Email Update: February 27, 2012

Hey family! So I officially hit my 21 month mark yesterday so 3 months to go! 

We had a great week this week, we had two baptisms this past week! One for Mercedes which was at 6:30 and that went very well. Her grandma gave the talk on baptism then the young women in the White Oak Ward did a special musical number which was awesome.  Then came time for the actual baptism.  So her grandfather, or something like that, was going to do the baptism and he is 92 years old.  They called during the week to let us know that he would need help so I volunteered.  So it was me, Mercedes, and the grandfather in the font and I help him into the font and helped with the actual ordinance. We had to do it 4 times (not having his arm to the square the whole time) but we got her under.  It was a unique experience. Then after she was baptized a young women gave the talk on the Holy Ghost and then some of her cousins did another special musical number.  The whole thing went well. Then Phi's baptism was right after and her boyfriend who is a RM gave the talk on baptism and he did a AMAZING job,  probably the best talk on baptism I have ever heard. Then Elder Kelly baptized Phi and it was kinda funny because Phi has a looooooooooooooooooooong name! So Elder Kelly had Phi say her full name piece by piece and he would repeat after her. After she was baptized, a member from the singles ward did a special musical number. Then Elder Fisher gave a talk on the Holy Ghost.  The service was awesome. So a really awesome week. 

I also went on exchanges this past week with my district leader and it went well.  We did a church tour with one of their investigators. 

Now that we baptized three of our investigators, it's time to go get some more because one our investigators dropped us this past week as well. 

So that's what's going on. Elder Kelly and I are moving apartments this Wednesday so that will be interesting. I love y'all!    -Cory

Email Update: February 20, 2012

So I got a surprise for y'all. So you know how we all thought I was coming home July 11th? Well turns out I was wrong. President Pingree dropped by this week and we had a really good visit and near the end of our visit he asked when I was going home and I said "July 11th" and he said "actually I think you go home May 30th."  I said, "well my certificate says July 11th" and he said he would check again and e-mail me. Well I got a e-mail from him today and sure enough, my release date is May 30th.  So turns out I am coming home six weeks earlier than expected.... Surprise! So now I have only three months left, I am trippin out! 

So Elder Christofferson came and it was pouring rain that day! In fact we had to change locations for the conference because the parking lot for the chapel we were suppose to meet at was flooded. 

Here are some things Elder Christofferson said:

"God knows you personally and He has called you to the specific mission in which you are now serving."

"The mission is the only time in your life when you can dedicate two hours each day to study and learn the gospel. Now is the time to establish a gospel and scriptural foundation for the rest of your life."

"Companion study is a time to receive revelation--to know who to teach, what to teach, which scriptures to use, and how to teach."

"We need to teach, not preach. Teach in such a way that you listen to know your investigators' needs. Ask questions so that you know what they understand. Seek to know what is in their mind and in their heart."

"Move people forward using commitments. As a companionship, seek to receive revelation for your investigators and to know what steps they need to take to come to Christ. Identify the next commitment they need, and then teach to prepare them to make and keep that commitment."

"How do we know who is prepared to receive the gospel? The Book of Mormon is the great sifter. It is the gathering tool for our day. We should invite people to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. If they respond to the Book, then they are ready. If the do not respond, and then they are not ready yet."

"To find greater happiness, forget yourself and focus on the people you serve."

"The motivation for your mission has to be love. If this is not why you are serving, then you will not get through it. How do we develop love? As you go about serving others and as you plead to the Father for this spiritual gift, it will come."

It was a really good conference plus I got to shake his hand so woot :)

