Happy New Year

Well, it finally happened....I at Mopani Worms! I got a good picture of them. They were spiky, and crunchy, yet slimy all at the same time! (figure that one out, but it is true) I ate them because an investigator that I may never see again offered them to me, so I had to take them. I may never see this family again because, I am finally being transferred! Out of my greenie area. But before you all get excited let me explain something to you about transfers among the sisters here in Botswana. There are only eight sisters in the whole mission, we are all serving in Gaborone, covering two wards, so not much room for change. So this transfer I will be getting transfered to the other area in the same ward I have been serving in. It is the same apartment, the same ward, pretty much same everything except companion and car I drive! Pretty funny, we don't really call it transfer, we call it a change of rooms! But I am excited. It will be nice. I am glad I am not leaving the ward I am in now. I really enjoy the ward I am in. That is the main news from this week. Christmas in Botswana was nice. We woke up and did nothing for a few hours, then we went to the senior couple's home, so my companion could call home, then we went to the Elder's flat (house) and played games, then went back to the senior couple's so I could call home, then went back and played more games at the Elder's flat....That was pretty much my Christmas....Exciting, I know. It was actually very nice, and I enjoyed it alot. Christmas here is definitely different from back home. We went caroling earlier in the week to some homes and to the hospital, and I was dripping sweat, just standing there it was so hot. I believe it got to about 107'F during the week. Quite the different caroling experience than I am used to in the freezing Iowa winters! But the spirit was still the same. It was nice. That is about all I have to report on this week. I hope your Christmas was great, and I hope that you carry the wonderful Christmas spirit throughout all of 2010. Make 2010 a great year! Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL. This year I recieved the best Christmas gift I have ever recieved in my life. Yesterday was definitely the best day I have had mission this far. It was wonderful. I learned this past week at our Christmas conference that wonderful in hebrew means miracle. So yesterday definitely was wonderful. It was so amazing, I have never felt so much joy in my life. What happened yesterday trumps anything up to my life this far. It was sweeter than playing in the state basketball tournament in high school. Sweeter than Beck to Harline to beat Utah (I know sounds crazy, right?)! But it is true. so last week I told you how Joshua Isaac got baptized, right? Well, this week he was confirmed, and he received the aaronic priesthood. The most amazing part of this experience was that his wife Akie, ditched work to make sure she was there for that. We didn't know he would be receiving the priesthood yesterday, but the bishop saw that his wife was with him, and made sure she would be there to see him recieve the priesthood. It was the most amazing thing! He was so happy. I asked him after he met with the bishop when he would be receiving the priesthood, and he got this big smile on his face, looked at me and said he just did! It was wonderful, and then before leaving he looked at me and said, "I'm a man now aren't I?" Hahaha...It made me laugh. But it is true. He really is a man of God now, and holds God's power, and will one day be a great leader here in Botswana. So, that was the best gift his family could have ever received, and it is no coincidence it happened this time of the year. It was also such a sweet experience for me. My joy was so full after that moment. Words cannot describe how much joy and happiness I felt. A joy that is lasting. Even sweeter than BYU beating Utah with no time on the clock. It was wonderful. And I am so happy for what this priesthood will do for Joshua and his family, expecially as he will be baptizing his wife in a couple of months! The church is true. It changes lifes. It has changed mine, and continues to change mine daily. So this Christmas remember the true meaning of Christmas, and the greatest gift that has ever been given to anyone, the gift of the Atonement. Think about it this Christmas, enjoy the temporal gifts you will be given, but please, more importantly remember the spiritual gifts your Father in Heaven and your Savior, Jesus Christ have given you. I love all you, and wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Don't forget to serve

This week was definitely a lot better than last week. It was wonderful actually. The best part of the week was definitely yesterday. We had two baptisms! It was such a neat experience. Especially for Joshua Isaac. I love this man. He is this big tough soldier man on the exterior, but inside he is a big softie, and he makes me smile. And his baptism came as somewhat of a suprise. He told us last week that he wanted to be baptized last Sunday, but everytime we went to visit him he was not around, so we didn't know what the deal was...remember last week was the week every appointment ditched us. So we didn't know what would happen, but we finally got a hold of him early this week, and he still expressed the desire to be baptized, so we set up to have his interview on Thursday, and Elder Torr said he would determine when it was best for him to be baptized, and he said joshua was more than ready to be baptized on the coming Sunday. So we had to rush and get everything organized, but it was SO worth it. He was so happy. It was one of the greatest experiences on mission so far. I am excited for the future of his family, his wife also desires to be baptized, but her work schedule won't allow for it yet, but next year she will also be baptized. It was just wonderful. Words can't describe it. and I know i didnt do a great job of explaining the situation, but believe me, it was a sweet experience. We focus our mission on finding and teaching fathers and families, and yesterday, a father set the example for his family. it was amazing. Our other baptism was of a 9 year old boy whose both parents are members, but the father is less active. He is a fun one, and i was very happy for him as well. It was just a good day yesterday. I wish all of you could have been there with us, and join the joyous moment. This work is great, and will continue to progress as the Lord has his hand here in Africa! so, i think it is about Christmas time, so merry christmas to all of you. Christmas is not such a big deal here in Botswana, so it doesn't feel much like Christmas. it is different. But Merry Christmas to all of you. Remember to do your random act of service, especially during this time of year :)

Slow Week

This was not a very exciting week. It was one of those weeks on mission when almost every single appointment you have made falls through, those of you who are returned missionaries know what I am talking about. It was also very hot this week. So, it was alot of fun having no appointments and spending the day contacting and tracting in the friendly sun :) But things like that happen. Even our great, progressing investigators were not available to meet with us, but we met a lot of great people, so it wasn't so bad. I just hope this week goes better, because I am not sure I would survive another week like that. So, I don't have much to report this week. But the month of November was very exciting the Johannesburg South Africa mission, record settting, and we are also having a record setting year. Here are the statistics received from my mission president. I thought you might be interested in these, I was anyway. It is really amazing the work we are engaged in here. So here are the statistics:

Dear Elders and Sisters,
Please note the expression of appreciation from our Area President, Elder Koelliker, for the wonderful work you are doing bringing many souls unto Christ. It is worthy of note that in November, the large majority of our missionary companionships (80%) had investigators enter the waters of baptism.
Another milestone of note is the first Sacrament meeting of the new group in Mochudi, Botswana which took place on December 6. It was remarkable that 56 individuals attended the wonderful meeting.
Just short note to document two milestones in the mission.
1) This past weekend the new Tzaneen South Africa District was formally created, consisting of the five branches Mokopane, Polokwane, Lenyenye, Tzaneen, and Modjadji.
2) The mission baptized 196 individuals in November—this is a record monthly high. This brings the year to date total to 1,528.

