Email: January 22, 2018 - "The good shepherd doth call you" Alma 7:8
"The good shepherd doth call you" Alma 7:8
Welcome back, to all those who actually read my emails.
This week was quite interesting. So, to start off this week we found 3 new investigators. Two of them are actually our neighbors so it's so cool to start to meet with them. We also found out that the neighbors right next door to us have a hookah. If you don't know what that is then that is probably for the best.
The weeks honestly turn into a blur when I look back on it. I try to remember it in the moments, but the small things don't stick.
On Thursday we were able to give service with the entire district. The man's name was Victor and he is a father for foster kids and he is a general contractor. What we did was scrape the popcorn off the ceiling (if you don't know what that is, it's the bumpy stuff on the ceiling) It was a 3 story home and it took us about 6 and a half hours but it was so much fun and so worth it. We were absolutely caked in this stuff. If I can find a picture I will show you. On Thursday night we had a lesson with our investigator Masaru. I mentioned before how Masaru is Japanese. Well my man Elder Williams is also from Japan so we were able to steal him for a lesson since he is in a trio and got him to come with us. We had an amazing lesson and committed Masaru to be baptized.
This week I went on exchanges with Elder Retamalez who is our zone leader. It was so much fun. He is pretty much the exact opposite of Elder Styer so it was nice to get a taste of what other missionaries do and how they go about their day. We ended up getting fed 3 different times by members. We also set 2 baptism dates for kids in the Gardena area
On Saturday it was a green day (which means its only finding) so we went out to a bunch of PMFs and tried to contact them and set up some return appointments, but nothing came from it. As we were about to head to our next outlined area we got a text from the referral manager.
It was a referral for a man who was wanting a blessing. Specifically, in the referral it said, "time is of the essence" so we drove to the address as quickly as we could. The address lead us to the urgent care center in Manhattan Beach. So Elder Styer and I bust in and quickly are looking for the room. Turns out the room didn't exist, so we called the number they gave us.
The gentleman that answered told us that the guy we were looking for was on his death bed and was actually in the Torrance Memorial Hospital which is out of our zone. So, we quickly texted our Zone leaders for permission, and not even waiting for a response, Elder Styer and I jumped into the beach bruiser and took off on our 20 minute drive to the hospital.
Once we arrived we got lost several times in the hospital looking for the room and we finally found it. This guy was in pretty bad shape, but we were able to give him the blessing and the go straight back to our missionary work. But just being in the room with a struggling man, who isn't a member, but had that faith in us to heal him, was something I will never forget. The spirit was so strong. It's interesting to look at the changes I've gone through in the past couple of months. My standard day would be go to work, come home and play video games until it was bed time. Compared to now always serving the Lord in every way I can. Whether it be in a lesson or speeding across the mission to give a blessing.
Saturday night after we were in for the night and planned on going to bed early because we were just absolutely exhausted from the events just hours before, we got a call from the Lawndale 1 elders. They needed help getting back from exchanges in Lawndale 2 since both areas were on bikes. So, curfew is at 9 and here we are leaving our apartment at 9:30 to go help these elders out and give them a ride home.
After giving them the ride, Elder Styer and I go home, and 5 minutes after we enter our apartment we get another call from the Lawndale 1 elders. They had accidently taken the Lawndale 2 phone and one of the bed pads they had so we got permission from the APs to leave our apartment again to go give this phone back. Now, leaving our apartment at 10, Elder Styer and I sped over to Lawndale 1, grabbed the phone, and sped over to Lawndale 2. We pull up in the garage and we realize there is a major problem. There is a locked gate in front of the Lawndale 2 apartment so we had no way of getting in. I pointed out that there was a small slit in the top of the doorway. So Elder Styer, being thinner than I am, climbed the door and tried to go through the slit, but no luck. On his way down from the door he broke the doorknob. So now we have another problem on top of our problem.
After thinking for a bit, I had another idea. We could throw pebbles at the Elders windows like they do in the movies. But as I looked around there were no pebbles, only bricks. So, I did some more thinking and I remembered that we had just bought a tin of Altoids mints so we began to throw those at the Elder’s window until they noticed us. Which eventually they did, and we were able to get them their phone. Then Elder Styer took the walk of shame towards the manager's apartment and told them about the doorknob. Thankfully he doesn't have to pay for anything.
I had the opportunity to do the follow up calls with the district. It was nice to be able to chat with the other missionaries about their areas and give and receive advice.
On Sunday, we had Elder Pingree of the Seventy come to the Redondo 3rd Sacrament Meeting. Elder Pingree spoke in the most recent General Conference. His talk was "I Have a Work for Thee"- it's really good. We actually met him in the parking lot before Sacrament Meeting and got to shake his hand and talked to him for a bit and he said how MB and R3 were blessed to have us. That was a big and much needed confidence boost for me. Also, our investigator Gino, who works pretty much every Sunday, came to church out of the blue. It was a pleasant surprise.
Sunday evening there was a fireside up at the Visitor’s Center. The speaker was our recent convert in the R3 ward. His name is Jack Russel. He was in a band in the 80's called "Great White" (it's a metal band) apparently, they had one famous song. Now he is in a band called "Jack Russel's Great White". Jack and his wife spoke about their conversion, and Jack performed some of his solo songs (they were pretty chill songs). Then President Haynie bore his testimony and the spirit was super strong. We took Masaru up with us and we also saw Gino there (two surprises in one day by him). After the fireside we stepped aside with the Akashi's and set a date for Masaru to be baptized on February 17th. Mark it on your calendars and pray for him
I love you all. I am trying my hardest to make you all happy and the Lord happy.
Elder Kyle Barton
Welcome back, to all those who actually read my emails.
