I'm getting Old!

Thanks for all of your great e-mails! Unfortunately i haven't been able to read all the way through them yet (don't worry, I printed them off and will be able to enjoy them later. Your emails are so great!)-- we just got into Riga and we have a council that starts in a wee little bit so we have just enough time to check in and tell you that we are still alive and happy. And I'm staying alive and am very happy!

This week hit us with a few suprises, but like always-- everything will be alright and will work out for the best. The biggest shocker came during our thursday lesson with Karl when he told us that he's going to Finland. (Yet another across-the-sea connection to Sister Richey!) He's been looking for work for the last year and a half and has been doing all that he can to work anywhere. He is a carpenter and has worked with building planes and yachts and houses and everything in between. We've been meeting up with him the last 3 weeks and over the last week and half he's REALLY gotten into the Book of Mormon, reads and prays every day. He says that he's been a lot happier over the last while and can feel that his life is improving. He still misses his wife and 6 year old kid more than anything and it's really hard for him to be apart from them. But he says that he's been praying that God would give him work and boom-- Heavenly Father answered his prayer. It's definitely a tender mercy from the Lord, and even though it's tough to see a investigator leave the country one week before he's about to get baptized, I really believe he will become a member of the church. I'm not sure when, and where, but if I don't get to see it, then Cami just might! His friend who referred him from Riga was planning on coming up to Tallinn this saturday to see the baptism, but Karl is not sure how long he'll be in Finland so we'll have to see. If he'll live in Finland for a long time, he'll probably just get baptized there. I'm not sure in which language though, haha. He's not too great in English and I think he only knows a few words in Finnish-- but could probably learn it quickly because he knows Estonian. Baiscally we still don't know what's going to happen, but the Lord will definitely provide a way!

Well that was the main suprise of the week-- we also took a 2 hour train to visit a less active member, and it turned out to be way worth it. I'm pretty sure I told you about him last week, but he's the one who called us up and wanted to change his life. We were going to go out to him last week but we didn't know how far away he lived until we got on the train (he thought it was about half an hour) but we figured it would be good could to get promission before we took a trip halfway across the country, so we asked President about it and he said go for it. I think he trusts us a lot and he's excited about the work that is happening in Estonian. There are some really great members here who are willing to teach with us and that makes a big difference. We were able to teach Karl 4 times last week with a different member every time and it really amazes me the dedication and willingness of the members here. The church is just plain true!

Sorry this is such a short e-mail but we've got to fly. Thanks for all the birthday wishes and I'm looking forward to trying to eat the cake. Haha. Don't worry if it doesn't come before the 1st because weeks feel like days and months feel like a blur so half the time I don't even know what day it is. All I know is that 3 months too late the snow on the ground is finally starting to melt. Tha's what I'm talking about!

I love you!!!

Love, Elder Barnes #21?