I am pretty sure that last year the entire year they had less than 1000 baptisms, this year is much better. we are working hard everyday, and the work here is progressing in remarkable amounts. This truly is the Lord's work, and He is preparing His people. I am so lucky to be a part of the Lord's army at this exciting time.
Sister Barber

Pictures

Coming Soon! I have Ashley's memory card and will post pictures this week. Happy Holidays everyone.

Happy (Late) Thanksgiving!

This past week, Sister Nkohla and I decided we need to do more service. So we decided to do a random act of service every day. And we dubbed it RAS. So every day we are trying to do a RAS. It is great. We decided to do this because we listened to a talk by James E. Faust on how we need to do service daily. So we are trying, and President Monson talked this past conference on charity, so we decided we need to do it. So we have been doing our best to complete on RAS a day. And it is not as easy as it sounds. We offer to help people all the time, but they don't always accept it, so a few times we had to do service for the other missionaries here because people weren't letting us serve them randomly. But it was a good week, and it made a huge difference in the work. This past Zone Conference we were told this quote by Henry B. Eyring where he said to a future missionary, "Show the people Jesus Christ loves them by the way you treat them." So, we are doing our very best to try and portray the Savior's love for these people in Botswana every day through RAS and other ways. This week really was good, I have no complaints, but then again I rarely ever have complaints :) Have a great week, and thanks for reading.

Temple Work

This week was amazing. We had the wonderful opportunity to take some recent converts to the temple to do baptisms for their family. We had one of our recent converts go. She had so many names ready to do, and she got to do four of them. Her mother and father, grandmother, and brother. She was so excited, and can't wait to go back to do the other ones. I was so happy she had the opportunity to do that. The temple is a special place! And that is the goal for each of our investigators, is for someday to get them into the whites of the temple, and this week we got to do that. It was such a neat experience! One I will definitely never forget. Our recent converts testimony was definitely strengthened from visiting the temple, and getting to bring that same joy that she has received from the gospel to her family on the other side. Words cannot describe this experience. That is the great experience for the week, all else is nothing really compared to that, so I will leave this entry short and sweet, just like my experience was. Thanks for reading. I hope one day you all can go to the temple and do work for your family, it will be something you never forget :)

Happy Veterans Day (Wednesday)

This week was another great week here in Gaborone. Two more of our investigators entered the waters of baptism. One of them you should know, Rebecca Mangisi, the amazing old, retired lady, who says the most profound, and inspiring things, yeah, she got baptized this week! It was wonderful. She was so happy, she wants to frame her baptismal program  she is great. So, it was an amazing thing to see her enter into that covenant with her Father in Heaven. Our other baptism was Mphoentle Gaonosi, who is an amazing young single adult. She is still in university, but she just got hired as a full-time producer for Botswana TV. The Lord really blesses His children, and they come into His fold. She is only 20, and already a full-time producer for the most watched station in Botswana. We were very happy for her as well. I really wish I could take credit for these two baptisms, but I can’t. I really didn’t do anything, at all. The Spirit gets all the credit for these ones, and the Book of Mormon, both of them accepted the 70 day challenge, the same challenge I gave to all of you, and their lives have changed because of it. That book is powerful! I’m not sure if I shared this before, but I will share one of my favorite quotes from Sister Rebecca Mangisi, while talking about her love for the Book of Mormon, she said that she understands so much more, and she said, “the bible is shallow in its content”, and she is right, the Book of Mormon, is so simple, and explains the doctrines so simply and straightforward, where the Bible leaves confusion. Again, I testify that the Book of Mormon, and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ truly changes lives. I know it. I have seen it.

*Happy Birthday Dad & Shayla*

New Post #1

Sorry for the short delay I was temporarily unable to post to this blog, but all has been fixed and there are 2 new posts from Sister Barber to read. Enjoy!

This week was Sister Nkohla’s birthday. So we decided to do a photo scavenger hunt in honor of it. That made the day a lot more entertaining than normal. We decided we would look for photos of: 1. Dirtiest child 2. Funniest sign 3. Strangest stray animal 4. Funniest outfit and 5. Prettiest flower. My favorites were the dirtiest child and funniest sign. There is this one family that has the dirtiest children I have ever seen! They are members and live in very humble circumstances, and we knew their youngest would be very dirty, so we got some good pictures of him. It was fun. That may sound rude, but they are a great family, and we love them so much, and their children may be dirty, but they are really cute, so we got some pictures of them . Also, here in Gaborone, there are lots of crazy signs come to find out  A lot of people use Gas in their homes, so there are a lot of gas companies, with lots of funny slogans. My favorite gas company name is Lovely Gas, and its slogan is Lovely Gas….For Lovely People. So we took a sign of that one, and then my other favorite one is Easigas…free home delivery…..hahhaha….this makes us laugh nearly every day. Good times. Also, here in Botswana there are A LOT of interesting stray animals, horses, cows, donkeys, goats, all roam around wherever they feel like it, and this to me, is very strange, when we jog in the morning we run right by horses and donkeys and cows, in the middle of the sidewalk, and on the streets. Quite different from back home. So, we had fun this week. As far as missionary work went this week, it seemed this week everyone ditched our appointments, which is not so fun, but the ones that we got to meet with were great. We have been challenging a lot of our investigators to read the Book of Mormon in 70 days, by reading 8 pages a day, and a lot of them have accepted the challenge, and are really enjoying it. We just had one recent convert finish the challenge, and he LOVES the Book of Mormon, and one investigator will finish it way before the 70 days is up. The Book of Mormon is powerful, it changes people’s lives. And I am lucky enough to get to see that every day. We have two investigators getting baptized this coming week, and we didn’t do anything to convert them to the gospel, they both accepted the challenge of reading the Book of Mormon in 70 days, and the Spirit did the rest. The Book is powerful. That is all I can say. If you are up for the challenge, do it. It will change your life, I can promise you that. Eight pages a day. It is not a difficult task. It can be done. If investigators who have never heard about the Book of Mormon before can read it in 70 days, I know you can too. So challenge yourself, make yourself a calendar and time line, and get it done, and see how the Lord will bless you. Go ahead. Test him. See if He will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out blessings that there will not be room enough to receive them.  Until next week.

