wowza.

So crazy week. CRAZY past couple of days! First of all...kind of cool. There's an elder in my district who's deaf and he is by far da coolest. It's always fun to try to learn words in American Sign Language so I can communicate. It's amazing to see the army that God has. :) Also, a general authority and his wife came and spoke with us! But the cool part is that they both speak Spanish so we had a sister and an elder from our mission translating for us. Loved it. Received much revelation and it was very inspiring.

Soooo....President obviously called y'all. SURPRISE! So I've been pretty sick right? it started like six months ago right? Well I really didn't want to go home...and I felt like kind of a little better. So I took advantage of that and ran with it. I also stopped communicating to the doctors and Sister Ames. It was great. Missionary work was soaring! I was loving it. :) But I progressively was getting worse again. A few times I had experiences where I had the impression that I needed to go home so I could get better...But of course I shook them off! They were so subtle and it definitely is not what I wanted to do. I had it again during General Conference...shook it off. Then this past Sunday. The impression came so strong, so clearly...I know it wasn't me. But I had the feeling..."It's time." It came three times. I couldn't fight this one because it so distinctly was from God. So I talked to Doctor Rose to see what his thoughts were. He also told me it was time to go home for a little while until they can figure this out...then I can come back as soon as I recover! He also prescribed me some new medication until that time. So the next day, we were doing service and I had a really negative reaction to the medication. I will have to tell you about it later...but it was just not fun. But I've been worse ever since...so Doctor Rose doesn't think it was the prescriptions. It will be nice to find some answers! :)

At this point, I am at peace with going home because I know this is what God wants for me at this time. Also, I know I will be a more effective missionary when I feel normal again. I'm just anxious to get feeling better! :) I plan on coming back out as soon as health allows!

I love y'all so much!

Love,

Sister Barnes

...

So first of all, I think I'm gonna buy me some cowgirl boots today. No judge. You can't come and live in Texas and go home without some real, authentic Justin boots! So...it's totes happening.

So Autumn's getting married pretty soon and that's really weird. Sounds like y'all have been crazy busy. Remind me never to get married. Thanks. 

So I love miracles! They happen daily! I'm not very good at sharing the miracles which is awful but they do happen. :) Like I was on exchange and we were teaching this girl at the park... Randomly this guy comes out of the blue and asks if he can sit by us. (Ummm...is the sky blue? Is Brad Pitt beautiful? OF COURSE YOU CAN SIT BY US!) Ha ha okay...so then of course we start teaching him. After everything, he told us that he just had this feeling that he needed to come to the park. (Thank you Holy Ghost). AGH! I just love missionary work. I can't even handle it. 

So we are still pretty busy. Sometimes we have to skip meals because there's just not enough time, but things are going really well. We had a ton of baptismal dates coming up. But again, I'm scared they're not ready! So we pushed them back a bit. It's like the parable of the sower in the New Testament! But things are going well. This is a very humble area. I am a lot more grateful for cleanliness now. Yes Mom...it's a miracle. 

I had to give a talk yesterday too! :) We hardly had any notice and no time to prepare but they went really well! It's all part of being a missionary right? I actually can't remember the last time I had a normal church block. We're always teaching some sort of class. It's da bessst.

Welp, I love missionary work with all my heart and soul! I love this gospel and I love this church! and I love y'all! I'm just soo happy!

Sister Barnes

P.S. Thank you for the pictures of the mountains. :) Everyone was round my computer ooing and awing. Gotta love home.

GENERAL CONF

So there's a cat sitting in my lap right now so excuse my off typing....

First of all...CONFERENCE WAS AMAZING! I received revelation from almost every single talk! Remember when Jeffrey R. Holland made that appendicitis reference? I hung my head in shame...Ha ha. Too funny. So many good talks. 

So about the quantity not quality comment that I made. Still a problem. The work is awesome! Our district is in the top right now! I teach a lot. I have a lot of baptismal dates...but I still don't feel like they're ready... I didn't come out here to be in the top companionships, or to have high key indicators, or even to baptize people! I came out here to help people make a true and everlasting change...a true conversion to the gospel. It's cool that we have lots of baptismal dates, but the thought of them being baptized without understanding and then falling away really upsets me. I don't know. I just love being a missionary though. :) This work is truly amazing. Is it terrible of me to say that I never want to go home? Ha! 

Okay so Autumn wasn't on a bike and I really feel like y'all should get a taste of what it's like...First of all, it's like...immodest. I try to clip my skirt together but it eventually comes undone...then I have awkward hair clips on my skirt flapping in the wind....and I'm immodest anyway... My hair is always lovely...the trick is to put a chastity pamphlet in your helmet to keep your hair from going cray cray...But really, you just sweat so much in the Texas heat that there's really no point in trying...Then being female and having a purse always makes it a little more interesting! Then when we show up on people's doorsteps, you're covered in sweat and mud and wearing a skirt... It really is the greatest. :) It's ALWAYS an adventure. I really do love it.

We have an investigator who has lots of cats...I counted 17 in the room. Gross.

This lady thought we were nuns...Then this guy thought I had been in prison...I'm getting whiplash here peeps.

