Email Update: April 23, 2012

So this past week was great because we taught as many lessons this week as we did over the past six weeks. So A LOT of success. We are having continual success with the less actives in the ward so I am really happy about that! We kind of have an investigator but he is an eternal investigator who doesn't keep his commitments but we wont give up on him. The R's are the ones I was telling you about who was making us the quilts and she finished it up this week and they look so awesome and are very comfortable! I can't wait to show y'all. 

Sunday we had ward conference so the bishop and stake president spoke the whole time and they did very well. 

This morning we started off bright and early by waking up at 5:20 to go to seminary at 5:40. We were asked by a seminary teacher to come today to her class because they were focusing on missionary work.   So we showed up and they split the missionaries in to groups to teach the students different parts of missionary work. Elder Stepp and I were in charge of Christlike Attributes. For our table we first had them unscramble each of the Christlike attribute words (Faith, Hope, Charity & Love, Patience, Virtue, Knowledge, Humility, Diligence, and Obedience) Then we had them look at a DNA helix and tell us how that relates to the gospel. Then we would give them a case study (there were 4) about how they would react in those situations. At the other tables they did memorizing Jeremiah 16:16, preparation, and something else.  Then at the end the teacher asked only me to give a 5 minute talk about preparing to go on a mission which I did. Oh side note, during the whole night last night tobchan was throwing up like crazy and only got two hours of sleep but he still got up and went to seminary with us, what a trooper! After seminary we went home so he could sleep. 

So yeah that's whats going on. Thanks for the picture Dad it is pretty swesome and it's good to see mountains ha ha. We did get some good rain out here, I loved it and today and yesterday feels like San Diego, it is beautiful! We are playing sand volleyball today too ha ha. I love y'all thank you for taking the time to e-mail me!

Love,

Elder Cory Barton

Email Update - April 16, 2012

Hey family! So first off I'll tell ya why I asked y'all for some money during the week so there is a member in the ward that she makes quilts and she gives a discount to the missionaries and she does a special quilt with one side having designs that we can pick from and on the back is the state of Texas.  It isn't finished yet but it looks sick!

So this past week we had continually success with the less actives in our area. We finally got a hold of two families so that is really awesome and they are really chill families. Still no gators but that's alright. Still trying to stay focused and finish strong.

Tell Michael Allred congrats on his mission call. 

Well I don't really have any job preferences except for nothing in construction or landscaping ha ha but as they say beggars can't be choosers I guess. Well transfers are this week and I doubt I am going anywhere and same with Tobchan so by Wednesday we will be the oldest missionaries in the mission it's pretty crazy! We'll I love y'all take care!

-Elder Cory Barton

Email Update - April 9, 2012

Hey family!

Had another slow week full of tracting but miracles are starting to occur. For example: there is a part member/less active family where Bro M is the only member in the family and he is less active. He is married and has 3 children, two girls who are 23 and 19 and also a cute boy who is 2 years old. Elder Tobchan and I have been visiting their family on a weekly basis just leaving a quick spiritual message and continuing to offer service. So this week we went over around 8 or 8:30 p.m. and Bro. M came out with a cigarette in his mouth and said "Awesome! I got man power. Come with me" So we followed him around the street to the his driveway (turns out his garage door was broken) so we went to his car and help him carry in........can you guess it.....the 2 year old's toys ha ha. But we had a good talk with Bro. M. So we carried the toys in and chatted with the family for a bit, mainly talking about the 2 year old's obsession withTthe Veggie Tales the pirates who don't do anything ha ha. But so we were heading out the door and walking to the car and Bro. M. followed us out and asked "Elders can I ask you a question" of course! He then asked "Elders do you know who my home teachers are?" And when he asked that I swear the night became day the heavens opened and angels came down with trumpets and singing Hallelujah! This is exactly what we want to hear! We told him we didn't know but we would find out and get back to him on that. And he told us that we hasn't been visited in 4 yeas from his home teachers and this is the first time in a long time that someone from the church came to visit on a continual basis. Then after that he told us that his job he has (He is a cop in Houston) doesn't give him Sundays off but after he said that without Elder Tobchan and I saying anything he goes on to say "Maybe I can try to be an investigator for the police department. If I do that I can possibly get Sundays off." Man the Holy Spirit worked hard with him or what?! I almost passed out! SO that was definitely the highlight of the week by far! Still have no investigators though but that's alright.

Bishop also sat down with Tochan and I and we went over what we can do in our area then our purpose for us in his area - it was such an awesome meeting! Well that wasn't the original purpose for our meeting, he wanted our input on how we can help a certain individual but it turned into that and it was really cool. Because we were sitting on some bleachers outside on the beautiful Easter Sunday we had, the weather was awesome, there was a slight breeze going and just had an awesome, awesome brainstorm session. Man the bishop is so awesome, I have a lot of respect for him because during our visit I could feel his love and care for the well being of this ward in every aspect. So yeah that is my week.

Also any suggestion for work when I get home? I know Dad mentioned about selling security. I see those guys and the pest control people all the time down here but the thing is I don't wanna be a salesman. I would be ok with like installing the security systems if I could do that. I have been asking around with members on any job ideas.  One suggested being a counselor for the BYU sports camps and I thought that was the answer to my problems but turns out I checked today they are all full :( So I am open to suggestions.

I love y'all!

-Elder Cory Barton

Email Update: April 2, 2012

So General Conference was pretty awesome I really enjoyed Hallstrom, D. Todd Christofferson, and Holland's talks they were really awesome. Also I don't know if you heard but my last mission president, President Hansen was called as an Area Seventy so that was really neat.

This past week was a really slow week for our weekly numbers we got 0"s across the board except for 2 member lessons. But Tobchan and I continue to work hard. We actually did a surprise visit to Araiza's from Wheatstone and told them we want to help them get to the temple to get sealed before we go home and they agreed with the idea so hopefully we can work things out. We don't have any investigators so we are constantly tracting and finding.  We have a goal to get one baptism before we go home, so we are working hard so hopefully we can get some potentials.

I didn't do a bracket this year for March Madness. Sadly I totally forgot after they started the games and I have no idea how any teams did or who won so I am in the dark on that one. Did BYU or Memphis make it into the tournament?

Rebecca I wish you the best on tryouts. Kyle how are you enjoying doing track? Hows the 100 and 400? I did the mile in track because I am not a fast sprinter like you. I just try to be like the energizer bunny.

Oh so I was talking to sister Bowcutt who is a senior missionary at the office and she arranges the flight plans and all that stuff.  She told me that I have a layover in Memphis when we fly home so I thought that was really cool since I haven't seen Memphis since the end of my Sophomore year and I miss it a lot. I love y'all thank you for your e-mails

-Elder Cory Barton