Elder Kyson Spendlove

Week 2                                                                                                               June 23, 2015

Hey Family, It was so good to open my email this morning and receive so many emails. I have such a hard time reading them all in 1 hour. So this week has been so amazing and full of the spirit. Our investigators are our teachers and we have committed all of them to be baptized in the first lessons and all but one of them has said that they would be baptized. The feeling of speaking the Spanish language is still really weird, but I am loving the language a lot. Most of my days are so packed with study and lessons of the language and the BOM that I barely have time to think about anything else, and I love that. P-Days are full of laundry, emails, soccer, and pictures so we stay very busy. My companion is from Hawaii and played football. When he gets home from his mission he is going to be playing football at Utah State University. Hopefully we will see each other! He is the oldest in his family and was a video gamer, but he is such a hard worker and good example for me and everyone around him. I just found out the Ryan is going to Independence Missouri, and I am so happy for you Ry!!! Kelci and Ryan, there have been hard days for me already when I thought, man it would be so nice to go home. I promise if you find a way to turn outward like the Savior does and find someone to serve, like your companion, you will be okay and will gain such a testimony from the hard times. 

Sounds like Skyler needs some more lessons from me on how to keep your hands away from a moving prop, but I am so glad he is okay.

Ryan and Jaden, Thank you so much for always keeping my mom’s spirits up and being there for her. I look up to you two so much out here and love both of you so much. Every night I look at my family pictures and then I sit and look at the picture of us three from soccer and I am so glad I had your guys example in my life.

Dear Dad, Happy Father’s Day! Sorry my card did not make it to you in time. I could not get stamps until this morning so I sent it this morning with a few others letters inside of it. Thank you for your amazing example to me and for always teaching me to work hard. Sorry I could not call but please know I pray for you each and every day. Hope you have an amazing day.

I am loving the new culture and cannot believe I only have 4 weeks left here. It flies by so fast. 

The picture I sent last week from  the airport that has the 2 hermanas we talked to in it. The one by Elder Falk is the one I sat by and visited with on my flight from SLC to Mexico. 

Oh, also Elder Lakey and I got made Zone Leaders this week and we are in charge of 3 districts! It is a great experience to serve the lord. Cannot wait for more chances every day.

Thank you all for your support and prays. I love you all so much and can feel your prayers in my behalf.

yo se que la iglesia es verdad, y yo se que jesucristo es mi salvador. Estoy muy agradacido por mi beniciones. en el nombre de jesucristo, Amen.

Con Amor,

Elder Spendlove 

Elder Tanner Barlow

Well folks i cant believe im saying this but this will be my last email.  its been a nice two years and ive learned a lot and am excited to come home.  there are many here that would like me to stay but when its time to move on its time to move on.  this week was really exciting.  we went and visited the miricle of last week who will be baptised this friday.  we also had to go and do 3 baptism enterveiws for our distritct who are really trying to work hard and we are seeing the fruits of are work.  So schedule for this week. today until friday just another normal week.  friday at 12 baptism at 1 my president is personaly coming to get me in which we will go directly to a mesuiam where all the other missionarys from my generation will be.  saterday at four am im at the airport and at 9 pm im in sweet old st. george.  For those who would still like to right me my email address is 13barlolest@gmail.com.  love you all and want to end with  my testimony that i know that God lives and that He love each and everyone of us more that we can ever truly understand.  i know that if we put our lives in harmony with his will we will be able to feel that love in our lives through the Holy Ghost.  i know that the prophet Joseph Smith was called of God and that he restored the true church of Christ on the earth in these the later days. i know that the Book of Mormon is proof of Gods love and that Joseph trully was His prophet and that no man will be able to be more closer to God than by the books teachings.  The Book of Mormon truly testifies of Christ and His sacrifice for us.  of this i bear my humble testimony in the name of that man who i have come to love so much, yea in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Con Amor

Elder Barlow

God be with you till me again.

Elder Kyson Spendlove

My First Week in the CCM!                                   June 16, 2015 

Hello everyone, 

To start off I want to say how blessed I am to be a missionary of the Lord. I feel your prayers everyday through the love of my CCM family. 

So the plane flight was way different then I was expecting it to be but I loved it so much. Sorry to say, I did not read your letters on the flight because I had the awesome blessing of sitting by a older women who only spoke Spanish. I got to talk to her for 4 hours all the way to Mexico city. 

