Happy Birthday to me!

Goodness what a week. I don't know where to begin.

First of all, THANK YOU ALL for your well wishes and letters and emails! I LOVEthem. Like  them.

So! Oh, I don't remember if i told you last time, but we played Ultimate Frisbee for our district activity. I was sweating so bad. And then I remembered that it's Feb! AH HA HA HA HA HA! I'm sweating IN FEB!!!!!!! 

Sorry.... I couldn't help my self from RUBBING IT IN YOUR FACES!!! AHA HA HAH AH A HA HA HA HA HA HA!

 Ahem... sorry 'bout that.. where was I?...

Oh yes the week! So we have been super blessed this week. We had Zone conference and it was AMAZING!!! 

So first we were supposed to have it on Wednesday, but Wednesday morning, the zone leaders called up and said, "Nope! just kidding! We are having it tomorrow--on Thursday!" Craaaaapppp that meant that we had a Huge gap of time that we had to fill up with knocking or maybe finding people and all of that stuff. Oy... our less active members are driving me up a wall. They are so far gone that most of them don't even believe in God anymore! Oy! Guys! Come on! and we had a really rough day, we got kicked out of an area that we were just about to knock and we got bashed with by this old woman from Poland and Crazy stuff. Then came the sunshine for the day. We taught a less active member and she has a daughter, Laura,who is the sweetest girl that I've seen for a while now. She's the kind of girl that when you look in into her eyes you know she's pure. She has some mental issues and can't really communicate, and she's a paraplegic (sp?) Oh how i miss my sister! MAREN! WHERE ARE YOU WHEN I NEED YOU!!!! But Laura is so sweet and we arranged for the youth in the ward to come over during our lesson and introduce themselves to her and she just screamed with joy and loved getting hugs and just beamed with joy and blew kisses and signed that she loved us. Wow... I love my work.

AND THEN! if that wasn't enough of a cherry on top we had zone conference! and then if that wasn't the whipped cream on top of the cherry on top, we had a lesson with this woman who is married to a recent convert and she was amazing. She really understood the lesson and was prepared to hear and when we read over Moroni 10:4 "and when ye shall receive these things I would exhort you that ye would ask God the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you by the power of the Holy Ghost." She only got as far as 'having faith' Before she started crying and said, "This is what I've wanted. This is what I've been searching for all along." Wow... That was amazing.

Then the sprinkles on top of the whipped cream on top of the cherry on top:  the next day we were knocking and we went back to a family that said come back tomorrow, and we went on and taught a lesson and they want to hear more and come to church! Whoa! Awesome things are happening right now. I'm just glad I'm here to see it.

Well, one of the people who was baptized last week wasn't at church yesterday , so we'll have  to confirm him a member next time. Oh well.

Well it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. A beautiful day for a neighbor. Won't you be my neighbor? NEIGHBOR! 

Have you seen Mister mumbles? HA!

I'm going mad- if you couldn't tell.

Well, thanks all for your Valentines and goodies! I love them.

109- Thanks for the canteen with the notes, they really help.

Em-Thank you soooooooooooo much for the tape! I love It!

Mom! Thanks for the Box and letters!

Dad- Thank you for your letters I LOVE THEM SOOOOO MUCH!

Everybody else GET ON THE BALL! Just kidding.  

Everybody else Thank you so much for your letters and cards and emails and love and prayers and good thoughts. I need all the help I can get.

Much love,

Elder Barker

Happy Valentine's-chineese new year-double baptism-president's day!

WOW!!!!!!!

What an area! I'm loving being on bike! My legs on the other hand... aren't really too thrilled about the whole set up BUT who cares about legs right? Who needs them anyways?

Well as a welcome present from the Gods of weather they provided me with a SOAKING Tuesday!  I have pictures to prove it. It was hilarious, just when you thought the rain couldn't get any harder It would pound down and by the time we raced back to our apartment My shoes we like two buckets of water tied to my feet. They still weren't dry the next day. Ha! I Loved it though! I was singing and dancing and biking -in the rain, do-da-do-dooo-doodle-do-da-do-dooo doddle-dooooooo.

Let's see what else is new?... It's weird feeling like I'm not actually in California anymore. SO many Vietnamese people and signs and stores and this past week of Chinese new year- so many fire crackers. It's been so fun.

