Email from 11/10/14

Hey Dad,

So I am getting transferred and I find out my area tomorrow. I have been here for 6 months! I am really going to miss his place it has a special place in my heart there are so many people I am going to miss! I am going to miss the hood. We met with Annie and her sister Tracie who had recently lost her biological dad but we were able to help her out and talk about temples. They both are less active but Annie is improving. They were both heart broken to hear I was leaving and they wanted me to rap haha but I didn't.  

We also met with Mike and Dana again like every week and we played chess on her awesome lord of the rings chess set!! I beat her and am still undefeated in my life. But they said they will miss me and mike painted two really cool shirts and I'll show you them later. Aw man I am going to miss them all so much!! The Wasco family were near tears:( they didn't want me to go at all especially brother wasco. They got me an early Christmas present and they really did accept me like a son out here it's been so much fun here.  

On Saturday we participated in a 5k called the heart walk and I only had like 3 hours of sleep because I had to pack everything the night before after finding out I was leaving at 10 pm. It was a lot of fun though and we had a lot of missionaries out there to just talk to people haha. There's plenty of interesting people here and plenty of laughs as well.  

Tonight we are meeting with the Giordano family who are sad to see me go as well and for my "last supper" as the wife said, they are having us over to help with an FHE. I am looking forward to it and it should be a lot of fun! 

Brandon (got baptized in September) taught gospel principles this week!! He was a boss! His first topic to teach was the law of chastity and he just took it and made an amazing lesson from it. I am excited for him he says he wants to try and go out to Utah next September so elder Cooley and I can go through he temple with him for the first time:) I would love that so much. 

There are a lot of great elders going home tomorrow. Elder Mower who is from Layton, has served around me for about a year! I am pretty sad to see him go but he has been a great missionary and a legend out here. I'm happy for him.  

I am really sad to go I feel like Ive grown so much here and gotten really close to the people I've been working with. A piece of me is definitely going to stay here in the city. 

I will let you know next week where I am at and my new comp! 

I love you Dad

Love,

Elder Barker

Ps for Christmas I just need some extra razor blades for my electric razor and I could use a watch if possible. I don't know how much they are but on the Deseret book I think they have watches with temples on them. And it'd be cool to get the San Diego one or D.C. Temple one. And maybe a silver tie bar as well. And yeah cash in my home account is always the best