Last Letter

Well I had a lot of motivation to write this until I got on the
computer and read through all my emails. I haven't had an ipad this
last week. So back to the library!

First of all, thank you for getting that (his release time) organized with President
Manwaring.  I really don't know what I want to do those first couple of
days.  I will get it figured out when I get there.  I do want to go on a
bike ride Thursday morning.

My thoughts about going home changes so much.  I will be in our
apartment thinking that I just want to be home already. Then five minutes
later, I will be thinking about how I don't want to leave.

So the big hightlights over the past few weeks:

The week before last Tuesday we had departing interviews. Just kind of
going over what my plans are.  It was good.  But it really just made me
realize how hard going home will be.

That next day I had my last exchanges of my mission with my MTC
companion Elder Wright.  We have become such good friends.  I want to go
visit him when Robbie and I go to California.  He lives in Monticello
which is a little out of the way, but we could go on a detour and go
there and the Grand Canyon...

Last Tuesday we had the departing temple trip. It was good. I sent
some names through the temple system up to endowments. Elder Wright
and I were able to do two names. I went through for Joseph Young who
was born on March 28th 1833. That was cool. Afterward our president
took us out to eat.  We got to walk around Manhatten a little. We saw
Times Square from a few blocks away.

Other than that it has been normal missionary work. Yesterday we had
one of the funnest lessons of my life. Two families that knew each
other in Colombia and one joined the church and the other just moved
here. Eating dinner with them felt like being at one of the Barker
family reunions. But in Spanish. That was so much fun. We were able to
have a good lesson at the end.

I get to get things set up for new elders. Elder Falcon is getting
transferred so two new people will be taking over our area. I get to
write a long note explaining who is who.

Well that's about it. Love you all. Talk to you Wednesday!

Elder Barker

See You in a Few

Only notable thing is that I got cussed out twice this week. One of
the sisters happened to walk by. It made her cry just hearing it,
but life goes on!

Can't really write.  I am at a Mets game right now.

Love you.

See you in a few.

Sister Caringella, who worked with mom a few years ago,  was kind to send these pictures this week.

"Hi Michelle! We ran into your son at the Queens Mall. My son served here a year or so ago. Cool!"

"A picture of our sons!"

Losee Ancestors

 A few of the Losee ancestors were baptized and married in this church. 

Show this to Grandma Donna

Elder Barker in Flatbush: Brooklyn, New York.

Called to Serve

So this has been a great week. So much fun. I just sent a bunch of
pictures to dad. Enjoy. I hope they went through.

Tuesday, we had zone conference. It was so good. It was our mission
president's last one so it was in the mission home.  His son spoke who
just got back from Russia. While there I realized that I might need
glasses. We were all taking turns reading a screen and I could not see
it. I scooted up and still couldn't read. A lady we are working with
works at a glasses store in the mall and was able to hook me up with
an eye exam. The prescription I got isn't terrible, but should help me
with reading and driving. I'll add that to the things to do when I go
home.

This weekend we helped this lady clean out this house that had burned
down. Elder Wright was on exchanges with Elder Garcia so we talked a
lot. Elder Wright has changed so much thoughout the mission.  He is
definitely one of the people I will keep in contact with.  Elder Garcia
is awesome too.  He is from Hawaii and worked at the Polynesian
Cultural Center. I was showing him the pictures that mom sent me and
he says we will have fun. He is one of those people that we do crazy
things when we are around each other.

170 people at church. The largest of my mission. That was cool.

Friday I had to give "wise words of advice" because I leave soon. That
was weird. I mostly talked about what it means being called to serve
with emphasis on service. I don't feel like I am going home. Just that
I am about to be transferred.

Anyway love you all.
See you soon.

Reliving Good Times in Brentwood

Hey, good to see you yesterday.

We are visiting Brentwood today.
So awesome!  I'm here with Elder Acosta reliving good times.

Love you all.

"See" refers to our Skype conversation that we had for Mother's Day.

Helping The Sisters

Overall this week has been a good week.

Just ate a habanero. So good.

The majority of this week we had been helping the sisters. They can't
leave their house. They had a baptism this week so we did a lot of
prep for that. I had the opportunity to interview her. That was great.

We visited the San Juan family- like four times. So good. He has heard
from the missionaries a lot, but he seems to be really trying these
things for the first time.

Other than that, not much. I have been loving all your emails. Keep them up.

I will call you on Saturday to set up a time to skype.

Love Elder Barker

2 more of Dad's former students 

6 Weeks Is Not a Long Time

We spent all of Saturday in the emergency room.  One of the sisters
hurt her foot while cleaning the apartment on Friday. They called us
up Saturday morning asking me if I could drive them to the instacare
place to get an x-ray. They had got permission to use an extra mission
car waiting to be sold. We went there and were sitting in the waiting
room and when they got out they told us that she had a two inch sewing
needle stuck in her big toe. We went straight to the emergency room.
We didn't know how long they were going to be so we just stayed. 6
hours later, one of the senior sisters came and we were able to leave.
It turns out they weren't able to remove the needle and she is going
back today.

I miss Elder Woolley. So much. He was almost done and I had been out for a year
and a half. Those were good days. Not having to worry about what my companion
was going to say, or do, or want.

I miss you all so much.  I never got homesick and never even really
missed home. Up until I started training. That’s when it hit hard. I am
so glad I have six weeks with Robbie. That is the same length as a
transfer, but I have learned that six weeks is not a lot of time. I just really
feel burnt out right now. It's like when running a race. I ran too fast too soon
and now I have 1 lap to go and don't know what to do.  I have a little over six
weeks left.  That is not forever.  It is a very short amount of time. I want to work
as hard as I can in that time.  I can do it.

Please pray for me. Please pray that I can be patient and diligent.

You know I don’t like asking for things and I know this time is crazy
for you, but some mail would be nice.

As for mothers day, I will probably just call the night before to organize a time if that is OK.

Love you.
Thank you.
Miss you.

Elder Barker