New President arriving next week

June 22, 2009
Dear Family.
Well it has been a hectic but amazing week. But first of all I want to wish a Happy Father’s day to Bill and Ben and Dad. It was father’s day here as well. I really have realized over the mission how blessed I have been to have such an amazing family and amazing parents. I could write on and on of all the reasons I am thankful for such an awesome dad but I’ll just keep it to thanks a ton y te amo papa.

So I said in my last letter that we had scheduled for me to travel and do interchanges with the missionaries but we thought we would be too busy and I would stay here. But as I thought and prayed about it, I really felt like I should go, so that’s what I did. Elder Corro stayed here with the secretaries. That’s one thing that is a little strange about being an AP is that you have to be alone sometimes to travel etc.

But the week was an amazing spiritual experience. I got up at 4 A.M. on Tuesday morning to go to the airport and head off on a flight to Barranca, known here as the "oven". Haha they don’t send American missionaries there to work but we can do interchanges. I got there early in the morning and the Zone Leaders picked me up at the airport. I worked with them the first day and the second day with another companionship that needed some assistance. Barranca is a city of about 300 thousand people. The economy is completely based on all the oil and refineries that are there. I can say it lives up to its name as far as the heat. Both days it was between 100 and 107 degrees and high humidity. But it was awesome, especially after a week of confinement in the office. We walked and did contacts and taught lessons all day in the blazing heat and found tons of investigators. I even did my first two baptismal interviews which was also cool. Haha it really was amazing. The water isn’t heated, but somehow the showers don’t even feel cold. As soon as you step out, you are sweating and they sleep with fans running all over the place but it was an awesome experience and I loved working there.

Since Pres Camargo is about to be released, he and sister Camargo are traveling through the mission and having little goodbye firesides with the missionaries. Thursday was the fireside in Bucaramanga so I traveled on a bus with the Elders from Barranca on Thursday morning to Bucaramanga to attend it.

Another great experience. I really grew to love the city and the people there and it almost felt like going home to be back in Bucaramanga. I even got to stay at the apartment in Real de Minas where I lived my first 5 months. It is amazing how you grow to love the people. I saw the guy who worked at the little store below the apartment and the door man and I was like excited to talk to them and see how they were doing. That night was the fireside with Pres. and Hna Camargo which was great. They bore their testimonies and thanked the missionaries etc. and then everyone sang a few hymns. He also had me conduct the meeting, which was my first time.

After that we headed back to the house and we planned and got ready for the day with the missionaries in my old area (who the Zone Leaders wanted me to work with). It was cool to see some of the old members and they even had a family home evening planned with Marta and Jose (the amazing family that we taught and baptized). It was great to see them and talk to them and see their progress. They have been very actively going to church every Sunday. Jose is getting ready to receive the Melchizedek priesthood; they are getting ready to go to the temple, hopefully in January. Their son Pablo just happened to be on a trip with the youth of the ward to do baptisms for the dead in Bogotá at the Temple. I can’t even say how happy it made me to see them active and all the blessings they have received. It really is amazing to remember the day we knocked on their door and they let us come in for a few minutes - and now to see where they have progressed.

Later that night, we had another amazing experience. I don’t know if you remember from my letters, but with Elder Araujo we taught a 16 year old girl named Angelica who had been going to church for over a year and really wanted to be baptized, but her mom ended up never letting her, despite us asking about 4 times. The missionaries had recently returned to visiting them because she still keeps going to church and they wanted to share another message and ask if the mom would now give permission. They were happy to see me because we had spent a lot of time teaching them and really got to know them. We shared a message about the covenant of baptism and then it came time to ask the mom...and both the missionaries looked at me. So I asked her if, having heard all of these things she would give her daughter permission to be baptized and join the church. She thought for a second and looked at Angelica... and then said yes! haha it was a miracle. We had taught them and fasted and tried so hard to get her to give permission and now months later, she actually said yes and I got to be there. We were all amazed, including Angelica but it was a really great spiritual experience. She will be baptized and join the church on July 4th. It shows that the Lord knows what he is doing and has his plans.

