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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TTTTTTRRRRRAAAANNNNSSSSFFFFEEEEERRR WEEK

Sorry for the annoying subject line of this email... But this is about how I feel right now.
I was expecting to stay a little longer in the Lost Mountain Ward, but that isn't in the plans for me! I will be heading off to my new area on Wednesday. I am a little bit sad because I grew quite attached to this ward. I am going to miss the Johnson family and the other people I have come to love. I know that my work and purpose in this area has been completed and I am a much better person for it. Hallelujah
Often while I have been on my mission I have wondered why I felt so prompted to do this when there are countless others who I know could have been ten times the missionary I am. But then I realize that Miss Emily Katherine Louise really really really needed a mission more than she even knew. I know the Lord is shaping me into the person that I need to be and I am grateful. I am pretty sure my future family is really grateful I decided to do this as well.
Do ya'll remeber the investigator that tried to "drop us" well.... She came to a baptism we had on saturday and she brought her son who then came to church the following day! They are both going to get baptized, I know it :)
It's amazing to see things come out of the wood work! I know that as I am obedient and diligent great miracles happen.
On Saturday night the Nashville Tribute Band came to our area and performed a show for everyone in the powder spring and neighboring stakes, it was an amazing missionary opportunity for members to invite their friends and neighbors. The coolest part of the whole thing was when the band had all the full time missionaries come up to the stage, they sang a song and we stood there while everyone in the audience applauded for us! The band then told everyone there to be nice to missionaries :) Ya'll should check out their CD's because they are awesome and the music is all about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!
I am trying to think of what else to write about in this email...
Oh! I wanted to tell ya'll about all of the road kill! I have seen my fill of dead things on the side of the road... Luckily I haven't killed anything yet, I probably would be very upset if I did. Anyways that is a random weird/gross thing about Georgia.
The weather this last week has been a little cooler, which has been wonderful! I think Georgia has stranger weather than Utah sometimes. One minute it will be all sunshiney and then the next you look up in the sky and giant drops of water are about to fall on you without any notice of little rain drops first... I have almost given up having a strong aversion to umbrellas but I am still holding strong... I refuse to use them.
I am going to leave ya'll a verse of one of my favorite songs... I Believe in Christ by Bruce R. McConkie
I know that as we trust in the Lord we will be able to do all things! This I know!
I love ya'll
I believe in Christ- my Lord, my God! My feet he plants on gospel sod... He is the source of truth and light!
Sister Emily Barnett

p.s Give the Barney family my love! I am so sorry to hear about the sudden death of Gweny but I know she is in the rest of the Lord and she will come again with a perfect body because Christ broke the bands of death, what glorious news! God be with her till we meet again.

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Three Months!

Three months.
Oh how fast time flies... days are long weeks are short and months are even shorter. Next week is transfer week again. I am not sure what will happen but I know that what happens will be what is right. I will let ya'll know in my next email on Monday if I am leaving or if I am going!
This last week was wonderful! The Baptism went so well, everything flowed perfectly and the spirit was so strong. I don't think there was a dry eye in the whole room. I feel so blessed that the Lord allowed me the wonderful opportunity to get to know this beautiful family and to teach them, it has been such a privilege. Everyday I grow closer and closer to my Heavenly Father in a way that I believe only this mission could do for me. As hard as it was to leave on a mission I am so grateful to be here and I realize now that it wasn't really a sacrifice at all. I have been blessed far more than I have given, the Lord loves us all. This I know!
To tell ya'll  a little bit more about the ward I am serving in... In the northern part of the ward there is quite a bit of wealth but as you go more south it gets more into the sticks and the people who don't have has much money. I am serving in the south part of the ward right now so we work with a lot of people struggling financially, I feel a little bit more comfortable with this group of people for some reason, they are humble and they know that they must rely on God to keep them going.

 We work with a lot of African Americans, people I have come to love dearly. The problem we are facing is the lack of diversity of the individuals who are active members of the church, most of the people are wealthier white folks. When we do get people to church they are often upset because of the lack of outward diversity, then they struggle to come back again. This is a huge reason why this baptism we just had was so important and will dramatically help the missionary efforts in the ward... The family we just baptized is of African American descent. Because of the increasing diversity of the ward, all will feel welcome! The work will continue to go forward and less people will feel uncomfortable. We have already seen such a huge change in this ward as this family has come into the gospel, some of the less active members have already started to come back. It is so beautiful to watch!
This last week I have been trying to memorize the story of Joseph Smith found in JSH... I have never been super good at memorization but I almost have it down. I love being able to study and pray about the Book of Mormon over and over again. I have felt in my heart that it is true and that Joseph Smith was called to be a Prophet of God in this dispensation.
I love you all so much. Thank you for your love, kindness and support. I have truly been blessing with some amazing people in my life. I miss you all so much but I know that we will all meet again soon enough.
God be with you!
Love Sister Emily Barnett

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