Set back 5/19/14

Dear Family and friends, 

                         It has been another great week out here in the Casper 5th ward! I can't believe that we are currently in week 4 of this transfer. This transfer has seemed to vanish before my eyes. When you have a fun area to work in and a good companion time fly's right by! This week we have been teaching David! I always love teaching David. He is known as the "sponge". He takes everything in and loves it! He is getting married this upcoming Saturday on the 24th. It will be the first wedding I ever go to. It is not every day your investigator gets married! So this will be a great experience. We got to teach Maria this week except she has concerns about coming to church, and even ward activities. So we will try and hep her work around that. We had a great ward party this week. It was conducted by Sister Munger. You all got to meet the Munger's on Mothers Day because we were at their house. It was a good party! We had David show up, and that was good! He seemed to really enjoy himself. I talked to him before the party. I told him to be thinking of someone he would like to have baptize him. He told me that he had never thought of that before. I recommended Brother Smith his fellow shipper. And instantly he thought was a great idea! It was rather funny Brother Smith walked up to talk to David, and he told David he was looking forward to his baptism. David then replied "well you better be there because you are gonna be the one baptizing me". Brother Smith was pretty honored and exicted for that opportunity. At the Ward Party we learned of a death that had just barely happened in the Ward. We learned that a new member was in a head on collision in his semi with another semi. We then learned that it was Brother Franks who was just two weeks new to the ward. We are teaching his nine year old son Micah who is on date for May 31st. Brother Franks is leaving behind his son Mason who is preparing for a mission summer of 2015. Two Daughters who are in their teens and Micah who is nine. I believe those are all of his kids. 

                         Brother Franks was a great man. He had just barely started coming back to church not to long ago. He was leading his family back into righteousness right as he passed away. I remember the love that Brother Franks showed to his children. He expressed to Micah in a lesson how proud he was of him and his decision to be baptized. I know that Brother Franks is with our Savior. At times like this I like to reflect on a scripture in Alma 40:11 Now, concerning the state of the soul between death and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life. I know that Brother Franks has been taken back to the Presence of God. I pray that the Franks family can make it through this trial. I hope God will be with them. It is my personal testimony that death is not the end, but only a beginning to a greater life. If we endure all things well we can all live with God again. I am thankful for this gospel it is the antidote to all sorrow and trial. It is a message of happiness for the living and the dead. I hope you all have a great week! I love you all!

Love, Elder Barber