Season 7 Episode 8: The Finale

Hello Family and Friends,

I know I haven't emailed for the longest of times but, as my missionary service will be coming to and end this Friday I would just like to leave you all with my short and simple testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ and His Work!

I know that God and His Son Jesus Christ live and are well aware of each and every single one of yous. He knows everything that you are going through right now and He Loves yous. I Testify to you all that Jesus Christ lived and He died for all of us so we could all have the chance to return back to our Heavenly Home after this life. With Him, His Son, and Our Families. Over these past 2 years I have seen literal miracles through the Atonement and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that He lives and He loves us. I have felt it for myself and I have felt it for others. He is there and He is listening. I have been so blessed over these past two years to serve the people here in Samoa. Although I may be leaving, my heart will always be here with these people. But, I have been even more blessed to Serve my Father in Heaven. I love this Gospel and I love this Work. I know that it is His. This Gospel can and will bless anyone who humble enough and faithful enough to follow the example and commandments of Jesus Christ. He Truly is Our Savior and I love him. I know that this world would be such a better place if we could just stop thinking about ourselves and starting thinking about others and how we could serve them and I will end my testimony with that as an invitation for all of you that are reading this email. I invite you all to look for ways to Serve your fellow man and I promise you that you will feel lighter and happier and God will Bless you! I love you all and I share this Testimony in the Sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Season 7 Episode 7: Coming to an End.

Hey Everyone!

I know it has been ages since I have sent a weekly email but, Just wanted to update you all and let you know that I am living, happy and I AM 20!!!! Our area has really started to pick up momentum! We were able to set 3 baptismal dates this past week with some awesome investigators! We are actually here in Apia today doing my last shopping! It is so weird. Opened my email today and saw my flight plans. Still doesn't feel real but, next week will all be talking in person..... how crazy is that.... We are here at the internet cafe and I printed off my itinerary and she asked me if I am going home and I told her I will be finishing next week and she asked me how my two years here in Samoa have been. I sat there for a second and told her that it has been the best experience of my entire life! I'm really just planning to give it my absolute best these last few days and before we know it our family will be back together again! I can't wait to share with all of you these experiences I have had in this area. Definitely the area I have learned the most in! I feel like explaining it in person will be so much better as well! I just wanted to let you all know how grateful I am for all of your support these past two years! Truly has been one of the biggest blessings of my life and I feel like I have grown so much! I truly love this gospel so much and I am so grateful for this gospel and this chance I have to represent Jesus Christ and bear testimony of his Atonement! This is His work! I will see you all next week! Love you and have a safe week!

Season 7 Episode 6: Photo Special

Season 7 Episode 5: Photo Journal

Season 7 Episode 4: The Deadline.

Hey Family!

Well, this week has been one for the books! So just a little run down on what happened last week. President Hannemann asked me if we could talk and to make a long story short he felt like I was needed here in Tanumalala! I was very excited because I really didn't want to finish my mission in the office haha! So we are in this program that trys to make a branch into a ward within in six weeks! Are "deadline" is on the 20th of May and we are working our tails off! There are two of us Elders and three of us Sisters! My companion and I are currently living in a fale Samoa or a fale o'o! I will get a picture next week!

We have been seeing Miracles left and right but, I can honestly say this has been one of the hardest areas I have ever served in and it is awesome! It truly tests us of every day and there is no way we can progress unless we have Faith in Jesus Christ and are being as humble as possible! We are feeling pretty positive that Tanumalala will have the numbers (150 Attend and 15 Worthy Melchizedek Priesthood Holders) by May 20th!

We are currently working with a Family of three Fata(Baptized), Anna(Baptized for school), and their daughter Faatoese(Investigator). We had an awesome F.H.E. with them on Monday and then Yesterday we went and did a small lesson about the Book of Mormon! At the End Anna told us that she was so grateful for the Book of Mormon and all the miracles she has seen since her family has been reading it. She was baptized at 15 so she could go to The church school here and after she was baptized she never went back. So everything is new to her. But, she wants to learn and understand more! She explained to us how her husband had a really bad smoking problem but, ever since he started reading the Book of Mormon last week, he hasn't smoked! Crazy the power that is in the Book of Mormon Their daughter is going to be baptized next week and we are so excited!

Junior will also be getting baptized next week! He is a very humble man of about 23 years old! He is really slow of speach and can't really explain his thoughts but, he understands and trys his best to answer our questions! Our Church starts a 9 and every Sunday he is the first one there at 7:30! He loves reading his Book of Mormon and is full of a happy spirit! He is so excited for his baptism and is always happy to read from the Book of Mormon with us!

We are working with a lot more investigators and Less Actives trying our best to convert them to Jesus Christ and get them back to church so they can partake of the Sacrament and feel of his love for them! Truly such a beautiful work!

2 Nephi 22:2 ran across this scripture this morning! Really loved it. I know that as we rely on God in all that we do, we will see his hand in everything that we do and he will guide us in all of our decisions! I have such a strong testimony of this gospel! I love this work so much and I love seeing people change BECAUSE of Jesus Christ! I hope and pray that you are all reading the Book of Mormon every morning before you start the day! I promise you all that it will change all of your lives! It will set your day up and help you battle all that will come your way! I know God lives and he Loves us! He truly is watching over us! I know that our family can be forever! I love this Gospel! I hope you all have a great week and know that I am always praying for yous! LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Elder Barton

Season 7 Episode 3: Tanumalala

Hey Family,

Really short email! As you all know I am no longer AP but, I am now here in Tanumalala with 4 other missionaries as we are trying to make this branch a ward by may 20th! It has been quite the week! But, I have been able to see God's hand every day! He definitely is leading this work and I have faith that as we continue to rely on him we will be able to make this branch a ward! 

