Thursday, July 26, 2007

Keys

18-23 July 07
I’m wondering if my letter are boaring to all you cause I talk about a lot of stuff that just may not be amusing to you, but it’s what going on in my life and it’s all I know right now.This week has been pretty good. We have a baptism date set for Ches the 50 year old mason that we have been teaching for a couple weeks. It’s set as a goal right now for the beginning of nest year. He did say that if it continues like it has been and he doesn’t get any bad feeling he will move the date up. He came to a baptism and the talks were by Elder Wray and Elder Manookin. It was pretty neat to see the spirit working through them to teach Ches. Ches liked the baptism and even got to take home the chocolate cake for coming. j/k.

We were approached by a young lady while we were doing service in the library to help her find a book for herself and the kids. Of course we knew exactly what “Book” they were really searching for. We bore testimony on families and how they are the most important social unit here on earth. Tears came from her eyes as her heart was full of the spirit. We hope to start teaching her soon because she had a run in with the Jehovah Witnesses and they scared her a little.Heather is praying about a Baptism date her husband is already a member and she would love to be married in the temple some day cause she was actually married in the red lobster parking lot with only his mom and sister there. She would love for her husband to baptize her but he needs some time. It was pretty neat to hear her say that even if her husband doesn’t baptism me I’m still going thought it. But when you have a husband that’s not living up to the standards it’s really hard for the non member to keep them as well.I don’t know if I’ve ever told you about a Chastity lesson but they are kind fun and can be very spiritual.

We Taught Jubal about all this exciting stuff and he said it would be hard but he will try. I’m sure it would be hard if you didn’t know any better. He actually said that he would give up tea if he didn’t have o live the law of Chastity. Oh if it were only that easy. We knew we needed to teach this especially after he kept missing out appointments due to being at the doctor figuring out if this crazy girl is/was pregnant.

Oh lets see we went to an interesting wedding at the church. They were deck out in Indian/pirate silver clothing. And a lot of the family was not member and were chewing in the church building. I’m just so grateful for the sacred temples. It pretty amazing how the spirit works. My companion and I have notice some pretty amazing teacher out here and were wondering how they thought so simple but powerful. I prayed in faith will to acted upon what ever the lord asked of me. Today we had a little zone conference at a park. I received my answer. Elder Wray gave a talk about how we all can be better teacher and how we can teach though the spirit. It was simple but powerful. I’m grateful for the keys that were restored upon this earth. I know that we can receive revelation through God. I love this work and the simple beauties of it.
Love Sister Barrand

They were at Church!!

11 July – 18 July
Things are going really well here. We have some amazing missionaries and member missionaries here. We love those families that will help us out with making our investigators feel at peace. If you can believe it we had two investigators at Church. This never happens. Heather is married to a less active Army member and has been taking the lessons for about two years. We just stated working with her but she seemed to open up with us. It’s so nice to have the ward support for sister missionaries, they have really good impression on sister and we hope to keep that. I don’t think I’ve been asked more about how I feel about arranged marriages than on my mission. The Bishop’s wife is all about them. Actually the Bishop’s son just left for the MTC and we got to give him all the advice to prepare him, he reminds me of Austin.

There are so many funny things going on here as spiritual I just don’t think they are funny if you can’t see and hear them in person. My English is getting worse and worse out here, its not good, i’ll tell you. The most common is mixing up past, present and future tense. It’s so horrible. I just heard from the district leader say to all of us as we were leaving “ Hey before you all get gone” Man, I’m talking like that now, so you are going to help me.

Jubal came to Church as well and brought his two boys. He’s really starting to change for the better. Some members had all of us over and we had a great lesson on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Members gave him the Book of Mormon Reader for him to read with him boys and he was really excited. I’m sure it will help him understand cause theses people out here don’t read very well. I know it helped me, I still remember mom reading those to Austin and me.Oh the neatest thing happened. There are some Part member Families that we are trying to work with. All the wives and one husband sit on the left side of the Chapel. Well some of the wives have told us not to preach at all to any of their husbands. One Wife told us that her husband would disown their daughter if she went on a mission (so we are not even allowed to call their home. But in spite of all this we were able to have dinner with the Pattersons. We had a wonderful spiritual gospel talk. I bet he didn’t even know we were teaching him.

