IT'S GERMAN

OKAY! Yay for another week in paradise! :) I'm going to start off with a bunch of questions... because I seriously am out of the loop now days. When is Sister Monson's funeral? We heard about it on the day she died, so for companionship study we watched a short movie on the Monsons. She really did dedicate her whole life to the gospel. Her and President Monson were so darn cute... They melt my heart! I couldn't even handle the story of how they met! Ohhhh people in love :) Are Josh and Kara Weathers married yet!? They were my very first friends at BYU when I lived in campus plaza! Her bridal shower was the day I moved home! Are Meg and Nate married now!? I got a picture of them at the temple, but it was before the 14th. Is Moo going to be a millionaire when I get back? Sounds like that girl is working hard! Go moomoo! Go moomoo! :) You should send me some of your money ;)

I busted open the Jerky you sent me in my birthday package... oh my so good! I felt like I was dreaming. Another food item I am loving are the whole wheat ritz crackers! You know how Brian Regan talks about eating fig newtons by the sleeve and there are shavings flying off the side while he eats them? Yeah, that's me and the ritzy ritz :) Hehe. The ASL elders are in my zone and they gave me a sign language name and I got taught how to say I'm a sister missionary! Sometimes while I'm bored in the bathroom or the shower I practice finger spelling... hahaha It's awesome! We have rummagers that go through our garbage multiple times a day.. seriously though. While I'm studying I can just look out the window and there are people searching through the dumpster for things they can recycle for money. It kind of breaks my heart, and makes me want to put a present in there or something that will make their day... maybe a Book of Mormon with some cans tied to it! Haha! 

Here's how our cockroach story ended... we told the elders in our district about it so they came over before we all went to zone sports for Pday. Elder Massey just walks right in, grabs it with his bare hands and throws it out the front door! He's from Florida... so i guess that makes him made of steel. BUT! The story doesn't end there! We were in charge of filling up the baptismal font for a baptism on Saturday. We went over to our church, opened up the font doors, and BAM! There were two cockroaches in the font! I was all like "Nope. Nope. Nope. Satan will not stop this baptism!!" So I got Sister Strasser's shoes and jumped in there and wrestled those suckers! When I squished them their guts squirted all over the font. Oh. My. Nasty. But now the cockroach population knows that Sister Barfuss is armed, hostile, and ready to roll. What's up now roaches!?

I got to go on exchanges in University City and I the sisters there live next door to the temple! And guess what!? I got to teach a lesson with them IN THE TEMPLE! How cool would it be to get taught by the missionaries in the temple waiting room?? Yeah. This was the miracle I have been looking for! The man we were teaching asked a pretty good question about God and the sisters I was with (along with me) did not know the answer and it was something really bothering him. I just sat there and prayed for an answer and I felt like I should look at the footnotes in a verse we were just in. I read it and my mind was just as clear as could be! I knew the answer! I told the man we were teaching, then testified! I have been praying for an opportunity like this for weeks! And of course it happened in the temple :) I can't wait to do a session... we get to on June 4th! :D I won't lie, I've noticed a hole in me from not being able to go to the temple each week. What a huge blessing I had at BYU! Never take the temple for granted. Lets all stay worthy of it's blessing together! The FOREVER Temple Team!

Now for the best experience of the week! After the baptism we filled the font for, Sister Strasser and I both felt like we should go try and talk to a referral we got. He is an old man that lost his wife 3 years ago and he is still in a lot of pain and denial. We were pretty scared to talk to him because the people that gave us the referral said he was pretty introverted and closed off to everyone. But we knew we needed to go and see him and that Heavenly Father would help us find him home. Before we got out our of the car we said a prayer and I prayed that we would be calm and collected so that he would see us as the representatives of Christ that we are. I also prayed that we would be brave enough to be bold and persistent  I got out of the car feeling good but still quite nervous. I said another prayer on my way across the street so I would not be anxious, and Heavenly Father answered me by saying that I was the one that needed to talk to this man. I needed to be brave and speak strongly of Christ. So we walked up to his door and he answered on the first knock! (never happens) I introduced us and he said he had dinner on the stove and that this wasn't a good time and he tried to close the door. I caught the door and said "Al. There are people that care about you so much that they sent us to you. They told us about your wife and they know that our message will change your life!" He just looked at me. He tried to change the subject by bringing up the fact that we were sisters and not elders. I brought it right back and said that we knew he would see his wife again and that there is great hope when accepting Christ into our lives. Then I told him that I WOULD NOT have left my family and my friends for 18 months if I thought that maybe the message was true! He just kept looking at me. Then he brought up something about his cat. I brought it right back and said "Al. You need a friend. We are not here to shove religion down your throat. We are here to be your friend and to love you. Please let us talk with you and get to know your story. Please." He looked at me and said "Barfuss? Is that English?" I told him IT'S GERMAN. (he probably wasn't surprised by that because I was all up in his grill Haha But I had to give a shout out to great grandpa Barfuss. He deserves one!) Al said that he would not make a commitment to another appointment but that "Barfuss and Strasser" could come back if they wished. :) that was all we needed. The next day was Sunday and we fasted for that sweet man! Probably the first truly faithful fast I have ever had. A miracle is going to happen. Heavenly Father is smiling.

Miracle May is in full swing!! Please keep me posted on the miracles happening in your life! :D

I love you all! (but really though. I love you)

Sister Barfuss