Saturday, March 31, 2007


Eat'n Squirrel

Kessengers and all their crazy pets

New Comp Sister Ryder

Goodbye Radford



Hey There

I’m out of Radford!!! Can you believe it? Now I’m serving in Parkersburg West Virginia. New Address is 1107 32nd St Apt # 2 Parkersburg WV, 26101 with Sister Ryder from British Columbia Canada. I’m excited for this, we both just killed our other companions and are ready to put the petal to the metal and get some work done.


Just to let up know we sat down for dinner last night to mash potatoes, peas, 7 fried squirrels, and some squirrel gravy. Mmmmmm.? Well it wasn’t as bad as I thought but I probably will never eat it again. I kept looking down at the little piece of fried meat on these little bones. I think the biggest problem was the calf muscles of the poor little guy’s bones. I just got a little gross out when I thought of him jumping and climbing on things, so then I had to stop. I will tell you this. It kind of looked like the gross stuff that you pull out of a turkey and throw away but more bony and tasted like the dark meat of a turkey with no flavor. It’s kind of sick to hunt theses poor little creatures. I don’t think I will be requesting any more squirrel.


I hope Travis in Radford will be taken care of by the ELDERS. Yes that’s right I opened that area and closed Radford. He was Golden. We were sad to let him go. I had fasted for him on Sunday for everything to go smoothly. Fast and Testimony meeting perfect thye even included him in their testimonies and he was impressed. It was one of the best I been to. Sunday school was on the gift of the Holy Ghost, also great. He had some great probing question about being saved and we excitedly got into the plan of salvation. Before the lesson he did think he came from any where and that there was just heaven and hell. Oh boy did the spirit enlighten him. He now has a testimony of the plan of salvation, like pre earth life, the veil, spirit world, and the kingdoms of glory. He said he loves meeting with us cause he realizes more and more how he is becoming closer to Christ. And with out fail he tell us how organized our church is. He even wants to check out General Conference and hear the Prophets word. Which by the way I’m so excited that it is so close, I can’t wait. I know that prayers will be answered and everything that needs to be said will be felt by the spirit. Is that not amazing or what.I love you allSister Barrand

Thursday, March 22, 2007

For St. Patty's day we're blowing a bubble kiss to Catilin Caitlin and Angel had to shave off their beautiful curly hair to not chatch lice again
A lady in the ward made me take a picture of this heart spud so she could sell it on ebay
Travis offered to help brother hill after we had taught him a lesson

Families are Forever

Ok alright I was wondering when you were going to say something about my letter writing cause it can get pretty boring, I would think. Last night we went and delivered a Pizza to an investigator Sean Carvalho (Where do you think that last name is from?) We were driving over to his house, and my brilliant spectacular, fantastic, beautiful, smart, witty companion, Sister Young suggested that we take each take a piece of the pizza out of the box, and deliver it with a message that said, "Sean, what is missing in your life?" But as it turned out, we only took out one slice and wrote, "Sean, Hello! Guess What!? Your Favorite ;)Sisters got you a little something.. Look inside. What is missing?" (because we were working under pressure) He pulled up right as we were taking the slice of pizza. He came to the car, and we told him to open the box. He had a big grin on his face when he saw that there were only 7 slices of pizza instead of 8. It made him smile. Our purpose for doing this was so that he could feel the love of the Lord. However, we wish that we would have written this message instead, "Sean, we saw that your pizza was a little crispy. So tell us home slice, what is missing in your life? Could it be a piece of peace-A? Look inside! To find the missing peace come on Sunday. 900 Pendleton St. at 10:00. "

