Hello my dearest Family,

So Natal (Christmas) is coming. It's right around the corner. It's comin quick. 7 days.

I'm fine now. I don't really feel sick but I'm keeping the same weight. Not going up or going down.

I would love to skype and talk with you alls. In the last letter we got from president they changed it to 45 mins. I can skype totally tranquilo (peace). Wow, some sayings in portugues just don't work in English. But I honestly don't know what time it will be at... yet... It's not a good thing that I don't know. Maybe you might just need to be ready because I don't know when my companion will talk with his family and I don't know when the Brasilians will talk with their families. So it's all up in the air about the time. You just might get an email the day of telling you. I'm so sorry, mom. Just have the e-mail on your phone open and ready to roll. (Sorry, This year is not so organized)

So, we had practice today for the Christmas Conference and it was pretty good. The music is hard and for missionaries, they are doing fantastic. They are doing wonderful. They sound sooooo good.

I'll let you know what happens next week from the Christmas Party.

We had the branch Christmas party this last Saturday and it was pretty fun. We had 3 Investigators there and a whole bunch of people. A funny thing from the party is that it was supposed to start at 7 o clock. But it really didn't start until 8:30ish. It's called Mormon Standard Time mixed with Brasilian Standard Time. Things never start on time. It's guaranteed. (Sorry for the spelling)

But since it started at almost 9 o clock and we probably had to go before we could eat, our Branch President took one of our phones, called the President of the Mission and asked him if we could stay longer. The Mission President said we could stay out as long as we liked just as long as we were with the Branch President. Woah. We got risky and got home at 10:25 and I was sleeping at 10:30. Talk about risky buisness.

Just a side note. I never thought it would be easy to sleep on a bus. I slept on one for about an hour today. It was strange. That has never happened before in my life, especially on the mission.

So I'm working in a zone that is trying to make a stake. Does that make sense? We are trying to help the Stake split right now. But that isn't the main focus. The main focus is to invite others to come unto Christ through faith, repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost and Endure to the End. All the rest of the things we do are just bonuses.

It's amazing how God helps us and gives us revelation when we need it. I was studying the scriptures 3 weeks ago and ran into something interesting about murder and things like that and repentance and forgiveness. So I put a sticky note on it and continued studying. Yesterday, me and my companion were talking with the people we were living with and they telling us their difficulties and we were telling them ours. It is amazing that one of their difficulties was directly related to the scripture I marked 3 weeks ago. I got to share it with them. It's amazing how God guides and leads.

Love you

Endure to the End

Singing Out
Elder Barry

This is a mission picutre. I know it's too small to see Matt. Look at the two Elders standing up in the window sill. Matt is just to our right of the right elder. Of course he is standing on the ground.

Happy and Tired

Dear Family,

I'm exhausted. I feel like one of the Elders from "The District 2" The one who says "I'm so tired, I don't understand how I can be so happy when I'm tired."

So Mom, I'll get the innfomation so that we can talk on Christmas. I'll know tomorrow if we can Skype or just talk on the phone. The mission president didn't set a time. He just said "Be wise" or in other words "Don't be Stupid". If you have a small family, don't talk for 10 hours. If you have a big family, you can't talk to them all within 1 hour... so We just need to be wise. I'll plan with the other missionaries in the house about the times and when we will talk. I don't know if it will be on Saturday, Sunday or Monday... I don't know what days or time. But I'll let you know.

We had another practice today and it was good. I'm just tired. We are singing for the Missionary Christmas Meeting. There are about 12 elders and 12 sisters, 1 pianist(who has to play the hardest music ever) and 1 violinist. It's pretty fun. These missionaries are from almost all the zones in the mission. That zone that is forever away will have their own Christmas party because they can't bring them all back.

The part member family didn't get married. The husband is fishing around for excuses... I don't know why but he is just delying the time over and over again. Elder Johnson and I are going to go there and just help them... some how. I don't know how... but we will follow the spirit, He knows what to do.

Winter? It's summer right now. It's the rainy season. It's rains cows and horses and a couple of whales. (Not just cats and dogs.) The rainy season is literally the rainy season. Everyday basically rains... and if you forgot your umbrella then you are getting soaked. It's pretty hot too. It's hot when it doesn't rain. Lets just say... it's always hot. When it's hot it rains.

I got one Christmas package, I'm debating on opening it now... or finish opening it now... or wait. I don't know. I bought a little Christmas tree to put on my desk... so I might put the rest of the presents under the tree.

Well. I honestly don't know what to say more. How about Jacob 6:12. Good Scripture. It is basically a new rule in our mission put in by Elder Evans. He said "Don't be stupid" I think "Be Wise" Close enough.

A cool saying from our mission president: "A man that works like 10 men is valuable, A man who makes 10 men work is so much more valuable." I'm sorry if it sounds a little weird. I can't think of the words to trade it from Portugues to English. Wow my English is off.

I love you.

Endure to the End

Singing Off
Elder Barry

High Five from Brasil

Family,

Alright mom, I'm just joking about the High five letter. I just wanted to see if I could get a shorter letter than Mark. It's competition. Bring it on.


Welp. "One more (P-)day" (Les miserables)


Thanksgiving was great for us. We had a mission conference with Elder Godoy. It was amazing and I loved it. I'll share a little bit more about it later. But on that day we went to an 'all you can eat buffet' as a mission. We Americas were just pounding that food down. President finally called (cause he wasn't there) and told us to get out of there, leave. I was still eating. I had to leave my plate of food and split. But it was an amazing Thanksgiving Lunch.


This week we had another music practice and I am learning more and more about how to lead a choir and the preperation that goes into it. I am loving it. Especially when it all comes together. It was a really good practice. We are going to sing (in Portugues of course) 'Joy to the World', 'What child is this?', 'This is the Christ' and 'Oh come oh come Emmanuel'. It's going to be fun and I hope that some of these missionaries find time during the week to practice. It a big thing to ask because they need to do missionary work too. But this is for our Christmas Party on the 22nd of December. It's going to be good.


Study time is something that I love to have. It is so much fun and I learn so much. It's cool how you learn how to study and what things to look for. But that is something I will also talk about later.


Sidenote, I was in a trade with a new missionary and it is amazing how well prepared these new missionaries are coming in. He told me not to speak in English cause he knows Portugues. So we talked in Portugues all day.


Tonight Elder Johnson and I have a Family Night in the house of a part member family. We are trying to get hold of the Branch President to get him there too with his family. This part member family is also going to get the process for marriage started tomorrow or Wednesday. We are excited for that.


So When Elder Godoy came, he talked about a lot of things but one thing he talked about is something that only missionaries will understand (or maybe ex-missionaries too). He said that there are two types of missionaries, well maybe two types of teaching styles. One is the Christ-Like Attributes missionary and the other is the Chapter 10 teaching technics missionary. These are the two sides. The Christ-Like Attribute missionary just thinks about the spirit. He is always asking if you have felt the spirit. He is timid to talk with others but has very good personal studies and personal prayers. The Chapter 10 missionary is very good at talking with people. He teaches and uses everything in the right way. He does contacts easily but his personal study is not the best. he can't concentrate on his study and during his prayers. He's a go and do it missionary.


It is amazing how true this is about every single missionary. But now we think of this as a scale we should always strive for 50% Christ-like attribute missionary and 50% chapter 10 missionary. We will have the spirit and we will open our mouths. It was something that I thought was cool.


Another thing he taught was about the size of our calling as missionaries. When we arrived on the mission, we weren't really close to the size of our calling. But as we strive, we grow. By the end of the 2 years we should be the size of our calling. We should have grown completely through-out the 2 years. He then warned us to not be at 1 year on our mission and have only grown the size of a 5 month missionary and not to be at 1 and a half years and not have grow at all.
- Hide quoted text -


Who isn't progressing, is falling behind


I love you


Endure to the End


Signing Out
Elder Barry

Sorry

Dear family,

Sorry... unfortantely that is the first word of this email.

My companion and I are so tired. Today we played soccer as a zone and we are barely getting through our emails. My companion is just typing with one hand because he's exhausted. To put more on top we helped move a family this week too. It was amazing. They needed it Elder Johnson and I loved doing it. But now all the physical stuff is getting to me. Moving on Saturday, soccer today... I'm about ready to fall asleep... But Endure to the End is always the motto.

I learned some unhappy news. You know how the mail was on strike here. Well since there were so many letters. A lot of places threw away about 80% of the letters. Sorry if you sent a letter fam. It probably was thrown away.

We have an investigator who is really good. He was a reference of a member. He went to church and loved it. We need to work with him a little bit more. He has little problems with A palavra de Sabedoria (The word of Wisdom) but he really wants to change his life. His name (get ready) is Mike Tyson. I couldn't believe my ears when he said that. His dad named him Mike Tyson. But he'll definately get baptized some day.

