61 degrees in South Jordan 2/18/2014

We sent Elder Barlocker a Mystery Package (Strange things we found @ $ Store!)...

I did get the package! haha It was a good one... I don't know if I wanna do the test though, I might be positive... haha But I like it! :)

 

I don't know why I use to hate cleaning out the cars... I love doing it now! haha And trust me, it is a lot more work to clean a missionary car ... haha I'm kinda looking forward to cleaning the cars again... haha

Well this week I had a really good experience when I was sharing a dinner message with one of my favorite families... :) I recently found a new favorite scripture one of our investigators really liked... :) 2 Nephi 33:6 It stuck out to me but I really didn't understand why... But after reading through second Nephi and pondering things, it has a really deep meaning to me... The scripture is a perfect definition of the Atonement: it's plain, it's true, and it is because of Jesus Christ we are saved! But the power that came from my mortal mouth somehow touched the family, and I have never had a message really touch someone like that... I gave the message, but the Holy Ghost taught... Taught both ends of the message... :)

So something else cool I have finally started to realize, I'm not so shy anymore... I still have my moments, but I finally see that I have changed in that aspect! :) Like now I can just strike up a conversation with almost anyone! haha And I like it! haha But I do have to have a reason to talk to them, I don't just go talking to anyone for no odd reason, that's just stupid in my book... haha But I have always wanted to see this moment... From the beginning of my mission, I always wanted to see myself change... And now I can see it in more ways then I ever imagined... :)

The Church is true! Christ is our loving Brother! God is there and He cares! I am more sure of that now then I ever have been... :)

This transfer is tough, but it'll just help me learn and grow... And hopefully the next two will be better - I hope... haha But that's crazy I only have two more transfers left after this one... :\ And today I only have 99 days left... Crap...

Well I love you all! Remember who you are ...! ;)

Love 

Elder Barlocker II

PICS:

1. Guess who that is... haha

2. A scripture cover I hand stitched... :)

3. Bet you can't do that! haha

15!!!!! 2/10/2014

 

-What's new Arizona?

Not much.. The weather is sure great! haha I wish it would stay like this all the time! :)

-How have you been lately?

I've been good......... At least I'm still sane and alive... This is a really tough transfer,

But other than that, I am going good... :) I have been studying the Atonement a lot lately and it has lifted my spirits and helped me live happier... :)

-Best day the past week?

I would have to say yesterday! We had the Sells sacrament meeting and it went great! Instead of having our ward mission leader conduct the mtg. we are now going to be doing that from now on! :) This is my second time conducting and getting everything organized, it is kinda fun... :) But we just had a good turnout and had some good messages... :)

 

-Spiritual experience this past week or two?

Just remind me to show you my study journal from this past week when I get home... I just had a good experience studying the Atonement... :)

-Bed bugs gone? YUCK!!! Makes my skin crawl!

Yup, they've been gone for a while now... :) I've been able to sleep tight and not let the bedbugs bite... :)

-I know I already asked but maybe you know...so what are your plans in 3.5 months?

Get a job and a car... That's as far as I've got... And school, after a bit... :)

-Newmont? SLCC?

Yes... :) And BYU-I is on the table too... :)

 

But things are moving along... :) A lot of people have been cancelling their appointments or just don't call back, but we are trying to get a hold of them... :) But it was just a big week of nothing to do and closed doors... But I have learned a lot this week, so I think it was good... :)

Okay,...I found friends out here that actually care... Sorry if that sounds kinda harsh, but it is what it is... :\ I have made some real friends out here that keep me going... :)

 

I am going to finish my mission strong! I've seen too much failure and disappointment, but I have a drive now that I have never had before... :) The Atonement is real! Christ did suffer and die for each one of us, and His Atonement fixes us, heals us, then continues to nourish us - as long as we are willing to apply it to each and every day of our lives!

 

I LOVE the GOSPEL!

And I LOVE ALL YOU!!!

Thanks for everything!

