No Subject line (How Lame) -- October 20, 2014

Well I'm loosing track of time so no pictures today!  Here's my response to your e-mail

Any pictures of Morgan?  I can't believe she's already baptized! That's the last of my cousins to get baptized which makes me feel ancient.  Also, you said you made Chile Relleno.  That means you made one. Its Chiles Rellenos. Got to know your spanish grammar ;).  Also did you know that really means a refilled chile?  A member showed us their daughter's marching video.  I don't drive a ton yet, because I'm just getting used to the directions in this area, but I'll be driving more.  I'll probably let Elder Mehew drive more.

This week since Wednesday- 

Thursday we went to a baptist church!!!  That was awesome fun!  We have a potential daughter of a family where she's the only one that still has potential so we went.  It was fun.  Very flashy, good service, the discourse was doctrinally correct, but ya know, the spirit just isn't there.  It was just fun.  La Iglesia Emmanuel Bautista.

Friday, oh yeah, Friday we lost our cool investigator.  She said that at church she didn't feel the spirit like she wanted to (she goes to a pentecostal church) and thought her answer was to go back to her old church. Not what we wanted, but she's still golden and now just isn't her time to really go.  But she gave us tamales! Those were delicious.

Saturday was another crazy day.  We were going to pass Jeremy off to the English elders but they couldn't come so we were at his house a bit, he gave us pizza, we prayed with their family (his girlfriend just got home from a crazy surgery)  Sunday we passed him off basically

Sunday was church, and it was a pretty good day.  The high council apparently has something messed up so me, a sister, and presidente Clark spoke.  I was just short, like a testimony short, and same with the hermana Ojeda.  It was good, and I guess I have good enough Spanish.  I've noticed (even just from what people tell me) when I'm in a position of like giving a talk, teaching a class, in a position where I'm not being conversational that my Spanish is much better.  I've always been better at speaking when its not a quick conversation.  I like listening and explaining too much.  But yeah, We get fed a lot, and its weird when the english family feeds us every Sunday.  It is just foreign to me.  Also learn to make horchata!

Well, that's all folks, more next week, its that darn time thing.

Elder David Austin Barlow

Going down the Bayou (or the Brazos river per chance?)‏ -- October 15, 2014

Well, how are y'all doing? I bet you're all wondering where I am.  Maybe I'll just not tell you.  I'll leave it until next Monday.  You'll find out someday.  I'm even further out from Houston now.  At this rate I'll be in the ocean by next May.  Me and my companion are in the Brazoria branch.  Its in Brazoria county.  Its a branch with us and the spanish sisters.  Its a pretty nice area down in cities such as Freeport, Clute, etc.  We work a lot in Freeport which is almost the coast.   As for tourist attractions here, I think the only thing would be the Clute Texas mosquito festival.  There are mosquitos here needless to say.  My address is as follows:

200 Timbercreek Drive Apt #901

Richwood, Texas 77531

My comp is Elder Mehew from Richfield Utah.  I feel like we're going to do some awesome work here.  The branch just barely became mostly independent.  The youth activities are now run by the branch.  Elder Mehew and I are, as it always seems to be, different from me, but I think that is going to be awesome here.  We make up for what the other lacks.  He's the district leader so I don't know what to do in the evenings any more.  I can only write in my journal so much.  But its an awesome area (with investigators!).  We have some cool people.

The people do make this area pretty awesome.  Wednesday when I got here we asked an investigator when he wanted to be baptized and he said, Christmas is a cool time.  How about the day after Christmas?  So we're waiting to fix that.  Saturday he came to the branch activity.  A multicultural activity (Basically a fiestas patrias, I just had one in Brazos).  We have a white president to the branch that spoke Portuguese until he was called as the president here.  We have a cool investigator named Maribel that came to church on Sunday. Just sacrament because of her son, but we're hoping to see her soon since we haven't been able to since Sunday.  It was good.  Church was good.  They feed us a lot here.  Our calendar had something on it for everyday this week.  I love being fed by hispanics.  Mom, when I come home from my mission we're not having any of that tex-mex cafe rio stuff.  I ask that you learn how to cook either mole, pisole, or sopes.  Preferably all three for that day that is never supposed to come called "homecoming." Hopefully it never does.  Google them!

We're in the world of english elders now, our zone only has two pairs of Spanish missionaries, so its kind of strange for me.  My last area was surrounded by just sisters, and no elders nearby.  Now that I'm here, they were all playing basketball, so I just wrote letters after playing scatterball for a little bit.  As y'all know i dislike basketball.  All of the other elders are way different from elders I've been with before. But I love the area, so I really have nothing I need to complain about.  I  do miss Brazos... I don't like leaving places after two transfers.  But its going to be awesome here!

So Andy isn't going to get any riding.  I still really want to go to the city.  Before transfers I was almost convinced I was going to South Houston on a bike, but somehow I ended up here, near Lake Jackson.  My desires to go on a bike will probably catch up to me when they send me to a bike in the worst part of winter.  And this area had a Nissan Frontier just a few weeks ago! But they opened a YSA branch and apparently the truck wasn't used the right way by somebody so we're stuck with a Malibu...

Oh yeah, Sunday we had a guy in his car when we were backing out from an apartment complex break down in front of us and asked us to help him.  So we saw him yesterday and really brought the spirit to him.  Its just an awesome sight to see that spirit help somebody by just our presence.  Our mission tour basically taught us about how we need to be preaching more about Christ!  Not about the church, or all the apendages, everything goes back to Christ.

I love you all, and all you've done for me!  The church is true and the refining power of the atonement is too!!!  Malachi 3:2-3, I just like that scripture cuz it sounds cool.  I'll send pictures as soon as I take some.

