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.  

 



 

January News

Christmas Mail

We jumped into the new year with renewed enthusiasm. The memory of Christmas mail began to fade and we turned our attentions to one full week of transfers, two Mission Leader Conferences and five Zone Conferences all in the month of January. We have been here long enough that we have fallen into the "rhythm" of the mission. We work on a six week calendar, that is, every six weeks we receive new missionaries and returning missionaries leave. Quarterly we have Zone Conferences where President and Sister Wirthlin and the Assistants travel to each Zone to present needed training and to interview the missionaries in each zone. This month Elder and Sister Barlow were invited to present on matters concerning the cars and Apartment cleaning.  It is very humbling to be asked to accompany President and Sister Wirthlin. This is the second opportunity we have had. I felt better qualified the first time, the topic being Family History. I guess I have had a bit of experience with cleaning too.

January Arrivals

Sister Pipe

Transfers started on January 7th. Tuesday, our 12 new missionaries arrived. We received two Chinese-speaking Sisters from Temple Square. During the winter months when there are fewer visitors at Temple Square, Sisters are given the opportunity to get out in the mission field and experience mission work for two transfers. They are a great blessing to us. They were assigned two areas with large populations of Chinese such as Cornell University and Albany. Sister Pipe came last transfer, she is also a "Visitor Center" sister. She is a native American from Montana. She and Elder Barlow connected right away.

Last Supper

Elder Tollefson and Elder Houston

Wednesday of transfer week is always busy. Elder and Sister Barlow arrived at the mission home at 7 o'clock in the morning to feed breakfast to 20 missionaries while President interviewed the new arrivals. Next we ran over to the mission office to prepare for the orientation. We give training on cars, apartments, mail and other housekeeping matters. At ten the trainers and other's that are transferring to parts of the mission arrive.   At twelve o'clock we help serve lunch to everyone. At the end of lunch the outgoing missionaries share their testimonies. We were excited to see Tony Turby, our ongoing investigator, come to the luncheon to see his favorite Elder,  Elder Black. We hadn't seen him for a couple of months. Although he told us he wasn't interested in joining the church, he did comment that he missed the "comfort" he always feels when in a meeting or with the missionaries. Hummm....  The rest of the afternoon was spent in training. Around 5 o'clock most of the missionaries left to go back to their areas. At 6 o'clock we arrived at the mission home for the "last supper" with the outgoing missionaries. Elder Tollefson was one of our Assistants and we became very close to him. We worked with Elder Houston in the Oneida Branch.It's hard to say good bye.  We arrive home at 9 pm, exhausted.

Zone Conference

Zone conferences were a great success. We traveled to our five Zones, Albany, Potsdam, Owego, Syracuse and our own Zone, Utica. We loved seeing all our beloved missionaries. Sister Barlow is responsible for coordinating the luncheons. Local Relief Societies volunteer their time and efforts to provide a delicious meal. This Sister and her husband really went the extra mile and made wonderful enchiladas and beautiful home made cupcakes. They are both practicing lawyers with a young family. Where they found the time to do this, I don't know.

Clowning Around

Lest you think we only work, work, work, at times we do clown around. Here are some clowns we met at "Friendly's". They happened to be there having lunch, I guess clowns eat too. They were nice enough to allow us a photo opp.

We will close this month's blog with our Mission Slogan. To set the stage: We all stand up and when we get to the part that says "work, work, work" we yell it out like we were in the middle of a football huddle.

"I have often said that one of the greatest secrets of missionary work is work! If a missionary works, he will get the Spirit; if he gets the Spirit, he will teach by the Spirit; and if he teaches by the Spirit, he will touch the hearts of the people and he will be happy. Work, work, work – there is no satisfatory substitue, especially in missionary work.” Ezra Taft Benson

December Gifts

 

 

This month marked our one year anniversary in the mission field.  At this time we would like to share with our family and friends some of the gifts we have received.

 

Gift # 1  -  The Gift of our Savior.

 

Gift #2 - The Gift of Service - What a blessing it has been to lay aside the cares of the world and dedicate ourselves full time to the service of the Lord. We could not do that without the love and support of our family.  As we have served in the New York Utica Mission office, we have daily association with wonderful Elders and Sisters who are likewise dedicating their time and effort to bring others unto Christ. We find ourselves united in this effort. We have been involved in serving and training the missionaries as they "hasten" this great work.

December Special Training
 

Gift #3 - The Gift of Love - We testify that we have a kind Heavenly Father that loves us. He is mindful of us and his greatest desire is to have us return to Him as families. Recently Elder Haddock returned home to his family after
successfully completing his time here in the NY Utica Mission. It wasn't until after Elder Haddock left last month that we read an article about his adopted brother who is currently serving in the Bulgaria Mission. His brother was abandoned as a baby in Bulgaria. Elder Haddock's parents adopted him when he was three and brought him to America. He returned to Bulgaria last year as a missionary and special witness of Jesus Christ. What happened next is a true miracle. We invite you to read the article at http://www.ldsmag.com/article/1/13678

Gift # 4 - The Gift of Friends - Although we miss our friends at home, we have made new friends who have greatly enriched our lives. We will forever be changed by their generosity and love.

