Season 4 Episode 1: Emergencey Transfer

Hey Mom,

Well this week was pretty crazy. Our Zone Leaders came to our house on Monday and told me that I was going to be transferred to Malaela which is on the Eastern Tip of Upolu. I will also being getting a new companion who just finished his training. Which means I am now becoming the Senior Companion which means it is time for me to really step up my game and really rely on the Lord. I love the Scripture in D&C 6:36. I know that if we always look unto the Lord in every thought and we don't doubt we will be taken care of. Currently I am waiting for my Zone to pick me up and take me to my new area with my new companion. I am waiting here in Salani with Elder Fano (My intake) and Elder Buchanan. So it is pretty fun. I also said good bye to my area in LufiLufi yesterday and that was so hard to do. The whole day I was trying to fight back tears. I loved the people in LufiLufi so much and I am so blessed to have served in that area. I will miss them and my companion! I am super excited to be serving in a new area and can't wait to see what happens. I am sorry this email is so short but, we are kind of pressed for time. I will not be writing a weekly email because I am pressed for time but, Next week I will for sure update you all on what is going on. Good thing you were the only to email me. I don't have that much time! We watch conference here a week after actual conference because of the day difference here. Hopefully we get too watch it in English. I will send some pictures. Just know all is well and I am excited for this new journey! I will ask for some more prayers though lol haha! I am glad all is going well. Boil is all well! I would love some pictures as well! Oh!! I got your package! Thank you so much! love all the food and I am so grateful haha! Thanks Mom! Have a great week!

Hello Family!

Well, This week was pretty crazy and I am short on time. But, I have been transferred to Malaela which is the Eastern Tip of Upolu. It was an emergency transfer. My new Companion is Elder David and currently I am waiting for him in Salani with Elder Fano and Elder Buchanan. We will arrive at our new area later tonight. I will now be the Senior Companion which is pretty crazy. I know these next few weeks are going to be pretty hard but, pretty awesome! My Zone Leader said my area is the prettiest in the mission! So I will for sure be sending some pictures! Sorry this email is so short but, then again this is a emergency transfer. Hope all is well. I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Elder Barton

Season 5 Episode 1: LotoPa

Malo Lava Soifua Ma Le Lagi Mama!

Okay, I know these past 2 weeks have been kind of off and really short emails. So, I read all of your emails and now before I respond to them I will just send out this big email to the Family. Lot's of things have happened over these past two weeks. To Start off Last Thursday I was transferred. Hence the title of the email "LotoPa" We had just came back to the house for a quick lunch when our Zone Leaders called and told Elder David and I to pack our bags because they would be arriving at the house in 1 1/2 hours! Plenty of time to pack and say goodbye to the ward and recent converts right?! It was quite a shock... actually not really... it is so normal for things like this to happen out here in the Samoa, Apia mission! Anyway, so I am here in Lotopa with Elder Olamaleva. You know that one Elder I went on splits with for a week while Elder David was here in Lotopa healing his arm? Weird right haha! Oh! Elder Tiatia is my Zone Leader! It was really good to see my trainer! He is such a great Elder! 

The area I am in right now is super close to the Temple. I am in the city area. It is so different here! Everyone is so fia Palagi (Want to be White) They all speak English have Palagi homes, lot's of delicious food that you can't get in backside Upolu. You know things like that. It was quite and still is quite the shock for me to be here. But, I love it here. Especially our investigators. We were able to have some very powerful lessons this week. We had a really powerful lesson with our investigator Vaiga'au yesterday. We taught him Lesson 2 and all sudden we just saw this light click for him and he just started asking all these questions and when we would explain it he would just laugh and smile because he was so happy and the Plan of Salvation gave him so much hope! Wish you guys could have been there to experience it! It was an awesome lesson full of the spirit. We had a few other really good lessons as well!

One thing I feel like I have been lacking on in my weekly letters is spiritual experiences. Well, these last 2 weeks have been pretty tough. Just, kind of personally tough. Guess you could call my mid-mission crisis. However, I am so grateful for my Father in Heaven for these past two weeks. It is really hard to explain through an email and words what has happened over these two weeks but, I just want you all to know with all of my heart that I KNOW GOD LIVES, His Plan is Perfect, No matter where we are at in our life, no matter how lost we feel or how alone we feel, God will always be there. I am so grateful for the Atonement as well. I have really been trying to personalize the Atonement of Jesus Christ lately and honestly it is the most beautiful/precious gift anyone could ever receive. The Healing and Comfort that comes through this gift is so incredible and Unique. I encourage you all to personalize the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every time I testify of this gospel I just feel so happy. Especially when I share my testimony with you guys, my family. I am so grateful for these past two weeks and the trials I was able to have. In fact it is kind of perfect timing since I am almost at my Year mark. It has changed my entire perspective of what I want to do in this Last year and who I want to become! I am so grateful for our Father in Heaven who allows us to struggle in order to grow. I really do love this gospel and I love you guys as well. Grateful for all of your prayers, thoughts, and emails. You guys are the fighting force behind everything I do. I love you all so much! Can't believe how fast time is flying! Hope you all have a great week!

Love, Elder Barton

Season 4 Episode 10: Short Email

Sorry Fam but, this email is going to be very short due to some delays we had in the day. However, I am doing well. Happy and Healthy. We had a really good week. None of us got Transferred. Another Six weeks! Really excited to see what we can do!! We were able to baptize Miniati this week! We also found a new investigator from Aussie named Margret! She is so down to Earth and I will share about her next week! We are going to her house in 30 minutes. We are going to have Breakfast for Dinner and then teach a lesson! Praying all goes well. I am glad Trevor has made it back safely! Big Relief for us all! Glad you are all healthy and happy as well!  Talk to you all more next week! Love you all!

