Letter 6

Hey Mom and Em,

Sent you guys some pictures and a letter answering all the questions that you sent me. um, christmas week is boring as a missionary. nobody wants to talk to you. we have been getting better at talking to people. we had our first zone conference. i would say it was a direct answer to my prayers on how to talk to people. the whole thing was about tracting and planning commitment plans for investigators. its funny how the christmas spirit out here kind of goes backwards for us. nobody has time to talk and they wouldnt talk to us anyway because they have gone to church their once a year and heard all the anti mormon stuff. we try. i hope i get to meet somebody who wants to hear from us. oh got your package. tell everybody in the family that they can email me directly. its fine.
Love your favorite missionary,

Elder Taylor Barron

(and so i went to the mailbox and was surprised to find another letter waiting for me! continue reading below... AND you read correctly- you can email tay if you're family!!! :)

Hey, (12/17/08)

Hopefully you got my email yesterday. We email every Tuesday. Got your letter from the Ryan Taylor's and Candice Taylor's. I don't remember what of your questions I answered in that so i'll answer all of 'em.

Met lots of families already. I'm getting much better at remembering names. Inherited one investigator. We are in finding mode most definitely. Got one new one and already lost her. Set a new appointment for a past investigator for '09, lol. Working on the unbaptized in a few part member families. Two look promising to me. This one family's son got baptized a year ago and just left on his mission. I might have even seen him. And there is one guy who just started going to church with a family but we can't get him to take lessons. He even goes to seminary. Rrrr. Haven't met the young men but i mentioned to our ward mission leader how good exchanges (exchanges, not splits mom) were for me and we are getting something set up for January with their oldest priests.

We work in the library every week and walk this sick lady's dogs for service.

Traveling was so funny. A few elders and the sister had never flown and they were scared and excited. The sister couldn't look out the window and one elder looked out the window the entire 2 hours, lol.

Got my new comp that day. That night i was off at WalMart talking to real people in the parking lot.

Elder Murley is awesome. He is my trainer and the district leader. He always knows what we can try to get new investigators. I haven't done anything really stupid yet but he always knows when I want him to take over. Usually i don't but it's nice when i do need help. His strengths are everything. He runs a mile with me every morning which is certainly better than not running at all. As a companionship I am sure we will learn more about our strengths when we have some people to teach.

Our dinner schedule is like the Texas missionaries- almost. We have an open night about once every other week. Then the Gardners or someone in the Bishopric takes us. Have to make my own lunch usually. I guess that's sort of difficult. We're probably spoiled rotten compared to most missionaries.

Our room is super nice, we have a full time car, and we have a cell phone. I won't have to move probably until i get transferred. The Gardners have the missionaries until the next General Conference.

By the way, we are super clean. I clean every day.

We decorated the tree (note from me- i sent him a small tree in his bedding pkg, along with a few decorations). It was good because the whole house is decorated for Christmas except our room. it's really weird being away for Christmas.

I memorized in Spanish this phrase for when we meet Mexicans, "Do you know the Book of Mormon? I only know a little spanish. The Book of Mormon is another testiment of Jesus Christ. Call the number on this card. it is free."

No, i didn't see the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional.

I want my plaque scripture to be Doctrine and Covenants 6:33-34. Fear not to do good. Never be afraid of an act of kindness being perceived as awkward or too outside our comfort zone. I live by that you know.

Postcard idea is great. I could also have you fwd emails.

Great letter- love you guys. Hope the pictures are good. Hope you enoy them.
Merry Christmas!

Love,

Elder Barron