Mission Tips for Brazil (São Paulo East Mission)

So I have been home almost 2 months now, and it has been great to be with my family and share all my experiences with those who I love the most. Now I would like to share what I learned and what was useful to me on my mission.

How to Prepare/ What to Bring

1. Study Preach My Gospel!! Read chapter 3 especially because that is what you will be teaching every single day. Get to know the lessons before the MTC and you won’t be so stressed out. Study the scriptures as much as you can before you leave because even as a missionary you don't have the time to study and learn all that you want to. I wished I had studied more of PMG and the scriptures before my mission.
2. Study the language. When I opened my call to a portuguese speaking mission I was shocked. I knew it would be very hard to learn another language, so I started studying early. I used Duolingo, Pimsleur and I was lucky to have a member in my ward who had served in Brazil years earlier as a tutor. I wasn’t fluent when I entered the MTC but I was way more prepared because I had already studied the basics. The language was one less thing I had to stress about in the MTC. And believe me, the MTC can be stressful—learning a new language in 6 weeks, not being able to understand what anyone is saying fully, trying to adjust to all the rules, to being away from family, culture shock and whatever else might be happening in your life. So doing that really helped me to take more out of my MTC experience. So try and study whatever you can in the language.
3. Memorize D&C 4 and the first vision before the MTC. Like I said, one less thing to stress about in the MTC.
4. Pray for confirmation that your call came from God. Heavenly Father answers our prayers and He will tell you that what you are doing is right. I know that my mission is the best mission in the world–for me. You might think a different mission is the best, but it is wherever you are called. I know that we are called to a place for a reason. You have someone to teach in that area or you have something to learn. The plan of God is amazing and perfect.
5. Bring hangers! Some people say you don’t need to because missionaries leave them at the houses, well that is a lie. I hardly ever found hangers in my houses and I was glad that I had brought some with me. Just the skinny metal ones will work.
6. Shoes are way more important than clothes!! Especially in Brazil, it is hard to find good shoes that will last more than a month with all the walking that missionaries do. I brought 5 pairs of cheap (20-30 bucks) walking shoes with me and I had walked right through 3 of them by the end. My favorite shoes that lasted my entire mission (I alternated shoes a lot too, that helps) I bought at Ross for 20 dollars. And I almost didn't bring them because I thought they were ugly. But I am so glad that I brought them. You really never know what shoes will last until you walk a lot in them, so bring a lot of different shoes, unless you already have walked a lot in them.
7. Don't bring anything you really want to keep, and don’t bring too much stuff. You go on a mission with one thing and come home with another. You will get sick of your clothes, you will leave them at missionary houses or give them away. I also bought a lot of clothes on my mission. So if you want something for when you come back from your mission, leave it at home. You will come back with souvenirs and new clothes to spare.
8. Bring your own music player. I bought a little pitt bull speaker that has 4 gigs on it and it was great. I put music and conference talks during my mission as well. No one has cd players and everyone puts music on thumb drives. I love music and it was perfect to listen to good, uplifting efy music on the hard days.
9. Bring stain remover. Really helpful when accidents happen. The instant tide stick is good and then the spray for home washing.
10. If you like the deodorant you use here, then bring extra. Deodorant in Brazil is very different, mostly people use spray kind. They do have pads and tampons (less common) so don't worry about bringing an 18 months supply. They also have regular Toothpaste and shampoo brands, don’t need to stress.
11. Bring lots of sunscreen! And lots of bug spray! You will not be sad to have an abundance of these two items.
12. Bring scripture markers, colored pencils or markers and pens. They come in super handy with all the studying missionaries do.
13. Bring the little, yet important, stuff, such as: tape, duct tape (they didn't have any in Sao paulo and I wish I had had some), super glue, good scissors, small sewing kit, small stapler, hole puncher and hand sanitizer. I had to buy some of these things on the mission but they all came in handy when I needed them.
14. Buy a waterproof bag/backpack. Super important! It rains a lot in Sao paulo and unless you want all your scriptures ruined, waterproof is the way to go.
15. Bring some American sweets with you. My mom had sent me a package in the Provo MTC full of good snacks that I took with me to Brazil and they lasted me more than half of my mission. Peanuts, almonds, banana chips, jam, beef jerky, skittles, peanut butter and redvines are almost impossible to come by in Brazil. So bring yourself a little something to cheer you up on the hard days.
16. Bring pictures of your family, including Jesus Christ. Bring the pictures and the quotes that you love to decorate your study space. It's small but makes a big difference.
17. Bring thank you cards, post it notes (big and small, like the tabs), and paper to write letters home. It always came in handy to have a little notepad or thank you card on hand to give to a member or investigator.
18. Again—study the gospel!! Gain and strengthen your testimony BEFORE you leave. Study the Book of Mormon, the Bible, and Preach my Gospel. The activities in PMG are really good and help you to learn a lot. Study the nourishing word of God as much as you can!