Well this trio has been a trip. We all can talk the investigators ears off. I believe lessons are only suppose to be at the most 45 minutes and some times we just go out of control and talk for three and a half hours just for one lesson!! We are working real hard to cut down the lessons. Poor Laura Hull she had to listens to us for that long. Although she’s incredible happy now cause she feels clean and all warm inside. Steak Conference was one of the best talks I’ve ever heard. President Samples talk about not taking offence; he said that he shared the same talk to another ward and renamed it “sit down, shut-up and shake it off.” It was funny talking to a member that clams to be atheist was offended that we call it THE church. It just made me realize more how it is THE church and how my heaven Father loves me and the its Jesus Christ’s church. It was the best turn out for the potluck after that, there is nothing like some good old southern cook’n. Just like you will always have a pan of green jello at a Mormon function there will always have Mac and cheese here. Oh I just had Corn beef and cabbage for the first time. Sister Campbell warned me that the corn beef is still pink after you cook it (she did eat it the first time cause she thought it wasn’t cooked).

We got our car back from the shop and we were driving and saw that a kid fell down off of his skateboard and spilled his drink. Don’t worry we got him a new Dr. Pepper and told him he should go to the steak dance. He said he was really a dancer (like most boys). Interviews were great I finally felt like president and I could talk for hours. He seemed more relaxed but did bring up something I could help him with and that was to be careful around the elders and let him know it there was any thing that was up. He said that not only the sisters wanted to serve with me. One of our investigators is praying about baptism, Robbie believes in Joseph Smith and the BOM but is not willing to change his life style. He did say “ I know the Church is true cause everyone that goes gets sucked in.” Travis on the other hand is progressing he is a thinker. He was fascinated that THE church is a worldwide church and that we would give up our lives (and love lives) to serve the lord. He said he wanted to do that but thinks he wouldn’t be able to give up so much. It made me feel so privileged to be severing the lord. And know that I did make the best choice. Shavon had us present Mormonism in her Counseling class. We basically sat around and taught this class of eleven the lessons and how they can counsel their LDS clients. Their feedback was good and not challenging. It was the neatest part when we talked about families and Shavon back us up.

She explained that when she went over to a Mormons house for the interview, that the family was unified and how they did everything as a family. I told the class how special my family is to me and how we had family prayer, scripture study, dinner, Sunday Dates, salsa Saturdays and Family Home Evening together. Truly I’m so grateful that I was blessed with such an amazing family how taught me all those wonderful lesson at such a young age. I told my companions that I will make sure I will teach my kids all these great lesson. It really is a testimony to me how it all start within the walls of our own homes. So thank you for being such a wonderful family.Dad and mom thanks for have a bone to pick with me. I will even enjoy them more.Can you do one thing for me and get the addresses of all the missionaries serving the whole steak like (Rachel and Rebecca Hill).
Love you allSister Barrand

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Last day with Laura Hull
College Town

Tomorrow

I‘ve been here in Radford for away now and had the feeling that I might be leaving this area next transfer.
A couple days later President Cowley called, he asked how I was doing,I said “good” He then added “well don’t worry we will get cha’ out of Radford soon, cause I don’t want you to become mayor”I replied back, “How did you know I was running for mayor?”He said laughing “because I know your personality!”So I don’t know if this is a good thing or not, but we will see.At Last Zone Conference I went up to President very seriously and said “I‘ve got this man I have been writing for about 13 weeks and he hasn’t written be back”President said “How old is this man?”“Well… he is …older.”“Is he romantic?”

I could hold it in any more and had to tell president that the man I was writing was him and I didn’t know if he was romantic or not. He laughed and pulled one on me. He asked me how my trip was after I had tripped over a bag, so we’re even now ..but who’s counting?!Well we have been praying and fasting about what we can do for Laura Hull. She was struggling in school because of getting sick and all stressed out over that, that it caused her to get even sicker. She prayed and decided to withdraw and go home to Prince George, (Richmond, Va). We helped her pack half of her stuff and she was off. She came up the next day to finish packing and have a baptism interview. I was rainy alright but that didn’t stop us. She called us on Sunday and was excited to tell us she had bore her testimony. In her testimony she said “If this is what the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost feels like, then I want to be baptized right now.” Her knees were shaking so much the bishop thought he was going to have to catch her. The Elders there in the Richmond Mission are going to be able to experience her getting baptized and confirmed, but we were so lucky to share this gospel with her, see her grow, and progress. She will be baptized tomorrow the 8th at 7.

