Busy First Week

Will in front of the Bogota Temple

May 25, 2009
Hola familia,
Thanks for the letters, support and prayers. It has been a crazy week but a great one. Ha I feel like I have been tired all week because the schedule has been hectic but I am learning a ton and it’s going very well. I think the good old days of getting into bed at 10:30 and getting up at 6:30 are over.

This week was transfers in the mission so Sunday, we went to the mission offices and into President Camargo´s office. We finalized all the transfers and made sure they were all organized correctly. He has a big open up board with pictures of all the missionaries and their companions that says where they are, where they have been and for how long. After that we had to verify all the stats that the zone leaders had sent We then sent them to the General Offices in Salt Lake. They say the weeks of transfers are always a little sleepless and very busy so we were in the office almost all day Monday getting everything ready for transfers. That night we called all the zone leaders and told them who in there zone, had transfers and where they were going so they could pass it on down the line. For most of them Elder Foote called and then said, “Ok I’ll pass you to the new assistant and then I would talk to them for a little bit etc. I think most of them are probably as shocked as I was.

We talk to all of the zone leaders every night and see how everything is going with the baptism dates they have lined up and encourage them to keep working and make sure all the missionaries are in their homes, so we usually get to bed around 11 or a little after each night. Also, there was a group of missionaries going home this week, 2 from the states and 3 from Peru. We made sure everything was lined up for the last meeting and dinner for the missionaries that are going home. We were up at 4 A.M. to get ready and take them to the airport and make sure they got out safely (that was the 2 Americans).

Then, that night we took the 3 Peruvian Elders to the airport to get them sent off. It was nice because my second comp Elder Araujo, was one of them and we got to be really good friends. Only 2 new missionaries arrived, 1 Sister from Peru and one Gringo. The Sister arrived in the morning so we introduced her to the office staff and gave the mission orientation until her comp got to the office. The new American Elder got there that night so we went and picked him up at the airport. He is Elder Atkinson from I think Ogden, so he stayed at our house and then we got him all ready and sent him to the field the next day.

Another day we were up at 4:30 again because Pres Camargo had interviews in Yopal which is about 4 hours outside of Bogota and he took us with him. It was a chance to get to know and talk to President Camargo more than I have in the whole time I have been here because we went in his SUV. So we talked most of the way there and back and I asked him what I needed to do become a good AP and advice and stuff so that was a great opportunity.

Pres Camargo is amazing and he knows so much about the doctrine and how to work with the missionaries etc. He has a great sense of humor and is funny but he doesn’t waste words and he gets his point across quickly. At the interviews while the missionaries were getting interviewed, we were responsible for "training the other Elders" about some things he had told us an hour before, so we just went with it and it went very well. It’s kind of intimidating to train missionaries who are district and zone leaders that have been out longer than me, but I think it all went well. I will do the very best I can with a positive attitude and lots of energy.

Also I have gotten to know the Camargo family a lot better and have been at their house a lot more. Sister Camargo is also awesome and cooks veeeery good. Whenever missionaries arrive or leave they have a meal at the mission home and we are always there so I definitely can´t complain about the food.

As far as the future, this week we have 3 zone conferences and the APs prepare about 40 minutes of presentation for the missionaries. This makes me a little nervous but we have some good stuff prepared and keep preparing. Also in the next month I will be traveling to Cucuta and Barranca to work with the missionaries there. They are both cities they do not generally send Americans to work in. I am way excited because Barranca is like legendary in the mission for its heat (it averages over 105 degrees) and I have heard so many missionaries talk about it so when we had the chance to choose who would be going where, I asked if I could go to Barranca.

We have done so much this week it’s hard to write it all down but I love the stuff we do and trust in the Lord. It’s hard work, but it’s very interactive and I am very involved with the missionaries and very, very busy. I will do the best I can to serve the missionaries here.

Now I will answer a few questions. The mission has 176 missionaries . My comp (the other AP) is Elder Corro from Chili. He is awesome, he is a great singer and really upbeat and we are getting along great. We are practicing the English language and I am helping him but he already knows a ton. Usually when we travel, it will be by plane unless it’s really close, in which case we will go with Pres. Camargo. The office staff is great and they are all Elders from the mission. We live in a normal apartment pretty close to the mission home, just like all the other Elders, so the food, laundry etc is just the same.

Well out of time but I love you all, thanks for all your support and prayers Sorry if this is short. Love Elder B

Humbling News

Will has learned so much in the past (almost 7 months) in Colombia but this last month he had some very unique and growing experiences.

Hello family,
Hope all is going well where you all are. That’s great that everyone could come and visit and I’m sorry to hear about BJ's seizures, he and the family will definitely remain in my prayers extra.

Well it has been a crazy day and a half. I’m still waiting to wake up and realize I have just been dreaming or something but I’m starting to think I might not. We had a great week with my new companion Elder Mullisaca. We were just about to reap the fruits of our labors in Tierra Linda with 2 baptisms lined up for Saturday and 4 more for the next. We had a baptism on Friday and President Camargo decided to come and after he invited us to come to his house Sunday for lunch.

After church we hopped in a taxi and headed to the mission house (8th story huge apartment). We were just kind of standing around in the kitchen helping prepare lunch and talking and he called me to come into his office. We sat down and he asked how I was and if I had any issues I needed to clear up with him. I told him no and the next thing he said was, "ok good, Elder Foote will be leaving (back home to Saint George) this next transfer and starting today you are going to be the new assistant." I don’t really know what I thought but my heart just started beating and I kept waiting for him to say he was just joking or something and he just started to explain to me some of the responsibilities and what I would be doing. He told me to get all my bags packed and head to the house where the assistants and secretaries live, by that night. So I walked out and everyone was waiting outside smiling and laughing and asking if I was surprised…uuuh yeah.