Elder David Austin Barlow

Obrigado!‏ -- October 6, 2014

Yes, we taught someone from Brazil yesterday!  I asked her how to say thank you.  It was a good lesson we had a member for, but she says she'll just stay catholic.  So we'll make sure she reads the book of Mormon and there we'll be.

Biggest news this week, I'm leaving Brazos! I feel like I just got here, its only been two transfers, but I've learned a ton here.  So I don't know where I'll be next week, but I'll let you all know of course.  I'll probably be in South Houston, or that is what we've predicted.  There is space there for missionaries right now.  But oh well... I liked Brazos, but it has to happen I guess.  Where ever I go will probably have more investigators than here, since we are now down to like one or two.

Well fun story time.  Remember Cesar Pabon? Well it can now be said he was just looking for a church that went with his beliefs.  He is awesome, but sooo crazy.  I have a picture with him, so you'll get to see who he is.  Tuesday was good.  We taught him and then he came to the bible class.  He wasn't as bad as you'd think.  We (well I was teaching the class) got to teach him more than we ever had been able to at his house.  In my last interview with president he tells me our investigators don't understand what prophets are and why we aren't exactly Prophets.  We're prophets. We're also apostles, but not Apostles.  So yeah.  He'd previously said he believes Joseph Smith was a prophet, but Thursday, he was just saying he was a man led by el espiritu santo.  I then had the weirdest experience I've ever had on my mission.  So we ain't going back there.  Basically he started prophesying what all of us were going to do.  Elder Elggren will have the gift of healing and will raise people from the dead and cure cancer!  I will go out and preach in stadiums.  I will preach my gospel in stadiums to people laughing and being moved by the spirit!  Bruce, will be a good person...

So we go to have a closing prayer, and he asks Elder Elggren, "Can I do something a bit different?"  He proceeds then to have Elder Elggren come up, and basically grabs the sides of his head and pronounces a blessing.  He puts his hands out and puts Elggren's hands on his, then moves, to me, then to Bruce. So we left, laughed it off, and went to eat at Sonic since two hours had passed and we were tired.

And we went to the county fair on Monday!  Hooray!  It wasn't as cool as the Utah state fair, but I still got selfies with cows! And lemonade and fried oreos!  The sisters didn't make it, and they had the idea originally (well we both came up with it, but the sisters wanted to go)

As for conference, I don't remember all the details.  I watched half of it in Spanish, (But none of the native speakers.  I'll go do that in a little bit)  Did you watch the Portuguese one dad?  All the talks blur together, but I took awesome notes.  My favorite talk?  I don't know.  Uchdorf's first talk was pretty cool.

Its funny that Bruce was going to be out on his mission before I finished my first transfer (or so we thought) and he's still here and I'm leaving before he does.  Have I ever told you all who Bruce is?  He's our Blaxican friend in the branch.

But that is all, I must go now. The church is awesome, I love having living prophets.  Fifteen of them actually, and fifteen apostles.  But we only have one president.  I gained that knowledge from La Luz del Mundo.  Obrigado mae e pai!

Elder David Austin Barlow

A bunny at the fair

Baby Chicks

Baby Ducks

David and a Cow

Elder Elggren

Hermano Cesar Pabon and Elder Barlow

The Fair!

The Prize Turkey

Siguiendando el camino por toda su vida, respira.-- September 29, 2014

So this week hasn't been the most exciting week ever, but hey! We have some pretty good potentials we've had cool experiences with, so its really been a good week!

Well lets go through talking about people then.  The white handbook says I can't ask you guys to fast for things here, but I can ask you to pray for people!

Cesar Pabón- From the sisters. I've talked about him, but he hasn't been to church.  He keeps saying he'll come but we haven't seen him yet.  He's so cool! And we're afraid he's looking for a church that fits exactly what he believes.  So we're hoping that we can bring him to church and have him see all of it.

Familia Císneros- So they're not investigators yet, but we've prayed in their house two times.  First we prayed for her brother who is detained in El Paso, then we prayed for her son who had appendicitis.

Familia Bobadilla- Her mom who is a member is coming in November!  Potential is there! We gave her the church address so she could give it to her mom.  

Patricia García- We have an appoinment with her for Wednesday!

Well that's all I want to mention there for now.  We're trying to work in the Northern part of our area, because that is where houses are and people who will progress.  We know it!  That is where those three families are and we are tired of everything being slow in this area, so we're just trying to find those people that are ready.  The problem is finding them.

We're going to the Fort Bend County Fair today, so I'll end soon so we can be off and finish all that we need to.  I love y'all and know this gospel is true.  We just have to have patience here, because we had interviews this week, and as president said, there haven't exactly been the most obedient missionaries in this area before, and well, the branch notices.  It gets annoying when we're trying to gain the trust of the members and branch president's wife just says the missionaries can't speak Spanish.  Nobody has confidence in us, so we're starting a class to study the scriptures and we're going to teach it until we get a teacher from the ward.  That will show them we speak Spanish and know the gospel!  Well being on a mission has to make me pretty assertive sometimes, but hey, sometimes that is what we need.

Prayer is amazing and keeps us going.  And I've been bad at taking pictures, so I'll make sure to take some today! Love y'all!

Elder David Austin Barlow

And I will be like Mother Mary‏ -- September 22, 2014

Okay, lets see how well I can write a letter this week.  Lets go with the form of a five paragraph essay! That sounds good.  And lets write it all in Spanish!

Siepre los milagros estan obrando en este mundo.  La tierra esta preperandose para la segunda venida de Cristo, y por causa de esto, el Señor esta presurando su obra en Su tiempo.  Hoy, por mi reporto, quiero hablar de los milagros.

