Mission Tour

This week was GREAT! We had mission tour this week. Which is basically a zone conference except a general authority presides. We had Elder Watson who is in the area presidency and 1st quorum of the twelve with us. Monday night the sisters got to go do dinner with President and sister Poulsen, and Elder and sister Watson. It was fun. I got to sit right across the table from Elder and Sister Watson, so I spent Monday evening chatting it up with a general authority. Haha...It was fun. He is pretty funny. Then tuesday was the conference with him, which was also amazing. At one point he said he had a "test" for one companionship. He took out a book of mormon and said this copy was special. His eight year old granddaughter who had just recently been baptized had written her testimony in it, and he wanted one companionship to take it and give it to a family that would then be baptized. My companion and I quickly volunteered for the "test". But now I am a little worried about finding the right family for this Book of Mormon. So, if you want to pray for my companion and I to find the family that that Book of Mormon is supposed to belong to, we would greatly appreciate it. We know that Book of Mormon is meant to convert a whole family. Now we just need to find them,a nd we need your prayers to help. So thank you for that. Also this week we had two baptisms. Gomolemo Bantshang was baptized in the family ward. He is 14, and his mom is a member. He is a very bright 14 year old, kind of how I imagine Joseph Smith was at that age. While bearing his testimony he said he was hesitant about being baptized for quite a while because he thought he had to know everything, but then he decided that that was not faith. He was very happy to be baptized, and we were happy his father came! The other baptism we had was in the Singles ward. His name is Thuto Motshwarapitse, yeah try and say that one :) He has been coming to church since he was 12, for like 10 years now, off and on. His older brother used to bring him, but now his older brother his less active, but Thuto finally decided he was ready for the commitment. It was great to see him make that covenant. He was also really happy. It was great. Then yesterday we also had a fireside for the ward. It was wonderful. We have been really concerned about the unity in the ward, so the ward mission leader got us a fireside, and it was great! Everyone really enjoyed it, and we had a great turn out! We were expecting no more than 30 families, because we were going to give each family a BoM to give to someone, but the BoMs ran out before every family got one! It was great! We based our fireside off of President Hickley's talk "Feed my Sheep". You havn't read that talk, you should. It is very good. It says how every member needs a friend, a calling, and nourishment. So that is what we talked about, and everyone seemed to really enjoy it, and the bishop was really pleased and asked if we could do a follow up fireside ina couple weeks. So, that is good progression. This really should help the ward, which is what we have been praying for. So this week was great. And I am looking forward to another great week. Thanks for reading, and thanks for your prayers. We hope to find that family that needs Elder Watson's Book of Mormon very soon!!! I'll keep you updated.

It's up to you....

The first week in my new area was successful. It was great actually. I miss my old area like crazy, but I beginning to already love this new area. We are teaching great people. We also met a lot of great families this week. I love teaching families. The best lessons are always when we are teaching families and both the mma and rra (mother and father) are interested and feel the spirit. This week I was working on having the right attitude when it comes to the work. I get frustrated sometimes when it is like over 100’ outside and people don’t keep their appointments with us, and our back up plans aren’t home either. It is hot, and I get a little frustrated trying to think of what to do. So this week I decided to change my attitude no matter how hot it was. And the results were amazing. I decided when that happens to turn it over to the Lord because there must be someone He wants me to meet, or something He wants me to do. So whenever that happened this week we would pray and ask God where we needed to go, and we always find someone who needed to hear our message. There was one day, I believe it was Wednesday we only had 2 appointments scheduled all day, which meant a long day in the sun, but it was a great day because we kept the right attitudes and looked for the opportunities that were put in our path, and we ended up teaching some great people who really needed our help. Then on Thursday we had a full day of appointments scheduled, one lesson every hour all day, but guess what…not a single one of those people were home! Should be frustrating, right? But it wasn’t because we met some people who really really needed to hear the message we were sharing. So it ended being a wonderful day. It really all comes down to our attitude. We can be positive and look for the good in every situation, and allow the Spirit to lead us, or we can get frustrated and annoyed, and not be as productive all day. I am choosing to be productive and to follow the Spirit, and to find the good in every situation. That is my choice. I hope all of you will choose the same. Know that God has a reason for everything. It is just up to you to turn to Him and allow Him to show you that reason, or you can complain and miss the opportunities that are being presented to you. Well, those are my thoughts this week. I know without any doubts that Heavenly Father is aware of us, and is willing to lead us in this journey through life. We just have to allow him to. I hope you all CHOOSE to have a great week this week, no matter what.

Stretch Yourselves!

I am trying to think back on this week, and I don't think much exciting happened to report to all of you. I did get transferred.....kind of. And the new area is nice. I am glad i will still be in the same ward. Oh wait, i did think of something really exciting to report on. Yesterday my new companion, sister odongo (from Kenya) and i got to go to Kanye, and be there when a new branch opened there. It was so exciting. The Spirit in the house they will hold church was so powerful. The elders only had ONE day to work, because they arrived there Thursday afternoon, and had to plan and get everything sorted, then we had to be in by 6 pm for new years, so they may have worked a couple hours, i dont know, but friday they couldn't work because it was new years, so saturday was the only real day of working, and there were around 15 investigators there! It was amazing. I am so excited to see this new branch grow! That was definitely the highlight of my week. The church is really growing here in Botswana, since I have been here 2 new branches have opened! It is exciting, I am grateful to be a part of it!
So for new years, people here go crazy with fire works! Everyone shoots them off, it is crazy, we stood on our balcony and didn't know where to look because everyone was shooting off fire works. It was cool. So, happy new year, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did, and i hope you enjoy 2010 even more. Make sure to set appropriate goals that will make you stretch! Maybe, doing one random act of service a day, or reading the Book of Mormon in 70 days....those are just a few suggestions I have already given you, but thought maybe i would remind you of them....well have a great week, and an even better year. Make every moment a worthwhile one :) Miss ya all!

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