Week 20: January 1, 2018

Hey there family!!!! Hope you all are doing well!!!! We had a great week this week! 

So, the 26th, my companion wanted me to take charge of the area and be area leader. We did splits and I went with Elder Martel in our area. I had planned the day out the day before all by myself. I really wanted to test myself to see how I would do. We went out and taught, Elder Martel and I. It actually went super well!!!!! Holy cow we got to teach so many people! And we got to put 2 people on date for baptism!!!!! Super exciting!!!! We got to teach some people on the street and find some more people to teach! We also taught a less active too, though he is practically not active at all. He is very knowledgeable about the bible, but honestly, his interpretations are way off. Elder Martel is super good with scriptures. The guy said something that the bible said, a minuscule peculiar thing, that went against what we were trying to teach him. Then, Elder Martel pulled out his marked up bible and flipped right open to a page that talked specifically about that thing and showed him what it really meant! It was seriously so amazing!!!! I´m really trying to be more like that and be more handy with the scriptures!!! Then, the guy said that he wanted to take the sacrament, but he felt he wasn't worthy. We said he could be, but he refused adn said he would not give up smoking. He literally had piles of cigarettes in his room, and the smell of cigar smoke was so strong. We tried telling him that smoking is harmful and that God wanted us to take care of our bodies. he said he didn't believe that. Elder Martel asked me to grab his pack of tobacco and showed him on the very cover how there is a warning label that says that it kills. He said he still didn't believe us! We couldn't believe it. Smoking literally destroys you! He told us, HE told us, it was time for us to leave. We ended with a pray. I started and right at the beginning, his phone rang and he answered  and started talking. I ended really quick and we left. It was crazy! Seriously, smoking destroys you!!! We were both pretty sad for him. Literally bad stuff always happens around good stuff. Yesterday, we had a baptism for 9 year old boy named Afonso. He is a member of a less active family. We are working a lot with this family and are going to a family night with them tonight. We taught him all the lessons this week and he was able to be baptized! The day before, Elder Barrios and I were both stressing out about getting everything ready for the baptism. Our mission had a goal of 75 baptisms for this month and wanted us to baptise him this weekend. We were super rushed; to make things better, Elder Barrios was sick too. We got everything ready for the next day, which was yesterday.  Then, yesterday, we had a strange sacrament. People all thought that we were just going to haev sacrament like the last sunday, but that was not true. So we had normal church and were going to have the baptism right after. Yesterday, I got to give a talk, just like Ellie!!!! I did the same Jalapeño and Icecream talk I gave that one time about the atonement and then tied it in to Alma 36. It went great and I got a few pretty laughs, no big deal, haha! Hey, Ellie and I both gave talks on the same day!!! (Fist Bump)!!!! That morning, it was cloudy and raining like crazy too! The whole less active family including Afonso, showed up which was awesome! We got all ready for the baptism. I got to baptize which was super cool!!!! When we did the baptism, we both got in the font together and, this time, the water was luke warm. I put him in the water the first time, but one of his legs shot right up and we had to do it again. He was a little confused and a little nervous I remember, but it was all good. I put him in the water again, his leg shot right up again! hahaha! He was pretty dang nervous at this point. I felt bad like I was doing something wrong. Elder Barrios and some other people told me to put my foot on top of his feet, so I did. Third time´s a charm right? That time, I baptized him. It was awesome!!! We got changed super fast and went back out to celebrate with the ward. There was tons of love and support! Elder Barrios and I then went back to our house to get changed and drop some stuff off. We then went to the church to upload the photo for our baptism for the mission email. Elder Barrios then realized that he forgot something to upload the photo, so then we went back to the apartment. Elder Barrios was holding a bunch of bags and was infront of my so I tossed hinm the keys and he handed over all the bags to me acting all cool like he was number 1 because he handed all the stuff to me and got to open the door. I dont know what Elder Barrios was thinking, but he took the key, and thrust it in the door like he was thrusting a sword into a mighty beast or something! He turned the key, but the door didnt open. He turned a bunch of times, but nothing. Then, me being all prideful and all, handed all the stuff back over to him and then he handed the key over to me. hehehe! He took the key, blew on the top, then stuck it in the key hole thinking  I was #1. Nothing. The door didnt budge. We examined the key a little closer. A chunk of the key had broken off! I dont know what it us with us and keys! We called the other missionaries who had our spare. While we waited for them, we tried a bunch of stuff to open the door, nothing. We were both exhausted trying to open the door. But, the whole time after, we were just laughing so hard! It was pretty funny. Now, we have to go make copies of the key tomorrow. 

