Transfers and Training

This week was really awesome, but kinda sad. See the Subject line for the reason. The cool thing though was that we found out what was going on a bit earlier than most, because we received a call on Saturday from the AP's that my companion, Elder Holden, will be training this upcoming transfer! He says he's super nervous and totally not ready for it, but from what I've seen that just means that he's up for the challenge. Usually it is the missionaries who say that they are ready to take over an area/become a zone leader/train who are the ones least ready to do so. In other words, he's got this.

One of the sad parts about leaving is exactly that, the leaving. There are a great many people I've already said Goodbye to so far and still more that I will say goodbye to tomorrow. You tend to get attached to a few people when you stay in an area for 7.5 months. Still not sure where I'm going (that's the norm for this mission) but I do know that I will be going to the Memphis side of the mission. Which means I could end up in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, or Missouri. Yeah, really narrows it down, don't it? Lol

So back before Christmas we were going around with a long list of people and addresses that the Sisters were seeing/had seen once. We were going to go and see one of the women on this list. With it being dark we pulled into the wrong driveway completely by accident, mistaking the brightly lit up one we were in for the correct house. By the time we realized our mistake we were already on the front porch about to knock. We had a really brief hushed conversation that went something like this: 

Holden: Bro, I think that this is the wrong house.

Barker: <Checks for himself> Huh. Sure enough. I think the house we wanted was that one over there. 

H: You mean the one with no lights on, no car, and really no signs of life anywhere?

B: Yeah, that one. Let's go knock on it!

H: One more time, no lights on, no-

B: I'm just messing, Chief. What do you think we should do?

H: I dunno. What do you think?
B: Meh. We're here. This door is here. The worst that could happen is nothing.

After we knocked a guy answered the door asking who we were. We introduced ourselves and stated our purpose. He said he was interested and would like us to come back after the holidays were over. ("You mean two weeks from now?" "Yeah, then") Usually when someone sets a return appointment so far out it means that they really aren't all that interested in what we have to say but are too nice to say it. Kinda like the woman who told us to come back in March... yeah, that really happened. We grabbed his name, M*** and said we would come back.

Anyway, true to our word we came back to this man's house after the Holidays and surprise of all surprises, he was not only there but waiting for us. We had a very good short visit and set a return appointment three days later. Before we even knocked on the door that second time M*** was already opening the door to invite us in. Since then he has read many chapters in the Bible and Book of Mormon, something he hasn't ever done in the past. Both he and his Fiance have decided that they want to be baptized on Feb. 21, one week after they are married. Yeah, we're pumped.

That's my week so far. Let you all know where I'm at next week. 

DFTBA!

~Elder Barker