Pictures from Brtyon's Letter
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Monday, October 7, 2013
"enough talking now lets go and do!!!!"
Another really long week finally over!!!
The reason our Stake President calls me “sunshine” is when I was on Heritage Tours he was the boss of our bus and the first day I was like smiling and happy all the time so he started calling me sunshine.
So did you all watch conference? I set a new goal this past weekend I actually watched all 10 hours of it and then some it was crazy. It was the coolest thing I think I have ever done. I’m so mad at myself for never watching and taking everything so lightly when I was a young kid. I have already listened to like 6 of the talks again. Awe, it was so good! An Elder here was mad about what the prophet talked about in priesthood and I wanted to knock him out but yea I cant really knock him out when I can’t even hold my scriptures. But I want to know what you all thought about conference? What was your favorite talk?
For me it was amazing, and I learned so much from it! The thing that stuck out to me the most was that President Monson ended the last session 15 minutes early, without saying much. And the Elders here were freaking out/murmuring saying" you still have 15 minutes left why couldn’t you give us something more then just that" but as I was sitting in my back corner I started thinking. (I actually started using the thing in my head for once.) Ha-ha! There had to be a reason he ended early, so the conclusion I came to was "enough talking now lets go and do!!!!" Lets go put the teachings that we have learned these past 10 hours to work! I remember my senior year coach Lewis had us running our butts off because all we were doing was talking and we weren’t playing as a team. That’s when we realized you can’t talk your way to a championship you got to go out and battle for it. The same goes for our salvation. We can’t just listen or talk our way to the celestial kingdom. We got to go out and battle for our salvation and for our brothers and sisters by paying tithing, going home teaching, putting other people’s needs in front of ours, and forgetting ourselves. So what President Monson was saying was enough has been said now go and do!
The five most important words are these,
"I am proud of you!!"
The four most important words are these,
"What is your opinion?"
The three most important words are these,
"IF you please."
The two most important words are these,
"Thank you"
The most important word is this,
"WE"
The least important word is this,
"I"
LEADERSHIP
A great leader suffers in a hundred different ways, and keeps his suffering to himself,
A great leader loves being alone with God,
A great leader overcomes himself, rises above himself, ever day, every minute.
A great leader is polite, but he never tones down the truth just to please others.
A great leader hitches his wagon to the remote the unattainable, the stars.
A great leader is very simple, but the moral force of his conviction shines through every tone of his voice and every gesture of his hand.
A great leader is absolutely fearless-- because he only fears GOD
A great leader loves, not sentimentally, not by making an effort, but with the effortless over flow of Gods love for him
A great leader is decisive, yet with the utmost tentativeness and tenderness.
You insult a great leader if you call him great; he does not want your judgment; he works and lives only to please GOD. Charles Malik
I found these in a book that I am reading, and each time I read it I thought about Rialeen. There are many more but I don’t have time to put them all in. Rialeen is the greatest leader I know! The strongest person I have ever known and I can only wish to be half as strong as she is. The thing that she went through the hundred different ways she suffered, I never heard her complain, doubt anything, she just kept on fighting. She was absolutely fearless!! She was the most loving person, she never thought about herself, it was always help this person, or we should do this for them, when most of us in her situation would of been thinking of me me me! There is a song called "angels among us" I have listened to it everyday! Rialeen is now our guardian angel.
I love you Rialeen with all my heart! You are my HERO! I wish I were as strong as you! I love you and I will see you soon.
Para siempre dios esté con vos!! God be with you till we meet again!!!
FAMILY IS FOREVER!!!
The reason our Stake President calls me “sunshine” is when I was on Heritage Tours he was the boss of our bus and the first day I was like smiling and happy all the time so he started calling me sunshine.
So did you all watch conference? I set a new goal this past weekend I actually watched all 10 hours of it and then some it was crazy. It was the coolest thing I think I have ever done. I’m so mad at myself for never watching and taking everything so lightly when I was a young kid. I have already listened to like 6 of the talks again. Awe, it was so good! An Elder here was mad about what the prophet talked about in priesthood and I wanted to knock him out but yea I cant really knock him out when I can’t even hold my scriptures. But I want to know what you all thought about conference? What was your favorite talk?
For me it was amazing, and I learned so much from it! The thing that stuck out to me the most was that President Monson ended the last session 15 minutes early, without saying much. And the Elders here were freaking out/murmuring saying" you still have 15 minutes left why couldn’t you give us something more then just that" but as I was sitting in my back corner I started thinking. (I actually started using the thing in my head for once.) Ha-ha! There had to be a reason he ended early, so the conclusion I came to was "enough talking now lets go and do!!!!" Lets go put the teachings that we have learned these past 10 hours to work! I remember my senior year coach Lewis had us running our butts off because all we were doing was talking and we weren’t playing as a team. That’s when we realized you can’t talk your way to a championship you got to go out and battle for it. The same goes for our salvation. We can’t just listen or talk our way to the celestial kingdom. We got to go out and battle for our salvation and for our brothers and sisters by paying tithing, going home teaching, putting other people’s needs in front of ours, and forgetting ourselves. So what President Monson was saying was enough has been said now go and do!
The five most important words are these,
"I am proud of you!!"
The four most important words are these,
"What is your opinion?"
The three most important words are these,
"IF you please."
The two most important words are these,
"Thank you"
The most important word is this,
"WE"
The least important word is this,
"I"
LEADERSHIP
A great leader suffers in a hundred different ways, and keeps his suffering to himself,
A great leader loves being alone with God,
A great leader overcomes himself, rises above himself, ever day, every minute.
A great leader is polite, but he never tones down the truth just to please others.
A great leader hitches his wagon to the remote the unattainable, the stars.
A great leader is very simple, but the moral force of his conviction shines through every tone of his voice and every gesture of his hand.
A great leader is absolutely fearless-- because he only fears GOD
A great leader loves, not sentimentally, not by making an effort, but with the effortless over flow of Gods love for him
A great leader is decisive, yet with the utmost tentativeness and tenderness.