Edicarlos is doing fine. We are excited because he won't work this Sunday and he can go to church. We are really excited for him to actually go and experience church.

I was studying in the "First World Training Leadership Meeting". There is a talk by President Gordon B. Hinckley where he talks about missionary work. It is an amazing talk. I loved it. It talks about all aspects of missionary work from members to the missionaries themselves.

I love you.

Every single one of you.

Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Pedregal - one big hill

REPLY!!!! NOW. GO!!!!

Hello my dear family.

Thanks for all the Birthday wishes and all the love that I have been getting. It's great. Thanks for the package... I literally got it... today, two hours ago but I haven't opened it yet. With the mail strike and everything I was thinking that I was going to sing like Harry Potter. "Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, no presents, no body, happy birthday to me." But now I won't have to. The mail has opened up and I got flooded with letters today. One even all the way from Kenya (Elder Hodges). That was an awesome suprise. He is already done with his first transfer. That's just crazy.

Something that totally turn my world over was that our mission president said we could get on Facebook ONCE and update it with our testimony. I thought that was pretty smart.

Well, I'm actually doing pretty great. Wonderful actually. My companion and I are doing our best to milk our area, leave with members everyday and talk with more people. We are having some pretty good expereinces but wow... we are working so hard that when Sunday comes... we are so tired... we literally can't get out of bed. But we do. We go to church and word a little bit more. It's pretty fun.

Life is just flying by. Honestly... it's crazy how fast it flies by. When I got the email asking when my release date would be my world basically turned upsidedown shook itself for a while, did a couple of backflips as my body exploded. The computer quite literally went straight through my mind. But normality has been established and with a quiet fright, I move on. It's literally coming too fast.

Anyways. Just so you know I'm wonderful.

On the 10th of Nov we are going to have some visits from general authorities, Elder Mazzarguard and Elder Evans. It's going to be so cool. The mission has been quite low in baptisms in the last while. Honestly, it's like we were running, then got tired, now we are walking taking a joyride looking at all the cool things. But me and my companion have been seeing some amazing things happen around us and with us. Missionaries finding miracles and receiving blessing, baptisms happening. My district leader is having weekly baptisms and I want to be like him. He is actually one of my old companions, Elder Romero, if you remember him. He is an amazing missionary and is baptizing almost everyweek.

Anyways. I'm sending some pics. I hope you like them cause I do.

So I have been working on memorizing D&C 4 this week and it has been giving me added strength. It's so cool to see how scriptures help. Honestly. Memorize one. See the added strength you with receiving.

Endure to the End

I love you

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Forgiveness

Hello my dear family,

So I'm not as tired today, So this letter will probably be a lot better. I hope.

The only problem is that I have no clue where to start from. I don't know.

Well, today we had interviews with our president and that was pretty fun. Also the Sister of the mission went and looked at our house and let me tell you, it was not very good. Our house is pretty much a mess. From other missionaries to us. We just haven't cleaned it up yet. We started and halfway through our process, Sister Gaertner went to our house. So that might be an interesting thing for you to hear. I'm still working on those clean organized skills unfortunately.

So yeah. Mission.

So in the area I'm working in right now I have only worked about 3 full days. Because of sickness, trainings, district meeting and trades I haven't had a lot of time in my area. After 2 weeks, I don't know any of the members... yet. But I will get to know them and me and my companion have high hopes that we will get done what needs to be done.

So lately I have read "the Miracle of forgiveness" Wow!!! That is a great book. It is so spiritually strong and is amazing. I loved it so much. The way it is written is so good and I loved learning about Forgiveness that we have for the wrong things we do. I am working to be better everyday so that I can help God even more everyday.

Well I Love you

Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Transfer - Pedregal

Caro Família


It is 15:30 hours and I'm doing good... and you?


So, news. I have been transfered again. I left Valparaíso (which probably is my favorite area up to now in all my mission, I was sad but I know that the Lord needs me somewhere else) and I am now in Pedregal. Pedregal is just a hill... from what I've seen in the last 2 hours... I think I'm going to have pretty toned legs after this area. Wow... Hills, hills and more hills. This area is famous in breaking missionaries too. There was a missionary who broke his foot here and also an other who got knee problems from this place. I'll take pictures of the crazy hills for you... They literally are crazy... you will get tired just from looking at them.


I don't know anything about the area, nothing about my companion except that his name is Elder Johnson and he is from Ogden, Utah. Elder Johnson has about 1 year and 6 months on the mission and from what I've seen this transfer is going to be awesome.


Pedregal is a branch but it is really close to becoming a ward. Really, really close. This place (from what I've heard) is just a miracle. It's growing so fast and the branch is working so hard. We will see what happens... I'm excited to be here.


I want to do an activity with you.


Grab a paper


Write down something that is really noble, something that is noble to do or to say. Anything and everything.


John 15:13 is a good and noble thing.


Matthew 22:36-40 is also something noble and is actually a commandment.


There are many things that are noble in our lives. Many many things. Just remember to do them. Do the right things. Be noble


Endure to the End


Te amo


Signing Out
Elder Barry

Become 'fat'

Dear Family,

Yeah, that is kind of bad about the mail strike. I don't know what will happen. If the package you sent gets here and just sits at the post office then someone might think... "Hey, I wonder what is inside this one. It came from the United States. I wonder what will happen if I open it." I'm just kindding... maybe. I don't know. I don't know how long it's going to be out of service. The banks are on strike too. They don't accept the public inside. You can go to the ATM. But besides that... it's nothing. The good thing is I only need the ATM..

I just am feeling old. Really old. I don't know why. I just do.

Wow, I saw the photos on the blog of Leah's break and wow, I don't think I've ever done it that way... ouch. I think it might have hurt and it makes me cringe a little. Leah, I know your pain. I got my arm "Manipulated" which means they are going to rebreak it. So I might of felt what you are feeling.

I wish I would of gotten 8$ per tooth... wow.

I hope all the neices and nephews are doing great. I think it's weird that there are a couple... not a couple... there are a lot I don't know yet. They are growing up. People are changing. It's so weird. How is this all happening. It's going by too fast. 21 Neices and Nephews is a lot. wow...

I would love to hear from you Fam. Any news, even insignificante to you is wonderful for me. I love you, so the things you love are the things I love too. That's what love is, isn't it?

When they announced the second temple in Provo, I was in the "English room" with a whole bunch of missionaries. I'm the only one from Provo, Utah. I literally screamed with shouts of joy. I can't wait til it's done.

Man, Costco... that is something I haven't heard about for about a year. I forgot about it.

Anyways. CONFERENCE WAS AMAZING!!!!!

I LOVED IT SO MUCH

IT'S LIKE THE SUPERBOWL FOR MISSIONARIES!!!!!!!

I had 3 talks that I loved the most. 2 for now and 1 for the future that I liked.

Elder Holland's talk was amazing. It was powerful, bold, vigorus and had so much love. It makes a person want to change. I want to change. I want to be on the right team. I want to open my mouth. I need to continue to become better and better. That's why I loved this talk.

Also Matthew O. Richardson was amazing. I loved how he talked about teaching. It was something that I can apply here on the mission and also think about after the mission. But for now just for the mission.

Then the talk about raising your daughter. Honestly, I'm glad I don't have to worry about it right now but it's amazing how the Lord will calm our fears or give us information to keep so we can use them in later years. God is thinking about the past, the present and the future all at the same time. He knows that there are many men who needed that talk.

I was looking at my notes this morning from conference and I came to the conclusion that the theme in General Conference was 1 Timothy 4:12. We must look to the youth. Help them grow by being an example to them, an example in everything. That scripture was used so many times during conference and I think I could sum everything up in it.

"Be thou an Example of the Believers"

I like how it doesn't say "Be thou an Example" or "Be thou an Example of Men" or "Be thou an Example of the World". It tells us to be an Example of the BELIEVERS". It tells us to be an example to our friends in church, at school and with everyone who believes.

How can we be "Examples of the Believers"?

The scripture answers it for us. In word, thought, deed, charity, purity and others too.

Well how do we gain these things?

Lets go the the scriptures again.

2 Nephi 31:20. Feast upon the Words of Christ for they will show you all things that ye must do.

2 Nephi 25:26 We preach of Christ, teach of Christ, talk of Christ so that our posterity will know by which source they should look to receive redemption, forgiveness and love.

Ether 12:27 We are humble before Christ so that He can make us strong.

D&C 112:10 Be thou humble

And there are so many more. Feast on them. Learn of them. Study not just read... FEAST!!!

Who goes to a giant banquet and only eats 1 pea? Now we go to eat everything we can until we can't. Then we stop, wait some more and then do it all over again. It's just like Thanksgiving. How many times a day do we stuff ourselves on Thanksgiving? Many times.

