HOME!!

Wednesday July 15, 2015 We welcomed Elder Barlow Home!! What a Happy Day!!! We have been so blessed in our family to have him serve a mission! We will never forget the feelings, emotions, and everything else that goes with a mission! We are forever grateful for his service!! We love him with all of our hearts, and are so happy to have him home!! :)

20 DAYS!!!!!

Elder Barlow will return in 20 days!! He has been working hard right to the end! We are so excited to see him, hug him, squeeze him, and feel of his Great Spirit! He has truly been a Great and Mighty example to our entire family! Here was his Email this past week!

It has been such a good week! this one went by super long actually!! but it was a good long! I have loved every single second of this week! i hope the next few are going to be the same Hopefully even better!!

My family is doing great once again! i am happy that they are always doing so good and are always staying so busy!! I hope my dad was able to have a great fathers day yesterday! i was able to send him off a little something so hopefully he likes that!! But other than that all is well with them and they are just doing so great!!


This week we were able to focus a lot on the 100% Accountability plan that we are starting to implement here in the branch, the plan is going so good so far. Elder Lucas and i were looking at some of these family names that did not sound to familiar to us that live in our area, so we went out looking for them, and comes to find out that these names were already active members of the church like our Branch Pres. and Our Relief Society Pres.. then it hit me how in Hispanic culture most of the people have very long names so on the Directory it was just a different name, but it was for the same person! it was pretty fun to find that out!! 
Jason and Abram are starting to warm up to the lessons now! which is super great! Having Elder Lucas is such a big help!!


Speaking of Elder Lucas he is just doing so awesome!!! Having him as my last Companion in the mission is sooo great!! He knows so much and everyone we teach i can tell how much he cares about them!! Just Yesterday in the car after a lesson, he was saying how much he cared about this family that we had taught or the other family.. He knows his purpose as a missionary!! and he is doing so great here in Ventura!!

All of the missionaries in the branch were able to sing in sacrament meeting and that is one of the ways i feel the spirit the most!! it was such a cool Experience!! Then later that night we were teaching the Giron family and Elder Lucas and i were able to sing the song to them!! it was Awesome! they loved it and wanted to sing another song with us so we sang Teach me to walk in the Light!! it was so great! i love being able to feel the Spirit while i sing or here others sing!! Being on my mission has taught me how to sing with the spirit!! it rocks!! It has built my testimony as well!!


This past week we did some of the funnest service that i have done yet!! we went up to Ojai and did this Habitat for Humanity, helping put up some dry wall and cleaning up a yard and also ripping up a floor!! and some walls it was so sweet!! haha :) 
Service is so great! 

Also being able to help out with the mini mission was so cool! the 2 priests that worked with us had their mission calls to Honduras and Bolivia!! it was so cool for me to have these 2 AWESOME Priests work with us for the day!! I loved It!!

Keep on Keeping on!! 

love yall!!

ELDER AUSTIN NAUTO O'NEIL BARLOW

           These are the Priests that did the "mini-mission' with Elder Barlow and Elder Lucas!!

70 days!!

The days are flying by now, and in 70 days Elder Barlow will be home!! He is truly loving his mission and I know it will probably be very difficult for him to leave the people of the Great Ventura Mission! Here is his last e-mail, as well as some pictures from the past few months!

I just love how all the weeks are just going by so good! I hope you have had a wonderful week as well!

My family is doing sooo great!! I love them so much and i am sure they are all getting excited for the 10th Especially my mom! She is Awesome! So this past week I got a call from Sister Stewart in the Mission Office and she told me that i had a HUGE Package, so that day she gave to Elder Miles and He Brought it to our apartment after helping him with shutting down an Apartment and just like Sister Stewart, it was a HUGE Package!! we got to open it and it was full of food! Elder's Simpson, Sorensen,  Law, and I were very happy about that!! I think i said, i dont have to buy any food for the rest of my mission! :) I am so thankful for all the support that my Family gives to me!!

Things are going so good here in Ventura!! We had 4 Investigators at church Yesterday, so that was so AWESOME! It was such a good fast and Testimony meeting! After Church we had a lunch with a member family named the Nunez and we had Cristina and Sandra and their family their and also a less active member with her daughter O. that were there as well! Odalis has a baptismal date for the 23rd of May so that is super exciting! We are so proud of her! She is always reading in her kids Book of Mormon, She is progressing so well!! Also i was able to go on an Exchange with Elder Law this past Saturday! And It was so cool! I love Elder Law! he was my very First Companion in the MTC in Mexico, We talked a lot about our Spiritual gifts and realizing how the spirit is so important in this work! Elder Law is such an example to me!! He is AWESOME!

