Dear Fam,
If you like rain, you'd love the rain here (when it rains.) Because when it rains... it POURS!!! Seriously, Sometimes when it rains, we get stuck outside and don't have umbrellas. It takes us by surprise so we get stuck underneath something that protects us from the rain. Like right now, it's sunny, but here in 30 minutes it could be pouring. It's like good ol' Utah weather. You know how they say "If ya don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes."
An apartment by Brick Oven sounds great. I'm excited for it. Well scared and excited. It'll sure be strange. My companion is excited because he just got accepted to BYU today.
So about 2 weeks ago I spoke in church. I forgot to tell you that. I spoke in church the other day. It was fun. I talked about how there are people that we know that are ready to receive the truth that are all around us and all we need to do it open our mouths and tell them about it. I hope that at least some of the members got something out of it.
Pedregal is a branch that is bigger than some of the wards here in the zone. I think it's really close to becoming a Ward but I don't know. Maybe there are more things it needs. But in church this last week there were almost 100 people. That was cool.
In our stake the stake president wants to do a musical program with the missionaries. So guess who basically got put in charge. Yup, me. I'm guessing that's why I wasn't transfered, I need to do this music program. We had our first and only practice today and It sounds pretty good. I'm excited and hope that everything goes without a hitch. It's interesting to work with missionaries who know basically nothing about music. I hope they remember everything so that we can do the program all goody good.
I love reading the Ensign or the Liahona of the conference reports. It is so good. I read one by Elder Eyring the other day that has helped me a lot. He said to always work even though you are tired and exhausted. We must work. I loved it.
Right now my companion and I are finding new people to teach because the old people aren't progressing that well so we are basically going to start from scratch.
Endure to the End
Love you
Singing Out
Elder Barry
Monday, February 27, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Movin' strong
Wow, I must say that my legs are pretty darn tired from soccer today. But afterwards we ate 2 bowls of Açai. You know the Brasilian fruit that everyone was basically talking about, yeah. It's so good. I love it.
We are hitting Carnaval. It's basically a big party here in Brasil. Everyone parties while the missionaries need to stay in the house. We have to get home early for about a week because it can be really dangerous here. Not just dangerous but scandalous. Honestly, from the little I've seen in the street and passing on TV (everyone watches TV) from all the little tid bits...wow. Watch out.
Today, I'm good. Great. I'm a little tired but that is basically every day especially a day of soccer. This week was really hard. We had transfers, meetings, meetings and more meetings. My companion and I basically lost 3 days just because of meetings we needed to go to. On the days we had free to work nothing happened until Sunday, last day of the week. We were walking past a house, I was on the phone resolving problems and my companion just stopped at a house we were walking past and started talking. This led to entering the house and teaching. They are a good family... well, not married family but they are still potential to progress. We are way excited. After a week of almost nothing, finally a result.
We are still working with the same people and they are all kind of... stopped. We need to do something different or find new people.
Maicon is only missing permission from his mom. She won't give it because she says that Maicon doesn't obey her enough. She basically says that it's our fault that he isn't changing and that our lessons aren't changing him. But we see a difference. I don't know how she doesn't see it.
Waldivino still is going to church. We can't get him to accept a date or stop smoking. But honestly after time of going to church he is probably going to ask to be baptized.
Sávio is still there, his foot is getting better. He went to another church the other day so now we know that he can go to church. We are going to work on that. Him in Chruch. Get him in and he'll ask to be baptized.
Family ties are strong, if Jess stayed in Idaho I would find time to go there.
Movin on, movin strong
Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry
We are hitting Carnaval. It's basically a big party here in Brasil. Everyone parties while the missionaries need to stay in the house. We have to get home early for about a week because it can be really dangerous here. Not just dangerous but scandalous. Honestly, from the little I've seen in the street and passing on TV (everyone watches TV) from all the little tid bits...wow. Watch out.
