"What's it like living at the MTC?"
"What kind of stuff do you do in your classes?"
"Why do you have a 'companion' ?"
The Who's, What's, Where's and Why's can be posted in the comments section below.
Ask away!!
Friday, October 30, 2009
snow-Snow-SNow-SNOw-SNOW!
It won't be long before we're there with snoww--- snow oh I wanna wash my face my feet and hair in snow... SNOW I long to lift a spade and clear a path of snow/Snow I wanna see a man entirely made of snow. What is christmas with no snow. No white christmas with no/NO snow/SNOW SNOWWWWW!
So! the other day as I started to roll out of bed I noticed I couldn't move. Yup that's right I had slept on my neck wrong and Unless I kept my head parallel with my right shoulder I couldn't move. Yeah, Service that morning was not very fun. But I went to the doctor and he gave me some pills. So that emergency was evaded.
Let me see... updates...updates... Um... I'm still learning spanish. So that's the same. Oh I've decided to start biking in gym to get in shape for when I get out in the field and have to bike everywhere. It's so fun. It reminds me of the times that Max and I would work out at the Y and then go get Chinese food. Ahhhh Those were the days.
So! the other day as I started to roll out of bed I noticed I couldn't move. Yup that's right I had slept on my neck wrong and Unless I kept my head parallel with my right shoulder I couldn't move. Yeah, Service that morning was not very fun. But I went to the doctor and he gave me some pills. So that emergency was evaded.
Let me see... updates...updates... Um... I'm still learning spanish. So that's the same. Oh I've decided to start biking in gym to get in shape for when I get out in the field and have to bike everywhere. It's so fun. It reminds me of the times that Max and I would work out at the Y and then go get Chinese food. Ahhhh Those were the days.
But really it's so cool biking, because the view from the third floor of the gym looks out over the valley and you can see Y mountan and Utah Lake and the BYU campus and It's just great. I love it.
Elder Lim and I have an announcement to make: We have a new companion. His name is Elder Bullock and he's from Alberta Canada. He's been in the MTC for 9 weeks and got delayed because of health stuff. So yeah... three... It's different.
I probably already said this last week but for halloween I'm dressing up as Linguini from Ratatouille dressed up as a missionary..... I just don't know if I can get the costume together in time. Hmmm...
Thank you all for you emails. It's really great to hear from all of you.
Um... Oh yeah Elder L Tom Perry came for Devotional on tuesday. He is such a giant of a man: Physically and Spiritually. I really enjoyed everything that he had to say. It was great.
well.... that's it for this week. Cat chew Laters!
-Elder Barker
Elder Lim and I have an announcement to make: We have a new companion. His name is Elder Bullock and he's from Alberta Canada. He's been in the MTC for 9 weeks and got delayed because of health stuff. So yeah... three... It's different.
I probably already said this last week but for halloween I'm dressing up as Linguini from Ratatouille dressed up as a missionary..... I just don't know if I can get the costume together in time. Hmmm...
Thank you all for you emails. It's really great to hear from all of you.
Um... Oh yeah Elder L Tom Perry came for Devotional on tuesday. He is such a giant of a man: Physically and Spiritually. I really enjoyed everything that he had to say. It was great.
well.... that's it for this week. Cat chew Laters!
-Elder Barker
Friday, October 23, 2009
He sits...he stands!
Here's Elder Soren Barker at the Piano....one of his favorite spots at his Grandparent's home.
Just before Soren walked into the MTC!
Elder Barker looking manly in front of a rock wall.
Sing. Sing a song. Sing out loud. Sing out STRONG!
So, Another week has come and gone.
-yup.
And you stayed up all night in the pumpkin patch?
-Yup.
And the great pumpkin never showed up huh?
-nope.
Don't worry, Linus.
I've done a lot of stupid things in my life too.
STUPID!? What DO you MEAN STUPID?!!
Just you wait Charlie Brown!