 

Oh, I'm writing about this in letters- BUT I almost got run over by a car!  My bike tire (Hmmmm.... maybe I shouldn't share this story with a worrying mother on the other side... NAH!) So my bike tire got caught in a rut and I tried to avoid getting stuck and the whole gravity thing knocked me over and I feel into ONCOMMING TRAFICC!!! DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUNNNN!!!! And this car was like  coming and it's wheels were like right there and my head was like right where 'there' was going to be in a second and I pulled a cat like reflex-matrix-crouching tiger hidden dragon Roll and, Short story Long, I still have my head on my shoulders. But it was almost like a scene from Master and Margarita.

 

We had two baptisms this Sunday! Wooo hoo!!! This one girl who has been investigating the church for some time and then realized that she wanted to be baptized, so the missionaries have been teaching her and I taught her a bit this week and she just got baptized this Sunday! YAY! and the other one was this guy who is about the sweetest guy you could ever want to meet and he just sort of started coming to church and then three weeks later asked the missionaries how he could get baptized. So they taught him and I got to teach him once on Saturday and then Assist in his baptism, because he's a bigger guy and has knee problems so he needed a little extra help getting up out of the water. But after the pulling and shoving,and struggling, we got him up and he said, "Hey! that was easier than I thought it would be!!" Ha! so funny.

 

We share our church building with a Samoan Ward. OHHHHH ma-ma. How I wish that I could speak da kin' and not be sucha haole. But alas, it is not so.... But! it was sop funny, because one of the Samoans in our ward was like, "after the baptism we'll be providing a few light refreshments." Oh ok some veggies and cookies right? WRONG! light in Samoan apparently means plates of sandwiches, platters of fruit, tones of veggies, chips Cakes, cookies, desserts etc. HA! I love it!

 

We are working with a lot of less actives in our area. So it's mostly trying to get them excited about coming to church again, and re-kindling (sp?) their testimonies. It's tough stuff. but it has taught me something: I never want to be less active. EVER! goodness the sadness that these people feel is just -ugh- gut wrenching. and it drives me bonkers! SO! that's not on my to-do list for the future.

 

The best thing over the week has been Seeing somebody look at me biking past with a big smile on my face, and seeing them smile back. That... is just...money. ;)

 

Ok... That's all for now. More in letters. Oh, and A few of the letters should be good ones so- be ready.

 

OK! I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOO MUCH!

 

109 thank you for the package, and the SHIRT! MUPPETS! ah ha ha ha! I love you all.

 

Em, thanks for the card and tape, Haven't listened to it yet, but I'm super excited.

 

Empathy Girl, thanks for the letters!

Kj: I love your guts more than I love corndogs, and that is saying something.

Mom: I love you sooo much! I'm glad you had fun in NY!

Dad: You are the bestest ever! I can't wait to see pictures of your adventures!

 

Everybody else: If I had time to list you all I would But I don't.... So Thank you sooo much for all you your love and support and letters and stuff. I love you all!

 

Be well.

 

-Elder barker

One thing- one thing can bring you round- Changes!

PART 1

So! I'm being transferred today.  {Editor Mom, here:  His address remains the same, however...}

I'm leaving the safe harbor of the YSA branch and my trainer and (sniff*) all that good stuff and Racing off to the next level of the adventure! HA HA!

It's kind of a bummer though because I won't be able to be here to see some of our investigators progress, but I know that the Elder who is coming in to my spot up here is really really great. so no worries there.

well... besides that Mrs. Lincoln...

So! we got this list from our new Branch Mission leader of the Young single adults in the acacia park ward and we've been contacting the heck out of these less actives! it's been good. and it's really brought the importance of constantly renewing covenants and staying faithful to my view. Man... It's a rough world out there. It's a wonder anybody survives without the Gospel.

Ok funny story!

We went out to eat at this AMAZING hot dog place. (Sooo good.) And When I ordered toppings on my kilbausa (sp?) I asked for the usual: peppers, onions, ketchup, mustard, and then I saw Sauerkraut up on the list of things to order... I also saw Coleslaw. Meaning to say 'saurkraut' I ordered Coleslaw. The lady looked at me, puzzled, and said, "On top of your sausage?" I said, "OF Course!" thinking Duh... it's sauerkraut. So... I got a sausage with coleslaw on top. HA HA! Silly brain:  tricks are for kids.

I'm going to miss being with the people up here in Fullerton. President Redd is such a good man. I would say that he is a godly man indeed. And the members! So fun! I'm really going to miss them...

BUT! I'm off to the new area where the Lord needs me!

Let's see, another cool experience of the week:  We were knocking this area and this couple invited us in and we chatted and then we talked about the restoration and introduced the Book of Mormon to them and then invited them to church. It was soo cool! I love teaching people on the spot! Hopefully they will want to learn more and follow the example of the Savior.