Nother awkward story...A guy that I kinda/sorta dated in college use to serve in this same area three years ago. His name is all over my desk and in the area book and basically all over. I even saw it in a member's home. It's really awko taco. Heh.

Someday I promise I'll be more spiritual in my updates. :) Just know that I love this so much and I have learned so much and I witness miracles every single day. God is truly aware of us.

Love,

Sister Barnes

 

FORT WORTH!

The Library's kitty in my lap right now. Heh. I. Love. Texas. 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER!!! :)

Happy Birthday to my dear sister AUTTIE! and in case I forget next week...AMERS! Love y'all both so much! 

The work has been going well! :) We stay very busy! We have quantity...But I worry about "quality" investigators. I don't want to baptize these people just to have them fall away. :/ I'm sure as we follow the spirit we will know what to do! I love my compangee! We may or may not pull pranks on each other all the time...I may have brushed my teeth with salt this morning...Man oh man. We just like to have a good time and laugh while we work. I think it's a great method! 

Also, a stray cat snuck into our apartment...I actually got the whole thing on film so I'll show y'all someday. Totes my goats funny. Also, there was a snake in Sister Lewis's study blanket. I may have jumped on the table...But in my defense...I just heard her scream "SNAAAAKE!!!!" and there's lots of crazy poisonous snakes here so I was just playing it safe. It was just little and not poisonous...no worries. Let's see...Oh. Someone asked me if I was a nun today. And this guy tried to convince me that I was a polygamist... Some people's kids.... Also, we had THREE families come to church yesterday that haven't been to church in YEEAAARRSS!!! People were crying. They were crying. It was beautiful. I was so happy. There's no happiness quite like what this gospel brings! We also teach in church about every week. And President Ames came and spoke to us at a fireside for our ward last night! It's just been a really good transfer. I love missionary work.

I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! I can't wait!!!! The relief society broadcast was AWESOME! And I totally saw my good friend Karlie Rupe in the choir! She leaves to Argentina in two weeks!!! Crazy how the time flies. At the end of this transfer I will be hitting my halfway mark. Oh my eww eww gross. I'm still brand new. 

DAD! Ricky. Heh. Heh. Is it really getting cold there? It's finally starting to cool down a bit here. Still some hot days but it's a lot more bearable. MOM! My head has gotten a little worse again this week and I'm still throwing up (not as often) but I feel like I'm just use to everything at this point. I'm really happy! And I'm a lot better than I was! So I'm grateful! 

Running low on time but know that I love this gospel with all my heart! I love y'all so much!

Love,

Sister Barnes 

P.S. Only a few weeks until the weddin'. YEE DOGGIE!

White Settlement

First of all, I'm feeling lots better! ... It truly is miraculous how I am doing so much better...I do believe in miracles! I am grateful for the strength God has given me because I freakin' love it here! I love being a missionary! I am officially a normal missionary again and I'm so happy right now. :) I'm really not worried about things anymore.... And I really am doing much better than I was! EEEEE! :)

So yes. I went to the eye doctor. Lots of times I think the doctors just want my money more than they actually want to help me. My eyes are healthy but they gave me prescription glasses to maybe help any strain that could cause a headache. Funny because it makes it harder to see with the glasses! HA! I have great eye sight if I do say so myself! I feel like it makes my head worse. But she wants me to constantly wear them for two weeks to see if it does anything. I literally tripped and fell probably 4 or 5 times within the next few hours after wearing them. So I tried to get these giant nerd glasses...and the lady worker said "Ummm...no. No...I can not let you get those." "but but but but!" She said they were way too big for my face. That's kind of the point lady! Ha ha! Then she brought me gross, skinny glasses that made me start throwing up when I saw myself in them because they were so hideous!!! I was like lady...you are cray cray. So we found a happy medium pair that we agreed on. I will send pics!  

So White Settlement...It is very much in da ghetto, but humble. I looooooooove it. Lots of street contacting! Lots of teaching! Busy busy! So remember the shootings from Washington DC last week? Yeah, that guy was from White Settlement. Remember the Thai restaurant that he worked at? Yeah, literally down the street. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything...oops. The public library...yeah...it has a pet cat named Browzer. There are stray cats EVERYWHERE. Remember how I'm not very fond of cats? Still hasn't changed. Most of the people we teach don't have any teeth....and when they do...they're rotting. Everything in our apartment has something wrong with it...the lights, toaster, oven, stove, shower, washing machine, etc. It's totally the missionary experience. So that kind of explains the area I'm in! Our ward is small...almost branch size but I'm oober excited!

I love my compangee Sister Lewis! I am her follow up trainer. She just barely finished training! Still waiting for my follow up trainer! ;) But there's only a few sisters who are older than me mission wise. That's crazy because I haven't even reached my halfway mark. ANYWAY, Sister Lewis and I have so much fun. We both like to work but also to laugh while doing so. I'd be lying if I said that I never made street contacts/door contacts in a British accent. It just gets stuck sometimes. I also tend to be snorting (literally) with laughter when people answer the door. But again...lots of new investigators and we are able to get in a lot more doors! :) I just loves being a missionary.

