Hannah looks like a tiny Jessica and all her friends are tall!!! What the heck? Meg Sorensen is a giant!!! My niece is really cute! 
  Not a whole lot happened this week. There was another earthquake here a couple nights ago but nothing happened and no one got hurt because it was in the middle of the night and it was just a 6.8, so nothing was damaged! We found some new investigators and placed some baptismal dates but no  one came to church so we are going to have to talk to them about keeping commitments. 
  I am so excited to be able to go to the temple with you guys. I have always liked the temple but I never understand the need, the absolute need that we as children of God have for the temple, the covenants and the peace it brings.  I  have a burning desire to be able to visit the temple and more then anything I want the people I have taught to be able to make it there. 

  My comp is terrible about exercising so the only way I can get him to run is by playing football in the mornings. I run routes and he plays QB. When I can`t get him out of bed I jump rope too, for about 10 minutes before I do a bunch of other workouts. I have been really good about working out here and I think that has helped me a lot with stress. I wake up excited to workout then I am excited to drink mate! Then I am excited to study the scriptures and go out and teach.

   I have really enjoyed my mission and I need to thank you guys for that because there are lots of guys who struggle with the concept of what the mission is or how hard it would be or just keeping your head in the work. I do have moments obviously of when I get distracted but  thanks to you guys I have been able to work hard all my mission. You and mom taught me how to work.  I may not be the smartest missionary or the best or the most spiritual but I do know how to work thanks to you guys. 

Love Elder Christopher  Ryan Barlow

Working hard to stay focused, Worth of souls is precious....

   Our investigators are in the words of the Chileans, "alli no mas."   I got pretty sick the other day but after getting  a blessing and a couple hours of sleep I felt perfectly fine. Thank you for saying something about staying focused! It has been kind of hard lately to try and keep my mind focused. I do work hard and I try my best to keep my mind in the work. I have learned here on the mission that there is a time and a place for everything.   Although sometimes I struggle in trying to keep my mind on the work I know that I am going to fight and work hard till the end. Mostly the the thoughts that distract me are thoughts of marriage and family, I never think about school or other things. I know its not bad to have these desires. I work hard to shut them out of my heart for right now because not only do I refuse to be trunkie, I know that I need to learn to control the desires of my heart and put the lord first in everything. Those that lose their lives shall find it, I want to find my life. I have seen miracles and grown so much in my knowledge of the gospel but I still haven`t completely lost my life. ha ha. I talk with Lindsey all the time and Mitch.

 
Something I have thought about  is that I would like a lot  after finishing my mission is to be able to visit all the people I have been able to meet with you guys. They are amazing! Meeting the missionary from Logan today and seeing all the love he has for all these people made me think about all the people I have met. I pray they are active and living the gospel. I have started to gain the vision of the worth of their souls. There is a scripture in Alma, 31:35 and Alma is praying so that he might have success to teach and preach. I felt that that yesterday thinking about the people I have met. Oh lord their souls are precious and many of them are precious, therefore, give unto us, lord wisdom and power to bring them unto you again.

Charity is pure love of Christ...

 I have been studying a lot these last couple weeks about charity and the need that we have for it in our lives. I was reading in Moroni 7 and its amazing how much we must change to reach exaltation. Its also amazing how much Christ really changes us without us noticing, unless we make a strong effort to try and see it. His grace is an amazing tool we as missionaries must use to over come our weaknesses. I have been thinking that charity is an attribute that we must posses it is something  we need to have toward  all people everywhere. I was reading a talk given by  President Holland and I realized that only Christ`s love is perfect. We can love all people, that is possible but  we can`t love them perfectly because we are not perfect yet.  I think Moroni is trying to teach in his sermon about charity and  that through our hope and faith in Christ we will be humble enough to the point to where the pure love of Christ, through praying with all the energy of our hearts for others and for ourselves, will fill us and in the last days we will recognize that Christ loves us, that we have loved him sufficiently to be changed by his grace.  We will appear to be like him because we will  have worked all our days trying to do what he would have done. So in the end its true what the scriptures say, only through the merits and grace of the holy messiah, shall in the end we be saved. Its very humbling for me to see how literally we are nothing.  our heavenly father sent his only begotten son, the creator of all things in heaven and earth and countless other worlds and people, to live, teach, suffer all the human condition asks us to suffer, to descend below all the lowest that anyone can possibly  go, and the to die a painful, long death.  He lives, and because he lives I know I will live. I will be changed by him from nothing to something so beautiful I  can`t even image it. I can only dream of it and try my very best to work towards it everyday. I love my savior and his love is real. I have felt it so many times when he has helped and comforted me. You mom are one of the ways the savior allows me to feel his love and for that I am eternally grateful. You have raised me with such care, patience, long suffering!, mercy, and above all charity. Keep trying to be better everyday. because just like Elder Holland said mothers are unique and amazing.  