HA ha ha! Classic. Anywho... So update for the week. ermm... well... Pretty much the same ol' same ol' in the MTC. Lots of spanish and lots of spanish and Lots of studying and yeah.
The senior Elders in our zome are heading out into "the lone and dreary world" this week. So that means my district is the senior district pretty soon. CRAZY!!! It's going by so fast but as slowly as possible. I'm telling you guys: Time doesn't work in the MTC! It's the weirdest thing.
Anywho- Elder Bennington (Our current Zone leader) and I are writing a story. Paragraph by paragraph. It's kind of like those, ''And then...'' stories we used to make up years ago, but it's a little crazy. But is SO much fun. We've decided to continue the story through out our missions. It's a crazy blend of Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, Labarinth, and Maddness! It's bliss.
Elder Lim and I are continuing to get ahead of the game, we are learning/ teaching lesson two in spanish already. It's so fun!
HA ha ha! Classic. Anywho... So update for the week. ermm... well... Pretty much the same ol' same ol' in the MTC. Lots of spanish and lots of spanish and Lots of studying and yeah.
The senior Elders in our zome are heading out into "the lone and dreary world" this week. So that means my district is the senior district pretty soon. CRAZY!!! It's going by so fast but as slowly as possible. I'm telling you guys: Time doesn't work in the MTC! It's the weirdest thing.
Anywho- Elder Bennington (Our current Zone leader) and I are writing a story. Paragraph by paragraph. It's kind of like those, ''And then...'' stories we used to make up years ago, but it's a little crazy. But is SO much fun. We've decided to continue the story through out our missions. It's a crazy blend of Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, Labarinth, and Maddness! It's bliss.
Elder Lim and I are continuing to get ahead of the game, we are learning/ teaching lesson two in spanish already. It's so fun!
Pero es múy dificile.
IT'S OCTOBER!!!! Ahhhh the air is so nice and crisp. I hear that it snowed back East: what's that all about? What a whacky weather pattern we've been having huh?
I hope all is well. Everything is fine with me. I am just learning to put my trust in God and I know that he has helped me and will continue to help me to learn the language.
Dear Barkers: Thank you for your FHE letters. It's so fun to hear what is going on in your lives. You guys are so wonderful and I'm so greatful that I'm related to you.
Ma 'n' Pa, Keep up the fa'm. Give Abby a big hug for me. And Remember that I love you sooooooooo much.
Kj, ROCK ON! You are the bestest ever. I miss your guts.
Everybody else. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Ok, g2g Bye!
-Elder Barker
IT'S OCTOBER!!!! Ahhhh the air is so nice and crisp. I hear that it snowed back East: what's that all about? What a whacky weather pattern we've been having huh?
I hope all is well. Everything is fine with me. I am just learning to put my trust in God and I know that he has helped me and will continue to help me to learn the language.
Dear Barkers: Thank you for your FHE letters. It's so fun to hear what is going on in your lives. You guys are so wonderful and I'm so greatful that I'm related to you.
Ma 'n' Pa, Keep up the fa'm. Give Abby a big hug for me. And Remember that I love you sooooooooo much.
Kj, ROCK ON! You are the bestest ever. I miss your guts.
Everybody else. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
Ok, g2g Bye!
-Elder Barker
[Here is a snippet of another part of a letter Soren sent to me this week: I thought it would be appropriate---Anne]
Ok, so here are some phrases I have translated and I'm sure I will sound like a Gringo, but who cares:
Elemental, me caro Watson!
y
la lluvia en Espana restos principalmente en la llano.
y
Balido, Patrana!
"Sure, Charlie Brown, I can tell you...... Lights, please?
And there were in the same country, goblins tending their toadstools and watching their ghouls by night.
When lo, the Great Pumpkin appeared unto them and said,
"Be AFRAID, for I bring you great tidings of GREAT TERROR.
