July 20, 2010

July 20, 2010
Hola Familia.
Well it’s been a good old week. We had another baptism and we had the chance to do a few good intercambios. The transfers in the mission were Wednesday, so we saw a few missionaries off and received a few others here in the zone. Unfortunately we have been slowed down (both of us) by un poco de gripa (a little flu) but we haven’t missed any days of work for it so we are still marching along. Right now we are in Barranca doing interchanges with the Elders here and helping them with an activity they will have today. Today is independence day and the 200th anniversary of Colombia. They are showing their patriotism.

We have both had some serious coughs this week and for a few days were feeling a little out of it but we keep working hard and trying to take care of it and now we are starting to get better. The members here have suggested about every remedy there is from certain pills to eating honey with eucalyptus. But just the same we did divisions with the Elders in Giron which turned out very well. I think we were able to help them get more excited about how things were going and we were able to secure a few commitments with investigators and find some new ones as well.

On Saturday we had another baptism, his name is Carlos Rincon and I think he will someday be a very good priesthood leader. His girlfriend is a member, so at first he started coming with her but then she left for a while and he kept coming and progressing. He has a very strong, new testimony and shared it after his baptism. He is very converted and the best part is he isn’t doing it just because his girlfriend dragged him into it. She even told him straight up in one of the lessons that if he was going to do it, it had to be for him and not for her. He really is converted for himself and even established his own baptismal date. In his testimony he thanked us a lot for teaching him and helping him find out for himself and we feel very blessed for another one of los hijos de nuestro pardre celestial who we have been able to help find the real source of happiness.

Lia and Claudia (our recent converts) moved to Bogotá and they are going to church there and settling in great. All 4 members of the Gomez family are more than happy and working great in the ward. Cesar, the dad, is soon going to be called as Elders Quorum secretary and they all seem to be very firm.

Things in the zone are going great, actually the best they have ever been in this zone. The Terrazas zone/stake includes the North Part of Bucaramanga and was the first stake to be established here in Bucaramanga (there are now two stakes in the city). It’s been a stake since the 80s as far as we can tell. The other day we were looking through the history as far as mission stats for the zone and we found out that the most baptisms that the zone has ever had in one month has been 21. Last week with the baptisms of the zone, we reached... 21 for July so far. And this week we will have 2 more baptisms in our area and 2 others in the zone which would leave us at 25, breaking the record by 4. We don't work to attain numbers ever, but numbers must be used to measure progress and are used in every part of the church because each number represents a soul and it gives you something you can easily measure and compare to look for progress. So we are very excited and very grateful for all the success that the Lord has blessed us with and at least for now we can say we were there for the best month this zone ever had.

The days are ticking down faster and faster. I don't in any way, feel trunky like happiness to end the mission, but I know its coming and that I should be content to do what the Lord has called me to do and to finish when he has called me to finish too (Alma 29). I love what I am doing. We are still working are butts off and we are far from finished. I still have faith that I can see the Garcia family and others come into the church and I will do my best till the last day.

I know the church is true and I know that this is the Lords work and that being a missionary is the bomb. Les amo mucho familia, gracias por todo su apoyo y gracias por su amor y sus oraciones. Despues de esta carta, solo escribiré 3 mas como misionero. Espero que estén bien y recuerden que siempre estan en mis oraciones. Con Amor, Elder Barnard