Hi Everyone!
Well it is funny how my family just got the same lesson from the home teachers yesterday as I did. But yesterday in church we had a lesson on “why we need to look at the glass being half full, instead of half empty. I guess there was a talk or section in the new Liahona that talked about how we should look at things. When we get the new one, I can’t wait to read what the apostles have to say about the subject.
The past couple of weeks I have had what seems like major challenges to me but really SMALL problems/trails with my skin, and eyes among other things. Yes I felt like I was suffering and I wondered why all these things were happening to me. (I was looking at the cup half empty) But then I realized that there is so much in my cup that I should be thankful for. I have no reason but to rejoice for everything that the lord has done for me. In Alma 56:47 says "now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not DOUBT, god would deliver them."
The stripping sons (I feel) had much more reason then I do to have look at the cup half empty. Again, they “were marching in to war to battle, and they had never fought or were even trained in such an activity, putting their lives on the line for their families but they did not fear, and didn’t doubt that the Lord would deliver them.
In the D&C 6:36 the Lord commands us to “look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not”. Just by being a member of the church of Jesus Christ there is already more in my cup than what is in the cup of most of the world. I have the spirit of God with me, to help me in everything that I do. Just like the stripping sons, I have been taught by my mother the things I need to do. One of the things she taught me is: always leave a "room" or an area better then you found it when you got there.
Being in this new area is not a simple thing. We are working hard just to learn the area and find people to teach. Well, finding them isn’t hard. I can teach and commit almost any one to baptism. It’s just getting them to come to church as always. But unlike the stripling warriors, I have been doing this for a while and I have been trained to do what I need to do. So I need to quit looking at my cup as being half empty and start looking at my cup as over flowing. I need not fear for the lord is on my side, and doubt not because God will deliver. There are so many examples of stories in the Book of Mormon where some one has suffered with sickness, or being thrown in prison, and the Lord teaches them not to look at the bad side of things but to be positive and doubt not the lord.
This past week we worked really hard, but we didn’t have much to show for it. I know that this week will be better for us. We hopefully won’t have any illnesses or anything like that to slow us down. But everything is going so well right now. I have never felt better than the way I feel right now in my life. I know everything will be O.K. I hope all is well back in the cold! I can’t believe it’s a new month this week! I can’t really write how much I am thankful for everything that you have done for me. Thanks so much!
Love Elder Berry
Monday, March 28, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Info from Elder Brady Bills Letter
Well funny last story. Elder Berry and Elder Wollenzien caught opollo or something. It makes your eye swell up to the size of a baseball. Elder Wollenzein woke up looking like Rocky Balboa after a fight. "Cut me mick. ADRIAN!" Elder Berry then caught it later. I have been washing my hands like crazy lately and have avoided it, plus thanks to the acne problem and the germs dad brings home from work, I have trained myself to not touch my face (or mom trained me not to touch my face) so I am not sick. It is an eye infection that gives you eye goobers and itches. The little kids get it and spread it.
So they didn't go to church and have been wearing big ol' sunglasses haha. They are doing good now.
So they didn't go to church and have been wearing big ol' sunglasses haha. They are doing good now.
Monday, March 21, 2011
March 21, 2011 Time is Flying By
So I have been gone now for a half of a year! Where in the world has time gone? I can only hope that what I have been able to do so far is up to the expectations that the Lord has had for me. I have been so bless to be here in Ghana, where I can talk to anyone about Jesus Christ. I have also been so bless with much success thus far on my mission. The people of Ghana are so humble, and so willing to accept Christ. When I first came here all I saw was poor people. I saw roads that were unfinished, with pot holes, no pavement and dirt roads. I saw people that had to work everyday all day just to feed themselves that night. I saw poor living conditions, where people lived with their big families in one room compounds, sometimes with no power, and most of the time no running water. I saw kids that were not able to go to school because of lack of money. I saw kids that didn't have any shoes or cloths to wear. Back home we have big stores where you can go and buy anything that your heart desires. We have nice cars; homes with power and running water; roads that we can drive on in comfort; and school where we can get an education in nice buildings with nice computers and equipment. But now all I see is how blessed these people are. I have not talked to one Christian that does not have a strong belief in Jesus Christ and His atonement. It amazes me every day that almost everyone that we talk to will allow us to sit down with them and teach them about the gospel. To see how these people live may look bad to an American, but Ghana has never turned away from God. The people here are so humble, and happy for what they have, and they have been so spiritually bless for that!
So in the new area everything is going well. We were not able to do as much as we wanted to do this week because my comp got sick for a couple of days. Man did I miss TV this week. Sitting in the apartment all day gets really boring. Ha-ha! But I did take advantage of the time and got in some good studying. Well I hope this letter makes some sense. It does make sense in my head but I have this eye infection now and my eyes are like swollen so I can’t see all that well. It’s all good though just part of being in Africa. Everything will be alright with your love and your prayers! Thanks for everything that you guys have done for me back home! I love you all so much and miss you too!
Love
Elder Berry
So in the new area everything is going well. We were not able to do as much as we wanted to do this week because my comp got sick for a couple of days. Man did I miss TV this week. Sitting in the apartment all day gets really boring. Ha-ha! But I did take advantage of the time and got in some good studying. Well I hope this letter makes some sense. It does make sense in my head but I have this eye infection now and my eyes are like swollen so I can’t see all that well. It’s all good though just part of being in Africa. Everything will be alright with your love and your prayers! Thanks for everything that you guys have done for me back home! I love you all so much and miss you too!
Love
Elder Berry
Monday, March 14, 2011
March 14, 2011 Third Transfer
My week this week was up and down! It was not easy leaving my last area on such short notice right in the middle of the transfer. I loved my last area and I loved my companion, we were workin hard and thing were starting to go our way, we were getting people to church, teaching lots of lessons and even having baptism this month, but for some reason the lord saw fit for me to leave and go to Odorokor(spelling) I don't know how to spell it, I can barley say it. This area has been closed for a while. They shut it down for some reasons, and because it wasn't not having any success at all. So now me and my companion are here, to open the area back up, and to see if we can get it going again. Well first my comps name is Elder Wollenzien, he is from Utah, West Jordan and he went to Bingham.. so now I have had a comp from Davis High and Bingham High! haha well he is cool, he didn't play sports or anything. This past week in the new area has been tough, we have a lot of work to do and then on top of teaching people we are learning a new area. The other night we got lost and couldn't find our place.. well speaking of our place that is another story, our apartment is the worst I have stayed in this far on the mission. I will just leave it at that, don't want to many people worrying about me. I am in good hands! This area is going to be tough, but I know that I am up for whatever! I am workin harder than I have ever work on mission so far, I feel like I have something to prove coming to a new area, I don't know if that is like the wrong mind set but that is whats motivating me right now.
Well on the better side of things, we are living with the zone leaders. One of our zone leaders is Elder Bills from Orem, he is really tight, and I got to sever around him a little in the bush when I was out there. It will be fun to get to know him and my comp more as the weeks go by!
