Hey-o hows it goin? Life here is crazy but I love it!  I feel completely engulfed in the work and hardly have time to think about anything else but that's how its supposed to be!!

This past week has been super fast but as I look back super long.  Monday and Tuesday I was in Coban for leadership counsel which was absolutely amazing!  Wednesday in my area, Thursday on divisions in La Tinta and Sacsuha, and the rest of the week in my area... let me give ya the deets!!

Leadership counsel was awesome, we (all the zl´s in the mission) meet and have a big meeting with President Curtiss, Hma Curtiss the AP´s and we just talk about the mission, our zones and receive counsel - sounds boring but not one bit. It is so spiritual, the missions focus is pure families so we can have a temple in Coban in 2016!! And all I can say is its going to be great!!!

After this meeting we have all of our zone get together and we teach all that we learned and heard to our zone.   After we all had tortillas de harina with a Hermana!

I got the opportunity to do seven baptismal interviews as well I went to do divisions in La Tinta with Elder Pyper and it went great.  He had five baptisms this past week and I have to say he has some pretty cool converts.  I got to interview them and talk to them and they all were really nervous but I felt the spirit really strong in each one of the interviews. Elder Pyper is in my group that I came out into the mission with and he is the DL and other missionaries in Sacsuha had baptisms so we hoped on a bus and I did Divisions with Elder Castillo and got to do one more interview and it went grea.   We met back up and started walking home at night (sketchy) when a taxi came by and gave us a ride for free back to La Tinta (blessings for working hard) but all in all went really well!!

Now in my area, Tukuru is still great I love the members, I love the food and the work is good but very hard.  We had a pretty hard couple of days in our area I have never been turned away so many times, but we found some great families and we had a lot of less actives at church and investigators so all turned out really good.   I am excited to keep working hard in Tukuru I feel good about this place and I am determined to find my family here!! 

Jack I am excited for you to wrestle you are going to hate it, they will put you through hell, but let me tell you what I learned from wrestling.  It strengthened my legs because God new that someday I would be climbing up mountains. It put me to my limits because God new I would be tested to my limits physically and emotionally. It also taught me that my body can bend very far before it will break, because God new that I would be squished on a bus filled with dirty, sweaty people and pigs and chickens haha!! Jack it taught me a lot but don't let anybody get you to do something you don't want to do.  Don't let them initiate you, don't let people make fun of you, don't put up with those guys, just be a Christlike man and when you get on the mat you let it all out haha!! Good luck buddy, Don't Quit!

That's sad to hear about Grandpa, I actually feel worse for Grandma I hope they do ok. I will pray for them, how is Pa holding up?,

Well all is well all is well i love you guys and hope you all have a great week be safe have fun and enjoy the snow haha!!! love you all!!

Nekexinra Elder Barker

Bueno Bueno,

This wonderful P-day I am tired!  I worked hard, prayed hard and of course played hard haha!!

This week was weird with the weather every morning.  When I woke up it was just white there was soooooo much fog it got so bad that we had to return home early one night because we could see literally only two feet in front of us and it was dark it was like I was blind walking down a mountain so we decided to return home early but its been really cold and I love it haha!! And it rains cien por ciento up there!!!

The work is really going well I see good things in the future for Semarak. I love it up here but this week is changes and we will see if I am going. I feel like I am but who knows?

I found out this week my recent convert Mach or Victor from Canlun is now the Secretary and is starting to work on his mission papers!!Wooooo I love my recent converts and yesterday was the last time I am probably going to see my convert Mario and his family.  He is going to work in the Capital so it might be the last time I see them for a while but it was a bitter sweet experience. I had him promise me to go to the temple and he told me he can't wait and we all shared some tears haha!  I´m a baby when it comes to goodbyes but hey its just till the next life so not that long!!

