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
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
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
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
"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
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
Monday, March 14, 2011
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
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
Monday, March 07, 2011
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
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
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
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
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
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