Letter 38: Sushi Snatcher

Hey mom!

Ah thank goodness that the letter got there in time! I was also worried because my receipt said that is was going to go to Germany!  Trevor`s squad is the top squad? No surprise there haha, I feel like he just excels at stuff. You`ll definitely have to fill me in on everything and how his experience was, well i`m sure he will be emailing me too!  He baptized 2 people?? This whole experience has been such a blessing hasn`t it? I feel like things are just looking up and that`s always a good feeling!

I`m hoping that everyone will be there when I call for Christmas but we`ll see what happens. Grandma and Grandpa, I have written him a few times and he seems to be doing well. I bet he loves the visits too! I have so many good memories with them, I remember that is was Grandma that really taught me how to read a lot better and would always take us out to get breakfast on Saturdays. Hey I actually had a question about your dad, he was a convert right? And if so, do you know the story??

Things are going pretty well here! I like my area and my companion and I get along really well! Hahah man, I haven`t laughed so hard in all of my mission. It`s great because we both are learning more and getting better but we can still have fun. Darko is coming right along with the baptism. He is so smart! It was funny because almost every lesson we have taught him he knows so much already! The other day we taught him about tithing and I asked him what he knew about it, he basically explained everything that we were going to teach him. He is one that has been prepared! It`s all thanks to his friend too, she invited him to church about 2 months ago and now he has progressed so much. Small acts really do make the difference! We have zone conference coming up this Wednesday. This one the president won`t be there but our zone leaders will be directing it. Here`s to hoping the package arrived by some miracle! Well other than that we haven`t really found any new investigators, that`s our challenge here! Blah, but it`s all good, we`ll keep working.  This past week we did a kiosk thing. It`s a stand with a question like ¨will I be with my family after this life?¨, stuff like that, and we stand by it for 4 hours everyday and basically wait for people to ¨look interested¨ and then we contact them. It`s probably been one of the most interesting experiences on my mission hahah, or in other words, funniest experiences. People say the weirdest things mom, seriously. Some guy came up and tried to force me to buy a necklace, then some guy came up and started to recite poems that he wrote about the fall of the united states. Hmmm, a lot of other things, but you get the idea! We have had a bit of success though. I think what the stand lacks is stuff to give out, to interest the people.

Sounds like things are moving right along at home! That picture of Bridger is awesome haha. Seriously I`m going to arrive home to a completely new home!   OH hey! I remembered a funny story, so last Monday we went to get sushi and we sat outside to eat it right? Well this lady comes along and asks for money, my companion gives her some and then she looks at my sushi and snatches one right off my plate and then just walks away! Hahah oh my gosh, I couldn`t believe it. Anyway, the sushi was great, thank you!  Love you so much mom! Have a great week okay?

Love your favorite child!

Letter 37: UFO's

Hey Mom!

Well my new companion and I are getting all ¨used to each other¨ Haha. He is an awesome guy and we actually get along really well! We found 3 new people to teach this past week which is great! One of them is named Darko and he is so interested in the gospel! He told us that he already knows baptism is something essential and that he really just wants that conviction that this church is true, so in other words, he will most likely be baptized soon. The good thing too is that we have young men in this ward who help and are active in inviting him to come.

Kevin is gone! Man I bet he is going to enjoy it. The begining is always the most interesting. I was telling my companion the other day that now its a little more boring because I know the language haha, like this thing I was struggling with for MONTHS now isn`t an issue. Then again, it`s a relief as well.

I feel like that whole thing with fireworks in the mountains happens all to often. You would think that people would learn by now. Sounds scary! I remember that fire in our old house that was on the mountain and watching it during the night. Crazy stuff! Hopefully they are able to put everything out. It`s weird to think that it is summer there!

Hey I sent a letter to Trevor today and I paid more so that it will get there faster! I was thinking that if it gets there in time you can take it with you to Trevor`s graduation and give it to him there. I will also write you a response to his scanned letter so you can send it as well! Man he is doing so well in his training. I seriously am so proud of him.

You`re so lucky! I bet it`s going to be beautiful there! And obviously you will have to take some pictures and send them along. We really have been blessed with a beautiful and loving family haven`t we? I truly am grateful for that. You already know, but being out here has helped me to appreciate that even more in my life. I miss you guys a ton!

We are working hard mom, no worries haha. Actually I feel like I've arrived in crazy land. Why you may ask? Because I have heard like 4 different people tell stories of the UFO`s here! Haha some guy told us how a red light came down and scanned him. What`s worse is that there is a member family who talks about it too! Oh my gosh...I`m just hoping that no one else talks about it. Other than that though, I love the ward. There is a canadian family who lives here who talks to me in English which is pretty awesome. The daughter is putting in her papers to go on the mission! It`s true that it was hard to leave Los Vilos and all but I haven`t felt as sad as I thought I would. I`m pretty sure it`s because of the work, we just keep at it and it`s also the fact that God calls me where he needs me so this is where I need to be. My companion and I were talking this morning about how we have felt about all of the rejections we have gotten in the mission in comparison with those who have accepted. In the end we came to the conclusion that it doesn`t matter how many reject our message, our purpose as missionaries it to give people the chance and to deliver the message, we are doing what we have been called to do.

Well other than that there isn`t a whole lot to report! I love you and I hope you all have a great week!" I`m sure the boys  are just all to excited for school to start soon haha. Be safe with those fires!

Elder Barton