Salutations from the North Pole!

Okay yall, I'm writing this email as fast as I can, because the rapid movement of my 2 thumbs is my only source of warmth from this weather right now. It is FREEZING. Despite the fact that I live in a snow globe now, we had a super awesome week, filled with northern lights, wet leaves, and Cheetah print blankets.

As always, say it with me, Business Business Business! We have had an outstanding, super productive week. Our schedule strait up looks like tetris. We have done so many things on the Facebook page behind the scenes. I legit smiled as I was using excel and sheets this week, like who does that? Its been super awesome and the page finna look pinch here in the near future. We also have been mad busy in the ward, and we've met two people that are of major importance. We met a investigator who has quite the past: Vietnam war, bar fighter, super scary dude. But he has a really kind heart and loves to talk! So we will see where that goes! And we met a couple and the husband has been taught for 45 years! Since fire was discovered! So not sure what we will do differently🤷‍♂️ but we be prayin. Other than that, a really productive week, just a lot of Facebook tingz.

When it pertains to rando things this week, its been pretty fun! We had exchanges up in Billings again, so I spent all day raking wet leaves in the rain/hail/snow. Kinda not worth the trip, but it was good still. It's hard to do much here when there is snow everywhere. We did see a glimpse of the northern lights the other day, which was pretty nifty. One of our stellar ward members made us some cheetah print blankets to keep us warm🥰 So we are going to buy a lava lamp to really complete the apartment Also had a bois trip to Billings, went to the temple, panda express, and some other spots. Its was nice to see stoplights honestly.

Other than that, just had some bomb meetings and froze to death. It got to 0⁰ so I've been dying. It's SO cold. Keep in mind it's not even Halloween yet! Our apartment doesn't have the greatest heating so its kinda a struggle for life and death. As I am writing this it is 3⁰ and "feels" like -15, so send help. Next week should warm up so stay tuned for next weeks adventures!

Quotes of the week:

-"Eggnog suicide pact"

-Don't roll your eyes too hard or you'll tilt the earth off its axis

-Yo quick shoutout to erosion 

-We need a zamboni out here for lake crispy

-Welcome to Alaska Airlines, I'll be your pilot for tonight

-How are the North Pole elders doing?

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2 Months in and A White Christmas!

 

Whats up gamers! We back! Invigorated Elder Barlow is back! We had such a amazing week full of meetings, crime scenes, brownies, and snow! It is not controversial to say that a lot has happened this week. 

This week has been great honestly. We have been planning like mad men when it comes to the Facebook page. Everything we've been trying to do has taken a lot of time but its about to get good. We talkin the next level hopefully. All those painful days starring at a screen are gonna finally pay off, so stay tuned! We also have met with quite a few more members, and we can finally go in peoples homes which has been sicknasty! Cases are going up here tho so that's gonna get repealed real quick, so we're making the most of it(especially when its 20⁰, more on that later) 

We've had some great service, helping in gardens and bringing peeps some food, just the usual missionary tingz. We had an awesome district council where we ate some insanely hot peppers, while there was a shootout next door. Literally, no joke. The cop swung around and gave us a referral, which was pretty nice. For a split second, I felt like I was back in Mexico. My mouth was on fire and gunshots+the spirit just hits differently, I almost shed a tear. 

On a more Montanian note, it SNOWED! A lot! There is a couple inches of snow here now, before Halloween. Its supposed to drop to 7⁰ this week🤫 Driving here is already pretty sketch with all the deer and rednecks, so black ice just makes it even the more fun. It's dang cold, it was fun the first day, but I miss being able to feel my hands and nose. All the more reason to implement beards for missionaries. So we've probably seen the last of Todd the squirrel, and hornets in general. Now we face mother nature herself and the difficulties of Facebook. 

