Transfer Time!!

Elder Barlow is doing so well! That makes us here at home so happy! He has such a great outlook on his mission, and is really working hard! We missed him a lot this past week as we celebrated Nate and Brittany's marriage! He missed us too, but knows what he is doing is IMPORTANT! We are grateful for his dedication, and example to us! If you are following this blog, you will see from his letters and emails that he REALLY LOVES GETTING LETTERS!
Just send them as often as you can! He doesn't always have time to write back, but if you can still send them to him! Here is his address again!

Elder Austin O'Neil Barlow
California Ventura Mission
3301 West Gonzales Road
Oxnard, CA 93036

Here is his email this week!

Hey Family!!

How are things! i am so glad that the wedding went well i remember thinking about all day but it was really cool to think about what i am doing out here in cali! Its really cool that nate and britt are in mexico that is awesome! i hope they both learn some espanol!! haha But i have some pretty sweet expirences it is awesome! we met with this surfer guy named shane and he has attened church for the past two weeks cause some of his friends are members in the pismo ward! but we went over to talk with him and we set him with a baptismal date on the 16th of Nov. haha and he said yes! it was awesome then Yesterday was awesome! we got this referral from ag 1st ward about a lady that lived up in pismo! so we called the pismo bishop to come tag along with us so that we could go into the ladys house! anyways her name is michelle she is so awesome she is friends with a member in ag 1st and knows alot about the church and she just had surgery on her knee! but she opened up to us and told us that her husband died 10 years earlier and she knows that she can live with him again!! and so we talked about the plan of salvation and the restoration! and we set her with a baptismal date on the 30th of Nov. and she said yes!! and it was only the first lesson!! it was amazing!! Some other news elder buckmiller goes home on Tuesday he is very excited and this morning we got the transfer calls from the zone leaders and i got some pretty cool news i am being transferred out of this area and going to a place called Fillmore! and my comps name is Elder Trujillo! i will meet him tomorrow at transfers! i am so excited! Thats mostly what happened this week. the spanish is coming along slowly but shortly i love trying to talk in espanol it is so much fun! i cant wait to see more pictures of the wedding and all other things that has been happening at home! But yesterday we ate at bishop staysells house and it was HUGE!!! it was so big it was nuts then sister bunton was there and she took pictures of us and sent them to our parents so i thought i bet if she sends this to my mom she would be very happy!! and im glad you got it!! I am doing so good!! i love My mission and the people i am around! i cant wait to go work in fillmore  but i was so blessed to spend my first 6 weeks in paradise!! it was a life changing event!! i love you all i will try to send pictures and remember that i love you all!! p.s also remember that i love getting mail from anyone! it makes my day so much better! that picture of the cardboard cuttouts are sweet!! i hope you got some awesome pics of us!!  Again i love you all so MUCH!!! Estoy muy agradacido por su orarciones!! Buenos Dias! Nos vemos!

 

Love You!

Elder Barlow

 

A great picture of his companions and other Elders in his area!!

 

 

Here is the picture Sister Bunton texted to us Sunday Night.

Elder Buckmiller (Center) leaves the mission today to go home.

He was Austin's first companion in Ventura!

 

Thanks again everyone for your love and support to Elder Barlow!!

 

 

Roller Coaster Ride!

For those that are following the blog of Elder Barlow, sorry there wasn't anything posted last week!
Elder Barlow sent a short and not too descriptive email that just said he was struggling with some things, having a hard time and was missing our family, especially since we have a lot going on with Nate's wedding etc.
He asked us to pray for him. And said he needed to talk with his mission president and that was pretty much it.
We prayed CONSTANTLY for Elder Barlow and worried about him all week. Finally on Saturday we got a sweet letter in the mail from him. It didn't explain in detail what his struggles were. But gave us some insight into just how difficult a mission can be! He was recommitted to his mission, and we are so grateful for that. I know that Satan can really make you doubt and fear things, and I know he was working hard on Elder Barlow.
Please keep Elder Barlow in your prayers every day!
Here is the happy letter!

 

 

And Finally that brings us to Yesterday's Happy Missionary Monday email!

 

I though about editing the parts where he answers my questions, but I didn't, so please bear with the questions that he answers!

 

 

Hey B Crew!!!!!

