Busy In Baton Rouge

"Hey y'all! 

Monday (3/23/15): P-DAY! Fun as always!!! I sent my packages and went to the church to be with my zone! It was so fun! My zone is really awesome. I'm still trying to get to know everyone, but it's going good!!! I love P-days! 

Tuesday (3/24/15): So... this was a fun day haha... we did studies, we prayed before we left the house, and then out we go--headed to district meeting that starts at 10:30am! Things were going fantastic! We got in the car, got right to the edge of the road, and the car starts shaking and stops and we start rolling back! We were FREAKING out! Turns out Sister Carpenter Didn't even realize that we forgot to get gas in the car. Awka- Awkward! No gas in the car... then a voice from Tiwi (monitors our driving) says "battery dying!" so the battery was dead too! 

We had to call the office elders to come save us! It was so funny! I was laughing the whole time. Sister Carpenter was dying and almost in tears because she couldn't believe she forgot that even a mission car needed gas and that it doesn't just magically appear in the tank! haha! Well as far as district meeting goes... we didn't get there until 11:30am! haha We're so dumb! Lesson learned; always put gas in the car! 

So sad to run out of gas AND have a dead battery!

No gas!

Oh, good! The office elders are on their way!

Elder Ryan was one of the elders who came to save the sisters! He goes home in a few days!

Wednesday (3/25/15): It was kinda slow because everyone and their dog cancelled on us! Lame! So we went tracting/contacting. Let's just say, I had my first door slam in my face.. and it didn't feel too good! Sister Carpenter told me, "You knock once for them, and once for you!" 

The guy popped his head out the door and said, "Not a Prospect!" 

It was so crazy! Later that night I had the chance to go to a rest home for one of our investigators there... we think she has memory loss and she's not really interested, but she likes the company, so we go see her! She was the cutest. She talked about her love story with her marine! Ahh! It killed me; it was so cute! We shared Joshua 1:9 (Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest.) with her and she loved it! We told her to be strong and of good courage and always trust in the Lord to help you get through hard times, and one little tear fell from her eye as she told us she was so grateful that we came! She was really missing her family and her marine! 

We also shared the footprint story how in your hardest times the footsteps are Heavenly Father's, because he is carrying us through our trials! It was such a testimony builder for me! Such a neat experience! 

 

Thursday (3/26/15): We met with Ariel, one of our investigators. It was so tough; I'm not going to lie! She asks some pretty tough questions. She wants all the background info of the church and we talked a lot about the time line of the order of the restoration. Every time we showed her a picture of Jesus, she thought it was Joseph Smith! It was pretty interesting! She doesn't ask the questions to find the bad in the church; they are legit questions, and you can tell she is really trying to investigate the church. It's just really amazing! 

But let me just say how grateful I am for COMPANIONS real fast! Sister carpenter is so smart and she was able to answer almost every question she had! I could feel the spirit so strong that it hit me like a truck, and I was able to bear my testimony, as simple as it is, that I know this Gospel is true, and even when you don't have all the answers, the foundation of basic truths are okay! And that things in this gospel can be hard to understand but Heavenly Father doesn't expect us to have all the answers all at once. It takes time! It was such a powerful lesson! That is the coolest part about being a missionary; watching people convert and be changed through the gospel! Man, it was awesome! 

Friday (3/27/15): Tracting/Contacting again! We went to the city park and just talked to people about the gospel and how it can bring them more happiness than they could ever imagine! We talked to some really cute families that all seemed to be really interested! Also a man with gold teeth told me I had really pretty eyes in the park that day! haha! Thanks dude! And this is the day I ate crawfish for the first time! BOOYAH! I'm so cool! Also I think this is a south thing, but every time we ask, "How are you?" everyone says, "Blessed!" What a beautiful answer! Then they go on long spills about how they love Jesus!!!! I LOVE LOUISIANA!!! 

People just take huge boxes of crawfish and eat it in the park! haha Not with these ladies, but I peeled my very first crawfish! It was delicious!

Saturday (3/28/15): WOMEN'S BROADCAST! NEED I SAY MORE?! haha I loved it! Families are forever! Families should be centered on Christ! Families need to stick together! Man, I loved it! Not going to lie, it made me a little trunky! I miss my family, but I know that we can be together forever and that was amazing! I'm so proud to be a sister in this church! 

Sunday (3/29/15): CHURCH IS ALWAYS MY FAVORITE! I love every second of it! We had dinner with President Marks and his family and had a lesson there with Ariel (our investigator). It didn't go as well as we hoped, because there was too many teachers to one investigator and it got too deep and crazy for Ariel to handle all at once! 

I was really struggling because during the whole lesson I had no idea what to say, and it was making me so frustrated! But I finally just bared my testimony of the importance of baptism and Sister Carpenter told me that she could really feel the spirit from what I said! Sometimes you just got to trust that the right words will come out of your mouth at the right time and the Lord will never mislead you! We just have to follow those promptings! Which is sometimes the hardest thing ever, but I know he will be there to guide my every sentence! It was amazing! 

Sorry it was so long! haha! It was an amazing week! I know my Heavenly Father lives and loves me, and that he puts people into your path for a reason. We may not always understand why but the Lord does, and he will always be there for you every step of the way! 

Love all y'all and each y'all! Have a beautiful week!

Sister Barclay"