The next day I went back to Bogotá. Three gringos arrived and today we had a party for Pres Camargo’s birthday and it all went great. Answers to some questions. Elder Corro goes home in November. His family are all members. All of the Elders here went to the MTC in Bogotá. Pres Hacking gets here next week so we have a lot to do. The transfer will be quite an experience but I know we can do it.
The church is true, I know it, thanks for everything and I love you tons, love Elder B

June 15. 2009

Will, with suit coat off, and some Elders in Bogota.

June 15, 2009
Hola fam.
All is well in Bogotá and it's been another great week. We have been very busy as usual but this week has been a little more relaxed. I can’t believe it is another P day. We have spent lots of time in the Mission Office getting everything ready for the new president and working on various projects that we do there. We also spent a day with president Camargo in Chia (suburb of Bogotá) while he did interviews with the missionaries there. I have finally had some time to really study and put some good time into Preach my Gospel and the scriptures. I have made the goal to read Preach my Gospel again from cover to cover before the end of the month so I have been putting whatever little bit of free time I can into that. We also have computers in the office so I looked up some talks about Leadership and Charity today. (Elder Corro and I made the goal to pick attributes every week to work on and study and improve so we chose those two. I have been learning a lot of great things and working hard to become a good leader and have lots of charity which also has a lot to do with being humble.

Elder Foote’s parents flew in last night to pick him up (he’s going home) and spend a few days in Colombia. So Elder Corro and I went to the airport and picked them up and took them to a hotel to spend the night. This morning we picked them up with a church driver and took them to the Presidents’ house to see Elder Foote and have lunch with President Camargo and his family. They are very nice, very humble people and we had a good time talking. haha We had them waiting inside and then they brought Elder Foote in and they hugged and cried and laughed and all that good stuff. Then they took Elder Foote out for a minute so Pres and Sis Camargo could talk to the parents and they had me come in to be the translator. They both expressed thanks and Pres. Camargo told them what a great example and missionary Elder Foote was. After we had a good lunch that Sister Camargo made and then we took them all to the hotel so they will spend today and tomorrow seeing Bogotá and go home on Thursday.

Also in other news, I gave a talk in church yesterday which went well and we had a good chance to work in our area Sat. and Sunday. This week we had scheduled that I would go to Barranca (the hottest place on earth) and Bucaramanga until Saturday and work with different missionaries, which had me really excited to get to know Barranca and go back to Bucaramanga, but it looks like we are going to be too busy this week here to be able to. We will make the final decision tonight on what is better.

I really like to get out with the other missionaries and work in the field but we are needed to organize things here in the office. The time is flying by (snowballing) and it goes faster and faster every week it seems. Tomorrow there will be transfers in the mission so we will call all the Zone Leaders tonight to tell them who is being transferred to other areas. It was really cool to work with President Camargo and see how he does the transfers. There are new missionaries arriving this week and there will be new Trainers pretty soon.

It really is humbling to see that president Camargo trusts in us so much, I still feel sometimes like I am walking in shoes a few sizes too big because there are so many missionaries that are so great, but I have also found the truth that to be a leader you need to put himself below all others (humble). Dad used to say that you can’t choose what time (or place) you are given; you can only choose what you do with that time and what you make out of it. That is really helpful to me.

My testimony grows every week and I know challenges help us. I know the church is true and I love it. Thanks for everything you do to support me and for your love and prayers.
Much Love, Elder Barnard

Another Awesome Week

A group of Elders in front of the Bogota Temple. Will is in the back.