The Last Email

This week was really great. Lots of work, lots of walking in the sun, but also lots of smiles. I am so grateful to be a missionary! I am also greatful for my amazing companion! She is a great example to me; hard working, patient, diligent and obedient. We are working hard here in Vila Mariana. I am super tired but it is going great. 

We have some great people that we are teaching. One is a young man named Luis. He is studying at a university here and wants to learn more about what we believe. He grew up in the Baptist church so its been super interesting teaching him. He asks a lot of questions which is great. We have just been bearing our testimonies that we KNOW that this is true and that he just has to pray and ask God to know for himself. He says he is praying but that he hasn't received an answer yet. We are praying hard for him that he can have an open heart to actually receive the answer from God. We taught the plan of Salvation to him this week and something that he said really made me think. We got to talking about how God gives us second chances, even in the spirit world after this life on earth. He said it didnt make sense because it is obvious that people would want to accept Jesus Christ when given the chance, so it would be like taking away their free agency. But we explained that we as missionaries talk to tons of people every single day, inviting everyone to learn more about Jesus Christ to become closer to Him. And how many people reject this simple message? So many people reject the very thing that could solve every problem in their lives. It really doesnt make sense to me either that people would reject this wonderful message, but it happens.

I want to do what the Lord wants me to do; I dont want to do this alone, yet so many people do just that- reject help from a loving Heavenly Father and demand to walk alone, without light and without hope. I am so grateful for this amazing gospel in my life! I know who I am and where I want to go! I just love that. 

Another experience, Brazil is going a little crazy with the government and a lot of things are happening here. Lots of people are worried about what will happen here, and if things will turn out all right. We talked to a guy on the street one day this week and started teaching him about prayer and of course he perceived our accents and started asking about where we were from. He looked at me and asked "What craziness brought you here to Brazil?" oh how I love that question! I am here because I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints is true and is led by a prophet of God. I know that the message that I am called to bear is true, and it can change your life. I know that we can find true happiness through obedience to the gospel. Its amazing and I love it. 

Other news real quick: I went on an exchange with Sister Gines, from Las Vegas. It was great to talk a little about good ole´ America, and I learned a lot from her too. 

I have been thinking a lot about General Conference and how amazing it was. I want to be a better person and conference helps me to see what areas that I really need to focus on. I absolutely LOVED the first song during womens Conference- I am a child of God and As a have loved you Medley. Oh my goodness it is beautiful. I pretty much cry every time I hear it. I know that Heavenly Father loves me! I know that He loves ALL of us. We all have so many faults, we all make so many mistakes, but He still loves us. And because He loves us, what does He ask us to do? He asks us to love one another. He asks us to love people even though they make mistakes, even though they hurt us or others, even though we are not perfect. That is what I want to do. I want to love everyone to show how much God loves us. I am still not perfect, but through prayer and with the help of my Savior, I can become a little better day by day. 

Thank you so much for the support and prayers this last year and a half! It has been perfect! 

Love ya and have a great week!

Sister Berry

Soak Up My Time Here

Hello everyone!

This week was a little crazy, full of a lot of things to do, but it ended perfectly with general conference. 

First off, we are teaching some great people in our area. Its a little hard to do contacts on the street because almost no one lives in our area, they just work here. We are working a lot with references from the members here which is great. I feel a lot more comfortable in the zone now. I got to talk to all the sisters in the zone during conference which was great. I love missionaries!

