11/8/21 The Beanpot

 My goodness.. One Year down. I'm still struggling to think that I've been a missionary for a whole year! Definitely the best year of my life. But time goes by so fast. 

We had such a crazy busy week. But I can't complain because we had such success! 

Tuesday we drove up to Hill City to attend a bible study this lady named Ranae was telling me about. We arrived at the Hill City Café and we were led to a back room where the host said that they would meet, except no one was there. We sat at the tables and read the wallpapers. I guess Hill City is big on Smokey the Bear! It's their high school mascot! But we waited and waited and no one showed up. We said a prayer because we knew we were led here for a reason. Out walks Ranae from the kitchen. She own the Café and she came out and talked to us and shared her apologies for no one coming. But really, Sister DuPaix and I knew we were here for Ranae. We talked about her café and how she first started talking to the missionaries. I guess Sister Erdmann (one of my past companions) messaged her on Facebook and Ranae gave her some good service opportunities. Ranae is a supporter of all faiths and thanked us for what we did. She then gave us a few neighborhoods that she said we should go and walk around it and see if anyone wants to hear a message! She gave us a whole neighborhood referral! She then ran in the kitchen and brought our Shane. She told him to sit and talk with us. So we got to know him and learned of one of his children's passing and we shared about the Plan of Salvation and it was all too perfect. Shane had some other beliefs about God being a Martian alien but at least he knows that he will see his son again. Baby steps. But we were so grateful for Ranae and what a miracle she provided for us. 

On Friday we had 5 lessons. Now this does not happen for us. Maybe one lesson a day if we are lucky. But we taught 5 lessons on Friday! The first was bright and early with the Merril family. The mother was a less active member and all her kids are not baptized and she wants them to choose. So we walked in and all 4 of her kids were sitting in front of the couch waiting for us to come! We talked about what we as missionaries do and that they get to choose for themselves if they want to be a member of the church. They said that as a family, they read the first chapter in the children's book of Mormon together and they told us every little detail of what they learned about Joseph Smith! And miracle we just found a new family to teach! Another lesson we got a text from a guy we are teaching named Tommy and he said he and his girlfriend would be at this location and that we should come and share a message (don't mind if we do) and we get there and had a great conversation and they accepted their invitation and we made Tommy's girlfriend Lynda a new! All of the other 3 lessons we had were on the spot! It was fun getting to be thrown into those situations and watch as the spirit works their magic. God is so good to us. 

There has been big rumor of boundary changes here in the wards of Rapid City. This last Sunday they finally announced them and we sadly are losing HALF of our Mt Rushmore ward to Canyon Lake Ward (my last area) which they desperately needed, but looking at the new boundary map we learned that 11 out of the 13 people we are teaching ARE OUT OF OUR AREA NOW. Bear with us as we cry! We will eventually have to pass off everyone to their assigned missionaries but we know God will help us build up our teaching pool once again. We are losing the Merril family and Tommy&Lynda. So please keep our area in your prayers. My ward no longer covers the city. We now cover into the Black Hills, Keystone, Hill City, and parts of Custer Park. Its a beautiful area but RIP our mileage allotment. We are going to spend so much time this week up in Hill City for we know people are prepared there. 

We have had 2 dinners with members this week and both families were straight from England! They had that brilliant accent and everything. Both families have similar stories of how they ended up in South Dakota but what I think is even cooler is they still practice their old English habits of herbal tea with and fancy table settings. When I walked into one of their homes I felt I walked straight onto the set of the Great British Bake Off. I was in heaven. My favorite part of the night was when Sister Salkeld was telling us how she made the dessert she went on.. *read it with a British accent* "just toss it in the bean pot and chip your though!". I was smiles all night long. 

Sister Salkend told us her conversion story and she shared how badly she wanted to share the news with the people around her. "I told the grass and the trees and the flowers that I was a member of Christ's Church, then I told a dog, and perhaps a cat, and I eventually grew the courage to tell real people" I love her courage in taking small steps to share her testimony! 

As I hit my year mark this last week I spent a lot of time reflecting on what I've learned and what has changed me. And I am just so grateful for a loving heavenly father who loves me enough not to let me stay the same. I have grown comfortable with things I would have never imagined I would. I can message a stranger and apply their response to anything Christ taught. I can go into trailer parks and not be worried because I know God loves these people too. I love that I get to be apart of peoples story of how they found Christ. My Mission has shown me that God really does love everyone in every circumstance. He does prepare people, you just need the eyes to see. God loves his native children and they are so close to the spirit. They all know how he speaks to them. They have a divine heritage. God chose this people to be the examples in the Book of Mormon so we all could read the history of their people and feel for ourselves the truthfulness of his love in every dispensation. I'm grateful I get to spend the rest of my time as a missionary with this people. God has blessed me with that. 

I love you all and I know God is mindful of you too! 

Sister Barlow 

p.s. in a lesson we had this week we shared our testimony of how much God loves his children, and the woman with tears in her eyes said in Lakota "ohan hecetuyelo" which means Yes, I agree

pictures:

Rapid City in November is beautiful! 

The elders I came in with on our year mark! 

The bugs here are something fierce 

Also the snow has began.