Week 89

Week 88

Week 87

ummm i dont have too much time today. this week was good! we had a baptism. my companion elder Bradler is going home tomorrow...hahaha so everyone was giving him advise on what he needs to do. so that sucked! haha it made me think a lot about how things will be when i go home... HAHAHAHA

my new comp is....ELDER LOPES!! this guy is crazy!

anyways, gotta go already!!!

love you guys!

Week 79

well, this week was hard. i forgot my addaptor to send pictures to you guys. so sorry. haha

my comp and i are having a hard time finding good poeple to teach. we only had 4 people at church on sunday but the good news is that at least one of them will be batpised on saturday! LUCAS. the ward where im serving had 2 companionships but on monday nightthe other missionaries got transfered and the whole area is now ours! hahaha we looked in their area book to find that they were teaching a few people but not people interested to change their lives through christ. then out of nowhere the sisters called us and reminded us of a young man that they had been teaching but never had gotten baptised! idk what was going on in their area and i dont know why this kid hasnt been baptised yet but after teaching him on sunday after church and after the sisters also talked to him (because he went to our wared and then to the other ward after) we were able to close his baptism for this week! now we'll be preparing him along with a few others to enter into the waters of baptism this week!!

milagres!!!

-Élder Barnard

Livre de vírus. www.avast.com.

Week 74

this week went well. 

we had a baptism!!!! wooo woooo!!! 

President cordner got here on friday and tomorrow at the mission council meeting ill be able to finally meet him! 

so i dont have very much time today but basically to make a long story short....my companion and i are trying to be the best missionaries we could be.  or in other words because we are here in brasil we are trying to baptize weekly!!! so far so good! there is only one other missionary here on the mission in front of me for the most amount of weeks in a row as of right now!!!!!

things are getting so crazy around here that even when we know that we are going to bapize we sleep in he baptismal cloths for good luck!!!!!( or at least i do..) my area is straight up the ghetto of São Paulo! i love it!!!!

but little time to spare i wanna wish everybody a good, full of missionary work kindof week!

love,

Élder Barnard

Week 73

well this month has come to an end and its getting harder and harder for me to say that i have to come home in december. i remember when i was a new missionary and i thought that 2 years would never pass by. now with less than 6 months left if i could gain another year and a half back i would!!! time is eating me up!!! the past few weeks have been kindof hard because so many of my life long friends have been going home completing their missions.  my companion got transfered last week to the other side of the mission!!! it was kinda hard to say goodbye because he is by far one of my best friends! i never thought id have a friend from texas! haha 

its a sad thing to see people that you love so much leave... and speaking in leaving, PRESIDENT DALTON is leaving saturday morning.

but lets stop talking about sad goodbyes and let say happy hellos! MY NEW COMPANION IS ELDER L. SOUZA! he is from BAHIA! bahia is a state in the middlish section on brasil. he has a year and 1 month here on his mission. hes really cool! last week he had to get stiches in his head because someone kicked the glasses literally into his head with a soccer ball! but who said that mission scares were a bad thing?

the mission is going good! i´m livin´ my dream as being a zone leader and am trying my very best every day to help my zone in whatever way possible. this month ended and we were super super super close of meeting our goal. one more baptism  and we would have beaten it!!! ahhhhhhh

as far as investigators and baptisms...things are going really good! Not the best out of everyone in my mission, but i couldnt ask for anymore haha! things are going great. my companions and and i baptized 6 people in these last 6 weeks!! im excited to help even more people this week!! the feild here in brasil is white as snow and has been ready to harvest ever since the gosple got here!!! my mission president when he was here in 1981 was baptizing anywhere from 5 to 11 people a week. weekly!!! the work has slowed down a little but i know for a fact that before my mission is over i will have accomplised the same!!!! the only thing that has changed is the faith of the members and of the missionarys!! with GOD ALL IS POSSIBLE!!!

i wanted to send everybody pictures from the baptisms yestersay but i forgot my camera at home.....im really bad when it comes to pictures. hopefully next week ill remember to bring my camera so i can send you guys the pictures!!

Week 72

Well.....another transfer happened.. Elder Bowcutt leaves for his new area. President Dalton is going home on Saturday and things are gunna be different around here! I got called as Zone Leader 1 which means that I'm the big boss here in my zone....it's kinda scary though to think about that knowing that just a few weeks ago I was only in charge of a few missionaries as a district leader. But it's a good feeling to know that the Lord trusts in me enough to put me in charge of this zone. My companion will be Elder L. Souza. I dont know him yet so I dont know where he's from or anything but one thing I do know is that this will be his first transfer as Zone leader so I'm basically gunna need to train him again! hahaha but he's a really good missionary who has baptized at least one person every week for 8 weeks in a row. The kid knows what hes doing! haha

On thursday we had our last mission reunion with President Dalton. Everyone cried and cried and cried. It's hard to see someone you love and respect so much leave all of the sudden. I know that other than the Lord and my own Dad, LOREN G. DALTON is the man who has had the most positive influence in my life. He has helped a young-man become  a real man who loves and respects his savior more than ever before. He will be missed, but it was an honor to be able to know and work with him.