The scriptures are the same thing. We will feast then the next day feast again. Then the next day feast again. With food that is probably an unhealthy habit but with the "Words of Christ" we will grow and learn. We will become better. We will have more knowlegde.

So let us study everyday.

Let us become "fat" on the "Words of Christ"

Endure to the End
Be Thou and Example of the Believers

With Much love

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Baptisms and Training

Family

Today is the 26th of september in the year 2011. I am in a Lan House with weird video game sounds going on in the background. My companion is next to me. I'm wearing a silver/white tie and have a mechanical pencil and an orange pen. I'm wearing a watch and of course all my clothes. Black pants. White shirt. Black/Brown shoes(because of the dirt).

Well, first the bad news. The mail service here in Brasil is on strike... So I won't be sending or receiving letters for a little while. Not forever... but still send them. When they open up then I'll get a whole bunch of letters. Remember, I only can send and receive e-mails from my FAMILY, not everyone else. Just my FAMILY. :D (Mission Rule)

Well, good news. It rained here. After about 4 to 6 months without rain. That was welcomed. We are entering the rainy season and it's going to be wet. I accidentally left my umbrella in my last area so I need to buy a new one somewhere. One that won't break fast too.

Leah broke her Wrist? Congrats!!!! It's a first in a life time. I know exactly how that feels. It has happened to me, too. I think out of the 4 broken wrists (I think it's four... there have been a lot) 2 of them (our 1 of them) was on a scooter, too. But I have never had to get any pins, screws or rods. We'll leave those to Mark and I think Jess. Just hope they don't have to do "Manipulation" on you. One good thing about broken wrists was that in middle school (like leah), I actually got a Laptop from the school to take notes and to write papers and everything. But that was because it was my right hand. The writing hand.

I feel fat. Not bloated... But I have extra skin in places that I didn't even know that I had skin at. I'm getting pretty good at sticking out my belly though. I got the pants you sent... and the shirts too.


Yeah. It's only on Sunday... Our Zone has taken a little fall... But It's because some of the missionaries need to be remained on what to do. But I think it's going along better with D&C 58 Verses (I think) 26-29. The ones that say that men need to be engaged in a good cause with their own and free choice.

I know how it is to go through clothes... I've stopped liking them and just wear them. I try to look nice. The only things that I really worry about are the ties. Because they can't really be replaced as easy. Don't get me wrong. I'm using everything nicely. But ties are just a little bit easier to clean.

Yeah. I'm so grateful that I got here really fast and easily.

I really wish I had just the straight up trainings. I would have loved it. Spiritual training is really good. I know a missionary who is really close to leaving that is really good technically but you don't feel the spirit. Then I know a lot of missionaries who have little technically but everything spiritually. Usually the Spirit, well always... the spirit is better.

I have not heard much about a new training really. We have all the lessons with the Doctrine of Christ – the Missionary purpose, The role of the Holy Ghost in conversion, revelation through the Book of Mormon, through church attendance and through prayer. Teaching people, not lessons and inviting people to make commitments. but nothing really big on training them. We try... but we need a real program. The DVD really helps out with that part though.

Oh that's right. We now are using DVD players in our mission. Every house has 1 so we are using it a lot.

We just got out of the cold season... Because there was no rain for 5ish months... But now it's getting colder and hotter everyday. It's strange I know... But hotter because it's summer (almost) here and colder because of the rain.

We had a baptism... it was really happy and amazing. The person getting baptized brought about 10 friends to watch the baptism. It was a miracle. No on came to church though which was sad but the lady got confirmed which was good. So like always... We are sad but stay happy. Sad the people don't want to learn about this amazing plan and church God has for us and happy because D&C 18:15-16. So we continue. We have a lady here (Fatima) that said (about the last baptism that she couldn't go to) "e logo meu chegará" which means... soon, my baptism is coming. Fatima is the mother of 3 childeren who have about 25 years of age. She has about 50 years of age and really is loving the church. She's really progressing. We are going to take her to General Conference then she'll get baptized probably on the 8th (which is also the last week of transfers.) She is amazing. She's happy and loves the church. Pray for her that nothing will stop her from being baptized.

That's us here in Valparaíso. Everything is wonderful and great.

Stay Happy

Do What is Right

Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Miracles in Valparaiso

Hello Família

So I'm here in Valparaíso and from what I've been hearing from Dad and from Elder Mace, Valparaíso is a place of miracles in the USA and in Chile too. Whelp, here in Brazil it's a miracle too. Let me tell you a quick background about Valparaíso here in Brazil. It's was named after Valparaíso in Chile. There was a monk (I'm pretty sure it's this way) that came here from Valparaíso, Chile and settled... Valparaíso Brazil. So anyway from that cool stuff it definitely is a miracle.

But just to make all of you sit on the edge of your seats... I'm doing a detour.

On the mission I have really learned the strategy of problem solving. I wrote down all the problems of our area this morning and then found a solution that could probably cover all our problems. Our solution is Contacts. We really need to do a lot more. Open our mouths and just talk with people. I'm happier when I do it. So it must be a good thing because nothing good will go against Christ (Moroni 10:6)

I'm also learning how not to be stressed out. But that will also be spoken about... later.

Detouring still.

I'm learning more and more how to work with the members and get them involved more and more with missionary work. It's a wonderful thing that happens. I love it. The members here in Valparaíso are just amazing. They love to help. The only thing we need to do is invite them to help and keep inviting them and they'll do amazing things. They literally do everything that we can't, which is another thing that will be spoken about later.

Elder Evans is wonderful. Our relationship is amazing. We are working really well together and have so many inside jokes and funny stories of things that have happened to us. The best part is that Elder Evans lives in California... so when he gets back... it looks like a road trip!!!

Sad new. Tania, that really good investigator, still wants to get baptized but she is placing a lot of things before God. This week she said she couldn't go to church because of the equivalent of the USA "Drivers ED". So that's going to have to wait for a while longer unfortunately. But you know we can't force them, just love them.

Anyway, after the road tripping detours... We have arrived at the point where you can let go of your seats.

We have seen a lot of miracles this week, I mean a lot. Let’s just say Baptism, Spirit, Members and Dates.

There is a girl named Mônica who is going to get married to an inactive member from another ward. She actually wanted to get to know the church a while back and she asked her inactive boyfriend to take her. So he did. She lives in our area. She came to church here one week, one week somewhere else and went back a forth going to church every week. Well, last Sunday she told some members that she wanted to get baptized so the member found us and we talked with her. We went to her house (which is in the farthest neighborhood in our area.. of course.) Taught her everything in 2 visits and yesterday she was baptized and loved it. That was a miracle. The spirit was so strong and she cried. I included a picture of it.

Another miracle. There is a wife of a member that was part of another church. After 3 years she has decided to get baptized and we marked a date for the 24th of September. Another miracle and amazing thing is we had a member in the lesson with us. When they (the non-member wife and the member husband) didn't really accept the baptism date the member jumped in and basically marked the date for us. We are really glad that member was there because this lady didn’t understand our Portuguese. (I don't know why but she basically didn't understand a word, maybe she will get used to it. Or maybe I need to work on my Portuguese a lot more... I think the second choice is better.) So now she's going to get baptized in two weeks.

Another miracle happened this week. We marked a date with a lady for this weekend. She's excited about the church and really is amazing. It's Fatima that I already told you about. She has a date now and will most likely get baptized. We are way excited. She is really strong and is going to all the activities that the women are doing here.

Well that's it for my amazing week.

Pictures are of the baptism.

A downed power line we found as we were walking through the city.

The district I'm in. (The really funny missionary that's really close to the camera is my companion.)

I love you all

Endure to the End

Signing Out

Dear Family,

Well, I'm here. I'm alive. I'm pretty happy. Excited. Great. I'm pretty sure that these last few day have been wonderful days. I love to think of it that way. I've been learning that a bad attitude won't help anyone and that we need to always be happy.

Wow, the world is going by so fast. Things are moving so fast. Mom, I agree, when will this slow down or in other words when will this speed up, too. I feel that everything is going by so fast but then everything is going so slow. There was a poem that our last Mission presidents wife sent that left these same feelings. Things are moving so fast when you want them to go slow. It's a little bit confusing but Mom, I understand the feeling.

Ashlyn Ann Barry!!!! WOO HOO!!! Para Bens!!! Para bens pra você minha querida. O batismo é um da coisas mais importante. Continua lendo O Livro de Mormon e confia em seus pais aqui na terra e lá no céu. I love you so much. Gain a strong testimony about the Book of Mormon and never leave it. Build it up so that no one can ever try to take it down. Eu Te AMO!!