We have been working with some really prepared people this week and it has really strengthened my testimony and my love for this work and for these people! Something that really stuck out to me this week as we have been working with a lot of less actives is the importance of always being worthy and ready to use the priesthood that we hold. It truly is such a blessing to be worthy and hold this power and authority and over this past week I have seen and been a part of so many experiences where the priesthood was needed to bless and comfort others including myself!

I am very sorry that this a short email and not very powerful but, I will do a lot better next week! I just wanted to let you all know how grateful I am for all you and your examples to me! It truly is such a blessing to serve the Lord and be so close to his Spirit each day! I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and I know that I have grown so much because of it! I encourage and invite all of you to read it everyday! I promise it will change your lives! This book will save you from whatever you are going through! I know that this is God's Church! How blessed we are to have this gospel in our lives! Although time is short I will continue to give my all to build the kingdom of God!  I know that this is his work and through this Gospel our family will be together for eternity! I love you all so much! Have a great week! Spread the Light of Christ to all you come in contact with!

Love,

Elder Barton

P.s. tiny miracle that happened this week! We found my SD card! Thank you for the prayers!!

Season 7 Episode 2: AP

Well family this week has been one I will never forget. To start off lets talk about General Conference! What in the world?! How powerful was that? I have never witnessed or felt the rush of the restoration of the gospel so strongly and clearly in my life! Felt like I got zapped by 10000 volts of electricity was running through my body. The music, the talks, and the spirit were so incredible! This was the most powerful conference I have ever been apart of! It gets me so amped just writing about it! I had a few questions coming into General Conference but, one of them was a very simple "Is Russell M. Nelson a true prophet of God?" Simple right? Well, I came to realize that I have never really asked that about any other prophet (Besides Joseph Smith). I feel like this might have been one of the more powerful spiritual experiences in my mission. After Russell M. Nelson announced that we will be Ministering now as a Church rather than Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching and how it is more focused and genuinely caring and loving these people with Christ-Like love. I can only describe the feeling as my heart catching on fire and the words coming into my head "This is my Prophet." A very spiritual experience for me and I have never had a stronger more solid testimony in my life that Russell M. Nelson is a Prophet of God. Oh, and another thing the opening song in the priesthood session was incredible. General conference was so refreshing and I'm so grateful for it! 

Well, if you are wondering why I writing you all on Saturday, I received a call Sunday night from The Assistant to the President (AP) asking me if I could say a prayer. After the prayer he told us that he was calling about Transfers and that Elder Alofaae would have a new companion and I would be getting transferred. He paused for a minute then proceeded by telling us that after a lot of fasting and praying with President Hannemann, I would be the new AP along with my companion Elder Kaufusi. To say the least I was very shocked and felt very inadequate. Still do to be honest. And this past week has been filled with Tests and trials. Now, don't get me wrong I am very humbled and privileged to serve so closely with President Hannemann someone who I look up to so much and has influenced me and inspired me for these past 22 months. But, this has been quite the week! I know that if I stay humble and Faithful in Christ he will lead me and help me become a better more Christ-Like servant. Although it was sad and hard like usual walking away from ward members and investigators on baptismal date. The spirit and the counsel I have received in these past few days have been such a big help. We are actually preparing to Head out to Savaii tomorrow morning to go on splits with missionaries and then we will be going around the Island with President to do Zone Conferences. Very busy but, extremely powerful! I am so grateful for my President and his faithfulness to our Savior Jesus Christ and his commitment to Honor with all of his hear the Oath and the Covenant of the Priesthood! I am excited for the growth and the counsel I will be able to receive over these next few months and even more excited to serve and inspire the missionaries to move the Lords work forward like never before!

Moroni 10:23 "And Christ truly said unto our fathers: If ye have faith ye can do all things which are expedient unto me." I love this Scripture and I think it is so relevant to all of us. Especially in these days. The devil is so strong and so intricate in his cunning ways to tear us down and make us feel like we are worthless and a waste. I can't tell you how many times I have felt like that on my mission as I am sure you have all felt. But, I know that if we are and have truly built ourselves on the Foundation of Jesus Christ and have faith in Him to do all things. We can and we will. It all starts with faith. I love Alma 32. It is a great chapter that talks about Faith. But, I know one of the best ways we can keep our Faith Healthy and Strong is through really studying the Book of Mormon. It has changed my life and has brought me so much happiness and comfort and I know it will to anyone who is humble enough to read and ponder and abide by its teachings! What an incredible day and age we live in! I will forever be grateful for you, my family. Who has so freely sacrificed so much for me while before my mission and especially on my mission. You all and my Savior Jesus Christ are on the forethought's of my mind as I wake up each morning until my head hits the pillow at night. I hope that through my service and your sacrifices God is blessing each and every one of you! I know he is! I have seen and am grateful for it! I love you all so very much! I pray for you all every day! I hope you all have a great week! I testify this is his work and this is his church and we all have a very important part in building his magnificent kingdom in these latter days. Let us be faithful enough to truly devote all of our time, talent, and strengths to supporting this beautiful work! Have a great week Family!

Elder Barton