Check out this cool sword and my shoes! This is the second time I have gotten these same wholes in the sole! 

Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow!

Holy Shoes!!!

I loved conference, thinking about my future goals, love you so much dad....

Hey dad! I don`t have a lot of time today but I wanted to let you know that I love you so much! I need to tell you that your a wonderful father, that has instilled the gospel of Jesus Christ into the heart of your son. You have and will continue magnifying the greatest calling that you will ever receive as a father. I know that our heavenly father is very proud of you and all the efforts that you have made to teach the daughters and son that were trusted to your care. I know you did your absolute best and I will raise my sons and daughters in righteousness as you have raised me. You did what Jacob did to Enos, you taught me in your language and in discipline before the Lord. Blessed be the name of my God because of you. 

Love Elder Barlow

Whoa! How did you recognize that it was president Kahnlien??! He is super tall it's true. What is he doing in the states? I thought he was working for the church? 

Thanks mom for everything you do! Gonna be honest, I thought of you during the conference talks when they talked about moms but more then anything I took notes about the type of characteristics I want my wife to have. Its really strange to think about but I am down to less then 9 months but I am positive I won`t be getting married in my first year home but for sure my second year. I am not trunkie

 or anything like that but Its just interesting how  goals   have started to come to mind lately such as having  children, how I will raise them comes to mind once and a while, where should I live while I go to school? Do I want to marry a convert, a sister missionary, a member from a different country. That last one has only been a thought like 2 times.... 

I love conference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could barely stay awake during one session of conference before the mission and now 2 days isn`t long enough!!!!!!!!!! I need more! I am an addict to revelation and feeling the spirit. I know I feel it constantly but I love the sense of feeling when the spirit confirms something to me! I want that to happen all the time in every moment of everyday for the rest of my life because its such a wonderful feeling! Its beautiful and sacred and somethings only I can understand that our father is telling me personally. My favorite talk was from Elder Eyring, about how our efforts will be multiplied by the lord. I also really enjoyed the talk by Elder Larry R Lawrence about centering our lives in Christ. 

I love the gospel Of Jesus Christ and I learned something really interesting which, yes I already knew. I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants in section 130 that Our father is obligated to bless us for our obedience to certain laws and that the greatest blessing or gift he can give us is eternal life. I have always thought we will be changed from corruption to eternal life but I realized that it doesn`t matter. God has said that if we obey the gospel of Jesus Christ we will receive eternal life. Good enough for me. I decided I would be obedient to all things without question to the lord and his servants because that's the point of the earth life to see if we will be obedient in all things that the Lord God has commanded, no matter what the loss is. I know I am not perfect, I am going to mess up but I will put in my very best effort to doing everything I possibly can to be obedient and loyal to my Father in Heaven and my savior Jesus Christ.

Love Elder Barlow

Oh Mom to answer your question! Matè is one of the greatest discoveries known to your son. It's delicious and I drink it almost every morning piping hot! 

Love this silly smile!

Ran into President Kahnlein at the conference center during general conference!

Earthquake In Viña del Mar, I'm good, it was so cool, didn't have any fear...

Hey Mom! 

