Barlow Mission Adventure

Sunday, October 04, 2015

August 25, 2015

We have been called to serve in the Utah Provo Mission as Office Couple for the next 23 months. We will be full time missionaries serving in the Mission office from 8-5 Monday through Friday and any other assignments President Hodgeman may have for us on the weekends.

Heavenly Father knows that he needs to prepare me whenever some big change comes into my life. My experience started at Education Week on Thursday as I was attending Sister Susan Easton Black's lecture on Sacrifice of the Early Missionaries. She explained that she and her husband were leaving on their third mission, second to Nauvoo on Tuesday (today). She highly recommended that everyone that can, should serve a mission. I sat there nodding my head thinking "Yah, I loved my mission to New York, everyone should have that experience". I sat there feeling pretty smug that I had already sacrificed and that the message didn't apply to me.

When I arrived home Thursday, Joel said that he had received an interesting phone call from the Provo Mission Office wanting to set up an interview with us. Dad said, "I'm confused, what is this about?". The secretary was surprised that no one had called us about a possibility of a calling. After checking with me, Joel called back and set up the appointment to meet with the President on Monday (yesterday).

President Hodgeman welcomed us into his office and asked..."So tell me how you came to apply for this position?" We looked at him and said... "President, we don't know why we are here, or why we were called into your office for this interview. We did not apply for anything and are totally in the dark." He was a little embarrassed and told us that he was holding interviews all this week (some 60 had applied) for two couples to serve in the office as full time missionaries. We assured him that we were willing to serve wherever we are needed for we have covenanted to do that. At the end of our "interview" we assured him that what ever he decided would be right and that we were happy to be serving in the temple and our Ward callings.

As we passed through the door we said "hi" to the next couple entering for their interview. We had to laugh as we left, thinking how presumptuous it was of us to think we were needed here, compared to the mission field where they are begging for senior couples. We came back home and simply dismissed the whole thing, grateful to have visited with President Hodgeman. At least Heavenly Father knew of our willingness.

Just a few minutes ago Dad called to tell me he had just gotten off the phone with President Hodgeman and that he would like us to serve in the Utah, Provo Mission as Financial Missionary and Secretary to the President. Wow! How humbling. Dad said ..."but I thought we were being considered as Vehicle Coordinator and Referral Secretary, we already know how to do those callings". President Hodgeman said..."Heavenly Father wants you to stretch." Then he said, "I want Sister Barlow there to greet the missionaries and to love the Sister missionaries." I can do that!

I can't express to you how humbling this is for us. At the same time we know that we have a loving, supportive family and that Heavenly Father is aware of our weaknesses and shortcomings. We know who the Lord calls, he qualifies and so we will humbly submit.

How we love my Heavenly Father. We testify that this is His work, that this is His Church. How glorious it is.

Saturday, May 31, 2014

May Days

Back: E Cleveland, E Barlow, S Barlow, S Nicolas, E Nicolas, E Cleveland,
Front: E Eliason, S Eliason

The Oneida Branch has four sets of missionaries. The full time Elders find and teach investigators. We have had wonderful missionaries serve in this branch throughout our mission, Elder Jones, Elder Meidell, Elder Gutierrez, Elder Black, Elder Houston, Elder Wankier, Elder Wilson, Elder Cleveland, Elder Klima and Elder Dansie. Elder and Sister Eliason from Orem are here for six months and are serving as Missionary Leader Support. Elder Eliason is serving as a counselor to President Micah Colbert and Sister Eliason is the Young Women's leader. Elder and Sister Nicolas are serving for the next six months as Temple missionaries in the Palmyra temple and are assigned to the Oneida Branch to give support. This missionary force is the life blood of the branch. They give much needed experience and service to the Branch members.

Teddy and Sister Sanders

We so enjoy each month's Fast and Testimony meeting in the Oneida Branch. The spirit is strong even though our numbers may be few. We have a young man who seems to get up before anyone else to bear his testimony, who, unbeknownst to him, sets the tone for us. His name is Teddy Nicholson. He was adopted by his Uncle and Aunt, Brother and Sister Sanders who lovingly care for him. This is what he shared:
"I have been diagnosed with autism, I am legally blind and am mentally retarded and I can't read. I feel I am a voice for those who don't have a voice and help those that are less fortunate than I am; I know I am a son of God and a brother of Jesus Christ and they love me." He can't read the words of the Hymns, but he sings the words he has heard over and over again. His testimony is always simple and short, but his heart is large and strong in his willingness to help and be of service. He melts our hearts.

