Monday, July 8,2013

Hey!

Good to hear from you as always! Sounds like 4th of July was a blast. I heard some fireworks but I think it was still about Brasil soccer. But I was on an exchange with an American named Elder Baisden. We celebrated with a pizza. And you can´t email Isaac. He´s in the wild. He can email at the end of the 6 weeks is what he told me. OH! I got the Barker Reunion package! It came pretty fast, 2 weeks? Man, it was Awesome! A whole lot of sunshine for sure. I loved everything, especially the letters, it was great to hear from everyone. Can´t believe Kenzee and JJ ate at Elements, they don´t deserve it. 

 

Desculpa, mandei errado. Foi mal. 

Anyway, we had a mission conference this last week. It was sweet. We have 105 missionaries now instead of 205. Both of my companions from the MTC are in other missions now, it´s crazy. I´m glad I stayed in Interlagos with President Pinho. Our mission has a great reputation, and Pres. Pinho has a lot to do with it. He is a great motivator and he talks to us all personally. You wouldn´t think that he has 100 other missionaries and things to worry about. The ward I´m in now is really good. We have a baptism this week, her name is Lorena.  She was Adventista, but when she moved to São Paulo she moved in with her Aunt that is a member. She´s 17 and she´s already in the middle of Alma in the Book of Mormon. We´re also going to get to couples married this week, well that´s the plan. The process here is a little bit more difficult. They have to marry in what´s called the Cartorio. It delays a lot and in some places it´s really expensive. But it should work out good this week, it´s going to be a great blessing for their families. I love you all. I´m so grateful for this work and for our Savior.

Love, Elder Barker

 

P.S. Evanston didn´t Burn Down on the 4th?

Monday, July 1, 2013

Hey Family!

You know it makes the mission a lot easier knowing I have my family praying for and supporting me! Love you all so much. Sorry I made you worry with the last e mail hahaha it really wasn´t a big deal. Tudo Beleza! All is beautiful :) I´m feeling great and working very well with Elder Nazareth. We live with two other missionaries and they´re awesome, Elder Assis e Mariano. I bought a hammock this week too, so our house is sweet. I love my hammock. Did you hear about Isaac? Holy smokes he´s going to some Island without water and power for the next transfer. He´s excited, but pray a little extra for him. Alumni tournament sounds like it was fun! Why didn´t my boys win it? A shame. Hey do you think you could send me my priesthood line of authority. I´m curious and I don´t have it here. Brasil was pretty crazy last night because of the soccer game against Espanha. It was the final, and  I got just a little taste of what the world cup will be like. EVERYBODY watches the games and shoots fireworks and it will be even crazier next year. We also had some protests here recently against the government with prices for transportation and stuff, we haven´t been affected by it much, but it´s pretty interesting. Oh, I´d love to get monte´s and megan ´s  emails por favor. How´s everything with my bank account? My card is still good to use? Thank you so much for all you do! It´s been raining for about a week now, everything is always wet, but the work is going great. We baptized and confirmed Marcelo this weekend, he turned 8 this week and his brother and uncle were already baptized. Don´t worry, we´re teaching the parents too ;) the only reason they haven´t been baptized yet is casamento... marriage. But it will be very soon! Love you all, this work is amazing!

Elder Barker

 

Monday, June 24, 2013

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I didn´t write very long last week, I´ll do better. I´ll be honest, this week was a little bit crazy and a little bit tough. First, we had a surprise transfer and I left Cipó. It was a big transfer to get everything settled before the mission splits. I´ll still be in the Interlagos mission, but I´m in Parque das Nações now. It´s more of the city. It´s a lot different from Cipó, but it´s a really cool area. Has a new church building here and a really good ward. We work in alleys a lot more than streets. It´s cool, but it´s like a maze and I don´t know where I am, and it´s not flat. It´s hard to describe, but the alleys go up and down, it´s really interesting. I also got pretty sick this last week. Had a fever and stuff, but I´m feeling better now. For packages... I don´t know I love everything, still peanut butter and beef jerkey can´t find here. And I have requests for skittles, pop rocks and oreos ;) but anything is great. Why arent my siblings writing me? But anyway, my new companion is Elder Nazareth, he´s a very good missionary and we get along well. And the address I sent last week is where everything should be sent.