Primeramente, milagros no siempre estan cosas grandes, y muchas veces son pequeñas.  Esta semana yo he aprendido que algunas veces, si hablamos con solamente una persona y fijamos una cita, esta es una milagro, aunque los hispanos nunca guradan sus citas.  Esta semana hubo algunas días en que hablamos con casí nadie.  Tratamos todo el día pero logramos nada.  Por ejemplo, el sabado, enseñamos a nadie.  Pero para terminar el día, nuestro amigo Bruce nos dio una referencia de alguien que el enseñó durante el día.  Solamente necesitaban ser paciente, y recibimos las bendiciones.

 

a rough translation

(Always miracles are at work in this world. The land is prepared for the second coming of Christ, and because of this, the Lord is moving his work forward in His time. Today, for my report, I want to talk about miracles.

First, miracles are not always big things, and often are small. This week I learned that sometimes, if you speak to only one person and set an appointment, this is a miracle, while Hispanics never keep appointments. This week there were some days when we talked to almost no one. We tried all day but got nowhere. For example, on Saturday, we taught no one. But to end the day, our friend Bruce gave us a referral from someone he taught during the day. Just need to be patient, and receive blessings.)

Okay, that´s enough for yáll. I just really like Spanish because nobody understands me and I can say whatever I want.  But miracles are real!  The work is still slow here, but we´ve had a good week.  We got a new investigator named Alejandra.  We talked to her while she was waiting for kids at a bus stop and we stopped and talked to her and we finally got to talk to her!  We had an awesome first lesson with her and she´s going to read and pray.  We just hope she doesn´t pray to the virgin Mary.  She had a pretty big virgin image in her house. (It was bigger than Christ!) and she talked for a while about her.  We´ll work on that next time about how we can´t do that.

To quote Jason Robert Brown "And I will be like Mother Mary, with a blessing in my soul, to believe in all the things I´ve yet to be, and I will be like mother mary, and I'll suffer any pains, for the future of the world inside of me."  I just had that song stuck in my head and decided to get it out.

But also this week we've been teaching Cesar Pabón and he is crazy awesome.  He is super old, never has looked to any religion, has read the bible a ton and has beliefs pretty similar to ours.  But he talks a lot so we have a hard time teaching.  As I'm typing this, my companion is fixing a virus on the branch computer.  So he was going to come to church, but then we taught him Friday about the word of wisdom.  He said he´d stop smoking and taking coffee.  But then, he talked about stoping morphine for his back pain.  We tried to tell him doctor prescribed stuff is okay, but so it goes.  He has the faith to be healed if need be, but we haven't seen him since then.  We hope all is okay.

But we've been seeing members that haven't been taught since before I came, and months before that, so we want to make this branch a ward!  So we've had miracles this week, even though we're still trying to find people.  I've got like no time, so I'll see y'all next week! Same place and maybe same time! I didn't go to choir today because we're low on miles.

Les quiero!

Elder David Austin Barlow

A Person, can develop a Cold‏

So I think I'm a little bit sick now.  My ears are a little clogged, my throat hurts, and we've got dayquil to help us out.  Elder Elggren I think got it worse though.  He got sick two days ago and I'm just barely feeling anything.  Hope and pray that I'm just getting a little sick and not any worse!  It makes morning exercise pretty hard.  But oh well, things are going pretty great here, you know, the same as always.  I gave my first district meeting, that was fun.  Tuesday after that was pretty boring.

Wednesday was pretty cool, we talked to a bunch of people and we felt accomplished, like we were missionaries!  There is one lady we just really want to see, but two appointments have fallen through and she's felt super bad about both, because she just moved from Chicago and doesn't have a church here.  We tried to see her yesterday, but the kids jumping on the trampoline said "they're not here!" but one little boy said "My mom is here!" and ran to a different trailer and said, "mama, los senores!" There she was, and so we hope and pray she follows through this time! But yeah.

Wednesday we also had a cool lesson with a less active that has been confused.  She mentioned she didn't see how Joseph Smith could have seen God if the bible tells us we can't see God.  So we shared Numbers 12.  In Spanish, its pretty clear and says "Cara a cara, y revalar[e mi imagen" So that was fun.

Oh yeah, and then the sisters had to give us an awesome investigator they have named Cesar Pab[on.  He is awesome and we are teaching him because he was kind of a flirt and his wife didn't like it or the book of mormon.  But he knows a ton! He knows more about doctrine than most Mormons do.  He explained about how the trinity (in Spanish, there is no word for "Godhead" you just say trinidad) are three different beings but one and the same!  He listed all the scriptures about Jesus talking to his father.  He loves the idea of Christ in the Americas and as all the sisters say about all their investigators "he's elect."  More on him next week I bet.

And the sisters had two families at church this week!  Its pretty cool I have to say.  I'm jealous, no not really, I'm extremely happy!  They all had awesome experiences.

But in response to your letter-

We've had some pretty rainy days.  Including days where it looks completely sunny but is pouring.  I don't get it.  I thought Utah was weird.  Oh Scotty.  How did he get up there?  Old man.  I'll miss him.  Awesome for BYU beating Houston, but the Texans won their game, so free slushies at Sonic this Tuesday!

And I'm actually super happy about general authorities talking in their native language.  I've thought about that recently, and there's enough people who speak other languages that we can have stuff in their first language.  Spanish too, pretty soon we'll probably outnumber the English speakers if we don't already.  Just imagine that I'm able to understand what he said, even though y'all probably couldn't.  Could dad understand anything from his Portuguese?

I'm out of things to say, so I've got pictures today!  Love y'all, and keep reading those scriptures and praying!  And go to church! And so forth.