I hope all is well back home, everything here is Ghana is going well, I am safe, we haven't had any earth quakes, and I am praying for the missionaries and people in Japan! I love you all, thanks for everything you all have done for me, and the money that I have been receiving to support me on my mission! grandpa's grandma's, friends, ward members, Aunt Arlene and Uncle Randy, family thanks for all of your support:)
love Elder Berry
Well on the better side of things, we are living with the zone leaders. One of our zone leaders is Elder Bills from Orem, he is really tight, and I got to sever around him a little in the bush when I was out there. It will be fun to get to know him and my comp more as the weeks go by!
I hope all is well back home, everything here is Ghana is going well, I am safe, we haven't had any earth quakes, and I am praying for the missionaries and people in Japan! I love you all, thanks for everything you all have done for me, and the money that I have been receiving to support me on my mission! grandpa's grandma's, friends, ward members, Aunt Arlene and Uncle Randy, family thanks for all of your support:)
love Elder Berry
Monday, March 7, 2011
March 7, 2011
This week has been a crazy one! It sounds like it has also been back home for Lone Peak! That is tight, way to go team! atta boy Brody! Champs!! Well this up coming week I will be transfered somewhere I don't know yet! Because of all the crazy stuff that is going on in Africa right now(wars and whatever) lots of missionary's are being re-assigned, so my comp will be training someone this week. It has been pretty hard on me, to come here and to build up this area with Elder Farnes, and now I just get tossed out half way through the transfer: (we will baptise 5 this month in Nugnua, but I will be somewhere else now. It's tough, I don't want to leave this place, just as I didn't want to leave Konongo, but everything happens for a reason. I don't know why exactly I was call to be in Nungua, but I hope that I was able to do what the Lord wanted me to do here. Now I just got to go and do whatever else it is whereever else it is (with a smile! yes I know mom)
In Ghana right now it is getting vary hot!" This past week has been well in the 110's at least! I can't wait for the rainy season to come! Well the Internet is not working well... it is getting really annoying.. sorry for the short letter. Doing the best I can under the inconvenience that this cafe is giving me right now! well I love you all so much! Every thing is going well right now, keep praying for me, love Elder Berry
In Ghana right now it is getting vary hot!" This past week has been well in the 110's at least! I can't wait for the rainy season to come! Well the Internet is not working well... it is getting really annoying.. sorry for the short letter. Doing the best I can under the inconvenience that this cafe is giving me right now! well I love you all so much! Every thing is going well right now, keep praying for me, love Elder Berry
Monday, February 28, 2011
What a Week - February 28,2011
So this week was something else! One of the better weeks if not best week on mission! On Tuesdays we got the special chance to hear from an apostle of the Lord! Elder Oaks was in town this last week, and had a special meeting with the missionaries (as they usually do). When Elder Oaks pulled up in his car we were all outside lined up because he wanted to shake all of our hands. As I shook his hand he look right into my eyes, honestly down to my very soul. He told us in his talk that as he looked in to all of our eyes that he had a personal interview with each of us.
Well to start off, our meeting with Elder Oaks the room had a different light to it as he walk from the back to the stand. The AP was conducting and said that Elder Berry will give us the opening prayer... well my heart pretty much hit the floor and started racing 100 mph... but luckily for me there are two Elder Berry's in this mission, and of course he too thought it was him, and he was sitting in the front so he beat me to it. Then Pres. and Sister Smith gave their testimony's along with Sister Oaks. They all did a really good job, and the spirit was in the room! Before Elder Oaks got up to do his thing, we sang a hymn, and Elder Oaks was just staring at the ceiling, talking with our Father in Heaven about what he need to say to us this day. As he began talking i noticed two things. 1) that this man is a man of god, that he speaks with power and the spirit! 2) being that he sounds the same in person as he does on T.V. Elder Oaks told us a little bit about how life is as an Apostle of the lord. How the brethren get together every Thursday in the temple to talk about matters of the church. They talk about things that need to be done, make sure that everything is moving well, and that the church continues to grow all over the world. He told us how on earth as humans they do everything in there power to keep the church going, to keep getting visa's for missionaries in other countries and etc. Then he said when they have done what seems like everything they can do, they turn it over to the lord, and they pray and fast. He then quickly started talking about our two Elders who are still in prison, and how it seems that everything humanly possible has been down to get them out, but they are not home yet. So he said Elders and Sisters lets pray together, in faith for our brothers that they might be let free. Elder Oaks said the most powerful prayer that I have ever heard in my life, I felt like I was stand in between him and God as he talked to him. some of what he said "Father ye have power to do all, even to bring down the walls of the prison that our brothers might walk free, even as you gave Moses the power to free his people, father even as Moses said to Pharaoh, let my people go!!
He taught us a lot about the power of prayer when there is not much more for us to do, we turn it over to the Lord. Just as I am in Ghana suffering small trials, there is not much you back home can do for me now, but just pray for me! I know that prayer works, as we pray in faith our Father listens to us all. As Elder Oaks said "he will answer all of our prayers, in his own due time, and in his own way"
I cant wait for April to listen to all the teaching of the Lord!
On Saturday we also had a baptism, we baptised two! Prince and Enoch! I will try to send a pic of them! We have been working with them for so long, and it was way sweet to get the baptised in to the church! Prince is the most correct Ghana man I have ever meet! he is vary smart and has the biggest testimony of Joseph Smith! The man is my hero! He will be by far my strongest convert to the church! I can see the Lord using him in callings in the church!
Well another week has past!
I miss you all!
love you more, Love Elder Berry
Well to start off, our meeting with Elder Oaks the room had a different light to it as he walk from the back to the stand. The AP was conducting and said that Elder Berry will give us the opening prayer... well my heart pretty much hit the floor and started racing 100 mph... but luckily for me there are two Elder Berry's in this mission, and of course he too thought it was him, and he was sitting in the front so he beat me to it. Then Pres. and Sister Smith gave their testimony's along with Sister Oaks. They all did a really good job, and the spirit was in the room! Before Elder Oaks got up to do his thing, we sang a hymn, and Elder Oaks was just staring at the ceiling, talking with our Father in Heaven about what he need to say to us this day. As he began talking i noticed two things. 1) that this man is a man of god, that he speaks with power and the spirit! 2) being that he sounds the same in person as he does on T.V. Elder Oaks told us a little bit about how life is as an Apostle of the lord. How the brethren get together every Thursday in the temple to talk about matters of the church. They talk about things that need to be done, make sure that everything is moving well, and that the church continues to grow all over the world. He told us how on earth as humans they do everything in there power to keep the church going, to keep getting visa's for missionaries in other countries and etc. Then he said when they have done what seems like everything they can do, they turn it over to the lord, and they pray and fast. He then quickly started talking about our two Elders who are still in prison, and how it seems that everything humanly possible has been down to get them out, but they are not home yet. So he said Elders and Sisters lets pray together, in faith for our brothers that they might be let free. Elder Oaks said the most powerful prayer that I have ever heard in my life, I felt like I was stand in between him and God as he talked to him. some of what he said "Father ye have power to do all, even to bring down the walls of the prison that our brothers might walk free, even as you gave Moses the power to free his people, father even as Moses said to Pharaoh, let my people go!!