I titled my letter the story of Job because yesterday at church the Relief Society President didn't prepare a lesson and they asked me to teach a lesson hahaha!! But I started my lesson like I am going to talk about Job the prophet and they all just started busting up laughing.. I was confused, I said who knows about Job and they all raised their hands and I was like alright what did Job do?  A lady said he has his corn field and I was like ya... and he has his family,.. and ... I just said he was a perfect man and a prophet... once again they bust up laughing and I was just like what is so funny and they are like Job is not a prophet or perfect and I was like yes he is it says in the Bible!! They just all started laughing again and come to find out they thought I was talking about the Job that lives down the street hahahaha!  After we got things figured out it went well but man I love these people they are just hilarious!!

Well I love you all have a good week be safe and have fun!!

Nekexinra 
Elder Barker

Bueno, wow what a week I was only in my area for two days but we did sooooo much. Let me tell ya!!

Lets start on Tuesday we had Zone Conference and it went well.   I enjoyed all of it.  They taught us a lot about consecration which I have been trying to work on, and I got to buy food at the dispensa woooooo.  I bought a big bag of beans, lots of fruits and Tuna and I still haven't eaten it all so that's nice.

Wednesday I did divisions with the ZL´s.  It was my turn to go with Elder Cadena and it went well.   It was my first time working in a city with like knocking doors so that was weird. Lately I have been praying to learn charity and what it really is, and I learned it on these divisions.  We went to go find a member to leave with us and we ended up at his grandmothers house who was deaf, and some thuggs broke into her house and stole her things.  She was super sad when we found her and even though she was deaf she wanted us to sing to her and pray with her so we did and wow I have never felt so much compassion and love for someone.  It was cool I learned that is what it is all about, being a answer to someones prayers!!

Friday me and Elder Menjivar were going to visit a family when we found a member of the family carrying corn so we decided to help him and when we were about 5 feet from the house my comp slipped and jacked up his ankle and I ended up carrying him home . The best thing was we had baptisms the next day so that night I was praying and asking that we could have our baptisms the next day!!

Saturday I went out into the jungle with my machete and cut and made a stilt for my comp then used some of his ties to tie up his ankle and we were off.  I ended up carrying him up the stairs but we finally got up and I had a plan to take him to a little shack where a member lives and leave him there, and that's what happened.  I left him and I was on my own but I was praying for a member to come along and right when I said amen bam there was a member so we were off to the church to hold the meeting and then down to the baptism!! Everything was fine but then I noticed the member that I left my comp with showed up at the baptism haha!   So I booked it back with a member to leave with my comp, and to tell my comp to take a truck down to Seritquiche where we were having the baptism and meet me there and we will go down toSenahu. That was the plan, but then I realized dang I don't have a member to go back with and so I prayed again and bam another member, and we all left and we had two convert baptisms and a little 8 year old baptism and it was great!!! I baptized some one in a riverwooooooooo!!!

My comp never showed up so I hiked 2 hours back to him and we waited and eventually found a truck down to Senahu and turns out he tore some ligaments and sprained it bad so he is down for a week and I have been in Senahu for several days just bored out of my mind.

I only have one thing to say GOT TO LOVE THE LIFE OF A MOUNTAIN ELDER!!!!!! I really do love it here and where I am at right now.  Everyday is just something new, a new lesson to learn, a new person to find, a new mountain to climb and I have to say I love it!! I used to always think this mission thing and not having food and hiking was a big sacrifice but I have come to learn it was a huge blessing.  I have learned true love for these people and gente here in Semarak and Seritquiche. I am so blessed!!

Well I love you all and I hope you all have a great week and be safe!!

Nekexinra Elder Barker

Hey-o mas sa sa laa ch´ool? us bi inwan bi!!! hahaha batzunk yookin!!

Anyways my week was nuts but probably one of the most memorable weeks on my mission!!

Lets start with the loq´laj divisions.  Elder Hawks and I started out for Chijolom on Tuesday at about 2 and we couldn't find a pickup so we had no choice but to walk and 2 hours later we got there!! The rest of the division was a blur we did so much but to sum it up, last in the old house, first in the new house, tarantulas, great talks, great lessons, chili challenge, more spanish than qeqchi, walking, hiking, seeing President Curtiss, drunks, marimba, good learning experience, and just a dang good time with my bro Hawks!!!