I am so glad that you guys got my letter before today! i wish it could have gotten home faster! This week has been so different with everything after talking with president castro my thoughts about the mission turned upside down!! I cant tell you how many blessings i am getting! Es Muy Bien! Estoy muy agradecido por me misscion! yo puedo sentir el mucho bendiciones de me famila!! I love you guys so much! i am so glad that you are all my family! I was able to go on exchanges with one of my zone leaders on satuday His name is Elder Paz! he was born in peru and he is a convert when he was 17! He is so aweosme! we worked so hard all day with the studys before and the meeting we had after we were done with working we only had 6 hours of sharing the gospel! and i know the lord was on my side! We got 9 declarations 4 other lessons and 2 new investigators but he coolest part was in planning the night before we decided to invite 2 people to be baptized just people that when the spirit told us to do it we would so i said how about we invite 3! so  we chose to do that! and at the end of our day we invited 4 people to be baptized!!! it was some of the best numbers i have had my whole mission! that exchange was one of the best ones yet! it will be hard to beat! I also got to talk in sacrament meeting yesterday with my 2 companions!! yupp thats right i have 2 comps right now. unti the end of this week cause elder buckmiller goes home and elder fridal is in pismo beach! but it is so much fun to have elder fridal with us he is from malta idaho and his family owns a gas station on the side of the freeway! he is a character let me tell ya! he is a funny sheldon! haha! But things i could need is.... i love getting letters it does not matter who from. it makes my day so much better when i just have one letter in the mail! and mom yes it is ok to have brown shoes on the mission where the picture of the ones i sent you the elder got them at mr. mac! im sure you are working on getting some pictures to me that would be awesome to get some pictures! get alot from the wedding cause i am really sad that i am missing that!! haha Remember my shoe size is 11.5 haha some elders have got ties in the mail that would be sweet! But mostly i want to have some pictures and i love getting letters! and i can only write back on p- day sorrow i have not been sending pics. i have been taking many but i need to get a memory card reader that plugs into the computer. so i will send some soon! I dont need my winter coat yet i might not even needit at all cause my klim jacket is working really good! on the misson we are allowed to have light grey pants so maybe you could go look for some at the kater shop my suit pants are more tapered then the other ones and i like my suit pants the best. so maybe you could find a pair that is more tapered but if not its ok it is just way more comfortable. i will try to look for some too!  Thanks guys for praying for me! Yo puedo sentir sus orarciones!! i pray for all of you everyday! every prayer that i say!! I Loved reading todays email from home it was so great! I just want to tell you guys that i am doing better than i ever have before in my life!! I have so many great people around me i am so blessed!! I cant wait till next weeks email! B CREW FOR LIFE!! I Love You Guys!!

Elder Barlow

 

We are so happy that Elder Barlow has found the answers to his prayers and made it through his first extreme case of homesickness! Please continue to pray for him and MOST OF ALL:

Send him letters!! He may not have time to write back, but send them anyway so he can feel your support!

 

Here is his address again!
Elder Austin O'Neil Barlow

California Ventura Mission

3301 West Gonzales Road

Oxnard, CA 93036

 

Thank you Everyone!!

 

The Work goes on!!

Another week has come and gone for Elder Barlow! He is doing so good, and loves his mission!
It makes us so happy to be able to read about his excitement!
He loves to get letters! Emails are good, he just doesn't have very long to answer people. So if you can send letters!!

Here is Monday's main email:

Hola Famila!!

 

I am doing awesome in the great California Ventura mission!! This week has been the best for me and Elder Buckmiller! we have made alot of progress! We have four new investigators and they are so awesome! There is this guy named Alfonso he is so chill! haha we met him late one night and we gave a restoration pamphlet in espanol cause he is spanish, he is on like 23 years old.. but we met with him the next day and we asked him if he read the pamphlet but he said no cause he understands spanish he can speak it, but he really cant read in spanish!! haha it was funny! so we gave him one in english!  We also taught this lady named Elena she is really hispanic its hard to understand her but i can get some bits and pieces of what she is saying! We also met her husband Beto and so on saturday night we went over to their home to teach them. and thats when we met beto. So when we sat down sitting by her was the book of mormon we gave her the first time we met her! so we asked her if she read some of it and she was like well..... and then we were like oh great she dosent even car about it.. Then she just went off and she was like i really like the story of how nephi had enough faith to go back 3 times and try to get the plates from laben!!!!! and we were like What?!? hahaha it was sweet! then her husband started asking about the book of mormon and we were about to tell him about it. Then Elena just went off again about it and how its another testiment of jesus christ and how it ties in with the bible!! me and elder buckmiller just looked at eachother with amazment! haha But after that we gave a awesome lesson on the restoration and now we have another meeting with them tonight! So that is the coolestthing that has happned this week! Every morning me and elder buckmiller wake up at 6:00 and then we just jog down to this little park that is like 5 minutes away from our apartment and play basketball! and its awesome cause its so quiet and we can hear the ocean! its so loud it sounds like a train!! haha And its cool cause we watch as the sun comes up too! I love where i am serving right now! I am writing a letter to you guys today so i will send that as soon as i get home! But we are meeting some awesome members and they are starting to feed us! i am also so excited for general conference! i have never been so excited for it before!! I dont need a coat yet but maybe soon we will see! I cant wait to get the wedding announcement in the mail! that is so cool that nate is an elder now too!! I am so greatful for the family i have!! i love You ALL so much! I hope to hear from you soon and you are all in my prayers daily as well! I will talk to you all later!! From your favorite Sheldon ever!!!

Elder Barlow!

 

Here is a picture of the basketball court:

 

 

Ocean/Beach

Thank you everyone for your LOVE/PRAYERS/SUPPORT!!