Charlie

We're also teaching Charlie. He's deaf. It's really hard. We have an interpreter from our ward but apparently in sign language, they don't use abstract ideas. They are as blunt as it gets. So that is going to be hard explaining the gospel to him but it'll be a cool experience.

 

 In our last lesson, Sister byu and I were trying to explain all these things and ask him a bunch of questions but he didn't understand absolutely any of it because it was too abstract. I'm learning the ABC's so that I can somewhat communicate with him without our interpreter. It's pretty nuts. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

 

 

 

I like Topeka. (ta-peak-a not toe-peak-a)

This week flew on by. I got over my home sickness on Tuesday. What did it actually is that my companion casually mentioned that she was training me to take over the area so she could leave and I would be in charge. I felt pretty good about that and it got me in a good motivated mood haha things changed after that.

Sister byu (sounds like the start of her name) and I are getting along toooons better now. We understand each other better and can make jokes and laugh and teach better now. It's nice. We're not as tight as me and Sister Herrin but I'll take it.

I've adapted really good. I'm working hard and am not homesick at all. I know why I'm here and it's super fun anyway. So Chris cancelled on us. We're going to try to reschedule but I don't know. He doesn't seem that into it. Which is fine. It's his choice. I'll do all I can but I can't force him. 

 

BUT! On the other hand, Alex, the other guy I talked about is awesome. We are teaching him 2 times a week and he reads everything we tell him to and answers all of our questions and he came to the elders in our wards baptism on Friday. Alex is golden. He's just an awesome guy. Super funny and relatable and he's not mentally insane like everyone else here in Topeka. I'll send home my SD card today and you can see him. We get along famously.

 

Matt is another guy we are teaching. He's about 36, just barely got out of jail, and is getting baptized on the 8th. He's pretty insane haha he likes to argue with us about every little thing and then at the end of the lesson when we ask if he will keep the commandment we just explained to him he says "oh yeah, that makes total sense. Of course I will." Hahaha Thanks Matt. We could have done without the hour and a half of debate. But whatevs. 

 

Everybody here has 2 things. 1: a nasty nasty house that should be on hoarders. And 2: an att. i. tude! People here are so blunt and straight forward. I love it. They could care less what anyone thinks about them at all.  Everyone loves me because I laugh when they swear and I'm real with them and tell them funny stories of when I was being stupid and stuff like that. I think it's super important that while you are trying so hard to get to know the people you are teaching, you let them get to know you too. It can't be a one way street. 

 

Sister byu and I have different teaching styles that we've noticed after a week and a half. She plans way to much and doesn't rely on the spirit enough, and I don't plan at all and I like to wing it and rely on the spirit too much. Haha it was a pain at first having to work together but we came up with a way of teaching that is middle ground for each of us. 

 

We teach a huuge black family with a ton of kids and the other day, the prayer was being said and I had my eyes open and the little daughter who is about six, pointed at me and said, right in the middle of the prayer, "Shut your eyes woman!!!" Hahahahahaha I freaking lost it right in the middle of the prayer. It was so funny. Everybody here is just so freaking sassy! It cracks me up.

 

 

The elders that are in the same ward with that we work with and see almost every day are Elder Brown and Elder Every. I adore them. We are all best friends. Elder Brown is from Las Vegas but he lived in Australia before that so he has the nice accent. And he is one of the funniest kids I have ever met. It's awesome because he knows he's funny but he's so real and doesn't over do it. I appreciate him. We get along really well. Elder Every is just as funny but in a different way. He's so sweet and quirky haha He's from Minnesota and he tries to be hard core and gangsta but he is chubby and wears a sweater vest. When he was baptizing someone on Friday, after he pulled him up out of the water, he punched his fist in the air and yelled "WOOO!!!" hahahaha spirit gone. But it was hillarious. I love them. We make them breakfast sometimes and they give us hot chocolate. We just take care of each other and it's nice. 

