Hey mom and dad!! What crazy news! Everything is changing! I have changes this week and you guys had changes last week! I will probably have a new comp! We had a really hectic week with all the teaching and lessons, which was awesome! 

I am tired, I'm tired all the time. These last couple days I have felt a little better but physically I am pretty gassed.  I feel like I'm getting to the metaphorical wall that you guys hit when you run marathons. I keep getting skinnier but I think I have a tape worm.......... jk  Spiritually I am good and with all the crazy stuff going on here in the mission and at home I am pretty excited but Waking up early is getting harder and harder. Waking up on time has even become something that I have to force me self to do. I have been praying a lot to have self control.

This week we taught 17 lessons which was awesome and we found some really interested people. It's really a miracle that the church exists in the way that it does. In 3 weeks we have found  people who have been catholic or other religions and  just decided that what they had learned their entire life was completed by the doctrine of Jesus Christ. The power of faith and the power of the truth. It divides all barriers and cuts through all darkness like the sun piercing a cloudy day. Isn´t the gospel great! I think of all the things I have learned from my mission and the greatest thing I have been able to learn is about the nature of the trinity. Something you guys did, which I love was that you taught me the principles of the gospel and made sure that the puzzle of my life and identity had at least the boarders put together. The mission has helped me put all the other pieces that form the picture into place. I know I learned all the things that I have been teaching here at one point  or another but it was just kind of a mixed up wad of truth and information but I didn`t really know how to apply it in my life. Being here and teaching it has brought me the clarity of who I am and how the gospel works and flows and where its going to carry me. I would invite you and the family to study preach my gospel. Read chapter 3 which talks about the principles of the gospel at night with the girls and I promise that they will be able to see a little more clearly of how everything has a connection.  

I had a thought the other day about the priesthood ordination. When we are ordained to the priesthood, they don´t give us the priesthood but they confer it upon us. I was thinking about that and the association this has with keys. I don´t know if this is doctrine but I had a thought that every man in the world already has the priesthood but it can only be unlocked by those with keys or by those who have been authorized by key holders. Its really interesting because it relates in that many are called but few are chosen. Why are they not chosen because they have decided that they don`t wish to have their inheritance. They trade it for a metaphorical bowl of gruel. I was studying in the book of Alma and was reading about the war chapters. Its interesting that the Book of Mormon has so many chapters about war and almost always it talks about the consequences that it has upon men. We have so much responsibility and god has trusted us with so much power. Just like the men of the Book of Mormon, we see that in the wards and stakes of the worlds when they decided to be righteous and follow good everything works out and they are blessed, but when one leader decides to be prideful and usurp the authority which god has granted him, all suffer and there are consequences for generations. They Book of Mormon is the saints guide to being a righteous priesthood holder.  

Elder Barlow!!

Christopher Astudillo was baptized, can't believe how chubby I was, humbled for the trust the lord has given me....

What??????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Emma Finished her mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??? O my fetch........ Moooooom! I am so old................................... today I transferred all the photos from the beginning of my mission from one flash drive to another and I was so fat when I got here oh my goodness! I was like a chubby sausage! Its disgusting... Wacala (gross). I just realized that all the missionaries who I got here with me have already finished their mission and that basically there is no one here now that has more time then my group. 

Christopher Astudillo got baptized yesterday and it went super well. He was pretty pumped when he left the water and just started to smile really big. He got up to bear his testimony after the service. It was really simple but I could tell that he had been cleansed of his sins and that he could feel a cleanliness and a spirit he had never felt before. His mom was really happy and this Sunday he will be confirmed a member of the church of Jesus Christ and he will be ordained to the office of a deacon. I hope I can stay here for a while because I would like to see his progress.I was going through all the teaching registers of this area and the lord has placed some of the best missionaries that I have met on my mission here, in this area. It gives me pride and humbles me to know that the lord has placed his trust upon me and that he has trusted this area to me and my comp. All my mission I have tried my hardest to work hard and to be a good obedient servant of the lord and I honestly believe that I have been an excellent missionary. I don`t say this to toot my own horn, I say this to give thanks to the amazing parents that I have had. You and dad taught me what it means to work hard and to be self-sufficient. To love the Lord and serve him the best that I can and I would say that if you guys had an interview with the lord about how hard you worked in raising me he would say, Well done, thou good and faithful sservant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 

Love Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow

Hey dad,

Everything has gone by so ridiculously fast. I told mom about this but I wanted to tell you too. I am in a area that is pretty complicated to work in. I have been going through the area book and looking at the missionaries that have been here and It´s very humbling to see who has been here. All the elders who have been here are some of the best missionaries that I have met in my mission. I want to thank you for having taught me to trust in the lord and for teaching me how to work hard. I love you for the great example you have given me and I know its because you were a good missionary as well. 

Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow

Christopher Astudillo's baptism!!!

Transferred to Quillota, new companion Elder Arpires from Argentina, hopefully we have a baptism this week...