Now onto Friday, I returned to my area and my companion, we worked hard, but for some reason he was mad at me and didn't talk to me for the rest of the week, but hey I´m cool with studying and listening to my church talks!!!  The rest of the week went well we moved into our new house in Semarak that only has six hours of energy and it is so modern and I felt and slept like a king!!!

We also had interviews with Presidente Curtiss, which went really well.   You are now writing to the new nurse for the Polochic area and possibly the mission soon haha so that will be fun.  I might even get my own phone and everything so who knows should be fun!!!

Well that is about it for this week honestly I forgot some things there is just so much to write about but i just don't have time for it, just ask me after the mission!!  I love you guys and have a great week and be safe love you all tons!!!

Nekexinra

Elder Barker

Church in Chijolom

August 26, 2014

Hey!!!  Hows it goin in good ol´ Utah?

Here its doing pretty good, this week we had a Wedding and a Baptism. Wooooo!!

It was by far the most stressful baptism I have had yet it just seemed like everything that could go wrong went wrong, but with some good prayers and faith somehow it happened haha!!  But the story is this, me and Elder Miranda went to a members house who had a boyfriend and we wanted to teach him, and his name was Mario Quim Pop and he wanted to be baptized from day one, the only problem was that the Member Marta was once married and couldn't get divorced.  We pretty much just said they won't progress until she gets a divorce.  But a week later we felt like we should go visit them and good news her husband died so she could get married and with time bam it happened and they are awesome!! Mario is a good guy he was ify about getting married but he pulled through and he even shared his testimony about the gospel after his baptism. And best of all I got a good ol hot bowl of turkey caldo!  It was soooo good!!

The rest of my week went good with my new comp.   No problems so far but time will only tell.  He is obedient but he doesn't like the area cause we don't have food and we walk a ton but he will get used to it!!!

But life is treating me good.  I can't complain, my first district meeting went alright haha but so far so good!!  And its crazy that Ricky is home and Tanner, its nuts haha!!!

Well I love you all have a good week back at school and work and be safe banusilal!!

Neketinra Elder Barker

September 1, 2014

Hey hows it goin?

Well honestly there isn't much to write about this week.  So first off mom my comp is from El Salvador and he is 20 years old and his name is Elder Menjivar and things are going well with him.  We are waking up at 6 in the morning and working out hardcore up here haha we even made our own weights.  We bought some concrete and sand and bam a good 35 lbs and hopefully I will get ripped haha but if not oh well!!

But now that we are comfortable with each other he is testing me for what he can get away with.  He tried to watch a movie but I turned it off and he went to bed mad but oh well! I want success in my mission, but that's the worst thing that has happened so far!!

I am feeling good about the work over in my area it is starting to pick up. We are really working with the members and now that we are working with members the work is picking up and the attendance in Seritquiche is picking up as well.  When we started there the attendance was only 21 and now its up to 36 which it hasn't been that high for a good year they say so its picking up and I guess we can only go up from here!!

But good news with the food is I found a place that sells hamburger meat and little like oh whats this word in english, I don't know they call it Churasco meat and I am going to load up and eat good so I am excited haha!!

My district is doing well they are all good buddies and last night they had to come down and stay in my house so they could give my dats for the week, and we went exploring as a district haha its a blast!!

Well you know I just don't know what else to say other than read Articles of Faith by Talmage.   It's a great doctrine read and it blows my mind so find it and read it!! Well I love you all and hope you all have a great week and be safe!!

Nekexinra!! Elder Barker

Beautiful mountains

Wedding, then a ....

Baptism!

Beautiful Q'eqchi

Seriquiche

New church in Semarak

District

Mas Sa Sa Eechina Ch´ool?

Laa´in Ra Baayak abanan Sa Ak Re li Mision!!

Well this week has been crazy!   We had changes this past Sunday night and my comp Elder Miranda is staying in the same zone and is now big senior comp.  I am going to miss this kid, when we started it was a little rough but now he is pilas going to miss him!!