He taught us a lot about the power of prayer when there is not much more for us to do, we turn it over to the Lord. Just as I am in Ghana suffering small trials, there is not much you back home can do for me now, but just pray for me! I know that prayer works, as we pray in faith our Father listens to us all. As Elder Oaks said "he will answer all of our prayers, in his own due time, and in his own way"
I cant wait for April to listen to all the teaching of the Lord!
On Saturday we also had a baptism, we baptised two! Prince and Enoch! I will try to send a pic of them! We have been working with them for so long, and it was way sweet to get the baptised in to the church! Prince is the most correct Ghana man I have ever meet! he is vary smart and has the biggest testimony of Joseph Smith! The man is my hero! He will be by far my strongest convert to the church! I can see the Lord using him in callings in the church!
Well another week has past!
I miss you all!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Greetings from Ghana, February 21, 2011
Greetings from Ghana,
Well another week just went right by and not much to show for it. But this up coming week is going to be much better I can already tell. Today I got up and washed all my cloths until my hands started to hurt, then we cleaned the apartment like an apostle of the lord is coming to our home. Well maybe not to our home but tomorrow Elder Oaks is coming to talk to our mission, and then on Wednesday he is speaking to our stake to follow up on his all African conference talk. I am praying that I don’t have to give another talk tomorrow. It should be really good though. I should have a lot to talk about next week in my letter. I don’t know if mom has talked much about the problems I have been having, but I just want everyone to know that I am doing just fine. Things here are not exactly sanitary all the time, so I have got some kind of skin stuff going on. But it is not holding me back, as far as anyone knows it is not contagious so I am not that worried anymore about giving it to my people. To go along with my skin dysfunctions, I spilled hot oil on my hand the other day and have a big burn in the shape of an “M” on my hand. But other then that I am doing just fine. I haven’t gotten sick, and haven’t had to just lie in bed all day. I am still working hard and going strong, anything that doesn’t kill me will only make me stronger! Other then that my health has been wonderful, I have started to work out, so that my pants and shirts will fit properly around my neck and waste, but now they are getting tight around my chest. I miss playing sports and just running all the time. All I do now is walk around all day. I want to play ball again, or 11 side of soccer! One day, one day!
So as my days in Africa keep growing shorter and shorter, my love for the Book of Mormon grows and grows each day. The people who actually take the time to sit down and just read this wonderful book will come to know that what we are teaching them is true. The prophet Joseph Smith wasn’t lying when he said that the Book of Mormon is the key stone of our religion. The Book of Mormon teaches us about why we need to have faith in Jesus Christ, and tells us all about the wonderful things that can come from believing in him and following his ways. It also teaches us what happens when we fall away from what is right. Before I came on my mission it was vary hard for me to just sit down and read the BOM (well anything for that matter) because I didn’t understand fully what the Book of Mormon was. Everyday I teach some one about the book. I love to contact anyone with it. But as I teach people about the book I teach them three things. 1) I teach them WHAT the Book of Mormon is. People need to understand what they are going to read before they even sit down and pick up the book to read it, or they simply won’t read it. We teach people that it is scripture and not a bible. Scripture because it contains the word of God and of his prophets. 2) People need to know HOW they are going to read this massive book. Obviously they are not going to read the whole thing in one day. So I teach them and show them right where the pages are that I want them to read and then I mark the scripture 2Ne33:1-10 and tell them to read it by the next time I come which is Sunday. If I tell someone that I want them to read 2NE chapter 33. Not many people are going to do it. They don’t know "How". They are not going to know where it is or when they should read it by. 3) Then I teach them the “WHY”. Why is this book so important for us to read? Why has this book come forth for us to read? Why will it change your life if you truly read it? This is the easiest part. There are so many examples in the Book of Mormon on why we need to read and learn about Christ. It is simple: Brady is in Africa suffering all kinds of afflictions because the Book of Mormon is the word of god. Because I have read this book and I know that it is true for me. I know that I need to share this with every one that I come in contact with, so that one day they can be blessed as I have been. I know before I came on my mission family scriptures study wasn’t high on my list of things to do because I couldn’t get out of bed at 6 am. But I know now that it is important and I can’t wait to have family scripture study. It is all about the What, How, and Why.
Thanks for everything that you are doing for me back home!
I love you all!
Elder Berry
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Picture of Mission Tour - 2011
Mission Tour with Elder and Sister Sitati.
Brother and Sister Cranny are on the far left, and the Terry's are on the far right.
(Elder Berry is on second row from the back)
Monday, February 14, 2011
February 14, 2011 Happy Valentines
Well I know that every one wants a nice big letter but I don’t really have that much to write about. We do the same thing every day. We go out and try to find some one that is serious to teach the gospel to but things in this area are not easy. People here are really flakey and tell us they are going to come to church but then no one shows up, so there is not much I can do about that. I don’t know if I have said this before, but in Nungua is like the head quarters for the Jehovah Witnesses (spelling?) Everyday I feel like they are just watching us and every one we sit down with and have a nice lesson, they go there right after and just confuse those people. Everyday I deal with gossip about the church, people think that we drink blood in church, they think that we dig up bodies and take them to a white building and baptize them, they think that we kill animals in church and make sacrifices. We are still struggling to get this area on top. I have been here for 6 weeks now, we have worked hard done a lot of good things, but it is still not going anywhere because no one will straight up tell us that they don’t want to come, so we are always counting on people to come but disappointment usually comes. But we have three guys that have come to church twice, so if they will come this week, then we can start thinking about baptism next Saturday, but a lot could go wrong between now and Monday. So we will see what is going to happen with that. We are going to continue to work hard. Transfers are this week; most likely I am going to be staying here...
So not much is going on, I am just doing work in Africa! This last week we got hooked up with a free meal! We got fed, and served by MISS Ghana! It was a pretty legit meal... Well it was still just rice and fried chicken but it was pretty good! Her family is really wealthy here. Her whole family is members and her father is in the stake council. They are a way sweet family! We are planning on going over there every Fast Sunday to break our fast.
We have a lights out a lot so I haven’t got a nice nights sleep in a while, so I am really tired cant really think straight right now, so sorry for another short letter, there is not much going on right now, just trying to find correct people!" Well happy chocolate day, I love you all! Have a nice week! Love Elder Berry
So not much is going on, I am just doing work in Africa! This last week we got hooked up with a free meal! We got fed, and served by MISS Ghana! It was a pretty legit meal... Well it was still just rice and fried chicken but it was pretty good! Her family is really wealthy here. Her whole family is members and her father is in the stake council. They are a way sweet family! We are planning on going over there every Fast Sunday to break our fast.
We have a lights out a lot so I haven’t got a nice nights sleep in a while, so I am really tired cant really think straight right now, so sorry for another short letter, there is not much going on right now, just trying to find correct people!" Well happy chocolate day, I love you all! Have a nice week! Love Elder Berry
Monday, January 31, 2011
January 31, 2011
Dont hope for a MIRACLE, MAKE ONE! dream big!!!!
Mom I love you thanks for everything that you have sent me, the calendar was sweet! I am going to hang it up and write things that I did each day on that day!