Also Elder Simpson is so AWESOME!! He is such a great friend of mine! and He is loving the work here in Ventura! This morning he finished the Book of Mormon! I can truly say that Elder Simpson knows exactly what to say when he needs to say it!! He just keeps on loving the people even when it is pretty hard to at times! He is happy and i can see that in him!

This morning i was reading in one of my favorite chapters in the New Testament! It is Matthew 25!  I think in verses 31-46 it talks about one of my favorite parables ( the Sheep and the Goats). But i just always love reading those verses and seeing how important it is to be always serving others! '' If you have done it unto one of the least of these, my brethen, ye have done it unto me'' I love helping others and over my mission i have seen that grow and i have seen that it is also a gift that i have!! And i know that is true!

We helped out shutting down an apartment with Elder Miles! so that was a great time to be able to spend with Him!! He is AWESOME! Service is the best!!

ELDER AUSTIN NAUTO O'NEIL BARLOW

                   Elder Barlow and one of his companions Elder Hernandez

                                          District Leaders

                                 Elder Barlow at the L.A. Temple

                                            Elder Barlow and Elder Weiss with M. and her son. 

                                   Elder Barlow and TALL Elder Hamson at the last Transfer Meeting

Still Loves his mission!!

Elder Barlow is so happy serving where he is right now. We love hearing how happy he is. I sent he and his companion, and the other 2 Elders that share his apartment matching Valentine's Ties. So they sent this cute Picture to me!

Here is Elder Barlow's e-mail from Monday February 16th.

 This week has been soooo good! It has been so busy, but it has been one of the greatest weeks i have had on my mission!

My family is doing great as ever! I got a little Valentines package from them and in it was 4 matching ties for me Elder Weiss, Elder Parrish, and Elder Griffin! We were so happy! it was a great little present, and they also sent us a few treats, so that is always good! My family told me that it has been very warm lately up in Cache Valley. I am sure my family is just loving the warm weather!

The area is booming with Success! Just like how i said this week was one of the greatest weeks yet of my mission! Elder Weiss and i were able to have 5 Investigators at church yesterday! The Mesa Family came and then also one of our new investigators Miriam with her two kids! They all loved it! We sang the song " If the Savior Stood Beside Me " for choir in sacrament meeting, and after when i was asking Miriam how she liked the Meeting, she told me that right when we started singing that song, she felt something in her heart!! that was so Awesome to hear! 

With the Mesa Family they were able to go to the Baptism that was on Friday and they also loved that as well. but right after sacrament meeting we dropped Miriam off in gospel Principals with the other missionaries and we had a little meeting with Obispo Quezada so we could talk to the Mesa's about getting married! And they both Accepted to get Married and Baptized! They  have been looking for a church where they can raise their little family in Unity and now from coming to church these past several weeks i think they are starting to find it!

Also Ruben Santana Our Recent Convert Received  the Priesthood! It has been so cool to see him start coming to church in his nice little suits and white shirts!

That is such testimony builder to me to see him growing in this gospel! Ruben has lots of struggles in his life but he just keeps putting his trust in the lord! and just keeps plugging along! He has become a great friend of mine! and he is an example to me! this whole ward is just doing so great!! I have seen so much success in the district these past few weeks and it is just helping me a lot. the work here is so great! The testimony of the members along side with ours is just something indescribably Awesome! I love it!

Elder Weiss is so great! I love him to Pieces! We were able to find some new investigators just by having some of the youth in our area come out with us and take us to go see their friends! And Elder Weiss not even knowing these people before we talk with them has an instant love for them, their dog and cat, and anything else he can see! He is reading the book of Mormon in Spanish like champ! We read it together and it is such spiritual time for both of us! All in all he is just a fantastic companion!

We were able to go help out food share again this week at the Salvation Army with the Senior Share, we met a new site coordinator named Jessica and she had a lot of awesome questions about the missionaries! So it was nice to have a little conversation with her about the church and what missionaries do!

i am glad you all had a happy valentines day! we got the package and it was soooooo great!! WHOOO we all loved it! we are always so blessed!

I love you all!

Los quiero mucho!

ELDER AUSTIN NAUTO O'NEIL BARLOW!

District Leader and Trainer!

We received two great letters from Elder Barlow's Mission President: President Felix. He was letting us know about Austin's new leadership positions. In one he talked about Austin being made Trainer..... and how he would have a companion right out of the MTC, and what an important calling it would be to train this young man. And the 2nd letter talked about Austin being a District Leader, and how the missionaries in his district would be looking to him for guidance. It was pretty awesome to read these letters. Elder Barlow is still living in Oxnard, and is assigned to the Oxnard 5th ward. ( a spanish ward) and he LOVES where he is at right now! Here is his Email from Yesterday!

Hello B Crew!!

Wow it has been another great week! The work is just going so good! Miracles are happening and it is so Awesome!

