AWESOME WEEK! 1-27-15

Whaaaats up everybody???!

This week was soooo awesome! Filled with action packed events, spiritual action packed events, and miracles!!!

I want to first start off with the action packed stuff... One of the craziest things I've ever seen happened this week.. I saw the true side of my companion Elder Almeida. He is an animal, and I am proud to call him my loyal trainer at this time. So we were helping a member (Maria de Lourdes) clean her house this week because we planned to have a family home evening at her house on Saturday night with our investigators Irenilde, Irenice, and Nice. Her house was crazy messy cause shes like a hoarder haha so it took forever to help her get it all clean, it was pretty gross haha! A lot of dead cockroaches and cigarette butts all over the place! But as we were cleaning, I heard a bunch of dogs outside freaking out like barking and growling super loud! I ran and looked out the window and there were two dogs in the street fighting each other! like super gnarly fighting, one was pinned on its back and the other was like biting its neck trying to kill it!! It was so intense, there were a bunch of people screaming and throwing rocks at the bigger dog (who was biting the others neck) and a lady with a shovel hitting the dog freaking out haha. But the dog wouldn't quit and kept biting and growling a ton! I was in complete shock, I don't even think I moved haha but all the sudden Elder Almeida sprinted into the street guns a blazing and manhandled the dog!!! Literally grabbed it by the neck with two hands while it was biting the other, and trying to bite him also! He looked so gnarly, he was right in the middle of the action grappling with with the dogs and grabbing the big black labs neck with two hands and managed to get it behind a gated fence while another man grabbed the other dog by the leg and threw it on the ground!!! Hahaha I was freaking out at what had just happened, it was soo insane haha and Elder Almeida was so calm about it, he said it would happen all the time where hes from... He casually came inside, rolled up his sleeves, and washed the dog blood of his arms haha... I learned a valuable lesson, and am proud to be under Elder Almeidas wing while he shows me the ways of fighting off a group of dogs only with his bare hands and testimony of a spiritual giant...

haha, that was super awesome... Hes the man. But the family night went super well, after the glorious victory over the dogs. There were a ton of members there and our investigators got to meet them and had a really good time so it was perfect! Irenilde, Irenice and Nice are soo awesome! They are so ready to be baptized and soo excited! We have really become good Friends with them, they had us over for dinner one night this week and we have been visiting them a ton!!! Irenilde (the oldest of the three) is still pretty shy when shes around other people and shes a little nervous for the baptism. She called us today and wanted us to come over and talk with her about it and i had such a neat experience. She was really worried about her baptism, feeling like she needs to be perfect forever after shes baptized and asking a bunch of questions... I said a prayer before we went in her house that I would be able to be led by the spirit and say what she needed to hear... And I really gained a testimony of relying on the spirit today, I red Ether 12:27 to her about weaknesses being made strong and bore my testimony that she doesn't need to be perfect and that when we follow Christ and try our best to improve, that's the most we can do. I didn't feel like it was me talking, I felt totally led and comforted to speak Portuguese and bear testimony to her. It was so cool and powerful. She felt a lot better after we talked to her for a while and is really excited for her baptism this Saturday! They are such a special family.. They have gone through so much together, and are so humble. I cant believe it, I know without a doubt that Heavenly Father is always watching over us, and that this was the perfect time in their lives for them to receive this gospel... ANd its not a coincidence that we taught them at this time! So cool, I can feel how much Heavenly Father loves them, and each and every one of us... And I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to witness these miracles that happen every day when we listen to the spirit!! THis week was so good, and I know without a doubt that our Heavenly Father loves us, and he wants us to be happy. He will bless our lives if we let him and always has a plan for us! Love ya guys so much! Thanks for everything, I got letters from the Baylons, Sister Bertha, and my main man Elder Wilson this week!!!! I feel so loved, and thanks so much guys for your support!!!! Yall are da BOMB!!!!

Elder Barton

elder barton email & photos 10 // 1-19-15

​figured out they have snickers, twix, and milkyway here.... I should be alright haha... 

​THE PIZZA HAS CHOCOLATE IN THE CRUST HERE!!!

 you would love it mom, i think of ya when i get this!! sooo good

Whats up whats up everybody!!!!

Elder B here in the streets of Osasco! This week was super awesome!!!! I cannot believe that I am already in the last week of my first transfer on the mission! That went by soo fast! I'm hoping I stay with Elder Almeida, he is super awesome and I learn so much from him! Its cool too cause he is the district leader which means I get to go on exchanges with a lot of other elders and learn a bunch on how different people teach and do things! (technically that makes me the senior companion too, NBD) haha but i still have no idea what I'm doing haha... I get to carry the keys and cellphone, but every time it rings I just hand it to Elder Almeida cause talking on the phone is so scary in Portuguese haha! But we have been soo blessed these past couple weeks... The lest active members who we visit alot (Maria and her son Thomas) are now active and coming to church every Sunday!!! It is so cool, they are so excited and really getting back into it! She called us and asked us to come over to help her to pay her tithing! And she has been giving us so many referrals to its awesome! Truly a miracle! She brought three girls to church and they are all sisters... Their names are Irenilde, Irenice and Nice (neecy)... They have such an unbelievable story... Their mom was killed when they were little by their dad... And one of the girls actually watched it happen. So so sad.... Irenilde (the oldest one who's 29) takes care of the other two (16 and 13 years old) and she works everyday to provide for them!! They are so so awesome, it has been such a miracle that we have been able to be teaching them. They are so ready for this gospel and need it in their lives. The first time we taught them they were super super timid and hardly wanted to talk, but they all payed close attention. We invited them to be baptized on the 31st of January and they all said yes. We have taught them three more times since then and they open up to us more and more each time we teach them. It is so coo  cause i feel them starting to put their trust in the Lord more and more as they come to church and have a desire to learn. They are all SO nice and they look out for each other it is so cool, they are such a special family. We taught them the Plan of Salvation last lesson, and they really liked it. This obviously was a huge principle we were excited to share with them because of their situation. At the very end, i shared the Hymn "families can be together forever" with them (singing it of course) and bore my testimony to them that they can all live with each other for eternity after this life. Just kidding i dint sing it by the way haha i just read the lyrics... But that was sucha powerful moment, I felt the spirit so strongly, and the pure love that Heavenly Father has for them. I know that he has been preparing them for this exact moment to hear our message. They have gone through so much, and I feel like they are starting to recognize the love heavenly father has for them and that it will be okay! So cool, Elder ALmeida and I feel so blessed being able to teach them... It has been a huge blessing for sure! 