You insult a great leader if you call him great; he does not want your judgment; he works and lives only to please GOD. Charles Malik
I found these in a book that I am reading, and each time I read it I thought about Rialeen. There are many more but I don’t have time to put them all in. Rialeen is the greatest leader I know! The strongest person I have ever known and I can only wish to be half as strong as she is. The thing that she went through the hundred different ways she suffered, I never heard her complain, doubt anything, she just kept on fighting. She was absolutely fearless!! She was the most loving person, she never thought about herself, it was always help this person, or we should do this for them, when most of us in her situation would of been thinking of me me me! There is a song called "angels among us" I have listened to it everyday! Rialeen is now our guardian angel.
I love you Rialeen with all my heart! You are my HERO! I wish I were as strong as you! I love you and I will see you soon.
Para siempre dios esté con vos!! God be with you till we meet again!!!
FAMILY IS FOREVER!!!
Monday, September 23, 2013
So remember that FAITH is more than a FEELING, it is a DECISION!!!
So ask me if I can curl 20 pounds?
What’s that country song that is like " if your going through hell keep on going, don’t slow down, if your scared don’t show it cause you might get out before the devil even knows your there"!! Well sadly I think the devil knows I’m here, ha-ha and he’s got me chained to the fiery death bed of hell!!!
This week has been the worst of my life!! I laid in bed for the past week and a half not being able to do anything, finally my mission President came and took me to the hospital and I did the same thing there. Just laid in bed, it’s been terrible. The doctors and nurses have stuck me with about 20 different needles trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. They think they have it figured out but I don’t believe them. They have given me 13 different medications to take and then they said I will be fine.
Yea, so the one night I was in the hospital I woke up in the middle of the night and my bed felt like it was wet so I thought to myself did I just wet the bed? Are you kidding? Here I am a 20 year old man and I just wet myself then I got looking around and I realized it wasn’t pee but blood. I had pulled the I.V. out of my arm during the night and I was bleeding everywhere. I tried to wake up the Elder that was staying with me but he wouldn’t wake up so then I tried to get the attention of the nurse and that didn’t work so I just laid there in my blood thinking that this was it, I am going to bleed out and die. I had comfort in knowing I would be in a much better place but then I thought to myself are you kidding me I can’t die like this and that was about the time the nurse came in and got be plugged back up.
I came to Mexico weighing 205 and now I am a solid 170. Squi I think I can now take over the nick name “chicken legs” ha-ha! But while I was laying there in the hospital bed the scripture in Joshua 1:7 came to my mind. I don’t have it in English so you will have to look it up but it talks about how God is with you always. That scripture honestly got me through the week. I’m supposed to baptize José and Lupita this Saturday so I am really trying not to die this week. I hope I will have enough strength to pull them up out of the water. By the way the answer to my question can I curl 20 pounds is NO.......!
I think I set a new world record reading the liahona this week. Like that’s all I have done all week is read. If you haven’t read the one for Septiembre I would invite you to read it because it’s got a lot of good stuff in it. Ha-ha! I have never been so happy for books and stuff like that!! Never in my life have I loved reading as much as I have the past couple of weeks. One of the articles in the liahona was titled "we know enough" I was just going to skip it but when I read the title it reminded me about how I didn’t think I knew enough to serve a mission. The story was about a man who wanted to serve a mission but he didn’t think he knew enough to go. But it was pointed out to him that he does know enough. In fact we all do. As long as we know the church is true then we know enough because the simple testimony “I know this church is true” is all one needs to serve. What you believe in is the only true thing on the earth, so go out and share it with everyone. You don’t need to be on a mission to be a missionary!! I promise you what you know is enough, and everything else will fall into place. You Know enough!!!!
Another thing I learned this week from my reading was in the book by President Eyring about how we need to follow the guidance of the spirit by listening. In order to receive guidance from the spirit we must follow the 4 point program. First we need PRAY. Pray diligently, pray with each other, pray in public (in the proper places), and learn to talk with the lord, call upon his name in great faith and confidence. Second STUDY and LEARN the gospel!!! Third LIVE Righteously. Repent of your sins by confessing them and forsaking them, and then conform to the teachings of the gospel. Forth, GIVE service in the church!! If we follow the 4 point program president Romney has set up for us we will have the spirit with us always!!!
Most of the less active members don’t come anymore because they have problems with other members in the ward. So I have been studying way hard on this topic and trying to find a way to change there mind and I think I have found it!! Remember that scripture I shared a couple weeks ago Alma 5:27? Yea that is the perfect scripture!!! So the question I have for all those less active is this: "If you don’t come to church anymore because of what you think they are doing wrong, or if you don’t come to church because you can’t stand to be in the presence of people who you think are making mistakes, then how are you going to stand in the presence God and his son who are PERFECT? So yea that’s my solution. I haven’t tried it yet but I’ll let you know how it works!! That’s what I got this week from my death bed. Pray for me for another week!!!
I love you all and miss you.
You can not fail in the gospel unless you quit!! So remember that FAITH is more than a FEELING, it is a DECISION!!!
Elder Berry
What’s that country song that is like " if your going through hell keep on going, don’t slow down, if your scared don’t show it cause you might get out before the devil even knows your there"!! Well sadly I think the devil knows I’m here, ha-ha and he’s got me chained to the fiery death bed of hell!!!
This week has been the worst of my life!! I laid in bed for the past week and a half not being able to do anything, finally my mission President came and took me to the hospital and I did the same thing there. Just laid in bed, it’s been terrible. The doctors and nurses have stuck me with about 20 different needles trying to figure out what’s wrong with me. They think they have it figured out but I don’t believe them. They have given me 13 different medications to take and then they said I will be fine.
