Couple of Baptisms

March 1, 2010
Qhubo fam,
Another good week here in B/meja. We had a good week working with our focus more on the members and recently baptized. We had the baptisms of Saira and Jonathan on Saturday and the confirmations on Sunday. Also today we had interviews with the president which went really well. We just got back from them. As far as the week we spent a lot of time working with less actives and members who are having problems. We are working really hard with a few priesthood brothers who are less active to help strengthen their testimonies and build up the p hood here in the branch. We also had some good lessons with Saira and Jonathan preparing them for their baptism and everything. They are now going to seminaries Tue thru Friday and have already made good friends with the other youth which is way important because they have a support system and will be less likely to go inactive. We took them out of seminary to teach lessons and then would send them back to class.

On Saturday we had a rush to get all the clothes etc ready but the baptism turned out great. We held the service with the Elders in Parnaso who also had a baptism. The room was full; we had a really good turn out from both branches. I conducted the meeting and we had our two priests baptize the two new members which will be a good experience for them. The youth from Pinos prepared a little musical number and there was a video and a few short talks. Afterwards we went to an after baptism dinner with some members from Parnaso which was also kind of a goodbye for Elder Zari because he is about to end the mish. Sorry if I'm lacking a lot of spaces but this spacebar hardly works. Anyway Brother Benavides had a small eye operation so yesterday I was solo to run everything in the branch but it turned out well. My comp and I confirmed them.

Last night they called us with the surprise info that Pres Hacking would interview us today. He first talked with each of us with our comps and then individually. He thanked me a lot for what we’ve done as Branch President and said that next week they would make the change and put Bro B in as the BP and I would get to be a full time missionary again. It was a really good interview, its always energizing to talk to president Hacking. He told me this would probably be the area I would most remember and this experience would benefit me forever and that I did a really good job with the extra load etc.

He asked me what I thought could be done to improve this district etc because now that the missionaries aren’t going to be in the BP things will be harder. Honestly I think, and told him, that this place shouldn’t be a district yet. For so long everyone has been saying STAKE STAKE STAKE but they are nowhere near it and the little leadership that there is needs to grow and be strengthened. What happens is that all the leaders get called to be in the district and the branches are left without help. The branches can use all the people they have until they grow a little and are ready for a district and someday a stake. He seemed to agree with that and it looks like changes are coming. At least with the progress we have made I think Pinos can support itself and keep growing.

He also told me he wasn’t sure where or in what position but that I was going to be changed this transfer. It’s going to be tough to leave this place. haha. I never would have imagined how much I would learn or grow to love these people and this area. So I have 2 weeks left to do everything possible and leave this place as well as we can. I really have seen the Lords blessings in my time here and President is right that it will never ever be forgotten.

I’m pretty sure that my decision will be to attend BYU this fall. I have been praying and thinking about the options. As much as I love Wyoming and even more, love playing basketball, I feel like it’s what I should do and will turn out to be the best in the long run.

Well I’ve got to run. I pray for you always. I know we are in the truth. I finished the B of M again yesterday just in time for the mission challenge and I learned so much more and really felt yet again that it was true. Well love ya much fam, hope all is well and till next week. Elder Barnard