So a couple of months ago in one of my letters I talk about how I hoped to serve in a area where not much success, so that I would have the chance to turn the area around. Well I spoke to soon then, I am in that area that has not had that much success in a long time. Since I have been here we have worked hard, and now things are starting to go our way!!!! On sunday we got four people to church!!!! so for next month we are hoping for 3 baptisms. If everything goes our way with this family we are teaching we could get 7.
Right now we are teaching Prince, who is our BOY. He is the tightest man in ghana, really smart, and believes everything we tell him, becuase he has a strong testimony of the Prophet Joesph Smith. Prince will be one of our three next month, he loves the church, he cant wait to go to the temple. Enoc is not the smartest person in the world, but he wants to change his life, and he knows that the church is true. He came to church this week, but fell asleep. Angela is a sweet sweet ladie, when we first contacted her, we knew that she was prepared for us to teach her. She straight up told us that her baptism was BS, because she didnt even choose for herself cause she was a baby, so we just gave her a date that day. and now we are working on teaching her everything and getting her to come to church!
This week was really fun! we got invited to a birthday party(I wish fb was workin so you could see the pics, but next week for sure) at the birthday party they feed us nice rice, and gave us so much food, and cake:) the cake was so sweet, I forgot what cake was like. They also gave us this soup, that was the hottest thing that has ever touched my lips, It was like melting the plastic bowl it was in. But I ate it all! This week we also found this place that makes BURGERS haha so we went and had a couple this week, they are not that much and we get fries with them to, it is not the same as the ones in the states tho, that is for sure. but it is nice to pretend like I am an american.
So I sent my card home so that you can see all the pictures that I have taken( not many) but they should be there this week on wednsday or thurday! so I hope that you all enjoy a little bit of Africa. Everything is going well, thanks for all the letters and packages that I keep getting, it means a lot!
So lately we have been eating bread and gravy.. it has saved our lifes this week, we have been eating alot of boncu(spelling?) rice, and candy! we dont ride bikes, we are on foot all day, and we walk and walk and walk all day. I am serving in a ward now, with about 150 as the average attendace(well what they say). thanks for everything I love you all, this is the best work ever, nothing is better, I love my family, go cougs, go PITT, go Barcelona! love you all so much love Elder Berry
Mom I love you thanks for everything that you have sent me, the calendar was sweet! I am going to hang it up and write things that I did each day on that day!
So a couple of months ago in one of my letters I talk about how I hoped to serve in a area where not much success, so that I would have the chance to turn the area around. Well I spoke to soon then, I am in that area that has not had that much success in a long time. Since I have been here we have worked hard, and now things are starting to go our way!!!! On sunday we got four people to church!!!! so for next month we are hoping for 3 baptisms. If everything goes our way with this family we are teaching we could get 7.
Right now we are teaching Prince, who is our BOY. He is the tightest man in ghana, really smart, and believes everything we tell him, becuase he has a strong testimony of the Prophet Joesph Smith. Prince will be one of our three next month, he loves the church, he cant wait to go to the temple. Enoc is not the smartest person in the world, but he wants to change his life, and he knows that the church is true. He came to church this week, but fell asleep. Angela is a sweet sweet ladie, when we first contacted her, we knew that she was prepared for us to teach her. She straight up told us that her baptism was BS, because she didnt even choose for herself cause she was a baby, so we just gave her a date that day. and now we are working on teaching her everything and getting her to come to church!
This week was really fun! we got invited to a birthday party(I wish fb was workin so you could see the pics, but next week for sure) at the birthday party they feed us nice rice, and gave us so much food, and cake:) the cake was so sweet, I forgot what cake was like. They also gave us this soup, that was the hottest thing that has ever touched my lips, It was like melting the plastic bowl it was in. But I ate it all! This week we also found this place that makes BURGERS haha so we went and had a couple this week, they are not that much and we get fries with them to, it is not the same as the ones in the states tho, that is for sure. but it is nice to pretend like I am an american.
So I sent my card home so that you can see all the pictures that I have taken( not many) but they should be there this week on wednsday or thurday! so I hope that you all enjoy a little bit of Africa. Everything is going well, thanks for all the letters and packages that I keep getting, it means a lot!
So lately we have been eating bread and gravy.. it has saved our lifes this week, we have been eating alot of boncu(spelling?) rice, and candy! we dont ride bikes, we are on foot all day, and we walk and walk and walk all day. I am serving in a ward now, with about 150 as the average attendace(well what they say). thanks for everything I love you all, this is the best work ever, nothing is better, I love my family, go cougs, go PITT, go Barcelona! love you all so much love Elder Berry
Monday, January 24, 2011
January, 24, 2011
We have been working hard this week but things are just not going our way... we cant get any one to come to church, so we cant baptise anyone. but we are still going out everyday to serve our lord. we have been working with lots of people, but most are not seriouse and it is really hard to teach them. My comp has been teaching this family(esters family) for a long time but they all know the church is true and will come to church but we are just waiting on the father to come and see for him self so they all can be part of the church. Ester is really good, she is vary correct. she has become my new mother in nungua, she is so sweet! we have been working alot with the man named Prince! he is probably the smartest man I have ever meet in my life, we go in to way deep stuff with him, because he always has these hard questions for us.
Sounds like lone peak is tarring it up!! that is way tight, I got the news paper from grandma, kinda made me home sick to read all that but it was nice to catch up a little. I hope everything is going well back home, I am really enjoying my mission, it is going by way to fast though.
Not much is going on in Nungua, it is not the bush that is for sure. me and my comp are gettting fat so we are starting to run to the beach, and we found a college to play bball! so hopefully i dont get much fatter then I am now. I am loving my comp, we have so much in common, we talk about home all the time:) I hope to stay with him for at least one more transfer, since this one is half way over now.
Good luck scotty!! every one keep praying for me I love you all
Monday, January 17, 2011
Jan 17, 2011
so this week was tuff! no one came to church... so we dropped most of our people and this week we are going to spend alot of time finding new people. we are going to be contacting people like crazy tomorrow and for the rest of the week! we have a lot of work to do to turn this area around, and it probably wont be the easiest thing to do either. we wont baptise any one this month, because people have to come to church 3 times before they can join the church. we have been working with this family. the mothers name is ester. she knows the church is tue and she wants to be aprat but she wants her husband to join her, but he wont give us the chance to teach he, we have finally taught him and he said that he would think about things. we plan to see him this week and hopefully let us basptise his wife and kids. we played soccer today with some of the guys in our ward, man i have lost alot but i still got some, i score 6 goals and lead me and my comp to victory. we played with some small boys and they were pretty good, but not good enough.
me and my comp are going to work this week! hopefully everything is going in a better dircetion by next week! it is frustrating but we can work around this and change nungua to a high bapstiing area! sorry this email is really short the internet has not been working that good! but thanks to every one that has sent me letters and packages it means a lot to me! and me and my comp enjoy eating all the goodies:) till next week time is flying love elder berrry
me and my comp are going to work this week! hopefully everything is going in a better dircetion by next week! it is frustrating but we can work around this and change nungua to a high bapstiing area! sorry this email is really short the internet has not been working that good! but thanks to every one that has sent me letters and packages it means a lot to me! and me and my comp enjoy eating all the goodies:) till next week time is flying love elder berrry
Monday, January 10, 2011
January 10, 2011
so most every one knows by now that i have been transfered! i am in Accra in a place called nugunua! i think is is spelled like that i am not sure! but it is way sweet, we are pretty much on the ocean. i am pretty close to the mission home and the temple, just like 20 min drive. I am in the Tema zone, which is were the mtc is, and my mtc teacher is in my new ward now. i am pretty home sick, and last week i wanted to go home. Konongo will always be my african home now, we had 8 people to be baptised up there this month, and now in my new area we dont really have anything.... i have been transfered to an area where not much work was being down befoer i got here. we only had on progressing person. so we have been going to work, we have alot to do here. we probably wont get a baptism this month.
