37th Letter: "BAPTISM!! TEMPLE TRIP!! :)"

Dear Family, 

My dear family here I am again sitting here in the ole town of Albuquerque writing my beloved family!! Truly is a pleasure. Well I have been doing pretty good, things have been super super crazy as of late and these weeks are just flying by!! Life as a Zone Leader is hectic because your so busy, and because your are so busy you have no sense of time anymore. These weeks are beginning to seem like hours. Man I have been so physically exhausted lately!! That I think it is starting to make me sick! I get these throbbing headaches randomly during the days now that are really annoying, I think its because I am constantly thinking about something, worrying about this, or worrying about that. At times I just have to sit still for a couple of seconds and relax and just take one thing at a time. It has been really hard, because I definitely have that worrying personality that I am sure that most of you know about me. I have never been really good about focusing on the here and now, I am always thinking of how I can do this, when this needs to be done, when we need to go see this person, what we need to teach this person...etc It definitely has been something that I have prayerfully sought the Lords help with. Well anyways I am super happy at least to hear that the Red Soxs won the AL East and that the Yankees didn't even make the postseason!! I know that the Lord is blessing my teams for my service! ;) haha So some of the things that have been going on as of late:

The reason that I am writing a little later in the day is because it was Temple Trip today!! I totally forgot to mention it in my previous emails, but yeah it was very needed. Its amazing to me how much nourishment the Lord feels you with by just walking in those holy walls. I know with all my heart that it truly is the House of the Lord and that within the walls of the Temple that sacred priesthood powers truly do bind families for eternity. I have been thinking a lot about Grandpa and Grandma Warner lately and I truly did feel their presence with me this morning along with many of my other loved ones who have since past. The veil is so so so thin if we allow it to be in our lives. I can just hear our loved ones chanting for our triumphant finish as we are going along each day. They want us to succeed just as much as our loving Heavenly Father does. They can continue to have an impact on our lives and very much be apart of them even as they have past on.

Another incredible experience we had yesterday was, we were teaching a very promising young couple the Restoration, and as we taught them the apostasy Sarah stopped and said, wow I feel stupid I just realized that there hasn't been a prophet on the earth like Moses or Noah, how is that so if God is the same yesterday, today, and forever? We proceeded to answer her question by the first vision, after we relayed this experience we asked them what they thought, and both of them said at the exact same time, "God called him to be a prophet huh?" We hadn't even have explained that to them yet, but they had been so prepared and taught by the Lord that everything clicked for them. It was incredible!!! They will be getting baptized soon, I am sure of it!!

So we had an unexpected blessing this last week as Roxanne, Damiana, and Isaac all decided to be baptized this weekend instead of after conference because they wanted to have the spirit with them as the watched conference. It was super neat to hear them say that. But it became super super super hectic trying to get the baptism pieced together. They passed there baptism interview Friday at 3pm. We were on exchanges by the way. So I had less than 24 hours to inform the ward by myself of the baptism the following day. Needless to say it was crazy!! But the baptism turned out to be wonderful!! The spirit was so strong and we had plenty of ward members come out and support.

So in closing I want to say thank you and Happy Birthday to the greatest Dad a man could ask for!! I have and I know that anyone that has ever come in contact with this wonderful man feels of his great spirit. I have never once thought that my Dad was anything less than a man of God. He has taught me so many great and wonderful things that has helped me develop into who I am today. Thanks Dad. I love you!!!

To my great family have a great week!! Take Care and walk by faith!! 

Love 

Elder Barrus

My council or scripture: Go to the temple, what can I say more. :)