This week we baptized 2 more people. CAIO and EZIQUIEL. They are brothers in a family of 5. The way we found them was a pure miracle. Their mom had been praying and asking God to send someone who could help her family come closer to one another. She needed more love in her house. That same day that she had prayed, we knocked on their door. This week 2 of her 3 sons got baptised and next week her and her other son will be baptized as well. It was an amazing expeirience to be a part of their conversion.

A member invited us over to learn how to make the number 1 pizza in SÃO PAULO. (I made this pizza from scratch!!! rolled that baby out and everything!!!!) pizzaria DONETTELLO!

Elder BOWCUTT and I. This man is the best comp I've had so far in my whole mission. Love this guy.

Pic with the one and only ELDER JACOB MOOS one of my EXCOMPS (the other two just wanted to be in the pic)

This is CAIO EZIQUIEL and ther other mom, other brother david, and friend Michael

Week 70

well this week was fairly well. we had planned to have a few baptisms this last week but it ended not working out. but, with that being said, we are still planning on finishing this transfer with another 6 sons and daughters of god entering into the waters of baptism!! i love being companions with elder Bowcutt!! he was the AP for 6 months so im learning a lot with him! he goes home next transfer but im hopeing that president lets us stay together!!!

oh yeah, president dalton is going home is 3 weeks...........................its gunna be really weird around here with a new president.

so heres a picture of us at our house.

Elder Da Costa (DL) the lone brasilian from RIO, Elder F.C. Rodarte III from washiongton! (SUPER REDNECK!!!!!) myself the florida cracker, and Elder Bowcutt from texas

so its a fact that here in brasil if you dont like coke, you´re a loser!!! gotta love it!

and heres my beloved shoes! it makes me sad that we might have to go our seperate ways...

Week 69

This week was awesome. I have the best companion I've ever had so far on my mission and I'm learning a bunch!!!!! Elder Bowcutt from Spring, Texas. This week we baptized twins!!!! Two young women! hahaha - It was awesome! This next week I'll send the pictures because I kinda forgot my camera...

So I'm in a new ward, but I have already used the church building before... so with that being said, I saw a few recent converts and members yesterday that I knew from my old ward. Everyone was going crazy saying "oh look who came back!" haha - It was awesome. But by far the best 2 moments I've ever had on my mission, I had yesterday. 

1) A woman came up practically crying telling me how grateful she was that I helped her husband come back to church. She said he wasn't someone that I baptized but it's someone who needed me to help them come back to church. She said I was called to serve here in this mission to help the church grow through baptizing recent converts, but more importantly, to reactivate her husband in the church.

Just so that everyone can know, this man now has a calling in the elders quorum presidency.

2) My recent convert from this same ward who I thought was inactive.......CAME RUNNING UP TO ME YESTERDAY TO GIVE ME A HUGE HUG SAYING THAT HE'S WORKING ON HIS MISSION PAPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was a day full of joy and excitement!!!! I love serving the Lord and seeing the fruits of our labors!!!!!!!

Hope everyone is having a good week! Love you all!!!

Elder Barnard 

Week 68

Seems like everyone is doing good back home! I was super excited to talk to everyone!! I'm super pumped for the new weight room also....!!! Can you send me a pic??

 

So................I was transfered. :( But, I am now with "the hero" missionary of the misson!!! His name is Elder BOWCUTT!! He's from texas and I'm super duper excited to be his companion. He and I are going to be in charge of MY FAVORITE ZONE IN THE WHOLE MISSION  --GUARAPIRANGA-- the last time I was in this zone was about a year ago when we broke a few records! And so now as one of the leaders of this zone I'm looking forward to breaking our own records from last year!!! haha its gunna be a great transfer! I've  never been so excited for a new transfer to start!!!!

 

So I kinda forgot to ask you yesterday...as much as I hate asking this I was wondering if you could put like 60 or 70 dollars in my account. I bought an exercize training thing from sister dalton and she kinda needs the money because shes going home here pretty soon! Lemme know if thats a possiblity.. 

 

I'm also gunna have to buy new shoes again but I'll see if dad can help me out with that. I have two pairs, one that are going to be hopefully thrown in the garbage today and the other pair I bought a few months ago. They are also kinda falling apart but I'm gunna send them to a shoe shop to get fixed.

 

Anyways hope everything is well and i hope everyone has a good week!!!!

Elder Barnard

RE from mom

Money has been sent with a little bit extra to contribute towards the shoes! ;*  I’m happy that your transfer is going to be a great one!!!! Can’t wait to hear about all of the successes!!! Love you!  Will check in later this week and let you know how things are going!

