MTC - August 22nd

Oi Familia e Amigos!

This week a lot of things happened for the first time! I think the most important thing that happened was that I gave my first priesthood blessing. It was a very cool and spiritual experience for me. My companion, Elder Boyle, had been having troubles with his eye for some reason, and we were going to go to the doctor. I felt very strongly that I should ask him if he'd like a blessing, but I was a little hesitant because i knew that I would probably be the one to give it to him. But I realized that my nervousness didn't matter, and that he needed one. He seemed happy that I asked. Elder Ozuna anointed his head, and Elder Boyle asked me to give it. i was nervous because I had never done this before, but then a scripture came into my head that talked about not thinking about beforehand what I should say, for the spirit would be with me. As I started the blessing, I felt very calm and the words just came to my mouth.  THey were not my words, but the words that the Lord wanted Elder Boyle to hear. i felt very strongly the love the Savior had for my companion

. 

The next day we had to go to the doctor, which meant we got to go outside of the MTC "bubble"! We rode an MTC shuttle, but it was very weird to be out in public, because everyone stares at your missionary nametag, and everyone says hi. At least in Utah. But this made me excited to go out into Portugal to start in the mission field. Elder Boyle's eye was not producing tears, so he got some medication and is feeling better now. 

I also got my first haircut here. My companion did it, and only knew how to do the sides :/ , but I think it turned out pretty good. It's getting too long up on top though, so I'llhave to schedule an appointment with the barber shop sometime this week haha. 

On Wednesday our district had the opportunity to be missionary hosts for the new batch of missionaries. This meant we were the ones that had to stand at the curb and help unload each missionaries baggage, take them to their residence hall, and then drop them off at the classroom. This was defintely an experience. It brought so many emotions from when I was dropped off a few weeks ago, and I got really homesick haha. I'm glad that I was able to help the missionaries, and I hope I gave them a good first impression of the MTC, but I'm not sure that I would want to host again lol. just too many emotions lol.

 I was feeling kind of discouraged with myself and my progress in Portuguese at the beginning of the week. Like really discouraged. I also felt that I wasn't being recognized for the progress that I did have ( I know, so selfish ;)). So in my nightly prayer one night, I prayed to Heavenly Father to send me encouragement. I told him that I know it sounded selfish, but that I just needed someone to tell me 

I was doing well. I pleaded with him to send me encouragement, and He did. My teacher wanted to talk with us all indiviudally, and when it was my turn, my prayers were answered. I told my teacher that I felt like I was plateuing and not doing as well as I should. He then told me that I was right where the Lord wanted me to be, and that the Lord is pleased with my progress. It was just what I needed to hear! I also realized that I needed to stop comparing myself to others, that we all learn at a different pace. I wrote this experience a little more eloquently in my journal, but it was a very spiritual moment for me. Heavenly Father wants us to succeed. 

In a lot of your emails this week, you mentioned how we must love the people. That is something that I have been trying to focus on this week, and it has made so much difference in our lessons. Even though the people we teach are our teachers pretending to be investigators, I have felt love for them. Like in "Fabio" when we said a prayer at the end, he finally decided to bow his head and cross his arms, and I felt so happy for his progress. Or when we were teaching "Ana" and she accepted our inviation to come back to church this sunday, I felt so happy for her. We asked her to say the closing prayer, and I just started crying in the middle of it because I could feel the Lord's love for her. And these aren't even real investigators! They're our teachers! But I felt so excited when I could see them coming back to Christ. My lessons in portuguese are coming along very well too. I somehow know what to say in the language to help explain a concept. It's very broken Portuguese, but I know I am getting better. I even feel more comfortable teaching in portuguese thatn in english now haha. I know the Lord is helping me and my fellow missionaries. Without him, we would not be able to do this. 

Each day I learn something new, and I know that I am growing here at the MTC. The choir got to sing with the Nashville tribute band last night, whoever they are haha. It was a cool experience. They are a band that sings about spiritual topics. Near the end, I just felt this overwhelming sense of love for missionary work. I am so excited to serve in Portugal, and to help brign the portugues people the gospel and to help them come closer to Christ.

I love hearing from all of you! It is the hightlight of my week! Also, like I said, the MTC is a bubble haha. I want to know what's going on in the world :). Tell me about your day to day life, becuase I love to be in the "know". 

Always remember that the Lord loves each and everyone of his children, and wants you all to return to live with him again!