Elder David Austin Barlow

Unfortunately the pictures David sent in this email have not been able to be downloaded and so I decided to just publish this as is.  If I figure out what was wrong I will add them later.

David's Dad

First of all we need some light-‏ September 8, 2014

To whom it may concern

So this has been a fun week y'all!  I really do love Rosenburg, Texas and there ain't nothin like it.  There was a funny moment this week when I was talking to the AP who served here for nine months.  Of course, AP's know everything about transfers and all that and I just say, "yeah, I'm starting to like Brazos."  He responds "Its because you're with Elder Spencer Elggren isn't it?" the clear implication here is that it was because I wasn't with my last companion, Elder Topham.  Its kind of awkwardly silent and I'm kind of saying "not exactly, I was liking it before he left," but who you're with makes a big difference.  I'd never say I don't have charity for him, and I love him lots.  I think he's doing better in his area.  Its somewhere where its hard to break rules and stuff.  He lost his phone privileges.  When a zone leader was here, I just kind of let him look through the phone and waited for him to notice, and it worked.  Thus Elder Topham got transferred.  And that is my story.  I feel bad for the kid and just realized how long I spent talking about this.  It was a fun time for me nonetheless.

So this week, was great, I went to Sugar Land in Elder Tate's new area where he's still the zone leader to be trained on being a district leader!  His companion (that stayed cuz he's in a trio, so I was in a trio for a day) was super hilarious.  He is being trained and is the first missionary to leave his island in the Virgin Islands.  He loves how cheap stuff is here and bought something everytime we stopped at a gas station to go bathroom.

Also, Dizzle Dub is something I made up last week when I signed out.  It doesn't have any meaning or point.  I just wrote dizzle dub when signing off my e-mail.  So yeah. Not that exciting.

Elder Elggren hopefully likes Brazos now, I mean its not the city, maybe someday I'll serve in the city, but its crazy here.  We're searching for people to teach, but we found a new this week named Alma!  She was a former from like 07 and we finally taught her, and it was funny.  We heard voices from inside when we went to our cita (appointment in Spanish for all you taking notes)  but no one answered so I left a note and we started to leave. We got in the car and she chased us down.  It was good, and because the member we wanted to take with us fell through, we had to teach her on her doorstep.  Elder Elggren is super smart and has a lot of random knowledge. We get along then. Its awesome.

Well I need to finish a letter to my recent converts so see y'all! You're in my prayers!

Elder Dizzle Dub?

We are not stopping!‏ September 2, 2014

Firstly, sorry, I forgot my camera again...  I'm pretty bad at that aren't I. I promise next week you'll have pictures of me, Marlen, and my new comp Elder Elggren.  We were at the mission office this morning for choir!  I've decided to go cuz its fairly close, and the english sisters that live in our complex told me to.  It was fun, makes p-day awesome!  Its been a pretty different week I have to say though.

Well to start off I'm district leader here! I have to take care of all four people here in Brazos! That is a lot of people!  Its pretty exciting, and I guess its the right time and stuff.  I kind of half expected it, but what surprised me is that I'm not companions with a zone leader down here like I'd have expected, I'm senior companero but Elggren has more time in the mission, so I guess I'm doing well out here.  Elder Elggren is awesome! He's from Chandler Arizona and kind of reminds me a little bit of Jeremy Whipple, especially in like his taste for books, schooling, and so forth.  We're going to do awesome in Brazos! Elggren has spent his whole mission on a bike in the city, so this is a different experience for him.  He'll learn to love it like I'm really beginning to.  I'm still riding my truck around (Elggren can't drive, so I've just stuck as a designated driver for my whole life here I guess. I'll probably start praying when I know I'm going to leave Brazos for a bike area, and then regret it when God sends me there).

Our first week here though, heh, not much really happened. We had one investigator lesson, so we're trying super hard to go find more people, we kind of have to try to find them.  People are ready though!  We just have to keep working though formers, trying new areas, less actives, members, referrals, etc...   So yeah, hopefully next week there will be someone new I can tell y'all about!

Like yesterday, we tried biking in an area where no spanish missionaries dare to go, and saw some people, but not much.  We keep trying though!  Sometimes it feels as if I'm running on ice, where did my life go wrong? Anyways, that analogy doesn't quite fit, song lyrics, yeah...  Anyways!

We had someone random show up to English class and so we gave her book of Mormon in English and Spanish, hopefully the sisters can teach her as a new because she lives in their area.  I noticed in our area a bunch of the people they'd see a lot have moved away.  Oh well- Dios esta con nosotros y si confiamos en el, y trabajamos con la mira puesta unicamente en la gloria de Dios, va a recibir la galardon.  Paz afuera!

Elder David Austin Barlow, aka Dizzle Dub.

Abundance, Charity, Goodwill Towards Men‏ August 25, 2014

Well hello! We had a baptism this week like we said we would! Marlen Alejandro.  A member has my memory card to photoshop something, so you'll see next week.  It has been an interesting baptism. I'll say more later.

But in other news, Elder Topham is leaving Rosenburg and I'm staying, so I'm taking over this area and our "many" investigators.  To do that, do y'all want to send me a GPS? Brooke had one right? Also a CD case would be wonderful! Aaron said he can finally send me a bunch of CD's, and Brooke has talked about it, and I have too many cd cases.  I'll probably try to send home my medium sized suitcase (the handle is a little bit messed up, but doesn't the warranty cover that?) because technically we should only have two, and I just hate having three suitcases. Last transfer I only put a few things in it.

So Friday, to do the baptismal interview, Elder Tate came down here as a zone leader for an exchange.  That was fun.  Aaron mentioned something about his trainer, and I remember Danny, I mean Elder Dawson, talking about his, and I'm just like, my trainer was awesome! That was fun and we worked hard and schtuff. (I use and stuff a lot when I speak in English.  Quote from a recent lesson "Jesus Christ atoned and suffered for our sins and stuff.")

