Confetti Eggs

Good afternoon everyone. Sorry this email is so late, but Elder Gibbs and I have been recording a couple of LDS songs with a member who has his own recording studio. Elder Gibbs wrote the songs and we sang. I'll have to send some of the songs to you when we get them touched up next week on PDay. It was pretty fun!
Easter was good. We had a ward party and the only real thing of note is that Texas Hispanics have an Easter tradition of putting confetti inside of egg shells and breaking them over each other's heads, so we all had confetti in our hair. The Final Four is in Houston, but it is not in my area, but we will still feel the effects of excess traffic for sure this weekend. 

Jemma, Angel, Elder Gibbs, Elder Barrus, Armando

My health has been great! We do eat at members' homes like 4 times a week, and it's decent Mexican food, but not Rancheritos, and no one makes burritos. It's a fake stereotype. We cook a little bit. I'm doing great with money, budgeting it very well. 

This week we've been diligently seeking to find the prepared. We've found probably 6 new people who could be potential investigators, but it's still early in the process. The mission has really opened my eyes as to how we have to be exactly obedient if God is going to trust us with teaching those he has prepared to receive the gospel. However, in order to teach us lessons such as patience, the fruits of our labors are not always seen right away. Sometimes we are frustrated when we don't see success right away, but we can't get discouraged. Often times we plan results and think that our improvement should come right away, but we have to have more patience. It's cliche, but God's timetable is different than ours. 

I've felt my heart grow bigger. I'm starting to see others as the Savior sees them, and it's awesome to see the potential that everyone has. 

As for our investigators, Elder Gibbs and I started teaching Roberto along with his wife Rosa, and it has been a little bit difficult. Rosa is a little apprehensive about The Book of Mormon, and wants proof in the Bible about Joseph Smith. Elder Gibbs told her that we could show her some verses in the Bible that prophesy of Joseph Smith and the Restoration, but that even if we did she still wouldn't believe.So we told her that if she and her husband will sincerely read the Book of Mormon, pray about and ponder it with real intent, then they can know of that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. So we've been praying in hopes that Roberto and Rosa will take this leap of faith and have softened hearts.

This experience got me thinking about my own conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how I've been working on having more faith. It's still okay to have questions and study them out in our hearts and minds, but we need to go to the source (the scriptures and words of the prophets and apostles) to find our answers. We can't trust our flawed thought-processes and beliefs that change often over God's doctrine that has proven to be perfect and doesn't change.

This week we all have an awesome opportunity to listen to the words of God in General Conference. If we prayerfully consider questions we have, as well as open our minds and hearts to the messages that will be shared, I can promise that answers will come, and reassurance will be had. The Holy Ghost can testify to us of the truth of these things, if we let it. Conversion should be a daily goal that we all strive for, and this weekend we can have our testimonies fortified and re-affirmed by the convincing power of the Holy Ghost. 

This is God's work. That I know with certainty.  I love you! Appreciate the support. Gotta run, but take care!

-Elder Barrus

Elder Gibbs, Franco, Elder Barrus, Ninny
at the Ward Party last night