55th Letter: "Family!"

Dear Family, 

Another week has come and pass, and once again I am here at last. This last week was full of lots of wonderful miracles as the work here in Panorama is only hastening more and more everyday!! With transfers once again on the horizon (next week) I am pretty sure that I will be staying. Since usually zone leaders only have 2 areas as a ZL and I haven't been here for too long. Which I am excited to stay because I know that there is still a ton that the Lord still has for me to do here! 

I am always super happy to hear that y'all are doing well! Thank you so much for your emails!! Its hard to understand until your a missionary how much letters and emails really help! But they do! They really give me the strength and the encouragement to keep going!! So thank you, you know who you are!! :) Family I feel like I write the same thing week after week, but I really do love this work!! Its amazing each day waking up at 6:30am knowing that allot of difficult things await you, and still the joy that you feel!! There is nothing more that I would want to be doing, than missionary work. I know that this is exactly where the Lord wants me to be, and I am going to put my whole heart into whatever the Lord wants me to do. I hope this will be something that I will hold strong to not only on my mission, but for the rest of my life!! Its hard for me to see as I go visit less actives, how they have forgotten that love of the gospel. I don't understand how they don't recognize the difference!! The spirit has such a profound influence on someones life only if they allow it to. 

We have been experiencing quite a few miracles as of late with finding those people that God has prepared for us to teach! Daily as we walk around and talk to 20 people that will blow us off or try to bash with us, and then that 21st person that says you know I really would like to learn about what you have to say. That is what makes those 20 rejections worth it. I often try to ponder as I work each day of the ministry of Jesus Christ. Definitely is a comforting thing to me especially when things are going hard. I often think of his own mission and how many people rejected and despised him, even through the many miracles that he was constantly performing. How discouraging it could have been for him to witness that every day! But yet he pushed on never falling short of what he was called to do. He fulfilled his mission perfectly! How grateful I am that he did!! 

Emery is doing well, his current baptism date is for March 1st when his grandfather can come from California to baptize him, and he is looking pretty solid to make that date, as long as his grandfather doesnt flake out again, and have to postpone. He is so ready for baptism!! Smartest 10year old I have ever met!! 

We also set a baptism date with a lady named Dulcy, at one time a super devote Catholic. We taught her the Restoration and she really grasped onto it and loved it. Her date is for the 8th of March. She has 3 baptism aged kids and her dad who are also taking the lessons with her. We should be able to set a date with all of them this week as well. 

Know my beloved family that I am doing great! I am happy!! I hope all of you are as well!! :) 

Love
Elder Barrus