Yea, so the one night I was in the hospital I woke up in the middle of the night and my bed felt like it was wet so I thought to myself did I just wet the bed? Are you kidding? Here I am a 20 year old man and I just wet myself then I got looking around and I realized it wasn’t pee but blood. I had pulled the I.V. out of my arm during the night and I was bleeding everywhere. I tried to wake up the Elder that was staying with me but he wouldn’t wake up so then I tried to get the attention of the nurse and that didn’t work so I just laid there in my blood thinking that this was it, I am going to bleed out and die. I had comfort in knowing I would be in a much better place but then I thought to myself are you kidding me I can’t die like this and that was about the time the nurse came in and got be plugged back up.
I came to Mexico weighing 205 and now I am a solid 170. Squi I think I can now take over the nick name “chicken legs” ha-ha! But while I was laying there in the hospital bed the scripture in Joshua 1:7 came to my mind. I don’t have it in English so you will have to look it up but it talks about how God is with you always. That scripture honestly got me through the week. I’m supposed to baptize José and Lupita this Saturday so I am really trying not to die this week. I hope I will have enough strength to pull them up out of the water. By the way the answer to my question can I curl 20 pounds is NO.......!
I think I set a new world record reading the liahona this week. Like that’s all I have done all week is read. If you haven’t read the one for Septiembre I would invite you to read it because it’s got a lot of good stuff in it. Ha-ha! I have never been so happy for books and stuff like that!! Never in my life have I loved reading as much as I have the past couple of weeks. One of the articles in the liahona was titled "we know enough" I was just going to skip it but when I read the title it reminded me about how I didn’t think I knew enough to serve a mission. The story was about a man who wanted to serve a mission but he didn’t think he knew enough to go. But it was pointed out to him that he does know enough. In fact we all do. As long as we know the church is true then we know enough because the simple testimony “I know this church is true” is all one needs to serve. What you believe in is the only true thing on the earth, so go out and share it with everyone. You don’t need to be on a mission to be a missionary!! I promise you what you know is enough, and everything else will fall into place. You Know enough!!!!
Another thing I learned this week from my reading was in the book by President Eyring about how we need to follow the guidance of the spirit by listening. In order to receive guidance from the spirit we must follow the 4 point program. First we need PRAY. Pray diligently, pray with each other, pray in public (in the proper places), and learn to talk with the lord, call upon his name in great faith and confidence. Second STUDY and LEARN the gospel!!! Third LIVE Righteously. Repent of your sins by confessing them and forsaking them, and then conform to the teachings of the gospel. Forth, GIVE service in the church!! If we follow the 4 point program president Romney has set up for us we will have the spirit with us always!!!
Most of the less active members don’t come anymore because they have problems with other members in the ward. So I have been studying way hard on this topic and trying to find a way to change there mind and I think I have found it!! Remember that scripture I shared a couple weeks ago Alma 5:27? Yea that is the perfect scripture!!! So the question I have for all those less active is this: "If you don’t come to church anymore because of what you think they are doing wrong, or if you don’t come to church because you can’t stand to be in the presence of people who you think are making mistakes, then how are you going to stand in the presence God and his son who are PERFECT? So yea that’s my solution. I haven’t tried it yet but I’ll let you know how it works!! That’s what I got this week from my death bed. Pray for me for another week!!!
I love you all and miss you.
You can not fail in the gospel unless you quit!! So remember that FAITH is more than a FEELING, it is a DECISION!!!
Elder Berry
Monday, September 16, 2013
There was a Young Man, who was a Seasoned Fisherman
Hola my family and friends,
This week has been another struggle health wise for me but I will keep fighting.
So the best thing ever happened yesterday. My companion and I were at church preparing the sacrament when these two people walked in and yelled “we’re here”. I thought to my self who in the world would yell in the chapel and then I looked up and saw José and Lupita. Awe I couldn’t believe it was them. I was so pumped when I saw them, and they were both so happy to be there!! They came right up to us on the stage and gave us big hugs and told us how happy they were to be at church. Lupita was going around to everyone and talking to them and telling them how the church is true. Ha-ha! It was so funny. I was so freaking pumped that they came!
This past weekend was like the 4th of July for Mexico, and it was crazy. It was pretty sad to see all the drunken Mexicans everywhere. But the church had an activity on Saturday night it was so fun!! Like they’re crazy I don’t even know how to explain what was going on all I know is VIVA MEXICO!
So I got completely cussed out by this guy and I guess he hates Americans. The good thing is that I didn’t know what he was saying to me but I could tell by his body language that he wasn’t inviting me to stay for dinner. The strange thing is we weren’t even teaching him we were teaching his wife, and he came in out of no where and started freaking out at us, especially me. So we just sat there and let him yell at us and then when he was finished we tried to give his wife a Book of Mormon. Yea! Bad idea! He just freaked out at me even more. Ha-ha! He said we don’t need another bible we already have one. I asked him why would God only talked to his children in one nation? Why wouldn’t he want others in the world to know about his gospel? I’m pretty sure that God talks to all of his children not just the ones in Jerusalem. Then he just got mad and walked out of the room. So then we went back to teaching his wife and I told her to read 2 Nephi 29 where the whole chapter is about how the lord speaks to many nations and that many people will reject the Book of Mormon, but it is the most correct book in the entire world! So hopefully she read it and has prayed to find out that it is true.
So I was reading in the bible and in my bible I have this poem that’s about Matthew 4:19. I really love this poem and it fits the scripture perfectly in my mind! ¨´
There was a young man, who was a seasoned fisherman, he got up before down and with just one yawn, he went on his way to fish all day, he forged a head a new ways to learn, his greatest catch he would earn, he’d stay at it all day, for it was just like play, he strived to be his best, with his new fishing vest, for he doesn’t carry a graphite rod or reel, but a straight rod of steel, and a reel known to you and me about a man from Galilee. with a unseen light, which is truth and right he’ll to cast all great or small, For he doesn’t have a limit of 6, or 7, or 10 for behold, he is a fisherman of men!!