It is FINALLY starting to cool down! They say only a few more over 100 degree days! It was raining for a good couple days there...our power was out for awhile, BUT it has cooled down because of it! It really has been a really fun transfer so far.

A couple funny stories. We were teaching this family and the father pulls out this backpack...Apparently it's his "zombie apocalypse preparedness" bag... (I. Love. Zombies.) He starts pulling out full on axes out of this tiny little bag! It was so funny. It's Texas so we get antied often but this lady (I call her the dragonfly lady) tracked us down and started telling us that we were demons because we call the Savior "Jesus" and that we are paagan worshippers and that Peter Smith is a nut....(Umm...Joseph?) And I didn't even bible bash! I only said a few maybe funny comments but I was a good girl. :) Just pray for that crazy lady because I'm worried for her salvation. Also, there was a ward party and they had a jug party. They made us missionaries get up and play in it and they sang a song dedicated to me called "Sister Baaaaarnes." That was pretty funny. But yes, I really am excited for this transfer! It's gonna be a good one!

I love y'all so much! Your prayers are being felt! The church is true and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to share it with everyone!

Love,

Sister Barnes

 

 

TRANSFERS!!!

Okay, so first of all...I'M BEING TRANSFERRED! Here's my address...

8510 Westlake Dr. #8510-11

White Settlement, TX 76108

It's in Fort Worth...the city...of course. HA! One day I will get to the country!!!! :):):)

Okay...So I'm just gonna be frank. This is really kickin' my behind! It is really starting to hurt! It may just be because it's been so long and I'm losing my strength. I don't really know! HA! The dentist didn't call you? He said he was going to. I do indeed have TMJ, but obviously there's something much bigger...I'm not sure what they're doing with me being transferred and everything. I'll just be patient. :) I hope y'all know that I know that God is with me every step of the way! Although, I have been struggling physically, He has blessed me with spiritual strength. I am grateful for the opportunity to become so close to my Savior! :) "The best way to come closer to God is to struggle." How true is that? I'm so grateful for my Redeemer and his infinite, atoning sacrifice for me! I trust in the Lord with all my heart!

So Elder Anderson and Brother Callister came to speak to us!!!! It was great...I was having a hard time paying attention but what I did hear was truly inspired. I felt like it was just for me. :) Something that really stood out to me was how Elder Anderson said..."we do want you to be good missionaries, but importantly, we want YOU to become great disciples of Jesus Christ." He talked about how yes, we are to help others and be good missionaries...but he wants each of us to progress in this experience. That helped me a lot because I've felt so useless. I've felt like such a bad missionary and more of a burden than a blessing...but I know that I have learned and grown a lot in this past transfer. I know I will be stronger because of this trial! But it was great to shake the hand of an apostle of the Lord. :) He truly is called of God.

So Montana for the weekend huh? Do y'all ever slow down? Sheesh! DAD! I can't believe all your goals for missionary work! You always have been a great member missionary and I know that your efforts and all the members around the world will push this work forward! MOM! Lindsey Richards is indeed going on a mission to Italy! and thank you for your letter. I LOVE getting letters! :) I can feel your prayers. Also, I'll probably have to send a package home because I have accumulated so much stuff....So sorry, it won't be gifts! HA!

I love y'all so much! I'll tell you more when I find out! But until then, know that I'm doing well and that I'm happy! :) God is with me. The church is true! The gospel is true! and I love it sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!! Peace and Blessin'. Peace and Blessins'.

Love,

Sister Barnes
:)

Apostle Time!!! :)

Yep...another apostle is going to come speak to us! Elder Anderson this time. I CAN'T WAIT!!! :) The Dallas mission will also be attending.. That might be a little cray cray. But still...supes excite. I also have a feeling we're going to be on facebook pretty soon here! I was glad to be rid of my facebook! But if it furthers the work, I am willing to do whatever it takes. :)

How was your vaca? Sounds like it was fun! And y'all are the best missionaries handing out Book of Mormons! (Books of Mormon?) If all members were to do such things this work would sky rocket! So THANK YOU! Keep it up! :)

How are wedding plans? I still can't believe Auttie is gettin' hitched. Is it keeping everyone busy and stressed out? Ha!

So we had missionary cleaning checks this week...Oh my hilarious. So the elders didn't warn us like they were supposed to (surprise surprise HA!) and they called us one early morning and said someone was inspecting our apartment in thirty minutes! "WHAT?! AHH!" It wasn't bad but just definitely not white glove clean! Luckily I had deep cleaned the kitchen in the middle of the night before. But we just went to work...they knocked and I still had stuff all over my bed and Sister Trusty wasn't even dressed! So I distracted them while she got dressed and then we swapped while I made my bed in literally 30 seconds RIGHT before the lady came into the room! HA! It was seriously like something from a movie. She then said our apartment was the cleanest that they've checked and we received an "excellent" rating! Right after they left, we fell to the ground and sighed with relief. Okay...really not funny...ya had to be there...

Sorry, that's about it for this week! Lame...I know. But this church is true and I love y'all! Toodles!

Sister Barnes