We are ALL part of "THE WORK OF SALVATION"

HEY FAMILIA!

 

So this time I brought my journal to the computer lab so I can give you a better account about this past week.  I usually am RACING to write in my journal at night, and also its hard to remember significant things that happen every day. Ha but every little thing helps so I'm gonna do my best!

 

SO teaching has been good! mas o menos... My espanol seemed to be excelling at a rapid speed weeks 1 2 and 3 but now it is seeming to get harder.  It's so weird that way....  I feel like I've hit a flat line and I'm not progressing as well as I was but, hey little by little I'll get it.  I have to remind myself that learning a language takes focus and time time time. 

 

Funny story: So tuesday after gym and about a half hour before we had to go to dinner and straight to the devotional , my companera and I took showers in the 30 minutes we are allowed to get ready.  So the door stopper was in the door and everything but when we came back, it wasn't! We were locked out of our room and we were like whaaaat lets go to the 3rd floor maybe and find a worker! So we walk out of this one door to go upstairs, only to realize that we locked ourselves out of our floor!  We were in gym clothes with towels on our heads by the way! So we begin to knock on the door and luckily one of our Hermanas answered it and her and her comp ran across campus to get us spare keys.  In the meantime we played a quick game of hide and seek and probably something else thats real silly that I can't remember.

So we got the keys and I have NEVER gotten ready that fast I don't think.  We ate apples and protein bars on the way to the devotional and called it good! success haha kind of!

 

A funny/ cool thing happened thursday (i think)- so I go into the cafeteria and my friend from San Diego, Courtney Fries was there and I was like heyy! I knew she was coming and I had been looking for her. So I was talking to her and Sarah Pinnock walks up and hugs me too I was like heyy this is awesome! Then I find out that Hermana Fries and Hermana Pinnock are companions and I was like whaaat mind blown! It was super cool thats such a power companionship I love them both.  I love seeing people I know!

 

Friday we got up at 5:30 again to go to our newly assigned service project yaay.  We went annnnddd,.... they didn't need us hahha cool.  That day we did a mini "ayuno de ingles" (I think thats what its called)  Haha aka an English Fast.  We went from lunch to dinner without speaking english and it made my brain HURT but I could tell that It was really good for me. 

 

Saturday the MTC began to be transformed. The were moving things EVERYWHERE and we've been eating in the gym ever since then because its the exciting week of Mission Presidents! They are here learning from some awesome General Authorities that we don't get to see. It's an exciting time but its weird eating in the gym and there are less options haha but there is a Vegetarian table so I really like it!

 

SUNDAY WAS THE BEST!

did you watch the Worldwide Broadcast?!? If you didn't what are you thinking?!?! Hna Jones' mom said she saw us on TV for a minute so thats cool! Getting famouser....

Ha jk but for real, Sunday was awesome- I only have time to talk about the broadcast.  So I got to sing in the choir so we were there real early.  The place was practacally filled and the spirit was already there, but when the Apostles (11 of them were there! that is a BIG. DEAL.) Walked in the spirit just HIT and everyone could feel it, everyone went silent.  I love them.  And I would love to give you a play by play of the whole thing but there is no time.  All I know is that my spirit was strengthened, my perspective was changed for the better and my life is on an even straighter course of helping others return to our Heavenly Father.  As members we are ALL a part of "THE WORK OF SALVATION"- (I love that title SO much).  We need to invite others to come unto Christ- all of our friends, simple but strong and heartfelt invitiations will do,  ahh there are so so many things I loved about it but theres just no more time to write.  GO WATCH IT and make goals por favor!  We are on this Earth in these last days for a reason, and the Lord is hastening his work at this time for a reason, and inviting others to utilize their agency is what we've been asked to do.  AH I love the mission and love this work and love this Gospel so much.

 

I LOVE YOU!!!! TE AMO

 

Hermana Barlow

"...sometimes they act immature, but then again, so do I."

This is a picture of my whole zone. It's sad to see friends come and go, but esta bien:)

This is my district. The elders are great, sometimes they act immature but then again so do I,

so what does it matter? (I have this problem where I laugh during prayers or even sometimes when Spanish songs say the names of our investigators whoops!

Me and my caompaion in front of the beautiful view of what I like to call The Ocean. (I pretend I'm at the beach sometimes, especially with this heat! Welcome to summer I guess.