OH YEAH! I had a really weird dream. I dreamt I came home for a week, and saw the fam and I saw MAX! and I saw Melissa Borjas (sp*) we talked a bit in espanol. and then Dad flew me back out here. It was a very nice shore leave in my dreams. It was like the break that Ender got between battle school and the commander's school in Ender's Game. 

And it was so good to see you all. 

I miss you guys.

Sorry if letters last time and this next time are a bit short. I'm pressed for time right now. But! Fear not! I am well and I still exist!

I love you all

Peace!

-Elder barker

PART 2

All righty then... time for part two of the saga.

 

I'm now in my new area, Garden Grove. or as many people pronounce it Darden Dov. Yes many people of Asian decent here. You should see the architecture of the things out here. Even the bus stops have that turned up tip that is so popular in the orient. Ha ha. Noah I feel like I can kind of relate now. I'm in little Saigon! But I can only kind of relate. Props to you for going so long without English!

 

Let me see... what is new since 6 hours ago... At transfers it was so good to see a few of the elders from my district at the MTC. Awww... I miss those guys.

 

wow... I really don't have much more to add...

 

Oh yeah. I'm now on bike. So I get to bike around and lose some of the weight that I picked up in Fullerton just sitting in the car all day! YEah! Woot! I'm going to be Iron Man when I'm done!

 

so, now I get to start over. But I get to come in just as an investigator is getting baptized. This Sunday! very cool. I love baptisms. They are just wonderful. It's so cool to have that sort of jump start in my new area.

 

Ok... that's all for this week. for reals this time.

 

 

I love you. Thanks for the letters and emails! I love hearing from you all. Especially you.

 

Be well.

 

-Elder Barker esquire III

Australia-Australia-Australia-we love you-AMEN!

And now for something completely different!

 

What a week... We started Wednesday looking for one of our investigators and instead of finding him we found a new one! Cool! We talked to him a bit and hopefully we can meet with him more but it's looking like his work schedule is totally crazy and the time just isn't there for us to meet up again. Ooof-dah... But hey! We are finding people to teach.

 

Thursday we had a couple appointments fall through but we found some potential investigators. Cool! (is it just me or am I sensing a pattern? When we are in the right area at the right time we can find the right people.) Cool!

 

We went on exchanges again. This time I stayed in my area and Elder Whited came over and we went all over the place trying to find people to teach. OY! I missed driving, but after a day of driving all over the place i'm ok with being the passenger. ;)

 

Let me see what else to write about...............

 

So, we were talking to this woman yesterday and she wasn't interested but she said we could pick some oranges from her orange tree and take them with us. We did. They were delicious! Oh man, they were good. I squeezed myself a glass of hand squeezed homemade homegrown hometown homely home-dog Orange juice. Yeah-we're thinking about going back for more oranges ;)

 

Ha! Spanish is so funny! We'll be talking to someone and then they will say... something... and I have absolutely no idea what they are saying. HA HA! So... the conversation probably translates to something like this:

Hi! We're missionaries.

-Oh yeah, I've talked to you guys before.

That's great! So you got a chance to sort of sit down with them and talk for a bit?

-Nah.

Oh, well we'd love to share a message with you. Could we?

-You want to talk about church and that kind of stuff?

... ... ... Um Sorry, I didn't quite get that.

-you want to talk about church and that kind of stuff?

... ... .... Um Sorry, I didn't quite get that. Could we share a message with you?

etc.

Ha ha. Sometimes I feel like that voice on the phone when you are checking for the movies at the theater. You know the one who is all interactive until she can't quite catch what you are saying. Oh well.

 

 

What else... what else...

 

I don't know what else to write.

 

HAVE A GREAT! WEEK!

 

OH! I know- Everybody join in: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOO YOOOUUUUU!!!   HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOO YOUUUUUUU!!!!   HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DAAAAADDDD!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YOOOOOOUUUUUU!!!!!!!  

 

and manny moooorree....

 

 happy birthday dad. Man, you did it! you survived another year! Wooo hoo!!! I hope you have a great day full of time to read books (Dicky Smothers) and take walks (IN THE SNOW?!?) and write poems (Ahem! this is my poem. it is no one else's it is mine. the following is my poem... Ahem... Hem HEm AHEMMM EMEHE HEHM HOOEWM AHEMNYHUUUEM AHEM!!! hem... the next thing that you shall hear from my lips is my poem, which is mine.

