Driving a spaceship

Hey y'all!
This week has been fun. It has felt more like Utah than South Carolina though. The weather has been absolutely crazy. We woke up one morning and had a solid sheet of ice on the car, and within about 4 hours, it was 80 degrees outside. My companion can wear a jacket and be totally fine in the 70-80 degree weather, but I feel like I'm gonna die. Hah. Today, it is cold and rainy, and I am ready for winter to be here.
We have focused on our planning sessions this last week, in trying to make them more effective, and make sure that we are seeing people that have a good chance of progressing. We haven't seen a whole lot of success coming from it yet, and a lot of our plans have fallen through. That won't stop us though, faith precedes the miracle, and the miracle only comes after a trail of your faith. :) We'll keep working on it.
This is supposed to be the coldest winter that SC has seen in a while, so I am hoping come transfer calls, I will get to stay one more. I would love to see some snow in the upstate!
Transfer calls come not this Saturday, but next. Then the next one is the 23rd of December. It would be no fun to get transferred 2 days before Christmas.
Our cars are all worked out; we are now driving a 2015 Ford Fusion that is more like driving a spaceship. All the little buttons that light up, this car is much smarter than I am...I enjoy it though :)
For P-day, we got permission to drive down to Chapin, SC where I was with Elder Speck, and I got to see Elder Browne! 

The drive down was fun; it was kind of hard to find our way down because all the roads we could've taken were closed. I imagine (and was reminded) that with all the recent rain and flooding, there is probably a lot of road work to be done. I wish I had been able to think of that while driving yesterday, because it would have been able to improve my bad attitude about having to backtrack because of bad advertising. Hah we didn't know the road was closed until bam! We were at the road blocks. Anyway, we got down there and had our little reunion for a minute, loaded up and went to the mall because Browne and his comp needed some stuff from JC Penny, and they had coupons. We walked around for a little bit, grabbed some lunch, I ran into a member from Hopkins! Sister Mechling was very excited to see me, and I was excited to see her! It brought back a bunch of really good memories of when I was first out and serving in Hopkins! She told me to come back and live in her and Ben's (Her awesome Husband) guest room. I might just have to do that! :P

After that, we went to that same putt putt place that Brother Clow took us to! Frankies Fun Park! Basically, little Boondocks for all of my Utah folks. We got to do some Mini golfing and ride some Go-karts. :) I got dippin' dots, so I was happy. I wish more places sold those out here, but then again, I would never have money because I would spend it all on them!

Elder Nielson (Browne's Comp) 

A (Our Recent Convert) is doing awesome! She got to go attend the temple on Saturday for baptisms! She absolutely loved it. She had heard so many great things about the temple, that when she finally got there, it was everything she'd hear plus some! She came back beaming. :) I just love knowing that it is all true. I love the fact that people can be somewhere one day, and the next day be on a path that will lead them right into the Lord's house. :) I hope I get to be back in a year when she goes through for herself, there is no doubt in my mind that she'll be able to. She has such strong faith, and is gung-ho about family history already! I love this gospel!

We are going to be on exchanges this week, and I will be going up do Duncan with Elder Evans, Our DL (Elder Crapo) will be coming down here with Elder Olmstead.
Thank y'all for the support and all the wonderful prayers. I can feel them each and every day! :)
Love y'all!
-Elder Joel Sunshine Barker

Also, a newspaper stand with a mustache...