Squirrels and cockroaches

Dear Family friends and country men! Lend me your ears.
Things are going pretty well here in the GAM. This last week we didn't have a car so we haven't been able to get around as easily but no fret hopefully we will be getting it back today!
Funny story- so the other day the zone leaders were walking out of the church building and they were holding something behind their backs- I asked them what it was and they told me that I really didn't want to know... well I was stubborn and I made them show me... They had intentionally killed a squirrel with their car on the way to the building and they had put it in a plastic bag with the intent to skin it later. Lets just say I was a little mortified with them and their actions ... But then I touched it and it had gone into rigor mortis, I wasn't so upset by it at that point- mainly because it was cool and I like body things... but that is what the missionaries do in Georgia apparently- I thought I would give you a little insight. Hopefully no one is grossed out... remind me not to tell you about how the eye ball came out of it's head ;)
Anyways....
The powder springs stake has stake conference this last weekend. Elder Evans of the Seventy came to speak to us- he talked a lot about missionary work and inviting others to participate in the work of salvation for themselves and others. He invited everyone to go to the temple often and to pray for missionary opportunities. It was edifying and wonderful!
This week in my personal study I have been studying a lot about the influence of the Holy Ghost and the plan of salvation- there is a really cool talk I have that I need to send to pa because I think he would really like it (so I just need to get around to that) But anyways... This morning I learned something really cool! As we pray we can be led by the Holy ghost to know what to pray for and that way we align our wills to the will of the Father- Isn't that cool? I guess I never understood that before.- it's amazing the things that I have been learning on my mission!
Grandma, thank you so much for the package that you sent me! I was so excited and the cute little BYU bear made me happy.
I really wish I could express my gratitude to all of you. I honestly couldn't do this without all of your prayers and love. I think about ya'll often, I worry but I know you are taken care of. I am excited to talk to you in 75 days (not that I am counting down or anything :)) I think it is so strange that it has been almost 4 months since I have heard your voices and almost 5 months since I have seen ya'll. absence makes the heart grow fonder right? You all must really be fond of me by this point ;)
Oh also I may have given you the wrong zip code on my address it's 30127
Well! I love you! Take care and have an awesome week.
from your little missionary in the Georgia woods.
Sister Barnett
P.s did you know cockroaches fly? nasty  

Transfer week

Hey guess what!? I'm not getting transfered! Sister Diehl isn't either, she will have to diehl with me for at least another 6 weeks (did you get my pun? haha)
The residuals of last week left this week to be a hard one as well but things just have to start looking up for us this week :) I just know it!
Conference was so good- I am excited to get the printed version to be able to study it. I kept trying to find people I know in the audience, I felt oddly close to home. I miss home.
This week we aren't going to have a car becasue it's getting fixed, I imagine we will have pleanty of time to study up on everything! before I came into this area the boy scouts trailer hit the side of the car and put a huge gash into the door, they are going to get us a new door. The car we drive is red, I don't like the color very much.
In our zone we are getting another set of sisters so now we will be over 5 companionships, hopefully they aren't crazy :)
As of now (for the next 6 weeks) make sure to send any mail to
Sister Emily Barnett
120 b Brownsville ext
powder springs GA 30127

So the weather is getting a little bit cooler at night here in the big GA. we aren't getting any snow though! I hear there is snow at home... Weird! Do ya'll still have leaves on the trees? Things are just begining to change color here... this last week I took off my shoes and I crunched (leaves don't get quite as crunchy here because it's a little bit more damp) in a few of the leaves, just like mom and I used to do :) it made me happy!
The other day we walked up kennesaw mountain (not a real mountain) with one of our investigators, we talked about the plan of salvation with him.... but then he tried to convince us to become unificationists, I told him I would read his book when I get home becasue we always ask people to read our book. Other religions facinate me, especially their view of the fall of Adam and Eve.
Grandma, thank you for the sweater you sent me! I wore it yesterday :)
I have come to the point in my mission where I feel like two realities are coliding together, Sister Barnett and Emily. It is a really interesting thing that I don't even know how to describe. At least these two people are starting to turn into one person- a very changed person. Change is good.
I really loved Elder Hollands talk that he gave in Conference, he spoke about depression- which hit home for me in a lot of aspects. I believe that one day we will all be perfected and those imbalances within our brains will go away, we will all rejoice- especially for those whom we love who will be made whole. I can't wait for that day.
Well my dear family, I love you all so much! Christmas is coming up in a transfer and a half- I can't wait to talk to ya'll :)
Macie... HAPPY BIRTHDAY this coming week :) I hope you have the best day ever! I will be thinking about you :)
okay, i think that is all I needed to say.
LOVE,
EMILY