For unto you is found this eve, in the homes of those you haunt, CANDY, which is bad for the teeth.
And this shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the candy at every door, once you've cried these words: "Trick or Treat!"
And then there was a multitude of squashes and gourds surrounding the Pumpkin, crying "Run! Run for your lives: For the Goblins are loose!"
That's what Halloween is all about Charlie Brown. Hee Hee.
Friday, October 16, 2009
One midnight gone! One midnight gone!
"Into the woods and out of the woods and home before- THERE ARE GIANTS IN THE SKY!!! booooom There are big tall terrible Giants in the Sky!" Booooom! do de diddle deedle doodle Do de Diddle deedle doodle When your-..."
Ok that's enough of that.
y ahor por algo absolutamente diferente!
Wow. One month down. Feels like a week and a half. I'm telling you guys time works differently in the MTC. The days are so long but theres not enough time to study all that you want. The weeks are short but they take for ever to finish. and the months... well they're shorter than the weeks! Crazy stuff.
We had David F. Evans talk to us in our Tuesday devotional and he was amazing. They are usually an hour long. Yeah, he talked for an hour and a half. It was so intence. I took so many notes. The biggest thing that he talked about was the amazing Power that the Book of Mormon has to touch lives. Everyone can relate to the story of Nephi and his family. Everyone can see and learn from how Lehi and Sariah comforted eachother instead of turned to bickering in times of trouble in their marriage. Nephi forgave his brothers intead of holding their faults against them and turning sour. It's so good!
One thing that I love about being here in the MTC is the time that I have to study the scriptures. Right now I'm in Alma in the Book of Mormon and in 1 Samuel in the Old Testement. I love reading and applying the scriptures to my life. I would urge you to read them together and by yourself. I've had great experiences learning things I've never seen before in verses that I've read all multiple times.
SO THE GANG IS ALL HERE!!!! Woooot! I see Elder (Noah) Davis everywhere and I've seen Elder (Steven) Davis [both cousins] a couple times when our meal times overlap. It's so cool to see them and know that we are all doing the same thing. Yay! Life is good!
Um... Elder Lim and I are teaching in Spanish Left and right. It's so crazy! Gahhh!!! So our district had a goal of speaking only in spanish on monday and wendsday, so Elder Lim and I decided to up it up and personally add Saturday as well. Well, Our teacher said she wants us all to speak on sat too, So we had to include tuesdays. Then She said Tuesdays as well So now we upped it to thursdays as well. So the only days that Elder Lim and I are''t speaking spanish are Sunday and friday! GAAAAHHH!!! Goodbye English.... Farewell... sniff. sniff...
Well... That's all for this week.
Rember, keep your stick on the ice.
paz!
-Elder Barker
y ahor por algo absolutamente diferente!
Wow. One month down. Feels like a week and a half. I'm telling you guys time works differently in the MTC. The days are so long but theres not enough time to study all that you want. The weeks are short but they take for ever to finish. and the months... well they're shorter than the weeks! Crazy stuff.
We had David F. Evans talk to us in our Tuesday devotional and he was amazing. They are usually an hour long. Yeah, he talked for an hour and a half. It was so intence. I took so many notes. The biggest thing that he talked about was the amazing Power that the Book of Mormon has to touch lives. Everyone can relate to the story of Nephi and his family. Everyone can see and learn from how Lehi and Sariah comforted eachother instead of turned to bickering in times of trouble in their marriage. Nephi forgave his brothers intead of holding their faults against them and turning sour. It's so good!
One thing that I love about being here in the MTC is the time that I have to study the scriptures. Right now I'm in Alma in the Book of Mormon and in 1 Samuel in the Old Testement. I love reading and applying the scriptures to my life. I would urge you to read them together and by yourself. I've had great experiences learning things I've never seen before in verses that I've read all multiple times.
