Wednesday, October 25, 2006

I still haven't had squirrel!

Alrighty. This place is great, I'm loving the people more and more. Did I tell you that we got to be in a parade as Sisters Missionaries? If that’s not reaching and being seen in the city of Radford I don't know what is. I’m getting better of getting straight to the point. It's hard out here cause these people have motor mouths and us sisters missionaries are the only people who will listen to them. Keep in mind that their lives are long and full of interesting stories. I’ve been working on this language cause its like nut'n I’ve heard before.

We are teaching a 46 year old black lady named Tina, that has been to jail. She is a hoot. Everyone here is a hoot. She wanted to be a scriptorian so she knows her bible real well. She doesn’t know this but she makes me want to know everything so I can answer all her questions. I love all this learning. It is so great to be this worthy and have the spirit so near. It's just great.
We meet with Kevin on this Thursday and we will be teaching him the second lesson or whatever the spirit want us to teach. This is the greatest part. I will tell you that because I know of all these truths I don't stress out about writing down everything I need to say or worrying about everything coming out perfect. I know that if I’m doing everything I can that spirit will be there and they will be able to feel that. This Sunday I'm giving a talk along with the other missionaries of Radford ward. I'm excited. I don't even know what I will be talking about but I’ll figure it out. It will be good cause so far we have invited Annette- eternal investigator, Tina-investigator, Jason-new member but less active, Kevin-new investigator, Caitlyn-investigator, and Kate-less active. But hopefully we will get some more.

Thanks for all the support. I love you all and I’m sorry I can't write more but its all the time I have. There is so much to say. I can't wait till Austin get to be around all this building up Zion. It is so exciting I love this gospel and I love when I get it see it through somebody's eye and how it will bless them. I'm so proud of my choice and wouldn't change it for the world. This is the best thing I can be doing.

Love Sister Barrand

Sunday, October 22, 2006









A picture of Sister Quinton and me at Zone conference. Sorry it’s late. We had a zone conference on our p-day so it kind of today. This week was so exciting and so much better. I'm learning so much from personal study and companion study. It is amazing how much I can retain now that I have the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. I’m realizing I've always had it since I was eight but never really relied on the Holy Ghost. Wow it is a powerful thing when the spirit is so strong that both you and your companion are thinking the some thing. I know that it’s the Holy Ghost cause Sister Quinton and I don't think alike normally. This was hard to come to realize that my companions and I are not always going to think alike, but I do know that when we are teaching we do think the same. That companionship of the Holy Ghost is a Gift to us and we have the ability to do with it as we want.

These people of Radford have so much potential. We are really working on bring the people closer together and to the Lord. So we have been working with a couple eternal investigators who have been seeing the missionaries for like two years. Mostly Annette and Becky. Annette is a single mother of two and will talk your ear off. She has three jobs and real busy. We will see if she is progressing tomorrow. Becky 20 years old and cares about living the fun life now. She is not progressing at all. We might have to drop her.


Ok so on Tuesday we had dinner at the bishop’s house and his son that is not active brought his roommate Kevin Sullivan, who is 24 and a student at Radford. He started reading the BOM. He had a couple questions at dinner about authority we answered them and got an appointment. We later met with him and he is so receptive and excited to read the BOM. We have another appointment with him next week.!!!!

Send me good church or uplifting music. Please!

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

The field is white- and new

Wow mission are great! Why didn't I do this a long time ago! I think everyone needs to do one of theses! For reals!
Well I will tell you wants gong on. On the way here on the plane ride I talked to a couple of people and it got me all pumped. when we arrived and met the mission president it didn't seem the he was very fond of me but I know those bad feeling were Satan trying to make me scared (Ryan told me that Satan was going to try and approach me as soon as I got here, so I was prepared and kept that shield up high and close to me.)There was another sister that was a little more talkative and I thought that President Cowley would love her more but I had to surpass those feelings. As soon as we got out of the airport it was hot and humid, not really bad but it was different. We headed straight to the office for some interviews, I was nervous to tell him that I didn't get to hand out a Book of Mormon on the plane. Just because I remember Mission presidents being mean (well Celeste’s mission pres.). It was all good. The interview went great and I felt a lot better. He is a neat guy. The more I hang out with him the more I like him. He is a very emotional guy.