The family is doing so great! right when me and Elder Weiss got on email he had an email from his mom that said she was able to connect with my mom on Facebook or something like that! So that put a smile on both of our faces. It has been really neat to learn more about Elder Weiss and his family and at the same time share with him more about my family as well! My grandparents are still living and loving their mission in San Diego so i am just overall happy for my family and all the hard work they are doing especially with the cows!

Everything is going smoothly with the area! this past week has been pretty crazy, me and Elder Weiss had set a goal to have as many set appointments as we possibly could! but for just some reason over the week we would always get calls from either, our investigator or a less active and they just had to cancel the appointment, it was good that we had our back up plans in our planners so we could fill in that time! The District is doing so great! And that all comes from the wonderful ward that we are all serving in! The members are starting to turn into beautiful butterflies, just flying and spreading the gospel all around! it is so great!

Elder Weiss is Doing so well! This morning the Zone Leaders had to drop us off at our apartment and we just had a great time cleaning our bathroom together! it really was fun! Elder Weiss seems like he is loving his new bike, it is a very nice bike! This past week we both have been able to see so many miracles from just being at the right place at the right time! We just met people that we had great conversations with about the Gospel! He is always telling everyone he meets his testimony of why he came out on a mission! and that is something awesome to hear! His spirit that he has just wants me to do more and more to help him! He is loving the ward, the work, and life. All is well in his neck of the woods!

Just like i said earlier, the lord has blessed us with being at the right place at the right time! People do notice us, and not only that but they see the good things that we do. And that really does make someone curious of why we do something that way or why we are so nice? and this past week i have been able to see that being a missionary at all times and in all things and in all places really is important! We got a text this past week from Hna. Hurley and Hna. Zarate telling us that they were back in their area, and the also said something that caught my eye.. Every Second Counts In This Sacred Work.. And that is so true, Thank you President For Reminding me that from this past week! I hope not only to tend to that but to Magnify it!

Service was very fun. we were able to go to food share and help them throw away some expired milk that they just lost track of. and on one of the backs of the cartons, it had a quote from Albert Einstein, that said.. If you Have Never Milked a Cow, You have Never Tried Something New. That put a smile on my face!

Keep on Keepin On!

and....

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

ELDER AUSTIN NAUTO O'NEIL BARLOW

los quiero mucho!

                              This picture was from Transfer Day. January 27, 2015 

                                            Elder Barlow and Elder Weiss

Summer in Santa Barbara!!

So, I have to apologize to anyone that is trying to follow this blog. I am sorry for the HUGE gap in posts. I kind of thought that Elder Barlow was sending a Mass email to most of his friends/family, and I didn't want to repeat everything, but I realized that there are probably others that do not receive emails, and I don't know how often he sends the group one. So I will just try and be better about posting things and if you follow along and have already heard everything, you can choose to stop reading! :)
So those of you that don't know, Austin has stayed in Santa Barbara through 3 transfers now. He said he is loving it there. He sounds like he is working hard! He is now assigned to be on his bike only, and they are without a car. It is getting hotter in Santa Barbara so I think that has been a little bit of a challenge. But all in all, he is happy and doing well. I got a letter in the mail from him a few weeks ago from him, in it he said a sentence that I will never forget, and makes my heart happy. He said: "I love my life right now, and I wouldn't trade what I am doing for Anything!"
As a mother that was awesome to hear, It makes the heartache of missing him a little easier to handle! :)

So here is today's email:

I am so glad it is p-day again! here is how my week went!!

Monday was great! I found out where my grandparents are going on their mission.. they are going to San Diego!! that was a really cool Surprise for me!! haha, i know that they will do such great things there!!

Tuesday was another good day, we stopped by this guys house, his name is Ramon and he was not to interested in the message we had to share, he says he is catholic, but he says he does not go... so yeah.

Wednesday we took all the Pamphlets that we use to teach, to our investigator Vanessa! she wants to read them all and we are super excited about it!! She wants to learn so much more about the Gospel!! it is so Awesome!!

Thursday was our Zone meeting! it was great as usual! i really liked how we talked about how our end goal is not just to have our investigators be baptized, but to help them get sealed in the temple for time and all eternity! it was such a good Zone Meeting! We also saw a less active family at a park, the Alarcon Family. It was great to see them and we talked to them for a little bit and we invited them to church, so we hope they have the time to come!

Friday we saw another less active named Javier, and we also invited him and his family to church! we invited him to read in the Book of Mormon, and he said that he would, Then we had another great lesson with Juan G. we also met some other guys that where there and they asked a lot of questions about us as missionaries, and they could not belive that me and Elder Passey are from Utah. it was funny!