And now for me I got a call last night from the AP´s and I don't have a change but I am now DL of the Senahu Mountain district.  I am a little nervous but it will be great, but my new comp is what I am most nervous for he is the most disobedient Eder in all of our mission.  Everyone is just telling me to just make him mad enough to where he punches me and they can send him home but I have been praying a lot and I feel that I am just going to kill him with love and change his nature that is my goal.   I want to ask all of you if you can pray for me and that I have patience and that he changes!!

Enough of the new stuff, and on to what is going down here in the mountains of Seritkiche.   Honestly nothing much, we have been working a lot with the members and it is working a little haha!   We reactivated the wife of the President here, I told her if she doesn't come to church and renew her baptismal covenants and repent and forgive some people that have done her wrong she is in for a long hard road especially since she is sealed in the temple and so on but i gave it to her hard and.... it worked haha!!  Sometimes you just need to slap some reality into some people with a scripture or two!!!

We have an investigator right now he is 18 and I am very happy with him, he really wants to find the truth. We asked him if he prayed and he said yes, and then we asked him how he prayed and it was good, he said he didn't feel anything after he prayed.  We taught him that he has to ask in the name of Jesus Christ and he was like ohhhhhh that makes sense hahah!! I don't think he trusts us but he will!!

I am excited about my district and am excited for all of the good divisions and stuff but just scared to death of my new comp.  I really don't want to just lose it on him, I am sure this will be good for me and I will learn a lot. Well I love you all stay safe especially going back to school and tell Ricky hello!   I will shortly see him in a year haha!!  Well I love you all peace!!

Nekexinra Elder Barker

His primary class

Hey hows it goin?

Well this week I didn't do much!  First we had a zone conference which was average, and the rest of the week I didn't do much cause my comp has parasites and I only left the house one day.  From Thursday to Sunday I have been stuck inside which if you are a missionary or have been you know how it is! I had a lot of time to think and study haha!!  It's all good actually the worst was that we didn't have water since Friday so I had to adventure to the river for water and to wash my dishes.  The only problem that is killing me is the toilet but I guess we just have to wait that one out hehehe!!!

But that is life up in the mountains and I asked to do divisions so I can actually work in my area so I will be doing divisions all week so that will be good. I am ready to put some Baptismal Dates!!!

Well I hope this week will be better but for now this is all so I love you all have a great week and be safe peace!!

Nekexinra Elder Barker

Baptismal Font in Seriqueche

Wow what a week I don't know where to start but here it goes.

So I got up to Senahu last Tuesday and I met my comp Elder Miranda he´s crazy, I love him we get along great. He is from Columbia and he is a little disobedient but I am a buena onda with him so I am just trying to chip away the small disobedience before I get to the big but so far so good!!

Plus we have two houses!  One in Senahu in the Zl´s house we have a room where we put all of our stuff and we only take what we need for the week to Serit´Quiche so that means just the necessities.  I wasn't expecting that and there is no food so we have to like battle for food down here in Senahu but all is good!!

It's about a hour truck ride up the mountain to Seritquiche.  The thing is we have two Branches so like two different areas.  We have Serit´quiche and Semarak which is a hour and a half hike up over a mountain and we mostly work in Semarak.  The first time we went I about died but I am used to it now but it is just incredibly gorgeous here.  I wake up and I just walk outside and bam just pine tree forest and then mountains and of course a river where Qeqchi´s are bathing but its incredible!!

My house is in church property all fenced in and its the same as the house in Canlun and nope I don't have hot water.  I still have yet to have a hot water shower in my whole mission but this isn't like Canlun cold water this is ice cold our shower head freezes haha so we shower out of a tube haha.  I sleep in my sleeping bag on a cot until they get us our mattresses haha so my life is camping but its dope!!!

The work is great the people love my name Kaqi´ tul and they are just the best. I love this people, we did have a heart break this week so we are trying to get people married and baptised but first this couple had a problem.  It turns out the husband was married before so he needs to get divorced first, but the district president from Senahu was going down to Coban to do divorces so we got all the paper work to him and then he calls us and tells us it won't happen cause he has a kid.  We had to go back and tell the family that he has to pay a lot of money to get divorced and the lady member just broke down and said all she wants is an eternal marriage and stuff so it broke my heart.  We do have plans to marry another couple and to baptise the husband so hopefully that goes well but we have a lot of work to do this week. The hardest part is that for every lesson you have to plan a hour to walk to the next one so we only get like four lessons in so its hard but its fun here I love it!! 