I have a grand testimony of this work and of our savior. I know that only through Jesus Christ can we be saved. We have to accept him as our Redeemer and live our lives for him. I love you all! Have a great Week!

Elder Barker

Monday, June 17, 2013

Hey Everyone!

Sounds like the reunion was good, and everyone´s doing well. We have some great new families that we found this last week. There are many of God´s elect here in Cipó. So what´s the fireside about on Sunday? They just told us that it will be live transmission from Salt Lake, should be good. There´s no joy that comes, like the joy of the gospel. Open your mouth and share it, but more importantly live it everyday and let other people see how happy you are. Hope Father´s Day was great! Thank you to the great examples in my life. Dad, Grandpa and all my uncles. Love you all.

Here´s our new mission address. So everything should be sent here I guess now. 

 

Rua Comendador Elias Zarzur 365

Santo Amaro

04736-000 São Paulo - SP

Brasil

 

Love, Elder Barker

Monday, June 10, 2013

Hey,

Sounds like a good start to summer. It´s funny that it´s winter here, but we´re probably having pretty similar temperatures. Camps and all that stuff going good? I like Zoe´s new haircut! She´s still as cute as ever. I couldn´t stop laughing when I saw that, Zo Dirt for sure.

All is well here in Zion, but we still can´t rest ;) A lot of work to do. My new companion is Elder Laughlin. He´s from Oregon. He´s a great guy and we´re doing well together. He went to BYU Idaho and says that he knows Marie and Alex Thomas. He´s super funny, this is his second to last transfer so I´m learning a lot from him.

We are working with some great people as always!

Reactivation has been really good lately, some great people coming back to church! I love you all!

Life is super good.

Love, Elder Barker

 

Monday, May 27, 2013

Bom dia!

Good to here from you as always! I picked up the package from the mission office this last week. It was awesome! I loved it. And everything was perfect for Elder Ribeiro. He was definitely excited. He says that you´re going to the Celestial Kingdom for sure, Mom. I already knew that. You´re an angel. Getting a package makes me feel a little bit like I´m in the Hunger Games when the little parachutes come floating down from the outside world. It´s a good feeling ;) I loved the letter from Mia. I´ll send her one this week.

Oh, I forgot to tell you, the day after Mother´s day I saw a monkey. Kenzee had asked the day before. It was just a little guy, almost like a Lemur. I got some pictures of it. It just came jumping out of a tree and was sitting on a wall in the street. It was pretty cool :)

Our investigators our doing well. This is the last week of the transfer, which is crazy. I think we´ll have one baptism before the transfer. His name is Guilherme and he´s 18. He has family in the church and says that he received an answer that it´s true. He´s a really good guy.

I can´t believe that school is ending already. Kenzee is too young to graduate! And Jesse already has 8th grade Promotional? What in the world? 

Anyway, I love you all. The Lord is hastening is work, share the gospel with Everyone. I know that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.

Elder Barker

Monday, May 20, 2013

Gee wiz, I love you all so much!

Another week already! Sounds like State Track was fun. Congrats to Kenz, She´s awesome! Was the weather good? Did you get my card/letter yet? The weather is pretty good right now, It got a little bit chilly and we had to wear our suits coats one day. Everyone was complaining how cold it was, and I was just thinking if this is cold than I think I´m going to be just fine this 'winter'. I was reading a talk by Elder Uchtdorf from the conference in October 'Of Regrets and Resolutions' I think... Anyway, one thing he said really stuck out to me. He was talking about enjoying our time and making the most of life. He says, I try to imagine the Savior bustling and hurrying around trying to get a long list of things done, and I can´t see it.  How true is that. I think we all just need to slow down sometimes. Life is super good. Appreciate the little things of life. Remember it´s a journey, not a race ;)

I made German pancakes and Buttermilk (magic) syrup last night, it was awesome. Elder Ribeiro didn´t know what hit him. Thanks for the recipe! P.S. that syrup can´t be very healthy

Hey! Watch out for crazy people with guns in Evanston! What´s that all about? 

Anyway, I love you all. Thanks for your support and love! Feast upon the Words of Christ, the Book of Mormon is true!

Love, Elder Barker