Wow, 21 Sobrinhos that's crazy awesome. I tell members and pesquisadores (Investigators) about this and they just flip out. It's not very common here in Brasil to have a giant family. Well at least in the area that I'm working in. When I tell people about my family and show them pictures, they think we are crazy, amazing, heros e down right strange. Mom, I have heard that you are such a hero from so many women here in Brasil. Same with all my sisters. All 8 of you women are down right heros. (and down right strange too, but hey, who isn't in our family.)

Eu Amo Vocês

One thing I'm happy about the mission is that I can learn to be like Elder Haw. Mom, I really need to do better. A lot better, I need to stop using the personal account for stuff. I need to organize everything and plan everything out so that I can live with a lot less than what I'm using. I'm not the best, but I'm trying.

Elder Allred sounds like an amazing missionary. I can improve so much, I can do things a whole lot better.

So here in our area right now, we are planning a treinamento or a training in English for the ward about how to talk to people . We are going to plan an activity so that they can invite friends and everyone to come to church. It's something that I'm excited to get going. We also are planning that church tour, This week we are going to really focus on that and plan everything with the LMA (WML or Ward Mission Leader). Also our LMA is amazing. He's so excited about the work and has this amazing idea to put on an expo in the Shopping Mall here with giant pictures and missionaries and put down all the chapels in this region. That's more of a problem here, people want to go to church but don't know where it is or we never find them or they just have never seen it. There really are a lot of people who really know nothing about the church here, so we are going to start the planning of this giant expo.

So yeah. Our week was pretty good. I felt like there was more improvment in our work. The people we met, taught and invited and everything. I really am pretty happy about our work and I know that I'm here so that I can grow and learn from my companion and from the investigatos and from the members too. I love this area.

This last week we met some new people and we actually marked 4 dates this week which was a giant miracle. A really, really big miracle here in our area. Some of course have fallen since but the ones that we are still working with are amazing, Golden and just perfect. I can't believe it. I have never seen so many people who want to learn more and progress to being baptized. I honestly never thought it would happen, but as Elder Holland once said about the blessings from the Lord "Some may come now, Some may come later and some won't come until Heaven" I'm sure that there are things waiting for me to do and people that are waiting for me to talk to them.

We have three maybe four people who we are looking as possibles to get baptized this month.

Tião (and his mom Raimunda)

Fatima

Tania

Tião is amazing and a little crazy, but his crazyness is just from his love about the gospel. When we were teaching him, he said that this church is probably the most correct church or the Correct church. He's really excited to get to know the church. His mom, we have only met once but we have great hopes for her because she said (Translating from portugues to English) "This church has the name of Jesus Christ so it must be his church and the only true church" So we are going to work that one out and help them go to church this sunday. I'm excited.

Fatima we actually met about 2 weeks ago but she is loving the church and is going to all the activities of the women. She just loves it. I heard that she actually taught the Plan of Salvation about the Three Kingdoms and who goes to all the Kingdoms. Fatima actually doesn't want us to walk past her house to get her to go to church because she said that if she gets used to it and only goes for us, she wont stay strong. She wants to go because she wants to go.

Tania is a cousin of one of the members in a different area but she is golden too. She loved church, already has a testimony about the church and knows that this is the only one and true church. She just has some questions about the Book of Mormon so we are going to help her with that. Tania also wants to stay firm. She doesn't want to get baptized and fall away. That's her biggest fear (Because that basically happened to someone she knows.) She want to be firm forever.

We have other amazing people that we have met. Brasil is just amazing actually and I'm so happy that I'm here.

Our Recent convert Renan wants to serve a mission but unfortunally can't because he will turn 26 in 2 weeks. But he is studying a lot. He's read the Bible and is reading the Book of Mormon. We got in contact with the bishop and he is going to give all the "Teachings of the prophets" books to Renan. Renan is just amazing.

I understand with everything there is an opposite. It even says that in 2 Nephi 2. I'm pretty sure that everything that happens in our missions is suppost to make us stronger and help us grow. So when I find the harder things, I know I'm doing the right things. Pray so that I will have the hardest mission ever. I want to grow. I don't want to stay the same. I have learned that the best things in life are the hardest. Bring It.

I love you

Endure to the End (which doesn't mean just sitting until the end because people say endure and think "Oh I will endure it and not like it, it's more like Work to the End, Work until the end... then work a little bit more and love it. You'll be a whole lot more happy.)

Signing Out (with Love)
Elder Barry

Joy of Baptisms

Dear Family,
How are ya’ll?
I’m doing dandy, Just dandy. I’m wonderful. Happy, Feliz, Alive, awake, alert, Enthusiastic!!!!
Valparaíso I is amazing. I Just Love this área. You know, I Just realized something. Well yesterday I realized something. You know how I keep finding people in this ward who look like our family. Well, now there is a man who from the side looks like Uncle Mike and someone in the ward who looks like Jenny. Where do these people come from. I have never seen so many people who look like my family. It’s crazy.
I love Brazil. Everyone can’t believe that I gained 20 pounds here in Brazil. They always say that they try to imagine Elder Barry even skinnier. They don’t believe it.
So new news... um... It’s happy news. We are teaching someone named João. He hás been an investigator for about 8 months but during this time he fell off the edge of the world. Randomly, a member found him and brought him to church again. He’s going to get baptized this week. It’s so cool. He is scared of his family. His family doesn’t want him to get baptized. They even stopped it the last time when he had a date 6 months ago. They literally took him to another city so that he wouldn’t get baptized. Yesterday he said that he’s ok and wants to get baptized and his family won't be a problem. He’s about 30 years old and almost went blind. He depends on his family. But his eye sight is coming back and he wants to get baptized. It was a happy moment to see him excited to get baptized. I’m excited.
Well, I Love you all. Have a wonderful week.

Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry

New Apartment

Oi minha Família,

Como Vocês estão? Eu estou Óltimo, Maravilhoso e Feliz.

Então minha missão mudou o P-Day para segunda-Feira. Não sei porque mas eu estou gostando. Minha missão é mudando de mais. Nosso novo Presidente da missão, Presidente Gaertner é muito diferente que Presidente Pizzirani. Ele aja mais como um pai. Estou gostando da Sister da missão também. Ela é muita engraçada.

Alright, I'll leave protugues so that you'll understand now.

So, right now in my area we are in kinda a jam. We were moving basically all last week and now we have barely any investigator. We moved to a small apartment because we were living in another city and walking about 5 or 6 minutes to our area and walked about 30 to the area that we are working in. But now we are living about 5 minutes away from the area we are working in. It's pretty good. I like it a lot better. But we made plans to move and they always fell or were halfway completed so we were moving for about 4 days. But now tudo é tranquilo (everythings fine). We just don't have energy in the new apartment... Cold showers... wow. But the good thing is that we are definately awake every morning.

Mom and dad, What are some ideas that you have to find new investigators? In our mission that investigator is only counted as a new when they have a date. So this last week we only have 1 new person but we are working with several. But we need to find more. What are somethings that you have seen work in your mission to mark dates in the first or second visit?

Well, I can't think of many other things to type this week.

Oh Dad, Thanks for the talks. They are amazing. I loved them. I'm now studying them. I love reading them. One part that really hit me was in the talk "Becoming a concecrated missionary" The part where he talks about opening our mouths we exercise faith and when we exercise faith we are letting more chances for miracles to happen. It really helped me see contacts as a different thing. Something that will really change the world.

Endure to the End

I love you all

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Val Pal

Hello!!

"I'm an uncle...." (Falls flat on his back)

CONGRATS!!!!!! VER!!!!! YAY. Alyssa Jayne is such a beautiful name. I can wait to get to know her.

Valparaíso is pretty good. I just think its funny how Elder Mace got sent to the same city... well the same city in another country... but its close enough eh?

This is my first companion that is younger than I am. For 1 year I have always had missionaries older than me. But still... this missionary, my companion has already been to College for 1 year. He went to BYU-I (DO) so he knows how to study. He's pretty awesome. I love working with him... The hardest part is that I can't read him. I always had companions easy to read... this one is a little different. But maybe it's because he's new in the mission and is learning Portuguese still.

Yes, I'm cold. But it's not extremely cold... I think I've just gotten used to the weather here... so anything below 70 is cold... But I'm great. Mom, I must admit. Those giant jackets that we bought... I don't think I'm ever going to use them... Do you want me to send them home? I got in the new house and some missionary left a good little light weight jacket... The ones I brought are good for Utah winters... Not winter in Brazil because here... well it's only cold in the morning and a little at night... but during the day... it's still hot... and It not practical to carry around the giant Jackets...

The computer I'm on won’t let me send home photos. But don't worry. I'll try something different.

Well we have an amazing investigator that is definitely going to be baptized. His name is Renan and he is so awesome. He lived in Russia for 1 year and a half and knows a little bit of French, Spanish, Italian and English. He's way smart and just loves the church. He loves to study and loves new things. He is always trying to learn more every day. He's trying to get a D&C so that he can study more.