The sprit witness so strong to me as we were testifying. I’m sure it was the most bold I have ever been and I knew that’s what the lord wanted me to say. At church the wife came up to us and said that her husband couldn’t spot talking about how these missionaries had this really strong spirit about them and how impress he was. The husband (Bryan) is stuck in the war chapters and told us he would finish the Book of Mormon. The only reason Bryan is reading the Book of Mormon is because he didn’t believe his wife could finish his the book. I’m glad he took that step and is reading the words of God. Bryan loves how we could be spiritual and funny at the same time. We ended up telling him that joke about the war chapters. Bryan is a very logical, he was a Dean at a School and had a lot of Mormon students always trying to convert him. He didn’t know it but he testified about the truth of the Book of Mormon. He was just over taken by Joseph Smith’s testimony.

He knew that Joseph wouldn’t write as false book to gain nothing.Just to let you know teaching Jehovah witnesses and Masons is quite interesting. And a mom who has to have every little detail explained to her. We gave her the Strength for Youth pamphlet and she said “You know that part about how it says to choose you friends wisely, well I don’t believe in that.” It’s sad and so important that we learn this as children so we don’t become stubborn by the time we are older. She says some pretty funny stuff like we will have been taking about Christ for a while and she’ll pipe in every couple of minutes and say “you mean Jesus?”You wouldn’t believe how much fun this is and how many funny things we hear. This work is so wonderful and I’m so glad I have a big mouth to share it.
Love you all
Sister Barrand

Atonement of Jesus Christ

4 July- 11 July

Well, well, well, life is great, isn’t it just great that we are all bless to know of our saviour and his redeeming sacrifice! Man what would we do with out the Atonement? In my studies and companionship studies we have been focusing on the Atonement of Jesus Christ the most curtioal part of this gospel. As you probably already know that Faith in Jesus Christ and Repentance through the Atonement of Jesus Chirst is just the beginning but it is the most important things that we can have the investigators apply into their lives. I know baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end are all very so important but if someone does not truly exercise faith in Jesus Christ and repent using the Atonement, then they will want the rest of the Gospel. As Elder Holland says. The Atonement of Jesus Christ in the Center and everything else is just an appendix. We have been working extra to make sure we share this knowledge with everyone. So we wnet to a little festival and talked to this Bernard guy. I always have a picture of the Salt Lake Temple on the back on my planer to show people as we approached them. We showed Bernard the temple and invited him to Church.

HE CAME!! I don’t think you know how huge this is, not even our investigators come or the ones with baptism dates come. This is huge. Well sadly enough he is in the Elder’s area but he called us the other night and told us that he enjoy church and the Elder seemed a little pushy but that it was ok. He mentioned that he has to start figuring out what this dream meant. He had a dream about theses heavenly keys acouple days before and he didn’t know what it meant but as soon as he saw the picture of the Temple he seem to come together with this dream about these heavenly keys. We shared with him that we are all prepared differently and you will be able to receive the truth.We have a little trailer park that we always go to because we always have amazing lessons there with Jubal. Teaching Jubal always makes Sister Larsen and I sooooo excited to be teaching. For we know when he is understanding the spirit speaks stronger to us. As we went over to teach Jubal, we meet his Friends girlfriend.