Well we got back and ate dinner, Sister Cowley is so nice and a wonderful cook. We had testimony meeting, well kinda there was one sister that didn't want to bare her testimony. Weird! I use to be so afraid to bare it but it’s not scary anymore it’s just what I believe into be true! Hello not that hard. Maybe in front of a lot of people but we are talking about 15 people. Anyways President Cowley asked me to take her to the car and help get some pills. She was just tired. It’s a big change!

The next day I got to meet my companion. Its sister Quinton. She is tall and skinny and 24. She is from Idaho and so nice, would not hurt a fly. So we have to drive all the way down to Virginia cause I’m serving in Radford! It took three hours. We are staying with the Zisettes. Oh my goodness they are the coolest family ever. Oh by the way the houses here are so small and dirty and the ones in West Virginia are way worse. But the family we are staying with have a very nice house. When we first met them they were all playing and singing in a little group together, they are amazing musicians they are called Toss the Possum. Do you know that they eat those things here? Oh man the trees here are incredible just like Dan, Dave, and Don in the fam picture.
The work was really slow in the beginning because we are opening a new area, p.s. that is hard to do. I wondered why we weren't teaching anyone. I was really hard for me to teach all day at the MTC and the come here and not teach anyone. We met some people but didn't get to teach them. We had a lot to do before we got into the teaching work. like finding an apartment, getting new tires, getting hold of the bishop, getting use to Sister Quinton, and just a hole bunch I calling and little things.

One thing I really do enjoy is companionship study. Sister Quiton is teaching me so much about the history behind the scripture, so it makes sense in my mind. Its my favorite part. But finally we started teaching. Wow its great I think that’s my new favorite part. Well it’s all good. Ok well let me tell you that teaching in the MTC in a whole different ball game... those people are fake! These people out here are real, they have real problem and real concerns. It so much fun to teach about things I believe in and testify of the truth. I love figuring out what they need, it’s hard, but I love doing it. As soon as we get in the car after teaching, I always want to figure out what these people need to live a wonderful life in the gospel cause it so important. I just want everyone to see what they can have. But I will do my best and teach by the spirit and leave it up to the Lord's time. I love you all (we can’t say "guys", and they say "all" here so I will be saying that from now on.)

Love

Sister Barrand

Monday, October 09, 2006

Last word from the MTC

I want you to know that I'm striving to have more faith like Nephi (& Joseph Smith, I always have to put him in there cause he is amazing) The scriptures are amazing. You can find everything in them if you are pondering. Before, I didn't really understand them. Now they are all good. Even the war ones because they wouldn't have put them in there unless they were important and we were going to get something out of them. Anyways just want to let you know how I feel about them and to let you know that they are true.

I still love my comps. They are just wonderful. I'm so blessed with these two daughters of God. I'm looking forward to meeting my trainer in a couple of days on Tuesday cause that's when I will be flying to West Virginia Ps I'm the travel leader so I'm in charge of all 12 missionaries that are flying to WV. Cool! I never get opportunities like this but since my last name starts with a "B" I'm at the top of the list. Ha Ha I don't think I'm fully ready to leave the MTC yet, I just can learn so much more here. But I guess I will learn it faster out there in the outside world. By the way, this is so much better than EFY. Oh and give my address out like the neighborhood gives away candy on halloween. You can write emails on www.dearelder.com So go there it's easy and fast.

Today we went to the temple and did inciatories. They were great. It was my last temple experience for a long time (like 1.5 years) :( Oh an as I was looking for my comps I stumbled upon Ryan. It was kind of akward We were both caught off guard and didn't know what to do. He kept saying "I can't believe it" Don't worry no feelings there. For the most part the Elders are not that immature. Just some of them. We had the best burgers for dinner yesterday mmmmm....

Classes are way good. It gets me more excited and scared at the same time. Austin will love it here there is such an amazing feeling when you know that you are doing right and sharing the most imortant message of all time. I love this gospel, I kow it's God's plan for us to return to him. I know Joseph Saw Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ and he spoke to him calling him by name answering his prayer.

Sister Barrand