NEON LIGHTS? Feb 18, 2013

The weather has been really good down here. I never thought I would be driving in January and February and have the windows down. Some of the times we are walking outside and I think to myself, "This would be perfect yard-work weather." I have been really wanting to do some yard work back home lately, never thought I would ever want to do that... I cannot wait to be back home, sitting in the front yard and do nothing right after some good yard work. I really don't have too much longer till I will be doing that. Time is going by so dang fast!

Last Saturday we had a baptism!!! It was the absolute best one I have ever been to. There was such excitement and the spirit was really strong! Plus Nancy, the one that got baptized, gave an amazing testimony/small-talk at the end which made it so much better. There were about 80 people in attendance we had to have the meeting in the chapel! And as a result of the baptism three people walked away wanting to see the missionaries. I will never forget that day it was awesome!

And last night we got transfer calls...

Luckily E' Woodland and I are staying together for at least one more!!! He will only be my second companion I have stayed more than six weeks with. And Willcox will be the only area I have served more then three months in! I am way excited!

Well, all is going great down here! Some things are changing and it looks to be an awesome transfer!

Hope all is going good for you all back in Utah! I LOVE YOU!!!

Love
Elder Barlocker!!

P.S. Hey mom, pics are coming in another message... ;)

Baptism!! :)

SNOW!!!

Well balanced breakfast!

BAZINGA!!! 2/11/2013

I am doing just fine down here. The weather has been nice. On Saturday it snowed! Not enough to stick but there were some good sized flakes coming down. I got some pics but once again I didn't bring my camera cord... :(  

Pics from a member in AZ she has snow on her hair!

But this week has been good, slow but good. We had one of our investigators have their baptismal interview and she passed with flying colors. She is so excited! The funny thing about it is we didn't have to set her baptismal date, she set it herself she we so excited to do this. And her baptism is this weekend! It is going to be awesome!

Well my mind has gone blank again... I cannot remember my weeks anymore. Time is just going by so fast that I don't remember my days anymore. Things are just going way too fast! Before I know it I will be home and wondering where the time has gone. It makes me want to do more with what little time I have, both here on my mission and in life. And good thing I am going in the right path, I see too many people going down hill.

Well I hope that everything is going great up in Utah! I am doing just fine down here.

Love you guys!

Love
Elder Barlocker II

A MEMBER IN HIS AREA POSTED THESE PICS WITH E' BARLOCKER & E' WOODLAND! :) They sure have great smiles!

So the Snow is going away....in UT 2/4/2013

Dear Family,

Yeah, it doesn't feel like I have been out eight months at all. It is going by way fast. Pretty soon I will be hitting 18 months and almost be home. I am liking the mission a lot as of late. Things are going great and people down here are awesome!

It is crazy how many people I know that are leaving for missions or are on one. The Lord is really forwarding the work everywhere. Things are going to change fast within missionary work within the next couple years. Oh and I don't think I told you guys this, but my mission is now one week shorter. Because of the new age change and the amount of time spent in the MTC they had to take a week off of the transfer to accommodate the new guys. So now instead of serving just a little over a full two years I will be cut a week short. Now I will be home at the end of May 2014.

So yeah, nothing too exciting this week. We had interviews with President Killpack last week, and I was the last missionary interviewed. The last the best of all the game! It was a good interview. I look forward to talking with him when I can, Pres. Killpack is an awesome guy!

But I am doing well. Like I said, things are going great and I am enjoying my time serving the Lord. I hope everything is going good back home!

Love you guys!

Love,
E' Barlocker

1/28/2013 UT Snow snow go AWAY!

The last email we sent Elder B we had asked questions at the end so this is his reply:

How are YOU doing?
Good...

Are you and your comp getting along well?
Yes very well. Almost a little too well sometimes,  but we get things done!

What are your goals for the month?
To get one of our investigators baptized.

Who are you teaching?
We have three main people, P, N, and J.

Anything exciting going on?
Well nothing too exciting. We did spend some time in the hospital with another elder. Our district leader got really sick last week and was in the hospital, almost dead, for almost two days. It was scary but we made it fun. But other then that everyone in Willcox is sick so things have been a little slow.

