I'm doing great here in Brasil. Thanks for all the birthday wishes and for everything here. I love you all and hope that everything is going good for you too. This place is so beautiful and I love working here. Missionary work sure is hard but it is so worth it. It is so much fun. I love it so much.
So somethings that happened this week. I wrote down the ones I wanted to tell you. So lets see... which to start with... ok got it.
This past week we went to teach a man who was really, really old. About 10 years ago he had missionaries come by his house and teach him and give him a Book of Mormon. He's read it twice and is now re-reading it and has marked it up. Buy happen chance he found some of the members, they got us and we went over. The things he wanted from us were D&C which was really strange in the first place. A non-member wanted whatever D&C was, he didn't even know. Then he asked what RF was. Well RF is AF in English and means Articles of Faith. Holy cow. This man wanted a lot. Just by happen chance I had a triple combination in Português that I wasn't using. So we took that to him. We went in to talk with him and he was old. Wow... But we went in and got to know him and understand him. And before you knew it an hour had flown by. We are supposed to be in houses for only 30 minutes max. Holy Cow. I think in the hour time my companion had said maybe 5 phrases and the rest of the time was the man speaking. So we were trying for another 30 minutes to get out of there. He would not stop. Man. One thing I learned from this is couches in Brasil are really, really small and I can't sit comfortably on them for that amount of time. I looked around and really I looked like a giant on that couch. It was so tiny and so close to the ground. It would be fine for a lot of people... but I'm just so huge. I wish I could get a picture to see how big I look on the couches here. Wow. During the time we were in there I really couldn't stop myself from laughing and I felt to bad. Here are two missionaries in a house and they have been in there for 1 hour and 30 minutes. One doesn't fit on the couch and looks like a giant, talking (Well really listening) to a man for that same amount of time. I really feel bad because I started to laugh as he was talking. I tried to cover it up with a cough and I felt like I did a good job and he didn't notice. If he did notice, he thought I was laughing at what he was saying because he was smiling and slightly laughing too. It was probably the longest lesson of my life. You probably think I'm mean but you weren't there to experience this. It really, really was funny.
So next, Brasil probably wouldn't be a place you should be if you are deathly afraid of spiders. I bet in every house there are spiders in every corner on the ceiling and spiders randomly throughout the house. When I shower there are spiders in the corners of the ceiling. When I change or sleep or do anything I can assure you that there are spiders in every corner of the ceiling. Promise. So if you have anything fear of spiders and you can't suck it up you probably don't want to be here. Also the ants here are basically our best friends. They are everywhere in the house and they clean the house while we are gone. All the bugs we've killed during the morning or crumbs are gone before we get back home every night. It is pretty cool. There really is a more chill atmosphere here about bugs in the house. You can't really keep them out. So use them to your advantage eh.
One more story. One day my companion did a split with the zone leader because they had to go get interviewed by the mission president. So I was with the other zone leader until they came back. When they came back we switched and everything was fine. When the end of the night came me and my companion went to the house... and didn't have keys. When we left for the interview he had them... Then when he came back he thought he gave them to me because I usually have the keys... but he accidentally left them on the table... So, we were going to have to sit there and wait for the zone leaders to come back but they usually don't get back until 9:30 and my Companion (who is also a district leader and my trainer) needed to get numbers before that time when they get back. So... we tried to use a popcicle stick to get through the lock because it is really a back lock. But that didn't work. So my companion decided to take off the sliding door into our house. (Shoot I don't have a picture of that to send home to you.) So we wiggled and jiggled the door a lot, moved it and finally got a crack wide enough for my companion to get through. He went through and unlocked the door. So we just broke into our own house. Two missionaries trying to get into their own house and make it look like they aren't breaking into anyone else's house. To make it look worse we both have white shirts and ties. We probably look like some federal agent. So yes. I have broken into a house.
As I studied this week I started a couple of things at once. I started "Preach my Gospel" and "The Bible" and "The Book of Mormon". But the thing I wanted to share with you comes out of PMG Page 3. It's a quote from Harold B. Lee from a book called "The Teachings of Harold B. Lee" He says:
"The most important of the Lord's work you will ever do will be within the walls of your own house" - President Harold B.Lee
This really has hit me as I think about my family and about being a missionary. The most important work we have is strengthening ourselves and our family. Especially our family. In the Book of Mormon Nephi starts off saying "Being born of goodly parents" and then Mosiah talks to his family to help them. Then Alma talks to his three sons about their lives and trys to help them and teach them. Chapters 8 and 9 of Moroni has letters from Mormon to Moroni. What a perfect example to follow in the Book of Mormon. It has shown us how to teach our children and help our family. All through the 'War' chapters they talk about battling for their wives and their children. The Stripling Warriors were taught by their mothers so well that they were saved from a battle and were blessed by the Lord so that none of them died. Study the Book of Mormon because it can help you in all aspects of your life. I know this to be true. I have seen it in my life here in the mission. Apply these things to your life and follow the counsel of Nephi in 1st Nephi 19:23. Any thing in your life can be solved as you read the Book of Mormon. Be it as simple as Jacob 6:12 or as complicated as Alma Chapters 39-42. I know that as you prayerfully study the scriptures and apply them to your life, you will become a better person. I know the scriptures are true. Since they are true, they were given to a true prophet of God who restored the Church of Jesus Christ here on the earth. Never doubt that these things are true because they are. I love you so much.
Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry
This is what we call the Gehtto path. (Man I've lost my spelling)
(Sorry the picture is side ways. I didn't know how to make it right - Mom)
This one is me and my companion running away from the giant Sobradinho sign to the camera... a freaking sweet picture.
Me, my companion, Elder Barreiro and Another elder. I live with My companion and Elder Barreiro. The elder in the blue was just there on a trade that day. I'm wearing a Flamagos jersey, My companion is wearing a Gama (I'm not sure if that's how it's spelled) and Elder Barreiro is wearing a São Paulo Jersey. The other elder is wearing a Gremio Jersey.
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