Long Week

This week was the longest week of my mission! So much has happened and my heart has been through the wringer... Let me explain.
On Monday one of our sweet investigators father died unexpectedly. She was struggling all week and we spent a lot of time helping her through this time in her life, for a lot of the week we were just friends helping her get through... We attended the Funeral on Thursday, so many people came to support this dear family. It is amazing to see the impact that one person can have on others. 
All week we were planning on a baptism that was going to take place on Saturday... everything was going well, the interview happened and our investigator even showed up to the baptism, she was dressed in white about ready to go.... But then she decided not to go through with it. It was probably one of the most difficult moments of my mission. In that moment I was about ready to throw in the towel... But the Lord is merciful and helped me make it through the week, and now I sit again here at the computer reading emails from home. What a miracle.
This morning in my personal study I was reading an amazing talk by Brad Wilcox from the most recent edition of the Ensign magazine. there is a quote I wanted to share with ya'll
"The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die but that we can live more abundantly (see John 10:10). The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can be cleansed and consoled but that we can be transformed (see Romans 8). Scriptures make it clear that no unclean thing can dwell with God (see Alma 40:26), but no unchanged thing will even want to."
A few days ago Sister Diehl gave me some very good advice... She told me that I need to allow myself to change on my mission. While reading this talk I realized that Change is good and it is what is needed to be a better person, it is the reason that Christ atoned for our sins.
Change is a very scary thing for me, but I know it is needed! I pray that the lord will change me into the person that I need to become. I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who allows me to change, and be better.
Men are very changeable, I know this now.
This coming week is the last full week of the transfer, I hope I don't have to move again! We will be going to the temple again for Mission Leadership council. I am so excited to be within the walls and to feel the peace in the temple. It is something that I need this week. Other then that we don't have any crazy plans... which is just fine with me, I need things to be normal for five minutes!
Thank you for being in my life dear family :) I miss you oh so much but I know that we will meet again one day. Until then!

Also, can you believe that it is October tomorrow? Time is slipping by.
Love,
Your Sister Emily Barnett

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Blessed week

I really needed to hear from ya'll today, thanks for the emails! I miss you guys a lot, but I am trying really hard not to break any rules and call you ;) (just kidding, I wouldn't really do that)
Things are going well in millcreek, we have a baptism this weekend of one of our investigators. Her name is Phylicia and she is awesome! We have been working with her this whole transfer and she is now ready for baptism :) we are so excited for her! We have been really busy trying to figure out how to do everything in the time we have been given, I realized that I am a horrible planner and I have so much to learn from Sister Diehl about that... Transfers are in a few weeks and I hope that they don't take one of us out! This is the first time that I actually want to stay in an area, It is challenging but I know that I need the challenge.
I am getting a lot better at teaching, it is something that comes very naturally for me which is cool! The part of missionary work that I struggle the most with is contacting random people, I am learning to get over my fear of it. If you could all say a special prayer for me that I will get better at it, that would be great.
On friday two of our YSA's got married, we were able to go to the reception for a little bit to talk to some of her family members and friends. It was really strange to be at a wedding, I was a little weirded out... As missionaries we don't really think about that stuff but then when we do... it's just weird. This couple put their wedding together in 2 weeks! isn't that crazy? If I learned anything from their wedding it is that I don't ever want to get married and if I do I will probably elope. Ya'll will just have to be okay with the fact that I am not going to have a crazy wedding.....We are not talking about this any more because it makes me feel weird.
ANYWAYS! Sorry I haven't been able to write back to a lot of the letters I have gotten recently, I just don't have much time but I am working on getting them all out soon!
Sister Diehl and I are doing well for the most part we have our days here and there but mostly things are awesome with her! She is one of those people that I plan on being friends with for a long time after the mission, it's cool how that works.
This week I will be going on an exchange to my old area, maybe I will get to see some of my recent converts! That would be awesome :)
I love you all! Have a blessed week! (People say that all the time here in the south!) 
Sister E. Barnizzle

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This week!