So for those of you who do not know. CCM stand for Centro capatación misioneros. or in other words MTC. So the CCM is very pretty and green. About8 pm every night it rains and it feels so amazing. Also, if you want to see a big city you need to look up videos of a flight over Mexico city. It is huge and super noisy for the fact we are in the middle of it all. At night time it is hard to sleep because of the noise of the traffic. But what an amazing experience.

My companions name is Elder Lakey. He lived in Hawaii and is huge! He is so much taller and built bigger than me, but I love him so much. Also, we get along so well. He does not have a lot of support from his parents by mail but he got a few emails today so he is doing good. He knows Spanish pretty well and has been helping me all along the way. 

In my district there is 4 elders and 2 sisters. They are like family already and I spend all my time with them so I love them. So far Me and Elder Lakey, along with Hermana Odell, one of the sisters in my district are the only ones going to Fort Worth Texas.

By the way mom and dad thank you so much for the package. My whole casa of elders had a shoe shining party today and loved the cookies and milk!

The most surprising thing that has happened so far is the fact that we have already taught an investigator named Jósue. We have taught him 3 times this week in complete spanish and both Elder Lakey and I bore our testimonies and asked if he would be baptized and he said yes!!! Please pray for him. I believe he has felt the spirit and wants so much more in his life.

The food here is so amazing and fattening, but I just try to watch what I eat. Also, Elder Lakey and I used to have to find places to sit so we could be by the Latinos, but now they all try to find us because we teach them english while they teach us spanish. 

I am sorry to all of you that have written me letters and I have not written back. The problem is I barely have time to think of sleeping or home. I am loving the letters tho, and I have letters coming home soon. I will not send a lot by mail because the stamps are 13 pesos a stamp and we only get 100 pesos a week for necessary supplies en la Tienda.

Same with E-mails. I just do not have a lot of time while in the CCM, but once I get out I will have a little more time. 

I am sorry for the shorter letter and for not sharing a lot, if you want to know anything else please email me and let me know. I love all of you so much and am praying for your safety. Please keep me and my companion in your prayers as we continue to study the hard but fun language of Spanish. Please remember how much our heavenly father loves you and always pray to him for strength in your hard times. Until next week...

Con Amar, 

Sincerely, 

Elder Spendlove

 Also, I forgot to mention. There is 46 missionaries in our Generation. ( what we say for our group that we flew out with.)

And I love wearing my name tag because not only does it have my name that I need to live up too, but it has the lords name that I get to live up to share with people all the time.

 Wow I keep forgetting, but I do have to tell you that I am known for my soccer skills by the latinos. Today we are going to play with them and all of them want me on there team. I love you all.

Elder Tanner Barlow

SO the week was pretty boring.  we went to the offices all day on wensday so i did nothing.  but the miricle of the week came on sunday.  ok so we get miricles everyday but the biggest happened on sunday.  

so we get to church and there are no investigadores.  for that matter there was hardly any members.  so im bumed cause if there are no investigadores there are no baptisms cause they need at least five.  so here im saying so im not going to baptise before i go home and boom.  in walks a sister and walkes up to us and says elders i want to be baptised.  ok so we talked to here and she is an old investigador who realized that this really was what she was supposed to be doing.  she has more than the five times to the church she needs and has all the lessons.  so we just have to pass over the lessons again and yea.  just in enough time.  well love you all 

Elder Barlow

Elder Tanner Barlow

Hello family and friends.

i actually have a while to write you guys so maybe this letter will be a bit longer.

I am happy to say that if all goes well (and we are doing everything in our power so that it does go well) we will have a baptism this Sunday.  His name is juan carlos and truthfully he is a miracle.  He is the worker for one of the members here and when we first started teaching him he was truly a man without faith nor (so he says)  need of God.  But something we have seen is that he was very humble and really wanted to learn.  It started out slow first with faith that took a day.  Then repentance another,  Prayer almost two.  But then the miracle happened and boom he started learning left and right.  His prayers improved and since then he has only grown in faith and knowledge of the church.  It’s amazing how God has prepared even the non-believers as the book of Mormon calls them.  That and we and the brother who first introduced us, are convinced that God sent us for a reason.  i say it’s because my companion and me both like music and so does our investigator..  The brother says its because me and my comp are full of the love of Christ and knowledge of the gospel.  in the end who knows.

