THIS WEEK WAS A STRUGGLE .....

WEEK #44

Happy Anniversary to the best parents in the world!! I promise I actually thought about you this last week because I knew that it was your anniversary. I'm glad you got to go out and enjoy it...and not at a choir concert haha. 

Also I can't believe that Courtney is driving! Stop growing up! I'm missing everything. I'm not gonna lie. I'm going to be scared to get in a car with Court at first...and Tay still. So weird ahha. They are growing up so fast!! 

Well what to say about this week...It was a little bit of a struggle. We had to go to Barcelona two days this week for a conference and to redo my companions DNI. So we lost two whole days of work...with that being said, it was a struggle. We really didn't have much going on this week, but thats ok. We found more people and we set up a lot for this week. The problem right now is we are in the process of working through all the papers that have never been organized so we have spent a lot of time calling people and organizing a ton of papers. We had a lot of citas set up last week with people who were either contacted or who had lost contact with missionaries for some reason...and a lot of them fired or just didn't show up. That's ok though. We finally finished the paperwork so now the piso and the area is organized and ready to go. That was a relief.

I don't know if you remember, but one time I said that I think a lot of my work here is going to be working with menos activos...I still think that. We found a lot of menos activos that haven't come to church in 15 years. They said they were finally ready to come back to church. It really is an amazing feeling when we are sitting with someone who hasn't been to church in forever and they look at you and you can just feel their desire to find their faith again. It's truly amazing. It is one of the best feelings I have felt on my mission. We have talked a lot about the temple lately with menos activos and families who have never been. The light in their eyes when they look at temple is amazing. I never realized how much this church really does change and affect familes...now though I know. The kids in the church here are so much happier and have much more direction in their life. They know their purpose and their value. The other kids here are so lost and the familes are so broken. I don't know what I did to deserve the family I have, but I thank God every night that I was born into a strong family that loves and supports me.

Really other than that there wasn't much this week. Today we went biking on trails by the beach and it was beautiful!! We heard a lot of English which was a little weird. Seriously this area is so amazing. There are beautiful places here that I am so excited to show you all. It's like I'm living in paradise...in a skirt. haha. We definitely are starting to stick out with the skirts...everyone else is in like nothing so that doesn't help. 

Oh my barrio (ward) made a video to give to people who are interested in learning more. It's on youtube and I'm in it!  Search for Invitacion a conocernos or search for barrio tarragona.

Video link  (Rachel is towards the middle of the video.  It's fun to hear her speak Spanish.  I can't understand a word she says because she is speaking too fast).

Well I hope everyone is happy and the last part of school is going well. I hope next week I will have more for you. I will try to make something amazing happen okay? 

Con Amor,

Hermana Barker

ps my new favorite scripture: 

Hebrews 6:10-15 

10. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

11. And we desire that everyone of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

12. That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

13. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swear by himself,

14. Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

15. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.