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