Cell Phones! Snow forts! Relief Society President!

Hello Family!
Wow things are so awesome I love the Christmas season it a blast! I am having so much fun I love my new companion so much he loves to go out and work hard. I am so thankful for him. It has snowed a ton this week in fact we are going to make a huge snow fort for our p-day activity as a Zone. It is so awesome to serve around other missionaries you make a lot more lifetime amazing friends. Its fun being district leader over the sister missionaries they tell me I have the best sisters in the mission so that’s cool. They remind me of Tiana. And our mission just got every mission companionship cells phones Hurray!! that makes the work so much more effective. We had an awesome dinner appt last night with this part member family they have the most adorable little girls 4 and 5 years old they were so cutie. After dinner we had a testimony meeting with the family. The father who is the only one not a member. The sisters started out and said their testimonies first then everyone else did except the father. But the spirit was so strong it was awesome. I hope he recognized it. Anyways I love being a missionary I love my Saviour, and I know he lives and I know the Joseph Smith was his Prophet to usher in the glorious last and final dispensation. I am so thankful to have this amazing knowledge. Merry Christmas everyone!

Love Elder Barrand

I'm the Relief Society Pres in a new area!

hello mom and dad thing are going so freaking awesome! i got transfered to a new area, the area i am in is London Ontario i am so excited my new comp's name is Elder Hayashi. I am district leader over 3 sets of sister missionaries crazy! everyone calls me the relif society president its pretty funnny my new companion is awesome he has only been out 6 weeeks and i am his second comp. he is a very hard worker and we are going to have a blast i am so excited to be working here as you can tell i was a little burnt out in my last area so this transfer was needed and i coulnt be more excited to go out and work. i cant wait to get my new shoes :) also my new adress is:

75 Filders Green #1110
London ON N6H 4S8
Canada

Love elder barrand

christmas on the 26th of november

hello family!! this week has been awesome! i got your christmas package and set up the tree like the directions told me to then i did so well i went 4 hours without opening any presents it was one of the best chirstmas's ever i got new g's which were badly needed, new scrpitures because elder rollins has a brand new set as well, a wicked sweet chirst calender, then the best gift of all mom
put together a photo album with quotes from my patriarchal blessings attached, i love it so much it is one of the best gifts i have ever gotten thank you so much mom and dad it was the best christmas on the 26th of november ever! btw the workis going well it is snowing alot i will get you pictures asap
love elder barrand

Tracting

Hello Family!
Things are going so awesome! I am not a big fan of tracking door but
there is always a time in missionary work where you have nothing to do and you
need to be out working. So tracking is the best thing you have think of. So
elder Rolling and I started knocking on doors and I have never really had much
success from getting people off their nice comfy couches to answer the door to
two dorks with parted hair and name tags and really ugly ties. We tracked out 2
streets and was able to get 6 awesome contacts. I love how the Lord blesses you
when you have faith and show it through works. Moral of the story is to keep the
missionaries from doing the least effective thing they can think of and give
them a referral today! All those who have served missions know that members are
the best way to bring people to the Truth and Light. So pray and ask Heavenly
Father who of your friends can you bring to the Gospel.
Anyways I love this precious time that I have to be around other Elders
and see and know amazing people I got to shake Elder Nelson for the Twelve Friday last week which
was pretty cool, and never before and never again will I be with 3 other
people/elders my age and start singing a Hymn and they will join me its so cool,
and be able to talk about gospel principles and doctrine all day and not get
sick of it. I love you all and hope things are going great.

Love Elder Barrand 

Preach My Gospel

Hello family!

Here is a quick report on the work:

               Things are going fantastic Elder Rollins and I are teaching a man named John Blais
he has meet with missionaries before about a year back. We have  taught him a few times
and he has made the sacrifice to come out to church the past couple of weeks. We invited
him to be baptized on the 25th and he said he would. Then when talking to people at church
he mentioned to a few of the members that he was very excited about his baptism which is
very cool!

 Family life is great! I am sorry about not writing last week. What a wonderful week it has
been John has committed him self to be baptized it is so wonderful. Bob is no longer a
recent convert but has upgraded to member because his rebirth day was on the 12th of
November, then my birthday was yesterday so we had a good time eating some cake. 

I am doing great mentally, physically, and spiritually although I am at about 200 pounds
I would like to cut back to about 190 the members feed us too well here. Mentally I am
getting along with my companion just great although I am ready for a new area I have
been in this area going on 6 months and its time for a scenery change. Spiritually I am
doing awesome I absolutely love being able to enjoy the amazing incredible cool stories
and the Book of Mormon has to offer. The stories show the most amazing examples or
how to be a great missionary. Also Preach My Gospel is amazing. I am striving my hardest
to become a Preach my Gospel Missionary which is the most effective tool in the Lords
Hands. We are trying to get our ward excited about doing missionary work and making
them into Preach My Gospel Members if you feel inclined to read preach my gospel go to
page 160 and start reading.

Anyways we got a little snow last week and made a huge snowman and it still has a tiny
bit left we took some funny pictures but these silly computers wont let me send any pictures
from my new camera.

Love Elder Barrand      

The Importance of reading the Scriptures

Hello Family!
Things are going awesome. we are teaching everyone that will listen to us the
restoration it is so much fun! Elder Rollins and i are still together for
another transfer! hurray! our investigators are progressing slowly but surly.
our mission president said and interesting thing he said that we right now are
the Lords most Golden investigators i was thinking about that and about how can
i make me gators more golden, and i pray so hard that they will read the Book of
Mormon and Pray if it is the word of God, what is so hard about reading. then i
think back to how much i have read before my mission and i barely ever read. the
people that are the most happy are the ones that go to church read and pray, its
that simple.

THANKS so much for the camera i opened it early to take some missionaries that i
might not see again because of transfers but i LOVE IT

love elder barrand

General Conference

Dear Family

Here is a quick report on the work:
Things are going great! These past couple days it seems we have barely been working 2 days of General Conference and now Zone Conference, but its awesome so much spiritual enlightenment and zeal to do better and teach better I am excited. We had Larry Wright a new investigators this week come to a session of General Conference. He slept threw most of it but the spirit was there, he has been studying with the Witnesses for 15 years and not been baptized. But he wants tomake sure it is the right one so that’s why he is talking to us. It’s going to be great to bare strong spirit fill testimony of the first vision that Elder Kakuchi taught us.Wow this are going awesome! I loved general conference my favorite talk by far was Elder Holland’s on the Trinity or President Eyring in priesthood session.
This work is amazing. I feel impressed to share what the First Vision has done for me in my life. First when the spirit that is felt in baring testimony confirms my witness that it happened! I know with out a doubt in my mind itdid! The blessing I have seen are these:
Having the best family in the world, I think back to the day when Don was sealed to us and how lucky we are to know that families are eternal. How great is it that the priesthood is restored and we can partake from its glorious blessing. I cant wait for my next sealing! Knowing that we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father who wants to see the very best for us. This means, receiving answers to prayers and revelations for others that we need to help. I love this gospel I feel a great neglect the gratitude I need to give it. The best way of doing that is loving and serving others. Which I am trying my best to do. I love you all and hope we can all amount to all the Lord has in store for us

Love Elder Barrand