Something interesting this week,  my comp had a I meeting with all the district leaders zones leaders and assistant’s., and im talking the old assistant. AP.  I start telling him how i think its amazing how in the book of Mormon, there are so many other people that the laminites  could have battled with but they focused on the nephites because that’s what God told Nephi he would do to remind them of the gospel.  So the assistant looks up at me and says "there were more than just the nephrites and Lamanites ."  i explain how at least the people of zarahemla and the last of the jaredites where around until the book of Mosiah and how it was with that king that they found zarahemla and just a bit before the jaradites were killed.  He then says "the book of mormon  isn’t true."  he clarified that he was joking but it was nice to see that it doesn’t matter if your assistant or junior companion there is always something more you can learn.

Last night we had our first family ward night.  it was a blast. we talked about the Sabbath day and autosuficiencia.(sorry dont know how to spell that in english.)  then did a game after words.  it was fun and we all left better than when we came.  Makes me sad that i won’t be here for another.  The bishop says that he only wants one every three months cause if not the members just  get bored.  

well thats my week love you all

Edler Barlow

Elder Tanner Barlow

Dear Family,

This week was really busy.  

to start out with we did divisions.  its good to see the view points of other elders so that we can progress and grow.  then i taught english to a super awesome family here.  the sister who is twenty gets the most of what i say and speaks pretty well also.  her husband thats another story.  there boy, well he still struggles speaking spanish since he is only 3.  but anyway the sister was telling me how she met her husband how six months later they got married and im like oh such a nice story.  then i found out she is only 20 and got married at 16!   i guess there is nothing wrong with that but i personally feel its just a bit to fast.  and young. to start a family.   oh we had interviews with presidente  Anaya.  i just love my president he is so wise and just super cool.  i dont think there is a time when ive been with him that i havnt had a super spiritual experience.  any way then to cap off the week we had Juan Carlos at church.  he said it is way different from the catholic church but way nice feeling also.  we are going to really get busy with him this week cause when the ward asked if he was a member he said. "im here does that make me a member cause id like to be"  in missionary talk that says i want to be baptized.  so we are going to start getting him ready.  

Well pretty sure thats all

Love you all 

(os queiro) hahaha old spanish

Elder Barlow

Elder Tanner Barlow

Dear Family,

 I'm glad that I'm writing now cause its hailing outside,  and raining very hard, so glad I'm not out in it.   This week was pretty normal.  Only that from Monday till Wednesday we didnt have a phone that worked.  it was a little hard  to report everyone home at nights but its all good now.

  We found a new investigator this week that was very enlightened and actually told us the majority of our own doctrine,  unfortunately ( here come the but. ) but he had a couple of things way out of proportion and wouldn't stop talking to let us help him put all this info in its right place.  Tomorrow though he said he would be more silent and let us talk.  Guess we will see how it goes.  We also have Juan Carlos who has been progressing nicely.  We are hoping that his prayer was answered the other day.  He asked that God would give him more work in the member’s hamburger store.  So i guess today we are going to go check that out.  

In other news, i now have an awesome Mexican backpack.  a couple of missionary’s were shopping and found me one.  Today we did par core in the park. ( And by us i mean my comp.  ) He is the brains on what to do (flips wall jumping things like that) and HE is the person who does them.

 I am the official filmer /dj/ medic.  It’s fun.  So hope everything is going well at home love you all 

Elder Barlow

 Me, even though I promise I am a lot thinner.

Me in a few months!

Elder Tanner Barlow

Elder Tanner Barlow

Dear Family,

Ok this week was awesome.  We did a contacting activity and contacted like 15 people in my area.  That was every companionship.  We had three in my area so it was great.  We talked to my investigator Enrique, and he is still super animated  to go and learn about God and the church.  

 I found out that they are filming the new James Bond movie in my mission! Talk about awesome.   Today i found out that Jenifer Lopez was in a mall in my mission.  Also fun stuff happening here right now.  On the other hand you have 5 fingers.  Then we are eating lunch and we had an earthquake but it was so small that we almost didn’t notice it.  Any way its raining and cold at nights here right now, but  we are burning up with heat during the day. All part of the season changes I guess.   i just love my misision.    I   dont know what more to say.  I’m so happy and so ready to keep going.  