Hahahahhaha So yesterday at church, Elder Brown came up to me and said that he had a funny story for me and Elder Every came running up and said "If you tell her, I will kill you." But Elder Brown can totally take Elder Every so he told me anyway. So apparently, that morning, during companion study, Elder Every went into the bathroom and was in there for a while. Afterwards, instead of going straight back to study he went into their room and was in there for a while. So Elder Brown went in to see what was going on and Elder Every had his shirt off and Elder Brown asked why and Elder Every said "because I got poop on it."

 

 

 

hahhahahahahahaahahhahahahhahaha I freaking died. I was laughing so hard. Elder Every was soooo mad that he told me so I told him that I have some stories to make him feel better. I also drew a depiction of the story that is on my camera. Enjoy that.

 

 

 

 

 

ELDER MCARTHY!!!

 Mom, make sure you treat him good. He is a delight. I like him alot. Great kid. That's super cool that he came to our house haha kinda weird. Pump him full of food. Oh. By the way. My face looks fat in all of the pictures but I'm not fat. I promise. it's just the angle.
 

 

 

 

I'm freezing my butt off here. I'm gonna buy some Kansas sweats today so that'll be better. I lost my sweats. But if you want to send me some thermals, that'd be awesome. Or I can buy some. Just let me know. Also. Papa, I was wondering if I can buy some essential oils? I'm not sure how much they are but I'll find out and let you know. I love you guys and let me know what's going on! Love you

There's No Place Like Home....

Here are some pictures of Sara's last few days at home, and the people that she loves and unselfishly left behind to go serve the Lord and share the Gospel for the next 18 months....

 

Grandpa Dennis, Dad, Sara, Brothers Matthew and Jake

The family Priesthood that helped set Sara apart as a missionary.

Grandpa Dennis and Grandma Deenie.

BFF Ashley, Sara and Lexi

The whole FAMILY! (minus the little ones and Zac)

Grandma Alice, who is 89 years young. But swears she won't die until she sees all her grandkids married. That leaves Sara, and Sara's sister Rachel.

Some of Sara's nieces and nephews... We're missing 2 at this point in this picture.

 

Big brother Daniel. She homeschooled with him for 10 years, so they know each other pretty well.

 

 

The Family Homeschool Group

Megan, Sara, Daniel and Rachel

 



 

Biggest Brother Jake

 

Ryan, Emily(Sara's "oldest" sister) and Sara

 

Jared, Ryan, Emily and Sara

 

Two influential people in Sara's life. Stake President Jones, Sara, and "Bish" Bishop DeHaan

 

Dad of course

 

After getting set apart as a missionary with Grandpa Dennis.

 

Jake and Sara. One last good bye.

 

Brother Matthew who likes to tease and was quick on the uptake with the hugs!

 

Ty, Sara and Doug. (Why is Doug ALWAYS so happy?)

 

Niece Brooke, Sara, and nephews Jackson and Aiden / Ironman

 

BFF / Sister Rachel

 

Matthews family

Aiden, Matt, Sara, Stephanie and Jackson

 

Ty, Lexi, Sara, and Doug at Provo Temple. One Last Good bye

(because the other two times weren't enough)

 

Rachel and Sara

 

Dad, Sara and Mom

 One last wave as she entered the MTC and then she was gone!

 

Because there's "No Place Like Home"

please write to Sara!

Letters are missionaries lifelines.

 

Sister Sara Melinda Barlocker

Kansas Wichita Mission

7011 E. 13th Street North

Wichita, KS  67206-1219

 

 

And until we get her back...

 

 

Missionaries from the MTC arriving in Kansas

 

Topeka Stake Missionaries at Stake Conference

 

This is her new family!

We Love You Sara!

Sara has Arrived!!!

 

This is the group of missionaries that went out to Kansas with Sara. This picture was taken at the mall in Wichita, before they all headed out to their different areas.

 

 

Five days after Sara arrived in Kansas, and the first Sunday that she was serving in Topeka, this picture was taken at Stake Conference of all the missionaries serving in the Stake.

 

As a mom, it's nice to see your daughter looking happy. I'm happy.