During conference i got to thinking about all the things that I am going to miss about Brazil. I love Brazil! I am really going to miss speaking portuguese. I love Portuguese so much and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn such a beautiful language. i am going to miss so many other things too. But for now I am just going to soak up my time here. I am so happy, sad, excited, scared, and anxious all at the same time. Its a great feeling doing the work of the Lord. 

Sorry, my thoughts are all over the place today. Next week I will do better i promise. 

with love, 

Sister Berry

Easter Happiness

Hello everyone,

This week has been tiring, but amazing. First, last tuesday, we had the amazing opportunity to go to the São Paulo temple with the mission! I love the temple so much. It truly is the house of the Lord; a place where we can feel peace and His love more strongly. Even more amazing, we stayed to pass through with the first convert of my companion, Sister Arzola! In Sister Arzola's first area on the mission she taught a man, who got baptized and now, one year later went to the temple with his wife to be married and sealed together for time and all eternity. It was a privilege to be there at such a special moment in their lives. Even more awesome was that they performed the ceremony in Spanish! The family is from Chile so they decided to be married in their native language. I was able to understand almost everything. Maybe not specific words, but the idea, kinda like when I first arrived here in Brazil. It was beautiful and I loved being a part of it. 

Well this week was Easter! I absolutely loved sharing messages with everyone about our Savior Jesus Christ. We watched many times the video from mormon.org, #Hallelujah- an Easter message. I love it so much! I love my Savior. I am so grateful for the opportunity to start again and again. Even though I make mistakes, God still loves me, and He will help me to become more like His Son. I have found new life in Jesus Christ. He has healed me, and will continue to do so as long as I have sorrow or pain in life. I love Him and He loves me! Make sure to check out that video.

It was a little difficult this weekend to find people at home because of the Easter Holiday. Here, Good Friday or Sexta Feira da Paixão, is bigger than Easter Sunday, so lots of people were out of town or didnt want to let us in because they had visitors. We were still able to talk to some people and visit members. Sister Arzola is great and loves to work. I was questioning a bit this week, wondering why am I here in Vila Mariana when the transfer is only 5 weeks long. What can I do here in 5 weeks that I couldnt have done in Itaim or in some other area? What am I doing here and what do I need to learn? I still dont know the answers, but I want to work my hardest. I know that Heavenly Father will answer my prayers, in His time. 

Something awesome about this week- I ate deviled eggs! I had forgotten that they even existed until a member served them at lunch on friday. It is totally uncommon here in Brazil and the member didnt even know it was an Easter thing until I mentioned it. Pretty awesome. So yeah, its all about the little things. :)

Thanks for all the love! And watch General Conference next week! Messages directly from God given through His prophets and apostles! I am soooooo excited!

Com muito amor, Sister Berry <3

City Lights Look Like Stars

Olá,

This week was crazy! So many things have changed. My new area is super different than any place I have ever been.There are a lot of high class people here, but also from the lower class too. So far I have been feeling super out of place, but I know it just takes some time to adjust. I miss my old area a lot actually, and all the people that I love. Sister Arzola has been introducing me to the members so little by little it has been getting better. Sister Arzola is super amazing and is a super hard worker, I am loving it! I just feel a little bad for her now because I dont know anything about the area most of the time she is just doing everything. I am trying to learn as fast as I can. I know that it will all turn out great. 

This area is so beautiful! There are lots of apartment buildings (that also provide shade), and lots of trees too. There is a super big park that is part of our area too that I am excited to visit. The only drawback of the city is that everything is super expensive, especially the açai. so that is a little sad for my life. We also have a great view from our apartment, 16 stories up. At night the city nights really looks like stars. The apartment is super tiny but the view makes up for it. I love it. 

I talked to a returned missionary who served in London England in english and it was super hilarious. Imagine a brazilian with an english accent! Awesome!

Well, this transfer I really want to focus on loving everything. The people, the area, the language, the mission, and being a missionary here in Sao paulo. I know I can do hard things!

I am also super excited for Easter! I am so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that He died for me and for all of us. I know that He lives! I know that He guides this church through living prophets today. 

Have a fantastic week!!

