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