Another Week in Paradise (Jan 3)

Happy new year everyone!

Wow... 2011. What a year this will be, eh? I'm excited to see what'll happen. Hopefully all of your new years resolutions will come to fruition. The rain is calming down a bit and my voice is back, so that's good. This week I learned a lot. I learned that answers truly come from prayer and the scriptures. I learned that a person's faith needs to have the confirming feelings and thoughts of the spirit to keep it alive. I learned that Fasting for others and asking that their faith and testimony might be bolstered is more strengthening to my own testimony and faith than I thought it would be. I learned a lot of things. Isn't it nice to know a lot?... and a little bit not.

Monday: Was loverly. We had a meeting with our friend from Bloomingdale's who is doing great! She said that she really wanted to make it to church and, " The holidays are over and God is more important than Bloomingdale's!" Great stuff. After her lesson we moved the rest of our stuff from the old apartment and Now we are Officially moved out! ha ha ha.

Tuesday: We had an awesome day! All of our appointments fell though so we knocked- a lot. We started in one apartment complex and we knocked a few doors and talked with some people and then this golf cart with two Manager dressed ladies drove up. "Oh hey guys!" -Hi. "We're sorry but we're going to have to have you stop knocking in here. It's a private community." -Oh... OK. so we headed out and went to another complex and we met some interesting people: This catholic priest who was getting his new plasma screen put up and who was nice but not interested in learning more about Christ (I can't imagine why. ;-) ),and some people from Iran, and others from India and other places that I couldn't understand. Anyways We were there for quite some time and we were about to head out when this golf cart with two Manager dressed ladies drove up, "We heard that you've been knocking doors around here, Can we help you?" -We're just out talking with people about God and how they can strengthen their faith in him. "Do you have a licence to be here?" -We have a clerical document that was signed by the prophet. "No no. Like a licence." (Are you kidding me?... A prophet of God authorized me and my companion to be here... what more do you want?) So we were cast out of that complex too. Later that evening we went to another complex and the first door we knocked on the lady said, "Are you supposed to be here?" -Yes, we are inviting people to learn more about God. "Well, I'm not sure you're aloud in here." Ha ha! Three Complexes in one day! wow...

Wed: We Had two wonderful lessons! And the second was awesome! They both were awesome, but we didn't have an extra guy to come with us to the second appointment and because she's a single girl we can't meet with her by herself (.....politics) BUT, shortly before the appointment we got a call from Nate Malm (Blast from the past Missionary in Damariscotta back in '05) inviting us to go out to dinner with him. We asked if he'd come to the lesson and everything worked out perfectly. She pretty much is living the gospel even before she knew what it was. Cool beans.

Thurs: We had exchanges and I was on bike! It's been a while since I've been on Bike... at the end of the day I was puffing. Oh well. Fun stuff. Um... yeah it was a good day.

Fri: We had Zone Leader Council and talked and talked and talked about upcoming changes in the mission and about expectations and implementation and goals and it was great! I love meeting with the leaders in the mission. (Sometimes i feel a little intimidated that I rub shoulders with such great Missionaries) we stayed up till 10:30 and said happy new year and then fell asleep.

Sat: We planned and planned. And we met a really nice Hispanic man and we talked about prayer and how he could strengthen his relationship with god though reading the book of Mormon and praying about it.

Sunday: Was great! I love fast Sundays and i love it when investigators are there for great meetings. And it was great. after church there was a baptismal ceremony and it as also wonderful to have an investigator attend. Huzzah!

And in a reader's digest nut shell that was my week.

Thank you soooooooo much for your prayers and love and letters and such. I love you all.

Be well.

-Elder barker