January 23, 2017 - Teaching in the Rain, Just Teaching in the Rain

Hey everybody!!

Soaked!

I hope everyone has had a fantastic week. We've definitely had some interesting experiences. For starters, until Saturday it was raining nonstop here. We've been soaked a couple of times haha and we have no idea where all the water is coming from. Oh well, the country really needs it. It makes for lots of mud and flooded streets though!

Elder Ray and I get along great! He's from Texas and has been out for 9 months. He was homeschooled and plays guitar. He's a little awkward and we have different personalities but we have fun and work hard together. He knows a lot of Shona which is really awesome. I'm learning a lot from him. I've been told that I speak it with a great accent so that makes me happy.

Elder Ray and I

On Tuesday we had a district meeting and it was so spiritual. Sister Walbeck gave a super spiritual doctrinal study on the Atonement and repentance and it was just awesome. We all had an opportunity to give our testimonies as well and that was just awesome. Elder Mkhaliphi is awesome. He's like 5 feet tall and from South Africa and super funny. And Elder Barnett is just elder barnett haha.

On Wednesday Elder Ray was sick so we stayed in the house all day. I spent most of the time studying President Hinckley, washing the dishes, and enjoying the Piano Guys and Vocal Point haha. Luckily Thursday he was feeling a little better. After weekly planning we headed to our area. Seke is HUGE!! Holy cow it is so spread out. We got lost a ton but we were able to meet the branch president and a couple members while getting soaked in the process.

On Friday we kept exploring. We used a lot of Shona which was kind of cool. Our branch mission leader, Simba, took us around to a bunch of members and it was really awesome. They love it when they see a couple of murungus speaking Shona and it's a riot. We taught a couple of impromptu lessons along the way and we enjoyed. Elder Ray is a hard worker and I'm really enjoying being his companion. We came home to find the zone leaders at our house and that was fun. Our house is pretty small but surrounded by basically an iron cage so we are very safe. No worries haha. We were able to go on Saturdayto teach a young boy at an RM's house and it was awesome. Although it's just a branch, there are a lot of priesthood holders and young people that are willing to help us. We then went to a priesthood activity for the Chitungwiza ward for awhile. That was a lot of fun. The other elders went to go do interviews with the sisters and they were supposed to come get us and take us to a DA, but they took 3 HOURS and left us chilling outside our house. Not very fun, but it's ok. 

Our tent/meetinghouse at church

Church was great! The members are really nice here. i got to teach investigators' class on the Holy Ghost and it was really powerful. Then in priesthood we got a surprise call from the sisters: their meetinghouse had no water so they needed to come to our place to do the baptism. We hurried and filled our font (basically a big bathtub) and I sprinted home to change into my whites and ran back. I think I scared half the town into thinking the second coming was happening as I ran through Chitungwiza in my baptismal clothing but I was so grateful to have the opportunity to perform baptisms. I love it so much.

Just to conclude I want to share about one of our investigators, Mai Mondwa. The other elders were teaching her, and upon my first meeting her and asking her what they had taught her, she bore her testimony about the church and the Book of Mormon. Wow, zvakasimba. She's amazing and we are hoping that she can be married and baptized soon!

I love you all and thank you for all your love and prayers! I'm sure I've forgotten a lot of things but know that things are ok and the Lord is helping us!!

Love Elder Barlow

Catching up on a couple week's worth of pictures...

Kadoma Town

Last Picture with the Elders in Kadoma