Transfers

This week was pretty sweet, the weather has been cooling down it went from 107 to 89 pretty quick so it’s felt really good outside. I will be staying here in okc for another transfer and will be getting a new comp. Elder quinones, he is an English elder but knows Spanish so I’m excited.

Monday p-day was fun, after p-day we got to visit with Maria who is progressing tons the lesson was soo peaceful and the spirit was so strong. Not much else happened. 

Tuesday the hermanas went to the doctor because one of them has been really sick, they came back and she has mono really bad. They said she will have to stay inside for a month, or might have to go home. We got to give her a priesthood blessing, they are always soo powerful. We then got to visit the Perez family who has an 8 year old son who we were teaching so he can get baptized. The lesson was so hard, I struggled so hard to teach simple principals to this kid and my comp didn’t help me at all. I felt so bad I felt like I had failed the little kid and I felt like the parents didn’t want me to teach him again. It was really hard for me but, the lord was there to comfort me.

Wednesday- I felt my first earthquake during studies on Wednesday. My whole desk shook really hard it was weird, at first I wasn’t sure if I was crazy or if I had just felt an earthquake. All the other missionaries felt it too. We got to visit with a couple people, and then we went on exchanges with the AP's which was soo fun. I got to be with elder maughan from Cali. He played basketball for byui before the mission way cool kid. We taught a couple lesson which was awesome.

Thursday- we had a really good day so today we had a couple of good lessons which was fun and got to see our investigators who we didn’t see last week. so after dinner we decided we would go to bladdimirs and talk to his mom and see if he could be baptized, we got there and it was like oh man here it come so we started and talking and asked if he could be baptized and she goes "yeah" we were like well wow ok, bladdimir had been telling us she had said no to him. Bladdimir is getting baptized on Saturday sooo stoked for him.

Friday- not much happened today sadly we tried seeing lots of people but no one was home, we got to visit Kevin again and I was able to teach a little better, he will be getting baptized on Tuesday.

Saturday- We were on exchanges all day, I got a new elder and we went out and talked to people, it was hard I was struggling to talk to the people and it wasn’t normal for me. I usually can talk and know what to say, but I just couldn’t talk it was soo hard.

Sunday- I love Sundays sooo much, they are so peaceful and I love being able to go to church.

Sorry not much to write about this week. Next week we will have more.

Love,

Elder Barrett

cool beans

This week went sooo fast I really don’t remember too much.

Monday for pday activity we went and had a water fight and played football which was pretty fun, we then got to visit this family who just had two kids baptized and we are working on the parents, it was our first lesson with them and I love them soo much, we were able to connect and have a great lesson. 

Tuesday we had a great language study then got to eat at golden corral with a member, after we went to visit one of our investigators and every time we go we get attack by their little rat dogs, we spend a good 10 minutes trying to get to the door I finally just walked up and had to just scare them off it was kinda fun. We were walking back to the car and they were attacking us again, I’m almost to the car and see two huge pit bulls running at me so I jump on the car ahahah but they were super nice and scared the little dogs off so my comp could get to the car.  We went to cheesecake factory for one of the Hermana’s last days, it was really fun. It was cool to see white people again. We were able to see cecilio which was awesome, he has finished the book of Mormon which is sooo cool. He knows so much, he is still waiting for papers so he can get baptized.

Wednesday we dropped one of the hermanas off at the mission home, it was weird seeing people going home. We got to go to the food bank and do service which is always my favorite, I love doing service. It makes me so happy to serve others! We got to have a lesson with bladdimir, his mom won’t let him get baptized which is really sad. We will try and talk to her and see why she won’t let him.

Thursday we had a normal day just tried lots of people and a couple lesson with less actives.

Friday we had a really good district meeting on using the book of Mormon more and how important it is. We then had the chance to talk to Omar again who we hadn’t been able to see, he is doing good said he would come to church but didn’t. Saturday we had a day full of talking to people and visiting which was awesome we had lesson with a guy and it was sooo peaceful and I could feel the spirit the man was sooo kind and willing to listen I loved it. 