It was hard to leave Canlun and Elder North and Victor but I know that Victor is going to be a great help with the branch in Canlun.

Well I love you all stay safe and have fun and share the gospel!!

Elder Barker

Well its been a great last week and just crazy!!!

First the most important we had a baptism wooooooo!!!

His name is Victor and he is 19 and his story is cool.

So we found him about 4 weeks ago, well I actually knew him my whole time in Canlunbecause he was always at church. He wanted to be in the choir so we took him a hymn book and I also asked if we could teach his brother.  So we taught his brother a couple of times then the brother of Victor tells us Victor isn't baptised... it blew my mind he knew a lot and was always at church he was just to shy to ask someone to baptise him hahaha!  So we taught him and I had the opportunity to baptise him which was awesome!!  We also had a great spiritual experience with him as well, he got sick and his family was going to take him to Coban a week before the baptism.  He was just having a lot of problems with his stomach and so we gave him a blessing and after the blessing he was asleep so we waked him up and he was just like wow I feel good so from then on he was better.  So he´s great and I am super happy I could  baptise him my last week in Canlun.

Yes it is my last week in Canlun. I didn't have a change we got the calls and our DLtold us that Canlun had no changes haha so I was a little disappointed but happy I could be with North and have more baptisms but I got a call this morning and our ZL´s told me I have a last minute change to the Mountain District. I am going to Serikitchehigh up in the mountains of Senahu and my comp is Elder Miranda from El Salvador.  I heard he is really cool guy. I am excited but now I have to go back to Canlun and tell everyone I am leaving which sucks but ya I am excited for the new change too.  Well that's about it.  I love you all have a great week and be safe!!

Neketinra aj Elder Barker

Hey hope everything is going great up in the states, things here are hot and sticky as usual but got to love it!!

I was wondering when anyone was going to ask about investigators and baptisms and such and I just simply cannot say a word why... in the past every time I have told you about an investigator something bad has happened, usually his date falls, so I don't say anything really haha just a personal problem.   I will inform you that we do have a baptism coming up and I am excited but when it happens I will tell you their story and everything so don't fret!!!

So this week I went on divisions with the ZL´s and I stayed in Canlun and Elder Champagne came with me and it was a blast.   The first 20 minutes he slipped and fell in mud and we went up to San Vicente and had some great lessons.  Elder Champagne knows such good Qeqchi he blew me away with his Qeqchi knowledge and he taught me a lot but our last night he told me I have good Qeqchi and for someone to say that means a lot in the Polochic so that was just a great adventure and all in all a good two days!!  Elder North is doing great and I am going to have him teach all the lessons this week.  If I get transfered I want him to know everything about Kanlun.

Something funny I learned this week from E. Champagne is how to tickle a pig until it falls asleep haha.  It's so weird but a lot of Qeqchi´s have been calling me the pig whisperer haha!!

Alright well I love you guys hope you all have a good, fun, safe and joyful week hey and shout out to Kate for her first date woooooo!!! 

Neketinra,

Elder Barker

What is goin on?

Happy Fathers day to my dad Brett Barker what a great guy!!!  You have taught me everything, thanks!  Hope you had a great day!!! 

Also Happy 22 year anniversary to my wonderful Mom and Dad.

Also Congrats to Alemania (Germany) to beating the tar out of Portugal take that Ronaldo, haha!!! Good luck to the U.S.A later today.

Well on to this week we actually didn't have divisions with the ZL`s but we did have interviews with President Curtiss and I have a great story about that.