A good thing about being baptized at her home in Richmond is that her mom would have a better chance of attending. Laura had a concern for her mom not wanting to attend; we fasted for Laura’s mom. When Laura got home to Richmond she found a note from her mom saying she didn’t know if she could plan on making it to her baptism. Laura on her own fasted about her mom’s attendance and when she came home from work, there she found another note saying she would attend. Fasting is such a powerful experience of faith and love. How can we not know that our Father in Heaven loves us. Laura is now planning to go out to Washington for general conference and pick out where she want to go to school with Sister Campbell. She wants a good up lifting life style and knows she can find it in a LDS environment. She’s thinking about BYUI and BYU. She is one of the strongest people I have seen. She is not timid about sharing the gospel with anyone. I’m so glad we were a part of her life. I know she will spread this gospel like wildfire.

I love you all,Sister Barrand

Thursday, March 01, 2007

"i wish... Just kidding" President and the "three amigases" (president Cowley is not a spanish speaking mission President)
i'm the one in the middle

High Five

So you know how we ran into that deer and we gave some BOM's and DVDs away. Last Sunday Brother Hales came up to us and said he was working the same night that we had are little accident and Perry one of the officers came up to brother Hales( cause he knew he was LDS) later that week and said he was very impressed by us sisters, and was curious in the way we dress. Perry also told Brother Hale that he would be watching the DVDs. By small and simple things are great thing brought to pass. Alma 36:6.

We are still working with Laura making sure timing is right. She is coming along and making the right choices. We are proud of her.So the other week we had asked a Student to come teach with us. Tyler cancelled his plan to do so. He lives about 20 mins away. Our original plans got cancelled but Tyler still wanted to help out and had already made plan to come teach with us so we said that he could come down to Radford and we would find some people to go visit. I was having a hard time cause I felt bad to make him drive all the way down to knock on empty apartments. After we had ended that conversation, we started calling some less Active member that we could go visit, Sister Campbell added that we had a cookies for them also. In the back of my mind I was thinking we don't have time to make cookies, but remembered that she was prompted to by some marshmallows at the store. While whipping up some homemade rice crispy’s. Sister Campbell was a busy bee on the phone trying to figure how and where we are going to do this. A little bit later Laura called and needed a blessing. We wanted another priesthood holder so we called up Mitch a recent convert who’s never given a blessing before but was excited to take part. Sister Campbell called her ear off and we ended up with four of our fairly new investigators, two of our less active/recent converts, two strong members, three lovely sister missionaries and a pan of rice crispys. All there to participate in a priesthood blessing. The spirit was strong and we couldn't have done it with out faith and the guidance of the spirit. It was combobulated in like 30 minutes and taught them all the 10 commandments in sign language. and note that this is not the sign language that i learned from Celeste.

I am loving my companions. The other day when I was reading in Alma Chapter 31. I got to verse 36 that reads: "Now it came to pass that when Alma had said these words, that he clapped his hands upon all them who were with him. And behold, as he clapped his hands upon them, they were filled with the Holy Spirit". After I read that verse, I looked up at my Companion and said all excited "did you know that they gave High-fives in the Book of Mormon." I had written it in my study journal that it is cool to give high-fives. Excited to use the high-five method for awkward situations. This is no lie. I'm glad i had my companion there to point out footnote b, which reads "The laying on of hands", so I learned quickly what Alma was doing, how they received Holy Ghost, and not giving high fives, but just how we do it today. Now you see the importance of having a prophet, seer, and revelator who is given the keys to interpret the scriptures? If I were to organize a church without having the authority from God to do so, I would probably start a church that administers the Holy Ghost by giving high-fives. I will still continue to give high-five but, know that Alma wouldn't have given me a high-five just for good measures.
I love you allSister Barrand