What have been your ups and downs lately?
Yes. There is just a lot going on but not much going on. And after yesterday things have been going great!

So yeah, this week has been slow, like I said. And E' W has been sick quite a bit through the week so that has slowed things down. But I am doing fine down here. The past couple of days have been overcast and it has rain periodically. I kinda like the weather right now.

Thanks for all that you guys do for me. I am trying my hardest to get the Lords work moving down here!

Love You!!

Love,
E' Barlocker II

Another week come to a close...1/22/2013

This week has been a little hectic/stressful. And not much has happened, since I have been getting E' W use to the area. Just a lot of visiting members and all that fun stuff.

Things have been warming up down here. I have no idea what the temp is but it is warmer. Like I said last week our pipes froze and so every night we have to keep the water on just a little so it doesn't happen again. But luckily we haven't had to do that the past couple of days.

Lets see, I am watching one of those hopeless people playing games on facebook, trying to think of what else has been going on. Well last night I got a haircut. I had one of the members that lives just below us do it. I have been going shorter and shorter every time I get a haircut to see what I like. So I almost have a buzz right now, but I like it. I think she posted a pic on facebook of it...

Well if everything goes good this week I will have more to talk about, and maybe I will remember to bring my camera cord... But I hope all is going well with everyone!

I LOVE you guys!

Love,
E' Barlocker II

BURRRR...Ummmm... When is SPRING??? 1/14/2013

This week went by way fast. We did a lot but it seems we didn't to that much because it flew by so quickly. Plus we were looking forward to transfer calls. We found out last night that E' C is leaving. He is headed to my first area, the Binghampton ward in Tucson! I am kinda jealous... But I am getting an elder, E' Woodland, that I know; so it is a little better then not knowing who the heck the elder is going to be.

The weather down here has been pretty dang cold. Cold enough that everyone's pipes have been freezing at night. Ours did that on Sunday so I had to take a sponge bath with freezing cold water. Turns out people in Arizona do not know how to insulate their pipes... But it hasn't been as cold as it is up where you guys are.

The other day we were driving back from San Simon, which is about a 50 mile drive, at night and the wind was blowing way hard. At some points the whole area would light up because there was so much dust in the air and the headlights would light the sky up. And as usual I was driving; I always drive the long distances because E' Childs likes to read his books and things. Anyways, it was dark outside to say the least, and we were going a little over the speed limit. And all of a sudden I see some figures cross the road. The first thing I think of is "Oh crap, I am going to hit a javelina (wild pig)  at **mph!! So I hit the brakes. It only turned out to be a couple tumbleweeds rolling across the road. It was kinda funny but it could have turned out bad. So, we kept on driving. I got back up to my preferred speed and kept going along. Then about five min. later, we were coming around a bend in the road when a four foot round tumbleweed decides to come out on to the road. It hit the front driver side of the car. Scared the carp out of me and E' Childs. Luckily it didn't do anything to the car, because it made a loud sound and exploded. That is probably the most interesting thing that happened to me this week.

Well, this coming week starts a new adventure on my mission. I hope that the new elder is still as cool as I remember him.

Hope everything is going good back home! I LOVE you guys!!!

Love
E' Barlocker II

Don't Know Much...1/7/2013

Things have been going great down here. I don't know if I told you guys this, and I am too lazy to check the blogs, but we have had our zone leader E' Mizera going around with us. His comp went home early for school so E' Mizera has been hopping around the companionships in the zone. So when he is with us we actually have to do work... haha It has been good though. I have kinda corrupted him with playing cards but, we have had a good time.

The weather down here has been cold, kinda like fall in Utah. But going from hot to all of a sudden cold is not fun. In the mornings, sometimes there is ice on the windshields. But being in Arizona we do not have ice scrapers!!!

Our church changed from 11:30 to 9:00 this past week. As usual, not everybody got the message so we had a few extra people and the other ward has a few extra. But it is a good change. Now we are not so hungry during church. Plus last year it was kinda hard to fill in the time from when we woke up till 11:30. But now we do not have to worry about that.

Well I cannot think of anything else to say. I will just upload some pics and call it good.

I hope all is going well with everybody! Don't get too cold up there!

Love you guys!

Love,

E' Barlocker II