Sunday was great, so half the attendance at church was English people from the stake ahahha. Me and elder Barry got to teach primary again, I loved it but elder Barry didn’t ahahah. The kids were really smart and awesome. We had a great dinner with a member, and she told me to put lime in my eyes because it helps them so I did and it was a terrible idea my eyes hurt so bad but then felt better after ahah. We were visiting with one of our less actives, and she has this chubby little son who is my favorite kid. So we are talking and he walks up to his mom and goes mom “feel my panza I’ve been riding my bike, does it feel smaller" aahhaha PANZA is belly in Spanish. I’ve never laughed soo hard, the kid is soo funny.

love,

Elder Barrett

Changes

This week was really a different week for me, I had lots of struggles, new experiences and changes. this week my comp was sick so we had to stay in for three days and if you know me I can’t sit still for longer than an hour so being inside with not much to do, was sooo hard. I started to get really sad and started to get scared it was so strange. Before the mission that was the one thing that I had worried so much about and it was here and it was happening and it was sooo hard. After three days I couldn’t do it anymore and broke down and just had to plead with the lord to help me, I couldn’t do it anymore. The lord came in and helped me so much, he comforted me and blessed my comp with strength so that we could go out. The lord was there for me and he showed me his love and comfort. 

The next day I was still kinda struggling and I decided to study a little different and it was amazing I was able to feel the spirit and learn and understand more in the scriptures, it was such a blessing. This week we were able to visit with a couple of our investigators, we finally got to see bladdimir after he didn’t come to church last week, he still wants to get baptized so we are working hard on getting him there. He didn’t come to church this week again so have to keep changing his dates. 

We have been visiting Benjamin who is one of our investigators who says he wants to be baptized but won’t read. He says he wants to learn more before he gets baptized and we tell him the way he will learn more is by reading then he keeps telling us he doesn’t need to know the whole book. It’s this cycle of excuses its makes me laugh. 

We got to visit cecilio and hermana salgado last night and hermana just broke down and started crying. She is so sad because we teach about how families are so important and make us so happy but her kids don’t treat her very well. I almost started cry, I took me so long to realize how much my parents did for me and I feel so bad about it. Family is the greatest thing in the world and I’m so grateful for my family. I’m so thankful for a father in heaven that loves me so much that he gave his only son who was perfect to atone for our sins. We need to appreciate our families more, I wish I had before the mission. Thank you for all the love and support.

And yes I’m gaining some weight but I lost some the other day from riding bikes all day in the 105 degree weather.

Noice

Well it’s been a week out here. We have a pet cat his name is Reggie after my fish that died before I left. He chills way hard on our deck, I haven’t petted him yet but he’s my pal. I also had a roach chillin way hard on my desk which wasn’t cool, one because he’s a roach and second he isn’t paying rent so. 

Tuesday- we emailed for a little then went to read with a member and she was being so rough on my Spanish it was good but hard at the same time. We then had to go bless a house because there were ghosts or something in the house, it was kinda weird but she fed us tacos so that was dope. We got to visit with some of our investigators and read with them, they all struggle to read so we read with them a lot. 

Wednesday- there was a storm during the night that was really cool, but when we wake up it is super humid. I caught a toad today which made me really happy. We got in with one of our investigators finally and it was awesome, but then during the lesson the sisters called and some crazy person was saying stuff to them so we had to end the lesson and go talk to the sisters.

Thursday- we planned like all day which isn’t very fun, we got out of the house at 4. We went out trying potentials and met some really great people, we were talking to a guy and some crazy white guy drove by and started swearing at us and stuff it was funny. We had a really good dinner at Rosas. We visited with cecilio and hrma selgado and it was a really good lesson. She started crying and telling us how much she loves and appreciates us. She says we are here angels and her kids. They are my favorite people and make me feel at home when I’m in their home. They are soo strong.

Friday- we had zone training meeting. It was really good we got lots of great inspiration and guidance on how we can be better at talking to everyone and how to talk to people. We have some amazing missionaries out here. We got to go to taste of china which is my favorite ahhah.  We went and rode bikes to and investigators who said he was going to be there but wasn’t so that was salty but then we got to meet this other lady who was really cool and said we could come back. We tried to have an English class and had people who said they would come but like most people here they didn’t show up ahaha. 

Saturday- we went to pick up elder butterfield in the north. He is leaving in a couple weeks so he is a traveling missionary, and just goes around to all the areas. We got to go to a baptism and it was soo cool. I was able to teach the lady once and she is soo cool she had to wait a couple months to get baptized so it was cool to see it actually happen. We then went and talked to tons of people and met tons of people unfortunately most of them were drunk. We got to meet with the Vargas’s and talked with them. They are trying to go to the temple so we have been trying to prep them for that.

Sunday- the sisters took the car today because one of the sisters was sick and had to go to the ER. She has pneumonia which is too bad. Church was good bladdimir said he was going to come but never showed up so we have to change his date again. After church we were talking to this lady and she goes "I thought you were jehovas witness and I was about to be really mean to you" ahahhah I started laughing but she said we could come back.

  

not much time to write but love you all. 

Good Times

Well I will be staying in okc south for another 6 weeks and I’m super excited I love the south. I love the people and the members. President changed the p-day schedule so now we get an extra hour of p-day ahah so stoked. This was a very strange week, with all the exchanges and stuff I kinda got homesick again and was kinda down the first couple of days but it’s gotten much better. 