Saturday was Amazing we had our lesson with Vanessa and we showed her the Restoration Movie and She loved it, and her two kids did too! She invited us to have dinner with her family that night because they were having a big family dinner so of course we said Yes!! Free Food!! :) 

Sunday Vanessa and Juan G. both came to church, we had another amazing lesson with Vanessa and Her Husband Bryan, and Bryan is a member and he helped out a lot with having us teach her!  We read 3 Nephi 11 and it went so good! We set her with a Baptismal date for the 2nd of August, and she told us that she is going to pray about it! she is progressing so well!

Miracle of the Week :  

So before church we had our ward council and we needed a ride back home really fast cause we needed to grab a few things so a member comes and picks us up , but on the way home the members car dies and we are stuck on the side of the street! we check everything under the hood but nothing seems to be wrong, so we get back inside the car and say a quick pray and after the pray we try to start the car again and..... Nothing it is not working.. so we decide to walk down the street a little and we run into this guy and he says hey i have a quart of oil i can give you guys.. so we walk back up to the car, put the oil in, and the car starts right up!!

It was such a great miracle to see our savior work in so many different ways!!

I just want you all to know how much i love you!!! thank you again for all of your love and support!!

Keep on Keepin on!!

Work Hard and Play Hard!!

Hasta Luego!

ELDER BARLOW

Ha Ha Elder Barlow is pretty creative!!

This is his District!!

Elder Barlow and Elder Passey at the English Ward 4th of July Pancake Breakfast!!

Austin loves letters and Email, so keep them coming!

Santa Barbara Happenings!!

Elder Barlow is continuing to love his mission! He is keeping busy and trying to get his new area figured out! Here is his latest email:

Hey B_CREW!!

I am so excited to share this week with you guys!! it has been a really good week! and i cant wait to tell you what is going on!!!

Monday was so much fun! P-Day is always such a great day to prepare for the week! We stopped by at least 3 of our investigators and they were all home! it was such a good day!

Tuesday was so great!! Zone Conference was one of my favorite days so far on the mission! i got so much revelation that day!! I love being able to get so much inspiration for our investigators!! i went to the zone conference with a few questions and they all got answered, it was great!! I know for sure that the Book of Mormon truly is another testament of Jesus Christ! It was so great to see some familiar faces from Fillmore! Elder Jones and Elder James are doing great! it was nice to see them again. they are the greatest.

Wednesday we went out and got quite a few Declarations! it was such a great time! i love being able to share the gospel to someone that might be looking for it in their own lives! it is so great to go out and find someone that is so prepared for the gospel in their lives! and i love being able to see miracles every day!

Thursday went great we had a little quick lesson with a recent convert named Joel! it went very good! he is doing so good and loves talking with us, and when he does he tells us stories.. a lot of stories! But today we also got a lot of Declarations! me and Elder Griffin had a great day!

Friday was weekly planning! it was a good time talking and planning with Elder Griffin! Things are going good in the area and we are trying to focus on finding some new investigators this week so we will be working pretty Hard!

Saturday we had an exchange with our District Leader, i was on the Exchange with Elder Parrish, he came in with me from the CCM in Mexico City so it was such a good day to work with him. we had a great day, i tried to focus on Diligence during our exchange, and just always enjoying the work of the lord! it was such a great day! Then the branch had a little party for a members birthday so we had dinner at the church and it went great! anyways so about Elder Parrish He is from Brigham City! and we got talking about some stuff over our Exchange and get this! he would go hunting up Mink Creek  because his grandpa used to own the land up there. So where we go sledding in that little parking lot, that used to be his grandpas land!! and his grandpa runs the little cemetery in Fair view! where the dirt bike track is!! he said he would always drive through lewiston too so he basically knows where i live!! and his grandparents live in Preston and i told that mine do too! and we might think that they live by each other!! haha Crazy!

Sunday went great too. Maria did not show up to church, we had a rough week with her she was never home during the week so we dont know what happened, we even tryed calling her too, so, all we can do is keep her in our prayers. Our recent convert Joel brought one of his friends to church too so that was a little miracle for the day!

So that is whats up in Santa Barbara!! i got nate a birthday card today so he will be getting that pretty soon!

 

So some crazy news that i have. when we had our Zone Conference on Tuesday, President Castro spoke to us and said that next month on April 19th a member of the quorum of the 12 Apostles will be visiting our mission!! and today i found out who it is!!   Elder Russell M. Nelson!! 

I am so excited for him to come! all the missionaries get to meet him!!!! oh yeah!!  

I got your package and it was great! the pants work perfect! 

That is awesome about lindsays friend!! i hope she keeps up the good work!

Give Maggie and Lily a treat for me!

I will write a letter to you as soon as i can, and i guess that my hand writting is getting better haha!

I love you all so much i will be watching for the other package to come to! I am so grateful for the family that i have! i love you all so much!! keep on keepin on!

 

con amor,

 

Elder Barlow

 

P.S. I will send my sd card home today it is full!! i hope you guys like it!! 

nos vemos!

 

 

Cutest Missionary Ever!!