Finally - Some new posts(#2)

I have survived another transfer! I can't believe I have been out here for three transfers. I did not get transfered, but my trainer did! So, I have a new companion, Sister Nkohla, from Johannesburg South Africa (yes she is serving a mission in her home mission). But she is great. We work so well together. We will do lots of great work together. I am very excited for this new companionship. She is already a much harder worker than my trainer was! Which is very exciting for me. This week, a lot of amazing things happened. It was a great week. They formed a new ward in Botswana, a singles ward, so we cover two wards now, the family and the singles ward, so we get sacrament meeting twice on Sundays, but it is great. The new bishopric is amazing, and so excited about missionary work, so I am excited to see the singles ward grow, and it will also help to focus on families in the other ward, and also finding families to teach. Yesterday, Sister Nkohla and I got ditched for our last appointment, so we had a little over an hour to find something to do. We were going to check on our investigators who did not make it to church earlier in the day, but then we passed this worship service being held, and we decided to go and check it out. It was just out in this field, in a tent, and some pastor had apparently come from South Africa. It was so interesting to me. There were probably only 30 to 40 people there, but the pastor or "prophet" felt the need to use a microphone, and not only use it but yell into it! Everytime he would start a new thought he would yell, and both sister nkohla and I would jump a little. Not only was he yelling into the mic, but he also had an interpreter following him around, and also yelling into his mic in setswana (the language of botswana). And to add onto the noise, everytime the pastor starting rambling on about something that was supposedly "profound" this other guy would start playing music in the background. It was quite the sight to see. It was very interesting to witness this worship service after attending the service at the true Church of Christ. It was such a difference. This pastor was trying to do all he could to drive the Spirit of God away from his sermon, and he did a very good job, the spirit was no where near the tent! Also, during part of his rambling on about nothing that made any sense, a guy in the front row, starts "speaking in tongues" and raising and lowering his arms. It was so funny. Oh man, so many times I wanted to laugh, but actually most of the time, I just wanted to hand out pass along cards, and invite all of those innocent souls to come and see how the true church worships. They would definitely feel the difference. I was glad I got to experience that. It was a lot of fun to see how others worship, and it made me so grateful to be a member of the only true church on the earth. What a blessing it is not to be confused, and to know where to turn to for peace. I am so grateful for the restored gospel. And seeing these other people worship this way, only made me that much more grateful to be who I am, doing what I am, and I pray each and every person in that sermon will have the opportunity, in this life to experience the Spirit in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Missing Post from Last week

"This week was GREAT! I had such a wonderful birthday present! Our mission president's wife talked President into letting all of the sisters go down to South Africa, to do a session at the temple, and to visit a lion and rhino park! I love her. It was wonderful. So on my birthday, I got to visit a lion and rhino park, and see lots of amazing animals, and got some amazing photos, and I also got to pet baby white tigers! It was a blast. It was a great birthday here in Africa. And then this weekend was general conference, so my birthday week was pretty much the best ever! Wasn't conference great? I realized something though, conference is a totally different experience here on mission. All of you returned missionaries I am sure know what I am talking about. But I'll explain for those who don't know what I am talking about. Normally when I would watch conference I would look for things would benefit me and help me. But this time it was totally different. Don't get me wrong, I learned plenty of things will benefit me, but pretty much the whole time I was thinking about our investigators, just wishing they had been there to hear it, and so grateful for the ones that were there."
"And every talk, for me at least, seemed to apply to my missionary work. I just kept thinking how the talks were given for my different investigators and their needs specifically, and how they were missing it! But not to worry, I will make sure they get a copy of the Ensign. So, this conference experience is one I am sure I will never forget. To me, the underlying message for me was to aim high, to do better, and be better, do all you can to achieve the impossible. For me, that is what I most took away from this conference. It was great. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did, and remeber to heed those promptings you received during conference. Til next time! Love you all and miss you all. Thanks for your prayers in my behalf, they are greatly appreciated.

Oh, and P.S. I want to say congratulations to my wonderful cousin! You know who you are! That is wonderful! I am so happy for you and your family! Love you!"

Sorry for Delay

My internet version was recently upgraded and I can no longer copy and paste from my email to the blogger. As soon as I get it figured out I'll have Ashley's post up. . . . hopefully today.

Part I

This week's email was a little long to make up for last week, so it's in 3 parts, Enjoy!

"This week I learned quite a lot from an investigator we are teaching. Her name is Rebecca Mangisi, she is an older retired lady, late 60s i believe, and we have been teaching her for a while now. She is just amazing. She has gained a testimony of the gospel and the things we have been teaching her. The reason we have been teaching her for so long is because she is, or used to be, a seventh day adventist (meaning she strongly believes the Sabbath day is satruday) and we didn't want to force her to change, but we wanted her to gain that testimony for herself, so we when we explained about the ten commandments and the sabbath day she would accept it because she already has a testimony of the gospel. And that is exactly what happened this past week. She gained that strong testimony of the gospel. She opened her heart and allowed the Spirit to testify of the truthfulness of it, and she came to both sessions of stake conference, and loved them, and she actually ended up asking us about the sabbath day, and said she doesn't have a problem with it anymore. AWESOME."

Part II

"Just what we were praying for! Anyway, the reason I share her story is because this week while were teaching her she said some wonderful things that relaly taught me a lot, and I want to share them with you. They really made me think and recommit myself to living the gospel of Jesus Christ. And I was just amazed at how the Spirit really does the teaching, and I don't do anything....at all. I really don't. But anyway, I wrote down some of the things she said, and from her words, I am sure you all will be able to tell how wonderful this little old lady is. First she said that she realizes that 'the gospel has to change her. Accepting Jesus Christ means changing your life.' She continued to say, 'The gospel should be a part of my life. At church, at home, at the shops, everywhere.' Then a couple days later she said in reference to the scriptures 'I don't want to just study, but I want to live it!' I wish everyone understood these things the way she does. She is completely right, the gospel should change us. When we accept the gospel of Jesus Christ we accept all of it, and that includes repentance which is changing, leaving behind all those sins that we enjoy so much, and changing to become a better, more Christ-like disciple."

Part III

"Also, this gosple shouldn't be just a Sunday affair, or just a Christmas/Easter affair, but it should be including in every part of your life, the way you act, the way you dress, the way you talk, the way you think. If we are true disciples of Jesus Christ we do as King Benjamin said, and learn to control our thoughts, words, and actions. We should stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things and in all places! And lastly, what I learned from Rebecca this week is about the importance of applying what you read and study from the scriptures into your daily lives. She realizes that study of the gospel is not enough, but then we need to act. We need to apply what we have learned to our lives, and become better people because of what we have studied. That is so true. so there is some food for thought for you this week. I hope you enjoy the word of Rebecca Mangisi as much as I did. If you really ponder them, you will realize how important these things are that she taught me this week. I am grateful to be here on a mission and to have the opportunity to learn so much about this wonderful gospel. There is no university in the world that will teach you what a mission will teach you. Well, thank you for reading my blog. I hope you all are doing well, and I hope you all listen to general conference this weekend with your spiritual ears and not with your physical ears! Enjoy listening to the apostles and prophets this weekend, I know I will."