On Monday we had a fun p-day, we got to eat dinner with one of my favorite families and she makes homemade tortillas that are sooo good. we then went to an appointment but he wasn’t home so we knocked doors and met some really cool people, we met a guy name garanamo and he has 13 kids ahahah. 

Oh Tuesday what a wild day ahhah so Tuesday we were knocking doors around on of our investigators and we knocked this one and this guy came out covered in tats and we start talking to him nice guy, kinda scary, tells us he 21 has 3 kids and has been in jail since he was 11. He then starts telling us we need to be really careful because we are white, and with all the stuff going on in the world and in our neighborhood we need to be really careful. We then asked him his name and he goes "Houston" I can’t give you my real name because of what’s going on around here. He is a blood and then he goes just be glad yall didn’t meet me yesterday and we were like well looks like its time to go but pretty wild. We watched the testaments with cecilio and it was soo powerful to me id never seen it and I felt the spirit so strong, it is so cool and excited that he will come again. 

On Wednesday we went and picked up the hermanas new comp, they are in a trio now and it is soo fun having them around the new sister is way cool. We got to have a lesson with bladdimir who is progressing so much he is on track to be baptized on the 30 of this month. We can now play basketball during dinner at the church so we got to play basketball with all the youth and it was I elder Barry and the three sisters vs. the youth and we destroyed them ahahh it was soo fun. 

Thursday we were inside planning legit all day, we got to have a lesson with Sergio, he thought the sisters were our girlfriends ahahhahah. We then got to have dinner and on the way to dinner I had to sit in the trunk because there are so many of us and the member didn’t have enough seats ahahha. We got to visit the Vargas family and the dad wasn’t there but we talked to the mom and she doesn’t work or have money but wants to pay tithing so cool to see that she is changing and wants to pay tithing. 

On Friday I woke up at 1:30 in the morning to the coolest storm the thunder was so loud and legit never stopped making noise same with the lightning it was soo cool our room was constantly bright because of the lightning it legit never stopped. I was sick all Friday but pushed through, we got to meet the new zone leaders at district meeting, we had a great district meeting, we had a good day, and we saw Benjamin who is progressing which is awesome. 

Saturday we didn’t does service sad face, we did family history at the library and I traced our family line back to Adam and ever, which was way cool. We had a good day. 

Sunday was awesome church was great we had bladdimir come to church he loved it, we then got in with the Vargas family again and had a great lesson. another great week out here in okc, I love the lord and the gospel so much anything is possible through the lord. 

much love elder barrett

Transfers

This week was really strange and all messed up because we had tons of meeting and stuff but very well. We got to meet President and his wife finally, the dude is soooo coool. He has such a big vision for us and is going to put us to work and make this place the bomb. I am sooo stoked to be working with him. So when we went to meet him, he has us come into the gym one by one and talk to him and his wife. I walk up to him shake his and his wife’s hands and tell them my name and his wife goes "oh I have a picture of you with long hair on my phone" ahhahahah I started dying hahahha. We then got to meet with cecilio who was about to get baptized but we started talking to him and he said he is going to be postponing his baptism. Super hard but the lord blessed and comforted me, things happen on the lords time not mine. 

Wednesday we tried to visit amber who was doing sooo good but she wasn’t home so we called her and she said she won’t be around for a while and is living in the north because of some problems so that was kinda hard and teressa who was doing soo good and came to church has just stopped talking to us and doesn’t answer our calls or texts. We knocked her door the other day and I saw here in the window and she didn’t answer haha. We then got to meet with bladdimir, he is sooo strong and is sooo sick. We had an awesome lesson and the spirit was sooo strong. We then had a going away party for one of our youth he is going into the marines. The food was amazing as usual. 

Thursday we got to meet with Sergio who is way cool and is super strong but can’t make it to church on Sundays and believes in these crazy prophets on YouTube which is too bad. Ahhaha we then went to visit our new investigator named Benjamin the dude just talks for ages and talks about the strangest things. Hahahaha we asked him to give the closing prayer and the guy said in the name of god in the name of Christ and in the name of the missionaries ahahhah I was soo confused. I’ve never heard that before. 

Well on Friday our A/C stopped working so our apartment is super-hot and smells like cigs soo gross. We had a great district meeting, I love district meeting I always learn tons. It rained soooo hard today I loved it, it also hailed and the hail was the size of really large jelly beans. 