So the interview went well with Marlen.  She's super happy and was ready to get baptized.  What was funny is we had like two more things to teach her and her boyfriend, a member, misunderstood her.  We said these two things can be taught after the interview, and he thought we meant after baptism.  So we ask if we can teach her and he's just starts getting super worked up and why we're going so fast until Jennifer, the daughter of the Solis family yells "Calmese!!!"  It was funny, because she was ready.  We knew way beforehand that the 24th of August was when she needed baptism, but the biggest obstacle for this pretty easy baptism was the members.  More about working with the members, at the baptism- waiting for the ward mission leader to show up.  He said he'd make the program. We talked to him multiple times about that.  He shows up like twenty minutes after six and we pass the programs out.  The program is full of errors, "Marlene Alejandro" extra e. Espititu Santo, etc.  After the baptism he pulls Elder Topham aside and says "You need to make sure the name is spelt right next time."  Well.... who made this program? We knew how to spell it.  You gave us a hard time the first correlation when we spelt it Marlin. (Also its spelled, not spelt, you learn something new every day.).  But that's life, and we go on.

Yesterday was Branch conference, and guess what? We're getting a new presidency too! Hermano Solis is now presidente Solis.  That's crazy about the new presidency and stuff.    Oh, and enough letter and on to the deeper stuff! Its been a crazy transfer for me, but we learn stuff from everything.  Charity!  For example, my comp now has an interview with prez, and based on president's notes today, (The mission had 42 baptisms this week!) its about improper phone use.  A sister from my MTC district talked about being chastised by her prez for not being  honest enough about her comp who just went home, and I think I've done things right and done things out of love.  Nothings as bad as having to go home, but it hasn't really been the best of things.  Its been fun though! And tiring at times, but oh well. I've learned what charity really means, and I guess that's why I went here.  I'd quote scriptures here, but you don't understand Spanish.

I'm out of time now, but I promise y'all pictures next time.

With love, and from your favorite son.... I mean one of your favorite sons....

Elder David Austin Barlow

Anything can happen if you let it-‏ August 18, 2014

We had a pretty good week. Well we're having a baptism this Saturday so I think it was a good week then.  Wow, I'm already at a loss of words to say today.  I've been super tired this week and just want to sleep, but hey, we go on.

So what have I done this week? hmm...  well lets start with the worst part I guess?  We got yelled at harshly from a member's neighbor.  It was actually kind of humorous.  He's this old white guy and he was in the war and stuff, so we can't really blame him, but he didn't like where we parked our car.  We said we're leaving in five minutes and he freaked out.  We moved the car, while he swore at Elder Topham, even calling him names.  Isn't that the adult way of handling things?  It kind of reminded me of when we say Lincoln in the theatre with Shane and dad and the girl hogging the armrest sat by him.  People explode over trivial things.

Last Monday, man I don't want to type right now, the elders in my last district had a miracle baptism, that was cool to hear about.  An elder was going home that day and had made a goal for three baptisms before he left, and president Monday asked why the third person hadn't been baptized.  So that third person was baptized that night.

Then Wednesday something random happened.  We went to try a random less-active, and her daughter was there.  In the MTC, a girl had given me a note to give to her parents who live in Sealy Texas.  I got to the field and realized Sealy isn't in our mission....  So I tore up the note.  So the daughter of this less active I met happened to be her mom to whom the note was addressed...  Who would have known?

We found news on Thursday, finally! Hopefully they'll be cool.  We also called Marlen and taught her.

Friday I was on exchanges here and we had fun.

Saturday was a ward activity in a park.  There was lots of good food, and lots of games and stuff.  

And Sunday we set stuff up for a baptism on Saturday.  We'll see how that goes.

And I haven't really taken pictures this week.  I'll take some soon.  Next week is transfer calls. Time goes by super fast of course.

And since I don't know what to say I'll end here, I love you all, I love when my family writes me, and the gospel is true!  You guys are all great!

My God is a rock, in a weary land, and he's a shelter from the storm!‏ August 11, 2014

We've had a pretty good week this week! So here I am to tell you all about my life here in Texas. Hopefully this week I won't say the same things I always do, but who knows, I'm a very sporadic writer and never know exactly what my fingers will say.  But father, what did your subject mean?  I'm to the point where it only takes one, maybe two ties for my tie!  And its Travan Lyle Topham para que sepas.

Last Monday, another boring P-day, we're just farther away from other elders, and all the sisters nearby always are super busy doing stuff (like shopping at Ross) to go get papusas with us.  So we hung out with a member who is leaving for his mission soon.  He's cool and always comes out with us.  Maybe I'll be able to get a picture of him here.

But Tuesday was zone conference! Hooray!  Those are always fun!  We learned stuff, our branch fed us (when its zone conference, its basically the Spanish branch that meets on Tuesday).  Then afterwards I went to MoCity for exchanges and schtuff as you probably already know.  The picture I got to attatch is my bike ride Wednesday afternoon in MoCity with some of the Blancos (Pablo and Marleine).  Its funny, because when I first got to the mission, Elder Tate was calling this Pablo guy the ecuadorian devil, but he's changed immensely since then, to the point he will go on a bike ride with his kids and the missionaries to go teach.  Tuesday night we went to mutual in MoCity (because Rosemery was there too)  Pablo and Rosemery are getting married soon I think, and I saw the Flores, but I didn't get to see the Martinez (they work sooooo much!).  The bishop and wife are supporting the Martinez, because they've had stuff happen to them that needs good support, but all is great there!  Its super funny because I was with Elder Hales as you probs already know and all his stuff is where mine used to be, so it felt off.

