What’s up every one!
How was your week this week? My week was sweet but I will talk about that more in a little bit. I can’t believe it has been a year since all this began in a parking lot of some random mall along the North Platte River in Nebraska, on a bus with my family and friends reading my call over a cell phone to all of you. What a wonderful road it has been for me, and HOW blessed I have been! It hasn’t always been easy and there were those who doubted me, who didn’t think I was ready or could to it! Here is my shout out to you! It’s been a ride of a life time, and I have loved every second of it, but I couldn’t have done it alone, not with out my mother, father, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, leaders, coaches, teachers, friends and any one and every one that has influenced and supported me to do good! I thank you all again and appreciate everything you have done for me and are doing for me to make this experience possible.
Alright, now on with what happened this week. So much has happened that I don’t really know where to start. I guess I will start with the bad news. Michael Ofusu was supposed to be baptized this upcoming Saturday but when we went to fill out the baptismal record and he came out and told us that he has a problem and that he can not be baptized till he fixes some thing. Well, that was strange because he was so pumped to be baptized yesterday when we came. But as missionaries do, we started to draw out of him the reason why he couldn’t be baptized and then he told us that he has two wives because he has not followed through on the divorce of his first wife and has paid the bride price for his second wife. He said he was not living with both of them so he didn’t think he was doing anything wrong. Marriage here is a big problem for us because people just don’t understand the concept of marriage specially the Lord’s way of marriage. Michael is planning on fixing all his marriage problems this month so hopefully he will get baptized some time down the road.
The good news is that we got two others interviewed this Sunday to be baptized next Saturday. Salumay Essi and Ben Ablingo are both way correct and are ready for baptism. We also had 3 others come to church all for their second and third time so July is already looking good! By next Sunday we will start getting people ready for August baptisms. August!! Holy Cow! I can’t believe August is almost here. My companion and I had an excellent week and we have finally got this area back on TOP just in time for transfers. I will probably be transferred. (sadly!) In this area and my last area the work was totally dead and I didn’t like being here in the beginning but now I have fallen in love with the people and the area and I will be sad when I have to leave. Mom always said that I should leave a room (or area) better then I found it! So hopefully that is what I have done here.
Wednesday we had our interviews with President Smith. I love that man to death, and he will be greatly missed in this mission. My interview with him is one that I will remember for a long time. As soon as it was over I wrote as much down in my planner as I could remember so I would like to share part of it in my letter. It won’t be exact but hopefully I can get the key points across.
President Smith: Elder Berry how have you developed as a missionary during the time you have been here?
Me: Personally I feel that I have come along way from one year ago, my testimony has doubled many times, I have grown more spiritually than I can describe. But I am not perfect and I still have a long way to go.
President Smith: So what are your strengths as a missionary?
Me: I am not so sure right now, I still have tons of room to improve in every way but everything is coming small small.
President Smith: Then what are your weaknesses?
Me. (no hesitation) PATIENCE no doubt!
President Smith: Why Patience?
Me: Because I have this path in my mind were I want all my investigators to go, and I just want to push them all down it as fast as possible. In my mind it is so clear and sometimes I can’t understand why they can’t see what I can see. I feel like I speak the Ghana English well and I teach small small but still people don’t understand why I am here and then I get frustrated with them.
President Smith: Okay. So why is the Savior so patient with us?
Me: I don’t know maybe because he is perfect!
President Smith: For us we don’t always understand why? Or we don’t always do everything right. So why is he so patient? Why did he die for the sins of all of us?
Me: Because he loves us?
President Smith: Yes that is correct! The Savior is so patient with us because he loves us so much! I want you to focus on developing a love for these people that will help you to understand how the Savior feels for the people of Ghana so that you too can be as patient with them as the Savior has been with you and I. Charity is the key to being patient.
After the interview when we all came back together we got talking about how we can all help our people come to Christ! President Smith taught us that we should never get to deep into the doctrine but to just stick to the basics faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, and endure to the end.
It’s NOT TOO COMPLICATED OR ANYTHING just keep it simple and bring our brothers and sisters back to Christ.
I love my family! You guys are the best! Keep being great forever!
Tyler and Camille congrats on the new baby!
Love Bbear
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