8-7-17

Hey guys!

So this feels like a fast week but feels super long because of all that has happened. The week started out super awesome! Hara and Jena and the rest of their family drove up to Anchorage to go do baptism together at the temple for the first time as a family and it went great! It was quite the ordeal getting things set up but after all was said and done it was a great experience for them because of some amazing saints. We had to get special permission to have the temple open at a special time and also had to provide 2 Priesthood holders to help out. It sure seemed like a lot to ask someone to drive 3 hours to just help out for a quick thing at the temple but man oh man the people here are so amazing they didn't even flinch when asked! Hara and Jena were super grateful for everything everyone did and they were super surprised as well. We knew how important this would be for them so we didn't exactly tell them how much was really going into all this but nonetheless it was an awesome experience! So that started the week great! On Tuesday I went on another exchange which was fun! Went with Elder Hymas. He is a really a great Elder and we had good times.   

Later in the week we had a super rad service where we roasted marshmallows at the senior center in Kenai. It was super fun to kick it with the old timers of Kenai and just have some good conversation with them. Lot of life advice from that group so it was a party. Oh! And another sweet thing was at Hara's we got to take pictures with her reindeer after a lesson. Ya real Alaskan reindeer. I think one of them was giving me the stink eye though. So that was all really great but probably one of the biggest highlights is how awesome one of our investigators is doing. Missionaries have been working with Andy for a super long time but he is finally has kept all the commitments and living the word of wisdom like a champ! And he also came to church for the 3rd time in a row and came to Priesthood! It was super great to see him progress! One thing that really helped us out was to really get to know Andy. We really couldn't figure out what he needed or what his big hold up was but honestly we just decided we needed to just talk with him and get to know him. So we played a card game with him and his wife and it really helped to just show that we care for him and actually like spending time with him and don't see him as a number or something. It opened him up more and we stared to get answers on what we need to teach. I have really come to learn how being a missionary isn't a job where you try to be the hardest worker but where you just do Christ Ministry to the best of your ability. I love these people so much and happy to have another six weeks here oh ya by the way we got transfer calls and I'm staying and continue training Elder Hatch. I'm super sad though because our district is loosing some great missionaries. I love this district! Excited for this coming 6 weeks and hope they don't go as fast as the last ones. 

The Stink Eye

Well love you all and hope you have a great week!

-Elder Barney

2 Timothy2:3
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.