A new transfer and a new beginning

C

Corey Barber

to me, Conco
10 hours ago

Details

Dear Family, and friends

                  It has been a great week up here, and a wonderful way to end the transfer! This week on Tuesday we did a blitz/split in our area! A blitz is when two companionships hit one area for a whole day of finding to increase the investigator number! And splits is when you split your companionships up. So Elder Davis (not from the MTC), and Elder Salmon came up to Devils Lake from Grand Forks to do this blitz/split. Elder Garfield and Salmon split up and me and Elder Davis got to teach Donnada/ go finding! Me and Elder Davis did what we call "inspired tracting" and we saw great success from that! We knocked on one door right across the street from the church. I had always wanted to knock on this door! And a nice lady answered her name is Darlene Shanefish and she used to be friends with the missionaries of Devils Lake years ago, and knows plenty of Mormons! So she was very excited to talk to us! We left her house and she gave us squash/tomatoes. We were already late to meet Brother Perisho at our apartment and we had to speed walk in the hot weather a quarter mile while the squash and tomatoes were breaking the bag and falling all over the place. We got the vegetables safely to the apartment, dont worry! And we barely caught Brother Perisho at our apartment! We then headed out to Oberon, ND to paint his shed for his three rot whilers he has! They can be pretty intense dogs! If you hold up a ball and say "ready?" one of them will chomp his sharp teeth. He is basically telling you "throw me that ball". It was quite a fun evening and we laughed a lot and had fun! They have a neighbor named Ray who always asks them about the gospel, but will never commit to come to church! So we role played with the Perisho's! We gave them a situation of talking to him and they acted out how they would share the gospel. The next day a great miracle happened! For the first time ever Ray needed a ride to New Town. Brother Perisho works out in the oil fields out there, and was heading out that day! So on the long drive Brother Perisho invited Ray to come to church for third Sunday pot luck! We definitely saw power in the role play, and a wonderful miracle!

     So I am sure you all are wondering about transfers, and what is happening in our area. Well this Saturday we were just going about the usual day when we heard the phone vibrating. It was stuck under our couch so we had to lift a part of the couch to see who was calling us. It was President Anderson! We called him back and he answered promptly. I heard President tell Elder Garfield "There will be a change of assignment for both you, and your companion" which usually means were both getting transferred, or were both going into leadership! He told Elder Garfield he will be transferred to Rugby, ND to train a new Elder from the MTC, and be in a tri-companionship with the District Leader (Elder West) there. After that I heard President say "let me speack with Elder Barber". He told me that my assignment was similar to my companions. He told me that I will be training in Devils Lake, ND!! This came as a shock to both me and my companion. So on Tuesday Octobor 1st (tomorrow) at one I will be driving to Fargo, ND to drop Elder Garfield off, and wait a few hours for my companion to arrive in Fargo. I am very humbled, excited, and extremely nervous to be a trainer on my third transfer out. It can be humbling, and hard to think about, but I know that the Lord qualifies those he calls. And I know he is not setting me up for failure. I plan to help the work progress in this area. I am very humbled that out of all the missionaries to be training the Lord has selected me among the few to train. I am excited to be Senior Companion/Trainer in Devils Lake. I know the Lord is going to help me and help me to grow a lot during this time! I thank you all for the love, and support I have received this week from you all. Please keep me in your prayers at this time! I need them now more than ever! There is an Elder I graduated with coming out this transfer his name is Elder Spencer Rohwer, and it would be cool if I got to train him! But I will have to tell you about my new companion next week! I hope this week is going well for you all I love, and pray for you!

Love, Elder Barber