Elder Barlocker II

 

LIFE IS GOOD! 2/3/2014

Yeah this week wasn't the most successful when it comes to the work... But I did learn a lot about acting on promptings... :) It's something I never really did a lot before and didn't understand... But now I know what it feels like to not act on a prompting you know you should... It is a horrible feeling... But the satisfaction you get from fulfilling it, is awesome! :) It's kind of scary to think that you HAVE to act on ALL the promptings you get, no matter the circumstances... It's essentially God laying out a purpose for you and you have to do it! :) And once you can decipher what satan is trying to make you do and a real prompting, it is so easy; as long as we stay worthy of the spirit! :)

 

So not a lot went on this week... We had two days where we had to go down to the reservation! Those were the two most productive days! haha The ward leaders still think it's a waste of time going down there, ... But it's whatevs... I have a lot more success down there then closer to town, so I'm gunna do what'll touch the lives of more people... :) But our two investigators down there are doing awesome! One of them had a hard time reading the BoM, but we sat and read right through the first four chapters and he loved it! We left him with chapter five to read, lets hope he did! :) The other guy we are teaching down there has no problem reading the BoM! He in fact loves it! :) We don't ever have to give him reading assignments, he just does it! haha I think he is just about to finish up 2 Nephi, he hated the Isaiah chapters... haha don't we all... :)

 

But yeah, nothing much exiting happened... I honestly can't remember what else I did... I'll just have you guys read my journal and stuff if you really want the good stuff... haha :)

But I gotta get going... I'll try to respond to the letters this time {maybe in one big one}, but I'm looking forward to those letter! :)

 

Thanks for everything! You guys are awesome! :) 

 

Love you all!

 

Love 

Elder Barlocker for four more months! 

ONE MORE DOWN! 1/27/2013

-What have you been up to lately? Any good investigators?

Just trying to keep busy... And we just got two new investigators that are way awesome!!! We had one of them come in from an online referral and she called the other one and both are way interested! It is cool to see how the Lord prepares people to receive the gospel... :)

 

-What were your good experiences lately?

Well those two new investigators have been the best experience lately... It is just awesome! I wish I could tell you the whole story, but it'd take too much time... Just remind me to show you in my journal when I get home in a couple months.. ;)

-Are the members still feeding you good? Getting some great upper body mass?jk

Yeah we are getting fed really well... :) And I'm trying to get rid of the upper body mass I have gained... haha I turned my closet into my workout room... :) I don't know if I told you this but my closet is an entire room... haha

-How about you & your new comp...E' Foster?

What about us?... haha

 

-Where is he from & how long has he been out?

Hes been out 17ish months and is from Texas...

-Are you doing good with your B of M reading? How close are you to the end of it?

Well it finished a while ago and just finished the new testament a couple weeks ago... I plan on reading the BoM three more times before I get home, and I am going to finish the D&C once before then too... :) There is a tradition in the mission that when you have 138 days left you read the D&C backwards till the day you go home... I think I'm on 119 or something...........

-So how is it going in AZ? Looks like you have had some nice weather this past week. I would love to be outside in warm weather! Anxious for spring!!

Freaking amazing! haha I love it! :) It has been great weather! I have been driving with the windows open and the other day I went out and washed cleaned and waxed the jeep! It felt so nice! haha I think I'm the only missionary that takes care of the cars... My Jeep, I call it mine because I've had it for so long and taken car of it, but it runs a lot better then any other Jeep in the mission... :) Plus it looks almost brand new... :) Thanks Dad! :)

 

-Hey is your come home date May 27 or 28? Just wondering

I will fly home on the 28th... Probably early in the morning... But yeah, the 28th... :)

-When you do come home don't forget to bring back the GPS so we can use it on our trip to Nauvoo!

Good thing you said that, I was going to forget it... haha

 

-What are your plans when you return home? Besides getting a job of course!

I don't even know... I use to have plans... haha But besides getting a job I want to get a car as soon as possible... I'm hoping Marci finds a good one for her and sells the accord to me... haha But that's about the extent of my plans... :)

So yeah, it's been a good week... Not great but good... It is going to be a LONG transfer... :\ I already have insomnia ... ... So needless to say I'm not getting any sleep anymore...  ... But it's the situation God wanted me to be in...  But really, pray for me... :|

I hope all is going well back home still! I can't wait to be home, but I don't want to leave Arizona...

 

Love you all!!!