June 8, 2009
Hola Querido family,

Ok so I think I finally have some time to write a little. First off, congrats. to the Heavens on the move! and Happy Bday to Angie. It sounds like it was a great birthday and I am praying that nothing happens with the crazy weather and tornadoes there!! Umm if I forgot anything else sorry but it’s been another hectic week but I'm settling in and the spirit of the work and the strength I have received have been amazing.

Last Monday I opened the package. Maybe it was for a reason that this package was the first one yet to arrive early, but after a long pday that wasn’t really pday and getting to the apartment very stressed, I got to open my package, read what the family had said and enjoy some American candy and salt and vinegar chips. I’m pretty sure it was the Lord helping me out that it got here when it did.

Tuesday morning we got up early and Elder Corro went to Bucaramanga and I went to Cucuta. Bogota has 2 airports, one for international flights and one for national flights. We went to the smaller one (national) and took our separate flights. It wasn’t a big Jumbo Jet but it wasn’t some dinky little plane. It is a big airline here called Avianca and it’s all approved by the church so no worries. The flight was very short and I left the chill of Bogotá and felt like I entered inferno haha (hell) Cucuta was ridiculously hot, much hotter than Bucaramanga. I think it got to 40 degrees which is over 110 F.

I worked the first day with the Zone Leaders and then the second day with a companionship that were having problems with arguing. We try to help them out. We worked very, very hard and talked with President Camargo. One of the best ways to help missionaries with troubles, is to show them that working hard serving the Lord, feels good and brings more happiness than almost anything else you can do. This has been a great lesson for me also because when I get to the interchanges I have to do my best to be a really good example, which is hard for someone who is imperfect, but I did the best I could and I think they are doing better now.

The next day was the Zone Conference. (A note about the money, we got there and the Zone Leaders who were in charge of having food for the break told me they had spent all their money and had none. So I lent them our card to buy McDonalds for everyone. Of course the mission pays it back.) As far as the conference, we had based almost the whole presentation on a PowerPoint, which President Camargo couldn’t bring with him from Bucaramanga, so I got to do a Zone conference without my companion and without the presentation. But it actually went great and I was able to do more on the spot talking and get the missionaries involved rather than reading from PowerPoint and the President liked it. He said that for the next one we shouldn’t even use it. After that I flew back home with Pres. Camargo. It was awesome because we contacted some people, including a taxi driver, who will be visited by the missionaries soon and were absolutely waiting for the gospel.

We got back late Thurs. night and prepared a Zone Leaders Council for the next day. This is when all the Zone Leaders come to Bogota and the Assistants and President give trainings on how we can be better leaders and help the mission. We put something together as fast as we could and talked about practicing what we preach and being examples. It went very well but was a little intimidating to be "training" Zone Leaders who have more experience than me.

The rest of the week we got to work in our area and today for Pday we went to Monserrate. It it a ferry that takes you up to a giant mountain that overlooks all of Bogotá. It was amazing and you could see everything and I got lots of great pics that I will try to send when I get a chance.

I have had some amazing spiritual experiences in the last few weeks also. Four of the investigators that we found in my last area that I had invited to be baptized and set baptismal dates for, have been baptized along with 2 more baptisms here in our area. One of them was the week before last. A 23 year old girl named Elena who was a reference from a member. I taught her the first lesson. We had worked so hard because she felt like the church was true, but she said she hadn’t received her answer, so we did everything we could think of to help her receive and recognize her answer from the Holy Ghost. The first time the Elders there went to teach her she said, "I got it, I got my answer, I need to be baptized this week." She then asked them if I would be able to come baptize her because she said I had helped so much for her to reach that point. We were able to go last Saturday to my old ward and see 3 of the baptisms of my investigators and I baptized her. It was such a blessing and a great feeling to see them there and that they had followed through and received their testimony. Elena wrote a little card and said thanks for all your help with a little box of chocolates from where she works. Julian, a teenager we taught who was also getting baptized, ran up and gave me a hug when we got there and said he missed me. It was such a blessing to see and it is seeing things like that that makes the mission so great and brings so much joy.