At first you would be a little distracted by her piercing, tattoos, and immodest dress, some who looks like they would not be interested. But as we were offered some tea by Jubal we declined and that only caused great integument to this young 19 girlfriend. She asked some amazing deep soul searching question and we just enthralled with everything we had to say she as well as Jubal could not be distracted by anything else. It was amazing the interest level of this child of God. Amanda the girlfriend thought she stumped us when she asked us what’s the differences with our church. Both Sister Larsen and I took a second cause we got really excited and we didn’t want to scare her with our excitement. Of course we told her and have been teaching her. During the first pray she was smoking and didn’t close her eyes but yesterday after we had taught her she said the closing prayer. We look up after the pray and she smiling and told us she felt a warming sensation through out her face. She was gleaming her smile was from ear to ear. She was so happy. It feels so good to know that I’m a messenger of God and to witness and see for myself the love and joy this Gospel brings us is truly the most amazing thing.Love you all
Sister Barrand
Some Quotes
" An't nobody know God better than i do!" -Rex"
That's Right, Grandma!" - Dotty (a grandma)
"When i got Baptized in the spirit, i feel down on my knees and was blinded by the light!" -Rex
"I know Christians are not right, cause i feel asleep during thier Church." -Amanda
P.S. you have to say all of these with a hick accent!

It's July already!!

27 June- 4 July 2007
Hope you all had a great 4th of July. And Dad I hope you don’t feel any older cause you have looked the same for about 35 years!!! The 4th was celebrated a little different this year. I wasn’t all about fishing for pennies on the bottom of the pool but getting to know some investigators at a member eating festival. We shot off some fire works and I screamed during everyone. He he. The other we thought about were we should go cause the day was coming to an end. I said a little pray in my heart to know where to go. I felt strongly that someone was willing and ready to hear a message that night. I got excited cause being out here with all the reject there are not many who would listen right away. I knew someone would let us teach them. Sister Larsen had similar feelings. We drove down the road where some potential investigators lived. We both felt good about these trailer homes. We headed off to meet Jack.

We had knocked on his door before but we never got an answer. This time a man came to the door. We asked him if he was Jack he said no and Jack doesn’t live here either. We thought he was trying to get rid of us cause that’s their way of telling us they are not interested. He said he is “Jubal, you know from the bible.” He looked like he didn’t want to talk to us but I proceeded to tell him what we were doing. He so kindly stopped what he was doing and sat down to hear the message. This is one of the best messages I had ever taught the spirit was so strong. It was absolutely amazing what a difference it was when they want to know the truth. He was so intrigued in what we teaching, he looked us in the eye the whole entire time. You could tell that he had and was going through a change of heart. As we were sharing the first vision, there were goose bumps on his arms and tears in his eyes. We knew he was doing his best as a single parent of two boys. He had recently gotten out of jail and was trying to make life better. That all Heavenly Father want is for us to find peace. He was truly searching for that, and because of the prompting that we receive we were able to show him the way to happiness.
We have an investigator Kelly Williams, that is praying about the BOM and Joseph Smith. She had ordered the BOM and Lamb of God from the TV and is now meeting with us. If she finds out they are true she will be baptized.

You know how by small a simple things great thing are come to past. Well Satan does just the opposite he carefully brings us down. 2 Nephi 28:21 Yeah for happy people who like the Osmond. Sherrie Gross is a Catholic lady who has a little(huge) obsession with the Mormons especially Donny. She is a talker and will go on and on about how wonderful Mormons are. We taught her and it ended up being three hours long cause she went off on some rampage after every principle. I was so draining. We just wanted to shake her and let her know that she can be one to. It’s like she thinks she can’t part take of this gospel. She just loves how wonderful Mormon families are and doesn’t think we have any problems. I will testify that having a family in the gospel is wonderful and brings a lot more clarity and Joy but everyone goes through trials. But we just know that those trials are good for us and apart of our loving Heavenly Fathers Plan. Man what would we do with out Plans. Plans are so great. We won’t be here if it weren’t for this Plan of Happiness. Oh my goodness I love sharing that with others. I kind of feel like this is all I know and will ever know. And that’s good.
Love you all
Sister Barrand

Monday, July 02, 2007

My new Bridgeport companion Sister Larsen from Holliday, UT
This picture dosent capture all the trash we found in the apartment, but here is an idea
I think we found a member Jace Perry on Rt 1 Box 5C??????
There's my home!!!


