week 68 part 1

Today is transfers!  I'm staying in Milford.......just kidding. I'm finally, after 9 months, leaving to go back to England. I'm going to Loughbrough, near Leicester.  I'm follow up training a boy in Elder Dutton's group.  He is from Spain.  

I know that God has a plan for me, I would have never thought of this place and it makes me know that President is called of God and that I'm meant to be here.  I'm excited to be in a new area with a new companion, it's kinda nice.  

This is my new address.

Elder Barton

11 Thomas Street

Loughborough

LE11 1SH

England

We are emailing at a member's house tomorrow, so I'll send a better email then.  We are at the Mac Store at the Bullring now just popping off quick ones to let everyone know. 

week 33

I'm happy :).  I finally got my birthday package 2 days ago hahaha! What had happened was that it arrived, but the postman never gave me anything saying it was here or anything so it sat in the office for a month-- hahaha fail!  But I finally got it!  Im having the mac & cheese for lunch today!

The new bike--much more solid!

The milk from the milkman.  It is awesome!  It is soooo thick it is like drinking a milkshake!

  

So I broke my foot.  I was playing basketball with some less actives and non members like we do every Thursday.  Well literally 5 minutes before we ended I landed on my foot wrong when I came down from a rebound.  I originally thought it was a sprain, but the bruising indicated otherwise.  I went to the A&E (accidents and emergencies) at the hospital and they brought me into the xray room.  I got an xray and I broke off a little piece of bone along my 5th metatarsal.  It's along the outside of my foot.  I told President Ogden.  The area mission doctor, Elder Hales came and he examined it and basically its not a serious break.  He said it's one of those things you have to just let heal.  He said I could put you in a boot but it wouldn't heal it faster, only make it more comfortable for you.  So, I said no its okay.  So I'm not in a cast, or a boot.  I'm walking just fine and I can bike :) all is good!

  

Michael and Elder Garroway

Michael and Elder Lyman (his new companion)

Michael and Elder McGregor (his last companion)

So where do I even start.  February 29, 2012.  Transfer day.  We get up and leave to transfers at around 1000.  We catch the train to the mission home.  We have the transfer meeting where we received 20 new missionaries-- a EBM (England Birmingham Mission) record!!  I did indeed get transfered :(  I got with my new companion Elder Lyman.  Me and Elder Lyman met my first transfer and just clicked!  He is like my best friend.  So I am serving with my best friend, it's pretty awesome.  

Elder Harper and Elder Lyman on the Wales Coach

We're in Wales in an area called Milford Haven.  It's the biggest area in the mission and its a bus area :)  so we get bus passes provided by the mission!!  So after the transfer meeting, we hop on the Wales coach around 1300 and drive all the way to Swansea, Wales. We arrived in Swansea at about 2100--longest bus ride ever!!!  But it's not over, we walk to the train station and catch a train that leaves at 2227.  and it arrives in Haverfordshire West(our area) at.......Midnight.  We get off the train, at this point completely shattered, walk to the flat and got to bed around 0100. Longest day of my life hahaha.  So our area covers the coastline so I am the closest to home I will ever be while still being on a mission!  Im excited to be here in Wales and with Elder Lyman.  

 

All is good here in Wales.  It's a beautiful country.  It's so green and it' the countryside as well so I'm sure I will have loads of beautiful pictures coming your way :)

Here is my new address...

16 A Old Bridge

Haverfordwest

Pembrokeshire

SA61 2ET

Some of the friends Michael left behind in Walsall:

week 15

Alright where to begin.  I'll start with transfers.  I got the call and I got moved out of swindon:(  I'm sad but I'm moving on to someone who I'm prepared for.  Transfer meeting was amazing and President Ogden is just so good!  I love him! 

So I got transfered to Walsall, which is pretty close to Birmingham.    Man we moved in to the flat and boy is it nice!  Our flat is really, really nice and it is in the middle of town so everything is pretty close to us.  I'm so excited about it.

My new companion is Elder Siegel and he is awesome!  He is funny and really really tall lol.  He seems like a hard worker and he trained Elder Harper who is in my group. 

I'm excited for what is to come!  I'm excited for this transfer and for all the things we can accomplish.  I can't wait to get out and meet all the people in Walsall and work hard.  I feel this transfer we will be able to have loads of success so I'm happy.

I'm glad I made the decision to come on a mission.  I wont lie, there are days where I'm like why did I do this, I should have stayed home.  But the blessings I receive every day are amazing.  You meet so many people and they become brothers to you.  When I left Swindon it was really hard to say goodbye to some people.  You really do learn to love the people and they become like family to you. 

This is our new address to our flat:

Elder Michael Barton

45 One Gallery Square

Walsall

WS2 8LN

England

Its a little bit easier than the other one (haha shorter).

Sorry I don't have much to talk about because I don't know anything but I'm really excited for this transfer.  We have a Dinner Appointment tonight so I'm pretty excited for that as well.

week 9 (transfer week)

On top of the world!



Sorry I didn't write Monday.  It is transfers this week and so on transfer weeks our P-day is moved to Wednesday.  So here I am!!