That poem was written by the famous Tyler Parrish when he was on his mission. I don’t know why the church hasn’t published that one yet but going back to last week, we all need to be fisherman of men, not just the missionaries or the bishops we all need to!! It is crazy to think how close the time is to when the Lord will come yet there is so much work that needs to be done. It’s not going to be easy to gather his sheep but I believe we can do it. We need to have faith that our Savior will help us. We just need to press forward with steadfastness in Christ, and love of god, and feast upon the words of Christ and endure to the end, and the lord promises us that we will have eternal life!!!
My scripture for the week is 2 Nephi 8:5 “My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arm shall judge the people. The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.”
I have been struggling way bad to the point where I can’t keep anything in my stomach. I am going to the doctors this week to see if I will be able to stay so please pray for me that everything will be alright!! I love you all!! I just want you all to know that if it doesn’t work out the way we want and the doctors can’t help me, know that I am serving our Father in Heaven as a representative of His son Jesus Christ. Wherever this journey takes me I will give all that I can give, serve all I can serve to his church and gospel. I was not called to serve in a place, but to serve in place of the Savior where ever I may be. I love you all!! Love you Rialeen!!
P.S. The day you give up, the day you quit is the day you will regret most of all. Live with joy, live with hope no storm can last forever!! The gospel is true!!!
This week has been another struggle health wise for me but I will keep fighting.
So the best thing ever happened yesterday. My companion and I were at church preparing the sacrament when these two people walked in and yelled “we’re here”. I thought to my self who in the world would yell in the chapel and then I looked up and saw José and Lupita. Awe I couldn’t believe it was them. I was so pumped when I saw them, and they were both so happy to be there!! They came right up to us on the stage and gave us big hugs and told us how happy they were to be at church. Lupita was going around to everyone and talking to them and telling them how the church is true. Ha-ha! It was so funny. I was so freaking pumped that they came!
This past weekend was like the 4th of July for Mexico, and it was crazy. It was pretty sad to see all the drunken Mexicans everywhere. But the church had an activity on Saturday night it was so fun!! Like they’re crazy I don’t even know how to explain what was going on all I know is VIVA MEXICO!
So I got completely cussed out by this guy and I guess he hates Americans. The good thing is that I didn’t know what he was saying to me but I could tell by his body language that he wasn’t inviting me to stay for dinner. The strange thing is we weren’t even teaching him we were teaching his wife, and he came in out of no where and started freaking out at us, especially me. So we just sat there and let him yell at us and then when he was finished we tried to give his wife a Book of Mormon. Yea! Bad idea! He just freaked out at me even more. Ha-ha! He said we don’t need another bible we already have one. I asked him why would God only talked to his children in one nation? Why wouldn’t he want others in the world to know about his gospel? I’m pretty sure that God talks to all of his children not just the ones in Jerusalem. Then he just got mad and walked out of the room. So then we went back to teaching his wife and I told her to read 2 Nephi 29 where the whole chapter is about how the lord speaks to many nations and that many people will reject the Book of Mormon, but it is the most correct book in the entire world! So hopefully she read it and has prayed to find out that it is true.
So I was reading in the bible and in my bible I have this poem that’s about Matthew 4:19. I really love this poem and it fits the scripture perfectly in my mind! ¨´
There was a young man, who was a seasoned fisherman, he got up before down and with just one yawn, he went on his way to fish all day, he forged a head a new ways to learn, his greatest catch he would earn, he’d stay at it all day, for it was just like play, he strived to be his best, with his new fishing vest, for he doesn’t carry a graphite rod or reel, but a straight rod of steel, and a reel known to you and me about a man from Galilee. with a unseen light, which is truth and right he’ll to cast all great or small, For he doesn’t have a limit of 6, or 7, or 10 for behold, he is a fisherman of men!!
That poem was written by the famous Tyler Parrish when he was on his mission. I don’t know why the church hasn’t published that one yet but going back to last week, we all need to be fisherman of men, not just the missionaries or the bishops we all need to!! It is crazy to think how close the time is to when the Lord will come yet there is so much work that needs to be done. It’s not going to be easy to gather his sheep but I believe we can do it. We need to have faith that our Savior will help us. We just need to press forward with steadfastness in Christ, and love of god, and feast upon the words of Christ and endure to the end, and the lord promises us that we will have eternal life!!!
My scripture for the week is 2 Nephi 8:5 “My righteousness is near; my salvation is gone forth, and mine arm shall judge the people. The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust.”
I have been struggling way bad to the point where I can’t keep anything in my stomach. I am going to the doctors this week to see if I will be able to stay so please pray for me that everything will be alright!! I love you all!! I just want you all to know that if it doesn’t work out the way we want and the doctors can’t help me, know that I am serving our Father in Heaven as a representative of His son Jesus Christ. Wherever this journey takes me I will give all that I can give, serve all I can serve to his church and gospel. I was not called to serve in a place, but to serve in place of the Savior where ever I may be. I love you all!! Love you Rialeen!!
P.S. The day you give up, the day you quit is the day you will regret most of all. Live with joy, live with hope no storm can last forever!! The gospel is true!!!
Family, Sosa and Angel baptism
Brian's baptism
I went to the temple on Thursday!! coolest thing ever!!!
Haha it was so hard to say the stuff in Spanish took me like 10 minutes
Me eating a TWINKIE
Hostess Lives
This little guy is Joey, he's my bed buddy!! Sleeps right next to me and the Twinkies
The Party this weekend
My District
This is bbear when he is an old man
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
I wonder from the Lords perspective if we look like ants down here on earth
Hi everyone,
This past week has definitely been rough. I spend most of my time over on the toilet which sucked. I eventually just took my chair and scriptures into the bathroom and just stayed in there. Ha-ha! Yea it has definitely been rough. I was about ready to make a white flag out of toilet paper and wave it in surrender but I found enough strength to make it through another day. I have lost all the weight I gained in the MTC and some days I barely have the strength to do a pushup. I feel like I’m letting my companion down and the Lord so yea this week has definitely been rough.