Elder's held me at gunpoint to give a good haircut to his companion
Judy's baptism. She is a blast
Monster trees
Good Bye Office


Sunday, July 01, 2007

Change of Heart

Ok Bridgeport is coming along already.
We had to spend days cleaning the apartment that’s right days not hours but days. Because it was gross but it’s all good. We got a new faucet that doesn’t leak anymore. You know how we live in a funeral home well they are all incredibly nice to us cause we cleaned up their apartment. We have to do our laundry up in the attic and it’s a bit scary, the other day I was creeping around trying to find any dead bodies under the planks. He he. At least we get a washer and dryer!

Yesterday it was 104 with humidity that’s pretty warm I would say. Having Marcia sick might be a good thing cause maybe if you wait another three months until April I could join you in Costa Rica. I think that’s a wonderful idea. So you were talking about the prayers that are put in the temple and I will have to say “Amen” to that. I know that I have been blessed to be able to stay on my mission because my name was put in the temple. I’m grateful for the inspired prayers that are said, it’s truly a blessing, also to have the whole world praying for us missionaries is good too.

This week we have been trying our hardest to not only find member, less actives, investigator, potential investigator, or new investigator but just the houses alone in these “Appilation Mountains”. There are like no addresses here not even the people who live in their own houses know where they live. We pulled over this this run down shop looking for Rt 1 and asked the man “Do you know where Rt 1 is?” he said “ umm well I don’t know what this road is but if you pull into that church ight ther, they should know.” We found out that we were on Rt 1.If you can imagine me but not me that’s really is ¼ Japanese that’s my comp sister Larsen. We are more and more alike everyday. We are way excited and just get all giddy when we talk about this area. We both love opening an area. It’s just great. We say and think all the exact same stuff. It’s a little weird but fun. I’m loving missionary work more than ever.

I think opening an area brought the fire back cause I haven’t been this excited since I first came out and opened Radford. It crazy how it all works.This week I notice that it is so important for the people to pray. They need to know how they can have a personal relationship with their father in heaven and it’s not only for people who can speak smoothly. Well we had Ursula pray and her prayer was simple but from her heart. The spirit was strong as we all knelt in a circle with our heart all pointing in the same direction. Ursula was gun hoe about coming to church, but as soon as the spirit leaves the advisory works the hardest to brings them down. Ursula didn’t make it to church.Sister Larsen and I gave talks so maybe it was an ok thing that she didn’t come. Have I ever told you I don’t like giving talk.

I’m getting better at being ok giving them though. There was another neat talk about how the pretzels came to have their shape. If you notice they are shaped like arms folding to say a prayer. So every time you eat a pretzel you can think of praying.We are teaching a Jake a Jehovah Witness. It interesting to hear him speak about all the principles that he doesn’t agree with, but won’t make that step of faith to attend our church. His wife is dis-fellowship and I think he is holding on to that cause he doesn’t want to be dis-fellowship, he wants to dis-fellowship them.

Zone conference was an different kind of Zone conference. We Did some exercising cause our missionaries are lazy. I could not sit or go up and down stairs with out looking like a goon for 4 days. He he I was really soar. There’re Elders and they didn’t take in consideration that there would be sister there. I kept telling them to slow down and speed up. I loved this conference cause everything pertain to me and what had had been studying lately. President stressed planning and how important it is. I had just studied that and could get enough. Everything is planned everyone is part of this wonderful plan of Happiness. Our Zone Leader talked about a bunch of really neat thing but what seem to be the theme ever since sister Larsen and I got here in my studies and such is “A Change of Heart” or “Being Born again”.

It’s been a really neat start here in Bridgeport. I really know why I’m called here. I know that I was called of God to serve here in West Virginia. I love how I’m still in the states but West Virginia is totally different than anything you could even imagine. I love it here and I love all the support I receive. I love that I have the ability to be apart of anyone’s spiritual conversion because everyone else has the social conversion. Be Bold and Open your month and invite people to act. Be apart of thier social conversion and let the missionaries take care of the spiritual conversion, That’s our job.
I love you all
Sister Barrand