Dec 29th

Long time no see!

That’d be a lie, because I saw y’all, you saw that I saw y’all, and neither of us can deny it! It was the best part of Christmas for sure! Thanks for being the same incredible family! Sounded like the Christmas Spirit was loud and clear for all y’all! Thanks for sharing just a moment of it with me! So many incredible things are happening here in Kennesaw. This is the right place!

Up: Clearly, it was speaking with y’all! But everything surrounding Christmas was really touching, truly. We were so well taken care of and felt loved everywhere we went. I was so glad to share that love with others. I wish I could have done more in return for these amazing members. I hope that someday I can make the impact on a missionary or someone that these people have had on me! Namely, the Ravsten’s, the Ohman’s, the Brooks, the Thurstons, Bro. Kuczma, the list can go on and on! It was a special set of days! 

Up: We met with Princess on the 23^rd and we had planned to teach her how she can know better of God’s love. She asked the question earlier,”Where is God in all of my suffering?”. We spoke of Prayer, Scripture Study, and Attending Church. In all three cases she came to the conclusion that God was nearby. Rewind, before the lesson started, we opened up to Acts 17:27-29. We came to find out that a member family in the ward gave her a Christmas Gift, one of our Recent Converts took her shopping, and another Member took her to go pick up a bike for her son, Jeremiah, out in Marietta. It was a serious out pouring of God’s love! So amazing to be a part of it all! 

Down: I didn’t quite finish the Book of Mormon by Christmas. Maybe next year! 

Up: A miracle for you happened on the 23rd with Elder Hollingsworth on an exchange (he serves here in Kennesaw Mountain as well). We were doing some inspired tracting around our members, in the rain, and hit door after door of people that would like to have us back, but we came to one door we felt so good about. We met this Nigerian family of eight that welcomed us right in and had several questions for us. I love teaching families! They accepted to be baptized as they came to know that it was true and invited us back over to try some authentic Nigerian food and have a lesson! We are super excited for this family! We were totally led to them! Earlier I had been discussing with Elder Hollingsworth about our difficulties in finding and then Lord gave the increase! God definitely still inspires men!  

Thanks for everything, seriously! I am ever so grateful that I have y’all in my life! I love you all so very much! Please keep up the smiles and the good times! I love you all, seriously! Please let me know what I can do to help! Have another blessed up week! Fight the good fight! 

Love,

Elder Dallan Barnes

Dec 22

Merry Merry Christmas Y’all!

Another Christmas is upon us! It will be such a treat to see and hear from you real soon! Looking forward to it! It seems all is well back at the ranch! Everyone survived their finals which is a blessing in and of itself! Next semester is coming right up so get the rest you need! Enjoy the goodies as well! Personally, I think Georgia is the place to be for Christmas, but you can try to disagree with me on that! Thanks for the emails! My week was swell! A lot of things great things are happening here!

Up: We had a special Christmas Conference at the Temple this week with half of the Mission. It was a magical time! There was a catered BBQ dinner. Much singing. Many testimonies were offered. The Spirit of Christmas was certainly felt! It was memorable! I will never have anything like it in the rest of my life! I was soaking it up. Jesus Christ is Christmas! 

Down: I decided that I am not very talented. At least musically! We have some very gifted people here in this mission! I try to console myself saying that my gifts can’t be shared at events like that. Maybe a gift of mine is rationalizing………

Up: Princess Davis and her two kids! They came to the Ward Christmas Party! It is just a matter of time and getting her to quit smoking. She already has the desire to do such, so we do not anticipate any difficulty as we move forward. They are progressing well, but probably won’t be baptized this month! They will make it though!! It is so incredible to see people’s faith growing and their hearts changing! 

Up: I get to see y’all in a few days! I think we are doing dinner around 6:00PM, so the skyping could be before hand, but more than likely it will be after. Does that work? Thanks for the Christmas Packages too! We are so spoiled here! Elder Richardson is amazed! 

Up: The miracle this week was in finding and locating another family that is in distress. I studied Alma 28 and it is mentioned in verses 13 and 14 the great reason we are called to diligently labor in the Lord’s vineyard. Which is to remove the snares and prevent the snaring of the heart’s of God’s children from the adversary. People really are taken by his schemes. Alicia and her family of three we found the other day. They are in a difficult spot and are in need of a miracle. Alicia is raising all three of her kids away from her family in Ohio. She moved to give her kids a better life than she had. She recognized that her faith was going to be the key here in moving forward. She had plans to come to church but they were changed due to some interesting circumstances. We will be seeing her this week and helping her along to church. She wants her kids to be baptized with her and created a foundation where they will strengthen one another, because each other is all that they have. It was a humbling experience to say the least! I do know that they can make it though! 

