Aloha!

  This week was so good! We worked and worked and worked! Sister Blackner is an awesome missionary! She really has been such a great strength to me, and I know that she will continue to be a strength to me. She has many qualities that I have always wanted, so I am learning a lot from her, and I know that I will be a better person and a better missionary from serving with her. 

  So far, we have contacted just about everyone from the area book. So, this week we are going to be visiting members like crazy, trying to get referrals. We tracted a lot this week, but it isn't super effective. We have investigators, but none are progressing. It can get kind of overwhelming at times, but I know that as long as we continue to work hard, we will be able to at least plant some seeds. However, I also know that "the field is white already to harvest" (D&C 4). We just need to find those who are "ready to harvest," and that won't happen by giving up. So, we will work even harder this week. 

Some funny things that happened this week:

• While tracting, we ran into this old man. He was super skinny and he was all hunched over. He looked like if he sat down to take a rest, he would never get back up (if you know what I mean). So, we stopped to introduce ourselves and offer help. Well, he had this bike leaning against the fence and it was filled with fish. So, we offered to push it up to his door. He completely ignored us and said, "My name is....Alejandro." He said it in such a perfect way! It was one of those moments where you expect a Spanish guitar to be playing in between the pause between the word is and his name. Then, we were going to say adios, because he was being a little creepy and he grabbed my arm and was like, "but you can call me Jandro." Then we said have a good day and we walked very quickly away.. yeah.. that was interesting.
• Then, another time while tracting, we saw this guy outside watering his plants, so we went to talk to him. We started talking to him about the church, and he just kept watering his plants. His poor plants were soaked by the end of our discussion... 
• hahaha then! We were tracting again, and Sister Blackner was waving at every single car that passed us. It was so hot and we were starting to lose it a little bit. This one car full of military guys drove by and Sister Blackner starts waving her arm and yells, "HOT DAY!" It wasn't even in a way that would make sense. It was just those two words shouted loudly. Hahaha she's the best. 

Some Spiritual things that happened this week:

• Sister Blackner and I tried contacting a former investigator. She wasn't home, but her brother and her son were. Her son is 3 years old. He was so cute! On our way back to the car, Sister Blackner said that she felt something different while we were there. I thought about that for a minute and then I got in the car and started crying. I looked over at Sister Blackner and she was crying too. We both felt something different about the little boy. We are going to go back for sure. 
• Junior dumped us. He had us over on Thursday and he told us that he felt like he was wasting our time, because he is not going to be baptized. I told him that we appreciated his time, and that we will still continue to help his family in any way that we can, we testified of the Book of Mormon and encouraged him to continue to read it and to continue to attend church, and then we left. It was hard at first, because I really have come to love him and his family, but I know that they will come to know the truth some day. 

Those are just a few of the things that I thought would be good to share. I am loving the work. It is challenging, for sure, but it is so worth it. I know that I am being changed and that the Spirit is changing those that I meet every day as I testify of this gospel. I love you all so much! I hope you have a wonderful week! 

Love, Sister Sydney Barber

Freaky Turtle... It has crazy long nails. Don't mind the face..