I am perfectly fine!!! I was in the earthquake but nothing happened. It was so cool! I know that sounds bad because there was a lot of damage but from where I was in the moment it was super cool! I was in the street walking with my comp and my legs started shaking and everything started moving! I knew it was an earthquake so me and my comp put our arms across each others shoulders and started walking shoulder to shoulder in case wires and things started falling. I didn`t feel any fear to be honest, I was perfectly calm. I was more worried that something would fall and hit my comp and I was ready to push him out of the way or cover him if a wire or something fell. We started walking forward slowly. As we walked a lady started motioning and shouting at us to come and help her, so we went and asked her what we could do. During this time everything was still moving around us and she just hugged us and started shouting "Lord give me strength! Stop this terrible force give me strength!". It was kind funny and sad at the same time. She was fine and when it ended we started searching for all the members and investigators that we could find. Everyone was fine and no one was hurt.   We didn`t have  power, so we were walking around with flashlights. We are all good here except in Coquimbo where most the damage happened. I am sure  this week I will receive a call to go down and help as a zone. It hasn`t happened yet. I am fine though! I think you should watch this video that we have been sharing with everyone.  I am being dead honest about  how I felt.  Its called the hearts of man will falter by Elder Nelson. He talks about when he was almost in a plane crash. 

Finally have investigators, studying Miracle of Forgiveness, finally received my birthday package...

Hey dad!

I am still with Elder Gutierrez which is awesome! I have a pretty good streak going with my companions by having had a baptism with every companion and I don`t want that to change. We finally found investigators! We found 5 this last week and they are really good. One accepted a baptismal date but  didn`t come to church, so we are going to have to get him excited to go to church and make the changes that will help him get to baptism. Some of our other investigators are coming along as well. Camillo accepted a baptismal date but we have to help him strengthen his faith.  He thinks that if he gets baptized he will get kick out of his school and so does his mom. Its a catholic school but I don`t think that will happen. 

I had a really cool question come to my mind during my studies today. I was reading preach my gospel and  was reading about faith in Jesus Christ and how part of having faith in Christ is being able to achieve or accomplish what he wants us to do. I sat thinking about what Christ wants me to accomplish and now I have a new way of measuring if what I'm doing what I should be. "Will this help me accomplish what the lord wants me to do?" I think its pretty good, not gonna lie! I also started reading the Miracle of Forgiveness. It's super good and has kinda opened my eyes to the types of small sins that we commit everyday. I really like it. Have you read that book? I love you dad and hope you are doing well. I am praying for you guys and I also love that photo of the deer pajamas. Tell mama I love here and give her a big hug from me. Also tell Micheal to write me so I can talk to him.

 I got the package! Thank you very much for all the things you sent me! I love the shirts, the ties and the football. My comp loves the movies because at night he can watch them while I am making my calls. We climbed this huge hill with the zone today and launched lanterns from the top, representing the converts that we had in the zone this month. It was a little scary because some almost crashed into the ground and I was pretty sure it would  start a fire. 

Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow

Transfer day to La Serena

Zone activity

Breakfast of Champions

Estoy pasándolo chancho aquí en Chile! 

That's a Chilean phrase for "I am all good here". Like you said I am going through a slow moment on my mission and really trying to find out what the lord is trying to teach me and how I can consecrated more on him. I asked my mission president if my companion and I can get up earlier to study and start studying the Books of the apostles and prophets, like the doctrines of salvation and The Miracle of Forgiveness and other books like that.  Because we had lunch with a member the other day who is dying of cancer and he started talking about the experience of knowing your dying and how he has really just put himself in the hands of the lord. He goes to the temple as much as possible and reads and prays a lot. He is only like 40 and has 2 young kids so its been rough for him, but he says and I believe him, that he is truly at peace with his death coming. He said death is a privilege to him and is glad that he will be able to experience it. I have never heard anything like that before.  Death is a privilege. He is not afraid, he is at complete peace and it brought to mind a video that we share with investigators and less active members called Men's Hearts Will Fail tThem.  It's a video of Elder Nelson talking about an experience of  one of the many flights he has taken in his life when the engines caught on fire and the plane started to fall out of the sky to their deaths. He says he was completely calm. He says he was ready to meet his maker and that a women in the next aisle was freaking out and that he felt bad for her. I think we need to prepare better for these moments of life. I have no idea what will happen to me in my life apart from the promised blessings that I have from my patriarchal blessing. When I pass away I want to be able to say the same thing, that death is a privilege and I am ready to meet not only my maker but my savior and enter into his presence. I know I have to do much more, but Jesus Christ is the savior of the world. He made is possible for each and everyone of us to be able to change and not only become free from death but free from sin, imperfection and fear. I am so grateful for my savior and brother.

Tell sister Tait she literally is always in my prayers!!!

Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow