Hello family!
Wow it sounds like you had a fantastic family reunion in Mexico. Like you all said, it was truly a win-win situation that I'm here while you were there. I don't feel like I missed out because we are continually blessed and happy over here. As Elder Boyce (Cami's friend from the mtc) said in his testimony on Monday-- “God is Awesome!”
It was really fun being in zone conferences, seeing other missionaries and learning a lot. It worked out so that we were in Estonia from Sunday to Tuesday morning, stopped by Riga for lunch, and then spent Tuesday evening and Wednesday in Lithuania. I was amazed that even though we heard and gave the same presentations multiple times, there were always new things to learn from others and by the spirit. Elder Brown and I talked about creative finding, exploring new supplementary ways to find. It really hit me though that sometimes almost more important than what you do, is why you're doing it. There was an Elder who went to school in the Air Force that wanted to go to an “air-show” and President Dance said “Great! Are you going because you want to go, or because you want to fulfill your missionary purpose?” Sister Dance nailed it when she said that “there's a difference between obeying and obeying with your whole heart” and I agree. Living the gospel is so worth it though.
Our main investigators are either at sea or traveling in Europe for awhile so there's nothing new with them, as far as we know! We've taught a few good lessons to some new people so hopefully there will be some exciting news about them next week. Oh I guess on one exchange while in Tartu, Estonia, I was with Elder Zach Baird (who was in a BYU Book of Mormon class with me, and in the BYU 55th ward last year) and we talked to a cool kid who was wearing red pants. His name was Siim and he seeemed interested (hehe) so we immediately invited him back to the teaching center. We had a great lesson with him and then gave him a Book of Mormon and he was so excited. He said “wow, earlier today I was thinking, it'd be great to have a book to read, and now I have one!” He lives a ways out of the city and wouldn't be back until university starts in September but he wanted our information keep in touch until then. After the lesson he was so happy and talked about how glad he was that we met up and gave him the Book of Mormon-- and then later that night Elder Brown and the Elder Boyce saw him in a park reading it! It's fun to see people feel the spirit and get so excited but still not completely understand why. Ha, that's kind of how I feel all the time, and I love it.
We were cleaning out the computer and we ran across a quote the other day that I like-- “do not expect the world to look bright if you habitually wear dark brown glasses.” Charlie Emmerson. I think it parallels President Monson's more doctrinal and less quirky remark at General Conference “the future is as bright as our faith.” Oh so true.
Thanks for your love and letters! I would definitely not be as happy without them. Speaking of which, the office is moving so we'll have a new address--Cesu iela 31- 2K2, LV-1012, Riga, Latvia. No worries if things have already been sent, because they will be forwarded for a while. But if you have been meaning to write for a while and just haven't got around to it-- now's a great time to try out the new address! Just kidding, but seriously. I constantly feel support from home and it keeps me keeping on. And I'm trying to write at least one letter every preparation day, so if you've been waiting for a reply, hopefully one will come soon!
I love you!
Love, Elder Barnes #12
P.s. Who won the TOUR de France? one of the missionaries in Lithuanaia is a cyclist and he's dying to know!
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