But then I came back here.  This week we taught a bunch of potentials, but we didn't get any return appointments set.  We'll work on making sure we get good return appointments in the future.  But we taught more lessons to investigators than we taught the first three weeks here, so that was nice.  I'm glad you had a good week doing lots of stuff.  Being busy is fun isn't it?  Lets see what else I did this week...

Oh yeah, yesterday we had a lot of food!  We ate at a members, went to teach Marlen at the other members, at which point they made us eat more.  Potato tamales to be exact.  They were pretty good, but I hate eating a ton of food.  I'll probably gain a bit of weight in this area just because its not conducive to bike riding.

And that is my week, sorry this e-mail is just as airy as all my others, but hey! its not like I have time to write a eulogy or discourse.  I love you all and pray for you.  Also, I'm helping with the branch choir for branch conference coming up by playing piano.  I miss being stressed out by music, so it was fun!  Just need to be a part of a good choir now!

Elder David Austin Barlow

Splits in Mo City

More Splits in Mo City

Elder Topham and Hemmano Matamoros

Elder Topham

Rosenberg Water Tower

The apartment

Nothing Like the City‏ August 4, 2014

Its been a pretty awesome week.  Well every day is awesome as a missionary, but I feel like its been like a month since I've e-mailed you last.  But that is a mission for ya.  Things are going pretty good in Brazos.  We still only taught two investigator lessons, but we worked a lot this week and talked to lots of people!  Its a pretty fun time when you get to talk to people.  I mean, its nothing like the city, and I would never ever live in a place like Rosenburg, but God still watches for us.  We have a baptismal date now!  The girlfriend of a member accepted a date for the 24th of August.  Her name is Marlen.  A couple of weeks ago the sister missionaries were asking who should teach her because some members thought the sisters should teach her.  I knew it really didn't matter which missionaries taught her, so I kind of made sure we got to teach her.  Its cool what happens when we don't let life slide by.

Fasting is also super fun and my favoritest thing to do.  I'd do it every day if I could, but I like food too much.  The 24 hour fast seems so much better than the two meal fast.  Besides, 24 hours can still be two meals.  And it always makes my prayers so much better and God is much more willing to answer us.  As a zone, we set a goal for fifteen baptisms this month, and we just have to have the faith to make that happen.  Having that faith though, is the hard part.  Its sacrifice, endurance, prayer, hope, work, patience, and trusting in God to make up for what we lack, that is if we've put forth all our effort.  Grace doesn't really come if we don't do anything to let God bless us with it.  And when we get that blessing, it wasn't from our works.  I kind of get annoyed when people just start quoting "faith without works is dead" because the bible also clearly teaches that works without faith is dead as we read in Ephesians.  But yeah, most people in the world don't seem to have either. 

We live in an apartment.  Its just the two of us.  There are six missionaries in Rosenburg area, but the other four are all sisters.  So we're around sisters a lot and rarely around elders unless we go to zone meeting or something.  We don't have a face book page.  Just being in this branch makes me feel like I'm in a different decade or something.  I can't explain it, but Missouri City was "hip" and "modern" or something like that. Not that its stagnant or lost in the past here, no, its just different.  And we actually go to branch meetings.  We talked to a lot of people this week.  So we got quite a few potentials, now we just have to convert those potentials into news this week!  Someone is ready to be baptized I'm sure!  I think my goal I've made with God, is that we could baptize three in this area this month, or that what God seems to say, if I can do enough on my part, but we'll see what happens.

We eat more at home yes, we will cook spaghetti, or tacos, or hamburgers, or whatever.  I've got a good variety.  Our truck is a black Nissan.

I do like it here, and it is different, and even when I'm talking all negative, it doesn't really mean I have no faith.  Just honestly know my pessimism is very much "under the sun" as we see in Ecclesiastes.  I completely understand that the way things are is only just how they are now, and things will and can change.  We're doing pretty well down here.  We're working hard, and stuff.  But I'm almost out of time now and I know you want pictures.  Don't worry for me, If I've got a problem, I won't go off and make matters worse on my own.  Things are better than they were before anyways, and I've basically solved my complaints.  One week is only one week.  and that is nothing in God's eyes.

With love

Elder David Austin Barlow

Just Another Day‏ July 28, 2014

Week two in Rosenburg Texas.

​

This was actually taken in Stafford, but it describes the area pretty well.  Its not exactly the cleanest place, or the happiest place.  Its kind of depressing actually.  Downtown Rosenburg is a sight to see.  We have more members that are interesting people.... More members not worthy to take the sacrament, some people that have schizophrenia, and just kind of unexpected stuff.  Yeah, I wouldn't want to live here.

But there is always work to do of course.  Lots of members to see, because the branch could use some strengthening of course.  Finding is hard, because people here kind of just stay here.  They don't work in like awesome places up in Houston, at least not all do, and the place where there are normal people in "Rich"mond are far away and hard to find.  So we go on of course.

This week what happened. I don't really know, its all a blur, but we did teach two investigator lessons again this week!  ....  But the members are cool.  We still get fed here and people are good.  We spent time looking for members to teach.  Friday was exchanges though.  I went up to Houston 4 with Elder Huntsman.  It was nice having lessons to teach for a day. Oh yeah, Thursday we had an atonement training with president.  It was a zone conference a month or two before I came out on my mish, and so all the newbies got to hear it.   

