone in hour house will continue the same for now.

 I was shocked to hear about Beverly. I didn´t even know she was sick. I had sent her a letter, but I don´t know if it got there in time. 

Man, conference was awesome. We went to the stake center for the sessions. The sessions were live transmission, so we watch at 1 and 5. And we (missionaries) watch the priesthood session the next day at 6 am, because it goes to late into the night on Saturday. Members can watch on the internet, but a lot of them went to the stake center too. They had a room in English this time, so that was cool. President Pinho prefers that we watch it in our own language (me too). All of the talks were awesome. I don´t know if it´s because I´m on the mission, but I think I learned more at this one than any other conference. I felt the Spirit testify of all of the speakers. And I felt an especially strong confirmation when President Monson spoke. I love our Prophet. I learned so much. I took notes and I´ve set goals to apply the teachings in my life, one of those being to memorize the  Articles of Faith. Something so simple, why don´t I have them memorized? We should know the basic beleifs of our own church.

Did you like (or even notice) Ulisses Soares? He´s from São Paulo. He spoke in the first session about meekness and controlling our temper. It was really good. And the President of my Area gave the closing prayer of conference, Claudio R. M. Costa. Pretty cool.

Anyway, I was truly inspired. I am excited about my mission and excited about life! We are members of the church of the true living God. We need to share this knowledge with EVERYONE. I liked the talks about missionary work and member missionaries. Work with the missionaries and invite friends to hear the marvelous news of the gospel. All too often we selfishly keep the gospel to ourselves, because of fear, lack of time, or lack of faith. Invite EVERYONE, and at least give them the opportunity. 

I have a testimony that the one true path to happiness is holding firmly to the iron rod (word of God) and keeping His commandments for the rest of our lives.

Having put our hand to the plough, we can never look back. Luke 9:62.

I love you all and pray for you always.

Elder Barker

Monday, September 30,2013

Hey family,

Thanks again for all the birthday wishes, cards and such. And Happy Birthday to Verna and Roy and Zoe today!

I don´t want Zoe to grow up anymore before I get home! She´s not even a baby anymore, and she probably prounces ´chocolate milk´correctly by now. Sad. I love her so much. Tell her that I miss her and ´I need her`.. haha

Things here are great! It´s been raining a lot, but the weather is warming up. Next week is the transfer, so I don´t know what will happen yet. Elder Cerda and I are working really well together. He´s a really cool guy. He´s studying to be a doctor. He´s already done 5 years of medical school. He spent 7 years outside of the church, or inactive. He started going to church again and left on a mission the same time as his younger brother. (His brother is serving in Brasil too). He has a very strong testimony. 

President Pinho said that we have 1 hour and a half now to email, so that´s pretty cool. Starting next week. 

I´m very excited to hear the words of a living prophet next week. General Conference is a special time to receive revelation for our own lives. I testify that Christ really lives. I´ve felt His love for me in His service. It´s amazing that suffered such a great price for all of us sinners, and just as incredible that Heavenly Father gave his only begotten son for us. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and I love all of you. Have a great week! And please tell Kenzee to drive safe going back and forth from college!

Love, Will