The Black Jesus

So. I'm in Kansas! It's pretty fun here. It's funny, I get a little vertigo sometimes because there are no mountains and I feel like the ground slopes downwards. Kinda weird. I'm completely lost all the time because I don't know which way is North. So I'm lookin like a fool to my companion.

 

My new companion is Sister Be. She's ok. I miss Sister Herrin like crazy. Sister Be. is just really boring. She never laughs or has fun. It's constantly work work work. Which is cool, keeps me busy, but I'm laugh deprived and tired. She also talks waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy too much. She doesn't shut up for the life of her. And she uses the words "inspired" and "salvation" in almost every freaking sentence. She farts constantly and is fat. It's rough. But she does listen to my ideas and does them which is really cool and which I appreciate.

 

We teach pretty decently together because we both follow the spirit and are pretty smart in the ways of the doctrine now. We're not close at all. But whatevs. We don't live with any other sister missionaries. We live with a member. Her name is Sister C. She's the one that texted you. She's black and proud of it! She has black everything. She has a black Jesus. I snuck a picture of it to show you guys. She's completely old fashioned. We ate lunch with her and her husband and son and she was sooo concerned with everything matching and looking good. It was pretty funny. She reminds me of Minnie off of 'The Help'.

 

We have about 12 investigators. TOOOONS of work to be done since this is a new mission. It's exhausting. I found one all by myself on my very first day. His name is Chris. His wife took the kids and left, he's in the military and has post tramatic stress disorder. He smokes and drinks but we had a lesson the other day and he seemed pretty interested. He's gonna read the book of mormon and we'll see him again on Saturday.

 

There is also an investigator named Alex. He reminds me so much of T. Same way of thinking. So I can talk to him pretty good. He said the only thing keeping him is his girlfriend. And by the end of the lesson he was asking who wants to break up with her for him haha it was funny. So I think we're definitely getting somewhere with him. 

 

We ate at a members house the other day called the Bidwells. They are hillarious. They have younger kids but they remind me of our family. We're going there for Christmas so maybe you can say hi. The mom's name is Jennifer and she's my favorite. She just doesn't give a crap about what people think of her and she's super laid back and funny and we get along really good. We get fed every night... I really hope I don't get fat. I'm doing my best not to.

 

The people here are really nice but kinda weird. Half of them care way to much and the other half doesn't care at all. I prefer the latter. Almost everyone in the ward is married to a non-member. It's interesting. And they all hate Utah haha it's funny. Sister Be. gets PISSED whenever someone talks bad about Utah. I don't really care and sometimes agree with them. Which pisses her off more haha oh well. 

 

Mama, I need a few things please. And I did get my huge box. Thank you so much. And I'm glad I got both bags of jerky. Ok, I need: a copy of my patriarchal blessing (it's in my quad in my bedside drawer), and some stamps. That should be it. Thanks:)

 

I miss you guys so much. It gets to me sometimes before I go to sleep (cause that's the only time I have time to think) but then I just fall asleep so we're fine. But I love you guys very much. And I'm glad that Mom's sewing isn't lacking and that Dad can finally be home. I'll write again next week! Love you.

Watch Out Kansas! A Pretty Tornado is on the Way!

 

Well, She's gone! Sara left for the Wichita Kansas Mission on November 12, 2013. Arriving safely she stayed the night at the mission home, and then headed out to her first area...

TOPEKA!

I hope that area is ready for her! :)

Arriving in her first area, she realized that she never received her box with all her bedding in it! Not to worry! She got it 3 days later, when Mission President Call delivered it to her during Stake Conference! (At least that's what I HOPE happened!)

I figure that it doesn't do any good to worry, so I assume that the lack of bedding the first few nights just builds character! Right???

Maybe, if she's cold enough, she'll GET UP! I understand that her MTC Companion (Sis. Herrin from Idaho Falls - Above) has to keep waking her up. hmmmm. Thank you Sis. Herrin!

 

...Now we're just waiting to hear what's up in Kansas!