President Del Guerso and Sister Del Guerso also spoke in our ward yesterday which was sweet! They gave amazing talks!!! Sister Del Guerso said something that i especially liked! She talked about a talk from Dieter F Uchtdorf that talks about receiving blessings is like an umbrella. When we have sins, distractions, pride and other things that drive the spirit away, we have an open umbrella... And the blessings that Heavenly Father wants to shower upon us we cant receive because of these things are in our way (like an open umbrella) But we need to have a closed umbrella and make sure that we are constantly trying to grow and improve so that we can have the spirit more fully with us, and receive more blessings! It is so true, and I want to try to always be improving. I'm so grateful for the atonement of Christ that allows us to do just that. To constantly be improving and being forgiven of the things we messed up on! I love serving the Lord, this has been sucha blessing already and I am so happy. I miss all of you guys like crazy, but this is what I need to be doing right now and I wouldn't change it for the world! Couldn't thanks you guys all enough for the support. I love you all so much and think of you all everyday! 

Elder Barton

Elder Barton / 1-12-15 / photos

Whaaaaats up whaaats up everybody??!! 

Im just gonna give a shout out to my main peeps this week, got some other STUFF i gotta take care of... Buisness meetings, phonecalls, stock managment ETC! haha, good weeek this week!  

                                            Elder Barton received his First letter out 

                                                  in the Field!  (It took almost 3 weeks)

elder barton email 9 // 1-03-15

Whaaaat whaat up everybody happy new year!!! 

  This week was a way good week! New Years here is crazy haha! There are soo many little kids that have these little mini explosives and they just chuck them in the street ALL  day long haha, almost got my leg blown off a couple times NBD... haha but seriously there were soo many people all over the streets on new years eve! So many people drinking and blasting music with fireworks a blazing! Way crazier than the United States on new years that's for sure! 

   In the beginning of the week, Elder Almeida and I got to help one of our investigators with some service in their house! It was soo fun haha they live in the favelas, and they were extending onto their house so we were in this super narrow little dirt alley between two shacks digging a huge hole so they could put a new wall in! It was so fun, and it made me realize how good we have it in the states! Thier house is sooo small and crammed against these other little tiny shacks with pieces of sheet metal and bricks all put together with concrete for their homes! Its unbelievable, and they are so happy! Our other investigators Lincoln and Singrid have been progressing really well! Im so excited, they are actually getting baptized I cant believe it! It doesn't feel real, I feel like I'm in the MTC again with a pretend investigator... But these are REAL people! And i can just tell that they are excited to get baptized, and it feels so cool. I still don't talk too much in lessons its mostly Elder Almeida who's doing the teaching, but I still feel the spirit so strong during the lessons. Its awesome cause even though my Portuguese is very broken, I still feel them connected and I feel like they appreciate my efforts in speaking their language which is awesome. 

  Something funny that happened this week was when we were with a less active member Maria, in her home. Shes so awesome, recently she has really had a desire to start going to church again! She called one day and told us to come over because her son Thomas was there and she wanted us to share a message with them! When we got there, i figured out he speaks PERFECT ENGLISH! I was sooo stoked, i was just talking and talking to him cause it felt so good to be able to speak with someone! In my mind i was thinking "this is my time to shine, heavenly father prepared  this person  for me so i was talking to him a bunch about church and missions and baring my testimony to him. I set up an appointment to go back and teach him more because I was so excited, and felt like he was really interested! We left, and I told Elder Almeida my experience and told him that he was going to get baptized and I could just feel it! haha and then Elder Almeida just started busting up laughing at me and told me that Thomas is a MEMBER! hahahaha it was so funny I felt so dumb.. But he is inactive so hey, might be able to help him come back to church! but still it was so funny! This week was really good, it has been raining like CRAZY here!!! The power keeps going out because of it. It actually justy went our while I was writing this email haha! The rain is soo insane, its like nothing i have ever seen haha it rains so hard! Elder Almeida and I didn't have umbrellas one day, and had to go back to our apartment and change because we were literally SOAKED! Elder Almeida also burned one of his ties this week for his 6 month  anniversary, pretty sweet! Almost caught the apartment on fire though(not really but pretty close), probably wasn't a good idea doing it inside haha! 

Well, I couldn't thank all of you enough for your support. It makes it so much easier being away from home knowing that you guys have my back! Thanks for everything and PEACE OUT!

Elder Barton