My comp is tight! elder Farnes is his name. he went to davis high, and he played football and soccer, and basketball. so the kid is a stud, we have everything in common, and we have been working really good together. we should be able to do lot to get this area going! Our zone is most americans from utah, or are going to Byu so when we all get home it is going to be a party. today we played american football, we didnt play on any grass or anything like that, it was dirt and sand but it was so fun! i am way out of shape though! i need to start running. we plan on playin every monday together! i am now in an apartment with 2 other elders. one from utah and one from kenya(spelling) and that man can cook! his food that he cooks from his home town in amazing, i wish they ate like that here! i would be fat. there is never a boring moment in our apratment! we are always talking about something or cooking something. things are so much more fun having more people in our apartment! and with a comp taht i can relate to!
I hope to go back to Nkawkaw some day! i didnt climb the mountian there, so i need to go back and do that before i leave! now that i have a camera again, i can take pictures. i havent taken vary many yet, but some time soon hopefully next week i will send my card home to my mom, so taht every one can see all the pictures i have been taking. ghana is way sweet! i am pretty sure that i am not an american any more, i think taht i lost my american heritage.. probably around the time i ate snail, dog, cow skinn, pig feet, chicken bones, male parts of goats, the in sides of animals, or what ever else i have eaten here. i am so thankfull for all the packages people keep sending me.. hopefully some day i will get them:) i love hearing about home sounds like lone peak is for real! hope that every one is doin well, elder berry is, he is still alive, and working his heart out! hopefully i can make you all proud! i love and miss you all love elder berry
My comp is tight! elder Farnes is his name. he went to davis high, and he played football and soccer, and basketball. so the kid is a stud, we have everything in common, and we have been working really good together. we should be able to do lot to get this area going! Our zone is most americans from utah, or are going to Byu so when we all get home it is going to be a party. today we played american football, we didnt play on any grass or anything like that, it was dirt and sand but it was so fun! i am way out of shape though! i need to start running. we plan on playin every monday together! i am now in an apartment with 2 other elders. one from utah and one from kenya(spelling) and that man can cook! his food that he cooks from his home town in amazing, i wish they ate like that here! i would be fat. there is never a boring moment in our apratment! we are always talking about something or cooking something. things are so much more fun having more people in our apartment! and with a comp taht i can relate to!
I hope to go back to Nkawkaw some day! i didnt climb the mountian there, so i need to go back and do that before i leave! now that i have a camera again, i can take pictures. i havent taken vary many yet, but some time soon hopefully next week i will send my card home to my mom, so taht every one can see all the pictures i have been taking. ghana is way sweet! i am pretty sure that i am not an american any more, i think taht i lost my american heritage.. probably around the time i ate snail, dog, cow skinn, pig feet, chicken bones, male parts of goats, the in sides of animals, or what ever else i have eaten here. i am so thankfull for all the packages people keep sending me.. hopefully some day i will get them:) i love hearing about home sounds like lone peak is for real! hope that every one is doin well, elder berry is, he is still alive, and working his heart out! hopefully i can make you all proud! i love and miss you all love elder berry
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Elder Berry got transferred
I wanted you to know what a fine son you have. He was transferred
from his training area and is now serving in Accra. When we took him
in he gave us a very nice note thanking us for the help and goodies.
You should be very proud of him.
Interesting he was replaced by Elder Henderson, who will not be
trained by the same trainer in the same remote area of our mission.
Elder Berry has blossomed and seems to have great confidence in the
work.
Love
Sister Terry
Elder Alan Henderson is from Alpine who left on December 16.
from his training area and is now serving in Accra. When we took him
in he gave us a very nice note thanking us for the help and goodies.
You should be very proud of him.
Interesting he was replaced by Elder Henderson, who will not be
trained by the same trainer in the same remote area of our mission.
Elder Berry has blossomed and seems to have great confidence in the
work.
Love
Sister Terry
Elder Alan Henderson is from Alpine who left on December 16.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Jan 3, 2011
I dont remember the last time that i wrote one of these letters, that
is not a good sign. i will try to do better but i guess a robot
submarine blew up off the cost of Portugal and messed up the internet
in Konongo... ya i dont know i was as confused as you are when the man
at the cafe told me that. so everything has been going good, but this
week i will be transferred. i dont know where to yet, the zone leaders
will call us on tomorrow.
Ryno i hope that everything is going good! man your a stud i wish you
the best! dont freeze!! haha
I can not believe that i am already in my third transfer! one more and
i will be at my 6th month mark! i have been the youngest missionary in
our mission since i got here, and most of the elders like to make that
clear, so it will be nice when we get new missionarys this week that
are younger then i am.
A couple of weeks ago well it has probably been a month now, i said
that one morning when it was freezing it was probably in the 60s..
well i lied i bought a little temperature thingy, and this morning was
bitter cold, and it was only 25.. haha i think that is around 75F. I
am probably going to die in september 2012.
Last week we had to go down to Accra, and the Terry's (our district
couple) didnt go. so we had to take a trotro all the way to Accra. Man
we suffered in stop and go traffic, with no AC. i was sweating
bullets. But it was all worth it in the end. The night we go there sis
smith made us really mash potatoes with gravy, turkey, and stuffing.
So i had my Christmas dinner, it was just a little late. In the
morning she made us pancakes, ahhh they were unreal! but what made the
whole trip worth it was i smuggled all my dirty cloths down there to
the washing machine and dryer:) There is nothing in this world that is
better then Dryer dried socks!! This trip to Accra was like a vaction
for me! We went out on splits, i went with elder Anderson from
Australia (tightest kid ever) and elder rich (who is the office elder
and has lived in the mission home since he got here.. lucky) took us
and dropped us off to do some tracking for a couple of house before i
had to head back to konongo. lucky for me and elder anderson, we got
drop off at Frankies! haha which is where you can buy cheese burgers!
so i got my first african cheese burger. it wasnt bad, but i will
probably never get another. i felt like i should have been cutting it
up with my fingers and rolling it in to balls and swallowing
it..(thats how we eat fufu)
Christmas was so nice! i got to talk to my wonderful family! best
christmas ever! one fone call down! i got some help with my tesimony
in twi, i killed it on christmas, but next time will be better, maybe!
haha dont let any one listen to the recording! haha
On new years we had my first single baptism. we only baptised one
person which was Gloria Osie (24) this was one of the tight baptism i
have ever had... why? well because our front was broken so we went
down to the local 5 star hotel (something like the red roof inn) and i
baptised her in the swimming pool!!!! haha it was so tight, but i was
way way temped to just dive in and swim. i cant wait to go swimming!!
but it was a good experience. its amazing what people will do for
whites here. i had to sweet talk the manager of the hotel to allow us
to do it, of course he let me. but at first he said no to our branch
president! so i worked the magic, and gave him a nice book to read!
called the Book of Mormon! ha it was sweet!
well i miss you all, i am working my heart out, living every day with
NO regrets! i am MAD!! ha
till next week love elder berry
is not a good sign. i will try to do better but i guess a robot
submarine blew up off the cost of Portugal and messed up the internet
in Konongo... ya i dont know i was as confused as you are when the man
at the cafe told me that. so everything has been going good, but this
week i will be transferred. i dont know where to yet, the zone leaders
will call us on tomorrow.
Ryno i hope that everything is going good! man your a stud i wish you
the best! dont freeze!! haha
I can not believe that i am already in my third transfer! one more and
i will be at my 6th month mark! i have been the youngest missionary in
our mission since i got here, and most of the elders like to make that
clear, so it will be nice when we get new missionarys this week that
are younger then i am.
A couple of weeks ago well it has probably been a month now, i said
that one morning when it was freezing it was probably in the 60s..
well i lied i bought a little temperature thingy, and this morning was
bitter cold, and it was only 25.. haha i think that is around 75F. I
am probably going to die in september 2012.
Last week we had to go down to Accra, and the Terry's (our district
couple) didnt go. so we had to take a trotro all the way to Accra. Man
we suffered in stop and go traffic, with no AC. i was sweating
bullets. But it was all worth it in the end. The night we go there sis
smith made us really mash potatoes with gravy, turkey, and stuffing.
So i had my Christmas dinner, it was just a little late. In the
morning she made us pancakes, ahhh they were unreal! but what made the
whole trip worth it was i smuggled all my dirty cloths down there to
the washing machine and dryer:) There is nothing in this world that is
better then Dryer dried socks!! This trip to Accra was like a vaction
for me! We went out on splits, i went with elder Anderson from
Australia (tightest kid ever) and elder rich (who is the office elder
and has lived in the mission home since he got here.. lucky) took us
and dropped us off to do some tracking for a couple of house before i
had to head back to konongo. lucky for me and elder anderson, we got
drop off at Frankies! haha which is where you can buy cheese burgers!
so i got my first african cheese burger. it wasnt bad, but i will
probably never get another. i felt like i should have been cutting it
up with my fingers and rolling it in to balls and swallowing
it..(thats how we eat fufu)
Christmas was so nice! i got to talk to my wonderful family! best
christmas ever! one fone call down! i got some help with my tesimony
in twi, i killed it on christmas, but next time will be better, maybe!
haha dont let any one listen to the recording! haha
On new years we had my first single baptism. we only baptised one
person which was Gloria Osie (24) this was one of the tight baptism i
have ever had... why? well because our front was broken so we went
down to the local 5 star hotel (something like the red roof inn) and i
baptised her in the swimming pool!!!! haha it was so tight, but i was
way way temped to just dive in and swim. i cant wait to go swimming!!
but it was a good experience. its amazing what people will do for
whites here. i had to sweet talk the manager of the hotel to allow us
to do it, of course he let me. but at first he said no to our branch
president! so i worked the magic, and gave him a nice book to read!
called the Book of Mormon! ha it was sweet!
well i miss you all, i am working my heart out, living every day with
NO regrets! i am MAD!! ha
till next week love elder berry
Monday, December 13, 2010
December 13, 2010
I have the best mom in the whole world:) mom i love you soo much! i got your #2 box this week but its cost me 20 cedi to pick up! so i am going to need to use my debit card soon! aunt kim i got your second one, anut jill i got yours too! thanks you all soo much!
so this week was crazy!! we had zone conference on Thursday, and spliits after- friday, baptism saturday, and now i am in the mission home useing fast Internet!! kinda. so this morning we had to wake up at 5 and shower in the dark with bottle water because our lights have been out for 2 days. but it was soo cold (prolly like mid 60s) i had to heat up my water, and i froze all night! elder and sister terry took us to the Acrra mall, and this place they call costco! ha they have alot of my favorit things there like A&Wrootberr:) but every thing is soo expensive so it is not worth it, well maybe next Christmas i will treat my self:)
We have been teaching lessons like MAD men, but we didnt met our goals for this week because of the conference, and service project! we baptised Lois(24), and Hannah(13) this week! they both dont speak vary good english, but they have family in the church so we were able to baptism them.
Out here we are no allowed to teach people who do not speak english enough to read the introduction page of the book of mormen, unless they have family in the church that will work with them, and read them the book of mormen.
I usually take notes about things i need to write home, but as usuall i left them in the apartment, so i cant remember everything i wanted to say, but i am writing in my way sweet journal every day!
oh sunday i had MAC&cheese for lunch with a package of beef jerkey:) both have never tasted as good as they did! thank you all so much for everything that has been sent to me, hopefully i get it all, i have people i need to share with:)
At zone conference i got hammered. every other question that president had was for me, he asked me everything. its a good thing i was raised by a wonderful mother because i answered most of his questions but not from anything i have learned on mission so far!
so when i was on splits with elder farnbock from orgen, we talk alot about our favorite movies and since i miss movies sooo much, i would like to talk about one of my favorit movies "remember the titians". In the end during the championship game, Julius said something like(i cant really remember exactly) "coach you demanded more of us, but i am not perfect none of us are, but this team is perfect because we have won every game we have played." as i thought about this movie, i tried to relate it to the gospel. Our heavenly father has demanded more of us, he as asked us to be perfect, but none of us can be perfect we are all humans, but we as a team/church are perfect. The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is perfect. Everything that goes on in the church is the way heavenly father has demeaned it to be, every sunday we can take upon us the name of his son Jesus Christ, to help us work towards the common goal of being perfect and winning the championship or gain exaltation and spending for ever with our wonderful familys:)
so this week was crazy!! we had zone conference on Thursday, and spliits after- friday, baptism saturday, and now i am in the mission home useing fast Internet!! kinda. so this morning we had to wake up at 5 and shower in the dark with bottle water because our lights have been out for 2 days. but it was soo cold (prolly like mid 60s) i had to heat up my water, and i froze all night! elder and sister terry took us to the Acrra mall, and this place they call costco! ha they have alot of my favorit things there like A&Wrootberr:) but every thing is soo expensive so it is not worth it, well maybe next Christmas i will treat my self:)
We have been teaching lessons like MAD men, but we didnt met our goals for this week because of the conference, and service project! we baptised Lois(24), and Hannah(13) this week! they both dont speak vary good english, but they have family in the church so we were able to baptism them.
Out here we are no allowed to teach people who do not speak english enough to read the introduction page of the book of mormen, unless they have family in the church that will work with them, and read them the book of mormen.
I usually take notes about things i need to write home, but as usuall i left them in the apartment, so i cant remember everything i wanted to say, but i am writing in my way sweet journal every day!
oh sunday i had MAC&cheese for lunch with a package of beef jerkey:) both have never tasted as good as they did! thank you all so much for everything that has been sent to me, hopefully i get it all, i have people i need to share with:)
At zone conference i got hammered. every other question that president had was for me, he asked me everything. its a good thing i was raised by a wonderful mother because i answered most of his questions but not from anything i have learned on mission so far!
so when i was on splits with elder farnbock from orgen, we talk alot about our favorite movies and since i miss movies sooo much, i would like to talk about one of my favorit movies "remember the titians". In the end during the championship game, Julius said something like(i cant really remember exactly) "coach you demanded more of us, but i am not perfect none of us are, but this team is perfect because we have won every game we have played." as i thought about this movie, i tried to relate it to the gospel. Our heavenly father has demanded more of us, he as asked us to be perfect, but none of us can be perfect we are all humans, but we as a team/church are perfect. The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is perfect. Everything that goes on in the church is the way heavenly father has demeaned it to be, every sunday we can take upon us the name of his son Jesus Christ, to help us work towards the common goal of being perfect and winning the championship or gain exaltation and spending for ever with our wonderful familys:)
Monday, December 6, 2010
December 6, 2010
I have the best mom in the world:) this week i got 3 packages when the zone leaders came to do our baptism interviews. They told me that there was 3 more in the mission home, they just didnt have room to bring them! so this week when we go to zone conference i will get 3 more packages! kim one of them was from you! thank you so much! but i dont think everything you put in it got to me:( but its better then nothing:)
No one ever told me that mission work would be easy. But up until this week i would have to say other words. My mission has been easier then cutting down weeds or sitting in classes all day and doing home work. I am not saying it hasn't been work, but it hasn't been hard. Things are only hard when we think they are or make them hard.. But what about when things we dont have any control over makes things hard. Some investigators are like kicking a ball down a hill at canyon park in to baptism, some is like rolling a big rock up a hill and down the other side to baptism. some are like pushing a car up to the top of the hill, and it is chained to the bottom then it runs YOU over and goes straight to the bottom.. This week my mission got tuff, for the past six weeks we have been working with David, and he was finally ready for baptism. So we gave him a date for this saturated. on Friday when we went to his place, he saw us coming and tried to run away from us.. but it is really hard to run when you are so drunk when you cant even walk. i didnt even bother going any farther, i felt like i just got hit by a truck. now i know why missions are hard, because you have to endure all the heart ache when all your effort back slides. But he still came to church, and we will still continue to work with him for january.
most missionary's go two plus some years with out being kissed... well i almost made it three months.. one friday when we were heading to Rita's from Davids this crazy man wearing only these short shot jeans runs me down. so i stops on my bike, and he began telling me that the missionaries used to teach him at his old town, and he wanted me to come and teach him so he could be baptized. He started yelling scriptures from the bible, with his arms above his head, when he said "i will kiss you" as he grabbed my head with both hands and kissed me right on the lips.... Me being already frustrated coming from Davids, push this man and i was ready to throw down with the guy.. but i am still a missionary so i gathered myself together, got back on my bike and left. friday was not a good day for me, worst/"hardest" day of mission so far. But saturday made up for it, we had another baptism in Nkawkaw. We baptized Benis(25) and Thersea(18). if i can get a picture to up load to the blog, they are the two in the middle and our two brothers who baptized them.
On thursday we were supposed to have cordination at the church, but in stead I got stuck teaching the seminary class. Its a good thing that I went to seminary so much that I know how a seminary class is ran. or not... but I did a pretty good job teaching the class, but I am not going to be a seminary teacher for sure.
Happy birthday brody, and bronson two days ago!!
love all of you and miss you all
love elder bbear
No one ever told me that mission work would be easy. But up until this week i would have to say other words. My mission has been easier then cutting down weeds or sitting in classes all day and doing home work. I am not saying it hasn't been work, but it hasn't been hard. Things are only hard when we think they are or make them hard.. But what about when things we dont have any control over makes things hard. Some investigators are like kicking a ball down a hill at canyon park in to baptism, some is like rolling a big rock up a hill and down the other side to baptism. some are like pushing a car up to the top of the hill, and it is chained to the bottom then it runs YOU over and goes straight to the bottom.. This week my mission got tuff, for the past six weeks we have been working with David, and he was finally ready for baptism. So we gave him a date for this saturated. on Friday when we went to his place, he saw us coming and tried to run away from us.. but it is really hard to run when you are so drunk when you cant even walk. i didnt even bother going any farther, i felt like i just got hit by a truck. now i know why missions are hard, because you have to endure all the heart ache when all your effort back slides. But he still came to church, and we will still continue to work with him for january.
most missionary's go two plus some years with out being kissed... well i almost made it three months.. one friday when we were heading to Rita's from Davids this crazy man wearing only these short shot jeans runs me down. so i stops on my bike, and he began telling me that the missionaries used to teach him at his old town, and he wanted me to come and teach him so he could be baptized. He started yelling scriptures from the bible, with his arms above his head, when he said "i will kiss you" as he grabbed my head with both hands and kissed me right on the lips.... Me being already frustrated coming from Davids, push this man and i was ready to throw down with the guy.. but i am still a missionary so i gathered myself together, got back on my bike and left. friday was not a good day for me, worst/"hardest" day of mission so far. But saturday made up for it, we had another baptism in Nkawkaw. We baptized Benis(25) and Thersea(18). if i can get a picture to up load to the blog, they are the two in the middle and our two brothers who baptized them.
On thursday we were supposed to have cordination at the church, but in stead I got stuck teaching the seminary class. Its a good thing that I went to seminary so much that I know how a seminary class is ran. or not... but I did a pretty good job teaching the class, but I am not going to be a seminary teacher for sure.
Happy birthday brody, and bronson two days ago!!
love all of you and miss you all
love elder bbear
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
November 30, 2010
ok sorry about not sending this letter yesterday but just remember i am in africa, and i am not using a mac book with high speed internet.
so this far i have gone day in and day out with the following quote. "pray as if everything depends on God, ACT as if everything depends on YOU" (i dont know where i heard this quote but i would be happy to take it as my own haha) it is amazing how much i find my self on me knees. i know with all my heart that what i am doing would not be possible for me with out Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. And i have been working as if everything depends on me, that if i dont do it..who will? and with that i would like to add to this quote from a letter i got this week, that hit me hard.(thanks kim) "The field is as white as you make it" this past week this quote has been in the back of my mind every day. i hope that some day i will be assigned to an area that missionary have deemed a bad area for teaching, and baptisms. Because i know that there is no bad area, cause the field is as white as i am willing to make it. I am up for the challenge, and i am willing that is for sure!
This week was crazy i dont now where to start. On tuesday when we were in Nkawkaw, we were passing down this path and i had to pee so i stop on the side and was doing my thing, when i see this monkey being chase by these two boys coming right for me.. lucky for me it had a rope around its neck and the boys catch up to it, or i might of been in a brawl with a monkey. speaking of crazy animals, sunday in nkawkaw the branch president was talking about distractions, when the biggest snake i have ever seen started in the door, and half the men stood up and ran out the door after this snake. not your usual sacrament meeting. But everything was alright the snake did get away but they said it was a cobra, or something.