Saturday we had a casa abierta (open house for all you gringoes out there) and it was a good experience.  Mostly because I got to help people in the ward and stuff.  We shared a thing about baptism.  The ward mission leader's mother-in-law was there.  We then taught her on Sunday.  She's heard the lessons a lot in her life, but just isn't baptized.  She is catolica and such, but she is basically ready and has definitely felt a spirit.  If anybody can get baptized like next week in this area, its her.  First I need to find out her name.  The Hernandez family is the family I'm talking about and they made us Chile Rellenos :-).  They were super good, and then hermano and hermana just tried to convince the madre to get baptized, but we know how that works.  Or how it doesn't.

But anyways, I'm low on time today, so I love you all and I pray for you all.  I don't really have much more to say, but try praying for fifteen minutes a day, it works wonders.

Elder David Austin Barlow

When I grow up...‏ July 14, 2014

So this coming week I'm getting transferred!  The assistants call the zone leaders Monday morning to say who in the zone is getting transferred.  On Wednesday we all go to transfer meeting where they announce where these people are going.  So I don't know where I'm going to be in a few days, but I'm packing up pretty nicely.  Yeah, I really like MoCity, and the assistants called a while ago asking if I had a driver's license, so I'm probably going somewhere where I will have to drive. Bleh! I'd rather be on a bike in the middle of the summer.  Well that would probably be good for my health in all honesty.  But I'm hoping this means I'm getting put with a native speaker, the foreigners usually don't have licenses.

But we'll see.

This p-day is being split up, so all of my p-day today is just e-mailing.  The elders in the district are going to the temple with bishop tomorrow, so that is our p-day. Today is really just a normal day.  Tuesday night though, for my last lesson here, we're going to have a throw down lesson with the Martinez family because its been four weeks since they've been to church.  They work super late Saturday nights and Sunday starting at 11, and they've worked up until basically sunrise the last two weeks.  However, they haven't really done anything to get new jobs, so this should be fun.

This last week wasn't super interesting though.  We ate with the Martinez family Monday for my birthday, and Elder Tate's, and Samantha Martinez's.  We had shrimp.  And super large slices of cake that hermana just slabbed onto our plate. At least it tasted super good.  On Friday we celebrated my birthday by eating bluebell ice cream (red, white, and bluebell flavor) and watching the district 2.  But other than that, we didn't really get to see anybody on Friday.  We taught Rosemery Blanco twice, and Elder Tate is going to baptize her before he leaves and I can come back for the baptism! That is what we want at least.

But I'm glad you all had a wonderful time in St. George.  I'd love to just sit and watch a play.  St. George must be super dry.  Its always super humid here.  On the nice days when we're biking, we just imagine what you all would think if you were outside at this moment, and we realize that we have become used to this weather.  I still miss snow though...

But there isn't much to write about.  Saturday we went to a primary activity, and yesterday was an investigator devotional, which I played organ at.  Needless to say, my piano skills haven't been a huge blessing like everyone said they'd be my whole life.  My organ skills come in handy though.

But yeah, I'll have much more next week,

Tengan una buena semana!  Les quiero mucho.

Elder David Austin Barlow

Also, I've been out for four months.  Let that sink in.

Birthday Celebration with the Martinez Family

Blue Bell Ice Cream

Birthday Pie

A tribute to Neil Diamond. His words ring true today.‏ July 7, 2014

Hoy, yo voy a enviar esta mensaje en Español.  Quizás puedes preguntar a mis primos si ellos pueden traducir que ecribiré.  Esta semana, hemos tenido una semana de milagros y fe.  Hemos estuiado mucho sobre la fe y milagros.  Yo voy a decirles que paso esta semana cuando escribo en ingles en algunos momentos, pero, yo quiero que ustedes se preocupen.

Okay, English time.  I wish y'all could understand Spanish so I could just write all in Spanish.  Its quite a fun language and all.  I haven't gotten a letter from you guys yet so I'll just go ahead and talk about my week.  Starting with Monday, we had zero lessons taught.  Continuing to Tuesday, we had one lesson taught.  We also had zone meeting Tuesday, which was pretty good.  We went to Taco Bell after, well the elders in my district.  Next Monday we get transfer calls, so we'll find out if I'm staying in MoCity with the most awesome ward ever.  Until then, our district is doing great.  I've got photos for you guys today, which I have not been able to do for quite a while.  They're going to be good! 

Well as I said earlier when you guys couldn't understand my Spanish, we've been studying a lot about faith this last while and what that really means.  How faith is necessary to work miracles.  So we just have to pray and be diligent and stuff, and other stuff happens!  Like after having taught one lesson for example.  We always teach about fifteen, sixteen, or maybe fourteen lessons a week, but we just said, okay, we're going to teach twenty lessons this week.  And guess what happened despite our horrible start to a week? We taught nineteen!  That is eighteen lessons in like five days.  Even when we teach on Monday and Tuesday we don't do that well.  

By the way, I greatly enjoyed Bethany and Aaron's postcard. I need to brush up on my Beetle's lyrics knowledge, as I only understood about half of the letter.  Elder Tate didn't get any of it and was super confused and it made me laugh.

Wednesday we began by teaching four lessons

Thursday was pretty cool.  We were doing service for the Martin's basically adopted daughter's real mom. (You know, someone who is always at their house) And on the way back to our apartment we had the most random miracle.  There was this guy named Felipe that would always go out with the missionaries, but he kind of disappeared because he moved into his girlfriend's house and didn't pay his phone bill.  So it had been like two months since I had seen him, and he drives by us and we see him and it was super cool!

Friday was the 4th.  It was pretty fun truth be told.  I got fed a lot.  All unexpected of course.  This hermana Viareal, the one with throat cancer has a house full of crazy potential because she's the only member in her house.  So we taught there, then went the the Martinez house.  Later while driving home we saw some fireworks.  I have proof in photos that we saw fireworks.  Oh, we also biked a ton that day in the most random places.

