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