Love

Elder Barlocker II

Just Chugging Along...1/21/2014

I have no idea who that family is you were talking about in the ward... haha But that's cool! :)

 

Things are going good down here... :) We just had transfer calls last night, and it turns out I'm staying another transfer here! That is very rare that anyone stays in an area for five transfers... I even started packing before we got the call because I was sure I was leaving... haha I got quite a bit packed and still haven't unpacked it... haha But I'm getting an Elder Foster... I served around him in the Gila, he's pretty cool... It should be a good transfer... :)

But we are just trying to stay busy... We are getting a lot of referrals but none of them are going anywhere... We don't even get to meet half of them... Nobody is ever home!!! But it's all going good... :) Plus the ward is starting to get on things more... Which is nice... :)

But yeah... My mind is all caught up in transfer stuff right now... I can't think of anything else to say... But I'll fill you in on everything next week!!! I'm sure I'll have a lot to say... :)

Love you guys!

 

See ya in a couple months!!!

Elder Barlocker

WAZZZ UP? 1/13/2014

Well I'm glad my mission got you out of a calling... I can come home now and have served a complete mission... haha

But things are going good down here... :) The weather is awesome! haha The other day we were driving all day with the windows open... It was in the mid to low 70's... :) But it does get a little chilly at nights... I'm just glad I'm coming home in May, and not during the winter time... The heat has gotten to me... :\

So on Saturday we were supposed go hear Elder Holland talk up in Phoenix, but his schedule got changed so we didn't get to see him... But we still did go to the mtg. and got to hear from Elder Wright from the seventy... It was a good mtg...

Yesterday was the sacrament mtg. out on the res.... Our ward mission leader usually conducts and presides at the mtg, but on his way down his car broke down... So he gave us permission, through the bishop, to run the mtg... :) I took charge and conducted and set everything up... It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be... It was just weird being like the presiding authority... haha But we had a good mtg. down there and I guess our ward mission leader got his car fixed and all is good there... :)

 

Other then that this week has been pretty normal... Nothing else too special... But things are going good... We have transfer calls next Sunday so we'll see what happens with that...

 

Well I gotta get going, the timer is running low... I'll see ya in about 4 months now... :|

 

Love ya'll

 

Love

Elder Barlocker II

YOUR YEAR TO COME HOME! 1/6/2014

-What did you guys do New Years Eve?

Elder Larsen fell asleep early, so I just tried to stay up... I ended up falling asleep on the couch, but woke up about five min till midnight... So I went to the fridge, got the Martinelli's out, poured a glass, and waited till midnight; at which point I drank the cider, and went to bed... At that point my year was complete... :)

 

The holidays are hard out here... Nobody in Sells was home so we didn't get to go out this week, but we did have a better time in town... The other day we didn't have anything to do, so I brought up the idea that we should drive down to the more densely populated part of our area and ride our bikes to all the members and less-actives! And that is just what we did... :) Biking is fun when you don't have to do it everyday... Even when I did do it everyday I still liked it; it just is hard to ride with someone who doesn't like to ride... haha Plus mtn. biking is fun too if you have someone who is willing... :)

 

Yesterday was nice! We now have 11 o'clock church!!! It is nice to have time to really study in the morning... Plus when we would have ward council, we'd have to wake up at 5:00 and get ready fast then head out to the church... Driving 40 min to church early in the morning is not fun at all...  But this new time is awesome! We usually don't fill up the chapel at all during sacrament, but yesterday we did!!! We had to open up the overflow for a few people even... haha It is really really unusual for that to ever happen... We all decided it was because of both the new time and people starting on their n/yrs resolution to get back to church... haha But it was cool to see so many people there!

 

The most recent convert got up and bore his testimony... It was amazing! You could tell he knew what he was talking about was true! I had gotten up and sat on the stand before him, but let him go ahead of me; it made my testimony easy to give... haha Not much I could say after it... :) But yesterday was like the second or third time I had felt the 'burning in the bosom' on my mission... While I was sitting in my seat I knew I just had to get up there and do it... Someone in the audience needed to hear it, but so did I... It's cool how the spirit can touch so many lives in a simple moment of ones testimony... :)

 

But yeah, this week has been slow... But we did get to see one of our investigators and a bunch of other people that needed an uplifting... :) One lady we visited while riding our bikes had moved in in July and nobody had been able to get a hold of her since then... And we just showed up at the right time! They have had a really hard time in their family... Just before they moved the dad died (in fact that's the reason they moved), and right after that the moms dad died, and I guess a couple weeks ago she just lost her job... But things are going to get moving now that all the ward leaders know when and how to get a hold of her! I love how the spirit directs us to places and people without us even knowing it... :)

 

Well, this week should be a good one!  We are going to the temple tomorrow and we have a bunch more appointments set up! I'm excited!