So last night we went to the house, threw everything in my suitcases and we headed over to the assistants house with Elder Foote and Corro (The assistants). I will be with them the next 2 days to try and learn from them and see all the things we do. Then Elder Foote will go to Tierra Linda where I was (ha and baptize all our people). I was completely sure I was not going anywhere this transfer and it all just kind of came at once.

I am completely shocked. I feel so humbled and inadequate to be an example and leader to so many good missionaries who probably know more and have more experience than me. I know President Camargo is the person who receives the revelation for these things and the Lord is the one who chooses but if I haven’t already explained, I am completely dumbfounded. I have been here in Colombia less than 7 months. I am very excited for such an opportunity and I know I am going to learn more and be humbled more than I ever have. I guess I just have to say I will go and do the things the Lord has commanded because I know he provides a way. At least I will be with Elder Corro who has good experience and I guess it’s going to be a "baptism by fire" as I think they say.

Some of the responsibilities I will now learn, will be traveling to all parts of the mission to work and help the other missionaries, train at all the Zone Conferences and the Mission Leader Meetings, answer the questions of missionaries that call in, be in communication with all the Zone Leaders about how the work is going in their zones and many more things that I have yet to learn. So I’m just going to do the very best I can with a good attitude and trust in the Lord to help me.

It was nice to see all the kids there together. Thanks for all of your support and prayers, I am going to need them now more than ever. I love my family so much. I will talk to you next week.

Much love, Will

We're Back

We had an absolutely fabulous time in Europe for the past four weeks. We saw so many beautiful and historical sites that I will be scrap booking for a long time. We were so happy to return home though. I love Canada and the U.S. - we are most fortunate to live in these beautiful lands.

We had a wonderful phone conversation with Will on Mother's Day. It was so good to hear his voice. He is working very hard and loving every minute. You can just hear the happiness and exuberance, not only in his voice but in his expressions. He's always been a happy kid but I think that the experiences he is having on his mission surpass anything he has ever done before.

He wrote me a special Mother's Day letter and actually sent it off several weeks ago - boy is he getting organized. I got it the day before Mother's Day when we got back. Anyway, it was one of the best letters I have ever received. I couldn't hold back the tears - he is a wonderful son. We are so grateful to have the privilege of having a missionary. The blessings received and the lessons learned are beyond anything I could imagine. If there is anyone thinking of going on a mission - DO IT. You will be eternally grateful that you did.

May 11, 2009

Hello family and happy mother’s day!
I don’t have a ton to say that I didn’t say on the phone yesterday but it was great to talk to the family and hear that all is going well.

They assigned me a new Companion from the mission. His name is Elder Mullisaca. He is from Peru and he doesn’t know his genealogy but there has to be some Japanese with that name. He was a member for 1 year before his mission and his entire family are 7th day Adventist so I have a lot of respect for him. We are going to be working very hard in these coming weeks to do everything we can to help our investigators so I am very excited about that.

Well I think I said about everything yesterday but I wanted to wish a happy mother’s day to mom, Angie, Amy, Grandma and everyone else and thanks for all the support and prayers.

Until Next week, love, Elder Barnard



May 4, 2009

Hello Barnard, Bates and Heaven Families,

I know the Lord has been with me and as far as the work, things are going great. The couple of Mauricio and Tatiana that we found my first week here are just waiting for some papers to get here and they will be married and baptized the first day possible, hopefully we can get the papers in this week so they can get married.
Also we received a while ago references of two young kids (dario and ana maria) 14 and 12. Their parents both died and they are living with their aunt who is a member. We were teaching them and trying to take things very slow. We got ana maria lined up to go to a campout with the young women this last weekend and I guess it was amazing and she loved it. She bore a perfect little testimony of what happened in sacrament meeting yesterday and they have now both decided they want to be baptized this month.
We also received another referral yesterday, from one hermano who is a convert of 5 years, and he took us to his friend’s house. We taught him the first lesson and invited him to be baptized on the 23rd and he said yes. So I am very "pumped" as you say in English as far as the work and it looks like the fruits of our work with the members is going to start paying off. It is very rewarding and I am very excited about the work we are doing.

Other random things that I don’t think I have written about yet. Elder Quentin L cook came the other week and talked to all the missionaries which was very cool and I got to sit with Elder Smith (my mtc comp). It was the first time I have seen him in the field and we got to be really good friends so that was cool.

Also a few weeks ago a member called and said her sister had a new baby that was born two months early and was very weak and had surgery the next day and asked if we could give it a blessing. I went with Elder Alvarado and we put on aprons and washed our hands up and went into this secure room where the tiiiiny little thing was in an incubator. We put our hands over the incubator and gave it a blessing. They said there was about a 30 percent chance it would live thru surgery the next day. The sister called Elder A the other day and told him the baby was doing great, it was bigger and stronger and they thought everything was going to end up fine and that the doctors were basically amazed. What an experience.

But HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to mom and dad. Haha that’s pretty awesome to be spending it in Paris. I hope all the travel goes well and all the nieces’ nephews BJ and everyone are well. I’m out of time but much love and I will talk to ya next week.