Tchau e Com Amor,

Elder Barker

August 15th - MTC

Hi all!

This week has gone by so slow, but also so fast at the same time. Those of you who have served missions will know what I mean haha. I think one of the best things that happened to me this week was that they served us CHICK FIL A on monday! I was so excited, I almost cried. Monday nights are nights where the cafeteria serves fast food haha. 

On tuesday, something really devastating happened-- our district of 13 was SPLIT IN HALF. Six stayed, and seven were made into a new district. At first I was really dissapointed, because elders and sisters that I like the most are in a different district now. I couldn't really focus during the lesson after that, because I was so sad. But I now realize that this was a blessing, because we have so much more one  on one time with the teachers. Our language is getting a lot better, even though I still feel like I don't know that much. We have three teachers who take turns during the day: Irmao Sears and Irma Gunnerson team teach, and Irma Schill (our pretend investigator). They are all very patient and teach us how to teach more effectively the gospel, and how to speak the language. We still eat lunch with our old district, and have excercise time together, so its not as horrible as I first thought.

Tuesday we had our devotional, and guess who came? An apostle! Elder Neil L. Anderson came to speak to us! I left my notes journal in the residence hall, so I don't quite remember what he talked to us about, but it was very cool. He brought such a great spirit into the room, and made me excited to serve this mission. 

My portuguese is getting better. I can pray fluently now, even if it's basically the same words each time. I can understand the teachers, and I don't need to translate in my head what they are saying anymore. Being able to speak it out loud is still very difficult, and I get discouraged a lot of the time, but I know that if I do my part, the Lord will do his. 

Speaking of that, I gave a lesson in priesthood for the first time in my life yesterday! A full THIRTY minutes. I was really worried that I wouldn't be able to do a good job, and that it would be such a bad lesson. But I prepared. I went through the material, looked up scriptures, thought of questions, went over how I wanted it to go. And then I prayed. I prayed that I would be able to bring the spirit into the room. That I would be able to speak with the spirit. That the hearts of those I taught would be touched. I knew that if I had to give this lesson alone, I would have failed. But I wasn't alone. Christ won't leave us alone if we ask for his help. The lesson was about enduring to the end, and it went very well. I didn't feel nervous, and there was a very peaceful feeling in the room yesterday. I could feel my testimony grow, and I know that if we are worthy, the spirit will teach with you. 

We finished teaching "Paula" and now she's our teacher, which was weird at first, but she's really good at teaching us. But there is no rest here, we have two new " investigators" and have to teach two member lessons tonight---all in portuguese. 

We talk so much about our purpose here. Almost everyday we are told to cater our lessons to the people we teach. Missionaries truly do love the people they teach, and that is because we know of the love our Heavenly Father has for ALL his children. Don't ever forget that he loves you and he has you go through everything for a reason.

We have four sundays left here at the MTC, and I'm already so ready to go to Portugal. It'll be so hard--im sure of it. But if I learn to follow prompting s in my lessons, and as I begin to learn the language, all will be well.

I love you all, and I miss all of you! I love to hear from you, even if it's just a short email. I love letters too ;).

Com Amor,

Elder Barker

P.S, if you have any troubles or questions, feel free to ask me anything.

8/8/2016 - Week Two in the MTC

Hello from the MTC!

It still feels like I've been here for an eternity, but alas, it's only been five days haha. Our days are scheduled every hour from the minute we wake up to the minute we go to bed. 

My days look like this: wake up at 6:15 to be to class by 7. At 7:30 we eat breakfast. And then classes, classes, classes, planning, planning, planning. 

New things that have happened since last thursday: we had our excercise time finally. Our zone tends to do things together, so we all went outside to play beach volleyball. I'm happy to say that I was able to add to my tan, and I hope that by the time I get home I won't be a whitie-mc-white-face. 

The next time, we went inside and I was able to participate in my first game of foursquare ever. It got pretty intense. An elder in our zone was in the foursquare team in highschool haha. 

Speaking of our zone, it is fantastic! We have two districts ( one for all the portugal missionaries, and one for the rest of the portuguese learning missionaries). we eat all of our meals together, and we walked around the temple this past sunday. One of the zone leaders is Elder Dick, my elder's quroum president/ home teaching companion from BYU, so it was fun to see a familiar face. 