Today, I'm good. Great. I'm a little tired but that is basically every day especially a day of soccer. This week was really hard. We had transfers, meetings, meetings and more meetings. My companion and I basically lost 3 days just because of meetings we needed to go to. On the days we had free to work nothing happened until Sunday, last day of the week. We were walking past a house, I was on the phone resolving problems and my companion just stopped at a house we were walking past and started talking. This led to entering the house and teaching. They are a good family... well, not married family but they are still potential to progress. We are way excited. After a week of almost nothing, finally a result.
We are still working with the same people and they are all kind of... stopped. We need to do something different or find new people.
Maicon is only missing permission from his mom. She won't give it because she says that Maicon doesn't obey her enough. She basically says that it's our fault that he isn't changing and that our lessons aren't changing him. But we see a difference. I don't know how she doesn't see it.
Waldivino still is going to church. We can't get him to accept a date or stop smoking. But honestly after time of going to church he is probably going to ask to be baptized.
Sávio is still there, his foot is getting better. He went to another church the other day so now we know that he can go to church. We are going to work on that. Him in Chruch. Get him in and he'll ask to be baptized.
Family ties are strong, if Jess stayed in Idaho I would find time to go there.
Movin on, movin strong
Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry
Monday, February 06, 2012
Tender Mercies
Dear Fam,
Mom, it was strange to see "sent from my IPad at the bottom of every email. Since when does my mom know anything about technology.
Well, we are in our last week of the transfers and it looks like everything is going up. Looking up and going. We have about 6 men we are working with that can go to church this Sunday and we have a young man who wants to get baptized this week. We did his baptismal fecha the other day and we will return tonight to talk with his mom and get her to sign it. This kids name is Maicon. Remember him? His mom basically kicked us out and didn't want us to come back. After 4 weeks, Maicon went to church saying that his mom will let him get baptized. We are pretty excited. Tender Mercies.
We are teaching 6 men
Fêlix, Cicero, Savio, Hernando, Lucas, Gerson and then have some others. Waldivino, Arí and Meikon.
This is the biggest group of men I have ever taught in my mission. 3 or four of them have accepted baptism. It's way cool to see them grow and change too.
Dang, carry everything around again. Man, I don't know if my suitcases will handle it. But I'll find a way.
Well, I honestly don't have any more news this week. I'm just tired from playing soccer.
Sorry, I don't have more news.
Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry
Mom, it was strange to see "sent from my IPad at the bottom of every email. Since when does my mom know anything about technology.
Well, we are in our last week of the transfers and it looks like everything is going up. Looking up and going. We have about 6 men we are working with that can go to church this Sunday and we have a young man who wants to get baptized this week. We did his baptismal fecha the other day and we will return tonight to talk with his mom and get her to sign it. This kids name is Maicon. Remember him? His mom basically kicked us out and didn't want us to come back. After 4 weeks, Maicon went to church saying that his mom will let him get baptized. We are pretty excited. Tender Mercies.
We are teaching 6 men
Fêlix, Cicero, Savio, Hernando, Lucas, Gerson and then have some others. Waldivino, Arí and Meikon.
This is the biggest group of men I have ever taught in my mission. 3 or four of them have accepted baptism. It's way cool to see them grow and change too.
Dang, carry everything around again. Man, I don't know if my suitcases will handle it. But I'll find a way.
Well, I honestly don't have any more news this week. I'm just tired from playing soccer.
Sorry, I don't have more news.
Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry
Thursday, February 02, 2012
Dear Fam,
So all is good and all is well is Zion. Tudo bem. Tudo bem.
The reason why I didn't say anything about leadership in the past is that it shouldn't matter.
I was a District Leader in Valparaíso 1 for 3 months and then turned a Zone leader here in pedregal. In our mission we really don't have a jr. Zone leader and a Sr. Zone leader but if you want to think about it that way, this transfer I went a Sr. Zone Leader. I've been a zone leader here in pedregal for 3 transfers. Basically 2 como Jr zone leader and 1 como Sr.