Hola!
This week I actually wrote a whole list of things to tell ya'll so maybe my email will actually make sense today... Ha :)
Things are pretty good for me and Sister Diehl, we have been keeping busy... very busy!
There are a few random things I thought I would share with all of you...
My hair is growing out again! I can finally put it in a ponytail and stuff. I don't think I am going to cut it that short again, I have decided that I like long hair the best.
When I get home from my mission can I take a really long nap? like 3 days long? I am so tired and I am so excited to just sleep one day... but I can't do that yet because I have a lot of work to do here. Also when I get home I am going to be a vegetarian for a few months and I am going to rid myself of all of the gross things that are in it.. Just in case you were wondering.
The other day we walked outside and it felt like fall, it reminded me of home. I am super excited to see all of the leaves here in the fall time! I bet it is beautiful.
I think it is spider season... Daily there is a loud scream coming from me because I see a spider somewhere.... I hate bugs but they are everywhere!
Anyways... So this week was pretty good, we struggled a little bit because there were some hiccups with the flow of our week with zone training and exchanges that we had to go on... But still we managed to pull through to another p-day!
this week I will have been on my mission for 4 months! How crazy..... time is a very strange thing on a mission, my perception of it is changing quite a bit. I realize that now 18 months is a very short amount of time and it will go by so very fast. I am proud of myself that I made it this far into my mission, it has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, I have kept a relatively good attitude and I am continuing to move forward thanks to the grace of my savior. I am a much better person for these 4 months and I am sure that I will continue to learn and grow ( I will be so tall that you won't even be able to recognize me when i get home!)
Yesterday we were standing in church and a girl comes up to me and starts hugging me, I was so confused but then I recognized her... Last semester I worked with her at legends grill! It was so weird to see her because I felt like two realities were coliding... But it was really awesome to talk to her and get to know her a little bit more!
A struggle that we are trying to overcome right now is learning how to plan most effectively. We have so much to do all the time and so many obligations that it is hard to keep up. We are learning how to be really good planners, which is something I desperately need to learn how to do! I am grateful for such busy times like this!
This week I learned a lot about charity and unconditional love that our savior has for each of us! It is so crazy to think that even when we are stupid and we mess up a bazillion times... that still God love us so much and he will never leave us. He will never leave us even when everyone else does becasue he has unconditional love for each of us. I am grateful to have this knowledge.
Anyways! how is everyone? I miss you all so much.
Thank you for the letters and everything else! You are the people who keep me going, seriously :)
Love you!
Sister Emily Katherine Louise Barnett
Also this week I heard a weezer song on the radio and It made me think of home. Will someone listen to some weezer and think of me?
:)

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Hello!