Elder Jones, Meidell, Elder Barlow, Becky Matthews, Amy

Sister Becky Matthews is another member of the Branch who's example of service, especially to the missionaries, has blessed many lives. She is a single mother raising her daughter Amy. She is always feeding the missionaries and lending her support. She served in the Los Angeles mission as a young missionary and at one time served in the Mar Vista Ward. Here we are in her kitchen with Elder Jones and Elder Meidell once again being fed.

Oneida Museu

This month we visited the Oneida Nation museum. Two families in our branch are from this Indian Nation. The Oneida are one of five tribes that make up the Haudenosaunee or People of the Longhouse. We know them as the Iroquois. In the early days they made up the most powerful native confederation in the Northeast, perhaps in the whole country. The five tribes making up the Iroquois were, Mohawk (people of the flint also Keepers of the Eastern Gate), Oneida (People of the Standing Stone), Onondaga (people of the Hills), Cayuga (people at the boat landing) and the Seneca (People of the Great Hill, also the Keepers of the Western Gate). The tribes stretched from Albany, New York on the East to Rochester New York on the West. Sister Barlow was very much interested in this history having ancestors who were Mohawk. We are very proud to be a part of this history.

May departures

May transfers came and once again we said our good byes to Elders Atwood, Bloomfield, Cleveland, Gabbitas, Hougaard, Huebsch, Jensen and Neville. We found that the sadness was not quite so poignant this time as we will be following them soon. Many of our missionaries live in and around the Provo area so they have promised to drop by for cookies and milk or a meal. What fun we will have.

Ann Brady

The young lady on the right is Sister Ann Brady. Ann was converted to the church by listening to the "\Music and the Spoken Word" with Richard L Evens. She loves that man! Ann has assisted us with getting out the mail every Monday for many, many years, long before we came on the scene. She is 90 years young and we love her.

When the AP's save up enough plastic bottles, we have a pizza party. Here are the Utica missionaries and Office missionaries partying it up.

Elder Rymer returned to visit the mission field with his parents. He attends BYU where we expect to see him perform in Men's Chorus or Performance Choir. He is very talented.

May is graduation time. One of our investigators, Felisha Teska, graduated from Onondaga Community College. Felisha and Dan will be married in August and baptized on my birthday in August. Felisha has shown much interest in Family History and is looking forward to doing temple work for her deceased ancestors.

CONGRATULATIONS to our granddaughter who graduated from Ft Collins High School and will be entering BYU in the fall. We are proud of her many accomplishments, she even spoke at the graduation. We love you Tara!!!

Well, after a very long winter, Spring did return to New York. I noticed that I took a picture of this tree last May. The blossoms returned but the tree lost a few branches because of the heavy winter snows. We are grateful for the return of warm weather. We send our love to family and friends that might see this blog. Have a wonderful summer.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

April Surprises

April promises the hope of Spring and new beginnings. Much of April in New York has been cold but near the end we saw the buds begin to show and daffodils finally poked their heads out of the ground.

Will Spring ever come?

Barby Palmer

April Fools Day

April Fool's Day brought with it a surprise from our Utica Sister Missionaries who offered us some homemade Brown E's. We attended the Temple in Palmyra where we were surprised to see Barby Palmer, one of our beloved returned missionaries.

Transfers came the first week of April. Elders May, Black, Gibb and Sister Heggem departed the mission. We love these great missionaries and hope to stay in touch.

Sister Heggem & Elder May

Elder May, Elder Black, Elder Gibb

Good bye Elder May

Next came two weeks of Zone Conferences. Elder and Sister Barlow remained at the office while Elder and Sister Cutler experienced the round of conferences.

Utica Zone Conference - April 2014

CADEN!

We didn't have meetings at Oneida Branch for three weeks, the last week of March the road leading to the chapel was flooded so they canceled all meetings. The following week was General Conference and the next week was Stake Conference. The last week the Branch Presidency was gone so Elder Barlow conducted and spoke in Sacrament Meeting. The last week we were surprised when a young family with two children showed up. The Nishimoto family have just moved here and will bring much needed leadership. Brother Nishimoto is a returned missionary. He took classes from Uncle Steven Smith at UVU and is a Golf Pro at the local resort, the Turning Stone. His wife is a darling energetic Sister. Caden (3yrs) is in Primary. He came right up to Sister Barlow and announced, "My name is C-A-D-E-N --- Caden and I'm 3 years old." It was love at first site.