Saturday was normal, taught three lessons, that one guy from Hermana Viareal's house I think I mentioned last week is going to Kansas to work on the railroad, but he came to church Sunday, so that was good. We'll figure out how to stay in contact with him, because he come back for a week every three weeks.

Sunday was church.  Victor, the one going to Kansas came to church with his dad, and the whole Rosemery Blanco family came which is amazing because we haven't gotten to teach them for like forever! In gospel principles we talked about the sabbath day, which is what we've been wanting to teach that family if we could ever get in with them, so it was great!  Then in priesthood, the stake president taught because our elders quorum president didn't assign anyone to teach, but Presidente Portillo is super cool and knows a lot about stuff like the priesthood, which frankly, I don't really know much about.

Now I'll wait for your letter.  Okay, it just came in, perfect timing!

Well, I don't have much to say in response to the letter other than I wish I could've seen Children of Eden.  Glad you got the card dad!  And I have realized with our bishop, what's so great about him is that he literally visits like every family in the ward.  I don't think I've seen a bishop do what bishop Martin does.  That's why we do home teaching.  Brooke told me about how during all of the play she was thinking temple video.  Actually, I get to be with the Martinez family tonight for my birthday.  I wonder if I have anything in the mission office I can open this Friday?  I like being 18 though, I think I'm in denial.

But I love you all, and may the Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you, May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

Elder David Austin Barlow

 Martinez Wedding Pictures

 Martinez Wedding Pictures

 Martinez Wedding Pictures

Elder Barlow, the Martinez couple, Elder Tate

Happy 4th

Happy 4th of July

Stuck in a Rain Storm

Elder Tate Stuck in a rain storm

Elder Barlow stuck in a rain storm

I love a piano...‏ June 23, 2014

Okay, so going from here on out, I haven't a clue of how to start my e-mail.  Yesterday was p-day, but p-day was a month ago.  Time is a human invention.  We'll see what I can do.  Its been a pretty good week all in all.  Nothing crazy, nothing different, all just fine and dandy.  As for our investigators, its spelled Rosemery, not Rosemary.  It took me forever to learn that, but that's a superficial detail.  We haven't gotten to see her this week, but we did stop by and give her brownies.  Brownies are a very effective way at making people like you.  We expect to bake more this week.  Maybe I'll go day by day to see how the week was.

Monday- We taught the husband of the Relief Society President, Hermano Alcaraz.  He just needs to get baptized.  He goes to church every week with his family finally, boosts our investigators at church number, and just needs to decide to get baptized.  He always says "Algun Dia" Which means - "Hoy, no."  But he's been progressing, and we've been helping him by helping his wife read the B of M every day with her husband.  He just needs to recognize he has that answer.  Then that evening we taught an investigator that accepted a baptismal date! Mario, and I don't expect you to remember all these random names I send, they probably don't mean too much to you, but I'll make sure to get pictures today!

Tuesday- I love our district meetings.  We took a hurricane prep quiz!  And mom, no worries, we are pretty far away from the coast.  Most people that live here are advised not to evacuate if we ever get one.  But we could have a hurricane, and that would make for some fun journal entries.  But anyways, that's besides the point.  We had a wonderful day, and even taught a baptist that is willing to read the Book of Mormon.  Isn't that something?

Wednesday- We ate at a Less Active's house.  She fed us mole (Mol-ay).  Maybe I'll have to learn to make it so I can make it for you guys when I get home.  I think I'll start probing for recipies.  But she has been less active and says that she doesn't want to come back to church.  She has nothing against the church she says.  She loves what the church does, but doesn't want to come back for some reason we can't seem to see.  We asked if she's reading the Book of Mormon, and her reply was she's already read it.

Thursday- Weekly planning, our weekly raspa session for comp inventory.  I hade a limon flavored one.  That was good.  Saw Mario again, taught Hermana Alcaraz and committed her to read daily with her husband.

Friday- Have I ever told you about the Guevara family?  They're a less- active family that's coming back to church bit by bit.  They're super cool.  Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I was told that you guys are following the ward facebook page or something.  I didn't even know they had one.  But hermana Guevara is super cool, and super crazy worried about her kids, but lessons with her are always super good.  We then went to the ward Father's Day activity, which started at seven.  That meant that people started arriving at about 7:15, and it started at 7:50 or so.  And you though Mormon Standard time was bad.  So much for the "terminally tardy Barlows" As Chloe used to call us.

Saturday- Hooray for Less Actives!!! and the Martinez family of course.  They just love us to death. It makes it very hard to teach, but what can we do.

Sunday- Church- this is the fun story now!  And the story of why its more important to listen to advice from your stake president instead of try not to offend someone.  Its just funny.  So sometimes I play organ in church right?  Well there's another girl that plays piano before I came, and who is often late, and doesn't play all to well.  Well she was on time today, so she got to play the piano.  (A few weeks ago the stake president told bishop to just let me play the organ).  But still I'm just the if she shows up late man, because we don't want to offend anyone.  (If you want to do that in a Spanish ward, don't even blink, cuz if you do, someone will take offense).  Well she can't play the last sons at all.  It was the "Never leave us, never leave us," which has completely different lyrics in Spanish about the Plan of Salvation.  But she couldn't play it, so half way through the first verse, the stake president taps the microphone and stops the music and says lets try that again, but with fervor.  And we think he told her not to play the piano.  So we just sang a capella.  It was awkward, and I laughed inside.  This is why you let me play the organ ;)  But all was well.

 

 

Your favorite elder,

Elder David Austin Barlow

At Jaime's birthday party.  This is how I celebrated your anniversary.

At Houston Texas Temple with Bishop and others

Downtown Houston- On the way to the temple.

This is our good friend Ted the toad.  He is always in this mold circle when we come home at night.