Thanks for the emails and the Love! We will look forward to conversing here right quick! Please let me know what I can do for y’all! In order to capitalize on the Skype Time, let’s have some ideas before we chat! Y’all have done so good with that so far! Enjoy the Quiche the White Elephant Party! Love you all so much! Have a blessed up week! I will see you soon! Fight the good fight! 

Love,
Elder Dallan Barnes 

He is the Gift!

Miss Abby was in charge of Operation Christmas Tree! She was super stealthy and not spotted by the handsome missionaries that live in Apt 104........nicely done Abby!

This is Ralph who was found living in the Christmas tree....a Christmas miracle....a lucky lizard!!!

                                                             All ready for Christmas!

                                Who is the weirdo behind the tree with Reindeer glasses???

Dec 15

It sounds like the madness is happening out in Utah! I wish all of you the best for the finals that are upon you! I don’t happen to have any exams like that. The only final I have to worry about is, well, there really isn’t any, not any that I want to discuss. But Christmas! Right around the corner! That is incredible! Sounds and looks like Christmas Cheer is being had! Let me run you through the week!

Up: We survived and thrived in the Zone Conference we had the privilege of running! We totally rallied around a Zone goal. We originally set a goal of 28 Baptisms, but with an increase of faith, the Zone agreed to 48 by the end of the transfer! We had no agenda and let the Spirit guide. We are surrounded by the Noble and Great! The Zone also came to the conclusion to fast for these 48 souls! We fasted Tuesday night through Wednesday and had a Zone Miracle Call to conclude and celebrate! It was remarkable the testimonies and experiences that were shared. 

Down: A bit of a cold has caught me. It isn’t even cold out here. What gives?? I suppose the Lord is wanting to make me work a little harder. 

Up: We had 5 minutes before we had to be on a conference call, and we felt inspired to hit one more door. We knocked on it, and out came a lady that said that there was someone that really wanted to talk with us that just left. Much to our amazement, she ended up being the one we needed to speak to. She was distraught by somethings she had discussed regarding who can go to heaven. She asked us how she could know that she would be in Heaven and not Hell! Her name is Glory and she is from Nigeria! She accepted a date to be baptized right there on the door step! The time we have is precious! Anything can happen in just a moment!

 Down: Princess might be moving. She has hit a bit of a rough patch and is considering her options. She didn’t quite make it to church either. We’ll keep working with her!

Up: The miracle for this past week for you stems around a darker cold night, namely Friday. One door after another, rejection, often rude too. I questioned if we needed to be there. I felt such unrest that we needed to be, and we hit one more door. Out came a lady named Tiffany. She moved from South Carolina to get a fresh start. She is a young mother with 2 young children. I had an epiphany, as did Elder Richardson, of the Missionary Mom from Meet the Mormons. She accepted to be baptized right there! She wants more peace in her life! I don’t think I have felt so strongly about someone at a door than this woman. We will be following up with her this week and helping her experience God’s love! It was a testimony to both of us that there are many prepared and the only way to find them is by the Spirit, through much prayer and courage to follow impressions!

Thanks for all that you do for me! It makes me so happy to hear that all is well! Love you all so much! Please let me know what I can do to better help any one of you! Fight the good fight! Have a blessed up week!

 Love,

Elder Dallan Barnes

If Satellites can guide cell phones, Heavenly Father can guide His Children.

Dearly Beloved!

My Family! My Friends! My Foes even! Good morning! It is an immense privilege to be in your midst! Thank you for your prayers, your thoughts, and you! Thanks for being you! Each and every one of you, all the you’s out there have played such a huge role in my life and in sculpting me into who I need to be! The true Spirit of Christmas is upon us, namely, the pure love of Christ! Thank you for possessing that kind of love, because that is exactly what the world needs! It has been a stellar week out here atop the Kennesaw Mountain! Let me tell you, the view is great! If my forecasts are right, it will be a white Christmas! At least with baptisms! Who knows, maybe we can get some snow too. Here’s the weekly update!

Up: It sufficeth me to say that my new companion is the man! Elder Richardson is from Nampa, Idaho, loves sports, has an incredible testimony and desire to do the work, just transferred from Thomaston, has been out 7.5 Months, and helps make my weaknesses strengths! He is calm, cool, and collected. I am so excited to be serving with him this transfer and hopefully I will get to spend a little more than that with him! It is weird being with only one companion, but I think I can get back used to it!

