Trial of Faith and Climbing Mountains

What’s happening with you all? Well, I hope things are going great and I would love to hear from you guys! Just remember that I am always here waiting :) I am soooo grateful for my amazing family! I love them so much! Alright let’s get down to business and explain what happened this week.

(I hope Sister Berry doesn't get mad—but I included the following paragraph from an email she sent me so that her letter to everyone else makes a bit more sense.)

First let me tell you that this week was rough. No one wanted to listen to us. We talked to literally everyone on the streets but no one wanted to talk to us or learn more. EVERY person we talked to was from some other church and most of them didn’t even accept a little passalong card. AND all our investigators dropped us. One girl didn’t even let us in her house she just told us that it was too hard to wake up early for church and she didn’t want us to visit anymore. One day was super hard and it was raining and no one wanted to talk to us and I just cried after every rejection. Oh it was so hard. It’s still hard. A day or two after that we visited a recent convert who told us that she was losing her faith and she didn’t want to go to church anymore. I lost it. I just cried and cried about her and about the whole week. How am I supposed to help people gain their faith when mine is being beaten down? Really these past weeks have tested my faith. Almost more than I think I can bear. I am learning so much, and I know I will be stronger because of it. Things will get better. But if not, I will continue to work hard and build my faith. 

This week was not the most fun, but I definitely learned a lot. I learned a lot about faith. I read a talk this week (that I can’t remember the name of right now, I think it was Holland’s “Bitter Cup and the Bloody Baptism” but I’m not sure) that talked about faith. It said that you really don’t know how strong your faith really is until it’s tested, until you have to hang on to it to stay alive. Well, my test was this week. I really REALLY had to think about what I believe and why I am here. I had to think about what I had been called here to

do. I know that faith is things HOPED for, and that we can’t always see the end result. We can’t always see God’s plan for us. But the thing is, I know that God DOES has a plan for each one of us. He can and will help us to become the best that we can be. I’m excited to change for the better and to use this next week to continue working hard. I love my Savior!! I know that He loves us! I am so grateful to be here and to be learning so much, even though it’s hard.

On the brighter side of things, we had an exchange with another set of missionaries, where you switch companions for a day. I was with Sister Sautter who has been in Brazil for only 3 months but is super happy and awesome. She's from AZ too! From Flagstaff and Buckeye. It was so great to be with her and to learn new things from her. I just love missionaries :)

And Pday today was awesome :) We climbed the mountain again but with the whole zone. I also slid down the mountain side on a bike trail. I didn’t do it last time so that was fun, but I got mud everywhere. I am so grateful for the beautiful earth that God made for us. Like I always say, "Heavenly Father did a good job."

I love you!

Sister Berry

Working Até o Pó

Well Hi!

This week has been pretty exciting! It goes by so fast and so slow at the same time. I can't even remember what happened this week. Well, first it’s been a bit hotter this week. Perfect weather to sit in the shade and soak up the day. It’s just that as a missionary we walk in the sun so it’s been hot, but it’s been good. Really it’s just been that sticky kind of humid that you can feel in the air. So that was fun for my life.

 A great thing that happened this week was our interviews with President Silcox. It was just an opportunity for him to talk to us individually and get to know us. He told me something awesome that I really loved. He said as a Stake President he 'disobligated' (is that a word? Well it’s the word they use in Portuguese so it should make a little sense) almost 500 missionaries that completed their missions. And something that he told every one of them was that God never forgets the work that we do here. He will always remember and bless us for dedicating 18 months or 2 years of our lives to His work. That was something that I really needed to hear this week and remember.

Like the subject line says, we have been working and walking até o pó-- which means 'a whole lot' if I haven’t explained that before. It’s been hard to find people at home or people that are willing to listen to us. I have really needed diligence this week. I just want to be more like Jesus. I want to be kind, loving, hardworking, patient, and obedient. And day by day I have been getting better and better. Beth thank you so much for the letter with the picture of Jesus pondering. It has reminded me what I am here to do. I am here to help other people find happiness and joy in the true and restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I will work hard until the very end. :

Thanks for listening!

