ALOHA!!!

   This week was challenging, but it was so wonderful. We were not able to see everyone we had hoped to, for various reasons. Sister Alldredge got pretty sick on Tuesday, so she slept most of the day.Then, a lot of our lessons fell through with our investigators. We were able to meet some new potential investigators though. There is a couple who lives next door to one of the sisters in the ward who seems pretty interested. She is so sweet. She wasn't able to meet with us last week, but we set an appointment for later this week, so hopefully it works out. 

        Some transfer news came on Friday. I found out that I will be serving in Honolulu in the Kahala ward (President Warner's ward), as well as the Chuukese ward. I am excited to have new experiences and adventures, but I am really going to miss Waianae. It doesn't get easier each time I have to go somewhere new. I have been so blessed to serve in only two areas and three wards over the past year. The relationships that I have been able to make are irreplaceable. I have been able to really get to know the people in the areas I have served, and that is a blessing that not every missionary is able to have. I am so grateful to be one who has. Missionary work is great. 

       I am sad to have to move on to a new area, but I am grateful for the friendships I will always have in Waianae. 

      Well, that is all I have time for this week, but I am excited to give you updates on my new area. I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week!

Love, Sister Barber

      

         

       

ALOHA!

           I am going to have to keep this week pretty short and sweet but here are my highlights:

1. Trisha went to her first addiction recovery class and said it went really really well! She was so cute at church. People kept crying and she kept walking over to them and saying, "Sister!" and then gave them a huge hug! She is such a sweetheart. She is schizophrenic, so she is really different, but it gives her this charm that is unbeatable. She is seriously one of my favorite people ever.
2. Mika kept cancelling this week, but we are hoping that when we meet with him this week, we will be able to help him figure out priorities. Prioritizing seems to be the real struggle here. 
3. We met with 2 of our recent converts. Their names are Zion & Kingston. They are the cutest little boys! We read the Book of Mormon stories with them. The amazing thing is that they actually listen!!! They are so good!
4. We helped Sister Pa'a'aina in her garden. She's an amazing gardener. She is very talented. She gardens and she is a painter as well. We had a lot of fun with her. We planted some taro and other exotic plants. I'm pretty much a pro gardener now, so.. ;)
5. The transfer is over next week... I am starting to get really anxious, because I have spent 6 months here, and I know how hard it was when I had to leave Ewa Beach after 6 months... I know that the Lord will put me where he needs me, but I also know that that will not make it any less difficult to leave. It will all be okay, I know. So, I just need to keep doing missionary work, and put my whole heart in it until the end. 

Well, I love you all. Keep being awesome! Hopefully I will be able to write more next week!!

Love, Sister Barber

        

ALOHA!

ALOHA!

  So many miracles this week! So much to tell! 

1.  About 4 months ago, Sister Jolley and I ran into this guy named Mika at a car wash. He told us that he used to take lessons and that he really wanted to start taking them again, but he was in Waianae ward. We weren't in Waianae ward at the time, so we referred him to the missionaries who were in the ward. Then, when we were at one of our LA member's house, we saw him walk out from behind the house (there are houses behind the member's house) and he was shocked to see us! We kept trying to set appointments with him, but they all fell through. Then, we finally were able to meet with him last week! He told us that he knows that the church is true and that he wants to be baptized. He even said that he wants to quit his job, so that he doesn't work Sundays. So dedicated.😂 He is set to be baptized on the 7th of June. 
2. Savana and Shanaia's mom came to General Conference with them!!!! It was really awesome. She sat through the whole thing, and Sister Alldredge made this bingo game for the girls, but the mom did it the whole time. It was really cute. We have really high hopes for their family. They have a long way to go, but I think that they will make it. 
3. General Conference was so great. I really loved Elder Holland's at the end. I felt like I could do anything after his talk. I am so grateful for everyone who spoke. It was exactly what I needed. 

  I have been thinking a lot about the Holy Ghost lately. It is amazing that Heavenly Father has given us someone to guide us to all of the right answers in the test of life. He won't give us the answers, necessarily, but he will guide us to them, if we are willing to do our part. We always have our agency to act according to the answers that we discover. This time as a missionary is becoming more and more precious to me as i see how much closer I am to the Holy Ghost than I ever have before. I feel that I am being trained to more easily recognize the Holy Ghost in my life, so that when I get home and no longer am serving a full-time mission, I still have the Holy Ghost constantly guiding me in my life. What a blessing it is to have such a precious gift. 

   Anywho.. I love you all! I hope you have a great week!!! 

Love, Sister Barber

         

Aloha

ALOHA!

     This week was really really wonderful. So much happened! Here, let me tell you about it:

1. This week we met with Savannah &Shanaia (the two girls I mentioned last week) and their mom sat in on the lesson. Then, something interesting happened.. we found out that Savannah and her older brother Toni are already members. So, we had to find their records and everything. The mom softened up a lot though, last time we were there, and said she would come to church with them this week. Kind of a huge miracle, if you ask me. :)
2. Trisha, the investigator that is a heavy smoker, came to church again and committed to a date. She is going to be baptized on June 5th. I really feel good about that date, because we had her choose it and pray about it. She is so excited to reach that goal. I know that she will hit it, if she continues to keep her commitments to Heavenly Father.
3. There is a woman that just moved into our ward and she is super inactive. So, we went to find her. However, the address that we had for her was kind of non-existent... So, we decided to try the house number that was closest to the one we had for her. There were some guys in front of the house, and they were like, "Are you looking for someone?'' So we told him,

                      "Yes. Is there a Robin that lives here?" and he said,

                      "Yes. Up those stairs." So we walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. A little boy answered the door and we asked him if his mom was home and he said no. So then we asked if there is a Robin that lives there and he said yeah. Then Robin came to the door....It was a guy... yeah. So, we asked if we could come back and share the gospel with their family and they said yes. Super crazy! Two Robins!

