Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Letter #81 Hair Cut Experience


Dear Family and Friends,

This week was extraordinary! I have to say I am really running out of adjectives to describe each week that I have on my mission. They are all so great!
To start off I want to tell you about a hair cut experience that I had last week. So as you know missionaries do not have a lot of money. So, for my whole entire mission I have cut my own hair. But, elder near left at the end of the last cycle, and so did his hair clippers. So, I was forced to go find a pace in china town to get a hair cut. As I thought about where I should go, I had one place come to my mind. It only costs 4 dollars for a hair cut so I figured that it was with in my budget. When I walked down the steep and jagged stairs into this basement that they call a hair salon. I was quickly greeted, and some one surrounded by approximately 4 men yelling in Cantonese. I was called to speak Mandarin, so I cannot understand much Cantonese at all. I called Elder Mok to come and help me translate, but he just started laughing. Next thing I knew, I was shoved into a chair, a paper towel encircled my neck, followed by a large purple plastic sheet, and then I heard the flick of a switch... The clippers were ready to do their job. He did not ask me what I wanted, my name, or how I was feeling! He just started to go! This whole time I was calling desperately to my companion for help, but he just continued to laugh and even photograph the things that were taking place. I have a picture that I will include with this email. Luckily the hair cut did not turn out too bad. It is really short and tight on the sides, and the top is still pretty long. I kind of look like a missionary from the 80's.
I also have another story from this week in which I was brutally attacked. We taught a lesson at Columbia University this week. It was really a great experience! The campus is beautiful! You don't even feel like you are in New York City! It takes on the look of spirit paradise mixed with some sort of a Roman empire. There were even white doves flying around! I almost feel like they were released there or something. I have never seen white doves in New York. But anyways, my attack. So we sat down with our investigator on the grassy pastures of the Columbia University campus and began to dive into the doctrine of prayer. The lesson was going great, the spirit was strong, and he was really asking some great questions. But, right as we prepared to do the opening prayer, a huge gust of wind came and flung a piece of paper faster then the speed of light right at my face. Now I am sure a lot of you reading this are saying, "Oh, no problem Elder Barton has the speed of a Gazelle! I am sure he dodged it no problem!" I am very reluctant to tell you that you are wrong. I was caught off guard and the paper nailed me right in the face. And to make this whole situation even worse, the paper was a pamphlet from the Catholic Church.
This week was truly one to remember! Despite those two minor set backs, everything else was great! We had one investigator come back from china! Two of our other investigators are leaving for china, so this definitely made up for it. We taught our 13-year-old investigator about the priesthood and he was very excited! Missions are so great! I can honestly say the time in the mission field just get better as you go on.
Well I got to get going. We have conference cleaning today, so I am off to battle with our wonderful china town pad. Please wish me luck!
 ELDER BARTON

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