 

Hope all is going well back home still! :) Keep up the good work!

Love you all!!!

 

Love

Elder Barlocker II

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 12/30/2013

-How the heck are you?

Doing good! Things are continuing to pick up here so I can't complain!

-How was your week?

It was long... The holidays were good, but it just made the work hard for those days hard, so it slowed down for a bit... But nothing bad happened so it was good... :)

-Any good experiences?

One day last week we had to go get our tire changed... And on the way back we stopped by Walmart so Elder Larsen could pick up another white shirt... And the whole day the sisters in our district were not answering any of our texts, which was really weird... But when we were driving past their street to go back to our area, I had a feeling I needed to check on them... I just thought it was nothing, but just in case - I said in my head that if I saw a cop car with its lights on I would tell Elder Larsen to turn around... And not two seconds after that I saw not one, but two cop cars on the side of the road with their lights on... So we turned around and the sisters had just barely gotten to their place to drop something off and were about to leave... It turns out their phone was acting weird and hadn't received hardly anything for a couple of days... So I helped them fix it (restarted their phone) and almost 30 messages came in on it... haha After that they needed someone to go with them to their investigators home to get the baptismal program together for the next day... And if we wouldn't have showed up at that exact time they wouldn't have been able to go... And since we did show up, they got their phone fixed, and they were able to get the baptism in order!

 

And the baptism they had was one of the coolest ones I've been to... The spirit was just so strong! And the confirmation was even better the next day! The spirit is cool... :)

 

It was way fun to talk to you guys!!! It was good to see all your ugly faces! Except for Kate... I only saw her once... Rude... haha jk

 

But things are going good! I don't have much more time to be on here, but I hope you all know I love you all and pray for you each night!

 

Thanks for everything!

 

Love

Elder Barlocker II

MERRY CHRISTMAS 12/23/2013

1.  Can you Skype on Christmas Day?

Yes!

2.  do you know about what time?

We are going to the home we are Skyping at, at around 12ish...

3.  Did you get the second Christmas box from us?

Yes I got both! :)

So things are going good down here... The past couple days it rained on and off... Still nothing compared to snow, but I don't mind... The drivers down here get really bad when it rains, I can't imagine what they would be like if it snowed... But it has been getting a little cooler down here (like 50's)... Doesn't feel like December though, but it feels normal to me... haha I'm glad i'm not coming home in the winter... I would die!

So its just been another week on the mission... Except for the fun surprise that we got! We found out we have bed bugs... I was making my bed one morning (I'm the only elder that I know that does that) and I saw a little bug on my blanket... I squished it and it exploded with blood... So I checked my box spring and sure enough there were little bugs down there... We had two companies come to estimate the place... It is not cheap to get these things gone... But we are getting them exterminated on the 26th! :) It'll be nice to sleep on a bed...

Other then that, its been a normal week... We have gone caroling a couple times and it has been pretty successful... We only had one guy shut the door on us... jerk... But everyone else was glad to see us and didn't mind that we were missionaries... :)

But life is good right now! Things continue to pick up and get better... :) I am looking forward to seeing you guys on CHRISTmas!!! I'll be Skypeing from Sells! haha I'm excited! :)

Well I'll see ya in a couple days! 

Love you all!!!

Love

Elder Barlocker II

This winter stuff is really getting old! 12/16/2013

-How is my favorite missionary doing? Really, how are you?

I am doing great! This week has been filled with really good feelings and really awful feelings... But I talked to President Killpack and things are all good... :) I love being a missionary!!!

-So what's been going on in AZ? 

Really big coats! haha The people down here are whimps! haha Not that I have much room to speak, I have been wearing that sweater the past couple days... And the temps have been in the 50 and 60... I'm glad I'm not going home in the winter... haha

 

-Anything interesting, fun, spiritual, or just plain boring?

I had a cool experience the other day while teaching an investigator... I asked him a question but then realized right after I asked it, I didn't know how to answer it... haha I was freaking out inside, but just tried to stay calm... And when I had to answer him, I just started speaking and the words just came out and he understood... It was cool... :)

 

-What has been the good, bad, ugly?

