5/11/15

5/11

Hey Dad,

it was really great to see you all yesterday i was glad to be able to talk to everyone. I can't believe how big the girls are getting!  Utah would be nice and it would be great to have everyone closer. So if you do move up there i am completely behind you. 

This week went a lot better than last week for sure, last week we only got 4 lessons, this week we got 13 and we should continue to get more. On Saturday we just stopped by a whole lot of people we mapped out in the southern part of our area and dedicated the whole day to down there. We stopped by some inactive members that haven't been in contact with the church for years and one of them told us how just 2 weeks ago, his active family members (who he hasn't talked to in 15 years) stopped by and he just felt love and then out of nowhere we stop by and that he didn't want to run from the gospel anymore. Other people we stopped by also were very willing to have us over and they haven't been in contact with the church either in years. Later that night we were walking to another house and we stopped and talked to this guy who was just sitting on a chair on his porch and he told us to take a seat after a few minutes of talking. He was a really cool guy named Kyle and we talked about the Book of Mormon and cleared up some misconceptions he had and gave him a copy. Towards the end he asked us when we were going to be stopping by again, so hopefully we are able to see him again this week and talk more. 

The Santiago family, the man who said hi on skype yesterday. Was talking to me yesterday afterwards and he told me how much his family has grown stronger in the gospel since they started having us over for dinner weekly (Elder Mask and me) and having "Deep Dish" haha. Their oldest son, 15, never was sure about a mission but now he talks about it more and his Brother Santiago believes it is because of the Spirit that has been present when they have had us over and it really meant a lot to me to hear that. I definitely want to visit them again after I am home. They're oldest daughter, Zoila, is leaving for her mission in the Dominican Republic where she was born on the 20. It's weird to think that my mission is almost over, so i just don't think about it haha. I have seen Elders get trunky, and I don't wan that to happen. 

I have loved my mission so much thank you again for helping me decide from an early age to serve!

I love you Dad

Love,

Elder Barker

ps. be sure to have Nate email those videos of the dunk contest he won!!!!