 Love you all

Elder Barlow

Elder Tanner Barlow

Hello Family,

Well,  this week was ok i guess.  It’s been freezing down here at nights and the rain doesn’t help but don’t you worry mom, cause im from Utah and can handle a bit of cold.  The funny one is my comp who gets ready to leave with his sweatshirt long sleeve shirt heavy duty pants 3 socks and his snow boots to leave into what i call a maybe 60 to 70 degree weather.  The works been kinda slow here.  We cant contact `passed 6 cause everyone is in doors and they don’t want to answer the door for fear of being robbed.  And during the day the rest, just people working so they dont have time.  But thats ok!  one of these days itll pick up here.  so are land lord came and checked out our house and called it a dump so now i have two guys working on my house remodeling it. it’s been kinda cool.  The problem is we have house checks this week so i dont know if my pres will be to happy with us living in a construction zone,  but I guess he knows about it so….  any way that’s what’s going on down here in Mexico best of wishes to all….

Elder Barlow

Elder Tanner Barlow

Whats up, how ya doing.

So this week was awesome. We got to visit with people, we got to teach and find new people to teach, and in the end it was just a fun week.  This week i went on divisions with Elder Taylor who was my district leader in the MTC.  It was super fun.  Then the next day my comp comes home from the divisions sick, but like the cool Elder he is we still went to work. (He blames me for him being sick cause i didn’t cook his eggs with salt.  Do we do that or am i just out of the loop? but he was just joking) Any way then on Saturday we did service Project for a nice old member of the Ward and repainted his entire house, installed new Windows and fixed his wáter tank (for those of you back home they have these big huge tanks down here for there wáter)  but luckily we had like 15 other members from the ward helping us.  And today i went to the black market down here and bought me. a speaker, a Green laser, an old time stop watch you know the one that you click and it flips open.  a regular watch,  three Mexican tie pins, and a 34 gig usb all for dirt cheap and they all work.  Go TEPITO!

So think that’s  all,  lots of love

Elder Barlow

Elder Tanner Barlow

Hello Everyone,

So this week was awesome, I found out that 4 of the 6 elders in my MTC  district are in my zone right now and I saw them at our dodge socks (we used socks in place of balls) zone activity.  It was nice to talk to them and see how much we have all grown.   One of them is having a rough time with his comp but he is in my district so I’ll be able to see him a lot and talk to him and help him, i hope.  Any way this week we did divisions and that was fun like always. Helping guys get to were they are suppose to be,  then we set two dates for baptism.  One to Diana and one to Enrique.  Both really good.  .   its super-hot down here (ok not as hot as it gets up there but hotter than it normally is down here)  i just love my comp he is so awesome.  lastly i went to sams club today and we bought 1357 pesos worth of food for the month.  it was scary to see the price,  but for a month worth of food for the both of us it was actually a great buy. Um don’t know what more to say

Love you all

Elder Barlow

Elder Tanner Barlow

SO i am truly humble this week.  we got to see meet the Mormons and at the part where the missionary gets his call i could not help thinking about my own mission.  the call the airport the mtc and at last mexico.  and as i was thinking i could not help but see all ive gone through.  cousins coming and going leaving me the only one in the field(at least till june 10, GO Elder Spendlove!)  but truly i am happy to see the change that has come to me through my mission to see the the old childish and easy to anger elder barlow to the humble maybe a little childish but faithful Elder Barlow i am today.  To those going out i will say be strong.  this will never be easy.  you will cry you may fall on your knees crying.  But this i will bear my testimony on. THE LORD WILL HELP YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY!!!!   when the mission gets tough its just cause He is caring  for you and giving you the opportunity and blessing of being close to him.

ok now on to other stuff.  this area is pretty good but its def been hard.  my comps awesome and has been very good.  um im junior comp which is really been weird not having to make all the decisions. I havn't been JR since like the first of my mission.  um i live with members who have some money so we have been eating diner with them a lot.  um im super happy to be here and i am loving every minute of it.  P.S. mom if i dont come back its cause are landlords dog has eaten me my shoe 

lots of love 

Elder Barlow

Elder Tanner Barlow

Dear  Family

SO i guess i have to make a billion apologies.   Last week i didn’t write a letter , because my mind was so occupied with applying for university’s and it just totally spaced my mind to write a letter. I was visiting with my mom and so I didn’t think about it.   So let’s jump to this week.    39 lessons which maybe isn’t the most lessons I’ve  got but im still leading out my district. Which is the point, as a district leader you know to be the example.   Um we had four investigators at church, that was awesome. But the sad thing is the two who were going to be baptized this week didn’t go so i wont be baptizing.  This week, ive  caught be the head flu.  yep feel like my ears are clogged my throat cut and my nose running, its very weird and i dont like it.  Um I went to my first Jehovah witness meeting on Thursday.  We were going to dinner with a member and she wasnt there so we started walking, we found their  church and they invited us in.  It was interesting but i didn’t like it.  Um today thought we went ice skating which is really fun.   There’s a three story mall in my mission which is just like an American mall I promise and on the last floor they had an ice skating ring so we went.  Pretty sure that’s all for today.  Love you all so much.  

