Weather or not! 9/17/2012

9/17/2012

The weather down here has been pretty nice too, I am guessing around the high 90's. But it feels great! It makes bike riding so much easier.

But it is good to hear that everybody is going on a mission. I am surprised to hear that Zach is going... I would have never guessed. It will be fun to go to all of their homecomings when I get back. 

So yeah, it is good to hear that everything is going well. I have been doing just fine. I am in better shape than my new companion so the bike rides are slow. I have to make it fun by doing wheelies and jump on and off of stuff. But I am staying in shape so that is good! And it is good to hear that Grandpa is doing well with his hip. That would be brutal!

And I did get the package with the Reese's Pieces. They were melted a bid and clumped together, but they still tasted the same! Looking forward to more packages from you guys! But still send the things to the mission office, because if I have you send things straight to apartment, if I get transferred I might not ever get it.

But this week has just been another busy week. I am still trying to get use to all the new things but I am adjusting just fine. I haven't been able to take many pictures because we have been doing so much, but I will try to take more this next week.

Thanks so much for supporting me on my mission! I LOVE you guys so much!!

Love,

 E' Barlocker II

Elder Seare trying to get us un-lost

Me waiting to get un-lost...ANYONE HAVE A GPS THEY CAN SEND ME?

Hippo Hips Avenue!!!!

September 11, 2012 TRANSFERS...

Families in my area I visited with before transfers...

My District 

Zone Training

Elder Barlocker & Elder McKenna 

Well I am in another area now. I moved to the east to the zone next to my old one. I am still getting use to it, but it has only been a couple of hours. my new companion is E' Seare. He has only been out one more transfer more then me so neither of us have been out very long. But it looks like a good area. I had a hard time leaving my old area though, that ward was way awesome! I had a really hard time coming to terms with it, and I am still in one of my dazes... but it will wear off eventually.

But other than everything switching up the week was pretty normal. We had a bunch of lessons and got - I think -two new investigators, but now that I am not in that area it really doesn't matter. The time has flown by so fast though! I don't even think I was in my last area for 12 weeks, more like two weeks... Pretty soon two years will be gone and I will be home. Well I will be home for a month, then I am going to mexico; because a family in my last area invited me to go to Rocky Point with them around July of 2014, They are owners of a timeshare down there and wanted E' Mckenna and I to come along with them. But if we come back before then or you come to pick me up you will have to meet this family. They are amazing!!!

So yeah, my week was just another wonderful week here in Arizona. I am in a new place now so it will take some getting use to. But I am enjoying myself, learning a lot, and teaching a bunch.

But it is good to hear everything is good back home! And I will be looking forward to that salsa. I have not found a good salsa like ours down here. Some members have made some good salsa, but I think ours still beat it by a long shot!

Well don't know what else to tell you guys about. I know I had some other things, but my mind is still trying to get use to all the new things right now. If I remember I will write you guys a letter. So I will get some pictures on here.

Pics:

Three families I visited before I left my last area. 

My District

Zone Training

Elder Mckenna & I

Well I hope all continues to go well! I will be trying my hardest to get all the work here done!

I LOVE you guys so much!

Love,

Elder Williamson & Elder B MTC comps - see each other on P-Days

Elder Barlocker II

9/4/2012 Here Comes FALL!

This past week had just been another regular week. Transfers are coming up, so things will be switching up soon. But I have been having a lot of fun down here in Arizona. And yesterday was a holiday, as I am sure you know, so the library wasn't open and we couldn't email. 

The weather has been pretty good lately. Just the other day it was down in the cool 90's! And we have been getting some good rain storms. But more sun then rain lately though. You guys do not know a rain storm until you see a monsoon. It is pretty cool. But it is just funny that the 90's feels amazing, I cannot wait until I get back home and feel how cold it is ;) And I hear the winters down here are really nice.

I did go to a family reunion this weekend though. It was one of the members in my ward that always has us over for dinners. It was way fun. We ate and played volley ball and had a blast! And I even was talking about Cherry Hill this week without even thinking about it. 

But if I had one word to describe this week it would be, stressful. It has been good and all but things have been coming up that have effected elders I am friends with and investigators. Just more ways that satan can get into any situation and destroy it. But I am remaining strong! I know how satan can get me and am stopping him at every try! I love the protection we get as missionaries!

Well I hope that all of you guys are having fun! And I urge you all to try to share the gospel whenever you have the chance. I took me a bit to figure that is our purpose as members of Gods church, to share it with everybody and allow them to receive the rewards it has for them. It is hard, and I think that only Dad and I know just how hard it can be, from what I know. But I promise you, if you strive to share what you know with others you WILL be blessed! But do not force it on anybody...

With all the love in the world and more,

Elder Barlocker II

8/27/2012 This past week was awesome!

 This past week was awesome! We got to go to the Gila Valley Temple on Thursday with the zone. And that took a lot of the day away because it is a couple of hours from our area. But we all had a great time! And in the area where the temple is there are a lot of members; and a lot of the businesses there are owned by them so we got to go for lunch and get half off. But the temple trip was awesome!

That is cool that Ed is starting at B&B. Let me know if you need any help with setting up email and all that.. ;)

This week we got a couple new investigators that seem pretty solid. In fact one just showed up at church yesterday and we got him a baptismal date. The work has been hard but good. And I have been getting along with a lot of the missionaries.