Transfers are today and 13 new missionaries enter which means a couple things:

1.  I made it through my 1st transfer!

2.  We're not the newest missionaries anymore!!

Our district is getting all moved around so we should be expecting some new faces at the next district meeting.  Should be way good. 

Man oh man!  Made it through my first transfer!! Crazy I've been out 2 months today!  We are working hard and teaching people.  Our investigator is still in America, so we dont know when or even where he will get baptized.  We are going to go crazy!!  We're teaching some other people and some are progressing and some are not unfortunately. 

It is fall in England and the leaves are dropping along with the temperature.  Right now it's 13 degrees so I don't even know if that's cold or not because im horrible with the conversion stuff lol!

Out of the mission in Oxford!



As a mission we were blessed to hear from Elder David A. Bednar of the twelve.  Elder Bednar was AMAZING!!  He is inspired and called of God.   He came in and we all went up and each of us got to shake his hand.  He said,  "If we know who we are and we know our purpose for being out here, we don't need numbers or events to justify our mission."  It's so true though---numbers don't matter one bit.  If you are out here working like crazy and you do all you can, then you were successful.  He had some great stories and insights, and he bore his testimony and I'm pretty sure the whole room was filled with the spirit and everyone had tears in their eyes.  It was an amazing weekend.  Starting the new transfer and setting goals so we can be successful but happy and also have fun.  I know this gospel is true.  If it weren't there wouldn't be 150 19-21 year old boys out here teaching and preaching.  This gospel brings happiness to all those who embrace it in their lives.  I know that being out here on a mission will change my life in more ways than I can imagine.  You feel it everyday and you know what you're doing is right.  I was talking with my companion and we said if you believe in the very basics, the rest will come.  Have faith in the small things, bear testimony and then your faith will grow in the big things.  I love this gospel and I love this work.  I love being a missionary!

And for my primary friend:  What do I love about missionary work?   I love meeting new people, teaching people about Jesus Christ, and sharing my testimony with others. 

Thanks for all the letters and cards and pictures you send me. 

(Michael is at the same address for at least 6 more weeks)

Elder Michael Barton

59 Helmsdale

Green Meadow

Swindon SN25 1RA

England

Week 5

 As for here in Swindon, England. The rioting hasn't hit Swindon hard at all. Tiny little riot one night so we stayed in our flat that night.  Nothing to worry about at all. I went on exchanges with DL(District Leader) Price and that was well...scary (haha).  He is a really good missionary and he talks to everyone he sees.  I got out alive though so everything is all good.  Halfway through the day my bike chain snapped, haha joys of missionary work! My fault since the bike was cheap (lol). It's alive again though, the store fixed it for FREE!!  Amazing word to hear.  About my bike--My bike is good. PLEASE SEND MY BIKE CUSHION. My butt hurts 24/7 when I ride that dang thing.  Bought it for £79.  Fetching steal.  We bike so much here lol.  Everytime I think of a bike my thighs automatically hurt.  Funny stuff--we were at district meeting and we got all this stuff we had to take home so I strapped up and put it all on haha.  Gear, a dvd player, a fire exstinguisher, first aid kit, area book, and all my stuff.  Then we had to bike home,which is about 3 or 4 miles haha YES!!  

It is my 1 month anniversary though! I've been on a mission for 1 month and it has gone by slow, but at the same time really fast!!  Crazy to think about.  We did some tracting yesterday, which I learned don't tract on a Sunday because no one wants to be bothered and so they just don't answer, and if they do they are pretty angry lol.  Oh well brush it off! As for investigators we are working with 4 potentials.  They are all way cool and excited to learn more about the gospel. Keep them in your prayers.  I witnessed another baptism Friday.  It was amazing, a 16 year old girl who absolutely loves this gospel.  She is amazing and the spirit was so strong at that baptism.  Oh guess who is coming to our mission to speak to us in September?  DAVID A. BEDNAR!!!  I'm so excited! An apostle of the Lord is coming to talk with us! How amazing is that.  I'm so excited I can't even explain.   

Missionary work is hard, I'm not gonna lie.  Its tiring and draining.  I come home everyday knackered(tired).  But we keep pushing foward and we will find those who are prepared to hear what we have to share.  I was telling Elder Dahl yesterday that when they don't listen it makes me feel sad.  We are acting in the name of Jesus Christ so they aren't rejecting us, they are rejecting Him.  But you brush it off and find those few ready to receive.  I love this work.  Its draining and its fun.  Everyday wondering who will we find.  I love this church.  We were talking with someone and they asked us, "why do you do this?".  I said, "that is a good question.  Im 19 years old, I could be in college, hanging out with mates and enjoying life, but I have given two years to help you.  I have happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ and I want you to have the same thing because I know it can make you so much happier."

Michael's address to his flat:

Elder Michael Barton

59 Helmsdale

Green Meadow

Swindon SN25 1RA

England

new address

Michael is leaving the MTC this week.  His new address is:

Elder Michael Barton

England Birmingham Mission

187 Penns Lane

Sutton Coldfield

West Midlands B76 1JU
England

My address for the next 3 weeks

For the next 3 weeks I'll be at the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in England.  You can send mail to me at this address:

Elder Michael Jeffrey Barton
England Birmingham Mission
England Missionary Training Center
Temple Way
Chorley
Lancashire
England PR6 7EQ