A smaller Branch

this weekend i had the opportunity with another sister in the district to go visit a branch here in botswana in the village of Molepolole. It was a great experience. The people in this little branch are wonderful. It was the kind of branches I figured would be here in Africa. They meet in the cafeteria of a school, and have sunday school and other meetings outside. While I speaking during sacrament meeting I could hear chickens outside. It was fun, a real African branch experience. The ward I am serving in is really big, with a nice chapel to meet in, so I was so grateful to get to go and visit this village and the saints there. Their spirits are so strong, and they loved seeing sisters. And afterwards there was a baptism and the entire branch stayed. That is how it should be. They really are a family of saints. It was such a neat experience to see; everyone should get to experience that. Well, that was the highlight of the week. until next week.

*Don't Forget*

Sister Barber's birthday is September 30th, so if you're wanting to send a card or package get going - it does take a little while to get there, so hop to it or it will be late.

Faith of Children

This week went by REALLY SLOW, I haven't had a week go by slow in a long time! But this one just seemed to crawl! I suppose it was because I was so excited for Sunday. We had two investigators get baptized! A wonderful mother and daughter, Lesego and Deliwe Mfazi! They are a beautiful family, the other daughter was also supposed to get baptized, but she broke her leg and will have to wait til October. But Deliwe is 8 years old and amazing. She was the one pushing her mom and sisters along. If it were up to her she would have been baptized a week after we taught her. This young lady really is amazing, and one of God's elect of that I am certain! Her spirit is so strong. She amazes me every time I talk to her. We gave her the Book of Mormon stories to read, and she finished it in two weeks. And now teaches us the lessons when we go to visit and teach. She really reminds me of how it true it is when Alma says in Alma 32:23, that sometimes little children have words given unto them that counfound the wise and the learned. Deliwe is a living testament to that. Every one who meets her sees the same thing. The ward mission leader conducting the baptism, was astounded by her spirit and testimony, just as I am. She is great, and I was so happy for her. She may only be eight, but she KNOWS these things are true, her testimony is solid. Little children are great like that, it is true when they say we should become as little children. They have such strong faith. Her mom is great too, there family is just great, and I was so happy for them and the decision they made to enter the gate that will lead them back to their Father in Heaven. I look forward to seeing what young Deliwe will accomplish in the future. The work is progressing here in Botswana nicely, and each day I am reminded of how little I am. I really am nothing, but I am glad the Lord is willing to use me in His work. I heard BYU BEAT OKLAHOMA!!!! WHAT?? Great, and as amazing and wonderful I am sure that would have been to watch and witness that, I KNOW watching and witnessing those two wonderful sisters get baptized and accept Christ in their lives was so much better and sweeter! As much as I would have loved to watch that football game, there is honestly nowhere else I would rather be right now at this time than here in Botswana serving my brothers and sisters and teaching them eternal truths, that will really bring them everlasting happiness and peace. Just thought I would share that with all of you. But Go Cougs! It will be a GREAT year! One last thing. It is getting SO HOT here. And everytime I say that, my companion and whoever we are talking to just laugh and say, just wait! I am not sure I can handle it getting much hotter than it is now. Eish, Africa is hot my friends, very hot! But don't worry I put on LOTS of sunscreen everyday, and so far I haven't really gotten burnt too bad, so my goal is still being achieved ;) Well, love you all and miss you all!

2nd Transfer down

This week was the end of my second transfer! I can't believe two have already gone by! And the time just seems to keep picking up and moving faster and faster! I will still be with my trainer, Sister Kubheka for another transfer, and working in the same area. There are only four areas and two wards sisters can serve in the whole mission, so I won't be doing any real moving around my whole mission. This week was really long and slow. We did a lot of finding this week, and while so doing, we found a really great man who has been prepared to hear this gospel. He is a soldier here in Botswana. We finally got to meet him on Friday, and then we went back on Saturday and Sunday. He came to church on Sunday, and loved it, I watched him and he was smiling and taking notes the whole time, I could tell he loved it and it was what he has been searching for. Anyway, after teaching him on Sunday afternoon, he told us he would like to see us every day, and we also committed him to be baptized on October 11. So, that was great this week. I look forward to seeing him continue to progress. The Lord truly prepares his children for this gospel! Other than that, this week really was pretty much just normal missionary work. The church is true. It really is. Don't ever forget that! Sorry there is not much to report on this week, but thanks for reading the blog, and all of your prayers in my behalf. They are greatly appreciated.

Mission Blog

done by Ashley's mission president:

http://johannesburgmission.googlepages.com

Will be updated with new pictures and messages randomly so keep checking back...enjoy!

Every member a Missionary...

This week we had a great experience with a new investigator Lesego. We just met her a week ago, Sunday. We were teaching her friend, Ronald. We were there to give him the Book of Mormon because he loved church earlier that day, and couldn't wait to get it. Anyway Lesego sat in with us, and I just thought she was already a member, because two of the people who live in that house are already members, and she basically helped us teach and explain things. She just got it. The Book of Mormon made sense to her. I seriously thought she was already a member that i just didn't recognize, and at the end of the lesson my companion asked her if she would like her own copy of the Book of Mormon, she was so happy and said she would love that more than anything! So we gave her her own copy, and went back to check up on her and Ronald's reading on Saturday. When we asked her how her reading was (we asked her to read 3 nephi 11 and the introduction) and she said it was great and that her favorite verses were 33 and 37 which say that we must be baptized to saved in the kingdom of heaven and the importance of being baptized, and then she said, so i know I need to be baptized, but I think I should visit the church first! And then she said how while she was reading she realized that she didn't need to suffer, she could be happy because somebody had already suffered and died for her! WOW! I seriously was blown away, I almost shrieked I was so excited! How often does that happen? Rarely!! My joy was seriously so much. I could hardly contain myself and sit through the lesson. It was wonderful. Talk about a golden investigator! So we put her on date for the second week of October! And then she came to church yesterday and loved it. She is amazing. Future Relief Society president for sure! After the lesson Sister Kubheka and I marveled at how little we do. We as missionaries really don't do anything. The Lord prepares his people and then brings them to us. We were there to teach her friend, but there she was ready and waiting. Missionary work really is amazing. We see miracles on a daily basis, not all are as amazing as meeting Lesego, but we still see miracles daily, and daily I am amazed at how much the Lord truly prepares his children, and then leads them to us! On that note, the Lord is preparing his children not just here in Botswana, but everywhere. So I would encourage each and every one of you to pray for those missionary opportunities and then have the guts to follow through, and just as I have said, the Lord is preparing his people, and when you meet those people you won't have to do much, just open your mouth and share your testimony and invite them to meet the missionaries, that is it! So please, just pray for those opportunities and then have the courage to open your mouth and share what you know. you will be amazed at the difference you can make in someone's life! And you will be so much happier and experience true joy just like it tells us in D&C 18! That is my story for the week! Other than that, I am just working hard and trying to love and serve these people the best i know how. Thank you for your prayers and your support in my behalf. It is appreciated.