But other than the temple trip and the new investigators, this week has been pretty average. And it sounds like you guys are doing just fine. I hope you guys are taking every opportunity to share the gospel. The church is so different once you see it through someone else's eyes.

We hope all goes well for you this week! I will be here in Tucson if you need me!

Thanks for all you do!

 

Love

Elder Barlocker II

This week has been long… 8/20/2012

I don't need sunscreen, I just use sunglasses!

I did get that package on Friday, we were at the mission office and went through the mail.

This week has been long, but it was fun. Our mornings are always filled with something it seemed like so we didn't always study as much. But we took time to do that later in the day. We did get one new investigator this week but he seems not to be all there, so we will see what happens. But all of our other investigators are doing great! We still cannot find the one that walked out on church last week though... And we are having fun with the work!

I forgot to mention last week that we got into a car-share! So now we have the car every other day. It is a little '08 Ford Fusion and the missionaries before that haven't been taking too good of car for it. But it is fun to drive. I am the preferred driver if we need to get somewhere fast; but not to brag or anything, I am also the most careful driver. One of the E's in my district that we share the car with should not be driving at all! But it makes things a lot easier to do.

And one night we had dinner with an older couple named the Taylors. They said that he had a brother in Riverton, I asked if he knew Dan and Sherron, but he didn't. Does Dan have an uncle or something in Riverton?

Nothing big has happened this week though. It has just been another great week! We didn't have any gross meals luckily. But I am now starting to like a lot of things I didn't before; like now I eat mushrooms, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and all that. The only thing I still do not eat is pickles... But I am getting fed well here.

So I do not have too much more time and I still have to email President, so I will get to that and attaching some pictures.

With all the LOVE in the world,

Elder Barlocker II

P.S. Does Marci have my room yet? Just wondering...

OH and HAPPY early BIRTHDAY MARCI!!

Zone Bowling!

Elder Frazen on the organ

Our most solid investigator!

MY ZONE

Little Lizard outside our door 

Storm Brewing

Interesting Week, & Interesting FOOD!!! 8/13/2012

August 13, 2012
This week has been an interesting week. We had a great time and had some interesting meals. But the work is going good.

First off I have to tell you guys about a meal I had this week. So we go over to this members home for dinner, we have some interesting meals with her. But this time she made some meatloaf. Whenever I go over there to eat, I pray that I can eat the food and keep it down. But this time was a lot better then other times. But I did notice Elder Mckenna slowed down a bit. When she left to go and get the ice cream, he pointed to something on his plate; it was a pile of maggots! They were everywhere in the food, but luckily there were dead. Still, that made me almost die! So on the way home we got a 44oz. of coke each and drank it to kill off anything that could be alive in us! It was pretty gross, and she has signed up a couple more times for the month. Let’s just say we are going to have a lot of meetings during those days. We didn’t get sick or anything from it but it was a good scare.

Speaking about food  I can tell I am being fed well. I can actually gain weight! I forgot to say that within the first month of being away from home I gained 10 pounds and am now up to 150 pounds! That is only a 15 pound gain, but it is a big change from being 135 for a year or two.

Other than that and doing close to 1000 push-ups this week, it has been pretty normal. We had an investigator walk out on church yesterday. He got offended somehow in a class. But hopefully we can get him back on track and straighten everything out. But all of our other investigators have been pretty solid. And we have been having a great time doing the work of the Lord. But I see more and more every day how satan can influence the lives of the people we try to bring into Gods church.

I am trying my hardest and having fun at the same time, so don’t worry about me too much!

Thanks for always being there! I LOVE you all!!!!

Love,
Elder Barlocker II

CALMER WEEK? NO! 8/6/2012

Beetle that we see flying all around

MY FIRST DISTRICT IN AZ

8/6/2012   Yeah!!! I did get the little package but it was delayed because of transfers but it arrived! Thanks!

This week has been fun. Yesterday was a great Sunday, but it rained a ton so after church we didn’t do much. It rained for a couple hours on and off throughout the night. There was one strike of lightning that hit pretty close and was extremely loud! I love the rain and I love not being caught in it.

We have been getting a lot of flat tires lately. Elder Mckenna found a screw in his tire the other day. So we have been making a couple of trips to the bike store to get new tires and such. I have so many patches on my back tire it is crazy. I did get an extra tube just to be safe. One thing that I cannot find for a good price is a little bike repair/tool kit. They have some at the bike store we go to but they are way expensive. So if you guys find a cheap one that would be awesome if you could send me one!

This Sunday we only had one investigator out to church, well two but that is a whole different story. But the investigators we have are really solid. It is amazing to see how the gospel affects others. It really makes me realize how much I take for granted. We have so many blessings we don’t even know!
But I am happy the Lord has blessed me with all he has.

It is going to be weird coming home in two years because our house is a mansion compared to a lot of peoples down here. Our ghettos in Utah are their normal, at least in my area.

So, nothing too exiting this week, but a lot of good and spiritual times. I will try to take more pics and have more to tell you next time. But I want you to know that I am trying my hardest and doing my best.
I LOVE you all and appreciate all that you do for me!

With all the love in the world
Elder Barlocker II