We had Jeremy's baptism on Saturday and it was so, so, so good.  He was bawling the whole time! It was awesome and then he got confirmed yesterday :) We have two baptisms this Saturday for Phi and Mercedes. Also yesterday, this hispanic guy randomly shows up and asks for the missionaries so I go out to the parking lot to meet him.  Turns out he isn't a member but his wife and two kids are but they are super less active.   They haven't been to church in over a year or something like that.  Also they are members of some Spanish branch.  Anyway, so turns out his son is in the hospital and he wants us to come give him a blessing. So we go and as we are walking to his room in the ICU we find out what happened to him. Turns out he was out drinking with some friends and he got hammered and some how during the night he fell and hit his head on something. Turns out his brain is swollen and is bleeding. He has been unconscious for three days now and the doctors say they won't find out until the 5th day if they can do anything when the brain swelling has gone down. Before we get in there Elder Kelly says he wants me to do the blessing. I guess he was scared or afraid to do it, which is fine.  Elder Kelly anoints him and I did the blessing. I remember in the blessing that I said that this trial will stand as a testimony to him and his family how important church and Jesus Christ is to them. It was really neat to see how calm, peaceful, and grateful they were. Blessings are truly amazing and can touch the hearts of anyone. For example remember when I told we gave a blessing to Cathy in the hospital?  Well Elder Hill told me after I left that they went and visited with her and she also got a blessing from another preacher but she said she didn't feel the spirit at all when the preacher gave her a blessing. But the spirit was definitely there when we gave her a blessing :)

That was my week I hope y'all are doing well. I love you :)     -Elder Cory Barton

Email Update: February 13, 2012

Happy Birthday Rebecca woot woot! Sounds like you had a blast! 

This past week was good we met with all of our investigators even the ones we tracted into! We had zone conference on Tuesday and we went over plan, study, teach; importance of less active work; and how to effectively use our finding hour or "power hour". Thursday night I went on exchanges and I went to the Spring Branch North area and I was with Elder Stepp who has been out for 3 months and is from Washington. We had a lot of fun plus he is way into Hip-Hop dancing, like he use to teach it and everything, he is way good!

Friday we had Zone Meeting and went over what we learned at zone conference and how we can apply those things to our zone. It was also there we found out that we will be having a Tri-Mission conference Saturday Feb. 18th and Elder D. Todd Christofferson will be coming to speak with us! How tight is that?! Never thought I would have the privilege of seeing so many apostles and general authorities on my mission. So we have a baptism on the same day of the Tri-Mission conference for Jeremy who is for the singles ward. Then the following week we have 2 baptisms: Phi for the singles ward and then Mercedes for White Oak. So a lot of good things are happening right now I am very blessed.

Love Ya!  Cory Barton

Email Update: February 6, 2012

Hey family! Man Kyle, sounds like you had a pretty intense game of fugitive! Way to use your ninja skills! Gosh I still can't believe Rebecca how old you are and how grown up you are it scares me to death haha. I still can't get over how much you have grown! And then you will be driving here soon!

Well this past week was good. We now have 3 baptismal dates for the month of February. We have 2 for the 18th for Jeremy and Phi both of which are for the Sam Houston 2nd ward then the other date is Feb. 25 for Mercedes who is for the White Oak ward. This past week we tracted into a lady who seem interested and asked us to come back the next day at noon. We did but then she said to come back at 4 so her whole family could be there so we show up and it's pouring rain and I mean pouring! And all the blinds were shut and the lights were off and no one was home so we got soaked! But we dropped by the next day and met up with her and she said sorry but she said she wants her family including herself to be baptized and they asked us if we could lead them some to a place where they can do that :) We sure can haha. 

Super bowl Sunday was a bummer for missionary work so while the super bowl was going on we went to Wheatstone's apartment and kicked with Ulugia, Fuller, Beers, and Leishman. It is so good to see Ulugia again and I am so happy to be serving near him so that I get to see him more often :)

Wish everyone that is popping babies congrats on behalf of me :) I love y'all and pray for y'all.

Email Update: January 30, 2012

Hey Family

So I got transferred. I am no longer in the Magnolia 2 area. I got transferred to White Oak / Sam Houston 2. I am back in the Cypress Zone and my area borders my old area of Wheatstone. I was quite suprised to get moved. I have never been in a area so short as Magnolia 2. I was there for only two transfers. But in my new area I cover two wards: White Oak, which is a family ward and Sam Houston 2, which is a singles ward. My companion is Elder Kelly, he is from Las Vegas and he has been out for three transfers and I am his second companion. We have a lot of promising investigators, two of which have a baptismal date in February and I met them both and they are definitely prepared.