The Good: the weather

The Bad: Appointments falling through...

The Ugly... Jessica?... idk At least the last time I saw her... :P

***Do you know where and when you will be able to Skype us on Christmas day?***

NOPE... :)

 

-So have you reached your goals of reading the BOM and Bible?

The BOM yes... I'm still working on the Bible... I'm just reading the new testament and should have it done by CHRISTmas eve... :)

-What are your highlights from the past week or two?

Just getting more work done and seeing more of the impact I have as a missionary... :) It's hard too see how much, even as members, of an impact we have on the people around us - and even ourselves sometimes... :)

 

-Investigators doing well?

Yup... :) They are all awesome!

-So what are your plans for this week?

Get work done and have fun! haha Nothing big this week planned, just the normal awesome lessons with great people!

-What are your plans for Christmas week - if you know yet?

All we have planned for that week is our dinners... Yet nobody is feeding us on CHRISTmas as of late... :\

But this week has been awesome! We walked in a parade down in Sahuarita and it took a whole like five min for the whole parade... It was really short but there were a lot of people seeing us! It was fun... :)

 

I can't believe that i'm so close to the end... These past few weeks have been the hardest yet most rewarding... I know if I didn't come on a mission, or even if I came home early, I wouldn't be doing the things I need to stay true... It's really tough, and I know we are all blessed to be member of the church! I hope everyone can jump on the challenge and finish the BOM before I get home! It'll be good and Moroni 10 has some great promises if you just do what it says! (and yes that was kinda directed toward Marci...) But I hope Kaitlyn, Jessica, Kevin, Nathan, and Dad also take the challenge...

Well my time is being cut short today... Hope all keeps going great! Keep being awesome!!!

Love you all!!!

 

Love

Elder Barlocker II

IT IS SNOWING...well at least in UTAH! 12/9/2013

Yeah so we had transfer calls last night... And it sucks because our zone is always the last to be called, so we were up until 11:30 waiting... ugh... But come to find out only one person from our zone left... So Larsen and I are staying another one!!! :) That means I'll have six months in this area and after that I'll probably only have one more area... :\ It's weird...

And no I didn't get the package... Both the mailing system down here and the mission office aren't too good... But I'm sure I'll get it sometime this month... :)

 

This week has been stressful... Every transfer week is... I even got sick because of it... :\ I can't wait to get home and not have to worry about transfers... I just can't wait to get home! ha-ha But I'm doing my best to stay focused... :)

So I get another six weeks to work on the reservation... :) It is fun to work out there... Last Tuesday we had a big zone exchange and I took one of our zone leaders out there and we had a blast! ha-ha There is one member down there that live like three miles from the border, so when they didn't answer, we went and saw the border... ha-ha It was cool... :) Oh and there is a pic for Jessica.. HORSES!!!! ha-ha

Other then that exciting stuff its been pretty normal... We have a LA family feeding us on CHRISTmas eve, and the dad is a gourmet chef... It should be good... :) And that all we have planned so far for the holidays...

We got another investigator this week and he is actually in town! ha-ha Turns out not all our work is on the reservation anymore... ha-ha The work is slowly picking up... :)

Ugh... Sorry I don't write too much... I do write in my journal every night but I cannot remember anything that happened at all... I had to think hard to remember seeing the border... ha-ha My brain is turning to mush...

 

I hope everything is going well back home... Things are getting harder but easier down here... :) I'm loving it... :)

 

I Love you all!!!

Love

 

Elder Barlocker II

A New Year Approaches 12/2/2013

-So what has been going on this past week or so?

Missionary work... haha We got permission from President Killpack to go down to the reservation more often... Before we were only allowed one time a week, now he gave us two to three times!!! I expressed how there is a lot more work happening down there then before (more then in town...) and I told him that he should split the area this next transfer; so we can get more attention down there... He called me last Monday and worked out some things to see how much work really is out there... I don't know why, but I really feel the reservation need to have its own set of missionaries and I am willing to do anything to get that for them... :)

-Anything good/exciting/new?

Read above :)

-What have been the best times this past month?

