Eduard's Baptism!

Our awesome investigator from Romania, Eduard was baptised yesterday!
He is AMAZING. He wants to serve a mission of his own and he bore his
testimony that made me and Sister Kinney cry. I love being a
missionary so much! This week has been incredible.

Love you!
XOXO
Sister Barnes

How Great Thou Art

Oh my gosh. OH MYYYYY oh my. I sure have a few miracles to share with
you all. Sister Kinney and I were able to attend the temple today and
it was one of the best days of my entire life. Going through meant so
much more to me than it ever did now that I am a missionary. We had a
wonderful time and were taking pictures on the grounds. Suddenly, we
saw a bunch of members from my area in Hayes. Sister Kinney served
there as well and so we started to walk towards them. I got closer and
saw my recent convert, William standing in front of the temple all
dressed up in a suit and tie, he was overcome with joy and told me
that he went to the temple today and was baptised for his parents, who
passed away many years ago. Words absolutely cannot express my joy.
There was a lot going on but my eyes were filled with tears the entire
time. Families are forever! These are truly the moments that I live
for! To make it better, Shah was there as well, Sister Kinney's recent
convert. It was such a tender mercy that came straight from the Lord.
I am still speechless. I love the Gospel with all my heart. We have
seen so many more miracles and tender mercies this week, and I want to
type them but I honestly will never be able to express the things that
I feel, I just want to leave you with my testimony that I know this is
the restored Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ. This is true. God
loves us. And he is always there to show us the way.

Alma 26:16
Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will
rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever.
Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much
of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering
towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the
smallest part which I feel.


Sending my Love from London!

XOXO
Sister Barnes

It's Time For Africa

This was a very African and adventure filled week. We had a munch and
mingle after church yesterday and there was more food than I've ever
seen before in my life. Like buckets of jollof rice and plantanes for
as far as the eye could see. . . . We got out of relief society and I
could hear the munch and mingle before I could even see it. Ilford
Ward is the best!
We were able to travel to Ashford earlier in the week and do a blitz
wi the sisters down there, I love being able to travel and help out
the other missionaries, we see so many miracles from it.
We have been meeting with C and her daughter R for a really long time
and she has told us that she just doesn't feel ready to get baptised.
On Saturday we went over eight he Portugese elders and had a lesson
with her. She cooked us dinner and everything! After awhile she said,
"Sisters, I just don't feel ready. I want my baptism to be in November
or after." And of course we were so heartbroken but we just told her
hat we love her and we'll keep teaching her. AND THEN she told us she
was just kidding! She goes on holiday to Portugal until September and
she decided she wants to be baptised on September 16th, on her
daughter's birthday when they get back. We were crying tears of
joy!!:)
That morning we were traveling to play football with our investigators
and we were running late. We were talking with people on the bus and
for some reason that morning I just woke up feeling discouraged. I
talked with this man who wasn't interested and then went to get off
the bus and realized we had missed our stop! I was even more
frustrated. We got off and were walking in this weird street we had
never been in before. We started to get close to this intersection and
there was a man standing there looking at us. All of a sudden he
walked up to me with this big smile and was like, "Sister Barnes!! I
want to come play football!" It turns out I had met him before and
invited him to play football and learn more about the church. He is
amazingly cool. We walked with him up to the field and were able to
teach him because everyone was running late. It was a miracle that
brought me close to tears because I realize how much God is in the
details. He knew I needed it that morning and he also knew exactly
where our investigator was and had us miss our regular bus stop. I
love our Father in Heaven so much. What a joy it is to be serving as
one of his missionaries.

Blessings from England!

XOXO
Sister Barnes

The Spirit of God

Oh I do not even have words for how miraculous this week was. For
starters we got to travel to my birthplace, the blessed land of
Sittingbourne, England to do a blitz with the sisters there. They
ended up cancelling while we were on the train, but we still went
finding to get them some new investigators. It's so odd how when I was
in Sittingbourne I would get homesick for Utah, but now when I get
homesick, I get homesick for Sittingbourne. Weird how that works:) Got
ruthlessly slammed on high street for a couple hours, just like the
good old days. We found some awesome people nevertheless!
We had such a good time last night, one of our investigators had some
wood in her backyard she needed to burn and so we brought a bunch of
investigators, recent converts, and s'more equipment and had a Gospel
Bonfire. It was wonderful!
The people we are working with are doing great and there has been so
much progression these last weeks as we have focused on our
investigators on date for baptism. We got transfer calls and I am
staying in Ilford with Sister Kinney. I finally get to stay with a
companion for more than one transfer! And this is going to be her last
transfer. Miracles are going to be wrought in the land. I love being a
missionary more than anything.

The spirit of God like a fire is burning;)


XOXO
Sister Barnes