With all my love

Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Valparaiso

Hello my Dear Family,

How are you?

I'm doing great.

We had transfers... I'm now in a place called Valparaíso I. I just barely got here today. My new companions name is Elder Evans. He's from California. I think he lives in the same mission where Spencer Thomas is serving... "It's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all, it's a small small world." I could continue... But I think that song repeats itself 87 times... So all it would take is a copy and paste.

Well, the mission is great. I'm new in this next area but I'm pretty confident that my companion will be awesome and we will baptize EVERYONE!!! I'm excited to be in a new area. I don't know. Staying in an area for a long time... kinda takes it out of you. I only have 3 cities that i've passed in, in my mission. And I have almost a year. WOAH!!! I ALMOST HAVE A YEAR. THAT'S CRAZY!!!

So I have an interesting story. I don't know why but in the MTC in São paulo, I bought "The Book of Mormon" in about 6 different languages. I don't know why. I just had an erge. Like I felt that I needed them. Well, I was talking with my companion about the new area and he said there is an investigator that wants to learn languages. They promised him that when he will read the Book of Mormon in another language, he will learn. So, now i'm here with about 6 or 7 Books of Mormon in other languages. I think I'm going to be here for quite some time so that he can read all of them.

I would share what I studied today, but because it was transfers day and they wanted all of us in the chapel (where we have transfers) at 9 o clock... And to think I woke up at about 5 o clock to do that... I didn't study... yet... today.

But don't worry. I will study.

Thanks mom for sending the deodorant. Old Spice, nothing here compares. Also next week I'll send that pictures of my pants... and I can tell you that the other pair of shoes that I brought on the mission. (You know... I had three) Well he's almost gone too... But I'm sure he'll last for another transfer.

"Momma don't whoop little beaufort" I would of died laughing.

Ver will have another baby!!!! YEAH!!!! THAT'S SO EXCITING.

So last night... sunday night. We had a fireside in my old area. It was so good. So happy. So sad and I know it might sound weird... but it was a little painful too. We did a fireside on the Atonement that was so good. First we used Alma 5 and made a little test for the members to fill out. Then we had a testimony from one of the missionaries. After, we watched an inspirational video that was sooooo good. I think it's called "Give your Best" It's about football training and how we think about things. Then we did an activity that was amazing. I loved it. What happens is while someone is reading about the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, you need to keep your arms out stretched and about your shoulders, out to the sides. Then you need to keep them there... It's amazing to feel really a little bit of pain compaired to the Savior. I think about the pain I had for 11 minutes and then compair it to 3 hours on the cross and more being brutally beaten. All the skin almost ripped from the body. I know it's a little grusome but Christ really did suffer. How they show in the videos, and in the photos really isn't how it was. He left the Garden of gethsemany with blood from every pore. Then after he was brutally beaten by the Romans. Then he was nailed to the Cross. I realized after all this that me feeling a little bit of pain for 1 hour doesn't compare. 2 years serving God really isn't enough. But I will do what he asks... and a little bit more.


Te Amo
Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Lord Prepares

Hello, hello, hello I am your blessed Elder Barry...

...and I'm doing great.

I love the Spirit, it has helped me so much in my mission. It has helped me through lessons and to be strong when everything around you is falling into pieces. It's comforting to know that the Lord is on my side.

Yes, I got the shoes... thanks mom. Do you think you could send me more deodorant? Old Spice, Agua reef? I would love it. By the way... I probably need to send more photos about my clothing that has died so you can order some new stuff.

Mom, keep praying that I will learn everything that I need, because I need it. I don't want an easy mission. I want it to be as hard as possible.

I don't have much to say about my week. Really it's been problem after problem.

Well good news. Our new mission president has arrived and we had interviews with him and he reminds me a lot of Dad. I bet he has a hilarious sense of humor that we haven't caught yet. I loved the interview with him because I felt so calm and so good after. I've also had that chance to talk with him some other times and I'm so happy to be serving here.

I've been learning that the Lord will prepare. Any situation, I will be prepared beforehand to deal with it. Just know that I am being prepared. I don't know for what... but something is coming.

We've been having troubles finding new investigators in this area for a while. I feel at every door that I already knocked there. But it's always a good surprise to knock and come to find out that I have never knocked there.

Well, I'm sorry that this isn't a really juicy letter. I got caught up writing a letter to the Presidente.

Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry

Music and the spoken word

My lovely family.
Well, It's been another week me dear family. Another week... I wish it would really slow down. There isn't enough time to change. Wow. I learned something really cool about a mission. "It's not bad to have bad results, it's only bad to not change yourself." (President Pizzirani) Then I was thinking, When we change ourselves, we will have the results we need.

Well, this last week we found an investigator that is just gold. It's was so cool to see how they accepted the Book of Mormon and were even excited for us to return today. We are going back tonight to help them again. I'm sure they are going to be baptized. We just need to do our part. I also learned that with every investigator, we need to introduce the Book of Mormon as fast as possible. It will be the base of their testimony. I love reading the Book of Mormon. I'm learning so many things. Learning about the Diligence of Moroni, The knowledge of Helaman, The Faith of Enos, The Hope of Lehi, The Love of Alma and the sons of Mosiah, The Patience of Alma and Amulek, The Obedience of the Stripling Warriors, The Humilty of Ammon and The Virtue of Nephi. It's amazing to see how the Christ-Like attributes are in every chapter. Then we need to apply everything we learn. It's really amazing to see the differences.

I had an amazing experience. On my mission I haven't been baptizing all that much. But I love helping the other missionaries baptize. My District Leader had a baptism lined up but because of a death in the Branch, we had to postpone it. But we knew we couldn't postpone it for another week because this man, named gilbertos, needed the baptism. We couldn't leave him for another week with temptations. So on Sunday we basically had a district effort to help this baptism go. My companion and one of the other missionaries started cleaning the baptism font and My district leader and me went to work. We went to the house of this investigator and we helped him have faith to go to the chapel. The chapel is about 45 mins away on foot from his house. So what we did, we ran all the way to the chapel while he was on his bike. The members couldn't help us this day. So we just ran while the other two missionaries at the chapel filled up the baptism font with buckets of water, going up and down stairs for about 1 hour. This baptism was so spiritual. It was amazing. Me and my companion had the opportunity to do a musical Number... It was so spiritual. The baptism ended at 9:10pm. So we had to run to our house. But I must say it was amazing.

Also, I'm going to send you a song, well a recording of the song my and my companion did. I hope you like it.

Endure to the End

I Love you Signing Out

Elder Barry

Changing

Well, today I don't have a lot of time to write.

Dear Family
I love you
The mission conference was amazing... unfourtunatly, this was the last meeting we will have with President Pizzirani. He has 1 more Sunday before he leaves and we get a new Mission President.
I'm learning that I love to teach. I love adapting the lesson to our investigator. I had a cool experience to adapt the lesson to a child that was disrupting the lesson. We taught about how children are pure and what we need to do to be pure too.
It's srange to think that it's been about 10 months since I've left the USA. It seems so short but so long.I am loving the mission. I have changed so much and I'm so glad for the opportunity to change and be a better person. I'm learning how to focus and just work. Get in a mood to work. I'm learning how to work with companions that don't want to work. I'm learning how to study and even how to sleep. Do excerises everyday, have more self-control. I understand more doctrine and how it will change my life. I'm so grateful for the mission
I love you
Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry

Hibbie Jibbies

So It's been another week and I can't believe it. It's all going by so very fast. wow.

Hello my family.
So Yes, I've been in this area for about 5 months now... I'm getting the idea that God wants me to learn something while I'm here. I'm still trying to figure out what it is but concerteza (certantly) I will learn what I need to this week. We will be having a Conferencia da zona com Presidente. It's going to be great. They want us to come to the conference with questions about being a better missionary and the things we need to do. I'm pretty sure that we are going to have fun.

I'm sending some pictures from a service project that we did today. Yes... that thing on the blade is a giant spider, and the service project was full of them hanging from the trees... I had the hibby jibbies during the service project but in the end the members there took us to a little beautiful stream. It was wonderful.

I don't really have any juicy stuff. Everything that I would want to tell you, I don't feel comfortable telling because they involve experiences that lets me know that satan is working overtime to knock the missionaries out one by one. It comforting to know that I have God on my side and the I have been "set apart", Set apart from the world and everything that goes with it. I'm learning how to be better and work better this week.

This week the zone put a challenge up. Do 25 contacts everyday for the rest of the transfer. It's been pretty cool to see the people that we meet. We are changing and opening up to all the chances we have to talk with everyone. It's been so great. I'm sure that I'm changing. Actually I know that I'm changing. I'm glad I'm changing. I'm working better, working harder and being a better missionary.