When I was able to go out things were pretty good. We have been meeting with José and Lupita. They are both quite old but they are so funny. They don’t have any kids so they have no grandkids which is sad but when we go over there it’s like a 3 hour meeting because they just love to talk with us. Ha-ha! They also have 4 dogs which are unreal because they are so huge. When we first started meeting with them which was like my first day here they completely loved everything we had to say. They started reading the Book of Mormon and we also had them read Moroni 10:3-5. By our next visit they had already read through 1 Nephi. Ha-ha! There crazy I love them! So all our lesson go really good and we talk for a really long time until we came to the discussion on the word of wisdom. They have a problem with the word of wisdom because they are really fancy people and they drink wine with every meal. They don’t drink to get like drunk or anything they just drink because that’s what they have done all their lives. So these last couple of weeks we have been focusing on the word of wisdom with them and finally this past Wednesday they told us that they have stopped drinking wine and they are ready to be baptized. I was freaking pumped for them. Ha-ha! José come over and gave me rocks and Lupita gave me a great big hug so (yea mom and grandma I broke the rules, sorry!) We are really excited for them but the last hurdle is they haven’t been to church yet. We have invited them twice but they haven’t been so this week we are going to go pick them up and take them to church.
So I don’t know I’m kind of having a problem with my companion because we are only seeing the same people every week and only one or two are progressing and the others I feel like we are just needing to give them a break for a while because they don’t even listen to us but it has to be my companions way so what ever.
The other day we were teaching this family and there were ants just a scrambling around on the floor and as I watched them I started to think that we are a lot like ants. Ants work hard all day and all night carrying 8 times there body weight in order to build their ant house or what ever it’s called. And as I was watched these ants during our lesson I realized that we as missionaries and members of the church are like ants. We are all working together scrambling around trying to build the Lords kingdom here on earth. We all just need to pick it up a little more and do 8 times the amount of work that we are currently doing because the time is getting close, really close and we need to have everything perfect and ready to go for when the Lord comes.
I can’t remember what scripture is but it talks about how the earth is just a footstool or something like that for the lord. I wonder from the Lords perspective if we look like ants down here on earth scurrying around working hard together to build his kingdom?
When I contact people it makes me miss my family so much. Ha-ha! Because the only words I know how to say to people is if they love their family and want to be with them forever? The people down here love there families and that is our secret way into there homes. I just ask them do you love your family. And they always say yes so then I say would you like to know how you can be with them forever. And they say yes and then I say can we come in and share this message with you? It’s as easy as that!! Ha-ha! The only problem is they don’t want to come to church!!! Which is bad?
Freak worst thing happened to me besides almost dying. Well this might be even be worse. We were walking on the street and we past a dead animal on the side of the road and it had been dead for awhile and I couldn’t tell what it was, so I said to my companion I didn’t know you had deer down here in Mexico. He was like dud, that wasn’t a deer that was a horse.........................
Another cultural shocker that I’m struggling with is hair. Everyone down here is hairy, and most of the women have more hair on there legs then I do on my head. That’s probably one of the hardest things for me to do is concentrate on teaching a lesson when I’m looking at hairy legs and trying not to throw up.
I had so much written down to talk about from my studying but I don’t have my note book with me because my companion out of nowhere told me that we were going to write for some reason so sorry...
But Philippians 4:13 is a short but really good scripture. I wrote it on my tag. And then I think its Alma 5:27 if we were to die right this moment would we be ready to stand before Christ. I have way too much to do before I die!! When I read that scripture I was like oh dang I better pick it up because I got a long way to go!
<I love you all!! Rialeen keep fighting your my hero!!! Families are forever!!!!!!
This past week has definitely been rough. I spend most of my time over on the toilet which sucked. I eventually just took my chair and scriptures into the bathroom and just stayed in there. Ha-ha! Yea it has definitely been rough. I was about ready to make a white flag out of toilet paper and wave it in surrender but I found enough strength to make it through another day. I have lost all the weight I gained in the MTC and some days I barely have the strength to do a pushup. I feel like I’m letting my companion down and the Lord so yea this week has definitely been rough.
When I was able to go out things were pretty good. We have been meeting with José and Lupita. They are both quite old but they are so funny. They don’t have any kids so they have no grandkids which is sad but when we go over there it’s like a 3 hour meeting because they just love to talk with us. Ha-ha! They also have 4 dogs which are unreal because they are so huge. When we first started meeting with them which was like my first day here they completely loved everything we had to say. They started reading the Book of Mormon and we also had them read Moroni 10:3-5. By our next visit they had already read through 1 Nephi. Ha-ha! There crazy I love them! So all our lesson go really good and we talk for a really long time until we came to the discussion on the word of wisdom. They have a problem with the word of wisdom because they are really fancy people and they drink wine with every meal. They don’t drink to get like drunk or anything they just drink because that’s what they have done all their lives. So these last couple of weeks we have been focusing on the word of wisdom with them and finally this past Wednesday they told us that they have stopped drinking wine and they are ready to be baptized. I was freaking pumped for them. Ha-ha! José come over and gave me rocks and Lupita gave me a great big hug so (yea mom and grandma I broke the rules, sorry!) We are really excited for them but the last hurdle is they haven’t been to church yet. We have invited them twice but they haven’t been so this week we are going to go pick them up and take them to church.
So I don’t know I’m kind of having a problem with my companion because we are only seeing the same people every week and only one or two are progressing and the others I feel like we are just needing to give them a break for a while because they don’t even listen to us but it has to be my companions way so what ever.
The other day we were teaching this family and there were ants just a scrambling around on the floor and as I watched them I started to think that we are a lot like ants. Ants work hard all day and all night carrying 8 times there body weight in order to build their ant house or what ever it’s called. And as I was watched these ants during our lesson I realized that we as missionaries and members of the church are like ants. We are all working together scrambling around trying to build the Lords kingdom here on earth. We all just need to pick it up a little more and do 8 times the amount of work that we are currently doing because the time is getting close, really close and we need to have everything perfect and ready to go for when the Lord comes.