Love, Sister Berry

Look for Little Miracles

So this has been a great week! Sister Pinheiro and I were able to work hard and help a lot of people. But, tomorrow is transfer day, and I am getting transfered! I am finally leaving Itaim after almost 8 months here. It was super hard to say good bye to all the members and people here that I love so much. It was strange because it really felt like I was leaving home. I already felt like I was a part of the ward. That is why I am super excited to be here with Sister Arzola (from Argentina) in Vila Mariana, the center of Sao Paulo. It is going to be super different but I am excited to get to work.

 So a little more about my week: I gave another talk in sacrament meeting yesterday. The members were probably sick of seeing my face, but the bishop wanted to me say a goodbye of sorts. I decided to talk about something that I learned a lot about on the mission: sacrifice. Today God asks us to offer as a sacrifice a broken heart and a contrite spirit. As a missionary, I have been learning how to give everything to the Lord and this work. I have learned how to give up all my wants and dreams for a year and a half and just do His work. And actually, my mission is almost ending. I cannot believe how fast time flies. It still feels like I will be a missionary forever. Lets keep it that way.

Yesterday was also amazing because of Fran and her family. I love them so much. I wish I could stay in Itaim just to stay with them to get to know them even better. I am so happy for Fran that she was able to find the church again and is helping her children to grow in the gospel. God is good.

Yup. I am going to miss so many people but I am excited for this new beginning. This next transfer is going to be absolutely amazing! I know that God loves me. I can feel His love for me every single day, even when I make mistakes. Its all about the little things. For example, Sister Pinheiro has the habit of talking about food all the time (she's tiny but she eats a lot!) and its crazy how she talks about some kind of food that she wants and that day or the next someone offers us that kind of food. Its awesome! One day she asked me what I wanted to eat, and that day I just wanted 'natural juice', juice made from the fruit itself, super delicious and refreshing. I thought of mango or guava (more common), but then we got to talking about suco de acerola and how it has been forever since we have had it and its one of my favorites. We forgot about it and went to lunch. After we had finished eating lunch with a sister in the ward we were just sitting and talking a bit, and out of nowhere she asked us if we liked suco de acerola. Like wait, what? I could not believe it and I just started laughing. Sister Pinheiro pointed out that God really loves us, and I agreed. So we drank delicious suco de acerola and were happy. :)

Make sure to look for the little miracles every day. Your Heavenly Father loves you more than you can imagine! He is always there to help you!

love ya!

Sister Berry

I Love Being a Missionary

Olá!

I cannot believe that it is March already! This year has been going by so fast! I now have 1 year and 4 months as a missionary! Crazy!

This week has been great; Sister Pinheiro and I have finally gotten into the swing of things and are working hard and great together. We have met some wonderful families these past few weeks that we have been visiting and helping a lot. First was Ana, who got baptized yesterday! She has been faced with a lot of persecution from her family but she was determined to be baptized. I am so grateful for the members here who have helped us out so much and have been visiting her. We also have been visiting a great family that I have grown to love. Fran is coming back to church after many years out of it and is bringing here whole family with her. She is not legally married to her husband yet, so we are helping them with that. They have 5 kids that are just adorable! The two oldest are old enough to get baptized so we are teaching them more about that. Fran has a really great desire to relearn and remember all that she once knew, and really wants her children on the right path. Her husbund is a little more closed to things with religion, but we are helping him little by little.

I love being a missionary! Every day I have a greater desire to work and talk to everyone about the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am really learning how to be patient. Heavenly Father has shown me so many of my weaknesses. I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the strength that He has given me. I know that we can do hard things. Trust in Him and everything will be alright. :)

love, Sister Berry

Hey Hey Hey

 What a great week! We were able to work a lot this week and we saw the results. We have been receiving a lot of references lately and it is going fantastic. We are now teaching some good, solid people and i am excited to see where they will go from here. 

We met with an awesome family this week! The mother is actually coming back to church after being less active for more than 10 years. She is married and has 5 kids now and they are all great! Just that the dad doesn't really want anything to do with the church for now, but we will continue visiting with them and help some of her oldest children prepare for baptism.