And the latest from Sister Barber:

This week was a GREAT week. It really was. We were busy all week! The only bad part was that I was sick, we had to cut Friday short because I just could not go any farther, but that actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because the appointment we had to reschedule when we went back we ended up teaching two new investigators with him. My companion says that me needing to go home that night was not a coincidence, she does not believe in coincidences at all. I am definitely starting to realize that there is no such thing as coincidence, but God has a plan for everything, and is really leading and guiding us, and protecting us, every day.This week we had 5 people get interviewed for baptism! Yay! One will be baptized on the 23 Aug, and the other four on 6 September! It was great. I am so happy for all of them. It is amazing to see the changes that have come to their lives as they have accepted the gospel. This gospel is great, it is true, and it really does change people's lives. I am thoroughly convinced that through us, the Lord saved the life of one of these people. This man was completely lost and confused, and wasn't sure he should continue living, and then we knocked on his door and changed his life. Now, he cannot wait to be baptized, and start his new life! He is amazing, every time we go to teach him, we walk out of the lesson and just look at each other and say WOW! what a change. He really has changed so much. It really is remarkable what this gospel does for people. I am glad I get to be a part of this great and marvelous work.This week for District Meeting we have to present our are reports (how our areas are doing) in a creative way, so this morning in companion study, Sister Kubheka and I wrote ours. I think it is great, I will share it with you, but first we changed the words to Joseph Smith's "Standard of Truth", so first I will write what he wrote, and then what we wrote, so you can see how we changed it to fit our area. here goes "Standard of Truth" Joseph Smith The standard of truth has been erected; No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progessing; persecution may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldy, nobly, and independent, til it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, til the purposes of God shall be accomplsihed, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.
Ok and here is ours: "Standard of GWest 3" The standard of G West 3 has been erected; No uninterested investigators can stop the work from progressing. Doors may slam, Fluffy may chase, and the Jdubs may defame, but Sister Kubheka and Sister Barber will go forth knocking, shambocking, and teaching, til we have tracked down Mashumba and Immanuel, baptized Morris and Ezekiel, and put Tefo and Kabo on date, til the purposes of finding Father- led families is accomplished and President Poulsen shall say 'You have been transferred to open Francistown'.Haha...We enjoyed writing that, and just to expalin some words so you understand it: Fluffy = a dog of a family we are teaching that is way too hyper active and scares Sister Kubheka. Jdubs = Jehovah's witnesses. There are way too many of them here. shambocking = verbal beating :) making investigators feel quilty for not keeping their commitments ( with love of course, always with love) Mashumba, Immanuel, Morris, Ezekiel, Tefo, Kabo = investigators that we would love to see progress a little faster, basically they just give us trouble, but we love them and continue to teach them anyway :) Father-led families = families with a mother and father Francistown = town in northern Botswana where there are not any missionaries yet, but there is a growing branch, and we are dying to open up the area.
Well, that is our little presentation, we are very proud of it, and cannot wait to share our wittiness with the district at District Meeting. I hope you also enjoyed it, and got a little idea of how the work is moving along here. Mission is great!

Sorry so long...

We have been waiting for our internet connection to be re-established after our summer in Iowa: but we are up and running and here are the last 2 updates from Sister Barber:

This week was great. Just so you all know, I am going to be famous here in Botswana very shortly :) My companion and I and a set of Elders here in Botswana were interviewed by BTV (Botswana TV) about missionary work. So, I will be on TV here in Botwana sometime this week. They asked lots of weird questions like why we dress the way we do. Maybe that was the only weird one, the rest were pretty legit, like why we would leave our families to come and do this, and why are we called Elder and Sister, and what we do as missionaries. It should be good in spreading the word. We are hoping this will open more doors for us. This week was also sad. We had a group of 4 cousins that live together that were scheduled to be baptized on Aug 23. We visited them this week, and we could just tell something was wrong. We asked what it was, and they said they didn't want to come to church anymore. They said they don't feel like church is important to them right now, and that they will start going when they are older. It was heart breaking! We didn't buy that was their real reason, but they wouldn't open up as to the real issue. But one of them, the male, Tefo, did come to church this week. So hopefully he will continue to do what he knows is right, get baptized, and set the example for his cousins! But it was so sad. I was devastated! I didn't even want to go to our next appointment, but I am glad we did because that lesson was awesome! It was two sisters and they read many chapters from the Book of Mormon, when we only assigned one, and they are really excited about the gospel that they have learned so far. So it was just the pick me up that we needed. Also, the Lord is great, because even though we dropped those four people, we invited three others to get baptized, and they accepted. So, the work is still progressing, and people are still being prepared. It is terribly sad when someone chooses to not act on what they know is true, but it is also very rewarding to extend an invitation for someone to be baptized, and see they are excited to work towards it as they accept the invitation. Yeah, those were the main things I remember about the week. So many things happen in a week, it is hard to write them all. But know I am doing well, and the work here is progressing. I am so grateful to be here in Botswana, where the people are prepared for this message.

3 more Baptisms set

This week we had some great experiences. We have this one family, the Kgetsi family, that is really progressing nicely. We went to teach them this week, and the father (or Rra, as they are called here) had his cousin over. We taught him about the restoration and the Book of Mormon, and it was a neat experience because Debakaone and Leano (the Rra and Mma) were telling his cousin that he really needs to listen to our message, read the Book of Mormon, and then pray to know if it is true! It was great to see them bear their testimonies about the Book of Mormon. It was just a neat experience to see them teaching others what we had taught them! The other really neat experience happened yesterday. We went and taught this man, Mogogi and his fiance. When we sat down and started he had lots of questions about prophets, Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon, he was very skeptical. He wasn't buying it, and just figured we were false prophets. But once we starting teaching and testifying, the Spirit really resolved all of his concerns. It was amazing, we really didn't do anything, the Spirit really worked through us to resolve all of his concerns, and he felt it so strong. When we were finished he said he was definitely going to read the Book of Mormon, and asked when we were coming back before we even got around to setting up another appointment. It was probably the best lesson I have been yet. And I decided that was because he asked questions, which invited the Spirit, and the Spirit was able to teach him and resolve all of his concerns. It was wonderful. I wish you all could have been there. This week we also commited three people to baptism, and we are hoping to commit three more this coming week! The work is progressing so well. I am just so lucky I called to this mission where the people are so ready for the message we have. My companion and I express our thanks to our Father in Heaven for sending us to this mission daily. We really are so fortunate, and it really is the best mission in the world!
Sister Barber

Diamond Mines!

