24 Oct. 2011

Family,

So if I wasn't already aware that I'm coming home this week, everyone's emails made it pretty clear. Anyway, I guess there's no avoiding the inevitable. It was pretty weird to finish my last planner last night and call in our reports. Elder Wright, my iron-fisted, uncaring Zone Leader is requiring that we have District Meeting on Wednesday, so that makes the amount of time I have left in my area even less than it already is. I'm just kidding, but he really is making me plan a training. It's like my last lecture. I don't really know what to say. I think I'll talk about...planning (make it really boring so he regrets having District Meeting during transfer week).

As for this last week, we had a good week. We've found 3 youth that I'm sure will be baptized. The only problem is making sure they have a consistent mode of transportation to church. We can provide rides for them so they can come to church enough times to get baptized, but I want to make sure that they can continue coming afterward. People aren't going to want to pick them up forever. 2 of them live in our village, so they can walk no problem, but the 3rd lives a ways away (by these standards anyway - how far away can you get really?). I'm pretty sad I won't actually see them baptized, but hopefully I'll get pictures from these guys.

Wednesday night the Branch President called and said, "so you can speak in church this Sunday before you go right?" I told him I couldn't because we had to have to attend our unit, and then the phone cut out. He called back and said "you can just come and speak and then after the talk you can drive up in time for Sacrament meeting." "well, I guess I could..." "okay great, thanks. *click*" I was pretty annoyed. So we had to make the 1-hour drive each way, just so I could speak. I can't be too upset though, he just wanted me to be able to speak before I left, and now I'm glad that I did. Plus, it gave me a chance to practice my homecoming talk (edited for the audience of course).

So I guess I'll see you guys on Friday huh?

Love,

Elder Barlow