Thats pretty much it I think, just fun times as usual. Spent most of a day having to learn U.S. copyright law, made some brownies for peeps, figured out if water is wet. Just the usual. Let me know what yall want to see in the snow this week, snowmen, forts, anything. Hope yall are staying warm🥶

Quotes of da week: 

-See you next time at the height of the pride cycle

-The seed business is robbery! Its second to the drug business 

-Suite like on deck is my favorite chick flick 

-Play some sicko mode while you're stapling 

Finished with Zoom

 

Weekly Montana Sunset

Alright y'all, this week has definitely been good, 100%! But Elder Barlow's weeks are looking a bit different. I feel like a 65 year old who wants nothing to do with zoom now. I just gotta get this off my chest. With this new Facebook calling, its pretty much what I do now. Just a ton of planning, coordinating, yelling, eye straining, and more planning. But why am I ranting, lets talk about this week!

So Elder Hardy and I have been putting in da work! We are basically gonna have our ward in automation doing missionary work. Meetings, ministering, delegating, and making missionary work fun and exciting. The people of Laurel are insanely amazing, so we are gonna start using that to our advantage. We still have a bunch of awesome dinners and service, but our time is pretty constrained. So we think we've found a way to make this rube goldberg machine work. And that's what we are going be doing! Not super glamorous, but effective! 

First Montana Drawing Progress

When it comes to fun, actually interesting stuff for y'all, there really hasn't been much. I'm reaching into the furthest parts of my memory to even remember what I had for breakfast. Todd(our too cool for school squirrel) joined in with us on a dinner call, not even joking, it happened. Quote of the week has to be (in a strong Montanian accent) "Look at this! Four Mormon boys at my store just to buy a screwdriver!" Idk, this week has just been SUPER full of meetings and Facebook and loosing my sanity. I need y'all to do your part and petition for either a chick fil a or Los Primos to be built here. I'm counting on it! Save a life! 

Thatz it really, I feel like this week has been kinda boring. So sorry lol, its hard to make meetings interesting. Give me some challenges to do this week and I'll for sure do it! Hope y'all have a great week! 

Duel of the Fates

 

That perty Montana view

Alrightly yall, this week has been action packed. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. On this edition of lads in Laurel, we find our elders having transfers, conference, and the end of the tyrannical wasps. 

So we start of the week with transfers basically. We got news of it Tuesday morning. Sadly, my dear friend and trainer, Elder Upper, has moved onto greener pastures. I'll still be in Laurel, but I'm getting a new trainer a month in. This was quite unexpected to say the least, because now I gotta actually do stuff, and take charge. Luckily, my new comp, Elder Hardy, is also a chiller. He hails from the foreign land that is Heber City, speaks tagolag, and is over 6 feet tall. He actually is super dope and we're uber excited to get to work. 

General conference was a blast! Seeing that I am indeed a missionary I should probably include some sort of spirit thought regarding this subject. There was quite a common theme in my opinion(keyword opinion) and that is we need to be one. Our eye must be single to the glory of God. We all need to put aside our prejudices, rhetoric, and flawed emotion for this to be successful. We have to at least try to save the soil we stand on, and the only way to do that is through Christ. This is something I need to work on as well, believe me. We gotta start holding our heavenly brothers and sisters closer. Even if the world keeps going down its rocky and dangerous path(which it will),I at least want to look back and say, with full indignation; "I at least loved, cherished, and grew my circle, despite the effort and effects of the adversary" Conference was amazing as always, the spirit was potent. Its insane how influential and uplifting conference can be, if we prepare in the right ways. 

But to completely change topics, we've had quite the adventure this week. Seeing that it was some elders last time here in Laurel. We decided to take on the Hornets nest. After reciting some Churchill speeches, we dressed in full winter attire, armed with a basketball, wasp spray, and a windshield scrape, we took it down. That fateful September night, the wasps met their maker. We removed the nest, scared the neighbors, and triumphantly declared victory. Other than that, we really haven't had too many shenanigans. Just a lot of packing and saying bye/hello to peeps. Sorry guys, I'll try to be better next week to make these emails a tad more interesting.

Since everyone just scrolls down emails and reads the bottom, I'll throw this shameless plug in. I'm now a page admin for some reason(I've been here what, 2 weeks?) Which means I co-run our page. So make sure to give "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Billings" a like and a follow on Facebook :)

Anyways, that's this week for ya! I'll make sure to get in a bit more trouble for yall. I hope yall have a great week! Feel free to send ideas of what small north American insect we should target next. 

Last photo with my guy!

Last day with the O.G. District