 I don't know my address. But apparently we are changing apartments here soon so just stick to the mission address for now I guess. Oh also this past week with transfers I said goodbye to my MTC district Elders: Esplin, Batt, Scoresby, Keliipuleole, and Maughan. Along with my good friend Hermana Martinez. It was very hard to say goodbye to them but this is the way it's suppose to be and they are a great group that will do great things. And I am very blessed that I had the opportunity to serve with them and have gotten to be their friends. I really liked the chart y'all did for Rebecca and I really enjoyed reading Grandma Wright's testimony that was really neat and special. I would love to have one of those.

That's all I can think of. I love y'all

Email Update: January 23, 2012

Sounds like everyone is doing well which is awesome! 

This past week was interesting! On Monday we had family home evening with the Ramsey family which is a part member family. That was really fun - we did an awesome activity which I took pictures of. 

Then on Tuesday we go over to Jason and Amanda's and when we knocked on the door Amanda came out to talk to us (When either Jason and Amanda come out of the house it is always bad news so we were like "uh oh") She told us that tonight wouldn't work because Cathy (Jason's mom) went to the hospital that night because she was having problems with her heart and she went to the hospital so the whole family was tripping. But as we were about to leave Jason pulled up he just came from the hospital. We offered him if he would like us to give his mother a blessing he called and asked his mom and she accepted so we drive to the hospital. We get there and we are trying to find Cathy's room when behind me I hear "Elders who's sick?" I turn around and there is this nurse there and it caught me off guard at first but I finally put the pieces together that the nurse was a member. I told her we are here for an investigator, not a member.  She asked us for the name so she could help us find it. I told her and Loni (name of the nurse) was like "oh she is my patient, follow me" (Hmmmm convenient..... there is a bigger picture here...) She takes us to Cathy's room, we make small talk and Loni continues to tell Cathy how she is a member and how the gospel has blessed her life and these missionaries right here will change her life. Loni continues to tell both of us that she doesn't even work at this hospital. She works at a different hospital called Memorial Hermann but the hospital we were at needed extra help that night so they asked her and she accepted (hmmmm weird..... I think not!) So we gave Cathy a blessing and promised her that she would recover. As we left we talked to Loni and we started talking about how this is so crazy and that the Lord is definitely working here. I am glad she accepted to work that night. Before we left I told Loni that when Cathy is permitted to drink anything make sure she doesn't get any coffee at all!!!! This is Cathy's huge thing haha she said "no problem". But it was kinda funny earlier, Cathy made a joke she said "well I am probably in here because I drink coffee like water huh." :) 

Well we find out the next day that Cathy went into the operating room so the doctors could put a pacemaker in her.  Well as they are rolling her in there her heart beat goes flat, but good thing she was right there at the operating room because they got her back and successfully put the pacemaker in her. She is now fine and is at home taking it easy. 

Then on Wednesday, Elder Troester and I were on exchanges and we went church hopping and got to talk to a Pentecostal preacher and share what we believe and understand more what they believe. Then on Sunday we got a lot of less actives at church which was awesome! Then went to Jason's new place (they moved just down the street from his parents) and visited with them. 

So it was an eventful week. Transfer calls are tomorrow so we will see what happens :) 

Love y'all a lot!

Email Update: January 17, 2012

I just hit 18 months and on the mission when you have 6 months left your are suppose to do whats called "6 months to sexy". Since you know you get all fat and flab (especially in Texas) on the mission, so you're suppose to make that push to get back into shape for when you go home..... yeah so far, not so good for me. Hopefully that will turn around. I need to start cutting down at member dinners but it's so hard since they go all with food and expect you to not leave any left overs! 

We just got a new investigator that seems promising. Jason and Amanda again didn't come to church it's so sad to always be anxious and looking for them every Sunday but to not see them in the end. Kinda depressing but, oh well, that's agency for ya. Thankfully the Texans lost their game and are now out of the playoffs! Nothing against them but like I said, they hinder the work. But it is still bad with the NFL playoffs still around because football runs this place. Places shut down for this stuff, not cool

Well transfers are around the corner. Tobchan and I have talked to President so we could be companions again up in College Station., hopefully that works out.

I love y'all take care now :)