7-11-16

Hello Everyone!

So this was just another great week here in the Anchorage Alaska
Mission! We have been pretty busy with meetings lately. First of all
our 4th of July wasn't half bad. It was raining for a bit but cleared
up and turned out to be a nice day. We went fishing once again with
the same awesome members and were able to have a BBQ with them! It was
such a fun time. Later in the week we went to Fairbanks for another
meeting. It was really fun going there! I love seeing other
missionaries and love the training we get. I learned something about
change. Change is a choice everyday. I find myself saying at times I can
change this later or work on that some other time. The truth is that
we can change right now. I have learned on my mission that God and
Christ are all about us changing for the better. At times we feel that
we are not successfully repenting when we continue to fall. We are
always successful when we change for the better. Even the smallest
change is great in the sight of the Lord. Change is like a snowball
effect, it can start out as something small but over time it gets
bigger and bigger. That is something that has been on my mind ever
since our last zone meeting.

Anyway the rest of our week has been great. We recently learned that
an investigator we taught and committed to baptism then moved to
Fairbanks is now getting baptized this Saturday. Although we were
unable to continue to teach him I really grew to love him and his
family. I am so excited for them and his choice to be baptized! How
great it truly is to see people change for the better! I love the
opportunity I have to teach about Christ and love to hear of people I
taught make that step to baptism. I also recently heard of another
investigator I taught in Anchorage being baptized now. I am just so
happy for all of those people! They are truly making the best decision
of their lives. I hope all of you have a wonderful week and stay safe!

-Elder Barney

I'm this big

The Gang is all here

7-4-16

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!

Hope you all are having a great 4th! It was great to see the Rigby(Menan) parade in the pictures my dad sent me. They don't do parades here in Delta Junction. There is just not enough people here haha. I'm not sure how fireworks is going to work because it's as bright as mid day all stinking night!! It can get hard to sleep haha. It honestly doesn't fill like the 4th of July because I'm use to the big celebration but it pretty quite here.  Anyway the past Pday was amazing! We were able to go fishing! It was just so beautiful! I caught about 15 or more grayling and my biggest one was about  22 inches! We were catching fish left and right! A member took us to a cabin they have right off a place call Clearwater River. It worked out great. As I fished my companion who really hates the outdoors was able to play a board game with the members son. He had a great time and so did I. That just made my week! We also had a pretty busy week. Our zone leader and District leader came down to Delta for exchanges. I love exchanges here because we don't see other missionaries very often so it is always fun. We cooked up the Pike I caught last week and had ourselves a little late night snack. We didn't really know how to cook a fish or what spices to use so we just used them all! It had a lot of flavor haha! It was great to be with and learn from those great Elders. So that was Tuesday and Wednesday then on Thursday night we went up to Fairbanks to spend the night for zone conference on Friday. Zone conference was just so awesome! I learned so much as I always do with trainings. It's like they always know exactly what I needed to hear. Zone conference took all day so we had to stay another night in Fairbanks with our zone leaders. The next day we were running all around Fairbanks trying to get our tire on our truck fixed. We got a flat on Wednesday so we needed to get a new tire. As we were trying to find a place to do so guess what happened!? Another tire went flat! It was a very long day.... We rolled back into Delta just in time for dinner and to see a few people before we had to be in. This was a very busy week but sooo much fun! Zone conference was one of the best parts. Yesterday on Sunday I was able to put to use something I learned. We were teaching an investigator about faith in God. He told us he envies our faith and struggles to know the truth. Something we learned on Friday was to use personal experience to testify. I did just that. I told this man about my past struggle with faith before my mission and how I came to know the truth. The spirit was very strong and I believe it changed the whole outcome of that lesson. Before he just said that he is fine without knowing but once I shared that experience he said he wants that too. I never thought that my past struggles would be able to bless someone else's life. I love the opportunity I have to share this gospel with others and show them how it has blessed my life as well.

I hope you all have a great week and enjoy the 4th of July. I love and miss you all and am thankful for all you do. 

Thank you Nana and Grandpa for everything

 and CONGRATS on retirement Nana!

-Elder Barney

The picture with the missionaries go: Elder Barney, Elder Parks,
Elder Dalin, Elder Davis.