I can’t remember what scripture is but it talks about how the earth is just a footstool or something like that for the lord. I wonder from the Lords perspective if we look like ants down here on earth scurrying around working hard together to build his kingdom?
When I contact people it makes me miss my family so much. Ha-ha! Because the only words I know how to say to people is if they love their family and want to be with them forever? The people down here love there families and that is our secret way into there homes. I just ask them do you love your family. And they always say yes so then I say would you like to know how you can be with them forever. And they say yes and then I say can we come in and share this message with you? It’s as easy as that!! Ha-ha! The only problem is they don’t want to come to church!!! Which is bad?
Freak worst thing happened to me besides almost dying. Well this might be even be worse. We were walking on the street and we past a dead animal on the side of the road and it had been dead for awhile and I couldn’t tell what it was, so I said to my companion I didn’t know you had deer down here in Mexico. He was like dud, that wasn’t a deer that was a horse.........................
Another cultural shocker that I’m struggling with is hair. Everyone down here is hairy, and most of the women have more hair on there legs then I do on my head. That’s probably one of the hardest things for me to do is concentrate on teaching a lesson when I’m looking at hairy legs and trying not to throw up.
I had so much written down to talk about from my studying but I don’t have my note book with me because my companion out of nowhere told me that we were going to write for some reason so sorry...
But Philippians 4:13 is a short but really good scripture. I wrote it on my tag. And then I think its Alma 5:27 if we were to die right this moment would we be ready to stand before Christ. I have way too much to do before I die!! When I read that scripture I was like oh dang I better pick it up because I got a long way to go!
<I love you all!! Rialeen keep fighting your my hero!!! Families are forever!!!!!!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
The gospel is the greatest thing on this earth.
Hola Familia & Amigos
The three hardest things about this week are learning how to roll my tongue. I thought I was pretty good at it but apparently I’m not. Rolling your tongue has got to be the hardest thing to do in the world. The second hardest thing about this week was being able to sleep in my sweat. It is so hot down here and it never seems to cool down. It does; however, remind me what it was like to go swimming. The third worst thing about this week was finding Nemo. Yep, I found him and Dory and all their friends in the soup that I had to eat this week. So yea I would say that the third worst thing about this week was eating Nemo. No bueno!! No bueno!!!
Okay this week was also crazy. We started off Monday night by having family home evening with Hermana Candy family; it was really good because she is the only member in her family and we were able to have a discussion about the plan of salvation. It was really good for the rest of them to hear about it. We basically asked everyone in the room if they wanted to be with one another forever, and each one of them said of course!! Then we talked about how through the gospel of Jesus Christ and his atonement you will be able to be with one another forever. Then I gave my testimonio on how I know this is true and that this life is not the end and how we will be able to be together forever as long as you are baptized in the name of Jesus Cristo.
Tuesday was unreal!! We walked and walked all freaking day to teach an investigator. The investigators that we taught just seemed like they didn’t care and to me that is the most frustrating thing. I was teaching the first lesson to this lady and her to little kids, and then out of no where she just starts feeding her baby and then asking me all these questions about America. I was like lady; I’m in the middle of the most important part of my testimonio can’t this wait? I didn’t say that but I was sure thinking it. I also had my first baptism on Tuesday. It was the coolest thing ever!! Hermano Angel. ha-ha he thinks he is the biggest gangster but really he is like 5´6 and probably weighs 100 pounds. He was baptized by his older hermano, José and I was able to be one of the witnesses and when Angle came out of the water it was like he was glowing and you could see the light coming off of him!! Awe it was way cool. That night we went over to his house to talk and to see how he was doing and he couldn’t even talk because he was taken over by emotion from the spirit. I wish I could explain it better but it was a pretty sweet experience. Then his mom asked me for a blessing but of course I didn’t understand what she said so I just said “si” ha-ha and then they went and got this chair and then I started freaking out because my companion told me that I just agreed to give her a blessing but I was like no I didn’t but actually I did when I said “si” which of course means yes. Ha-ha! So I was freaking out but once I laid my hands on her head it all went away. I don’t know how I did it or how I new the words to say but it all just came out. It was the best thing ever!!!
The next night when we were walking our marathon back to our five star outhouse, my companion was on the phone talking to some one and we were walking past the church and there was this guy standing just starring at the church, so I said the only three words I know [qué tal hermano?] He then asked what church that was and why those people over there look so happy, and if we new anything about that church? Boom! The Lord really dropped this one in our lap. We ended up talking to Hermano Roberto for about an hour and then the next day we went to his house and invited him to church and he came on Sunday. He is so excited!!!
On Sunday my amigo Brian, (the kid is a freaking stud, he reminds me of Britton so much) was baptized. He is the coolest little kid ever. He is 9 years old and every time we go and visit with him he gets so excited and I’m pretty sure he knows more about the gospel than I do. Ha-ha! Every question that we ask he gives like a 10 minutes answer even when it’s a yes or no question.
Pretty much my whole life I have taken the gospel for granted. I have always had it and even when I didn’t really care for it and thought it was so boring, I don’t know what I was thinking. The gospel is the greatest thing on this earth. I can’t believe how it has changed people and their families just in the past two weeks. I really don’t know what I would do without this gospel. I am so grateful to have been born into this church and to have the best parents in the world. My brothers are all my heroes and I look up to all of them. Grandparents and uncles, aunts, cousins I love you all and can’t explain in words how grateful I am for each and everyone of you and for being good examples to me and keeping me on the straight and narrow path even when I was an annoying little guy. Thank you so much and I love you all!! Words can’t express how I feel about all of you!!! Rialeen I love you with all my heart and I am praying and fasting for you everyday. You’re the best superhero there ever was. I don’t have Tyler’s email but tell him that I finally found the surprise and that I need to give it back to him. Thanks for everything Ty!!
