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

Festa

This week was awesome and filled with some great things. 

I am so happy that I am a missionary in Brazil! I am so blessed! One thing that I have learned is that life is never easy, and it never will be. There will always be some sort of challenge placed in your path. But these challenges are here to help us to learn and to grow. It’s really hard sometimes, but it is an amazing feeling to come out on top and see how far you’ve come. I know the Lord helps us in our lives to become the person He knows we can be. I am working hard to be an instrument in His hands, in all times, and in all things and in all places.

We had two parties this week. The first wasn’t really a party, but I was super happy about it so I think it counts. A sister in the ward gave us a loaf of HOMEMADE Bread. Oh my goodness it was heaven. All it needed was some of my mom’s homemade strawberry jam. Then it would have been beyond perfect. I LOVE the members here so much! They are so nice to us and help us with so many things! Everyone is just so kind and loving. It’s unbelievable.

The other real festa was Festa Junina, which is a typical northeastern Brazil party with lots of food with corn, and country music. It’s like a “country festival.” The food was amazing and I got to hear some Alan Jackson songs which just made my night.

I love Brazil! Alright, thank you for taking the time to read my letters! Have a fantastic week! Don’t forget to pray!!

Love,

Sister Berry

I'm going to become a vegetarian

All the weeks are mixing together. We are teaching a lot of people and walking a lot. And I mean a lot. Our house is on the edge of our area so we have to walk 30 minutes downhill to get to the Church (middle of the area) and then a huge uphill climb to get back home. But it’s got a great view.

So real quick, we found some awesome families to teach this week. Eudes is really excited though and loves learning about Jesus Christ and how to pray. It is so amazing to see the change in people, to see them learn about their loving Heavenly Father and how they can talk to Him. I love it! Eudes and Valeria are super cool, but have a lot of addictions. They smoke, drink lots of coffee, and Valeria drinks a lot of alcohol too. But it is also really sad to see so many people held back by addictions that so many people have today.

We talked to one lady who told us that all she thinks about it smoking and has to count the minutes to make sure she doesn’t smoke even more than she does. It’s horrible to be held back by these things. I am so grateful for all I have learned in this Church, for all that I am learning about how to be healthy. That reminds me, I feel like I need to go vegetarian when I get back home because I have eaten enough meat here in Brazil to last a lifetime.

I also read an amazing talk this week: How to Become a Consecrated Missionary. Something that I loved was that it talked about spiritual confidence. We have confidence in ourselves when we rely completely on the Lord. It’s strange how that works, but it’s true. When we realize and remember that everything is in the Lord's hands, and that He knows what is best for us, we are more confident and happier in life. It’s amazing. So I am going to work on trusting the Lord completely, so I can have spiritual confidence.

Have a fantastic week everyone! Remember to say your prayers, too. I know they make all the  difference.

Love Sister Berry

The Gift of Grace

View from the Church (3rd floor)

This has been a great week, a lot of things happened, but nothing at the same time. It’s just crazy how time flies. Well, I had the opportunity to go on a division with another sister in the zone, which was really fun. Sister Cordner is from Utah and we just had a great time talking about Disneyland, movies, the language, and everything. It’s great to talk with someone from your own country every once in a while. We also had another meeting with the President where I got to see a bunch of old friends again! I just love missionaries! AND I finally got some Liahonas and the one from General Conference. I am so excited to read all of it. I am so grateful for living prophets and apostles that tell us what we need to know in our day and age. Heavenly Father loves all of us!

Speaking of love, I wanted to talk a little bit about it. I was getting super down this week, thinking about home a little too much maybe, or thinking about all the ways that I have failed, and things that I need to do better. Something amazing happened though, as it always does. I remembered/felt that Heavenly Father still loves me. I can feel His love as I look at a beautiful sunrise, as I sing "How Firm a Foundation," or read the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Even though I am not perfect, He loves me. My Savior loves me. He knows me, and is there to take away my pains and sorrows.

I loved President Uchtdorf’s talk this conference, “The Gift of Grace.” I finally understood something about the Atonement: The Savior already died for my sins, and paid for my sorrows. The Grace of God has already saved me, so I don’t need to worry about that. The important part now is if I have been changed by grace. President Uchtdorf tells us that we keep the commandments of God because we love Him. So that is all I need to worry about. I just have to keep moving forward and doing my best. I love the Lord, so I will do the best I can to follow Him and do what He asks. I won’t be perfect, but as long as I get back up when I fall, it will be enough. Always remember the love God has for you. It can change your life if you let it.

Have a fantastic week!

Sister Berry

"And whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."

The time goes by so slow and so fast at the same time. I have only less than a year to be a missionary! I know it will fly by, so I have to soak it up and enjoy every day.

So this last week was transfers and Elder Potts went home. We had a great Family Home Evening Night with almost half the ward, and a lot of food. This ward is just amazing! I wish I could finish my mission here. Sister Larissa and I are still here in Boa Vista and loving it. I never want to leave. And this morning we made some delicious American food. Elder Clive made French toast and he has some Mrs. Butterworth’s Maple Syrup from home (they don’t have syrup here) and it was amazing!  Elder Correia made some Peach Cobbler that was surprisingly good. And tomorrow I’m going to make some Mac and Cheese for lunch, it’s going to be great.

Well, I can’t even remember what happened this week. It went by really, really fast. My comp was sick one day this week so we had to stay home. Staying at home all day with a sick companion is not fun, besides getting to take a nap in the afternoon maybe. I did get to study a lot though. I just finished Philippians in the New Testament and it was really good. I love the scriptures. There’s a great scripture in chapter 4 verses 6-8. I love the part

”But in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep you hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Remember that God is listening and wants to bless you, you just have to ask. And be grateful for what you have. I always think of the song “You cant always get what you want...But if you try sometimes... you just might find...You get what you need." Yup. that’s how life works sometimes. Just remember that your Heavenly Father knows you and He knows what you need to become the best person that you can be. It’s amazing. Alright, and scriptural One liner of the week is in Proverbs 16:20...

"And whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."

Be strong and pray always,

Sister Berry