Letter on June 10, 2013

 

HOLAAA FAMILIA

 

I am quite jealous that the Sibbett family stayed because they are SO FUN.  I love yours and dad's stories about them. 

 

Well I'm starting to see what they meant by "the days are long but the weeks fly by" because... yeah its already been almost two weeks here.. crazy!  But also the days seem prettyyy longg So, I learned a lot through continuing to teach our first investigator, I experienced my first dissapointment and my first triumph! I'm really happy they make us teach right away here even though its so hard. I am growing spiritually everyday and it's wonderful.   About spanish... its not easy but its a lot less frustrating than math class ever was so I'm good.  I really like spanish although sometimes I'm like ok how is this reaaallyy gonna work...

 

I'm so happy to hear that people like my song! Thanks to all who have taken the time to listen to it- Keep sharing it!

 

So I am so excited to be here at this time!  Ah we get to sing in a choir for a VERY VERY SPECIAL devotional next tuesday with THE FIRST PRESIDENCY AND THE APOSTLES I'm like muy excited and... yeah its gonna be awesome, they probably have something really special to say about missionary work.  I  can't wait to hear what it is and to just see them in person and all that.  Next week I say the closing prayer at the devotional sunday and I'm pretty nervous! Never prayed in front of thousands of people before, but theres a first for everything I guess.  Pray that I won't mess up haha!  There is an Elder overload in our zone haha for some reason I thought there would be almost the same amount of Elders as sisters here, but guess not because if no sisters come in two weeks there will be only 4 of us out of like 40 people.  Interesting.  On sunday I played a total of 4 piano songs during sacrament meeting. 2 were just hymns and 2 were accompanying people singing for musical numbers! So I'm happy I get to play the piano and stuff. Relief Society yesterday was sooo cool!  For the opening hymn we all (all sisters in the MTC) stood and sang "The sisters of Zion"- which is the same tune as "As sisters in Zion", but new words! I was basically crying it was so powerful, and the spirit was very very strong.  6 weeks can seem like a long time to be here, but really I need to take in every moment and learn everything I can because I will be going into the field a lot sooner than I think, and I will REALLY need to be knowing as much spanish as possible.  So..... the whole not eating meat thing is getting harder and harder here- the first week I was like ok I'll be totally fine! Now i'm like okkk eat the same thing every other day.  But its fine its not a huge problem!  My comp hma Jones and I are great too I love her so much and we get hyper a lot which is fun! But also we can be serious of course.  We stopped eating the cafeteria desserts but we still eat candy.  Which is better than eating both ehh?  ok I think thats all I have to say now.....

I think about you guys all the time and I really hope your doing well and praying together and stuff like that ;)

 

Love you! MISSSS YOU!

 

First Letter From MTC to MOM

HEY MOM!

 