This week was quite interesting. So, to start off this week we found 3 new investigators. Two of them are actually our neighbors so it's so cool to start to meet with them. We also found out that the neighbors right next door to us have a hookah. If you don't know what that is then that is probably for the best.
The weeks honestly turn into a blur when I look back on it. I try to remember it in the moments, but the small things don't stick.
On Thursday we were able to give service with the entire district. The man's name was Victor and he is a father for foster kids and he is a general contractor. What we did was scrape the popcorn off the ceiling (if you don't know what that is, it's the bumpy stuff on the ceiling) It was a 3 story home and it took us about 6 and a half hours but it was so much fun and so worth it. We were absolutely caked in this stuff. If I can find a picture I will show you. On Thursday night we had a lesson with our investigator Masaru. I mentioned before how Masaru is Japanese. Well my man Elder Williams is also from Japan so we were able to steal him for a lesson since he is in a trio and got him to come with us. We had an amazing lesson and committed Masaru to be baptized.
This week I went on exchanges with Elder Retamalez who is our zone leader. It was so much fun. He is pretty much the exact opposite of Elder Styer so it was nice to get a taste of what other missionaries do and how they go about their day. We ended up getting fed 3 different times by members. We also set 2 baptism dates for kids in the Gardena area
On Saturday it was a green day (which means its only finding) so we went out to a bunch of PMFs and tried to contact them and set up some return appointments, but nothing came from it. As we were about to head to our next outlined area we got a text from the referral manager.
It was a referral for a man who was wanting a blessing. Specifically, in the referral it said, "time is of the essence" so we drove to the address as quickly as we could. The address lead us to the urgent care center in Manhattan Beach. So Elder Styer and I bust in and quickly are looking for the room. Turns out the room didn't exist, so we called the number they gave us.
The gentleman that answered told us that the guy we were looking for was on his death bed and was actually in the Torrance Memorial Hospital which is out of our zone. So, we quickly texted our Zone leaders for permission, and not even waiting for a response, Elder Styer and I jumped into the beach bruiser and took off on our 20 minute drive to the hospital.
Once we arrived we got lost several times in the hospital looking for the room and we finally found it. This guy was in pretty bad shape, but we were able to give him the blessing and the go straight back to our missionary work. But just being in the room with a struggling man, who isn't a member, but had that faith in us to heal him, was something I will never forget. The spirit was so strong. It's interesting to look at the changes I've gone through in the past couple of months. My standard day would be go to work, come home and play video games until it was bed time. Compared to now always serving the Lord in every way I can. Whether it be in a lesson or speeding across the mission to give a blessing.
Saturday night after we were in for the night and planned on going to bed early because we were just absolutely exhausted from the events just hours before, we got a call from the Lawndale 1 elders. They needed help getting back from exchanges in Lawndale 2 since both areas were on bikes. So, curfew is at 9 and here we are leaving our apartment at 9:30 to go help these elders out and give them a ride home.
After giving them the ride, Elder Styer and I go home, and 5 minutes after we enter our apartment we get another call from the Lawndale 1 elders. They had accidently taken the Lawndale 2 phone and one of the bed pads they had so we got permission from the APs to leave our apartment again to go give this phone back. Now, leaving our apartment at 10, Elder Styer and I sped over to Lawndale 1, grabbed the phone, and sped over to Lawndale 2. We pull up in the garage and we realize there is a major problem. There is a locked gate in front of the Lawndale 2 apartment so we had no way of getting in. I pointed out that there was a small slit in the top of the doorway. So Elder Styer, being thinner than I am, climbed the door and tried to go through the slit, but no luck. On his way down from the door he broke the doorknob. So now we have another problem on top of our problem.
After thinking for a bit, I had another idea. We could throw pebbles at the Elders windows like they do in the movies. But as I looked around there were no pebbles, only bricks. So, I did some more thinking and I remembered that we had just bought a tin of Altoids mints so we began to throw those at the Elder’s window until they noticed us. Which eventually they did, and we were able to get them their phone. Then Elder Styer took the walk of shame towards the manager's apartment and told them about the doorknob. Thankfully he doesn't have to pay for anything.
I had the opportunity to do the follow up calls with the district. It was nice to be able to chat with the other missionaries about their areas and give and receive advice.
On Sunday, we had Elder Pingree of the Seventy come to the Redondo 3rd Sacrament Meeting. Elder Pingree spoke in the most recent General Conference. His talk was "I Have a Work for Thee"- it's really good. We actually met him in the parking lot before Sacrament Meeting and got to shake his hand and talked to him for a bit and he said how MB and R3 were blessed to have us. That was a big and much needed confidence boost for me. Also, our investigator Gino, who works pretty much every Sunday, came to church out of the blue. It was a pleasant surprise.
Sunday evening there was a fireside up at the Visitor’s Center. The speaker was our recent convert in the R3 ward. His name is Jack Russel. He was in a band in the 80's called "Great White" (it's a metal band) apparently, they had one famous song. Now he is in a band called "Jack Russel's Great White". Jack and his wife spoke about their conversion, and Jack performed some of his solo songs (they were pretty chill songs). Then President Haynie bore his testimony and the spirit was super strong. We took Masaru up with us and we also saw Gino there (two surprises in one day by him). After the fireside we stepped aside with the Akashi's and set a date for Masaru to be baptized on February 17th. Mark it on your calendars and pray for him
I love you all. I am trying my hardest to make you all happy and the Lord happy.
Elder Kyle Barton
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| I just thought this statue was cool so why not |
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| Another beautiful sunset out here on the golden coast |
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| The kind of vandalism that happens here in Manhattan Beach |
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