Sao paulo is super weird. It is scorching hot in the morning and then in the afternoon its cold and it rains. Except this week it hailed one day. It hailed! It was super hot and then it hailed in the afternoon. Crazy. It was funny too because it was the first time that my comp saw hail and she freaked out a little bit haha. I guess it never hails in the northern part of Brazil. My comp also likes to pick strange fruit off of trees on the street and make me eat them. She says that she knows what kind of fruit it is, but it never really works out good. So far I havent died, so everything is fine. 

I wanted to thank my parents for all that they do for me and for my siblings. I have heard so many people here say that after having one kid they don't want anymore or that they could have done so much more in life if they didn't have any kids. But I know that having a family is an essential part of the plan of happiness. I am so grateful for my family, and I know that my parents and so many others, have given all that they have for their children. Thank you for all the love and support!

This week was also great because of Ana and Pat, who came to church this Sunday. Their family life is a little complicated because of their brothers who have problems with drinking and doing drugs. These two women really want to change their lives and feel more peace at home. I know that they can find it in the gospel.
 love Sister Berry 

A Mission Isn't Easy

Oi,

This has been a crazy week, full of ups and downs as always. I just want to say how happy I am to be a missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am grateful to have a strong testimony that this is the only true and living church on the earth today. Jesus Christ leads this church through prophets and apostles today! Heavenly Father always answers our prayers and He is always listening. 

So this week was a lot of walking. We have received a lot of references recently from members (which is awesome!) but they all live in a neighborhood super far away. So, we walked a lot. We have found some good people but it has been difficult to get these people to come to church. I am hoping that things will get better because "summer break" has ended so more people will be at home now. Sister Pinheiro has some good ideas for us to have more success here in the area, and we are working at putting them all in place.

 

This week we had an amazing conference with President Silcox and the assistants. I am so grateful for our President, he really is inspired. He talked about being exactly obedient and doing God's will. When we do what God wants us to do, we are happy and we are blessed. When we do only what we want to do, we are sad, frustrated, and cannot receive all the blessings that God wants to give us. They also talked about love. We are nothing without the pure love of Christ in our hearts. I want to love everyone. I want everyone to feel Gods love. So after the conference I felt revigorated and reminded that God trusts in me to teach His children here in this area. He trusts in me and He will give me the help i need to do His work.

A mission isn't easy. Life isn't easy. I have become aware of so many of my weaknesses. I have so much that I need to do better. This week especially God has shown me some of my weaknesses. But now I am grateful for this opportunity to become better, to overcome my weaknesses and turn them into strengths. 

Sorry I dont have any experiences to share. The week goes by so fast and when pday comes I cant remember anything that happened. Next week will be better, I promise. 

With love, Sister Berry

Six Sisters in One House

Olá!

Another week gone by! What a crazy week! I think I forgot to mention last week, but there are now two other missionaries living in our house. That equals 6 sisters in one house. The house is big, but there is only one bathroom. I thought it would be crazy, but it has been working out pretty well. Who knew that hard things were possible? ;) The other sisters are great too. One from Manaus, another from Ecuador, and another from México (wooo hooo I am going to make some mexican food!). I love missionaries!

Things are going great with Sister Pinheiro and I. She is super fun and always makes me laugh. We are ready to work hard this transfer and see some miracles. Something that she and I have started doing is saying Bom dia or Boa tarde or noite to everyone on the street that passes by. People give us weird looks sometimes, but it is pretty awesome. It actually makes me a little happy when I look for people to say Bom dia to. Something small and simple that really makes a difference.

So this weekend is Carnaval- a huge party here in Brazil. But holidays here are some of the worst days for missionaries because everyone here goes to the beach or travels to visit Family. So Sunday at church was a little sad because we had some good people that said they would come to church that didnt show up. So this week we have to work even harder and next Sunday will be a lot better.

Exciting news: i ate a part of a pigs foot! For lunch on Sunday a member made Fejoada, with every part of the pig that you can imagine. A lot of the times people dont add the ears or the tail, just meat and sausage, but sometimes people put it all. So I started eating and then as the member was serving herself she puts a pig foot on her plate along with the rice and beans. Say what?! She offered me a little bit and of course I accepted. Nothing special, but I dont think i need to eat it again. I love Brazil!