Saturday we got to do service again at the old burnt down house. I love doing service it makes me sooo happy. We had this member who is 19 that always come out with us and the dude is soooo cool, he wants to go on a mission but doesn’t want to leave his mom here alone. He is soo strong, he came back from a trip and brought us back the little bag polished rocks ahhha.  We got to visits cecilio with him which was good, cecilio said he is going to be attending the north now ahahah. 

Sunday was awesome bladdimir came to church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He loved it tooo. We then went to give this lady a blessing which was a media referral and we went to the address and there was no lady hahah. We then had a priesthood meeting which was soooo good. Well it was a great week not much time to write this but thanks for the love and support. 

Cucumber Water

These weeks are starting go a little faster.

Monday- we went to the zoo for p-day, it was way fun. We had a pretty fun group of elders and sisters who came. People were kinda looking at us like we were part of the zoo. I saw someone take a picture of us so that’s cool too ahhaha. After the zoo we had a way good lesson with one of the less-active families, they are super funny. Their son always gets mad at me cause I don’t play toys with him and then he starts calling me names, but it’s cool I can take it. We had dinner with the branch presidents family and we were sitting there and she starts cutting up cucumber and I was like ok its for a salad she then puts it in the blender and I’m like alright cool its salsa she then had salt and some lime and then starts pouring it in the cups on the table and I’m like wait a second that’s my cup where is my water. It was really strange and I thought I was going to pass out I was so thirsty but couldn’t get myself to drink it.

TUESDAY- today we had some sweet meeting in a different area so me and some elder from that area chilled and took naps on the stage while everyone had their special meeting. We then went to some Mexican restaurant and I tried to use my Spanish and just sounded really white and one of the workers was behind us cleaning a table and heard me say something and just turns around and laughs ahhahahaha I felt really white. We then went home and had an amazing lesson with Carlos, he is soo cool and interested but religion is new to him so he kinda struggles. We then got to meet this kid name fransico who is a karate champ and is going to the olympics for it. We then had a lesson with Hermana zemora she is a really nice lady but she had 50 dogs and cats and her house has tons of flies and smells really bad. We had a great lesson with her and she offered us expired cake which was really kind of her. 

WEDNESDAY- I love Wednesday because its service day and I love doing service. We also got to meet with amber who is just awesome and wants to change sooo bad it’s awesome to see her changing. We also got to meet with bladdimir, he accepted the baptismal invitation. He is a way cool kid and really wants the gospel. We then talked to our mission president about one of our investigators cecilio who was supposed to get baptized on the 2nd of July but we had to keep moving the date. He said we have to move the date again because of some other stuff, it’s been hard but a good lesson that things happen on the lord’s time not mine.

THURSDAY- Thursday are not my favorite day. Thursday it’s weekly planning which means we are in the apartment till 3 and I hate that. We got to teach Sergio who is our neighbor, he is way cool and knows tons. During the lesson I have to distract his nephew the whole time. The little dude started coughing and sneezing all over my arm hahah soo gross. We then got meet with Maria who is progressing tons. 

FRIDAY- today it rained super hard but was sunny, the weather her is really confusing. We had a super good district meeting today and learned CPR which stand for Church Pray Read. By doing these things everyday and every week we will never become inactive or leave the church. We then had comp exchanges, I was with elder butterfield I love this guy he is my fav. We had a sweet day planned but tons of people canceled. But we found tons of people to talk to and found new investigators and got to visit with people I’ve never met with so everything all worked out which was nice. One thing that is weird about eating with members here is that they never eat with us. So at dinner we were in the kitchen eating and the family was in the other room watching TV kinda weird ahahhal.

SATURDAY- today we woke up and went straight to service, service was helping this family who had bought this house that had started on fire, start to redo the house. It was super fun we got to into this house and just start tearing stuff down and got to take out a wall. It was super fun and they got us burritos which were really good. 

SUNDAY- we had a couple investigators at church today which was awesome and some less actives. No one came to church though there was like 40 people ahhaha. We had a great lesson with cecilio after church and got to eat with them.

MONDAY- This 4th of July was very different, we couldn’t email because everything was closed. So we went shopping and that was fun ahahh. We then went and played sports with all the other missionaries and the new presidents kids came so that was cool to meet them. We then had a lesson but the guy we were supposed to teach wasn’t there so we just went to our dinner appointment at cecilios. He has some crazy neighbors that are always fighting and when we got there they were fighting, the dude walks over to a window and breaks it with his head. Dude had a hard melon for sure, it made me laugh but also kinda sad because there are people like that all over the place here and they just don’t know how much the gospel and do for them. Dinner was great and we chilled with them for a while. President said he had to be in my 9:30 so we couldn’t go to fireworks with them so we rode home. We got home at 8:30 ahhahah kinda lame but that’s ok. I sat on the deck and listened to the fireworks ahahha.