Monday, July 16, 2018

July 16, 2018 - The Beginning of the End

Hey everyone!!
I still can't believe it, but this is the start of my final (half) transfer! Time has flown by so fast, and I want to make the most of every minute until it's over! Transfers are today, and as expected I will be leaving Southlea Park. I will be serving as a district leader in Domboshava, which is pretty close to Hatcliffe! My new companion will be Elder Wheeler from Idaho. I'm very excited for what these last few weeks have in store, and I truly want to give the Lord my all!
with the Tshabango family,
a less active family that we've been visiting
and reading the Book of Mormon


Elder Hansen and I had another great week! We kicked it off by having MLC (basketball and everything). I loved being taught by President Makasi. You can really tell how much he loves the Lord and us missionaries by the way he speaks and acts. We were instructed on leading others with a lot of love, but also with high expectations. When we lack in one of these attributes, it can result in rebellion, complacency, or even dishonesty among those we lead. The Savior was our perfect example during His earthly ministry. He had a perfect love for those He led, but He expected the most from them. As a result, those who hearkened unto Him were blessed beyond measure. It was an inspiring meeting and a great time to see our mission president and other missionaries. 

This week I also had the opportunity to go on exchanges with Elder Tshibamba. He's from DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and has been on his mission for about 10 months. When he came to the mission, he didn't know English because at home he only spoke French and other languages. Now he can hold a decent conversation and teach simply. He told me about how others at home didn't believe that he could learn/speak English, and then shared about how he read from the book of Moses about how Enoch was also insecure about his ability to speak. The Lord made Enoch into a powerful witness of the truth, and Elder Tshibamba told me that the Lord could help him to speak English too. I was so impressed with his humility and trust in the Lord. I have no doubt that the Lord will reward him for his faith.
our beloved Nissan
(the poor thing has taken a beating in Southlea Park)

We were fortunate enough to have a few days of warmer weather, which was awesome. Elder Hansen and I took advantage of that and walked to Church again with our friends from the far part of Stoneridge. This time, 10 of them got up early to come with us! Though it took us about an hour to reach the meetinghouse, we made it on time. It was exciting to have over 10 new people at sacrament meeting for my last Sunday. Some people that haven't progressed in a long time finally made the effort to come to church, and it was awesome. I will really miss the members here in Southlea Park! They are so spiritually self-reliant and so excited about the gospel. It was a privilege to serve with them. I will also miss Elder Hansen a ton! We've become good friends and tackled many problems together as zone leaders. I'm grateful for his good example and desire to do right. 

I hope you all have a great week! I love the Lord and know that He lives, and I'm so grateful for every remaining second I have to serve Him!

Love Elder Barlow


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