This week went by so fast, time just keeps picking up speed, I kind of wish it would go back to those first two weeks where time seemed to be crawling! This week on Wednesday we took a trip as a zone to see the Jwaneng Diamond Mine. It is the largest Diamond Mine in the world! It was cool. It was an underground mine like I was expecting, but it was this big pit, kind of like the grand canyon in a way. It was cool. The trucks they use to haul the rocks out of the pit are the biggest trucks you will ever see in your life. The tires are taller than a one story building! Huge. If I could load pictures I would, but I can't so you will have to wait to see until I send pictures home, or I get home. But trust me, these trucks are massive! I once again decided that diamonds do not attract me. I don't need or even want one. I would much rather spend my money on something more useful. They are pretty sure, but they aren't worth as much as people think they are worth. So that was fun. And on the way to the mine, I saw my first monkey! FINALLY! I thought for sure I would have seen many monkeys by now, but I hadn't until wednesday, and I only saw it for a second! But I did see it! As for the work this week, it was good. We tracted into a lot of families. One of our goals as a mission is to convert families (father, mother, and kids) And we found quite a few this week just from tracting,so that is great. And one of them came to church on Sunday! It was great! Well, that is all for this week, hopefully more exciting things will happen this coming week that I can report on next week. I still hope all of you are making right decisions! Oh, and I have heard how great Springville girls are doing this summer. My mission presidents likes to give me updates! So know that there are people over here in Africa keeping track of you, and we are so impressed with how your summer went! Good luck this season. I wish I could be there to witness it! Keep working hard! I brag about you girls all the time!
Sister Barber

Address Change

The PO Box address has changed as of this week, so please take note:
P/bag 351 #272
Gaborone, Botswana

Also packages will get through quicker if marked "missionary supplies".

Until next week -

07/13

Well, this week was great! With the three companionships in our ward, we had right around 30 investigators at Church on Sunday! It was amazing! The people here are so ready, it is unbelievable.Well, I made it through my first transfer, almost, I guess there is still a couple of days left. It went by fast, and i am sure the time will only pick up speed, kind of scary. I will be home before you know it. i will be staying in the same area with the same companion this next transfer. Which is good because we are starting to work well together, and I am just starting to get to know the people here. This week we met a lot of interesting people. One man has been waiting for our message his entire life. He has visited so many churches, and finally got fed up with them, and decided he would just worship on his own because he didn't feel like any of them were right. Boy did he love our message! When we got home we got a text from him asking how he could get a hold of the Book of Mormon! Awesome, so we will be getting him one tomorrow. Mission is great, the church is true. I'm not sure what else to say, other than every decision you make has consequences. if you want good consequences you will make good decisions. We really do control our own destiny. Every choice we make either brings us closer to the Savior or further away from him. It is up to you how close or far you want to be the Savior, but let me suggest that being closer is ALOT easier than being farther. Always remember that! Choose the Right. It is really just that simple. I hope you all make good decisions this week!

07/07/2009

This week went by so fast, we did a lot of finding this week. We did a lot of stands where we open our trunk, here they call it a boot, and put up flyers that say free books about Jesus Christ, and Put light in your life. Those draw a lot of attention, so we get to talk to a lot of people that way, and we also did a lot of tracting this week. We talked to a lot of people. It was fun. However, it was kind of frustrating because sisters are not allowed to tract after dark, and we didn't really have many lessons this week, so we had a hard time finding things to do until 9. Most nights we just ended up calling people and trying to set up appointments. It is dissapointing to see when you know someone has felt the spirit. For example we watched finding faith in christ DVD with this family we tracted into, they really enjoyed it and i could tell they felt the spirit, but when we tried to set up a return appointment, they said, "we will call you when we are free." Ish, I hate when that happens. Hopefully they call. Other than that, things are going well. The weather has been chilly. I never thought I would need my jacket I brought, but I have needed it and wanted a thicker one like every day. Who would have thought that i would be cold in Africa, but I am. Well, I had better go, but remember that the Church is true. Till next time....

2 updates

Sorry there was no update last week - I was away from the computer for the week - while our mom had a brain mass removed. All is well, and everyone is now back home so now it's time for news from Ashley!

#1: This week I talked to my first drunk person. We were waiting outside an investigators house while he was getting his baptismal interview. We were talking to people that were passing by and handing out pass along cards, when this guy walks up to me and gets really close and says that he wants to marry a white american. He went on like that for a few minutes. He told me how he is going to England to study, and then he is going to be a famous soccer coach for chelsea, but he really just wants to marry a white american because he doesn't like the black girls from Botswana. This man could hardly keep standing. I thought for sure he was going to fall over. He kept leaving and coming back with more "brandy". He couldn't even walk straight. It was kind of entertaining. He told the district leader's companion that he was going to marry me. Man, he finally left for good when his friends came and led him back to his house. So that was my first encounter with a drunk guy. I hope I don't have too more of those, but I have to admit that it was pretty entertaining.My favorite investigators from this week was a husband and wife with a beautiful little girl. The lesson lasted TWO hours! but it was really good. We had our ward mission leader with us, and he got them so interested to read the Book of Mormon. It was great. The wife is so confused though. She used to attend this church here in Botswana, called ZCC, and they give their congregation this "tea" before they start their worship service, and she told us about the crazy things this did to her, make her shake uncontrollably, and have crazy dreams. It was very interesting. They also predicted that she would die last month. But she didn't so she left the church, knowing they weren't teaching about Jesus Christ. Then we knock on her door. We will do our best to unconfuse her. We have another appointment with her on wednesday. Some of the things you see and hear on mission are crazy! I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life, or I am sure I would be just as confused as some of the people we meet everyday! What a blessing to know the things that I know, and to be able to help my brothers and sisters here in Botswana to return to their Father in Heaven.

