10/25/21 Smokey the Bear

 I cannot even express how grateful I am for all of your prayers! We were blessed with some mighty miracles this week! 

This whole transfer it has been mighty hard to find people to teach, we had to drop a lot of people or send them to their correct missionaries in their area. We were hanging by a thread by holding onto one person we were teaching but even she wasn't that interested. But we really tried hard to find more people to teach but it was just super difficult. But in all thanks to all of you. God has answered our prayers and blessed us with 3 people to start teaching this week! AHHHHH! We are feeling so blessed! Our first new friends' name is Theresa and she is a daughter of a recently baptized member, her mom called us and set up a lesson for us to teach her daughter and she is wanting to learn more! Our second/third new were developed over the whole transfer. In the NDBM we are asked to put a lot of emphasis on Facebook finding. It included messaging random people and asking inspired questions. I noticed this week that one of my friends, Machela,  posted a little paragraph about how she needs God in her life. This is where we jumped on the opportunity and I messaged her and we had an inspired gospel conversation and we set up a time to do a bible study! We call her over facebook messenger and she in with her friend Donni who wanted to join our bible study! We all became quick friends and they said they want to do this everyday! SO WE'VE BEEN TEACHING THEM EVERYDAY! And it is such an amazing miracle. One of the best parts is that every time we call, Machela invites another friend to join, so last night we had 5 people on our call! The Lord has blessed Sister Martin and I and I am just so grateful! 

Faith Rockets: have you ever heard of them? It's this little object lesson where you light empty tea bags on fire and they fly away. It's called a faith rocket cuz if you have faith in the instructions we give you, you won't be burned. (terrible I know) Well... we were told about this lesson and our other object lesson we had planned for a family fell through so we decided to try it out. Needless to say.. fire=danger and we were dangerous this week. Our first time we did it we were at a members home and we made them bundle up and go outside and we take their oldest daughter as our participant and give her that promise that she won't be burned if she held her hand steady... She got all wide eyed and excited and it worked! She was not burned and nothing else lit on fire. Her parents luckily thought it was hilarious and that was that. Miracle that that didn't start any wildfires. I couldn't do that to Smokey the Bear  

After District Council this week our dear Senior Couple Elder and Sister Lee threw a little birthday party for all the birthdays in October. It has been a transfer of birthdays.  Each week there has been a birthday or two. But it was fun! 
Sister Martin's birthday was this last Wednesday. It's fun having you and you companions birthday just a week apart so any funny business she tried for your birthday you can do the same for her. I just decorated the apartment and made her food cuz thats about the extent of what you can do for missionary birthdays. But then i told her we were going for ice cream and she happily got in the car, and we drove and missed the turn for ice cream and she gives me the biggest glare "you missed ice cream" she said and I ignored that statement and kept driving and then we surprised her with a little birthday lunch with all the sisters! It was nothing huge but its so fun to be with so many sisters for our birthdays! love you sister martin! 

I've been playing my cello in the last few sacraments in the last few wards and a lady in a neighboring ward asked if I would come play at her halloween party with her non-member family. So I drove with the sisters in that ward and as soon as I get my cello out to start playing my A string snaps and I have to get creative with how to play the song. Luckily high shifting is a technique and it lived through its purpose. But needless to say it was a miracle I had a spare string at home that made it so I could perform the next day in sacrament meeting! 

Sister Martin and I have really tried to put ourselves in the paths of others this last transfer and we felt one day we should go visit some of the new move-ins in the area. We were drawn to this address so we pulled up, knocked on the door(this is my first door approach for something like this ahha). But this lady answered and she came out and we talked and got to know her. Her name was Pam and she just moved from Sturgis. Her family is all members but she considers herself the "black sheep" of the family but she has nieces and nephews that are on missions. We had a really god discussion about God and a bit for his plan for us. She was not interested in learning more but wished us well on her way and that was that. But we got a call from the elders and they said she called the number on the facebook page and thanked them for having missionaries in the area! She may not have accepted the gospel now but she does know that God loves her and that is a step in the right direction. 

Well transfer calls came.. and i'm leaving Canyon Lake ward! I am so so so sad. I really have grown to love the people in this ward. A lot of people I hope to stay in contact over the next few years. But I'll be moving all the way over to the Mt Rushmore Ward (15 minutes away). By far my shortest transfer drive ill ever have. But i'm grateful i get to stay in Rapid City and continue to grow here! Sister Martin is also leaving and she is going to Crookston MN! So let's compare my 15 minute drive to her 9.5 hour drive she'll take this next week.... hahahah im gonna miss her though. 

But thank you all for the prayers! They really make the biggest difference for me. 

Love you all! 
Slster Barlow 

pictures
- best district ever 
- birthday missionaries! 
- I promise I would never wear them procelyting but my power hoops from Shanel Ludlow. i love them :) 
- Sister Martin's birthday! 
- Sisters lunch with birthday waffles 
- My favorite family in Canyon Lake ward ;( they made us both blankets
- A sculpture of Joseph Smith I found in our apartment. Kinda freaky lookin  
- Apple & Zuccuni fries. Mom you would be proud 










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