Some other news, at the Zone Leader Conf. I got to see Elder Larsen, from my MTC group, for the first time. He just got put in as ZL, and afterwards we all went to the temple so I got to talk to him for a while. The temple was amazing.

Things are going great with my comp. Elder Corro. He has a great sense of humor and is very upbeat. We really have great unity and we work very well together. He is an awesome singer and very smart. He speaks English really well so usually, as we are walking or planning, he speaks English to practice and I help him with any problems and I, of course, speak Spanish so he helps me. haha Sometimes we get weird looks on the bus or in the street when people see a dark Chilean talking to me in English and me responding in Spanish.

Questions. Every morning we walk to the office and sometimes we go to the mission home to do exercises. They are very close. The mission office is on the 10th floor of a large building and in the office there are 4 comps. who work there. There is Pres. Camargo’s office and a seminar room. We usually don’t eat with members but sometimes they give us dinner. This is an interesting barrio because all the people from the U.S. Embassy work in this area so the ward is half gringos and we have had dinner with a few. Well, I'm out of time - love you all so much - the church is true. Elder B.

Zone Conferences

We didn't get Will's letter until really late. I was getting a little worried. He was not able to get to a computer until tonight because he had so many things to do. What a prep day.

HOLA Familia,
Sorry it’s so late - life is great. We spent the whole day helping Pres. Camargo move out of his house so we got to the offices late and just finished the rigorous work of compiling ALL the stats of the mission so now with 5 minutes left I can start my p day. I guess that’s my new life haha, I will go I will do...

This week has been nuts, there is so much I could write but not too much time. I am trying to get things down in my journal and hopefully next week I can get everything written. This week we did 2 zone conferences here in Bogotá with about 35 missionaries each. We trained them for an hour and it went great. We used some pretty cool ideas.

Also we did companion interchanges in 2 little suburbs of Bogotá. That’s where my companion and I each go with different companionships for a day and a night and try to get them motivated, help them in their area, and fix any problems if there are any. I will be learning to live out of my little suitcase. Its so crazy because we get to the lessons and when it’s time to make the commitment, teach some of the main principles or take out the baptismal date, the other elders just kind of look at me and I know I have to be able to do it. But the Lord has really blessed me and all has turned out very well. We were able to have some great lessons and take out some baptismal dates and find great people. President Camargo says the purpose of the interchanges is to re-motivate the missionaries, correct what they are doing wrong and leave them excited and spiritually uplifted to work hard.

I still feel sometimes like I am walking in shoes a few sizes too big (more responsibilities than I am prepared for) but everything we have had to do has gone great and I have been able to do everything I need and still remain sane and happy thanks to the Lord, actually more than sane, I am loving all the things we get to do and the chance to help the other missionaries. I am learning to humble myself and I know it’s for my best.

I haven’t been able to read your letters, I just barely had time to print them and I will be able to read them in the apartment as soon as we get back. Tomorrow I am going to Cucuta by plane to stay until Thursday working with the missionaries and then doing zone conference there by myself because Elder Corro will be in Bucaramanga doing the conference.

I have so much I wish I could write you but time is short so I will try and get everything in my journal and hopefully get some more written next week. We have been very busy getting everything ready for the change of the mission president and there has been a ton to do with that as well as preparing the zone leaders conference where all the zone leaders come to Bogotá and we have a meeting of how we can improve every zone. All I can say is I am learning tons, very busy but I love it and I can rrrrrreally feel the spirit helping me more than ever.

I got a package today. I haven’t had time to open it but will do so when we get home. I really feel bad that I can’t write more, I read a few of your questions but I will have to answer next time. Please tell Scott I am very proud of him and he will love his mission and do great. Thanks for everything.
I Love you all tons, Elder Barnard

P.S. Please tell my friends that I have not been able to write, it is just very, very busy and I'm going as fast as I can to get everything done. I hope they understand.