#2: This week we had two investigators get baptized. Tawanda and Nicolas. Tawanda is from Zimbabwe. He is amazing. I may have talked about him before, I am not sure. But we have only been teaching him for three weeks. He is so happy, and can't wait to get the gift of the Holy Ghost next week. He is a great man, and I am so grateful to have met him. Nicolas is an 11 year old boy. His whole family are members, but he wanted to wait to get baptized until his brother returned from his mission. So we have been teaching him, and he finally got baptized on Sunday. He is funny. We made him rice krispy treats as a present, and the first thing he said on Sunday morning was 'where is my gift?' Of course we didn't give it to him until after he was baptized. It was neat yesterday because we had EIGHT people get baptized into our ward! It is Africa's time right now. So many people are ready for this gospel! Africa is amazing. I am loving it here, and loving the people. I have met so many individuals who are so confused about their purpose in life and about God, and I love seeing them understand the simple truths we share. This work is great, and is moving forward well! On a lighter note, I did get proposed to again. i need to remember to try and stay away from men who have been drinking! Hopefully I will get more time to report next week

A Baptism!

As for Botswana, this week was good. So much happens in a week, I don't even know where to start. One investigator, Tawanda is amazing. He Texted us one night and said he knows this is the true of church of Christ, and doesn't want to wait til July to be baptized. So he will be baptized next week. We only started teaching him right when I got here. He said he has visited many churches but never got baptized in any of them because he didn't feel like it was the true church of christ. But he knows this one is! It is really neat to see how the Lord is preparing people to hear our message.
I feel like I have progressed so much in just one week. I am getting better every day at lessons and letting the spirit lead me and guide me in the things I need to say. It is a neat experience to not know what you are going to say, and open your mouth and out comes simple truths that people need to learn. It has been a struggle for me to do this because I have always thought about what I was going to say before I say it, so teaching by the spirit and not knowing before hand the things will say has been a bit of challenge for me, but I am getting there.
I haven't eaten anything too weird yet, but I am going to try chicken feet this week. I think...maybe. we will see, but I will let you know how they are once I do....Sounds horrible anyway. No worms yet, thank goodness!!!!
The Book of Mormon is a true book. If you haven't read it all the way though, read it, think about it, and pray about it. It will change your life! This church is the true church of Christ. I know this with all my heart. I love you all and miss you all. Til next week...
Sister Barber

New (& Quickest) address

It is quicker to send letter and packages here to botswana, or I will have to wait for transfers before I get them, so just send them here to this address:
P.O. Box 402041
Gaborone, Botswana

June 8 letter

I made it here to botswana! The people here are so kind and happy. i have met so many wonderful people already, and yesterday I got to witness my first baptism. Her name is Bakang, and she just started investigating last week! She is awesome. I was so happy for her. So that was a great way to start off my mission.
It is different here in that the houses are very dimly lit, only one light for the whole house it seems, so that is different. And goats and horses just roam free, crossing the street whenever. OH, and so do the people by the way. The just cross the street wherever whenever. I am driving and my companion keeps telling me I should just drive and they will get out of the way, but I don't want to hit anybody. That will take some getting used to! As for driving, I am already comfortable with driving on the wrong side of the road. It really didn't take long to get used to, everytime I started driving I just said to myself "the left side, the left side" But now I don't do that as much!
It really is a different world over here. So many people crammed into tiny houses with dirt floors. It is definitely an eye opener, but the people are wonderful. No one is rude, that is definintely a big change from Americans. No one slams doors in our faces, they all listen to what we have to say, they don't always accept it, but they always listen and thank us for our message!
Well, being a missionary is fun, but it is hard, and sometimes intimidating, but I am getting better and better by the day! Well, until next week.
Take care, I love you all, and miss you all more than you know.
Sister barber

June 1st Letter

Well, yesterday I met the mission president, and I meet with him again today. He is from SPRINGVILLE! He is a red devil, and so it was fun to talk with him about that! I swear, someone, no matter where you go, you have a connection with. Who would have thought my mission presdient would be from springville, utah. We should have a good time.
Last week was our last full week in the MTC. It went by fast. On Saturday we got to "Babylon" as Sister Cannon calls it. We went to the mall, and we met this awesome lady named Alice. She is from Zimbabwe, and she wanted to know where she could go to church on Sunday. My comp and I have no idea where the church is, so we told her we didn't know. But we got her number and gave it to the APs. They told me yesterday, that they couldn't get a hold of her! I hope they keep trying, because she was a really sweet lady, and ready for the gosple in her life. It made me so excited to leave the MTC and start teaching people who really need it!
Well, that is all I have time to write now. Hopefully next week I will have more time and attach some photos. Oh, by the way, for all you Springville girls, there is a store in the mall here named "LEGIT"!!!! No joke, I took a picture of it, don't worry! haha...miss you all!
I miss you all, and hope all is well in your life. The church is true :)
Sister Barber

Last post for the day -

Sister Barber can only receive emails from her parents - so all of the rest of us get to send her messages the good old fashioned way- aren't we lucky?
I will post all relevant info that she emails on this site and you are welcome to leave comments that I will try and get to her - other than that - enjoy the our postal system!
I am looking into whether you can send postcards via pouch, or if it has to 1 sheet tri-folded and will let you know as soon as I find out.

Addresses:
Letters and Packages using International Postage:

Sister Ashley Barber
Private Bag X4
Ansfrere 1711
South Africa
*nothing over 20 lbs

Letters sent through the pouch:
Sister Ashley Barber
South Africa Johannesburg Mission
P.O. Box 30150
Salt Lake City, UT 84130
*No enevelopes, single sheet of paper folded into thirds and taped at the top.

Check back weekly for updates!

Botswana

After learning where Ashley will be spending her mission I did a little research and found some good info at this site. Here is just a tad of interesting info on Botswana:

- "The very best part of Africa. Botswana, a country better known for peace and tranquillity, diamonds and beef."

-Geographical Info:
Botswana is a land-locked country dominated in geographical terms by the Kalahari Desert - a sand-filled basin averaging 1,100 metres above sea level.
Botswana is bordered by Zambia and Zimbabwe to the northeast, Namibia to the north and west, and South Africa to the south and southeast. .
The Chobe River runs along part of its northern boundary; the Nossob River at its southwestern boundary; the Molopo River at its southern boundary; and the Marico, Limpopo and Shashe Rivers at its eastern boundaries. With the exceptions of the Okavango and Chobe areas in the north, the country has little permanent surface water.
The country is situated in the Southern African region and about two-thirds of Botswana lies within the Tropics.
The distance between the extreme north and the extreme south of Botswana is about 1,110 kilometres. It is 960 kilometres across at its widest. The area of Botswana is approximately 581,730 square kilometres and is about the size of France or Kenya.
The eastern hardveld, where 80% of the country's population lives and where its three largest urban centres are situated, is a wide strip of land running from the north at Ramokgwebane to the south at Ramatlabama.
The Kalahari Desert stretches west of the eastern hardveld, covering 84% of the country. The Kalahari extends far beyond Botswana's western borders, covering substantial parts of South Africa, Namibia and Angola.
In the north-west, the Okavango River flows in from the highlands of Angola and soaks into the sands, forming the 15,000 sq. km network of water channels, lagoons, swamps and islands. The Okavango is the largest inland delta system in the world a bit smaller than Isreal or half of Switzerland. The northeastern region of the Kalahari Basin contains the Makgadikgadi Pans - an extensive network of salt pans and ephemeral lakes.