Today I was studying about how we need to be devastated when an investigator doesn't read the Book of Mormon. I learned that I need to help them realize that they are doing this to their own souls. Everything that they choose is either for their salvation or the other way around.

Endure to the End
Te Amo
Signing Out
Elder Barry

Rowing

Dear Family,

We had a transfer... and nothing changed. I'm staying with my companion in the same area... I'm way excited because we are learning the things we need to do to help people be baptized.

I have not received the shoes yet but I bet they are coming. Today is transfers and when the other dupla gets back from ASA Norte (where they have transfers) I bet they will bring them... I hope they will bring them :D

Nice Juicy Letter... I'm actually scared to write a nice juicy letter... because I don't want it to turn into pride, with an attitude of look at me and the things I'm doing. I've been keeping my letters a little stripped of this... because I'm scared of the things I'll say. Does that make sense? But I'll try to show you stuff that's going on.

But I'll put it at the end... because I like to end with a bang.

Thank you for the companion study paper... I will start to put that into play... talk with my companion... maybe translate it because my companion doesn't know English.

Mom, I'm guessing that phrase that you "dominate their faces off" means that you just are amazing and really know how you teach and let them know what they need to do.

Well, lets start with an experience I had about baptism. Last week me and my companion didn't have anyone that could baptize, no one was progressing and all of our investigators had fallen through. One day we decided to do the Challenge of the mission... It was simple. Mark three appointments with people that have already been taught for the next day and mark three appointments with families. We started this and it didn't turn out good. We only marked one with an investigator and one with a family. Well we returned the next day to the investigator that was already taught. Her name is Amanda. We returned and just started to talk to her. We asked why the missionaries stopped visiting her. She said "Eu acha que eu parei indo pra a Igreja" Which means in English that she stopped going to church. We started teaching her, marked a date with her for the weekend. We found her on Wednesday and she was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday. It was an amazing experience because I can see how following our leaders and doing the things they ask will help us find more people. Also... In our mission we need to do 10 contacts per day. This day I just decided to do 30. So when I did thirty... we found someone to get baptized... Because of this and some other stories that have happened to other missionairies... we have decided to just do a whole lot of contacts every single day.

So I want to tell a story that I heard that has really changed the way I think of things... This story... I have named it... The Rower's wish.

On a ship there was a rower. He had been working on the ship for about 2 years as a rower. One of his friends named John started working the same day. But after two years, this rower was still a rower and John was an assitant to the Captain. The rower was wondering why he didn't have a position like John so he went to the captain to ask. He said, "Captain, John and I have been here working for you for 2 years. With the same amount of time, why is John your assistant and I'm just a rower? I want to do something bigger to help the ship."
The captain stopped and thought a little and said "Ok, If you want to prove yourself, I need someone to row over to that land to see what is going on there. Can you do that?"
The rower agreed to do this, left the ship on a little canoe went to the land. When he arrived there he saw a giant building in the middle of the island being built. So he rowed his little boat back to the Captain and told him about the giant building.
The captain said "Thanks, but what is this giant building going to be?"
The rower said "Let me go check, I'll be right back"
The rower left and rowed his way back to the land and started to ask the people what the building would be. He learned that it would be a palace. So he rowed his way back to the ship to tell the captain.
When he returned, he told the captain the information he found out.
"Thanks" the captain replied "But why are they building a new palace? Who is the king? And what happend to the old palace?"
The rower, feeling really tired but anxious to show that he can work, left on the instant to the land. He arrived there and found out the information the captian wanted. He learned that they were building a new palace because the old palace was just too small to fit all of the king's court and the king's name was James.
The rower, really tired, slowly made his way back to the ship. When he arrived, he told the captain all the information that he knew.
The captain thanked the rower for his efforts and called his assistant named John.
The captain told John to go to the land and see what was going on.
John left on his way. When John arrived at the land he saw the giant construction, asked if he could talk to the man in charge and found his way to the king of the land. When John returned he told that captian that there was a giant building that way going to be a palace because the old palace was too small to fit all of the king's subjects. This palace will be done in 3 months and to top it off John had marked, for the next day, dinner for the captain with the king.
The captain thanked John for his help and returned to the rower and said "This is why John is my assistant and you are just a rower."

I told this story because it helped me realize that I need to work more than what is asked. If we only do what we are told to do, we will only receive the minimal blessing, But when we do more than what is asked of us, The Lord will bless us more and more. Bless us with more opportunites to work and more miracles.

I have decided that I want to see miracles in my mission. I know that I need to work a lot to reach that goal.

I love you

Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Funny Story. I have a photo of our ninja show. We did this on P-Day. It's the missionaries I live with and the Zone Leaders are there too. We had a District Study with the Zone Leaders. They came on P-Day... so... before they left... after study... We had some fun.

My Dear Lovely and Beautiful Family

The time is just flying. Think about a rocketship, then think about Elder Barry being strapped to the front of that rocketship... That's about how I feel right now. As the rocketship blasts off all the heat is going to my body (That's why I'm really tan), The wind going through my hair (Why I don't have hair) and it's just like a really crazy roller coaster. Looking for the button to stop but don't want to stop until I reach The Son.

Now stop... think... and... write.
So... District meetings. I live in the same house as everyone that can come to the district meeting. We all just take a bus to the district center (stake center but we are in a district.) and have a meeting there. We have 6 missionaries in my district but only 4 go to the meeting because the other two are about 5 hours away by bus so they don't have the time or the money to come every week.
Mom, you asked a lot of questions. Here are the answers. Never got kicked out of any houses. Never had a gun pulled on me... or better said here... a knife because it's illegal to have guns here if you aren't military or police. But I've seen some pretty wicked knives. We were talking with this guy. I swear we was drunk. But he had two knives in his pants. One in the front, tucked in his pants under his shirt and the other knife was in the back, tucked in the pants under his shirt. He was telling us how dangerous it is here and that he always walks with knives... then he just raised his shirt and showed us. My companion tensed up because he's military and before the mission he stopped people like this but now he can't do anything. My companion told me after that he already had it all planned out what to do if that man pulled a knife. But have never been kicked out of a house and never had a slammed door. There are different ways of rejection here in Brasil. But I have been bitten by 2 dogs.

Wow, thanks for the pictures. I loved them. I love getting pictures and things like that. If you have any pictures of me and my friends before the mission could you send some... Please? I have no pictures to show missionaries or members. Pictures of the family would be great too. You can email them and I can develop them here. Or send them by snail mail. Loves

Today I studied about the Atonement and I learned so much. I just have a challenge for you. Think about the Atonement and write What, Where, Why, Who, When and How. Think about it, study it, then other questions will come to your mind with answers of things you need to do... REVELATION!!!

Endure to the End
Love you
Signing Out

Elder Barry

Power of the Book of Mormon

Hello my dearest Family,

I love you all. You have no idea how much my love has grown since I have been away from you.I loved hearing everyone and talking with everyone. I left that phone call full of the spirit.
Jessica, I was looking at the pictures that mom sent me and you look like mom standing next to mom. Especially with your glasses... When did you get glasses?Vaughn, Congratulations!!!!! Did you finish your dissertation? How did that go?I'm pretty sure that I won't be a doctor. Unless it's a doctor of music... But I still have 1 year and 3 months before I know for sure.


During the call I was so excited to hear that Spencer was going on a mission. I can't wait to hear where he is going. I don't know if it was against the rules... but I loved it. I wasn't able to hear Tyler all that well but I can't wait for the experience he will have in Kenya.

Well, I just want to tell you that my testimony has grown so much about The Book of Mormon. Monday night we were with some young men that are preparing to get baptized. We showed them The Book of Mormon and I gave them a challenge. I asked if they had any questions. They said yes. One asked something about our spirits and the other asked about the evil in the world. Well we opened 1 Nephi 1:1 and read it to them. They both received an answer to their questions in the same verse. I have such a strong testimony that when we read the Book of Mormon with a question in our mind the Lord will reveal an answer is such a way that we understand it.I know that this Chruch is true.