Hey, I also got your packages!!!!! I got the Christmas tree and the package with all the goodies and Ellies gift exchange thing for me, love it by the way, took a video of me opening it! Ive slept with those elf pajama pants for the past couple days, they are so cozy and warm, and not to mention super stylish!!! I also set up the chrismas tree! Its after Christmas, but technically, everyday on the mission is Christmas because we are serving our savior, so always a party!!!! hahaha!!! Love the elf socks too by the way!!! Wearing them as I write this email!!! You guys seriously spoiled me!!! I looked at it all and felt really spoiled!!! Seriously!!!! My companion doesnt like chocolate too, crazy right!!!! It´s too bad because its sooo good!!! So, I gave him what ever he liked. I seriously had so much though. In all honestly, I felt super bad because I had so much and there were people we were teaching that literally had nothing. I prayed that day that we would find a family that we could do a little christmas for. My prayer was answered. We visited a family that always gave us what little they had to eat. I asked some of the little kids what they got for christmas, they said nothing. I got pretty excited about giving them a little christmas. The next day, I prepared a package with a buch of the goodies you all sent me. We threw in some other stuff we had in the apartment too. It was later in the day. We were walking to their house and I was getting super excited about dropping the package off. We got to the door. I didnt want them to know it was us. So, my companion took the package and I ran down the stairs that literally led to a wall and nothing else, and he rang the buzzer a bunch of times and crammed back with me. We heard one of the kids open up the door and act a little surprised. We hearthem open up the package and scream and start freaking out. Then, one of the little boys ran outside looking for us. We were still hiding at teh bottom of the stairs laughing and giggling. He then ran back inside the apartment. We litterally saw his face, but he didnt see us. He had the biggest smile. I was super excited. Once he was back inside, my companion and I peeked over the stair rail and took off out the door of the apartment building. I tried being all stealthy, but my foot kicked a bunch of debris at teh bottom of the stairs and made a loud crash sound! hahaha, but we still got away unseen. Later that night, we were at someones home and the mom of this family called my companion. She was freaking out and my companion kept asking what happened. Then he said, did pai natal come by and visit you? then they both laughed and I just heard my companion say no problem a bunch of times. Aparently it was obvious for them to know it was us because the stuff had english written on it! haha! It was awesome adn a wonderful experience! I got that same Christmasy high I feel on Christmas with you guys! 

Anyways, sounds like Christmas and the new year was fun! Love the new year pics!!!! hahaha! Those pics of the trail that dad sent me brought back tons of memories of cali! Love that you are all still doing that!!! Mom, I´m doing fine, those dreams sounds scary though! So sorry!!!! Sometimes those things happen when Satan sees we are doing really good things and wants us to stop or when we start to see the blessings around us. Ive been recieving so much from you guys and the members here in our ward, literally so much!!! I know I am super blessed and I was telling my companion that I think in the future, Im gonna lose everything or something because I literally am so blessed. He said not to worry adn that that is not what God wants me to think adn that it is just because I have kept the commandments and been very good. Satan wants you to think God would turn away from you, that is not of God. Love you all tons!!!! Pray fro you all every day!!! Let me know when the fast is for Uncle Dave. I hope everything goes well for him.

Love you all tons,

Elder Barton