Elder Barlow

Elder Samuel James

I've been sent home. I was having trouble with sleeping and stress. So let's cover the questions on everyone's minds. First things first, I was given an honorable medical release. I will be doing some counseling at LDS Family Services. If I'm able to figure everything out then the door is open for me to go back out and finish off my two years. I am not required to do so, but as things stand now I plan on taking that chance. From what I understand, I will be sent right to the field and not need to go through the MTC again. The second question that you're all asking is, "Are you ok?" The answer is yes. I am ok. I know that my Father in Heaven is watching me and that he loves me. Whether or not I can see the big picture is unimportant. As is said in the hymn Lead Kindly Light, "I do not ask to see the distant seen, one step enough for me". Thank you for all of your support, I hope that I am able to go back out and that if I do I still have all of your support.

-- 

Con amor,

Elder Samuel James

Elder Tanner Barlow

So I’m pretty sure that if i get another week like this one im going to have to have a nice long talk with God. No before you get all your worries up (mom) let me explain.  This wasn’t really a bad week just not the best. We start out with Thursday. Divisions and i get to spend a day with my MTC companion who is now my zone leader.  It was fun to catch up and talk (all in Spanish i was so happy to show him i can actually say more than three words like the first time we were together.) so we are eating tacos al pastor (my favorites) and the sister say ” oh did you hear sister so and so, died yesterday and they’re  having her funeral today. Now that’s sad but didnt know the sister to well so we didnt go. Ok Friday comes along and my comp and i are going to visit a recent convert who tells us the patriarch just died and they’re going to have his funeral also. Now we knew him really well so we went and said are last goodbyes.  Get home there’s no gas and the land lord doesn’t want to go buy any and it’s the end of the month so we dont have any money to go buy some.  Friday till Monday, no hot water. Tried to wash with ice water that left the tap and almost had a body shut down.  Normally for those who dont know im jumping freezing water all the time with no problem but i figure now that ive shed off so much insolation that i cant do that any more.  So i had to wait till today to shower again.  Now that i think about that probably shouldn’t of said that but oh well..  Dont worry used plenty of deodorant and that manly spray good stuff.  Good news the lady we are teaching is still getting baptized and she is so excited. She had lots of problems this last week and when we said sorry she said nope its just the devil trying to stop me from doing this so im so doing it.  Any ways im happy (and now extremely humbled by the gas thing jajaja) love you all so much

Con amor

Elder Barlow

Elder Samuel James

Right into the week.

Tuesday. We sang Lead Kindly Light in choir. Had a devotional, in which my district were ushers, by Elder M. Russell Ballard. Highlights. It's no small thing to be a missionary. If you have a moment of discouragement, write a letter to Joseph in Liberty Jail to cheer him up. Elder Dangelo gave the opening prayer and Hermana Dustin gave the closing prayer. I think you can see that devotional online.

Wednesday. Elder Porter and I went to the doctor because I've been having a really hard time sleeping. Then we hosted again. Then we got to leave mission boundaries to stop by a pharmacy to get me some medicine. Then we taught a great lesson.

Thursday. I played volleyball in Gym and I managed to spike the ball a few times and block it a few times even though I'm 5'7 and have white-boy-hops. (Yes, that is the technical term). I went to the councilors about my sleeping and stress and it really helped me. Then when I got back to the class room everyone was really excited to see me and really welcoming and I felt really loved. I have an amazing district.

Friday. We taught some awesome lessons and at the end of the day some of the members of my district got in a big rubber band war.

Saturday. We learned the two forms of past tense in Spanish.

Sunday. Devotional highlights. The speaker was Stephen B. Allen. He said he once was sitting in while mission calls were being made. The apostle doing it, when one picture came up, said, "I can see his companion in my minds eye. The question is, where is he?" Then they made their way in on the world map until they found the mission. He also said in the talk that Alma and the sons of Mosiah got depressed on their missions and that's ok. He counciled us to never ever ignore an impression of the Spirit.