SO THE GANG IS ALL HERE!!!! Woooot! I see Elder (Noah) Davis everywhere and I've seen Elder (Steven) Davis [both cousins] a couple times when our meal times overlap. It's so cool to see them and know that we are all doing the same thing. Yay! Life is good!
Um... Elder Lim and I are teaching in Spanish Left and right. It's so crazy! Gahhh!!! So our district had a goal of speaking only in spanish on monday and wendsday, so Elder Lim and I decided to up it up and personally add Saturday as well. Well, Our teacher said she wants us all to speak on sat too, So we had to include tuesdays. Then She said Tuesdays as well So now we upped it to thursdays as well. So the only days that Elder Lim and I are''t speaking spanish are Sunday and friday! GAAAAHHH!!! Goodbye English.... Farewell... sniff. sniff...
Well... That's all for this week.
Rember, keep your stick on the ice.
paz!
-Elder Barker
Saturday, October 10, 2009
How Rude!
GAHHH!!! I just wrote a great long email and it didn't want to work. Um......
Let's see.
Thank you all for your letters and emails. They really help.
Everything is good at the MTC. Learning teaching and teaching learning.
But Hey! Could you have asked for a better General conference?(Check it out here) I loved it! It was so good. Elder Holland's talk was so Powerful. And President Monson's talk about love: so applicable. I felt like every talk worked and applied to my life right now: Missionary work and living with a companion. I'm kind of sad that I have to wait for another six months before the next general conference.
Oh! Elder Lim and I taught the first lesson in Spanish yesterday. Yeah, we aren't scheduled to teach in Spanish for another couple of weeks. We're just ahead of the game. Hooray for overachievers!
And Mom, I have gotten over my cold... mostly. And um... Life is good. I hope that Woodbadge is going well and I hope that you pulled off the eagle dance with style. CAW-CAW! ha ha ha.
I noticed something and I hope that I haven't already written this down in a previous email but I've noticed that my journal entries have changed over the weeks. At first they were about the classes and the day-to-day activities. But now the subjects have changed the feelings I had during the day, deep thoughts about the future, and How the Lord has blessed me that day. I think it's pretty cool.
Um...
Kj, Hope everything is well for you. Keep teaching those kids good stuff ya hear? I love your guts!
Everybody else, be well. Life is good!
I love you all and think about you often.
-Elder Barker
Let's see.
Thank you all for your letters and emails. They really help.
Everything is good at the MTC. Learning teaching and teaching learning.
But Hey! Could you have asked for a better General conference?(Check it out here) I loved it! It was so good. Elder Holland's talk was so Powerful. And President Monson's talk about love: so applicable. I felt like every talk worked and applied to my life right now: Missionary work and living with a companion. I'm kind of sad that I have to wait for another six months before the next general conference.
Oh! Elder Lim and I taught the first lesson in Spanish yesterday. Yeah, we aren't scheduled to teach in Spanish for another couple of weeks. We're just ahead of the game. Hooray for overachievers!
And Mom, I have gotten over my cold... mostly. And um... Life is good. I hope that Woodbadge is going well and I hope that you pulled off the eagle dance with style. CAW-CAW! ha ha ha.
I noticed something and I hope that I haven't already written this down in a previous email but I've noticed that my journal entries have changed over the weeks. At first they were about the classes and the day-to-day activities. But now the subjects have changed the feelings I had during the day, deep thoughts about the future, and How the Lord has blessed me that day. I think it's pretty cool.
Um...
Kj, Hope everything is well for you. Keep teaching those kids good stuff ya hear? I love your guts!
Everybody else, be well. Life is good!
I love you all and think about you often.
-Elder Barker
Friday, October 2, 2009
Week 2
Wow. Another week already. It doesn't seem possible.
This week has been a rollercoster of sickness health crazy people and spanish. Merhhhh...
