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