Endure to the End

Signing Out

Elder Barry

Worn Right Through

So I'm sending two pictures so you can see how I look different now. One is of my and Elder Santo, my old companion. But I'm sending it so you can see the hair. I literally buzzed my hair. It feels so nice not needing to worry about it and just go.
Well, That wasn't going to be the intro but I guess it can be...
Wait let me start with is again
Hello my dear family,
Well my shoes are worn through but the Spirit is Strong. Here let me send a picture of my shoes too. (Mom if you could get new shoes and send them to me that'd be great. Help the people is Provo understand what to do :D) Worn Shoes. Yeah. That all the new stuff here.
Ok so let me tell you that I bought a new watch cause the other one fell and broke on the floor, It was a tragic ending. He now lies in my desk drawer waiting for the ressurection... or when I actually remember to take him to a watch place to get fix. For now, I have a replacement that costed 23 Reais (about 13 Dollars) It's been working fine.
I'm staying in the land of dust, or also know as Planaltina de Goias. But I'm still getting transfered. Basically it's like moving from Provo to Orem. Or from one bedroom in the house to the other bedroom, in the same house. It's the same thing. Same place. Just walking with different people. My companions is amazing. I have lived with him for 3 months and now we are companions. How crazy. He loves cuzcuz. It's a type of rice that they eat a lot in the northern part of brazil. He basically makes it everyday. It's not all that bad. I learned how to make it and what to do and different ways. Now as companions, I'm sure we'll eat it every day.
Well, I'm doing great. I love the mission. It's definately the right place for me right now. Growing and learning and becoming who I need to be. Changing and having fun doing it.
I love a scripture that in 3 Nephi. It really helped me focus on the mission and not worry about the future because I was really worried about the future. Who I was going to marry, how would me kids be, what would I do, where will i live, what will I study and who will I met. These were many of my questions I had. It was driving me insane. But now I learned something. 3 Nephi 13:24. I don't have it in English here... so I'll type in in Portugues
"Portanto não vos preocupeis com o dia de amanhã, porque o dia de amanhã se preocupará come suas próprias coisas..."
It says don't worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself. I learned that we need to work today to get what we want tomorrow. So I stopped worrying about the future and started worrying about today. What would I do? How can I do it? What can I do today to help me in the future? It's just easier to think about it that way.
Also I have been learning a lot about the Christ like attributes and what I need to do to be better. All the things that I though I was good at really are not the things I'm good at. I'm learning on how to be a better person and more well rounded (In more ways than one).
I love you.
This has been brought to you by me.
Endure to the End
Signing OutElder Barry

Good Planners

Minha Querida família, I don't know if I spelled that right but anyways... continue. I love you so much. Can you believe that I've been on a mission for 8 months already. I can't believe it. It's so amazing. Everything just is moving so fast. I don't know what to do... I'm learning and growing and you all probably won't believe it when I get home but I'm changing so much here in the mission. Wow. I think back to before the mission and into my senior year in High School and I am not the same person. Brasil is amazing... have I told you that? I love this place. Me and my companion have decided to change how we work and how we do things because we are not getting results in this area right now. We need to change. I have a quote a friend sent me that I love. "If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten." It's so true. If you want to change anything in your life for the better. The time to change was yesterday. I'm starting to learn the importance of using the Area Book here. For the past 4 weeks we haven't had any papers to update anything so we just left the area book to the side. But now we realize that the reason why we don't have results is because we are being grateful for the things we already have and the people we have already found. So we have started making all the records of all the people that we have taught in the past 4 weeks. This is where I learned that I need to keep a good planner. I'm glad that I write down those things in the planner. It has made this process so much easier. I love you all. This week has been really fast, before you know it this letter will be coming again. Endure to the End Signing OutElder Barry

Fasting

So, this isn't transfers week. Transfers are at the end of this month... I think. I don't know when.Yes mom. That was really the church and church ground... So I'm so very sorry for this short email but I'm trying to keep this under an hour... for my companions sake... because I usually spend a lot of time sending emails to everyone... So if you haven't had a response yet... I'm sorry. I just want to share something I learned about fasting.Fasting is such an amazing tool we have to get blessed. Something I learned is that when we fast we grow but we might not grow in the way we want to. The Lord knows what we want and what we need. He will never give us a rock when we as for food. But if we ask for a rock, he usually wont give it to us. He'll give us what we need and when we need it. So for conference, our mission had a goal to take 500 people to church, each dupla needed to take 7 people for this to happen. Elder Santos and I accepted the challenge and went to it. We were fasting and working to make it happen. We had people are ready to go and they were firm to go. The day before and the morning of conference... everyone fell... we had no one firm to go conference. So we worked so hard to get more poeple. Conference was about 45 mins away by bus. So... we walked around town inviting everyone to go then we took a bus there and literally talked with everyone on the bus. It is something that I've never done... We just did it. We got to conference and we had 2 people going. They were two people that members had brought. We still had the blessings from God after we worked our hardest. Only after. I learned that our fast for people in church we didn't get people in church... but we did grow in knowledge about how to work and help this area. Endure to the End Signing Out Elder Barry

Weed wackers

I don't have much time to write this week. We are in a little bit of a hurry so Hi familia. Brasil is hot. It feels great. The heat is something that I am liking so far. Today we weeded the chapel and that was relaxing... I loved it. So good. Here are some photos. Before and after pictures included. My hands are hurting from weeding. But the Brazilians don't really weed like Americans. They take a shovel looking thing and wack at the weeds until they are gone. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the shovel thing... oh wait... I remember what you call it in English... It's a hoe. You just start wacking weeds with a hoe. It's pretty fun. Can you believe that I've been out for about 8 months. It's just crazy. I'm more than a quarter of the way done... More than a quarter of the way to feeling saudade (there isn't really a word to explain this word... it's basically a feeling of missing someone or something) of the mission. Today I studied and I learned that the church is true. Just a reafirmation that everything that we are doing is true. So just know that it's all true. Fica Firme Endure to the End Signing Out Elder Barry

"Don't look for the bad things in life..."

Dear family,
Hello again. It's another day. It's a beautiful day. (wow, music just pops into my head so fast.)

So my mission has been going wonderfully awesome. Not much more to say about it. It has been a wonderfull experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I love everything about it... Working, P-day, recieving letters, baptizing, help others, serving, eating (yes the food is awesome, Beans and rice every day YES!!!!) I don't have anything to complain about and that's not why I'm here. I heard a quote that I loved. It goes along the lines of "Don't look for the bad things in life and in other people because the things you see will become the things you do." So basically don't complain. Always look on the brightside of life. It's just so much easier to do it that way.


So Jeferson, we have to pass by there tomorrow, but he's great. I also met another Jeferson yesterday so we are definately going there. I will help all the Jefersons in this area, well all that I can find. But the other Jeferson from the story is great. He went to church again and I want to help him go to church next week with a white shirt and tie. He's a less-active. So that will be cool. His mom (not a member) is a little bit resistant because she doesn't want to make a commitment to stop drinking. She says that if her friends come over and invite her, she'll go. She knows that if she makes the commintment and then breaks it, her life will be worse. So we need to help her take courage and endure to the end.


Wow, I am so glad that I only played video games at night or with friends and I actually had friends and stuff to do during the day. More like video games were just a pass time with friends so... I'm glad that all my friends like to be active too. Playing frisbee and things like that. Being more active and talkative. Just to think what would of happend if mom let me stay downstairs playing video games. I would be very anti-social... I would not like that. I've made a goal that when I go home to play a lot less. A lot less video games. A lot less of that and be a lot more pro-ativo (pro-active).

The mission is an amazing experience. I have learned so many things being here. So many lessons that if I wouldn't have gone... wow... I would be a little people shyer (if that's a word) I love talking to people, I love a different language. I love this place. It's so awesome. I have learned so much. I would wish this for everyone. This opportunity.



Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Jeferson and prayer

HELLO!!!!!!!!!!

Brasilia is awesome. Na verdade (actually), Goais is awesome. I'm in the mission Brasil Brasilia but in Brasil Goias right now. Anyways. Side point view thingy.

My P-day is today. and if you want to know about 5 week transfers it's because the USA missionaries here only have 2 year visas. So we have 2 five week transfers and it makes us go home 2 weeks earlier... or releases us from the mission 2 weeks earlier. They do this so that the parents who really really want to come pick up their child can come down, pick them up, tour around a little and still have time for the missionary to do that. Does that make sense? We just do it for the missionaries and the families because in the older times the missionaries couldn't spend time with their families here in Brasil. So that's why we have this. It's a good idea.

I didn't get transfered. I am in Planaltina de Goias ainda (still). But my companion is now Elder Santos. He is pretty awesome. We only have maybe three or four hours of knowing each other but I can already tell that this is going to be an awesome transfer.


Well now I want to share an experience very special to me

This story starts when I started studying how to have a better prayer and how we should feel after we say a prayer. So I studied and decided to have a notebook to write down the ideas and answers and things that come to my mind. It was an amazing experience. I really learned a lot from it. Well, I was saying a prayer and my question was "Why am I in this area? Who am I here to help?" After I started writing down names that popped into my head. Names of members and less actives and missionaries went through my mind. Then randomly I had a name of 'Jeferson' go through my head.