Elder Porter and I

​To explain the one above it.

The Elders in our zone

This is Elder Henrie

Elder Tanner Barlow

Well folks,

 Another week has come and gone.  This week was awesome. I do have to say cause it was my birthday.  We taught lessons,  had strange crazy people asking us to teach them, and investigators at church.  Let’s just say it was a nice week for me.  So on my birthday we ate pizza with my land lady.  She is so awesome by the way I think when I come back J  I’m going to call her grandma just for how awesome she is.  Any way then yesterday we celebrated with another family and taught our investigator Miriam. She went to church yesterday, and after, she asked what it is she needs to do to be baptized and if we would help prepare her.  She says that she did not like how people had snacks during church but that she was willing to look beyond that because of the warm feeling she had in her soul and that she loved the feeling.  And we loved that she felt the spirit so strongly.  Well as a present from me to you guys as a b-day present for my birthday i recorded a song that is attached here.  Well that’s really all I have to say this week..

Love you all

Elder Barlow

Elder Samuel James

It's been a bit of a rough week, but I carry on.

Tuesday. We started teaching "Ariel" (Just one of our teachers). We had the Tuesday night devotional. Highlights. David F. Evans, (from my notes, not a direct quote) Proselyting is suffering and growing with the people. Trusting God to help you. Being cast out, mocked, and spit upon. Being bound and thrown into prison. All to save some soul. Next was Wendy Nelson, desperation can help you work harder and do more. Then Elder Nelson spoke, he said him, the first presidency and all the apostles send their gratitude to us and our families. Keep in touch with our converts because we'll always be hero's to them. Ask the missionaries is about us now.

Wednesday. I set the wall sit record in gym with 4:33. We hosted for new missionaries. I then found out my cousin was having some troubles. My district joined with me in prayer for him.

Thursday. I found out my cousin was going to have to go home and it was really hard on me. We taught members. We then talked about how we're like the stripling warriors in class for a bit.

Friday. We were suppose to teach twice and both fell through. Then las hermanas got new trc people and Hermana Dustin was super sad that she wouldn't be teaching her person anymore. Me and Elder Porter are going to be giving the guy a card because we'll still be teaching him.

Saturday. I was to class on time. We taught Ariel. We also learned how one of our teachers proposed to his wife. And we learned that he's the opposite of an insomniac and he can't stay awake to save his life.

Sunday. Devotional. It was all about getting to know the new MTC presidency. I don't know if

I can really share the best part of it for me with you because it was some really personal revelation.

My district is amazing. I think they're the biggest blessing I've seen so far of my mission.

This is the whole zone. We got a new district. The new ones are Hermanas Hartley, Dempsy, Runnells, and Wood. Elders Shaeffer, Chandler, and Henrie. That's the new ones left to right.

The one in the onesie is 6 foot 6

​Ping Pong. My companion is using a book of mormon in this picture. It should be noted that he won using the word of God.

Elder Tanner Barlow

Ok, so what to say about this week.   It was really fast and slow at the same time.  Um at times I think God is saying that I can never get married because I always seem to have comp problems but I'm sure it's nothing.  Um so we went to the visitors center this week with a investigator who is so totally ready to hear the gospel, that and a couple others we have are doing so well.   The problem is that church is at 8 in the morning and all though I thought I would never say it's freezing down here at that time in the morning (I was looking online and found that we're just about the same temperature down here as you guys up there in Leeds Utah.  What more this week we had our activity of zone.  We watched a movie and all the sister missionaries we're way to over excited during the intense parts of Saratov Approach about the kidnapped missionaries.  Yep that's pretty much it.  So I just got informed that I now have 18 months in the mission and that on Saturday is my birthday.  To be honest I had totally forgotten about it.  Any way for those of you who don't know.   To get to my house you have to pass through a internet cafe and we are teaching the internet lady who is also our land lady.  She is super crazy but with all this time spending teacher her I've learned to love her even if she is like 80 years old and crazy and still makes us pay rent and buy things at there normal price.   Speaking of old people I met a couple of senior couples today and boy do I miss old wise people.  Well yea that's about it.
Love you all!

Elder Barlow

Elder Tyler Stone

Dear Family,

 

Holy cow, this is all so surreal. 2 years is such a short time when you think about it. I'm so grateful for these 2 years. So many lessons and memories that I will never forget. I love my mission. Now on to the newest mission. Life!! I'm excited to see what comes. (: I love you and am stoked to see you tomorrow!! T minus 24 hours and I don't know how many minutes!