Ok so crazy experience of the week. I was in the Referral center (R.C.) which is where we call people to see if they got the free DVD they ordered or the Book of Mormon or the Bible or whatever they ordered. SO! It's my first call ever and they guy who picks up was just a rude as could be. He yelled at me and swore and hung up the phone before I could even get in, "uh... did you get the dvd?" So rude!
Then after like a million people who didn't pick up I finally got a hold of someone.
And she was like, "no I didn't get the DVD yet, but the missionaries are coming over for dinner tonight, and I'm getting baptized on the 15th. Oh and I should thank you guys so much for helping me find this relationship with God. I never thought I could be this close to my Heavenly Father."
The Lord was very mindful of me. I really needed to hear that.
Um.... Well in other news. I'm GETTING BETTER!!!!! HUZZAH! (cough) ok so I'm not completely well but I'm close.
Um... Thanks all for the letters and emails. I love hearing about what is going on out there. Shauna, you are so right. It is like Groundhog's day in the MTC. It's the same day over and over and over and over again. Gahhh!!!!
But it's not all bad. Just like Noah said in his last Email. I feel the Spirit so strong everyday. and I'm learning lots.
I've recently been studying Isaiah. Man that book is full of so many great things. 41:10, 52:7, 55:12. Sooo good! I mentioned to my companion that I was studying Isaiah and he was like, "Whoa. That's hard stuff." But I think that Isaiah is kind of like shakespeare It's hard if you prep it with the midset of being hard. It's so beautiful and I LOVE IT!
Speaking of shakespeare Go kj! I'm sure you are rocking the classroom with your teachingness-ness-ness. Do you bite you thumb at me sir? I do not bite my thumb at you sir. But is that a dagger I see before me? it's handle pointed at a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. to die to sleep perchance to dream. Ay! there's the rub. For I come to bury Caesar not to praise him!
Ok... enough madness. I love you all. Thankyou for your prayers and support!
Más alto arriba!
-Elder Baj-arker
This week has been a rollercoster of sickness health crazy people and spanish. Merhhhh...
Ok so crazy experience of the week. I was in the Referral center (R.C.) which is where we call people to see if they got the free DVD they ordered or the Book of Mormon or the Bible or whatever they ordered. SO! It's my first call ever and they guy who picks up was just a rude as could be. He yelled at me and swore and hung up the phone before I could even get in, "uh... did you get the dvd?" So rude!
Then after like a million people who didn't pick up I finally got a hold of someone.
And she was like, "no I didn't get the DVD yet, but the missionaries are coming over for dinner tonight, and I'm getting baptized on the 15th. Oh and I should thank you guys so much for helping me find this relationship with God. I never thought I could be this close to my Heavenly Father."
The Lord was very mindful of me. I really needed to hear that.
Um.... Well in other news. I'm GETTING BETTER!!!!! HUZZAH! (cough) ok so I'm not completely well but I'm close.
Um... Thanks all for the letters and emails. I love hearing about what is going on out there. Shauna, you are so right. It is like Groundhog's day in the MTC. It's the same day over and over and over and over again. Gahhh!!!!
But it's not all bad. Just like Noah said in his last Email. I feel the Spirit so strong everyday. and I'm learning lots.
I've recently been studying Isaiah. Man that book is full of so many great things. 41:10, 52:7, 55:12. Sooo good! I mentioned to my companion that I was studying Isaiah and he was like, "Whoa. That's hard stuff." But I think that Isaiah is kind of like shakespeare It's hard if you prep it with the midset of being hard. It's so beautiful and I LOVE IT!
Speaking of shakespeare Go kj! I'm sure you are rocking the classroom with your teachingness-ness-ness. Do you bite you thumb at me sir? I do not bite my thumb at you sir. But is that a dagger I see before me? it's handle pointed at a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more. to die to sleep perchance to dream. Ay! there's the rub. For I come to bury Caesar not to praise him!
Ok... enough madness. I love you all. Thankyou for your prayers and support!
Más alto arriba!
-Elder Baj-arker
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