Saturday, January 19, 2008







young womens first time at Cracker Barrel. The daughter is and convert and we are working on getting the mom to take the lessons 2nd time at Cracker Barrel with a Brenda Deaton who told us she wasn't intrested in jioning but wants us to help he husband that is a member. 3rd time at Cracker Barrel with the Lancaster's that think i eat like a bird.

inside a chicken coup
a sunset
a Chincilla on my shoulder

My new Comp, Sister Peck

My tenth Comp, Sister Peck

What happened? are you all still having fun? I didn’t get any mail from ya again. This week Sister Ryder said her goodbyes as we through her a going away party. It was a little secret and she had no idea how much the ward loved her. When we drove up to the Beasley’s home with all the member cars out side she flipped out and said the this was the nicest thing anyone has done for her. I picked up my new companion Sister Peck. This transfer I’m the greenie breaker. She an amazing missionary already she had a great trainer so we are all ready to work really hard. She is from Payson Utah and comes from a family of 5 kids. And she will not ever wear the color pink. So this might be a goal to make her a little more girly. I don’t know what will happen but is seem that I’ve gotten a lot of those companions.I was sad though to say goodbye to some of my favorite missionaries at transfer.

I will see them soon though.This week I was stuffed up to eyeballs with food. Everyone wanted to take us out to dinner to say goodbye to Sister Ryder. So we had Cracker Barrel (My first, Second and third time). We had a neat lesson there with a less active. And the third time brother Lancaster was amazed at the fact that I eat so little and I was so big. He said he will remember that I eat like a bird. I didn’t take offense cause he is in he’s 80’s. He could have been preparing me for Sister Peck, I don’t know. So we went to the Bishoff’s for dinner and I went into my first Chicken coup and held my first chicken. The gobbler felt so weird. When dinner was over I shared a thought from the Book of Mormon. To my surprise the grandmother was a Minster and thought I was offending her. She told us that she didn’t believe in a book that was written in the 1800’s. So we got into a little discussion and it ended on a good note. I learned something that night.

If there is non members there, explain when the Book of Mormon was written. After dinner Jacob, one of her sons, showed us a few tricks with his flag because he is on the color guard. Then we held a chinchilla, and it was the softest animal ever. I tell ya I have held and seen a lot of crazy animals out here. I’ve been enjoyed studying some really neat stuff about sacrifice. And reading the testimonies in the Book of Mormon. We are going to work really hard on getting this ward a Preach my Gospel Ward. We will make sure they realize how important this is. I hope you all have one and are reading it to streanth you in the gospel.Hope the family picture is going well and your havin fun. Keep on keeping on.

I love you all
Sister Barrand

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Mahana

White Elephant Exchange with Lexinton Zone. I recived soem sunglasses and an angel with no hands. Lynchburg District Meeting Marica i think you might have some competition56- would you believe i won with 186? out of all them Missionaries?


Mahana you Ugly!!

As you can tell we got to watch the new Johnny Lingo with Sister Pare at the Bishop home. It was a way good thing because she has been so distant from most members it was just so good to have her be in a home that she can feel the spirit. I would have to say that the kiss was a little to much for me though. I had to put my hand in front of my eyes.So Thursdays is our planning day and I was calling some people and finally got a hold of this investigator Mary-Alice that hasn’t been taught in a long time. She reluctantly agreed for us to come over that night. We planned on watching a DVD but when we got over there was no DVD player.

That is when I knew that our lesson was by the spirit because she really opened up and was appreciate for us to teach her. She even wanted a blessing from brother Budge and brother Seeburger for comfort. She felt the heavy burdens lifted off and that felt light.Kathy Robbinson the investigator that has a baptism date really clicked with Sister Stitt and the lesson she really opened up and said her first vocal prayer.

I love that. She didn’t even fight it this time.I had been praying that we would find Jerry at the library and be able to teach him cause it seems like we could never get a hold of him because of his crazy work schedule. But we went and he was there. He helped us take down the Christmas tree for our service there. And then as we taught him he wrote down all the scriptural references. Not many people do that here.Ok so I have a confession I like to discuss things and maybe question them or figure them out. So I like to discuss this with other missionaries and sometimes I’m not satisfied with the answer and I have to go some where else. But you see the elders give me a hard time.