The day I stop, the day I give up, is the day I will regret most of all!! I love you all and I’m going to keep fighting!!!!
Para siempre dios este con vos.!!!!!
The three hardest things about this week are learning how to roll my tongue. I thought I was pretty good at it but apparently I’m not. Rolling your tongue has got to be the hardest thing to do in the world. The second hardest thing about this week was being able to sleep in my sweat. It is so hot down here and it never seems to cool down. It does; however, remind me what it was like to go swimming. The third worst thing about this week was finding Nemo. Yep, I found him and Dory and all their friends in the soup that I had to eat this week. So yea I would say that the third worst thing about this week was eating Nemo. No bueno!! No bueno!!!
Okay this week was also crazy. We started off Monday night by having family home evening with Hermana Candy family; it was really good because she is the only member in her family and we were able to have a discussion about the plan of salvation. It was really good for the rest of them to hear about it. We basically asked everyone in the room if they wanted to be with one another forever, and each one of them said of course!! Then we talked about how through the gospel of Jesus Christ and his atonement you will be able to be with one another forever. Then I gave my testimonio on how I know this is true and that this life is not the end and how we will be able to be together forever as long as you are baptized in the name of Jesus Cristo.
Tuesday was unreal!! We walked and walked all freaking day to teach an investigator. The investigators that we taught just seemed like they didn’t care and to me that is the most frustrating thing. I was teaching the first lesson to this lady and her to little kids, and then out of no where she just starts feeding her baby and then asking me all these questions about America. I was like lady; I’m in the middle of the most important part of my testimonio can’t this wait? I didn’t say that but I was sure thinking it. I also had my first baptism on Tuesday. It was the coolest thing ever!! Hermano Angel. ha-ha he thinks he is the biggest gangster but really he is like 5´6 and probably weighs 100 pounds. He was baptized by his older hermano, José and I was able to be one of the witnesses and when Angle came out of the water it was like he was glowing and you could see the light coming off of him!! Awe it was way cool. That night we went over to his house to talk and to see how he was doing and he couldn’t even talk because he was taken over by emotion from the spirit. I wish I could explain it better but it was a pretty sweet experience. Then his mom asked me for a blessing but of course I didn’t understand what she said so I just said “si” ha-ha and then they went and got this chair and then I started freaking out because my companion told me that I just agreed to give her a blessing but I was like no I didn’t but actually I did when I said “si” which of course means yes. Ha-ha! So I was freaking out but once I laid my hands on her head it all went away. I don’t know how I did it or how I new the words to say but it all just came out. It was the best thing ever!!!
The next night when we were walking our marathon back to our five star outhouse, my companion was on the phone talking to some one and we were walking past the church and there was this guy standing just starring at the church, so I said the only three words I know [qué tal hermano?] He then asked what church that was and why those people over there look so happy, and if we new anything about that church? Boom! The Lord really dropped this one in our lap. We ended up talking to Hermano Roberto for about an hour and then the next day we went to his house and invited him to church and he came on Sunday. He is so excited!!!
On Sunday my amigo Brian, (the kid is a freaking stud, he reminds me of Britton so much) was baptized. He is the coolest little kid ever. He is 9 years old and every time we go and visit with him he gets so excited and I’m pretty sure he knows more about the gospel than I do. Ha-ha! Every question that we ask he gives like a 10 minutes answer even when it’s a yes or no question.
Pretty much my whole life I have taken the gospel for granted. I have always had it and even when I didn’t really care for it and thought it was so boring, I don’t know what I was thinking. The gospel is the greatest thing on this earth. I can’t believe how it has changed people and their families just in the past two weeks. I really don’t know what I would do without this gospel. I am so grateful to have been born into this church and to have the best parents in the world. My brothers are all my heroes and I look up to all of them. Grandparents and uncles, aunts, cousins I love you all and can’t explain in words how grateful I am for each and everyone of you and for being good examples to me and keeping me on the straight and narrow path even when I was an annoying little guy. Thank you so much and I love you all!! Words can’t express how I feel about all of you!!! Rialeen I love you with all my heart and I am praying and fasting for you everyday. You’re the best superhero there ever was. I don’t have Tyler’s email but tell him that I finally found the surprise and that I need to give it back to him. Thanks for everything Ty!!
The day I stop, the day I give up, is the day I will regret most of all!! I love you all and I’m going to keep fighting!!!!
Para siempre dios este con vos.!!!!!
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
First Week in Mexico - 8/26/2013
Hola from Mexico,
Hmm okay this week has been crazy. So when we first arrived our Mission President was only expecting 4 missionaries but there where 9 of us instead so at the last minute he had to call 5 more trainers. The first day we didn’t do anything besides sit in the church. The first night in Mexico I was welcomed by 17 mosquito’s sucking my blood. It was not a good night. Presidente finally got everything figured out and my trainer is Elder Martinez, he is from Tampico, Mexico. He is really cool and we get along fine for the most part because I just keep my mouth shut. He knows a little English and he wants me to teach him more, so we only speak in English until its time to teach a lesson then we switch over to Spanish, which really screws me up, but whatever!!
The people here are freaking crazy!! I got in a taxi and honestly told myself that it was the end because they don’t know how to drive down here and there are no rules on the road! Haha! Yesterday we went to some random church and the preacher was just screaming Spanish or something because I didn’t understand what he was saying but he was just screaming at the people. At first I was laughing but then I started feeling bad cause the people that were there are completely lost. I just don’t know how they could believe in screaming. I just wish that I could talk to them about the true gospel and what it truly means to be happy. I couldn’t, all I could do is sit on the other side of the fence and listen to the preacher rant!!