Happy birthday

Happy birthday to you

happy birthday. (it's a haiku.)

 

Any who... That's all for now!

 

Thank you soooooo Much for your Emails and Letters. Wow! I love hearing from you all. 

 

I love you all sooo much. and I think about you all the time! Be well.

 

Love ya!

 

-Elder Barker 

Blue-no YELLO-O-O-O-o-o-o-o-o-w-w-w-w-w....

So!

 

What a week! I'm not even sure where to start... maybe at the beginning is best.

 

MON: Our car battery died. and so we had to get a jump and then have a new battery put in. OY! What a drag that was. But thankfully our car works now! Yay! But it took along time for us to get back out work, so we decided to check up on some potentials and then Check up on David. David greeted us with a big, "Hey guys! Guess what?! I'm going to be a Dad!" ... Yay? "And I'm Moving in with her!" (she lives out of our area) DARN YOKO Ono's:  they always break up the band.

 

Tuesday: Two solid appointments fell through. OY! So we decided to go out knocking. The first Door where someone answered the Guy (Brad) was interested in hearing more and we sat down with him and talked about God and Prophets and The earthly ministry of Jesus Christ and How after The Apostles and their followers were killed the authority that they had was lost. and then we talked about Joseph Smith and how God and Jesus Restored that Authority through him and we talked about the Book of Mormon and it was really good talk. So that was cool. OH then we had FISH TACOS! I know... sounds weird BUT Oooohhhh man... They are so good. I ordered two and ended up eating Five.

 

Wed: I went on exchanges with Elder Lancaster up in the North Hills. and We talked with alot of less active members. and ate at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. MOM! I've found it! POG!!~!~~!!!!! I wasn't able to get my hands on it but I know where to find it. Ohhhh boy. Passion Orange Guava Here I come!

 

Thursday: A lot of clearing up weird Ideas about the Church. "Aren't you guys a Cult?" nope here's why... "Don't you believe that Satan and Jesus are blood brothers?" Nope, here's what we do believe... "Don't you believe that God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy ghost are one person?" Nope, I don't know how you would think that we believe that because Joseph Smith saw God the Father who said pointing to Jesus Christ "This is my beloved son Here him" two people. Lots of stuff like that. Then we met with Brad again and talked more! Wooot! Cool stuff.

 

Fri: oy... long day.

 

Sat: Talked with lots of people.

 

Sun: Stake conference!!! Sooo GREAT! Elder Holland and Sister Matsumori and President Uchtdorf Spoke. SOOOOOOO good. then we met with Brad again! Soo long week but it ended on a high note.

 

 

Let me see what else to write... um....

 

 

well, you asked me a few questions: How was my week? See above.

 

What new things have I tried that I have never seen before? Hm.... FISH TACOS!!!

 

What does it Smell like here? It depends on where I am. If I'm in a Hispanic area, Mexican food. If I'm in a Indian Area, INDIAN FOOD! OOooo curry... so good. If I'm in a English area... not much...

 

What is my name? My name is James Tiberius Kirk!

 

What is my favorite color? Blue... no YELLO-O-OW

 

 

MOM! I love the pictures of the Living room! It's about time that room had a little fung added to it's shwey. I like it alot. and thanks for the hug. I can feel it all the way out here! Ooof... Can't... breathe...-There. that's better.

 

DAD! thanks you soooo much for your letters! I LOVE THEM! AND YOU! So... The young men met together and planned the year out eh? Ahh the memories... so fond. and (this just shows how far behind I am on the whole new thing... you took KJ to the airport. Well... the sooner she goes then sooner she can come back, right!

 

KJ! I'm sitting here talking about you and you're right there. How rude of me. How are ya?! I hope all is well in the world. I LOVE YOUR GUTS!

 

MAREN! Guess what! I met this girl who I think you'd like. her name is Natelly (sp?) and she has Hydrocephalus. She reminded me of you.

 

KJ! Natelly has a shunt. It took all I had in me not to say, "I'll tell you one thing Doc: I Love My Shunt!" ha ha.

 

Yes I know... I'm insane.

 

well. That's it folks! 

 

Thanks for your letters and email! they are a stream on golden light when all about is dark. Their coming brings us pleasure and their departure leaves us longing for more. (anyone? anyone?)

 

OK! I'll catch you later!

 

I LOVE YOU!!!

 

-Elder Barker (Esquire the Third)

 

;)

So!

Well another week has come and gone. And the Year went with it too! 2010. Weird...

Well this has been a week.