So I have all these things that I would love to talk to you all about. Some people might think this would question my faith and that is not correct at all. I just would like an answer if there is one, but if there is no answer I am fine. There is no way I could ever deny the change that has gone inside me. I have a firm unshakable testimony in our Savior and his perfect Church. I know by keeping the commandments we can find that peace that our Father in Heaven has in store for us. I have personal feel the power of answered prayers and forgiveness. I love the Book of Mormon. I know that this one book can change someone’s life for the better. I am astonished of the endurance and strife Joseph Smith went through. I know that he did it for the Lord and that is why he could not be broken or stopped. What an amazing prophet he is. Oh how ever grateful I am that we have had living prophet and will until the time of Christ. I love the spirit and I will stand on top of the mountain if that what it takes to feel the spirit. But I know I have the choice to act for myself and not to be acted upon. And gift is from our Loving Heavenly Father.

I Love you all
Sister Barrand

p.s. I’m so sorry that you miss your flight, but I’m glad you still got to do something with the family. And Mom is exactly right, now you can plan a trip for us little kids!One more thing... Dad is that drawn on hair on your Chest? mom did you have any say in that?
Jake Kroll's hunting gear Krista Asby an over an year convert that i love dearly and will be living with in May
A Skeleton that we found out side the Furneral home! he was a good dancer
My Birthday Morning

Well I hoped you all had a fun filled New Years. Our was us trying to go to bed but the noisy firework gang was right out side our window, but its all good we got to go over to Sister Pare’s for breakfast. The best part about this whole new years thing is Kathy Robinson has agreed to be baptized and start off the new year clean. It will be at the end of January, so we are very excited about that. We have been trying to get her husband involved and taught been it has been a struggle.
Their family values are awesome and I know they will be amazing members.We have a less active sister so she is a member but does not claim it and doesn’t want to be one. She has been threatening us that she is back to being a Catholic. It a tough situation but the other day we asked her where her testimonies lies and she wasn’t sure. We got into the bible and got into some question she had about the church. She asked us some personal question where we were able to bare a strong testimony about prayer.
She very resentful dismissed wanting to pray to find out for herself, due to the fact that she already knows it is true. She probably had the strongest answer to her prayers that I have ever heard. She had a dream that Moroni was sitting on her bed telling her that this was the true church and to join it. You see she doesn’t want to come back to church cause she feels the spirit and she fighting against that spirit soooo hard. Her pride is getting the best of her. As we were teaching her the spirit was there and she started to get really emotional and you couldn’t deny the spirit. I know she had the spirit there testifying of truth but when you push off the spirit so much it’s hard to take heed the next time.
I ‘m sad that she missed out on our talks on Sunday they were for her. She would have really benefited to know of the precious promises of the Lord. I couldn’t believe that I went over time. I just kept going and going. There was to much good stuff to say. The best feeling was I wasn’t nervous at all the spirit really helped me out. On Saturday we went to a blood drive and Sister Ryder almost pasted out and while she was doing that I was talking to this lady that had fallen through the cracks as an investigator. And the only reason why she went to the blood drive that day was that it was at the church and she had a good feeling about that. So we are going to start teaching her again. She is one of those people that just get so excited about everything. She is a divorced African American mom of four kids and knows that something good is going to happen this year. ( and I think I know what that could be!)
Met a really neat 20 year old less active girl that want to get back to church but has been struggle due to they way some people have treated her. It’s a sad story but hopefully in the process of her healing we can help her mom into the gospel. She lost a whole bunch of weight and doesn’t have any skirts so we are finding her some. I had to give a lesson on positivity in District mgt and I struggled. I just have a hard time teaching other missionaries.I hope you all have fun on your trip. Take lots of pictures. Oh and I loved the one from Christmas. It looks like you got new end tables with new lamps. Looks good. You know what was funny about those pictures were the kid were opening all the gift not the adults. I’m sure that was a nice feeling of giving to the little ones and seeing how excited they were.
I love you all
Sister Barrand
Mom how do you like your new Job?
So I really enjoyed talking with all of you all. Just wanted to say how much I love you and thank you for being there for me. I’m loving teaching these people because in turn I’m being taught by the spirit. Kathy is really great to teach because she is loving the feelings of the spirit. Over this Christmas the spirit of Christ was strong and powerful and we got to bring the spirit into their homes. I love feeling the spirit of my younger brother on a mission, what an amazing missionary he is. I love being bold and sharing this to everyone.
If you want to pray that I will be able to say what the ward needs to hear this week for my talk I will be giving.For this New Years make some goals that will help you progress in the gospel. Goals that will make you stretch and grow. Apply your faith in the Atonment of Jesus Christ and go for it. Nothing is impossible for Him and he wants you to progress.Know that he loves you and all you need to do is turn to him and trust in Him. He loves you and i love you.
I sure do love you all
Love Sister Barrand