Dearest Family!
This is the busiest I have been on my mission. Things are CRAZY! I am trying  my hardest to keep going becasue it is hard! Sister Diehl is a fire cracker and has so much energy all the time.
Where should I even start! So this last week we went to mission leadership council and we were able to attend the temple! It was so wonderful :) I am extra lucky this transfer and I get to go again this week! What a blessing for me, I need the peace the temple brings right now.
As of now our mission has 230 missionaries, which is so amazing! There are a lot of people but still the work is so busy.
On sunday Sister Diehl and I spoke in sacrament meeting, it was the first time in my life that I didn't have a talk all written out before I had to give it. we were both asked to speak for about 20 minutes, I had no idea how I was going to fill the time with minimal notes. Some how I was able to take up all the time I needed, I was very amazed with myself in that moment. our topic was basically the first lesson and how we have seen the hand of the lord in our missions. I was aked to talk a little bit about myself, so I talked a lot about all of the people back home who I love... It makes me happy when I get to talk about home :)
We were able to get 4 new investigators this week and we taught so many lessons. The experience I wanted to share with you was when we were reaching one of our new investigators (the one I told ya'll about last week, who we followed and then talked to) we were teaching her about the plan of salvation and she brought up a lot of interesting questions but then some how we started talking about the word of wisdom and how that law makes sense to her. It was so cool to see her understand that commandments have been given to us to keep us safe and because one day we will be living in this same body so we need to take care of it now. For the first time in a long time she was able to see her worth and how much her Father in Heaven truly loves her and wants her to be happy! I love this gospel for so many reasons, one of them being is that it brings happiness and a new life to people who have basically given up.
Tomorrow sister Diehl and I will go on our first exchange with some of the sisters in our zone, we are really excited for this experience and to be able to learn from these amazing sisters!
One of my favorite things is to recieve letters from home, they are so wonderful and they make me very happy. Thisweek I was having a really hard time but them I got a letter from a dear friend that was full of encouragement and love, it was literally a tender mercy from the Lord that I recieved that right when I did.

Also I think I am going to be hitting my 4 months on the mission soon, how crazy! (is that even right?)
Today for P-day we will be going hiking!!!!!!! I couldn't even express to you how happy I am that I get to be outside for a few hours! When I get home I think I am going to live in the mountains for a few months... How are my mountains by the way?
Will ya'll send me pictures of everyone and of home?
Well I need to be going now! remember that I love you so much! I couldn't do this with out all of you :)
xoxoxoxoxoxox
Sister Emily Barnett

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No need to fear!

DO NOT FEAR!!! Everything is just fine here in Georgia, crazy as every but just wonderful!
So yesterday we had a "Labor for the Lord" so our P-day was changed to today!!! I have SOOOO much to tell everyone!!!!
Okay first!!! I am now in the Millcreek YSA Ward!!! I love it so much, I feel like I will have so much success here... It is in the same stake as I was in before, so that is pretty awesome since our area is over the entire stake!!! My companion is also so AMAZING! Her name is Sister Diehl she is from Lindon Utah and she went to BYU as well! Our lives are strangly twisted together. Recently they started a new "Assignment" to help sisters in the mission, they are called sister training leaders.... and well.... Sister Diehl and I are the STL's for this wonderful zone.... we will be in charge of training sisters and going on exchanges with them weekly. It's a lot to swallow but I trust that the Lord has a great plan for me and wants me to learn lots this transfer! It is so strange to be in a YSA ward... I feel a little apostate at times but that's okay :)
We have had some amazing miracles and we are working so hard! Sister Diehl is probably one of the best missionaries I know and I feel it to be such a privledge to be working with her. I know we will be friends for a long time, God is so kind to me!
The other day we were driving down the street and we saw a young women walking down the street, we kept driving past and then we decided that we needed to turn around and go and talk to her... so we did. We parked down a street and got out and started to follow her (you wonder why return missionaries are such good stalkers... Pay good attention) we didn't know how we would get the opportunity to talk to her but we just kept walking behind her.... We got to cross walk and we were able to start a conversation. We gave her a book of mormon and set up a time to meet her again, we will be seeing her tonight and I am so so so excited to teach her. Missionary work makes me so happy. I can be having a horrible day but the second we are able to go out and talk to people about Jesus Christ everything changes. This gospel brings me so much joy and I want everyone to recieve it!
It is so strange to me that I am not going back to school right now... This is the first time since I was 5 that I will not be going to school in the fall. I miss home but I am so happy to be here. in fact I don't know if I will be able to come home :) (just kidding I will come home when my time is over)
I know this church is true, so true! There is no doubt in my mind. I hope ya'll can feel the love that God has for each of us! Keep being amazing!
Well my dearly beloved, I wish I had more time to converse with ya'll but president only gives us an hour.... :(
I love you!!! So  much!
Sister Emily Barnett

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