Wow where do I begin!  Ok so I got here, got my tags, and got my companera! She is the BEST her name is Madison Jones and she went to Skyline, then Utah State.  She is Megan Mansell's good friend so- that's awesome! She is so funny and easy to get along/live with and spiritual and we both like candy but don't worry haha.  I love classes! Learning is great- the first day we didn't learn much spanish at all besides how to pray.  The second day we learned how to do future tense? Mostly we talked about how to teach, our purpose as missionaries, and the importance of obedience. Only a tiny bit of spanish.  And then they were like Ok people tomorrow you teach your first investigator! He only speaks spanish! So good luck! I was like uhhhhhhhh ok.  So basically we brought in a lot of notes and it was frustrating but when I told myself that I could relax because I was learning, have never really studied the language, and all that stuff.  We did our best.  We taught that next morning too- which was also kind of a fail.  We weren't trying enough to bring the spirit into the lesson I think- which was good for me to see that without the spirit you don't get anywhere.  So I'm praying that tomorrow will go better... I still hardly know any spanish though.  Haha they basically throw you in there like 'ok go struggle for a half hour! its good for you!" and I'm like whaaaa but its how we're gonna learn and have a real desire to work hard. Its good for us.  A lot of times I'm like "Just let me say everything in English!!" but I truly am SO thankful that I get to learn spanish.  It's such a great language and one of my favorite parts of the MTC is learning new things in spanish.  Because I don't know anything about verbs or anything.  It's great and I think I'm already improving.  Hermana Jones and I share a room with four other girls.  It sounds like a TON of people in 1 room but its fine really.  There is hardly ANY time to shower/ get ready though.  Even for me and I get ready pretty fast.  The food is good here! Pescetarian options are very very limited... but I always manage to find something good. And they have cholula so I'm great! So I guess before I got here my branch was really really praying for a piano player to get here when I did.  So here I am! Those hymns made easy are saving me for sure!  I played all 3 hymns on sunday and they were pretty appreciative of that- I didn't mess up too bad either.  My district is great- 4 Elders who graduated highschool a few days before they came (going to Mexico) 2 hermanas going to Houston Texas, and Hma Jones and I going to Chicago.  Some people don't know where Chicago is and its way funny.  Our zone is SO great too! I love everyone!  One of our zone leaders is Tucker Buehner from high school- small world! It's fun to see him and other familiar faces too- I see Darell Day like err Day which is fun.  I love seeing people I know- there are a lot more here than I thought! Oh I forgot to email Dad this but Braden Orgill says Hi to Dad and that he is his hero. Good times.  We went to the Temple this morning! I like the Provo temple more in person than in pictures.  It is in SUCH  a great location- the mountains behind and the valley and lake on the other side. So gorgeous.  The first few days were sooo longgg haha I'm just so not used to having every second of my life scheduled! But I'm getting into it.  Everyone kept saying 'Make it to sunday! make it to sunday!" which didnt really apply to me because I'm having no problem staying here! But sunday really was great.  There was an awesome mission conference in the morning- they showed a little video clip of a family getting ready to be sealed in the San Diego temple.  It make me a bit homesick! For you guys, San Diego, and that temple. It was really inspiring I love that temple so much. There was a really great devotional at night- Dad would have loved it- this guy straight up talked for a whole hour telling the life story of (from the point of view of) one of the Apostles under Joseph Smith who was there when he was killed.  It was awesome he had everything memorized without hesitation.  So awesome.  Also Sunday morning I got my first assignment! I am the new Sister Training Leader which means I will work with the zone leaders in helping the new missionaries (mostly sisters for me) as the come in to the MTC. So that'll be tricky because I'M brand new but I'll get it! I have gotten letters everyday from my sweet friends! dearelder.com is a great place to send me letters.  I get them as they come, as well as the packages. Thanks for the package! You're awesome! I love hearing from you, tell Ari to contact me please! I miss all of you but I love the mission already!

 

LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU i'll send the disposable camera soon.

 

love you so much

 

hermana barlow

First Letter From MTC to Dad

DADDDYYY HIII I am so happy to see this email from you! I'm so happy to know Mom is ok I was a tad worried.  ALSO I haven't heard from ARI so WHYYY??!  She and you and the whole fam can go to dearelder.com and type letters, and the website will print it off and give it to me that same day pretty sure! I've gotten dear elders from Uncle Gary and Sarah F and real letters from Rachel, Brooke, Chelsea, Sarah Cameron, and a little one from Mom in the package to me but none from the rest of my fam! Thats ok I love emails too but I can read and send letters throughout the week too so dearelder.com you can send little notes- its a pretty good deal.

 

I'm sleeping great! Earplugs are nice sometimes depending on who is outside talking/ yelling/singing. My comanion is SO AWESOME I love her- her name is Madison Jones and she went to Skyline and is really good friends with Megan Mansell! So, thats cool! We both like candy a lot. But don't worry about that. hehe. The food is good! Vegetarian options are limited but there is Cholula here so I'm good! My district is awesome- there are 4 elders and 4 of us Hermanas, and the 4 Elders are straight out of highschool- like they graduated less than a week before they came.  Which is pretty funny! But everyone is so awesome and nice.  There are so many missionaries here I'm like whoaa. Yesterday (sunday) I got my first leadership assignment! I am the new sister training leader for our zone- so I work with the zone leaders to make new people in our Branch feel welcome.  So wish me good luck because I have to teach them what the MTC is all about and the logistics and stuff and I am still getting used to them HAH but I'll be ok. Ok I'm going to send a bigger email to mom- this computer isn't letting me copy and paste? So read hers for a little more of an account of whats been goin on in the MTC

 

LOVE YOU

 

Hermana CB