Olá

Olá Bom Dia!

It´s about 8:15 here, but I´m sure that most of you are probably still asleep (considering that it´s about 1 in the morning in Colorado, haha.

My email this week is going to have to be relatively short, because I don´t have too much time to write this week :/

This past week, we had a Zone Meeting in Coimbra. It started at 10am, which meant we had to catch a bus at 630 in order to get there. But it was worth it! The theme of the meeting was how to plan more effectively. I know, it sounds really boring, but it actually helped out a lot! Me and my companion are going to try to plan every hour of our day, and to do better with planning our lessons. 

Something that I need to do better is to study more for our investigators. Lately I have just been studying the scriptures for myself. I find interesting things, but rarely anything that I can use in lessons. In the past, my most rewarding studies have been when I have looked for scriptures to help my investigators with their problems. 

So, my goal now is to dedicate my studies to other people!

Also at Zone Meeting, I was able to meet my "Grandpa" (the missionary that trained my trainer)! It turns out that he is our Zone Leader. So it was fun to finally see the person that Elder Cardenuto was always talking about. I can tell that he´s a really good missionary, and our zone is in good hands. I´m proud to call him Grandpa, haha.

Another thing from Zone Conference--the missionaries that arrived with me from the MTC are all in this zone! Elder Ozuna, Elder Pratt, and Sister Shephard. So obviously we had to take a picture! I´ll send the picture next week, because I don´t have it with me right now. 

When we got back from Coimbra, the college students in Castelo Branco were having a big "end of the school year" celebration in the street. Which meant there were thousands of drunk people making complete fools of themselves. Seeing this, it made me feel really sad, and really grateful. 

Sad because all of these people my age were making fools out of themselves, making decisions that won´t ever bring them happiness. 

Grateful because I realized what a blessing I have to have the restored gospel in my life. To be able to know that there is more than just this life.

 I thought about how the mission is such a miracle. Thousands of young people giving up 18 to 24 months of their lives to teach strangers about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I am grateful for this Gospel, for the peace and safety that it provides. For the bigger picture that it allows us. 

I hope you all have a great week! Sorry if I can´t respond to all of you this time! 

I love and miss you all!

Com Amor,

Elder Barker

P.S My new address is:

Rua Frei Roque do Espirito Santo, Nº3, 1º Frente 

6000-233 Castelo Branco

Portugal

:)