So yeah this week was AWESOME

Only in Ohio!! P.S. The weather has been amazing, probably why I look so happy!

My trainer and friend Sis Blaser and I matched embarrassingly well!

Hi everyone! 

Depending on a member who may get us in... we might be going to the zoo today! So if this doesn't flow well and I don't email you back that's why. 

This week was one of the greatest weeks ever with so so many miracles!!! Here's the quick run down: (more details in the email.) S and M were at church. R is back in the picture. Someone called us asking to come to church and is now on date for baptism. Part member families! Role played in front of 3 zones.

S & M - they both came to church! A member in the ward gave M a dress so she could come. They were only able to stay for the first hour but the youth are working on M and she said she would stay all 3 next week. Yay! I think a few young men in the ward have an eye on her. We had a lesson this week and taught a lot of different things. Plan of salvation, missionary work, temples, etc. They’re super busy so we can only meet once a week. And when we do, we cram a bunch in so they can learn everything they need to! They agreed to be baptized on February 11th. ITS HAPPENING!! They're so prepared for the gospel and just love and accept everything. M saw some anti stuff and asked us about it. She didn't have concerns but she just wanted to know! We resolved that and they were super awesome about it. Haha with the whole polygamy thing, S said she wouldn't mind that because she'd have an extra hand around the house! They're super good sports and just the best. Love them! We also found out that S is married and we met her husband. He's cool. 

R- she called us on Saturday to see how we were doing. She casually mentioned that her phone is having problems and needs help getting the voicemail fixed. We offered to come over and help and she was so excited. We invited her to church and she ended up coming! We were told about a comment that she made in relief society. She said she misses having us over and coming to church. We are going over again this week and will help her see that it's the spirit she missed. We have hopes that she will recognize the absence of it and desire to have it all the time.. by being baptized and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Super excited that she reached out to us again. 

The B family (5 of them!)- we tracted an ENTIRE neighborhood. It took daaaaays. Basically nobody was interested. We met someone a few weeks ago that we didn't think had much potential said we'd try again just for the heck of it. We went back to the house and found out she was just a friend visiting. We asked to come in and share with the family that actually lives there. They let us right in! We got their whole family to join in on the lesson. Mom and Dad have 3 sons: 17, 15ish, 12. We taught the whole restoration and they loved it. Their family is super super SUPER catholic but they're excited to learn more. We had a lesson on Saturday and taught the plan of salvation. I was a little afraid to share the first vision because I wasn't sure how they'd react or if they'd tell us to leave. We shared anyway and they actually said it would be super cool if they knew that happened. We told them about the Book of Mormon as evidence and they were pumped. We went back Saturday and taught the plan of salvation and they loved it! The biggest problem right now is dad said he won't convert.. been a life long Catholic and is comfortable. He doesn't have a problem with meeting, reading, or praying though.. so we trust that it will eventually soften his heart :) they also have church the same time as us and they each have Sunday school responsibilities. Working on that. They're super cool though and we decided all the sons are going to serve missions some day. 

Sunday after church we saw a voicemail from a number we didn't know. This lady called and said some sisters gave her a card and invited her to church over the summer. She said she wanted to come to church and asked if she could. We told her it was at 9 am now and that she's welcome to come next week! We asked to meet her and had an awesome lesson last night. She moved here from China about 13 years ago. She is married and has 2 kids, 11 and 3. Her almost 12 year old daughter is so in tune with the spirit. We shared the first vision and she was in tears. The spirit was so strong and they both want to come to church. When the spirit was strong we extended baptism. Let's just say they are both on date for February 18th! We're having a chapel tour tonight and plan to meet with them often. They don't have much of a religious background so it is very humbling to teach them simply about God and his love for them. We are SO excited about them!! How often do people just call and want to come to church and get baptized?? I'll take it!

L's mom is an odd less active lady we've been serving. We went to see her last night but ended up talking with L. She's about our age and super duper cool. I want to be her friend. It'll start tonight because she asked us to start teaching her. We think she'll get baptized and reactive her mom!

On Friday we had zone conference! I guess it was kinda multi zone though because there were 3 zones there. I got to see a few good friends. It was fun. The conference was amazing. I particularly loved the training on faith. Just as President Hinckley once said, "This precious, marvelous gift of faith..this gift from God our eternal father is still the strength of this work and the quiet vibrancy of its message. Faith underlies it all. Faith is the substance of it all." I know that faith is SO important and that miracles come from faith. I am witnessing that here in "the hardest" and "very slow" area of Powell. Haha, this week alone definitely proves those misconceptions to be WRONG! Sister Flora and I were asked to come in front of everyone and role play teaching the restoration. Haha in front of THREE ZONES. It was a little frightening at first but then it wasn't even bad. Got lots of cool feedback. I love being a missionary!

I almost forgot!! One random guy we talked to was getting Christmas lights off his trees. The ground was super wet and the ladder kept sinking.. his solution? See the Picture. Haha super safe right?? We were talking for a bit and having an awesome discussion and shared Helaman 5:12 "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." He thought for a sec that we were calling him out for not having a solid foundation for his ladder!

Church is true guys. Have a good week!

Love, Sister Barnes