Sam & Marinne

Tara - Prom 2014

Now for some family news. Tara (left) and Sam (right) attended LDS Prom. Tara is graduating next month. We will miss that but hope the family will take plenty of pictures of this important day. We are proud of our grandchildren and their many accomplishments. Tara will be joining us in Provo as she attends BYU. What fun!!!

Drew, Tisha, Jill, Wendy

Melinda Barlow was married in Salt Lake City. Wendy and Jill traveled to Utah and with Tisha and Drew were able to reunite with many of their cousins and celebrate Melinda's big day. April is truly a time of new beginnings for Andrew and Wendy. We are grateful for the support the family has given them. Heavenly Father has truly blessed them through difficult time. We love our family and can see how much they love each other.

Elder Barlow in one of his creative moments wrote the following:

Gate Keeper

You are the 'gate keeper' of your heart,

To allow what comes in or cast it apart.

There is hope in truth to light your way,]

You can bring it in or 'come what may'.

Do you have fences that are high and strong

To close out the truth, to admit you're wrong?

Is your heart so hard and your mind so blind

That truth can't come in, whatever its kind?

So knock down the walls and open your 'gate'

Let the 'still small voice' of truth penetrate

Your heart, mind and soul - make a start,

You are the 'gate-keeper' of your heart

Elder Joel Barlow April 2014

Elder Barlow 2014

We are grateful for our mission. We feel apart of a much greater quest as we strive to follow Christ's admonition to go into all the world to "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end."

Sunday, April 06, 2014

March Celebrations

NY Leprechaun

March was a month of celebrations. Two Granddaughters, Caitlin and Grace, celebrated their 13th and 12th birthdays, respectively. Caitlin entered the teen years and it seems she is a little nervous about falling into the trap of teenage behavior and attitude. Grandma told her not to worry because she gets to choose what kind of teenager she will be and she will be great! Grace is now a Young Woman with everything that brings, YW activities, Girls Camp and Temple Trips.. Such an exciting time for both of these fantastic young women. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Utica New York

We celebrated St. Patricks' Day by visiting the local Mall and listened to some Irish music from a violin troop (plus the adorable little Leprechaun with his purple guitar shown on top).

Ben & Judy's Sugarhouse

Next, we celebrated Maple Syrup Season by making our annual trip to Ben and Judy's Sugarhouse where we enjoyed a breakfast of all the hotcakes we could eat with home grown maple syrup, yum!

Elder Watkins, AP

Every day we celebrate the blessing of being around young missionaries who show us so much love and caring. Whenever we have transfers or meetings they enter our office with so much enthusiasm and energy and it seems that the very air is electrified by their presence. At the end of the day the Cutlers and Barlow drop from exhaustion. Elder Barlow summed it up when he said, "They enter our space and infuse in us all this energy and excitement and when they leave they suck it right out again."

Sister's Blevins & John

Sister Blevens and John serve in our area and brought this thoughtful poster to express their thanks. This is what it says: "Oh, the things you do for us and the mission. We're sure there are days you'd rather be fishin'. You do so much with cars, apartments, and mail. We bet you'd even bail us out of jail. We never knew there were people so sweet and kind. You help us anytime we are in a bind. There's a guaranteed smile when you all are nearby. Sometimes we wonder, 'How and Why?' It's because you are all Christlike-loving and meek. You have the gifts that we all do seek. Thank you for your love, guidance, and strength. You'll always be our family.' Love Always, Sister Blevins & Sister John."

Barlow's, Elder Borgia, Cutlers

Elder Baird

We were thrilled to have two returned missionaries visit the office. Elder Baird and Elder Borgia both dropped in to say "hi" as they did a return tour of their mission. What great young men.

On March 29th we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary. This was the day we sealed our love and made eternal commitments. As we reflect back over the years, we realize now what we knew then, we were the best of friends, we took each others' love--always with tenderness. Each date, during our courting years, was like the first. Some couples have a favorite song that expresses their love for each other but we have a favorite poem, the last line is engraved in Elder Barlow's wedding ring.