Last Monday we were in a trio because Elder Cowan's Companion was heading home so he was without a comp. until his new companion came in on Tuesday. It was a crazy night. Mostly it was crazy because of the people we talked to. I already wrote mom about it, and I'd rather not get into the details, but sufficed to say the guy was really negative and mean and downright rude to us. But that was Monday.

Tuesday was an example of how there is balance in all things. Monday we had the crazy evil guy and Tuesday we were walking in the park and we talked to these two people and they wanted to sit down and hear more and were really interested, and it was like night and day from Monday. Funky stuff...

Oh funny thing. We thought that the mail from Maine took a long time to get out here, but on Tuesday I got a letter that was sent on November 24 from China. (I got the letters on Tuesday because we met with the zone leaders to pick up some supplies and they had mail. I still have to wait until Thursday to get mail on the normal day) But hey! I got a letter from China! Thanks Em.

Wed. It rained again... But cool thing I found out that the one of the missionaries who is taking our old place in our last district is ELDER LIM! My old companion is in my Zone! HA!

Thurs. We officially moved into the new district! (And the past few days didn't count because...?) "Because I finally unpacked the last box, so now it's official. Haw-haw-haw." We had district meeting. It was good stuff. Oh ha ha ha! funny story. So that night we were out knocking and this one house didn't have anybody home, but the cat seemed really interested in our message. He was like the friendliest cat I've ever met. and then when we walked away HE FOLLOWED US DOWN THE STREET! ha ha ha! We couldn't shake him for the longest time. - Then we stayed up and drank sparkling cider and said happy new year, and went to bed at 10:30.

Fri.We were at this park and this mother was frantically searching for her lost son. So we decided that we'd find him. We walked around the lake and then we found him. Flagged down the mom and returned him safely to mama. Cool stuff. It made me feel like, "Just doin' my job m'am."

Sat. We knocked this door and the guy who came to the door was like, "Hmmm this must be a popular street today. We've already seen four other missionaries before you guys." Oops. Ha ha. Dude! It's a sign! Talk to us man! How many windows of opportunity are you going to pass up? Then later we ran into him again at the park! DUDE!

Sunday was a lovely Sunday. Man i love church and having that time to really recharge.

Well that was my week. Oh By-the-by

I think that they are changing up the email thingy so my new email address will be

soren.barker@myldsmail.net

I think...


Thank you all for your emails and letters. I really REALLY appreciate them. They are the ray of light in my otherwise cloudy day. WHOA DOWNER! Sorry about that. Didn't mean for it to sound like I'm not having fun out here. Why would I be out here if I wasn't having fun?

I love you all. You are all in my thoughts and prayers. I miss you tons.

Happy new year. Let's make it the best!

-Elder Barker

Whew!

That was a great game.


So, this week has been a fun-crazy-rock-n-roller coaster week. Monday night we went to the Branch Christmas party at the Jones's House. Were we feasted very well and then wrapped presents for a struggling family that the Branch adopted for Christmas and decided to give them a Christmas! It was such a great experience seeing all of these college kids giving of their time and money and all of that worldly junk to bring a little joy into this family's hearts. Great stuff.

Then we (Elder Summers and Myself) Got loaded with about ten tons of cookies and a diagnosis of Diabetes if we ate them all. So we had to think of a way to get rid of them all. Which we did. We went caroling door to door and gave cookies to the people who listened to our caterwauling. It was fun! The greatest house we went to had lights up and a wreath and a sign saying "Merry Christmas!" and the whole deal and we knocked on the door and sang and said, "We're missionaries. Have you ever talked to Missionaries like us before?" the response: We're Buddhist. HA ha! We were like "You could have fooled me."

Talk about commercialism of Christmas.

Christmas was great! I loved talking with you. I miss you guys so badly. (I wanted it to be you... I wanted it to be you so badly.) Sorry I had to do the quote. ;)

What else... Oh Christmas day we ate like kings at the Jones's again. So much food.... Urgh... I think I'll be ok until new years.

Thank you all for your letters and emails. They really make things easier out here for me.

I'm not going to lie. It's been a tough Christmas for me... Being away from home during my favorite time of year to be home. But I know that I'm where the Lord wants me to be. Yesterday we talked with this guy at the park who was dead set on bashing and all of this other junk and all I could do was say, "All I know is that the church is true."

What a wonderful time of year to be in the service of my God. I can't imagine myself back home right now. I'm supposed to be here.

I love you all. I miss you tons. and you rock my business socks!

-Elder Barker