I got transferred! I am back in the zone of Quillota!!! I am the district leader of the zone leaders and the sister trainers here so I will probably be a district leader for the rest of my mission! My comp is from Argentina! His name is Elder Arpires and he`s from Catamarca which is close to Cordoba He doesn`t talk with the che but he does pronounce his erre different. He is a really good missionary and works really hard. I am pretty pumped to be here with him. We are having a baptism this Sunday and we have a group of good investigators.

Mama no se ponga (don't get) trunky  ;) haha 

Love Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow 

Grateful for priesthood opportunities, Super slow week, transfers are coming...

Hi Mommy! I Love YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I will have a transfer meeting on Wednesday! I will probably be transferred to the sector where I will finish my mission. It should be interesting! Nothing absolutely nothing happened this week!!! We had 93 contacts which is really good for a week but we taught only one new investigator and out of the 16 appointments that we had none were there! I am used to it though so its all good, the gospel is still true. 

Lots of love 

Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow 

I was thinking about the power of the priesthood and the need that I have to receive as many spiritual gifts as our heavenly father is willing to bless me with. I am very grateful for the opportunity that I have had to interact with the priesthood holders here because they have really opened my eyes to the power and reality  of the priesthood and I have had many of my own experiences. 

You better start your marathon training because were going to run one together before the end of this year! I'm gonna wreck you!

Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow

December was busy, baptized Antonia, meeting Elder Jose Texiara of the 70 and finally received my Christmas package...

 I can´t write you a lot about this last week because I don't have lots of time but this year has started off pretty dang well, not gonna lie! I am going to be able to meet another 70 this week, Elder Jose Texiara! It will be cool! This will probably be my last week in La Serena and next week I will most likely go to the area where I will end my mission!!!!!!!!!!!!............. Crazy! I want to tell you that I know that our heavenly father listens to and answers our prayers. If there is anything that will lead is to the truth, it is sincere conversation with our heavenly father! 
Oh and I got the packages! Awesome!!! I love the star wars shirts but I don´t think I will wear one because It has Leia in a metal bikini. Hahah  

Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow

Hola momma! 

I had a wonderful Christmas week! Last Monday was just a normal day but on Tuesday we had a Christmas activity and a BBQ which was really cool! We played around and had super good food. 

We also had the baptism of Antonia Berrios! She is awesome and now we are teaching her aunt and her grandma! They both went to church yesterday. We are also teaching the boyfriend of a  sister in our ward. We could have 3 baptisms at the end of church, so i will be praying and fasting a lot so that happens! Its ok that the package hasn`t come yet it, doesn`t bother me. Dad's gun is fetching sweet! I really like the photos you guys sent me! You all look the same just Hannah and Britt look older and Lucy looks super happy to be with Santa! I would guess that she was screaming her head off.  Love you mom! Have a happy new year!! 

Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow!

We are going to have a baptism today!! I am pretty excited! All that hard work this last 5 months is going to pay off! Her name is Antonia Berrios! She is 9 and will be baptized by her grandpa. I am going to confirm her this Sunday. Everyone said that Star Wars was awesome but that they changed the story of star wars a lot from what it  already existed. I still haven't gotten my package but I think I will get it on the 6th of January because a 70 is going to come and speak with us. I think were going to call at 3. Hopefully everything will work fine. Dad said he was going to make a destroyer ginger bread house in my honor. Did he? Everyone looks the exact same as before.  ha ha Parker only looks slightly older. Maddi is leaving right? Are Abbey and Flo engaged already because some of the girls from my high school have just recently gotten sealed.  That's a really good picture of Jess and Lucy. I have always been kind of a Grinch about Christmas, but this Christmas has been really different for me, not only is it my last here in Chile but its also my last without snow. I will also end the only year of my life fully consecrated to the lord. In a very small part I am starting to learn how much really our savior and father in heaven love us. I probably won´t understand until I am face to face with them and can tell them I love them too. I love my savior and I love you momma. See you in a couple days!  

Your favorite child

Elder Christopher Ryan Barlow 

New investigators, baptism and talked someone from jumping off the electrical pole....

I have had an interesting week! We stopped a guy from committing suicide yesterday. He had climbed up one of the towers that keep up the big power cables and was going to throw himself off. He was drunk and saying his life was worth nothing! We shouted at him to come down and come talk to us and that we could help. He came down and we talked for a bit then one of his friends came and then the cop but nothing dramatic happened after that. 

We found 2 more investigators who are really good ladies. A mother and her daughter named Jenny and Mary. They just lost their son and older brother and are really distraught. They talked with their neighbor who is a member and invited us to come and talk with them and give them blessings of counsel and comfort. They calmed down and we came back2 days later. She was having another panic attack so we shared a message with her and she calmed down. She is really hard of heart but recognizes that what we are sharing will help her to feel better. Their names are Jenny and Mary. I also baptized a convert of some sisters in my district, which not gonna lie, was really cool! I also interviewed him. It was cool to see his repentance process and to be able to baptize him for the remission of sins, it made me feel like a tool in the hands of the lord. 

Love,

Elder Barlow

  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