So we were talking about just how is Canlun and I told him its been hard to find new people and stuff and I told him a story.  So this last week we contacted this house and turns out its a family - wow!  miracle in Canlun.  We finish teaching them and they seemed interested and they asked if we could bless their bed ridden grandma and she was really skinny and paralysed and the family told me if I could make her walk they would go to church and I was pretty nervous haha!  I told President Curtiss that I can't raise someone and he just was like Elder Barker tell me why you can't?  I was like um... um....  then he said Jesus did why can't you?  I was just like duh of course I can I have the Priesthood and I felt foolish.  Now I definitely have a stronger testimony and faith thanks to President Curtiss. I want my family to know he prayed for you all and he even got teary praying for you all, so someone else here loves ya.  I wish you could of heard his prayer.

I honestly am going a little crazy in Canlun, six months is a long time in one area but we are having success so that's awesome and yes yooli booti ahaa!! its flooding haha!! Remember I always talked about how areas flood turns out that's Canlun.  It rains so hard here that it starts flooding our house through our toilet.  The other week I was battling with a plunger to keep water from coming up the toilet haha good times!!!

Well honestly things are great I have been blessed exceedingly.   Last night one of our families told me they were going to cry when I leave so that made me feel good but its going to be hard in 3 weeks to say goodbye - maybe! Well have a great week and enjoy life and be safe!!  Love you all!!

Neketinra Elder Barker

Wow finally a whole hour to write, but good news... the parasite is gone haha and I did not have a lost day.  I decided to buck up and work and be an Elder of Polochic in other words be a man haha!!!

But anyways this week was good  I saw lots of miracles this week and it was awesome.  so story time... We had zone meeting and the ZL told us that all of us need a new baptism fecha or date but in Canlun nothing is going on.  I was super stressed but I felt ready to go and work again so we go and visit some people and we find out that two people that always go to church are actually not members so we put 2 baptismal dates that very day and it was awesome so bam two miracles!!!

Other miracle, so I wrote you all last Monday in Coban and we had to travel home and take the boat and such and walk 3 miles but anyways we were walking to the boat and bam water the river flooded and we didn't have our boots or flashlights and its night time and so we have no choice but to truck on and we finally got to the boat after walking through mud and water up to our knees ( if you wonder why I need new shoes here is the reason haha) but we got to the boat and there was this other guy there who was going to Canlun and turns out he has a flashlight and leads us home and talked to us about the gospel and bam new investigator bam other miracle.

Another miracle is my Q`eqchi is really picking up. I love it when I speak and people whisper wow he knows our language and they just listen its awesome.  I have lately just been able to speak really without thinking which helps a lot.  This week we have divisions with the ZL´s and I feel they are just going to judge me on my Q`eqchi but oh well hopefully I surprise them.  Elder North is a fun guy and is teaching me how to play chess and stuff and its always a good time here in Canlun.  Well I love you all I hope you all enjoy your summer and have fun and be safe.  Congrats to Carly for her mission call that's awesome she´s going to love it down south haha!!! Well love you all tons peace out!!

Neketinra Elder Barker

Elder North

Hey hows it goin over in Utah?  Hopefully good, and getting warmer!!!

Well I am staying in Canlun for another 6 weeks by the end of this change I will have 6 months in this area haha!!! I know everyone and every little secret path, waterfall, cave everything about this place but I am excited to stay and work and help someone!!! 

My comp Elder Aguilar has a change he is going to an area that is right next to our area with the DL.  My new comp is........Elder North hahaha I am really excited to be North´s comp!  We are going to do work over in Canlun, so all in all I am happy about changes!!!

This past week has been hard.  We worked way hard and I went up to San Vicente and I have some good news about the Loq´Laj Najej a´an.  President Curtiss called and told us to see how many people we can find and how much priesthood is up there and he told us if we are able to find some families and get more men with the priesthood we might have a new branch up there and a new area so that was exciting.  I went and visited that family up there and they were so happy they accepted baptism.  I didn't put a date for the baptism because the Dad wasn't there and so this week I am going to see what he said so if you all would help me out and pray for this family!!!

This past change has been the hardest of my mission with a lot of things, with my comp, with the language, with obedience, with desire to work, with lots of things but I think all in all what I learned was Heavenly Father is closer than we think and he will fill in the gaps for our weaknesses. This change has changed me and I´m thankful for the trials and great experiences. I am excited to have more with Elder North the great Saqi´noq White String haha but yep that's all for now love ya all have a great last week at school and be safe!!

Love Elder Barker

Well this past week has been good lots of trials but some good experiences I will never forget!!

So first I bought a pet... his name is Stevie and he is a iguana pretty dope hahaha!!! so I can explain.

I was at this one investigators house and he had been out working in his corn field and in a tree there was a iguana and the meat of the iguana is super good I hear.  So for food he took it home and it was just a little guy and they were like playing with it rough and so I felt bad for it and bought it for 20 qetzals hahaha.  I took it home, took off its leash and it flipped and bit me and ran away and now I can't find it in our house... just kidding I found it and let it go in a mango tree but still I won't ever forget that one hahaha!!!

We went up to San Visente and we taught this family that has a son on a mission and the mom broke down and said that its hard for them to come to church but every Sunday they can't come they have been reading lix hu laj mormon and they have been spreading the gospel up there so now we have four families who want the gospel and two guys from these families came down 3 hours to get a Book of Mormon.  It was cool the guy asked me Ma Wan lix hu laj Esperanza, do you have the book of hope and I was just like the Book of Mormon and he was like yes, so we happily gave those out and this Thursday we are going up there to teach all four families at the same time and I can't wait, but I am super nervous but stoked!!

I did a lot of service this week but it was fun.  I love old people especially old Q`eqchi people, we went and helped this member who is older in his corn field and no there are not machines here just good old fashion intelligence!! So what we did was simple, he pokes a hole in the ground and I put three pieces of corn kernels in the whole and bam done! Super simple but good fun talking to this Brother and asking him about his history and his family pretty cool life but that is a story for some other time!! 

My comp really wants to leave so I am pretty sure I am going to be in Canlun for another change which I am fine with especially if we get those families up in San Vicente but the work is looking up here and I am always tired hahaha but good fun, spiritual times here in good oldCanlun Polochic.

Well I love you all  - hope you have a good week and stay safe and healthy love you all thanks for everything.

Neketinra Elder Barker

Hey Hey Hey!

Hows it going over there in wonderful Utah?

Over here we are doing great.  The work is slow here in K´anlun Polochic I am being bold and telling people how it is which works then sometimes it just doesn't.  But the good thing is you know who to go back to and you know who your real investigators are!!

Right now I feel like I know everyone in K´anlun.  It's a pretty small place but I have come to love it and most of the people here hahaha!!!

Since the work here is slow I decided to do an activity so this morning a bought a waffle iron and on Saturday I am going to make waffles and put on a Joseph Smith movie.  The key to get in is you have to bring a friend who isn't a member.  I am pretty excited and I am hoping it all goes good and we receive a lot of new investigators!!! I guess this is what happens when you know everyone by name and everyone knows you in an area, just put on fun activities hahaha!!!!

Well spider update I have only seen two tarantulas before these past two weeks and since then I have seen six and yep they are big and dangerous but wow there are some that look super cool but don't worry I won't touch them!!!

Well I am just rambling on hahaha but I loved talking to my family last night and saying hi and seeing how everything is going.  I am glad you all are doing good and having fun but don't worry I will be there for that 24th of July party at Rand's house next year woooooooo!  I can't wait but until then I love ya all and stay classy!!

Love Elder Barker

Turkey Dinner

Kaqi'tul (Red Banana) Grif's Q´eqchi nickname

Having fun with the Bolo's (if you can't tell the bottle says Old Friend)

Service!

Happy mothers day dia de madre or kutan chirix li Na

How do you ya´ll like that in all three languages hahaha but HAPPY MOTHERS DAY woooooo so stoked!!!

Well this week has been long and I am really tired haha but that's good!!!
I am in El Estor for p-day it's next to the huge lake and its beautiful but most important they have such good food here haha I am stuffed which is a first haha!!