ZONE CONFERENCE 7-1-16

6-27-16

Hey everyone,

This week was a really great week! First Tok was awesome! We went down
last pday so I was able to go fishing! It was a dream come true to
fish in Alaska! I caught a pike about 2 1/2 feet long and good size
grayling! We went with the awesome Berg family there! We cooked up the
grayling in the fire and the pike is in the freezer for tomorrow
night. The pike was the biggest fish I think I have ever caught so
that was so exciting. Oh and today I am going fishing again with
another member in Delta! Lots of fishing and I love it! It's true what
my Uncle Troy said. It is kinda like a vacation on pdays but it's back
to work the next day. I really do love Alaska and everything it has to
offer! We have and some kinda rainy weather lately but it is looking
nice now. I also love the people here. They are so nice and generous!
Don't get me wrong we still get the door slammed in our face at times
but people up here are generally really awesome. I love the people we
get to teach! I was had this great lesson the other day where we took
one of our investigators on a church tour. We were hoping it would
help her want to come to church but unfortunately she didn't make it
yesterday. It really breaks my heart when our investigators don't come
to church. I just want to grab them on the shoulders shake them and
say this is true happiness but we're not allowed to do that haha. It
is so amazing to me the type of Christ like love you develop on a
mission. I am constantly thinking of these people and I pray for them
day and night. It's hard because when they slip up or are sad my heart
truly goes out to them. I just know how much happiness there is in the
gospel and I want others to know it to. I know the Lord helps us
everyday even the days that are hard if you truly look you can see the
blessing every single day. I love you all and hope you have a great
week! I got to get going! Fish our biting!


-Elder Barney

Berg Family with Elder Barney & Elder Dalin

Pike caught in the Alaska outdoors

This is a Grayling fish caught in the great out door of Alaska in the town f Tok 

 Tyler and Creed Berg helping me fish. Creed is the young
one and Tyler is the older one.

6-20-16

Hello everybody!

Happy (late) Fathers Day to all the fathers! I really wish
missionaries were able to call home on Father's Day as well but
unfortunately we are not. I hope everyone had a great week and a
awesome Father's Day weekend! Up here everyone was doing something fun
this weekend. Made missionary work a little slower on the weekend.
This past week was a great week and last Monday was so awesome! The
North Pole is really cool. It honestly reminds me of a small Tooele
but covered in Christmas decorations all year round. We went to
Santa's house but no Santa! I guess Santa is a missionary because he
takes Monday's off haha! I was able to sit in his chair! No joke the    
real Santa's chair in the real North Pole! How stinking awesome is

that!? Anyway the rest of Santa's House is a giant gift store where
everything cost an arm and a leg but what else do you expect in a gift
store. One guy who was on vacation there spent 5,000 dollars in that
shop! That is insane! So anyway that was super cool place but we were
able to go to another awesome place in Fairbanks. There is this
vintage car museum which is the largest collection in Alaska. Oh man
that was just super cool to go check out! We were able sit in one of
the cars and take some pictures. What a really good time! After that
we went and played sports with other missionaries which I don't get to
do very often since we never see them on a Pday. On our way back we
stopped off to take a picture with the "North Pole", yes the real
legit North Pole. I feel so lucky to serve in such an awesome mission!
After our North Pole adventure last week we are now heading to Tok
today. We will drive down there and spend our Pday checking out all
Tok has to offer, which is really only one store and lost of wildlife.
It should still be a fun time! I will have to let you know how that
all goes next week.
Oh and it is the longest day of the year today! Sun does not go down
at all today. It is super weird!
Just wanted to tell my Dad Happy Father's Day! I am so grateful to my
Father in Heaven who has blessed me with a such an amazing father on
earth! On my mission a lot of lessons my father taught me are now more
fully sinking in. I love you dad! Thanks for everything you do! Again
Happy Father's Day to all the fathers put there!

-Elder Barney

Elder Dalin (companion) and Elder Barney

Super Missionary

Lucky sitting in Santa's chair

What a Great Looking Group

Great Car

6-13-16

Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a great week! I am currently in North Pole.