Elder Barton

Season 4 Episode 9: Zone Conference

Hey Mom!

Probably only going to send you an email this week just because no one else emailed me and not really feeling sending a group email. This week was pretty tough but, I am humbled by this week. Our area ended up getting split into two at our Zone Conference with President. We only cover Tafatafa and Vaovai. So we lost two investigators that we were going to baptize! It's not that I am sad that we don't get to baptize them, it's just the fact that we loved them so much haha! At least they are getting baptized. Dylan's baptism was awesome! I love that kid! He is going to be a good influence to a lot of people. We also have another baptism for Miniati this week! 

However, this week we have been running out of investigators. We spent all week trying to contact all of our referrals. We had no success... It's alright though. Not every week can be full of new investigators and roses! We are looking forward to this week though! Plus the Zone Conference with President really helped! It gave us a lot of ideas how to better hasten the work here! I have faith that there are people here we still need to find and teach and I know we will if we are obedient and work our hardest. We were able to celebrate Elder Davids 19th birthday on the 3rd! 

It really is crazy how fast time is going by! I can't believe all the things that are going on back home. Glad you guys are all safe though! Glad the Lord is watching over you and blessing you. I pray that he will continue to do so. I am grateful for your email today. Really needed it! Don't worry Mom, I am fine haha! It is just some nice motivation. I am sure we will find someone this week! How are you though? How is everything going? I hope all is well Mom. I hope you know I really appreciated that package! My comp loved the Jerky and I loved everything else haha! Thank you for putting it together and sending it here. 

I love you Mom! God bless you this week! Praying for you and always thinking about your example!

Elder Barton

Season 4 Episode 8: G'day Maties

Okay, so this week Elder David got very sick from drinking too much koko Samoa at our dinner this week. Yeah, if you drink to much koko you pretty much are bed ridden for three days! Poor guy. I had it once in Lufilufi and it is literally the worst! So, I will take this opportunity to share with all of you about our investigators and the area!

Investigators:

Dylan: Dylan is 13 and lives in Tafatafa. One night we were at fafaga and we were all out of investigators. Nek Minut The wife of the family just points to Dylan and says "E Le papatiso Ia. Faamolemole amata lana lesona ma papatiso ia." Which means He isn't baptized, please start his lessons and baptize him. Dylan is so awesome! I love him. Even though he is only 13 he loves taking the lessons and he really shares what he is feeling and he really wants to follow our Savior Jesus Christ! He will get baptized this Sunday! His Mom lives in NZ right now and he is currently waiting for all of his immigration stuff to go to his Mom. Another Tender Mercy from the Lord!

Toe: Toe is 10 and has very bad ADHD. We love teaching her. It is always full of laughs and constantly trying to keep her focused. Her lessons are always very short. But, she has such a great spirit! I sent a few pictures of her last week! She will be getting baptized this Saturday! Love teaching Toe!

Miniati Jr.: Miniati Jr is 10 also. He was a referral from the ward! Apparently he was living in a different village with his parents but, they moved back here just last week. The husband is LDS and the wife is not. So, when they moved here to Vaovai with the husbands family the Grandma told Miniati Jr's Mom that he is going to get baptized. We figured out the Minati Jr's Mom is baptized but, doesn't got to church anymore. Anyway, Miniati Jr is awesome! We taught him last night and we finished the lesson he asked us when we do the next lesson if we can make it longer! What?! These kids are awesome! He asks really good questions too! Like "Why Was Jesus Christ Born?" or "Who wrote the Book of Mormon?" and other questions like that! He will be getting baptized next week Saturday!

Fitu: Fitu is 9 and he is one of the sweetest kids I have ever met. He is super shy but, very polite and respectful. We have only taught him the first lesson but, we will be baptizing him next week Saturday as well because he always goes to church with his Grandma! His Mom is a member but, very inactive! 

P.s. Teaching kids is my favorite thing to do! They are so innocent and so Christ Like! 

Right now we also have 5 promising referrals that we will be contacting this week! We are praying that the Lord will continue to bless us to help us find those who are ready to accept his gospel! We have been so blessed in this area and I continue to pray that we can help these people come back our Savior.

Area:

Right now we cover 4 wards and our area is giant! Love it! We cover Tafatafa, Vaovai, Saleilua 1st and 2nd! Love the people! Really solid area and really great members and non members.

We also were visited by the Ap's earlier this week and they were asking about our area and stuff. Elder Reid asks "You guys have such a big area but, only 3 investigators why?" He ended up talking a lot about faith and using the members. Later that night we attended a ward council and got 2 referrals and the next day picked up 3 new investigators. I am very grateful for the Ap's and the advice they gave us. I was also glad to see that we can always be striving to do better! Really hoping this week goes really well! 

Tomorrow our whole zone is going to Apia to have a meeting with President and the Ap's. So excited! Firstly, because I never get to see President and Secondly, I just know it is going to be super spiritual and help Me out personally. Help the Companionship and the area! Really excited for tomorrow!

I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve and represent our Savior Jesus Christ! I am also so grateful the Lord continues to bless and protect all of you while I am away! I hope you know I am always praying for you guys! Dad, Mom, Trevor, Nichole, Jeremy, Mason, Julie, and Bridger! Oh! And The lil Pipsqueak inside Nichole! You guys this Church brings nothing but happiness and peace! We have all experienced it! Never be afraid to share it! Love you guys and hope you have a great week!

Well catch you later Mate!

Elder Barton