 

Love Elder Stone

Elder Samuel James

Tuesday. We taught Eduardo. We had a devotional, and I was in the choir. The speaker talked about how God has a plan for us and we need to trust that he knows what's best for us.

Wednesday. We taught Eduardo. We taught a new investigator named Javier.

Thursday. We taught Eduardo for the last time and it was an awesome. Hermano Brown, our teacher, asked us where we want to be at the end of our missions.

Friday. Eduardo's real name is Hermano Pemberton and he is actually one of our teachers. In the lesson with Javier that day Elder Porter and I invited him to be baptized. He said he needed to know us and the church better, but possibly in the future. Hermano Brown told us about his life growing up and about his testimony. A lot of the stuff he said reminded me of myself. I love that man.

Saturday. We learned about stress and how to get rid of it from Hermano Pemberton. Then he started interviewing us all to get to know us better. Hermano Brown was sick, so he had to leave early, but that night we practiced door approaches and teaching each other as though we were investigators.

Sunday. We had study time in the morning. Then priesthood, we learned about ordaining people and about growing our faith. After that was a bit more study until sacrament. In sacrament meeting I blessed the bread in Spanish. So, fun fact, in the MTC they choose who's speaking in the meeting that they are speaking in so you are told that you're speaking right before you actually speak. I got to speak. We all get to know the subject the week before so that we can prepare. During my talk a special musical number started in the next room over and it worked perfectly with my talk to bring the spirit. That night we went to choir. we were singing Joseph Smith's First Prayer and the director told us, if ever we were in a meeting and it wasn't going well and we needed the spirit to tell the Joseph Smith story. He said that general authorities have said the spirit will always rush in to confirm the truth of it. Then in the devotional after that they talked about how God works between lessons, more than during them. He had all of the missionaries who were converted to the church within the last two years share their stories and it was really powerful. I love Sundays  

This was a huge message so I hope it all works out.

Until next week,

Elder Samuel James

This is our lack of a room number

This is the in-room-refrigerator

The Elders in my district. From left to right. Elder Porter, Elder Jensen, Elder Henderson, and me.

This is the whole zone at the temple. The tall one in the back by Elders Porter and Henderson is Elder Duffin. The other two not in the other pictures are Elder Lines, behind Hermana Cluff, and Elder Dangelo, behind Hermana Cardon. Those three are in the intermediate Spanish class and they are their own district.

week 

Elder Dylan Sanders

OKAY!.  So!  Monday I woke up sick nothing eventful happened.  Tuesday I went to the clinic where they told me it's no virus but I need an extereme amount of rest including the need to skip my classes, Also in the first 20 minutes of gym I managed with my bad luck of course; To pull a muscle in my leg, get hit in the back of the head by a volley ball (giving me a killer headache) twist my ankle, hit Myself in the face with a 4 square ball also breaking my glasses at the same time, and then got hit once again by the volley ball almost knocking me out..  On Wednesday I was even worse and slept for about 16 hours but I did manage to help teach our investigator Marco. Marco is 65 years old he uses 2 cruches because his legs are weak and I believe he is a true investigator and not a paid actor.  Thursday. I was quarentined to my room and was not allowed to do really anything.  I'm feeling pretty good today though.  We went to the temple at 8:00 for the endowment session it was amazing.  I miss all of you and thank you so much for writing me.  please forward this to anyone and everyone.  also I'll be on for a little bit later tonight  I do not know when. so just be watching ;)

Elder Tanner Barlow

Hi Family,

So where to start.  Um yes I’m afraid I’m writing again on Wednesday but my president liked the idea the last time so now its going to be a habit.

So every 6 weeks right after changes I’m going to be writing on Wednesday.  Write it down mom so you don’t get upset that I wasn’t on. Mexico just finished their 3rd holiday in a row so… happy wise men day    (it was on Tuesday) but unfortunately that means work wasn’t that successful.  I’m still here in my same area with my same comp which is ok, we have our moments but he is defiantly one of my best companions.

Well i think that’s about it. There’s a new sister in my district,  she is from Peru but don’t know what part. I havn’t had much of a chance to ask her.

 Yep that was my fun week.  Oh Mom ask if anyone knows how to get pictures back after a virus has deleted them all cause that’s what happened to my cameras memory.   let me Know please.

Love you alll

Elder Barlow