Elder David Austin Barlow serving in Texas Houston South: August 2014

Monday, August 18, 2014

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