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."