So I asked Elder Martinez what we were going to do the second day that I was in our area and he said we are just going to walk a couple blocks and teach a few lessons. Ha so being the confident little cocky kid that I am I just laughed and said that’s it! Then I came to realize that each block is about 3 miles long. We ended up walking about 9 miles that day and yea I’m still tired from that day. Speaking of being tired, when I wake up in the morning I feel so much more tired than what I do during the day. Its like sleep makes me tired down here.
So Friday we woke up and while we were studying it started to rain and let me tell you what when it rains down here it RAINS!! The streets were flood within minutes and I thought that we would just wait until it cleared up, but no my companion said that we were going out. I was like yea right are you seeing this and he was like yea its fine and I was like no I’m not going out in this rain and then he gave me this big long talk about how he is the senior companion and how I need to listen to him. So we went out and made it down the street and he turn to me and said lets wait under this until the rain stops. In my head I was thinking like why didn’t we just stay in our house where it was dry and we could be studying, but no we had to walk half a mile and get completely wet and then wait another hour for it to clear up. I was so mad! And then last night the same thing happened. I told him that we should head home because a storm was coming and he said lets go teach this hermana before which wasn’t bad cause the lesson was really good but yea it started raining again and everything flooded. The taxis were all stopped in the middle of the road because they could move, so we walked 3 miles home in the rivers that were formed. Then when we got home my companion said we had to take our clothes to a member’s house to wash them. Again I thought OK it must be just down the street. Yea right it was like 6 miles away. So here we go again walking down the rivers in the street for another 6 miles. It was just awesome. I was so mad yesterday.
OK now for the good! Last night we taught Hermana Gorgia, and we taught her about the Book of Mormon and how if she reads it that she will know the truth. I talked about how God is our loving Heavenly Father and that Jesus Christo is his only begotten son and then I went on about how the Book of Mormon is the word of God. When I was all finished I promised her that if she read the book of Mormon and prayed with a sincere heart and really ask God if it was true that she would receive an answer!! Awe this is the best part when you can promise someone that if they do this they will know!! After I gave her 3 Nephi 11 to read. I love 3 Nephi. I have been studying it a lot because it happened somewhere here where I’m living. That’s just crazy stuff to think that Jesus was once here walking around with the Nephite’s.
Sorry I am out of time but I love you all!! Miss you like crazy! Church is true.
Sorry for the bad writing this Mexican keyboard is weird.
Love Elder Berry
Hmm okay this week has been crazy. So when we first arrived our Mission President was only expecting 4 missionaries but there where 9 of us instead so at the last minute he had to call 5 more trainers. The first day we didn’t do anything besides sit in the church. The first night in Mexico I was welcomed by 17 mosquito’s sucking my blood. It was not a good night. Presidente finally got everything figured out and my trainer is Elder Martinez, he is from Tampico, Mexico. He is really cool and we get along fine for the most part because I just keep my mouth shut. He knows a little English and he wants me to teach him more, so we only speak in English until its time to teach a lesson then we switch over to Spanish, which really screws me up, but whatever!!
The people here are freaking crazy!! I got in a taxi and honestly told myself that it was the end because they don’t know how to drive down here and there are no rules on the road! Haha! Yesterday we went to some random church and the preacher was just screaming Spanish or something because I didn’t understand what he was saying but he was just screaming at the people. At first I was laughing but then I started feeling bad cause the people that were there are completely lost. I just don’t know how they could believe in screaming. I just wish that I could talk to them about the true gospel and what it truly means to be happy. I couldn’t, all I could do is sit on the other side of the fence and listen to the preacher rant!!
So I asked Elder Martinez what we were going to do the second day that I was in our area and he said we are just going to walk a couple blocks and teach a few lessons. Ha so being the confident little cocky kid that I am I just laughed and said that’s it! Then I came to realize that each block is about 3 miles long. We ended up walking about 9 miles that day and yea I’m still tired from that day. Speaking of being tired, when I wake up in the morning I feel so much more tired than what I do during the day. Its like sleep makes me tired down here.
So Friday we woke up and while we were studying it started to rain and let me tell you what when it rains down here it RAINS!! The streets were flood within minutes and I thought that we would just wait until it cleared up, but no my companion said that we were going out. I was like yea right are you seeing this and he was like yea its fine and I was like no I’m not going out in this rain and then he gave me this big long talk about how he is the senior companion and how I need to listen to him. So we went out and made it down the street and he turn to me and said lets wait under this until the rain stops. In my head I was thinking like why didn’t we just stay in our house where it was dry and we could be studying, but no we had to walk half a mile and get completely wet and then wait another hour for it to clear up. I was so mad! And then last night the same thing happened. I told him that we should head home because a storm was coming and he said lets go teach this hermana before which wasn’t bad cause the lesson was really good but yea it started raining again and everything flooded. The taxis were all stopped in the middle of the road because they could move, so we walked 3 miles home in the rivers that were formed. Then when we got home my companion said we had to take our clothes to a member’s house to wash them. Again I thought OK it must be just down the street. Yea right it was like 6 miles away. So here we go again walking down the rivers in the street for another 6 miles. It was just awesome. I was so mad yesterday.
OK now for the good! Last night we taught Hermana Gorgia, and we taught her about the Book of Mormon and how if she reads it that she will know the truth. I talked about how God is our loving Heavenly Father and that Jesus Christo is his only begotten son and then I went on about how the Book of Mormon is the word of God. When I was all finished I promised her that if she read the book of Mormon and prayed with a sincere heart and really ask God if it was true that she would receive an answer!! Awe this is the best part when you can promise someone that if they do this they will know!! After I gave her 3 Nephi 11 to read. I love 3 Nephi. I have been studying it a lot because it happened somewhere here where I’m living. That’s just crazy stuff to think that Jesus was once here walking around with the Nephite’s.
Sorry I am out of time but I love you all!! Miss you like crazy! Church is true.
Sorry for the bad writing this Mexican keyboard is weird.
Love Elder Berry
Elder Parduhn, Brody and Elder S
Friday, August 23, 2013
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