AT THE ALTAR by Carol Lynn Pearson

The thought of forever

Teased my mind

Like a mountain

Through a thickly

Misted view.

But today the

Veil dissolved

To show--

'Eternity

Is you.'

Elder & Sister Barlow's 45th Anniversary

Friday we left the office a little early, stopping in Syracuse for dinner at Cheese Cake Factory. That evening we stayed at the Palmyra Inn and met the Oneida Branch members at the Palmyra Temple. Three of our youth were there to do proxy baptisms for nine of their own ancestors.

Sis. Barlow, Palmer

While at the temple we ran into one of our returned missionaries, Barbie Palmer. We saw her the last time we went to the temple. She is a Nanny in the Rochester area and will be returning home in the Fall. Besides renewing our covenants we also renewed our determination to serve to the end of our mission. It is easy to become "trunky" at the end so we promised that we would go back and treat the last three months as a new beginning of the rest of our mission. We love our mission! On our return trip to Utica we once again stopped in Syracuse and had dinner at P F Changs. It was a wonderful weekend.

Elder and Sister Barlow, 45th Anniversary at Palmyra

The weather is changing now as we approach Spring. Instead of snow, we are experiencing a mix of snow and rain. Because the ground is already saturated we now experience floods. We traveled to Oneida for church last Sunday only to discover that the roads were flooded out. We took the marked detour on the roads and safely arrived at our destination only to find that the parking lot was empty... church was canceled.

Hector

Elder Gabbitas

The last week of March was the greatest reason to celebrate. We attended the baptism of three very special souls. Hector was taught by Elder's Gabbitas and Watkins in Utica. Before being converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he was a member of a motorcycle gang. His life has dramatically changed as he has accepted what the missionaries taught him. He asked if he could say something at his baptism and proceeded to bare a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and his gratitude for this second chance at life. This is a testimony that the atonement applies to all that are willing to turn unto Him.

Elder Wilson, Tony Turbee, Elder Black, Elder Cleveland

Sister Wirthlin, Tony, Pres. Wirthlin

On March 24th our dear friend Tony Turbee entered the waters of baptism. We have watched him progress on the path which led to this day and we rejoiced with him and his wife, Jan. Elder and Sister Barlow were privileged to speak at the baptism. There was an outpouring of love and support

Cleveland, Pres. Larcher, Tony, Wilson

for this good man. He will be a great strength to this area as he continues to grow and learn.

Elder Black, Tony, Bro. Morgan

Brother Hill, Olivia

The next evening we returned to Oneida for the sweet baptism of Olivia Hill. Olivia is one of our Primary children. The missionaries have been working with her family and they recently returned to activity. We love this family. Brother Hill is full blood Oneida Indian and Sister Barlow is learning how to do Family History following the matriarchal line in his family history which is their tradition. Olivia was baptized by her father on her birthday so Sister Eliason made her a birthday cake.

It is a great privilege to serve as a missionary in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Our lives have been blessed in so many ways and our circle of friends have increased as we have served here. We have been forever changed and enriched by accepting this call.

Saturday, March 01, 2014

February Flurries

They say that "A picture is worth a thousand words" so, I won't mention the "C" word, instead I will just show the pictures.

A lot of love went across Sister Barlow's desk this month. Valentines boxes and letters galore. Here is a picture of Sister Blevins opening her Valentines package.

Sister Blevins "Peek-a-boo"

This Valentines day was spent serving together as a Senior Missionary Couple. We have often mentioned just how grateful we are for this opportunity to be together 24-7. Next month we will be celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary. Has it really been that long? We are often asked how we met. It is fun to tell these young missionaries how we met on Elder Barlow's first night home from the mission field. Sister Barlow was trying to make a good first impression and asked him how she could prepare to go on a mission. Little did we know at that time Sister Barlow was interviewing her future Missionary Companion. We have had a wonderful life together. How blessed we have been as a couple and as the parents of six beautiful children. This mission experience has added to our commitment to each other and to the Lord.

Cutlers, Barlows, Elder Perkins, Wirthlins

At the beginning of the month we enjoyed a visit to the mission from Elder Anthony D. Perkins. He was able to share an idea that the Church is instituting in some remote parts of the world where travel is limited. They are forming small groups within a Branch or Ward, overseen by priesthood. These small groups meet in local homes three weeks and then come together one Sunday out of the month. In some area's they share speakers and messages from their leaders via Skype. We have areas in our mission where members have to travel an hour each way. President Wirthlin has already initiated a "Group" up North to see if this might work.