I don't know any "Jeferson" in this area but I just knew that that is why I'm here, to help him. I don't know who he is and how to help him or where to find him so I just continued working and trying to find this person. The last Sunday of the transfer we were at church and there were a LOT of less actives. A LOT!!! It was pretty crazy. We had about 14 less actives in church and they just felt like they should come back or something. I don't know what happened. Elder Young and I started talking to a young man... more like we asked him his name. He said Jeferson...

WOW!!!! WHAT?!?!?! When he said that me and Elder Young looked directly at each other. Surprised... what?!?! Jeferson... so you can guess that was a real shock. I almost forgot and had given up hope on finding him. Last Sunday I thought I was going to leave this area but I didn't. I'm still here - here to help him come back to church and help his mother get baptized. That is my purpose in this area.

It really was a testimony builder about prayer. God will always answer prayers and put people in our path to talk to and to help.

ALWAYS!!!

"In God we Trust"

Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Carnival

Hello family, Another week has gone by.

So I don't have much to say this week. I honestly don't know what to tell you. All I can think about is that this week is Carnival here in Brasil so that's why this letter is coming early.

Carnival is a giant celebration here in Brasil and it can be dangerous. These past 3 days we need to be in the house around 8 and not 9. Today is P-day until 6 then from 6 to 10:30 we are in the house. Then tomorrow we have a giant conference from 9 until 4 then we have to be in the house from 6 to 10:30 again. Wednesday we are planning until 4 then we can finally leave. After that is normal... except this transfer is a 5 week transfer so next week is transfers again... so P-day will probably be on Monday next week too.

This is my first Carnival here and It's so dead. I've asked the Brasilian missionaries what Carnival means. It basically means that Brasilians take off work to just mess around for 5-ish days. Technically Carnival is on Tuesday but they party all through the week end until Quarta-Feira (Wednesday). So pretty much it's just a time to get druuuunk and do stupid stuff. That's why it's dangerous. That's why this week is all messed up and why we wont be working until Wednesday.

So cool story about continuing and working and working. This whole week Elder Young and I haven't had much success. We worked and worked and we didn't find anyone new or anything but continually we worked. It was weird because we'd try to do everything and find people but the people just didn't want it. By Sunday night we hadn't found anyone new to teach (we found people new to teach but none of them accepted baptism and a date so we don't count them as news.(For those lost with this jargon, I'm sorry)). We decided to go to a less-actives house and help them get back to church. We got there and their son was there. He's not a member. He was golden. He was awesome. We taught the restoration and he accepted it, baptism and a date for the 20th. That was a pretty cool experience. It just shows to continue and don't stop.

Well, I love you all

Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Fruit and no doubts

Hello... Again? I don't know what to say about this last week. I honestly am without words. I guess I'll just start typing something that comes to my head like...

FRESH COCONUT!!!! HOLY GOODNESS. We were at a member's house and we had finished lunch. We were talking and the subject got to coconuts. They told us they had a coconut tree and they were surprised that me and my companion had never had fresh coconut. They went outside and pulled some off and cut it open and gave it to us. Wow, literally coconut has water inside. It is so cool. The carne (the inside stuff you can eat) was amazing. wow... Let me tell you the fruits here are so amazing. They have soooo much good stuff; Acerola, Graviola, morango, cana, banana, caju, caja, açai, abacaxi, maçã. Wow... these are all names and if you want to look them up... it's good stuff.

A mission is such an amazing experience. Really. If anyone is having any doubts about a mission. Just go. It's better to go and serve a full two years then not go or go and come home early.

So I just want to put the last little end on this letter.

We were talking with and teaching a guy. He was Baptist and was from a church that really believes in missionary work. He started asking questions that he thought were so important but were easy to answer if you have the restored gospel. We literally have answers for everything. OK we don't, God does but he was trying to put doubts in our heads about the church. Finally we just told him to pray because he wouldn't quit. When we were leaving he said something along the lines of "I know that something I said put a doubt in your mind." I just told him that I don't have a doubt. With the answer that I have received from God, I don't any doubts about this being His church. He was kinda shocked. I flat out just told him that I knew this church was true. He then told me to "watch out". Basically he was telling me to not jump into this too fast or something like that. If only he knew that this is the Church of Jesus Christ here on the earth again. If only he would pray he would learn that. It's interesting that when other people have tried to discredit or change my mind about the church, my testimony grows stronger. Stand up for this Church and defend it and you will grow stronger. I don't have any doubts. I know that prophets in this church are called of God and I know Joseph Smith was called of God to restore His church here on earth. So if I have doubts, they don't matter. I already know.

I've been learning about pride and confidence. There is a difference. Confidence is knowing God will answer prayers. Pride is what stops people from asking God. Have confidence and not pride. Ask God anything with faith and confidence and he will respond. He will.

I Have No Doubts.

Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Teaching in Goias

Holy canoly... If you can believe it, it's been another week already. It's so crazy how fast time moves.


If you can believe it, too, I am leaving my area on another trade. I am going to be on a bus for about 6 hours today going to a place called "Posse" that is in our district with a zone leader so he can do an interview. How crazy is that... I don't think I've had a normal week this transfer where I stay in my area the whole week.

Well, the language is fine. I'm not scared about it anymore because I know that if I teach with the spirit, the Lord will guide my words. There are some times that I don't know the word that I said or I just felt like I needed that word. It's so amazing how much a mission can change a life.


We are teaching a good teaching group right now. We have worked it up from almost scratch. The other missionaries didn't leave much because one was dying in the mission (not dying but one was in his last transfer and the his companion was a newbee in the mission. So, I bet it was hard for them to stay focused)

So we found a lady named Inácia. She is just golden. She has just been prepared for this moment and I'm pretty sure she will baptize. She has a little trouble understanding everything but we are teaching really, really slow and simple (like we are supposed to with everyone) and it's been working out awesome. She is so great and just an amazing lady. We have had sooooo many spiritual experiences with her.


Our best way to find people (in this area) is through contacts and just knocking doors and asking for water (really simple) Then we start a conversastion with them and ask if we can enter and leave a message with them. Elder Young and I have really changed how we talk to people. We are being more simple and just straight out telling them why the church is true. Usually in contacts with people on the street we just introduce ourselves, what we do and then ask them if we can help them prepare to be baptized. It's amazing. Really it narrows people out so much faster. I've only been doing contacts with men because this area really needs men. We also invite people to be baptized in the first lesson and mark a date with them in that first lesson. If they don't accept, we need a really good reason to go back to them. That's how the work is going here with me and Elder Young.
I don't have time to write any more right now. Our bus is leaving in a half hour and we still need to buy tickets. We will talk next week.

Endure to the End

Signing Out
Elder Barry

Transfered

Oh my goodness... it was Valentine's day and I didn't even know it. That is literally the first time that has ever happened in my life... Well, with that beginning. Oi minha familia

Wow, I don't know what to write but let me tell you. This week went by so fast but it feels like it went slow. First time that has happened to me. I can't believe the week has already gone by... but it feels like and enternity since I last wrote home. It feels crazy.

So I am not in Brasilia anymore. I'm in a state called Goias. Actually i'm in an area called planaltina Goais. It is so different than Sobradinho 1. Sobradinho is a kind or a rico (rich) area. Now, it's pretty much so much different. There is a lot of dirt. It's everywhere in the house. It even was resting on my soap one morning. That was weird. Well this area is really different. There are 4 of us here and honestly, there are 4 new guys here. They took out all the people who were here and put in 4 completely new missionaries. Holy Cow. It's kinda stressful. We worked our first couple days without knowing where we were going. That was pretty interesting. Also, It's not a neat and nice organzied city. I'm still a little confused where to go and how to work. But my and my companion have finally picked an area we will start working in. It's going to be great. My companion's name is Elder Young. He's from Provo, Ut and went to Provo High. (kinda sounds like me). But it's kinda interesting talking about areas we remember. It was really strange and still is strange to be able to say a name of a place in Provo and he knows where it is too. Well we have been working of tearing up roads... but that's already been done. The roads here literally potholes which makes me really glad that I don't have to drive. This week i'm actually really excited because we will actually work in our area most of the time. Last week Elder Young had a meeting (Wednesday) then on Thursday I had a meeting. Then on Friday we actually got to work in our area. So this week is going to be so much fun. We are going to work so freaking hard.


I don't know why but one of my favorite types of members to talk to are the wives who give us lunch. They are so cool. They remind me of mom a little bit. We really have had some very espiritual experiences with them.


I read a scripture today in Doctrine and Covenants. But I can't remember exactly where. I think it's D&C 107: 99-100. It's pretty amazing. It talks about a slothful servant and how they wont be worthy to stand at the last day. So don't be slothful. It's important. Diligence is a key to missionary work. It's also a key to our salvation and our happiness on this earth.

I don't know what else to write so I'll just close this letter now.

Endure to the End

I Love You

Signing Out
Elder Barry