 Up: We get to prepare, plan, and run a Zone Conference on our own. It is quite the feat but it will be a really cool experience for us and the Zone! We also have a Christmas Conference at the Temple next week! Truly we are blessed our here in the big A. It is all about “He is the Gift”.

 Down: We had an investigator, Tony, who totally fell of the radar. He was moving towards baptism, the one that we wept with on the doorstep. Come to find out that he left everything behind and no way to find out where he is. This world seems to be so small, but it also happens to be big enough to people to disappear. We will be praying that somewhere down the road missionaries run into him.

 Up: It’s a Christmas Miracle! This past week’s miracle was with our investigator Princess. We had a meeting with her set for Saturday Evening. Our team up had an emergency and we were left to scramble and put something together. We called and called, all to no avail. We then prayed and were lead to call the Peterson Family. They had a hectic schedule with their five kids, a wedding, and you name it going on, but they so lovingly set aside 45 minutes of their time. It was one of the most incredible lessons I have been a part of, teaching to her need of finding happiness each day through the Atonement of Christ. They ended up offering up their home for dinner on Sunday with her and her family and having her over for the Christmas Devotional as well! It was divinely appointed because this family has told us that they haven’t had an investigator in their home for many years. I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father! He cares for us and he cares for all of His Children! Miracles do continue to happen!

 So that is about it! Thanks for all that you do for me! It has been incredible to be here in Georgia! Please let me know what I can do to better help you! Fight the good fight and have a blessed up week! Love you all so much!

 Love,

Elder Dallan Barnes

Don’t pay the price of not praying :)

Birthday Spoils!!!

Dec 1

You Big Turkeys!!

It is so good to hear from everyone yet again! I am so grateful for you! I love you all so much! On a scale of one to stuffed, how was Thanksgiving? Mine was most excellent! December is upon us! What in the world?? I just don’t understand where time has gone! What I do know is that I am here in Georgia, and there is not a place I desire else to be! I’m just out here climbing Mountains! Namely, the Kennesaw assortment! It is a bone chilling 65 degrees out here. I am not complaining either! It was a weird week considering I spent more time away from our area, but I thoroughly enjoyed it all!

Up: I had the chance to spend a few days on bike! I spent two days in Carrollton with the mighty Elder Holy, the last time I was around him was in the MTC! He is one spectacular Elder! We had many miracles, but one in particular while we were out biking, Elder Holt and I had plans but nothing was panning out. The appointments we had slipped out of our reach, and we were left wondering what was next. We were walking to a door and I saw a lady walking towards hers across the street. I had a feeling I need to talk with her. I stopped, stared at the clouds, pondering the beauty of this Earth, and then asked her what the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. The conversation turned towards God’s grandeur, and the miracles she had witnessed. Martice was not supposed to live past 5 due to her health problems, but now she is proud to have two children and one grandchild. She wanted a chance to have a remission of her sins and she accepted to be baptized! It was the Lord, yet again, looking after us and putting us in the right place! God is good! I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father! Many are prepared! It was all worth it to find her that day! She will be coming to church next Sunday!

Down: Both my companions are leaving me! Elder Kennedy leaves to Brazil Tuesday evening. Elder Pack will be leaving at the transfer meeting! I am going to miss these two! I love these brothers so very much! I will be remaining in place and getting just one companion. Who knows, maybe we will pick up a third if I stay here long enough! I am excited though!

Up: We had the chance to spend our Thanksgiving at the great Clark family’s home! It was an incredible place to be and much food, fun, and jubilation was had! They were so generous to have us over! We even had some Eggnog Mousse Pie! The other thing I am proud of, I did not gain any weight! That’s a real kicker!

 Up: One other quick miracle that we saw, me and Elder Pender as I was on exchanges out in Lithia Springs. When I was there for a week we found some incredible people that somehow fell through the cracks! We were able to relocate them and the one that I felt so good about, we dropped in,Terrence and Tiffany. They weren’t home but their Tiffany’s Mom came out to speak with us. She opened right up telling us how much we helped Tiffany the one day we knocked on their door. She then explained her situation and how she knew we were sent by God to see her. She had just been praying and poof, there we are! She accepted to be baptized and we will be working with all of them. She said she was going to post us on Facebook because we were that answer to her prayers! It is amazing to know that you are in the right place at the right time! 

Well, I have to get jamming! Y’all are incredible and I love you so much! Please keep fighting the good fight! Find someone to serve this holiday season! True giving is receiving! Hope you have an excellent blessed up week!

Love,

Elder Dallan Barnes

Doubting Disables Divine Delicacies!