61st Letter: " HEY! :)"

Dear Family!!

Wow....... I am exhausted!!! This week has taken every last ounce of energy out of me. I don't know if I will be able to express this last week very well because when I think about it, I feel speechless. There is no greater comfort that comes to me than to know that everyone is doing ok!! It is so hard to be away as all of this unravels back home, but I know that Grandma wouldnt have me be anywhere else and that this is exactly where the Lord wants me to be. My relationship with Grandma has always been a very special one. She has always been one of my best friends! The experiences that I had with her are countless and the lessons that I learned from her are eternal. Grandma truly was an example to all that came in contact with her. She will be greatly missed! I can only imagine the type of missionary that she is on the other side!! Hopefully they aren't doing "role plays" over there she hated doing role plays in the MTC haha! 

Well "busy" would be an understatement for everything that went on over this last week. Starting last Tuesday with exchanges in Bernalillo with one of our District leaders through Wednesday, and then all day Thursday we were in a meeting with all of the leaders of the mission. Friday was zone training where we presented what we learned on Thursday to the Zone. Saturday was Emery's awesome baptism!! :) Good day!! Sunday was church and we had to plan what we were going to teach the next day at Zone Conference in Santa Fe. Obviously yesterday was Zone Conference all day which was tolling! All in all everything went great! It has been amazing to see the Lord qualify us and give us the spirit as we have prepared and presented trainings this last week it is amazing to me to think that I have been able to do all of this!! Well I am really looking forward to this next week where I can just focus on proselyting and not have to worry about a training we have to prepare. I have really felt overall the Lord lifting me up and carrying me lately I dont know or understand allot of things but I do know for a surety that God is very much mindful of the trials that we go through and he is always calling for us to ask for help because he wants to give it. What a wonderful blessing to know that! 

Our proselyting area is going pretty good, we are still struggling with the ward members jumping on board and helping us out, which at times makes me want to hit my head against the wall and say why dont you understand that "missionary work" is what our Heavenly Father wants us all to focus on. He has commanded us all to be anxiously engaged in this work through a prophet of God! Why are so many of us trying to ignore that call and justify not doing missionary work, because ultimately we are just scared to do it. I guess that is where our role as missionaries is as well to help open the members eyes to help with the work. Yay! Its crazy the contrast from ward to ward of the attitude towards missionary work. 

Well my dear family know that I love you!! What a wonderful blessing it is to know that that love doesnt end with this life!! Thanks for all of your love and support!
Love
Elder Barrus