December 16, 2015

Dear Family and Friends!

This week has been a pretty awesome one! Lots of success and lots of really great lessons! So last Tuesday we had specialized training over in Princeton, Virginia and it was an awesome meeting! President Salisbury talked a lot about different ways that we can improve our own lives and learn how to set inspired goals! I learned so much! We also did a pretty interesting activity... Haha so President gathered us all together in the church gym and had two elders hold up a metal bar. Then he asked me to come and hang from the bar as long as I could while he read from 1 Nephi 8 about the tree of life. I held on as long as I could, but eventually I couldn't hold on any longer and I fell... Haha he related the object lesson to the difference between "clinging" to the iron rod, and "holding fast" to the iron rod. We all need to "hold fast" to the rod and not just "cling"! It is not enough to merely just cling and hold on as long as we can because eventually we will fall. Of course we must rely on the Atonement, but we have to do our best to hold fast to the rod! It was a pretty interesting experience, but one that I wont forget in a long time! Ha!

On Wednesday night, we went to go and see one of our investigators named Matthew. He has been so prepared by the Lord it is insane, but when we stopped by that night I couldn't believe who we met at his home! We had no idea, but his girlfriend is a member of the church in the next county over in Floyd! There aren't as many members around here so this was such an amazing "coincidence"! Plus she has been getting him to read from the Book or Mormon and doing what we committed him to do! I was so happy to see a good influence in his life and I know that she will make a huge impact on his progression in the gospel! I love how the Lord prepares people to receive the gospel!

So we ran into one of our investigators just now and we talked for a little bit too long and now we are out of time! Haha sorry to cut it short, but know that I love you all very much and I am doing great! Have a great week!

Elder Barazoto