Teaching our investigator! :) And now we have a second one, they are both in Sells! haha They are both pretty solid in their own ways... They both know what they want and know how to get it... :) It's just a matter of time and work... :)

 

-What were your challenges in Nov?

Being really really trunky... haha

-Who are your investigators?

We have two peeps in Sells that we are teaching... :)

-What has been your saving grace on your mission? (what makes it all for the best)

Everything I get to learn from and that pushes me to be better... :) Without my mission I can almost guarantee that I would be inactive... Just being out here has made it worth it... :) Plus all the friends I have made, make it a lot more worth it... :)

-Is there anything we can do for you/send you?

That grey sweater that has the little zipper at the top... :)

-How are you and E Larsen getting along?

Really well... You keep asking this question... Do you expect us to not get along?...haha

-When are next transfers?-

On the 10th...

So Thanksgiving was fun... :) We got a lot of freaking food... haha And it was all good... :) Last Thanksgiving was the first time I remember trying the cranberry stuff and I love it! haha On Thursday we had a huge meal! There were ten people there, the family and then both the sisters missionaries in our ward and us... It was fun... :) The family we went to is one of the ones you can joke around with a lot...

 

Our second Thanksgiving dinner on Friday was great! We had chicken instead of turkey, but it was still really good... :) One thing that stood out to me this Thanksgiving was all the things we do have... Back home I always had everything I needed and really couldn't comprehend not having everything... But since being on my mission and seeing those who don't have all they need or even want, it makes me thankful of what little I do have... I mean I sat down to two huge meals with ease while there are some who maybe only got one little meal... It's interesting to see how the gospel can give more, both spiritually and physically... :)

 

This past Saturday we helped the family we ate at on Thanks giving move... They just moved to another part of their neighborhood... We got there at 9:30 in the morning, and finished the move at almost 9:00 at night... haha It was a lot of work and it was a stressful move, but it is done and we had a good time... :)

 

But things are going well... We are getting to talk to a lot more people in Sells and the work is moving a long... :) Only six more months and you'll have to deal with me again!!! :P

 

I love you all!!! Keep being who you are!!!

 

Love

Elder Barlocker II

PICS:

1. Tucson from a hill in our area...

2. The tank in Sells (idk if i'd shown you this...)

 

 

THANKSGIVING 11/25/2013

1.  What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

- We have a family having us over, the Roberts, they are freaking awesome! Brother Robert kinda reminds me of uncle Lynn, just without all the guns... haha But then the day after Thanksgiving we are having another Thanksgiving meal with another legit family... haha

2.  What are your plans for your slump day?

- I don't even know... The tradition is to burn a pair of pants, so I'm going to do that of course... ha-ha But it'll just be another day as a missionary... :)

3.  How is the GPS working?

- By electricity as usual... duh... ;) But it is doing us whole bunches of good! :)

4.  Do you still like getting letters in the mail, or just email?

- I love getting letters, I just hate trying to write back... But having an empty mailbox is kinda depressing... ha-ha But emails are always a plus too... haha

First off I haven't forgotten everyone back home, you can just say Ashley and Sean... haha in fact there was a poster down in Tucson last year that had a guy that looked like Sean... ha-ha And I'm going to miss Thanksgiving... ha-ha But this'll be the last one I'll be away for!!! :)

This week we had a jdub come to our door... haha Out of all the places to get someone at your door I never thought it would be here... ha-ha She came early and we weren't even ready for the day so we were still in our pj's... ha-ha Kinda just threw a pamphlet on us and went away... I kinda wish she came a little later so two missionaries would have answered the door... haha. But we were both so shocked that someone was at our door, we didn't even try to contact her... ha-ha

So we had a half mission conf. this past week... An Elder Johnson of the Seventy came and spoke to us... It was crazy to see how many missionaries were there... We filled the whole chapel and then some... Last year that is how big the whole mission was, now it only takes half to fill a stake center... ha-ha But it was a good mtg. and I got to see some old pals from the mission... :)

A couple days ago we went to go and see a referral that we got last week... After meeting with him and setting up another appt. we had a lot of time left before our next appt... But as we were driving out of the neighborhood, we saw a man in a wheelchair trying to get his mail, so we decided to go and talk with him... He was way nice and we had a good discussion with him. Then we took in his trash cans and helped him get back into his house... I don't know how in the world he was going to get back up his driveway without anyone's help... He was really tired and it was getting cold, and we just happened to show up and be able to help him back in... He gave us his phone number and we are going to go back sometime this week to visit with him and his family... :) It was cool to see how God places us in certain situation like that... :)

The rest of the week has been pretty normal... Locked gates and no one home... But it's all good... We had a good week. Plus we had a great time in Sells... :) I freaking love that place! I'm gunna ask President Killpack if I can be assigned specifically there... It would be a lot of work but fun!

