July 4, 2011

the Family,
Hey how is everything going? Here for the fourth we just listened to the "Star Spangled Banner" twice because its a hymn.
oh yes the president doesnt do many tranfers. He is an interesting guy but very strict. He has some pretty strict rules but its not that bad at all. last week was almost like a zone conference but with three or four zones. It was huge. he just talked about what we should be doing and our goal to baptize everyweek. That is tuff though, but we are trying. It also made my companionship stronger because now we both want to really work hard. The president said that the people beginning the mission should already be thinking of how we want to finish. I thought that was interesting. My companion and I watched the GREAT talk by Elder Holland and I learned a lot from that.

This week has been great!!! The weather was awesome. Usually it is really really HOT here! One day it was like 117 degrees! VERY HOT!!! but this week it has rained a few times and the cools the place down A LOT!!!! it was really nice. we also did a service project with the ward. that was fun.yes the food is not the greatest at times but i always eat it. on the first of this month we went to this food appoinment and we had this soup with shrimp in it. that wasnt the greatest either. and after the soup we had some fish. as the four of us we heading off we all went to the church and used the bathroom. it was BAD!!! that food destroyed us. also yesterday this one investigator gave me this soup call menudo. it is cow stomach! that wasnt that bad. i thought it would be worse but it was good. i also had a burrito with pig skin. that was not bad either. so yes i am learning to eat good. well i havent gotten anything in the mail. nothing!!!!!! It does just sit there in the offices forever!!!! so if you write things in dear elder make sure that it is something that i wont need to know for awhile.

i could do better with my journal writing. i wrote in it last night but i definitely WILL do better. i will also write you a long long letter. i definitely need to do better at that. on pdays i am busy and other days i am more busy. plus when i get back home, i am just so tired and want to eat and go to bed. it is so tiring to be on the mission. but i need to do better and write and stop complaining. so i will do that this week.
now here are some pictures!!!! YIPEE!!!!!!!!
hey dont feel bad that you missed writing to me. that was my fault because we had to leave really early.
i miss you tons and i love you guys so so much.
ELder Barnes
HAPPY 4TH Of JULY