I'm hoping meiken progreses too because he has started to work and it's been hard to find him again. But he's still only smoking 1 cigerette. It's a good thing. Now the hard part is getting off that one.
So Silver is
5 lessons with member
15 lessons in total (including other lessons and lessons with member)
2 in church and one of them with a dare
4 new investigators
Gold is
1 baptism or confirmation (You can get gold twice on the same investigator)
10 lessons with member
25 lessons in total (including other lessons and lessons with member)
4 in church and two of them with a date
7 New investigators
The reason we have two is that silver is the floor standard. It should be about 80% of the mission getting it. Right now we have about 40% getting it. The silver acts like a spring to get the gold. Usually those who get silver one week can get the gold in the next because there is at least 1 person at church with a date. This week we are going for silver because we don't have anyone who can get baptized or confirmed this week.
But we try to focus not on getting the Standard but on inviting other to come unto Christ. That is our purpose. Our purpose is not to get silver or gold. Silver and Gold are just a way we can accomplish our purpose. We could even work with less actives all the time and get them going to church and helping them return and we will accomplish our purpose. Invite others to come unto Christ.
One thing I learned is to invite others to come unto Christ, we need to be there first. We can't push or pull people to Christ. We can't show them the way to Christ. We invite them to come to a place were we are. That's why people say 'you can't convert someone to a higher level than you are.'
I wish we could have a giant stake conference like you had, mom. It's needed. Honestly. In every area I've passed through, there are only 5 or less really converted men in the area and only 1 or less can pass the idea to others. The church grows really fast in Brasil. The difficulty is getting them to stay strong because the church is still growing here.
All is well = Tudo bem
Tudo bem em Sião = all is well in Zion.
Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry
So all is good and all is well is Zion. Tudo bem. Tudo bem.
The reason why I didn't say anything about leadership in the past is that it shouldn't matter.
I was a District Leader in Valparaíso 1 for 3 months and then turned a Zone leader here in pedregal. In our mission we really don't have a jr. Zone leader and a Sr. Zone leader but if you want to think about it that way, this transfer I went a Sr. Zone Leader. I've been a zone leader here in pedregal for 3 transfers. Basically 2 como Jr zone leader and 1 como Sr.
I'm hoping meiken progreses too because he has started to work and it's been hard to find him again. But he's still only smoking 1 cigerette. It's a good thing. Now the hard part is getting off that one.
So Silver is
5 lessons with member
15 lessons in total (including other lessons and lessons with member)
2 in church and one of them with a dare
4 new investigators
Gold is
1 baptism or confirmation (You can get gold twice on the same investigator)
10 lessons with member
25 lessons in total (including other lessons and lessons with member)
4 in church and two of them with a date
7 New investigators
The reason we have two is that silver is the floor standard. It should be about 80% of the mission getting it. Right now we have about 40% getting it. The silver acts like a spring to get the gold. Usually those who get silver one week can get the gold in the next because there is at least 1 person at church with a date. This week we are going for silver because we don't have anyone who can get baptized or confirmed this week.
But we try to focus not on getting the Standard but on inviting other to come unto Christ. That is our purpose. Our purpose is not to get silver or gold. Silver and Gold are just a way we can accomplish our purpose. We could even work with less actives all the time and get them going to church and helping them return and we will accomplish our purpose. Invite others to come unto Christ.
One thing I learned is to invite others to come unto Christ, we need to be there first. We can't push or pull people to Christ. We can't show them the way to Christ. We invite them to come to a place were we are. That's why people say 'you can't convert someone to a higher level than you are.'
I wish we could have a giant stake conference like you had, mom. It's needed. Honestly. In every area I've passed through, there are only 5 or less really converted men in the area and only 1 or less can pass the idea to others. The church grows really fast in Brasil. The difficulty is getting them to stay strong because the church is still growing here.
All is well = Tudo bem
Tudo bem em Sião = all is well in Zion.
Endure to the End
Signing Out
Elder Barry
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)