So this morning I read a talk in the Liahona from Elder Oaks. He talked about how we can find joy in the  gospel. Members of the church should be the happiest people on Earth. Lately I have been struggling a little with that. So Elder Oaks invites all of us to search for the happiness that comes from obedience and keeping the commandments that God gives us. I know God loves me, and I know that He wants me to be happy. So lets be happy. May we choose to be happy today, tomorrow and forever because God is on our side, and we cannot fail. I love you all and I am so very grateful for all your prayers and support.

With love, Sister Berry

Week as a Trio

Well, we survived our week as a trio! Woo hoo! It actually went really well and I love these two sisters. They are complete opposites but are both adorable because they are both 'greenie' missionaries. It was great to see their light shine this week. We were able to work hard and find some new people to teach, but no one new came to church! Church is the most important and at times the most difficult for the people here that don't like to get up early or dont have a car. We are working hard and trusting in the Lord all the same. 

This week I also had to go to the police station or someplace like that to renew my visa for the year. It was only awesome because I got to talk to some new Elders that had just arrived in Brazil. It was hard to speak only English but I think they understood. They wanted to know about the food and if anything was super gross here. Good thing about Brazil is that everything is delicious! Rice, beans and meat. Yum!

I also made some awesome pancakes this week! Strawberries, bananas and maple syrup equals perfection on top of a pancake. They were not the best ever, but I am going to work on perfecting them a bit. 

Oh, Transfers! This week is transfers and sadly Sister Allred will be leaving tomorrow for a new area. But she is going to be companions with an amazing Brazilian Sister that I know will be perfect. I will be staying here with Sister Pinheiro. One more transfer here in Itaim Paulista. Its a long time, but I know that there are still people waiting for the gospel in this area, and they are waiting for me. 

I know that God answers our prayers, and I believe in miracles. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary here in Brazil. I love this gospel and my testimony grows every single day that I do the work of the Lord. Remember to serve others and look for the little miracles in your life. 

Com amor, Sister Berry

By My Side

So this week went by super fast, as always. I'm not even sure what happened this week. The only thing I can remember for now is that Saturday we received a new companion! Now we are in a trio! And thats only part of it. The sister that we are with now will actually be leaving for another area today and we will be receiving another Sister to stay with us ( Sister Allred and I) for the rest of the transfer. So last week during our weekly planning session, Sister Allred and I decided to make a goal of having 'the best week ever' this week. And that is exactly what we are going to do! 

Super exciting thing that happened this week was a worldwide devotional from members of the quorum of the twelve and other general authorities of the church. I am so happy to be a missionary in this day and age! We we able to be inspired and reminded why we are here. I am here to help people to come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. I am not alone in this work. Jesus Christ is by my side every step of the way. Its amazing because every single day I can feel my heart full of joy and gratitude for this church. That we have living prophets on the earth today! We are not alone! We have so many people here to help us on our path back to our heavenly home. 

Sorry that I dont have much experiences to share from this week. I'll make sure to share some next week. We see little miracles every day out here. 

With love,

Sister Berry

The Rainy Season

This week was great! It rained a lot but we were able to work in spite of it. The rain here really is something else. We also discovered that last week the Lord really watched over us. Remember how I talked about the day when we didnt have anything to do and my comp felt like going to a certain area and we stayed at the house of a less active until the rain passed. Well, that rain was a lot more serious than it appeared. This week we heard about other places in our area that flooded completely and destroyed people's houses and many belongings of lots of people. The Lord led us to areas of higher ground so we didnt even realize what was happening. It is amazing to me how God protects us! 

Also this week we have been trying to trust more in the Lord and ask Him where we need to go to find people to teach. After lots of pondering and prayer we chose some streets to go to this week and found some amazing people to teach. We were walking from door to door on one street, and when we got to one, a lady answered. I just said "We are missionaries-" and then she said "wait a minute" and came out with a key to the gate and let us in. :) She then told us how she has been having problems in the church that she and her husbund go to and that she had been fasting to find out when she needed to do. Then we showed up at her door! I love miracles! She accepted to read and pray about our message and the Book of Mormon, so now its all up to her. We are here to help people come unto Christ and become a part of His church, we dont force people to do anything. My comp and I are praying that she can have the desire to know the truth so she can receive an answer. We did the same thing the next day and found another lady who was willing to listen to our message. I love being a missionary! 