MLC

February Arrivals

MLC(Mission Leader Council) meet each month for instruction.

In February we welcomed another fifteen new missionaries.

Gabbitas, Pipe, Bezzant, Lamb, Tanner, Taylor

Pryor, Tanner, Lamb, Taylor, Pipe, Whitworth, Bezzant,Wirthlin

Our returning missionaries this month were: Elder's Pryor, Tanner, Lamb and Taylor; Sister Pipe returned to the Salt Lake Visitor's Center while Sister's Whitworth and Bezzant returned home. Elder Tanner was very special to us. He was Assistant to the President and we worked closely with him in the Mission Office. I don't think I have ever met a more capable leader, even at his young age. In October we were all saddened to hear that Elder Tanner's father had been killed in an airplane accident. He faced this trial with a great amount of faith and courage. In the final training he gave at Zone Conference he shared some of the experiences he learned from his father's death. He taught that "Things will happen in life that will rock you boat." He explained that his father, who was the pilot of a small plane had a choice to make at the end. He couldn't go up because the plane had lost all power at take off but he could choose to bank the plane to the right or the left. He chose to bank it to the left although he knew he would take the full force of the crash but there was a chance that his young son who was a passenger in the back seat and his friend seated next to him might survive. Because of his father's choice, Elder Tanner's younger brother and his father's friend, although critically injured, did survive while his father was killed on impact. Because of this experience, Elder Tanner more fully understands what it means that the Savior died for him. He said, "The time is now, the time is yours to build a foundation which will help you through the trials of life. You can not wait until the trials come, it will be too late."

Elder's Pryor, Taylor, Lamb and Tanner

We have a tradition in the New York Utica Mission that the returning missionaries are given the opportunity to travel to Palmyra with President and Sister Wirthlin and attend the Temple. As part of the excursion the Elders and any Sister's who wish race to the top of the Hill Cumorah. It is not an easy task, especially in the snow. Elder Lamb won the contest. They all said that they felt like throwing up after. Once again, it's hard saying "goodbye" We learn a lot from these missionaries and they leave an impression on our hearts and minds.

Elder Chandler and Elder Mecham

On Friday we once again invited our leaders back for MLC. We had come full circle. Here is Elder's Chandler and Mecham showing off their matching ties.

Elder and Sister Eliason and President and Sister Wirthlin

When we first came to the Oneida Branch, their were between fifteen to twenty-five attending meetings with four or five leaders running the branch. The last few months our attendance has risen to between thirty and forty. We have four investigators who are attending regularly (Tony, Felicia, Dan and Heather) with the Hill family coming back into activity. The Hills have four children and a niece who attend now and give us a full Primary. Elder and Sister Eliason from Orem have been assigned full time to Oneida and we are going to have Palmyra Temple missionaries this summer.

Tony, Jan

Hill Family

Oneida Primary

Amy and Becky Mathews

Felicia

White family

Sister Diorio

Sister Diorio is the heart of the Branch. Oh how everyone loves Sister "Cookie". After joining the church she moved away from her family here in New York and struck out for Salt Lake City. She has worked in the Family History Library and attended the temple every Friday for years. She is now 90 years old (young) and her children said it was time for her to come home so they could look after her. She is the only member of the church in her family. The Branch has adopted her as the Branch Grandmother. Her testimony of the restored gospel was evident last Fast and Testimony meeting as she was helped to the podium and closed her eyes and repeated a 7 minute memorized reading about the Prophet Joseph Smith's mother, Lucy Mack Smith, and her testimony of the Prophet. By the end we were all in tears and Tony was so touched that he committed to baptism. These are OUR people. They are the people we love. Or course we haven't forgotten our family and friends who support us in so many ways.

Eula Wilkinson and E. Garrett Barlow

In closing this month's blog we have had to say good-bye to Elder Barlow's step mother, Eula Wilkinson Barlow. She passed away this past week. We are grateful for those who took such good care of her these past few years. We are also grateful for the many years they spent together, caring for one another. Eula leaves behind a strong testimony of the Restored Gospel and a love for the Prophets that guided the Church. We have been blessed to have known her...farewell.