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
Monday, September 26, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
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
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
Monday, September 05, 2011
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)