The sad news about this week was the rainy, chilly weather. This weather coupled with summer break equals everyone sleeping or out of the house. So that was a little rough, but I know that we can do hard things and that it will all work out. 

Finally, the Bishop asked me and Sister Allred to give talks in Sacrament meeting on Sunday. Luckily we had a couple days to prepare. Sister Allred gave an amazing talk, especially because she's only been in Brazil 3 months. She talked about three basic things that we always need to do to build our testimony. Pray, read the scriptures and go to church. Simple, easy, just do it.

I gave a talk about testimony and conversion, that we need to be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, not just have a testimony. We need to want to be more like Jesus Christ, and that involves a lot of change and a lot of sacrifice. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is truly another testament of Jesus Christ. And because I know that the Book of Mormon is true, I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called of God, and that we have a living prophet today. I love this Church. I know that Jesus Christ leads this church through the prophet and apostles. And because I know this, I live differently. This gospel is amazing. Let it change your life for the better. 

Love, Sister Berry

Look for the Little Miracles

This week was a great week full of hard work, little miracles, but a little bit of tears too. Being a missionary is hard. No one said it would be easy, and every day I am a witness to that. But I know that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that we have a living Prophet who leads the church today by revelation from God. It is truly amazing!

So an exciting thing this week was a missionary homecoming. We have been teaching this Family for a long time, ever since I arrived in the área, and I love them. I have been able to see the return of some less active members, a baptism, and we are helping Nilta to be baptized this month. So the past 5 months everyone has been talking about this missionary and he finally finished his mission and is home safe. We stopped by his little coming home party and it was soooo strange to see him. He still looked like a missionary, and I could tell that he still felt like a missionary and didnt know what to do in a house full of people ( his Family) that he hadnt seen in two years. He told us that his mission was really the best two years of his life. It is hard, but it is worth it. Seeing that made me just a little less excited to come home, because I know that it is going to be strange, just like it was strange for him. I love my Family, but for now I am so grateful to be here in Brazil sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Another little miracle, one day this week was especially rough. It was right after lunch and the two good appointments that we had for the day had called to cancel so we had nothing to do. We sat down to pray and decide what we were going to do with our day. I was ready to give up and just go home and cry, but my comp said she felt good about doing contacts in a particular área. So we walked and talked to some good people, and ended up finding ourselves on a street of a less active that we had tried to visit before but never did. We decided to stop there for a bit to talk with her, also because it was starting to rain. Not five minutes after entering the less active's house, a huge storm started. We were able to stay safe and dry until the storm passed. Before that, I wanted to give up and just cry because things hadnt gone the way that I had planned, but God had other plans in mind. He knows what we need to do and He is watching over us. I am so grateful for His love and support.

Make sure to look for the little miracles in you life. They are always there!

love Sister Berry

Feliz 2016!

So new years was great! We had to be home early because its a little dangerous on the streets at night because everyone just drinks during new year. But we had a fun time at home watching all the fireworks from our house. We made mini pizza again and ate a lot. Here everyone lets off their own fireworks, so there were fireworks in every direction in every place that we could see. It is really cool :)

There has still been a lot of rain, but we have gotten better at being inside people's houses during the rain so we haven't been getting so wet. This time of year is a little difficult to find people at home because everyone is on break from work and school and everyone goes to the beach. We are just praying and working hard that everything will work out and that we will find the people that are prepared to accept the gospel. 

And of course, I have been thinking a lot about my goals for the year and who I want to become. I cannot believe that this year I will be going home. The time goes by so fast! I read an amazing talk that my aunt Beth sent me about change. We are all going to change, but we can choose who we become. I want to become more like Christ, so I will always strive to think and live like our Savior would. So this is going to be the best year yet, because Im going to make it that way. I am excited for all the possibilities. Especially to be able to end my mission strong. No regrets. 

Thank you for all the support and the prayers! They are appreciated and needed. I know that Heavenly Father loves us all and He wants us all to return to His presence. So let's live the gospel of Jesus Christ and be happy!