Love, MOM

RE from Missionary

It's a very good thing that I have the best mom ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

Elder Barnard

***Too adorable not to include <3

 

 

 

 

Week 67

Well, I am convinced that this week was a mark in my mission in where I, Elder Barnard, changed for the better. Through my loving mission president, and the Lord I was able to turn myself into a new person. My faith this week was at a new level, there was literally no doubt inside me. It got to the point to where a miracle happened: (1 of many)

It was Friday morning and when we woke up it was raining.....the first thought was "JÁ ERA". (well I'm done for) we only had 3 or 4 new investigators (our goal was 12) and our plan that day was to find the rest. I knew it would be harder for the people to let two young adults that are soaking wet come into their homes to talk about Christ, instead of if it were us clean and dry without the rain. so the first thing I did that morning was a prayer, like always. but this prayer was different. This prayer was a prayer of determination and without having a show of a doubt i prayed, this was a true prayer of faith. what I asked was simple, clear and direct. Showing God that we would do our part and that it was just to ask such as thing as this... I asked God to hold off the rain from the moment we would step outside of our apartment so that we could help his children find the paths of righteousness through my companion and I.

 BELOVED PERSON WHO IS READING MY EMAIL that afternoon, in my area, not a drop of rain fell from the skies.

I KNOW that this was not a coincidence. It did not rain because of our faith. the faith we have in our Savior and in this work.

I was greatly humbled to have had such an experience as this this week. because of our faith in CHRIST we were able to beat our goals....and in the end BAPTIZE another child of God!!!

I love this work and the privilege I have to be a representative of Christ!!

with much love,

 Élder Barnard

Week 66

Well, this week was cool but at the same time a little heart breaking.

We "baptized" a girl this week whose information was lost and so in the church system she was a member of the church who hadn't been baptized. To help all wards everywhere I would ask you to help the missionaries in your ward find this list! Only the bishop has access. It's called "actions of the bishopric" or "bishopric actions". Something like that.. haha I'm not sure what the name is because I only know the name in portuguese hahha but please find the list and look for errors!! So that was pretty cool because of this list we have a few more people who will be baptized this week as well.

This week like I said was also heart breaking......why?

I was not able to meet all my goals this week.....RM´S will understand what I'm talking about.

But that's pretty much it. hope everyone has a good week this week!!





Bonus question and answer:


What's been your favorite transfer so far?
***My favorite transfer was my 3rd one.  I baptized every single week that transfer and it was the only time on my mission where I felt like myself.


How long in a day do you knock doors?
***I try not to knock many doors during the day because I personally would never let anyone enter info my house if they just showed up out of nowhere!


Do you think in Portuguese now?
***I've gotten say good as I can get!  A lot of members are asking me how I learned so fast and so well!


How much do you use English?
English is something I use when I don't want other people to understand what I'm saying...but I can only speak it to other Americans so it's fairly rare!

Week 65

Well this week I realized that I have 5 more transfers left before I have to go home. The thought made me a little nervous because I have NO IDEA WHAT I'LL DO WHEN I GET HOME!!!!

So I got transfered to another area. CAPÃO REDONDO. I continued being a district leader but the companionships in my district are the zone leaders and the assistants...HAHAHAHA. So I'm the leader of my own leaders!!! President wants me to be the example in the district.

So with a new area came a new comapnion, new house, and new "room mates" my companion is ELDER GARCIA and I am finishing his training. My new house isn't a house! It's an apartment shared with the one and only companinship of the ASSISTANTS...hahaha this transfer should be good!!!

We are teaching a family that I hope will be baptized before this transfer ends!!!! Family of 5!!!! The youngest daughter is only 3 so she won't be able to get baptized yet but im super excited for this family!!!!

But that's pretty much it for now! Hope everyone had a great Easter!!!!!

Next week I promise pictures!

Week 58

Well, my child (Elder Wilson) got transfered and will be leaving the nest tomorrow.... its hard to see how fast chickilings grow. It's gunna be a bittersweet moment seeing the best missionary this mission will ever know leave me back here in the ghettos of RANIERI. But with that being said, my new companion is elder V LIMA. He's from my group!! He's needing a little bit of a booster upper this transfer and so now he's with me! :D This transfer's gunna be great! Well, I'd love to stay and talk for hours behind hours but I'm actually needing to go. Next week I'll send a better letter with more details!!

Pic from a member that fb friended me! 

Week 56

No update but I got to chat with Andrew via chat. He is buying some new shoes this week and hopes that the Brazilian materials hold up well. He has 10 more months to go and can't believe how fast it is flying by! He plans to go to school at BYU-I when he gets back. He is feeling well and has an American companion right now! 

Week 55

Here's a funny picture of my companion before he decided to serve a mission.. yeah he was pretty lost

 

 

My district is the number 1 district in the mission right now!!! All of my missionaries are baptizing weekly! Everyone but us! But that will change here pretty soon. 

 

This morning I woke up feeling horrible. I said my prayer then got up to see how bad my body was hurting, it was hurting a lot and so I had to sit down. Shortly after sitting down, my eye sight went away and I was totally blind for a little.....I decided to go to the bathroom. Blindly walking around I found the bathroom. While in the bathroom my bodies sickness broke through and I almost fainted while sitting on the toilet! After regaining my strength, I took a shower, got ready for the day, studied took a little nap and now I'm here writing you guys this letter!! But with all that being said, I'm doing just great!!! If things don't get better by tomorrow I'm gonna have to go to the hospital.. (going to the hospital is strangely normal here, so don't freak out) but yeah.

 

here's a few pictures!!

Week 54

My companion and I are pretty hot!