A comment on me sending more pictures... If I get more pictures from you guys in the mail, I'll send more to you... Deal?

Well, I've got to get on with my p-day... It should be a good one... :)

Hope all is going well back home!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Love

Elder Barlocker II

PICS

1. Elder Larsen and I

2. The half mission conf...

3. Elder Black, Seare and I :)

WINTER IS TRYING TO COME… NOV 18, 2013

-How have you been doing? Good... :)

-Have you been using the GPS? Does it work? Yes and yes! It helps a ton!!! Thanks!!!

-What was your favorite thing(s) we have sent you? The GPS and the fixin's for peach cobbler... :)

-Do you need to send a few things back before you come home?

Probably, I'm gunna try to slowly get rid of things this last little bit... But we'll see...

-Anything funny/fun happen these past few weeks?

Um... People have answered the door this week! haha It's kinda funny to think we have to worry about that... lol But it mostly is a problem that their gate is going to be locked, everyone out here has a gate... :\

-What are your spiritual experiences lately?

Just the lessons we have with our investigator! He is freaking awesome! It's hard to find a person that is so willing and wanting to learn of the gospel, I always look forward to the one hour drive to his house! haha

-Will you please send a pic of you & E' L? No...

-Are you two getting along ok?

Not at all I hate the kid to death... lol It would be really hard not to get a long with him! He is an awesome missionary and friend!

-Any investigators? One... :)

-What is your best memory/experience so far on your mission? Let me get back to you on that... :)

-What pranks have you done lately?

None... :( Elder L doesn't like pranking... But I always have silly string and a water gun at the ready... haha

-What pranks were pulled on you? I'll have to write about it all... But none lately

-Who is your Dist leader? Elder L... Hey question: was dad any type of leadership on his mission?...

-Do you know any Spanish speaking elders? Elder L and about half of our mission... haha

-DO YOU STILL HAVE THE CHRISTMAS TREE & DECORATIONS? Or do we need to send more?

No. And if you want to send me more you can, but please nothing with the tinyest bit of glitter...

-What are your plans for when you come home in 6 months? I have no idea... haha

-Any questions or concerns? Too many... haha

But this week was a good one... I was going to bring my journal so I could tell you what went on but i forgot... ha-ha Plus all the spanish missionaries have taken over our library and I had to wait over an hour to email... ugh... So I forgot half the things I was going to tell you... ha-ha But if I do get around to writing a letter, I'll tell you everything... :)

And honestly, members have the easiest job in missionary work... I can't wait till I get home and have it easy... ha-ha But like you said it does take a lot of getting use to... Please utilize the gospel and its blessing as much as possible... No matter what... It's worth getting made fun of or ridiculed over the gospel... :)

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Hope you week turns out great!!!

Love

Elder Barlocker II

WHATEVER NOV 12, 2013

Sorry I didn't email yesterday... Dumb holidays... haha At least I get to look forward to Christmas and Mothers day! haha :)

This week has been interesting... I didn't think what happened would effect me so much... It's weird to think of how fragile our lives are... The lives we live are fragile, but the life we have is not... Idk if that makes sense... But the treasury makes cents so... ;) But I got a blessing from my comp a couple nights ago and that really helped... :) I'm am still amazed at the power the gospel has in everything...

But this week has been the same old same old... Except for we went down to sells three times this week... haha I wish I could always be down there, we have a lot more success on the nation then in town... haha Unfortunately we had to cancel the sells mtg. this week because someone else had the building we use reserved... The member that coordinates it tried to get another building, but no luck... We're shooting for next week so hopefully it happens!!!

My birthday was good... Birthdays on the mission are dumb... haha Can't do anything fun, just the same old same old... And in three points it gets really old... haha but I like it out here... Not too many people can handle this area, but so far i'm holding up... I just hope I stay this next transfer so I don't have to move before Christmas again...

