Sister Emma Rose Barker (2023-2025)

This week we met:  A crazy yoga lady who bowed to us and kissed the book of mormon with her forehead. The pedialyte she gave us to drink was lowkey fire A dude from holland who speaks spanish in the deepest voice I've ever heard.  A dude with a man bun who used to be in the circus but it was too hard to pretend to be happy. The number of times I was like... what the heck is happening. We got a call at 9:50 the other night. It was my favorite old abuelita en the world, the kind that hates people, loves us and rides motorcycles, asked me how you pronounce Liam paynes name. Yeah she was telling me about her Netflix and Spotify premium deals the other day, shout out Rosario. We played chair soccer and volleyball with all thr elders in the world today. 4 hermanas and literally 2 all elders zones so that was...interesting.  I love being a missionary. It's getting so hot. I love seeing miracles. Sorry my emails are so lame maybe I'll start getting better but probably not... we...

Monday October 14, 2025 I had a couple moments this week where I really wanted to just break some rules.  Which is a terrible way to start an email.  And just know I didn't act on those sinful thoughts. Thoughts like wow that swimming pool looks really fun and I wouldn't even be mad if I tripped somehow into the door of the ymca thing here and kept tripping until I fell into the pool. Also I really wanted a good grilled cheese sandwich for some reason. America is cool for their food.  But hey I had really heart happy moments this week! I got to see hna LJ who's rocking it down in ilo as hermana lider and we did a little mini exchange which roooocked. And alsoooo hermana Sotomayor which is so fun cuz i havent seen her in so long and shes so silly i love her. And theennn later that week I saw mi hija hna de Hoyos who's absolutely killing it and I was like WOW milagros god knew I needed my favorite people this week.  We did a lot of calls and a lot of random finding and...

There's this one song that I love. And I will always remember listening to it with  Emma stanley On the floor of the mtc classroom one day. When it was snowing. And a really hard bad day. "Go tell the world about me. I was dead but now I live. I've got to go now for a little while But goodbye Is not the end." And I keep feeling like my mission is full of these goodbyes. And hellos. And nos vemos más pronto but really you never know how pronto it's gonna be. I think about His apostles.  Please stay. Please don't go. I don't know how I can do life without you. Again. I've already tried it and it is so hard. And He tells them, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't stay with you forever. But I have work to do and you know what? You do too.  And i think that's where I am right now. I hate loving so big. It hurts so much when you open your heart so wide and then have to close it real tight because you have to leave. Again. The people you love. But He ...