Climate:
Botswana's climate is semi-arid. Though it is hot and dry for much of the year, there is a rainy season, which runs through the summer months. 'Pula', one of the most frequently heard words in Botswana, is not only the name of Botswana's currency, but also the Setswana word for rain. So much of what takes place in Botswana relies on this essential, frequently scarce commodity.

Seasons:
The summer season begins in November and ends in March. It usually brings very high temperatures. However, summer is also the rainy season, and cloud coverage and rain can cool things down considerably, although only usually for a short period of time.
The winter season begins in May and ends in August. This is also the dry season when virtually no rainfall occurs. Winter days are invariably sunny and cool to warm; however, evening and night temperatures can drop below freezing point in some areas, especially in the southwest.
The in-between periods - April/early May and September/October - still tend to be dry, but the days are cooler than in summer and the nights are warmer than in winter.
Summer days are hot, especially in the weeks that precede the coming of the cooling rains, and shade temperatures rise to the 38°C mark and higher, reaching a blistering 44°C on rare occasions. Winters are clear-skied and bone-dry, the air seductively warm during the daylight hours but, because there is no cloud cover, cold at night and in the early mornings. Sometimes bitterly so - frost is common and small quantities of water can freeze.

Language:
Although Ashley's call is "English speaking, I'm sure she'll have to pick up a little Setswana:
Setswana is the national language with minor differences in dialects. However, English is the official business language and it is widely spoken in urban areas with most written communication being in this language. At the site you can click on different phrases to hear some Setswana and try and picture Ashley speaking in this language is quite amusing!

Culture:
Life in the urban areas has been most affected by western culture and increasing modernity. In the rural areas many traditions persist and ways of life differ from region to region. Some of the more obvious physical aspects of the different cultures have disappeared (such as traditional clothing, arts and crafts, most ritual ceremonies and some tools and utensils). Others remain important, however, such as cattle ownership, music and dance and the consultation of traditional healers.
Music and dance-
Music is the aspect of culture, which has perhaps best survived the onslaught of western influences in Botswana. Both traditional and modern music of numerous ethnic groups from southern Africa and sub-Saharan Africa are heard nearly everywhere you go - in shops, malls, houses, schools, cars, combis, trains, taxis and bars. Music, dance and singing are an integral part of everyday activities and modern-day ceremonies such as weddings and even funerals.
Batswana have incorporated their traditional music into church singing. The result is some of the most stirring, soulful music on earth. There are a lot of church choirs, in both urban and rural areas.
Religion-
Early tribal religions were primarily cults. The supreme being and creator was known as Modimo. Religious rites included the bogwera and bojale (male and female initiation ceremonies) and gofethla pula or rain-making rites.
Today, Christianity is the most prevailing belief system in Botswana, with well over 60% of the population. It was brought into Botswana by David Livingstone in the middle 19th century who converted Kgosi Sechele I (Chief of Bakwena) to Christianity. The main denominations are - Roman Catholic, Anglican, Zion, Lutheran and Methodist Christian Church.

Lots more info at the website on "flora & fauna" and other fun facts for those who want to know more - these were just the basics, so if you have time check it out!
~Natasha

#3

This week has been great. On Tuesday elder Jensen came and spoke to the MTC because this group has the 1000th missionary to come through the MTC. It was a really neat talk, but only lasted a little more than 20 minutes because we then went to the temple. The temple here is great. The gardens are really beautiful. I took lots of pictures and will send them sometime. So that was a great experience.

This week we also started practicing teaching lessons. My companion and I did really good. We really had the spirit there in our lessons and got one of our mock investigators to cry. It was awesome. I can't wait to get out there and really start teaching people who really need to know the truth. It will be awesome.

Also, so all you basketball girls know, there is a basketball court outside of the MTC, and so far I am undefeated. An Elder from Madagascar, Elder Randrianandry, and I have not yet been beaten, and I have not yet been beaten in 21. So, I am representing :), and I hope all you springville girls are doing the same, or you had better be!

I don't have much more time, but I just want all of you to know that the gospel is true, and if you endure to the end, you will find happiness. I love the Lord, and love doing his work.
I love you all and miss you very much.
Sister Barber

#2

Things are going great here in the MTC. It doesn't feel like I am in Africa because I am inside most of the day. We only get to go outside for a little bit, and can't really see much of the sights, so it hasn't really set in that I am in Africa, yet.
We have only had one full day of classes and training, but it seems like I have been here for weeks. The days are so long, but they are amazing. I have already learned so much about the gospel and myself in just the one day of learning. I can't wait to see how much I will grow in three weeks.
So Blake knows, I do not know if they have hookworms in Botswana, yet. But they do eat Mopani Worms, yuck. But the food here at the MTC has been great! It isn't anything I haven't seen before, except they have this sauce here called Chutney, it is like a sweet peach and apricot sauce, it is so good, you should see if you can get any to try.
My companion is Sister Nagirinya, from Uganda! She is a sweet girl. We will do well together. We have already learned so much from each other. It is a neat experience to be here in a place with people from so many different countries. There are about 12 of us Americans, and the rest are from African countries. It is fun. Way different from the MTC in Provo, that is for sure.
I would just like to end with my testimony that I know that this gospel is true and can change lives. God loves us all. I hope you all will remember that and strive to endure to the end. Love you, and miss you, and will write again this time next week.
Love,
Sister Barber

Finally - Updates!!

Sorry everyone for taking a little longer than intended for the first post - I couldn't remember the password Ashley set up - so I made a new blog then remembered I didn't have any way to tell most of you the new address so I had to wait for Sister Barber to give me the password again - and here we are! Here's what we have so far:

She made it to South Africa and said the flight was very long. There are only about 30 missionaries in the South Africa MTC so it is very small - but she is loving every minute of being there. She also found out that there are actually the Sister's don't serve in South Africa - but she will be spending her whole mission in Botswana. She's excited to finally be serving and will write more later. (Her first letter really wasn't more than an "I'm alive, things are good, here is where I will be")

More to come -