Office couple NY

 Gift # 5 - The Gift of Family - We were able to connect with our family this Christmas via "Face-Time". We are grateful for the advances in technology that make it possible to remain connected. Our grandchildren are quickly growing up and turning into wonderful, giving and talented individuals. Tara (17) has received several acceptance letters from several colleges and even received an academic scholarship from one. Below is a picture of Isaac giving service. This was posted on facebook by Brittany Bartholomew who is in Isaac's ward. It said, "Isaac, one of our favorite babysitters, saw that Lexi was cold and tired/a little grouchy at the ward breakfast this morning. He came over and sat by her (he didn't have a chair) and shares his music with her and talked to her about what she was going to ask Santa for Christmas, then when Santa came, took her to the line and waited with her until it was her turn to sit on Santa's lap. So impressed with this awesome guy."


Isaac and friend, Lex

Don & Claudia on 6th mission to Brazil



William's Family celebrating a Shepherds Christmas



The Colorado families (Arnett's, Gover's & McKinnon's) Supporting each other and the Barlow family with newest member, Tessa Joy.





 

 

Finally we have the Gift of a New Year. We wish you all a very blessed New Year.

 



November Blessings



Winter returns

The year has turned its circle,             
The seasons come and go.
The harvest all is gathered in
And chilly north winds blow.

Orchards have shared their treasure,
The fields, their yellow grain,
So open wide the doorway ...
Thanksgiving comes again!
An Old Thanksgiving Rhyme

Thanksgiving in up state New York was wonderful. This poem expresses our feelings and experience here. As you can see by the scene of the lamp post outside our window, we have come full circle. Snow has once again covered the ground, the seasons have come and gone. and the cold north wind has returned.

Living in the country has taught us an appreciation for the harvest and of our bountiful blessings. We are grateful for this time of season where we stop and consider how Heavenly Father has blessed our lives. It is especially poignant to consider the blessings of family now that we are so far away from them. We have been receiving an increase of letters from our beloved grandchildren for which we are especially grateful. Thank you family for all the support you have given us.

Twin Orchards Apple Store

This is apple country and their are many orchards in the area. We have a favorite store down the way called Twin Orchards and all they sell are apples of every variety and other apple products such as home made apple pies, apple juice, apple butter and apple jelly. I have never tasted such wonderful apples.

Copenhagen New York

Early in the month Sister Barlow was asked to teach a Family
History class at the Lowville Family History Center. Lowville is a little over an hour away. We passed through many small towns along the way. This church caught our eye in Copenhagen New York. The Village of Copenhagen is in the Town of Denmark and is northwest of Lowville.



Haddock, Hazelett, Meidell, Gleue, Pres. Wirthlin, Sis. Lamber, Sis.Wirthlin, Horton, Mendlove, Gnasatoto, Lewis

November Arrivals

November Transfers occurred the week of Thanksgiving. Our returning missionaries (above) arrived home on Thanksgiving day. Oh what wonderful reunions they must have had. Our group of incoming missionaries (left) arrived and have been trained.



Elder & Sister Barlow, Elder Meidell, Elder Lewis

Elder Tanner and the Frog

 This is one of the Assistants to the President, Elder Tanner, with the famous NYUM mission frog. As part of the training given to our new missionaries, the Assistants do a role play on the Fable of the Frog. The fable goes like the:

"They say that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will leap out right away to escape the danger.  But, if you put a frog in a kettle that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant, and then you gradually heat the
kettle until it starts boiling, the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late."

Frog Fable

The Assistants do this training to let the missionaries know how to handle difficult "relationship" issues, whether it be their investigators, a member of the ward, or other missionaries. If there are feelings developing at all, either the companion or the missionary just has to call the president and say he/she has a "frog" problem. Nothing else needs to be said. At that point the president goes right to work and handles a rapid transfer to another part of the mission. This is the quick fix of a possible problem, they are taken care of quickly. The skits have been hilarious, with the assistants knowing of missionaries having girlfriends at home and using their names in the skit -- all in good fun -- lots of laughs and yet getting the point across.

Another mission tradition is the "Wood Shed".  President Wirthlin tells the Missionaries, that at times he will give them "focused feedback" with increased love afterward. In essence he says that it is like taking them behind the woodshed. He always says this with great love. The elders in our area made him the woodshed shown here (notice the "Angel Moroni" on top). The frog and the woodshed are kept in Presidents office as  loving reminders of the need for exact obedience.
On Thanksgiving day we worked at the office for half a day. In the morning the Elders in the Utica District came to the snow covered field outside our office for a "Turkey Bowl". We warned the elders not to play rough, we didn't want any injuries! Elder and Sister Barlow left for a short time to get some Texas Sheet Cake they made  and some hot chocolate to share with the dozen elders that were there. When they arrived back with the treats, there were twice that many in the game, some from the neighborhood. The only injury was a bloody lip from a collision with Elder May. He's ok.


In the afternoon we traveled to Canastota, NY for a delicious Thanksgiving meal with our friends from the Oneida Branch, Brother and Sister Lewis. We couldn't help but hum a song we used to sing as children, "Over the River and Through the Woods". A slight dusting of snow set the stage for this beautiful day with our new found friends.

As was mentioned in last months blog, we are blessed with a new little grandchild, Tessa Joy Barlow. We had a bit of a scare when the results of her PKU came back with a positive screening . After more testing and through the grace and tender mercies of our loving Heavenly Father all is well.

 

Picture of Christ by our Grandson, Sam Arnett

We wish all of our friends and family a Blessed Holiday Season. Our prayer for you is expressed in the Primary song "He Sent His Son".

How could the Father tell the world of love and tenderness?

He sent his Son, a newborn babe, with peace and holiness.

How could the Father show the world the pathway we should go?

He sent his Son to walk with men on earth, that we may know.

How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death?

He sent his Son to die for us and rise with living breath.

What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say?

Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way.

What does he ask? 

LIVE LIKE HIS SON.