 I will send pictures of it next week. We are going to Santa's house and
checking out rain deer! So pumped! Also we got transfer calls this
week and we are staying! Elder Dalin and I are together for another 6
weeks! I really enjoy serving with Elder Dalin. He is a stud and
cracks me up! Other missionaries are leaving Fairbanks so we will be
saying bye today to them. In this mission it's a good chance you won't
see people ever again because how big it is. The other day Elder Dalin
and I looked up on line and saw that our area is actually bigger then
most missions in the world but a lot less people! We do a ton of
driving! Next week we are actually driving down to Tok and I love
going to Tok! It's a little bit slower but it's super cool!
This week my focus has really been focusing on listening to the
spirit. When we teach lessons it is all the spirit and we have to be
very sensitive to it's promptings. I learned that sometimes we get
promptings that don't really pan out. I wondered why did I feel that I
should do this or say that and didn't work out. Sometimes we can't see
the result of the prompting and sometimes it's us showing obedience to
those promptings. That is something I have learned so much about and
it is also one of the most frustrating lessons to learn. I still get
frustrated at times when I don't see an outcome of a prompting. I know
that as I act on those promptings and try my hardest to listen for
them there will be seen and unseen blessings.
I love you all and miss you! Have a great week!

-Elder Barney

Caribou Antlers

6-6-16

Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a great week! This week here in Alaska was a fun one. We traveled a lot this week. We drove to Fairbanks on Thursday and had a hand off lesson with some of the Elders up there. Then we spent the night with our awesome Zone Leaders and had Zone meeting the next day. Zone Meeting was a lot of fun and I learned a lot, like every zone meeting. Fairbanks was a great time. On our way back to Delta Junction we stopped off to have interviews with our President in North Pole.  Yes there is a North Pole in Alaska and yes Santa's house is there. It's a cool place. All the light poles are candy canes. Its pretty legit. I haven't been there to often but we are planing on going up for a pday next week so that will be fun! All and all that trip was awesome and a lot of driving but  I don't mind  because Alaska is so beautiful. That was definitely the highlight  of my week!

 Oh and also I hit my 6 month mark this week! It is really crazy to think it has been half a year! It truly feels like yesterday I gave my farewell. Time flys when you are serving the Lord! These past 6 months have been the most challenging but best months of my life! I have made so many great memories and have truly felt such love for the people here. I have gotten to truly know my savior and come to love him and his work with all my heart. I have seen how he has truly blessed mine and others lives. I love my mission so far and am excited to have a year and a half more to serve! I love you all! Thank you all for the support and prayers! Have a great week!

 -Elder Barney

Zone in Anchorage / Delta Junction Area

5-30-16

Hey everyone,

Wow what a great week it was! We had such amazing week filled with
blessings from the Lord. First off, we committed one of our
investigators we have been working with for a few weeks to baptism! It
was a happy and sad lesson. Although we committed him to baptism him
and his family moved to Fairbanks that very night. It's all okay
though because he is going to be meeting with missionaries up there
and we actually get to go to a lesson with them next week. So that was
a huge blessing that he has excepted the invitation to be baptized!
Also this week we have seen some awesome blessings with finding people.

One of them came when we were tracting. So in Delta Junction everyone
lives off these small dirt roads which makes finding a place to park
very hard. So the other day we parked at what seemed like a good spot
by the end of someones driveway. After we were done tracting the street
we were walking back to our truck and noticed in the distance someone
looking in our truck! So we hustled back and noticed it was a lady who
lived at the house we parked by. We didn't knock on her door because
of all the scary no trespassing signs but for some reason we still
thought it would be fine to park there haha. The only thing in my mind
when we came walking up is that we were in some trouble but some how
at the end of the conversation we gave her a Book of Mormon and had a
return appointment. I honestly can't explain how that all happened.
One moment I thought she was going to yell at us and the next we are
teaching her about Lehi. Lord works in mysterious ways haha. This week
has been filled with blessings such as that. We were also able to have
exchanges this week. Because how far away our area is from Fairbanks
the District Leader and one of the Zone Leaders come down for one epic
day in Delta Junction! It was fun as I was able to go on
splits/exchanges with my zone leader Elder Palmer. It was a real fun
time having those elders come down for a good day of missionary work.
I noticed with being far away from missionaries I am so excited when I
see other missionaries! We also went up to Salcha for district meeting
and it was a blast!! Doing meetings on Skype is pretty weird. It cuts
out a lot and we miss a lot of what is going on so it is nice when we
get to go in person.

I hope you all have a great Memorial Day weekend! Everyone has left
for camping and everything is closed today here in Delta Junction so
it will be a slow relaxing P-day for us! Love you guys!

Elder Barney

                P.S. These are my new wooden proselyting shoes ;)