But yeah, it's been a weird week... It's picking up though! And i'm sorry that I don't have a lot to write about, my minds been going nuts the past few days...

I'll be sending more letters out as they come! Thanks for not forgetting about me! haha

I'm so dang close to the end of my mission... Crap... You guys better be ready for me when I get home... I don't know if i'll be ready to come home... haha But I'm staying strong!

Thanks for everything!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Love

-Elder Barlocker II

Ps I wrote a poem in honor of Ryan... I'll attach it also... It kinda shows how precious life really is...

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PICS

1. First egg nog of the year!!!

2. My last District... well minus two

3. One of the other two not in the picture before! (Elder Huff - awesome kid!)

Missionaries over for dinner 11/6/2013

Hi Bro. and Sis. Barlocker,

We recently had your son, Elder Barlocker, and his companion and two sister missionaries in our home for dinner. After dinner, I took a couple of pictures of them and I thought you might enjoy seeing them. I've attached them to this email. I also want to let you know that your son is doing very well here in southwest Tucson. He's served in our ward for a couple of months and he's an outstanding missionary. He and his companion, Elder Larsen, are very hardworking and diligent and we are very blessed to have them serving in our ward. They definitely brought the spirit into our home this evening and we appreciate so much all that they do for our ward.  Thank you for raising such a fine son. 

 

Take care!

Marilyn Baird

WEEK OF FUN & OTHER THINGS NOV 5, 2013

-How was your week?

It has been good! :)

-What is your new comp like?

He is awesome! Think of the nicest person you have ever met and thats him! ha-ha

-Where is he from? WV

-Getting along so far?

Heck yeah! ha-ha It would be hard not to get along with him... :)

-What's the weather like lately?

Great! Not too hot and the nights it gets cold!

Well this week was just another stressful week... Not too stressful though, Elder Larsen has made it the most bearable transition so far... :) We've just been getting him use to the area... There is a lot to get use to cuz it is so different from all other areas in the mission... ha-ha. I took him down to the Nation (reservation) last Saturday and we didn't get as much done as I wanted, but we had a good time! It just makes me sad how little attention they get down there... I hope you guys are giving the needed attention to people back home - you have not excuse not too, they're all within walking distance! Just sayin'...

But it's still the same old same old... It's going well though... :) Sorry I didn't email yesterday, Elder Larsen got really sick... So we spent the whole day at home... But he is doing better now! It was really hard for me to be stuck in the trailer all day long... ha-ha But I got a lot of study in, so that's good! :)

Sorry I don't have a lot to talk about... Everything is going good and nothing too exciting has happened yet, so... I'll let ya'll know if something does come up... :)

I'll have some pics next week too... sorry...

Love You ALL!!!!

Love

 Elder Barlocker II

KEEPING BUSY OCT 21, 2103

This week was kinda slow... Not much went on, just a lot of locked gates, people avoiding us, and empty houses... :\ But it has been a good week nonetheless... I kinda figure that it you cannot judge the day in the moment, because we are all going to have good and bad parts of the day. And to gauge your day, I believe it comes from your end result feeling - the things you learned and grew from. Plus writing in a journal really does help a lot! I have a habit of writing at the end of each entry "Tomorrow IS going to be a great day!" A positive attitude is needed, even when it's not necessarily wanted... :)

Last night I had a cool/interesting experience with scripture study... I was listening to that song by the UT sate prison, and reading random scriptures... And I don't know what happened but I just felt the spirit way strong! At that moment I knew what I was reading was true! It was just a special moment in life that I'm sure will go a long way! :)

This week we went to the Saguaro National Park! It was...cool.... We live in a desert so to see it condensed isn't too much to get excited about... haha But it was cool to see how many cactus' can be in one place! And some of them get huge! It's amazing to see how tall and what shapes they get into sometimes... haha But it was cool... :)

The other day my iPod fell out of my pocket and cracked the screen... :\ But it still works fine... :) Elder Seare was more sad about the screen breaking then I was... ha-ha I really didn't mind...

So I have been trying to get out letters... They are coming... Slowly... :)

Well that all I have to say... Sorry I don't have a lot to say.. :\ Thanks for all you guys do for me!!!

I love you all!!!

Love

Elder Barlocker II