         

  Anywho....

   

         4. We had zone conference and got the Tiwi system installed in our car. Basically, it is a little black box that sits on the left hand corner of your windshield and yells at you if you drive bad. Luckily, I haven't been yelled at yet.... 

         5. The General Women's Broadcast! It was really wonderful!!! I learned so much. I wish some of our investigators would have been able to go. Hopefully they will be able to go to both sessions of General Conference.

  Well, that's all I have time for today. I am so excited for General Conference! I know that it is going to help a lot of our investigators and myself. I hope you are all doing great! I love you all!!

Love, Sister Barber

ALOHA

ALOHA!!!!

     This week was really wonderful! Here's why:

• There is an investigator who has been investigating the church for over 7 years. She wants to be baptized, but she is a heavy smoker. She is trying really hard to quit though, and she came to church and LOVED it. She has a lot of good friends in the ward, so that helps a lot too. She's amazing. I know that she will be able to achieve the baptismal goal, if she is really serious about it.
• There are these two girls who have a really tough family life, but their mom let them come to church. They seemed to really like it. I know that the gospel is just what they need to help them to stay on the right track, so that they can have good lives. I have had to pray a lot about them, because there is only so much we can do. I am truly being tested on my trust in Heavenly Father. I know that he will help them, if we do all that we possibly can.
• We met with a boy named Tama. He is 11 years old and really likes the LDS church. He is the only one at home, with his parents, now. We have an appointment this week with him, so we are hoping that his parents will be as receptive as he is.
• Our zone hit all of our goals this week, so we are going to be having pancakes with the Warners. That'll be fun. 
• Sis. Alldredge and I taught Relief Society. The women really opened up and it was a very spiritual lesson. We have such amazing women in our ward. it may be a small group, but I know that they each make a big difference in the lives of others.

I have been thinking a lot this week about timing. I am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father has perfect timing for me. I don't need to stress about time. He will take care of me in His time, as long as I am diligent in what he needs me to do right now. I want to do all that He has sent me on Earth to do, whenever He wants it done. I like to control everything, but being on a mission has really taught me that the only thing I can really control is myself. I have to be content with that. When I am able accept that, I find so much peace, because I know that Heavenly Father is in control of everything else. I have to trust that that means that I will be okay no matter what happens around me, or even to me. I have seen miracles in not only my life, but in the lives of others as well, when we just trust in Heavenly Fathers wisdom and timing. 

I love you all! I hope you are having a great week and that you have a wonderful Easter. 

Love, Sister Barber

ALOHA

ALOHA!

    So, There have been some changes. The day before transfers, President called me and told me that the sister who was supposed to be with me needed to go off island, so now I am with Sister Alldredge. She is so great! We are pretty different, but we get along really well. I think it will be really good for me to be with someone who is a lot different than me. I miss Sister Jolley a lot, but we have been so busy! Here are some of the highlights of last week:

1. We had so many appointments this week! Almost all of the appointments that we had planned fell through, but we ended up having appointments with other people instead. We met a lot of people who seem really interested. Hopefully some of them will progress as we meet with them.
2. We had an appointment with a man named Aki. He is Chuukese. We talked to him about the Family: a Proclamation to the World. He loved it. He said that he is going to read it with his family. 
3. We haven't heard from Lovelynn since we did the chapel tour Monday... She isn't responding to any phone calls or anything.. I am a little worried, but I know that whatever Heavenly Father's timing is, it is the perfect timing. I am being taught patience, that's for sure. 
4. The bishop's kids call me Sister Barbie. Something so funny happened at church! The youngest boy saw me right after the sacrament was finished, and he yells: "Mom! Sister Barbie is here!" I tried so hard not to laugh! I think he got embarrassed when people kept bringing it up in front of him, because he didn't talk to me for the rest of the day. hahaha so cute.
5. We met with a woman who has struggled a lot since she was baptized. She kind of disappeared a while back, but now she wants to become active again and work towards the temple. I am really excited for her to start making changes in her life. She is so amazing!
6. There is so much work to do! I know this transfer is going to fly, which is why there is absolutely no time to waste! Busy busy busy! :)

Well, I hope that you are all well! I will try to send some pictures next week. I need to get better about doing that... Love you all!!!

Sister B

Aloha

Hello!

 This week, I am going to be honest, was kind of a blur. It was such a busy week! We had so many appointments! We were able to see a lot of wonderful people, so that's good. So, here we go:

1. Sister Rowland:

• We went out with Sister Rowland, so we could see some of the ladies on her visiting teaching route. It was really neat, because Sister Jolley and I have been trying to get ahold of one of the ladies for a long time. She just lost her husband, and it has been so hard on her. We had a really good lesson though with her. She seemed to really get a lot out of it.
• We met with another Sister who's kids have been struggling, but now she is flying to the mainland, because their family is getting baptized!

       2. Lynda:

• We met a former investigator named Lynda. She is interesting.. I'll tell you more about her next week.

       3. Transfers:

• Sister Jolley is going to Kona to finish her mission. :(
• I am training a Tongan sister from California. 
• It's super bitter-sweet. 
• Bitter: Sister Jolley is leaving
• Sweet: I will be in Waianae for more than a third of my mission.

That is, unfortunately, all I have time for today. I hope that you are all safe, and enjoying life. I love you all! Until next week,

Sister Barber