Until next week

Sister Berry

Soak It Up

Howdy all,

Well things are going fantastic here in Boa Vista :) I have finally been able to get to work this week! We have been walking 'até o pó', as they say here in Brazil. Its means a whole lot!! We've been walking and talking with everyone. We've been just trying to talk to everyone to tell them about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Oh, but first, my new companion! Her name is Sister Freitas da Silva (there was already a Freitas, Silva, da silva, and it’s just easier this way) and she's been out for 3 months! She is just adorable and I love her already! She's from João Pessoa which is in the northeastern part of Brasil. Another "Nordestina" as they say. Like I said, she is just great and we are having a good time together so far. She's also an only child, and turned 19 just before leaving on the mission. She is super nice to me, but tells me that I need to study Portuguese -___- So I’ve been trying to study a little more so I can be more confident with the language. We are going to do amazing things here!!

BTW Congrats to Jacob Wagher for leaving on his mission this next week! I know he is going to do amazing things in the Dominican Republic! Missions are great!!

What was AMAZING this week was my packages!! Thank you so much Ivan and Nichole!! And thank you Beth and Kelley and Family! The slippers are perfect and I’m wearing the shoes you sent right now. THANK YOU! And I loved the picture book and strawberry jam (thanks Ma). Oh my goodness you have no idea how happy that book made me. Thank you so much! I can’t even say it enough. I love you so much! Do you know how much I love you all? I don’t think so ;) Thanks for the love.

So I love being a missionary, but sometimes I forget. It’s really easy to forget when you get home at night dead tired and just want to sleep. So this week I’ve been trying to remember, to remind myself that I LOVE being a missionary here in Brazil. I love Brazil! It is so amazing all the things that I have been able to see and do here. And I want to make sure that I make the most of these 18 months. I want to make the most of every single day out here. So my goal for this next week is to soak up, cherish, and savor every day and every single moment. Maybe it sounds a little weird, but its what’s going to happen. I love my Heavenly Father, and I know He loves me. I know that I am here for a reason, and that I need to learn something here. I’m ready for the challenges! Bring it on!

So I guess I’m just here to remind you that you can do hard things. Let’s triumph together! It’s never easy, but in His strength we can do all things! Thank you so much for you love and support. Make sure to make the most of every day.

Some great quotes from "Grandma's Classroom Door"

Yesterday you said tomorrow.
Pray like it all depends on God, and then work like it all depends on you.

I love you all!!!

com amor, Sister Berry

New Beginnings

E aí?

How’s it going? I hope everything is great with you all. I love all your emails!! Thank you so much for thinking of me. You have no idea the difference it makes in my week and how happy it makes me. Thank you!

This week was a lot better, but still super slow. My companion was able to take off her little cast but hasn't been able to walk much, which is really a bummer when walking is your life. But we were able to visit some people who lived closer to home which was great. I love missionary work! I am so excited to get back up and running again! And I am still reading a lot which is good too. And with these cold days it is amazing to be able to drink some amazing hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is good for the soul.

 A lot of great things happened this week and I can't even remember them all. Basically, I LOVE this ward and all the people here. I am so thankful for all that they do to help the missionaries. We had a great Family Home evening with some recent converts and just had a great time together. We ate some delicious cake and a dessert made of corn called Canjica that I love.

We also had our Welcome Conference with our new President and his wife. They are so amazing and I know they are going to do a great job. Sister Silcox is still learning Portuguese so it was awesome to hear from here. Also, President Silcox Served in Tucson, Arizona for 5 months before coming to Brazil! Yay Arizona! 

Something the President asked us to do to prepare for the meeting was read and study 3 Nephi 5:13, which reads something like: "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among the people, that they may have eternal life." I was able to study what it means to be a true disciple of Christ, which we all need to be. Thanks to some awesome talks that Aunt Beth sent me and general conference I was able to learn a great deal. Being a disciple of Christ means following Christ and doing all that He has asked us to do. The path of discipleship is the only way to be truly happy. I am so happy that I am a part of the Church of Jesus Christ! The same exact church that Jesus Christ established when He was on the earth. What a privilege that is! I am going to try harder to be a true disciple of Christ, to think of Him in 'every thought,' to be more Christlike, to serve and love others. I am going to be better! Yay for new beginnings!

Alright, until next time :)

Sister Berry