Our lesson with "paula" (a pretend investigator) went about as well/ bad as I was expecting. We prepared our lesson in Portuguese, but probably not as well as we should have. However, I could feel the spirit, and I know she could too. That's the thing, the spirit can be felt in all languages. 

In the past few days, I have learned a lot (both spirtually and in portuguese), but something that has stuck out to me is that in order to teach in a different language,  I need to learn in my own language the principles and doctrines. I like a quote that one of the sisters in our district mentioned: " pray as if it all depends on God. Work as if it all depends on you." Through faith AND works, we can do all things. We just need to do our part as well. 

Do you want to know all of the names of the elders and sisters in my district?! Probably not, but I'll tell you anyways: Sisters Foster, Shephard, Johnson, and Jones. Elders Ozuna, Boyle, Day, Hermann, Scott, and Tester. I feel that we are getting closer and becoming better friends, and I'm sure that when we say goodbye in five and a half weeks, it will be hard.  Elders ozuna and Boyle, and sister shephard are the only other missionaries going to Porto  in the MTC! 

I joined the MTC choir on Sunday, and we are apparently the biggest in MTC history--almost 1,700 hundred missionaries were in the choir yesterday. We sang at the devotional, and our speaker wasn't an apostle...,  but it was Elder Holland's son, so I'll take it haha. 

My companionship was the third row from the front. As I said, my district is probably the coolest one here, especially elder Fortes haha. He is just the life of the party, and so nice to everyone. I won't tell you which one he is, but from one of the pictures, I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out lol. 

The food here isn't as bad as I was expecting, but it also  isn't the worst haha. Daniel-- you were right, fridays are pizza nights! Not pizza hut, but another brand, but I'll take it :)I want you all to watch the devotional by Elder David A. Bednar " Characteristics of Christ." It will be life changing. It's basically about how we need to turn outward and serve others when we might be tempted to turn inward. It's about 45 minutes, but it will be worth it for you to watch it. 

Now, I want you all to know that I am doing great, but there are times where the homesickness is so much. Like Ill just be walking to my class, and think "I just really want to go home, this is so stressful, I miss my family." But it doesn't last long, and I'm back to normal, but I want you all to know that I miss you so much and love you with all my heart. 

I wrote one of you and told you that one of the only things I know how to pray for in portuguese is " por favor, abencoa minha familia". An d I include that in all of them. It is hard hear, but a good hard. All of us missionaries are growing and we are a force for good. 

Believe in Christ and believe that he loves you and wants you to grow and improve. I love you all, and loved hearing from someo of you this week. I was in tears while I was reading because of the love that  I  felt. 

Com Amor,

Elder Barker

August 4, 2016 - first letter from the MTC

So today somebody asked me how long I've been here, and I had to think. I almost said about a week when I realized it's only been one day (or I guess two now)! 

We apparently were supposed to be able to email home yesterday, but there was some miscommunication I guess, so you get to hear from me today. From here on out, my preparation day will be every monday. 

They really get you started quick here at the MTC. We  went to so many meetings yesterday, and went to an hour of language study. Today we had three hours of our Portuguese class, where the teacher spoke almost completely in Portuguese. 

But you want to know something pretty special? Near the end of the three hours, I was able to understand almost every word of our teacher. 

I only have a short time to email today, so those of you who sent me emails, thank you, and I'll reply back to them this Monday. 

There are only four missionaries in the MTC that are going to Porto, and two of those are my companions: Elder Ozuca and Elder Boyle. Yes, I'm in a triple companionship, which is a little strange, but I'm getting used to it haha. Both Elder Ozuca and Elder Boyle are great guys. We have different personalities for sure, but what I'm beginning to learn is that when we have the same goals ( being ministers of Christ) we can get along and have a great companionship.

 My district is one of the larger ones, and its a little hard to learn everyone's name, but they're all such great people! I have had homesickness on and off, but mostly off right now. I am so glad that I went to a year of college first, it has made the transition so much easier! 

The Spirit is so strong here, and I feel my testimony and confidence grow each day ( I keep forgetting that I've only been here for two days haha). It can get overwhelming sometimes, and I sometimes get discouraged, but I know that I am on the Lord's errand, so how can I fail? 

It looks like we only have a few minutes left, but I want you all to know that I love you and appreciate all of the support! I know that this is Christ's restored gospel, and I'm so excited to teach the people of Portugal!

Love,

Elder Barker

P.S We will be teaching someone in Portuguese tomorrow, so send me prayers to know what to say!

I love you all!