On sunday we had a missionary speak who was leaving on his mission. so our room was packed, with our branch(45), investigators, and his friends. So there was about 60 to 70 people there. my comp said to me that he couldnt believe how many friends he had. i couldnt help but think back to when i spoke in front of a family bigger then the branch, and friends that i couldnt count. how blessed i have been with such a wonderful family, and great friends. i know every one reading this has had a huge impacted on getting me to where i am now, and for that i would like to just say thanks for every thing you have done for me! i love you all so much, and i could of done it with out you all!
Saturday we had a baptism. we baptized Patience(13) Tina(26) and Peritta(18). all three of these girls are already so strong in the church, and have been a great blessing to their family's. we are now starting to teach peritta's sisters, and working on getting her mother to listen to us. this week we called in our baptismal goal for December and we said 5. we got a call back and they told us to raise the bar. So we are hoping for 8 more baptisms for the month of December.
Christmas is coming up, but all that i can think of that i want is for all you reading this to know how much i love you and how thankful i am for you. you all have been such a great blessing to me. oh and maybe some candy and bubble gum:)
i love you all
love elder berry
so this far i have gone day in and day out with the following quote. "pray as if everything depends on God, ACT as if everything depends on YOU" (i dont know where i heard this quote but i would be happy to take it as my own haha) it is amazing how much i find my self on me knees. i know with all my heart that what i am doing would not be possible for me with out Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. And i have been working as if everything depends on me, that if i dont do it..who will? and with that i would like to add to this quote from a letter i got this week, that hit me hard.(thanks kim) "The field is as white as you make it" this past week this quote has been in the back of my mind every day. i hope that some day i will be assigned to an area that missionary have deemed a bad area for teaching, and baptisms. Because i know that there is no bad area, cause the field is as white as i am willing to make it. I am up for the challenge, and i am willing that is for sure!
This week was crazy i dont now where to start. On tuesday when we were in Nkawkaw, we were passing down this path and i had to pee so i stop on the side and was doing my thing, when i see this monkey being chase by these two boys coming right for me.. lucky for me it had a rope around its neck and the boys catch up to it, or i might of been in a brawl with a monkey. speaking of crazy animals, sunday in nkawkaw the branch president was talking about distractions, when the biggest snake i have ever seen started in the door, and half the men stood up and ran out the door after this snake. not your usual sacrament meeting. But everything was alright the snake did get away but they said it was a cobra, or something.
On sunday we had a missionary speak who was leaving on his mission. so our room was packed, with our branch(45), investigators, and his friends. So there was about 60 to 70 people there. my comp said to me that he couldnt believe how many friends he had. i couldnt help but think back to when i spoke in front of a family bigger then the branch, and friends that i couldnt count. how blessed i have been with such a wonderful family, and great friends. i know every one reading this has had a huge impacted on getting me to where i am now, and for that i would like to just say thanks for every thing you have done for me! i love you all so much, and i could of done it with out you all!
Saturday we had a baptism. we baptized Patience(13) Tina(26) and Peritta(18). all three of these girls are already so strong in the church, and have been a great blessing to their family's. we are now starting to teach peritta's sisters, and working on getting her mother to listen to us. this week we called in our baptismal goal for December and we said 5. we got a call back and they told us to raise the bar. So we are hoping for 8 more baptisms for the month of December.
Christmas is coming up, but all that i can think of that i want is for all you reading this to know how much i love you and how thankful i am for you. you all have been such a great blessing to me. oh and maybe some candy and bubble gum:)
i love you all
love elder berry
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
November 22, 2010
this week suffered for us.. we did no do well with teaching lessons or anything. my companion was sick, so that might of had alot to do with it. but we did 17 investigators to church yesterday, which was really good because we watch an all African conference. The conference was really nice, it talked directly to afican members, and explained how our church is always open to visitors. we have been teaching this old man named Keneth, he believes what we teach him but he is always sick on sundays or should i say hang over. he drinks alot, we have been praying like cray for him and going to see him every day trying to help him give up on getting wasted. he finally came to church, and i think that he is finally coming out of his shell. he stayed after the meeting to talk with the branch president, and i hope that went well.
week is the end of the transfer, i am praying that i dont get transferred, i have fallen in love with this area and i will cry when i have to leave. we have 3 more investigators getting baptised this weekend in Knawnaw (bubble gum land). we have been teaching this teacher in Nkawkaw, he also believes and want to get baptised but he is a minister, and he is worried about all the people who attened his church, so we are still working with him. he teaches at a school the Danny ange's son owns or something. his son came here on a mission while back, and returned to help out the people, and the kids. i hope to be able to do the same some day. the english premier league is in the heat, and weekends are not good days to try to talk to people because they are so focused on their radio, listening to the games.
this transfer i started the book of mormon over and i finished yesterday. what a blessing the book of mormon is, i learned so many more new things that i didnt know before. i love the book of mormon and i know it to have the fullness of the everlasting gospel. the book of mormon is literally the key stone of our religon, we use the book of mormon to teach every one, and it is the most powerful sources of conversions we have combined with the holy ghost. this transfer also we taught 128 lessons, and baptised 10 new members, not counting the 3 this weekend, we have currently 9 nine others we are working with for the 4 Dcember. and we are planning on committing 6 others this week (if the spirit is Strong with them)
i hope every one has a wonderful Thanksgiving! know that i will be thinking about all of you that i am thankful for and love so much. my english is slipping for american English, to african english. some times i will say something( and think in my head that makes no sense, but it makes sense over here) the people over here are amazing, they have taught me so much about my self, but fufu is still the worst thing ever. i will probably be having that on thanksgiving with chicken bones.. haha i love africa:)
i love you all so much
love elder berry
week is the end of the transfer, i am praying that i dont get transferred, i have fallen in love with this area and i will cry when i have to leave. we have 3 more investigators getting baptised this weekend in Knawnaw (bubble gum land). we have been teaching this teacher in Nkawkaw, he also believes and want to get baptised but he is a minister, and he is worried about all the people who attened his church, so we are still working with him. he teaches at a school the Danny ange's son owns or something. his son came here on a mission while back, and returned to help out the people, and the kids. i hope to be able to do the same some day. the english premier league is in the heat, and weekends are not good days to try to talk to people because they are so focused on their radio, listening to the games.
this transfer i started the book of mormon over and i finished yesterday. what a blessing the book of mormon is, i learned so many more new things that i didnt know before. i love the book of mormon and i know it to have the fullness of the everlasting gospel. the book of mormon is literally the key stone of our religon, we use the book of mormon to teach every one, and it is the most powerful sources of conversions we have combined with the holy ghost. this transfer also we taught 128 lessons, and baptised 10 new members, not counting the 3 this weekend, we have currently 9 nine others we are working with for the 4 Dcember. and we are planning on committing 6 others this week (if the spirit is Strong with them)
i hope every one has a wonderful Thanksgiving! know that i will be thinking about all of you that i am thankful for and love so much. my english is slipping for american English, to african english. some times i will say something( and think in my head that makes no sense, but it makes sense over here) the people over here are amazing, they have taught me so much about my self, but fufu is still the worst thing ever. i will probably be having that on thanksgiving with chicken bones.. haha i love africa:)
i love you all so much
love elder berry
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