I had a baptism this past Saturday her name is Vilma.  Her story is we were teaching her brother if you can remember the guy who had part of his hand cut off buy the drunk guy, that's her brother haha!  She got baptized and she has been a lot of work and still is. We need to keep her animated to go to church but so far so good.   Her family is tough though.   Her parents are don't like us.   We will go to teach her and she will be inside and her parents will say she left and stuff but whatever and her mom never has a shirt on.  If I had a nickel for every time I have asked her to put on a shirt I would be a millionaire!   She never puts on her shirt she just laughs and says its hot outside so.... yep but Vilma got baptized and I am happy for her!!!

We had a lot of birthdays this week as well and its a tradition here to go to their house in the middle of the night and light off fire works and play loud music and dump water on them hahaha.  I plan on bringing this tradition to the states in 15 months so watch out!

I have been more bold this week I have asked 14 people to be baptized.   We have two that accepted and I put a date and we have like 8 thinking about it and just a few who told me no but its been good people are taking me more serious.  Yes we have fun but that's the key to teaching the Q´eqchi people is be funny and make a fool of yourself then when it comes time for talking about the gospel kill them with the spirit works 100% of the time.

Well this week should be good it is cooling off now in Guatemala now comes the rain woooo and I have been asked to give a talk about faith and repentance in front of a 70 this Thursday super nervous hahaha!!  Yep Elder Ochoa of the 70 is coming so should be good and my district has to sing haha so yep that's about it.  I loved the fotos from ST. George looked like fun and everyone looks different hahah!  Jack love the mullet lookin hot!!!

Love you all!

Neketinra Elder Barker laj Kaqi´tul!!

 

 

(Moms note:  This story is from last week that I never had a change to post!)

 

Well this week was great!   We had a baptism on Saturday his name is Sergio Coc Chub he is 10 years old and he has a cool story how we found him and everything!!

So it started like 2 months ago he has two older brother and a sister who are members and his parents aren't members but his family is pretty inactive.  So we had a feeling to go visit them and turned out his mom has ulcers and was throwing up blood so we gave her a blessing and she went to Coban to get medical help...but big problem the parents left the kids without food so we cooked all of our food for them everyday until they got home.

Then about a week after that we met with them again and Sergio told us he wanted to be baptized and wanted to take the lessons so we taught him and he is now a member in the church.

That's not all his mom and dad want to get married sometime soon and be baptized as well, so as I have learned over and over again service is the key!!!

 

Happy Birthday Mema Love ya! and Jacky boo love ya bud Happy Birthday on Sunday......Wow what a week so turns out it was a blessing I went to Coban.  I didn't really see the reason cause my comp could of just come with the other missionaries here but Sunday night before I started peeing blood so I called the nurse and long story short I  have a urinary tract infection hahaha but so that was fun hahaha!!!!

My companion Elder Aguilar is from Mexico City, Mexico. He is cool and I am finishing his training. It's funny his first comp. was Elder Fuller my comp. from the ccm hahaha.  Elder Aguilar really wanted to learn Qeqchi but now that he is here he isn't so sure.  It's been rough for him but he´ll make it.

His first day we came to K´anlun in a pick up and the driver killed a dog on the way it was so terrible.  I chewed him out for it and didn't pay him my way for the trip cause it was just super stupid, so that was the first thing he saw.  We finally got home and I wrote him a testimony and prayer in Qeqchi and he studied that then he just broke down and it was sad.  I felt bad he just told me it was so much and I just stood up and gave him a hug then told him to pray then off we went and he still doesn't really like it here but he is learning fast  - he will be fine!!!!

As for me wow its been nuts!  Lets just say lots of personal prayers and studying like crazy.  I have had a headache this whole week because I have 3 languages going in my head at the same time hahaha! It's been good I have learned from this last week to really rely on the Lord every second of everyday!!

Well I am glad Easter went good for you all and had a good time.  I had a good Easter as well, I finished the day off with eating pumpkin and some other thing I forgot the name.  It's tradition to eat those foods during Semana Santa!!

Well I hope you all have a nice week and are safe.   I love you all tons and nekexra means I love you guys in Qeqchi so...

Nekexra Elder Barker

 

 This a hole where people will go potty!

 

Happy Easter!