March 26, 2018

Hello,

This week has been full of miracles! I want to review the week but I am going to start with Saturday and go backwards. Arianne got Baptized! It was a really cool experience all the way around for Elder Ravsten and myself. She has only been meeting with us for about a month and just took to the gospel. It is is a witness to the truthfulness of the church when someone changes their life to follow Jesus Christ. We had a font side confirmation because she is in Utah right now getting ready to go to General Conference. It so cool for her the 1st she will listen to the voice of a prophet it will be in person. 

Then I was able to attend a baptism of two girls who were found by my trainer and myself 20-ish plus months ago. Lucy and Selina have come a long way since I first met them. But again the power of the Atonement is real and they have changed much like Arianne. It is such a blessing to be apart of this work!

This week I was able to go on exchanges with an Elder Buckley. He is from Nampa, Idaho. It was a crazy small world. We went to go and see one of their members. He asked the normal questions what’s your name, where you from. When I said Rexburg he said his mom lives out there. We were both like no way. But I graduated with his sister. Crazy to think the path Heavenly Father has us on. The people that we come across. I thought coming out to Sacramento that there would be no one who would know me or my family. But I was wrong.

Transfers have come. I will be staying in the River City YSA Ward. My new companion is Elder Field. He is from Utah some place. I think he is Brigham City, but I could be wrong so don’t quote me on that. I am excited. He is a big time runner (cross country & track.) so hopefully he won’t want to run very much. 

Hope you all have a great week! Love you tons!!

Love,

Elder Berry

March 19, 2018

Hey,

Today was an exciting then boring Pday. We started off by going to a joint zone Pday activity with President and Sister Hymas. Is was really fun. We got to play telePictionary and reverse charades. It was fun. So fun I get giddy just thinking about all the fun it was. We had some really good chili cheese dogs.

After that I got to do some real world stuff. I spend 1 hour on the phone trying to figure out my college stuff. I spent about 80% of the time on hold while the people tried to figure out what to do with me. I was finally able to get it figured out to where I can get start on the college stuff.

This has been a really busy week, it has been full of blessings. To start with exchanges, Elder Steel and I were able to contact a lady named Silvia. he didn't have much time to talk because she said she was moving. We offered our help and she said that she would give us a call in a few days. I have had a lot of people say that they would give us a call but they never do. Slivia called and asked if we could help her. We were able to go and help her pack up a u haul truck. We then were able to call and get some missionaries to help her on the other side. It was cool to see how here heart was softened. we were able to give her a Book of Mormon and testify of the blessings that come from the gospel. I love to do service for people. They have such a change in their countenance to makes them so much more open to the gospel. Elder Steel is a really good missionary. He has really been hitting the scriptures to gain a solid scriptural knowledge based on christ. I was amazed to see the amount of scriptures that he was able to use as we were able to talk and teach people. He is growing and changing to be like our savior. The growth that people can have through our saviors atonement is exceedingly estonishing.

Another miracle we had this week was when a member pulled us out of sacrament meeting and told us there was a non member asking if he could have a Book of Mormon. We were able to talk with Frank and give him a copy of the Book of Mormon and a Restoration Pamphlet. After we had finished testifing a member came up and did the same thing to help them feel welcome. He wasn't able to stay for church, but he did say that he would give us a call if he had any questions. It was a really cool experience to see that there are people who are searching out the word of god.

My compaion was just called to be an assitant to the president. I have to tell you that I am a little sad to see Elder Ravsten go. I am going to miss him being my companion. He has been a great influence for me. He is going to do some really great things. Transfers are next week so the next time i email home i will be telling you all the juicy deatails of what next transfer will intell.

This coming weekend we have a baptism of someone that we have been working with for about 3 weeks. Her name is Arianne. She will be getting baptized then head down to Utah to watch a General Conference with some of her fellowshippers. It is so fun to be able to see people chang and enter the waters of baptism.

On Sunday I was able to interview two young girls who my trainer and I found alomost 2 years ago. They both past their interview and will be gettiing baptized this weekend as well. I can not always understand the lords timing but I can testify that it is perfect. when i interviewed them I knew that this was their time to get baptized. Their names are Lucy and Selina. They are so sxcited to get baptized! I am really excited for them as well.

I was also able to catch my companion falling a sleep on the job! Missionaries have a hard time sometimes staying awake. Those early mornings can really get you some times.

Hope that you have the best week of your life!! Continue to work hard at this thing we call life!

Love Elder Berry

March 12, 2018

Hello,

This has been a marvelous week. So much has happen, going from one miracle to another miracle. This is the greatest work in the world. I love it. It is such a blessing. Anyways I will start with Tuesday, we started off the day by going to MLC (Missionary Leadership Council). It was so good to be able to see President and Sister Hymas. They are some of the best people in the world. Anyways a lot of time was spent on talk about 2 thing. Having hope centered in Jesus Christ. Then the process for receiving revelation from Heavenly Father. The way that he taught us is through one of the most simplest ways. That way is through prayer. Pray is the 2 way communication that we talk with our father in Heaven. I don’t want to bore you will all of the cool things that I learn but I just want to test for the spirit that was felt there. I was also able to see Elder Anderson. It is always such a blessing when I get to see him. He is so fun to talk with and to think back to the good old days of playing football together. It was fun. The other big highlight was we got smart phones. Yes we got smart phones. We have been using them for about a week and they took some time to get adjusted to. But it is such a blessing to be entrusted with technology to use in the lord’s work.

Wednesday was a really good day to go and talk with people. We were able to go out with some missionaries to work with them. I love being able to work with other to learn from them. Not to much happened on Wednesday other then working with missionaries.

On Thursday we had a lesson with one of our investigators named Meghan. Her baptism was this Saturday. Anyways she had a rough day. She got suspended from work along with so much other stuff. She was at a point to where it was like she almost didn’t have much hope. We told her to turn to the savior and to trust in him. It was a huge testimony to me that Satan didn’t want her to get baptized. But the lesson went really well and she was still dead set on getting baptized. Latter that night we were able to have dinner with the Ditlevsen family. They are an awesome family that we have gotten to know really well. They have a son on a mission in Seattle who recently left. It such a blessing to be able to see the lives of people change in the gospel.

We also got a referral from some other elders. The referral was for this person named filisi. He came to church himself and asked to meet with the missionaries. When we stopped by to set up a lesson he wasn’t there. We talked with his brother maka. He was super interested in what we had to say. We were able to leave a return appointment for the coming Saturday after we were able to teach the restoration.  The lesson was spiritual and you could see that he was seriously thinking about what we talked about. He also told us that he has a girlfriend serving a Mission in Costa Rica. It amazing how the spirit works and the lord’s timing of everything.

Fast forward to Friday we had  another lesson with Meghan. She was so excited to see us. She only had good news to tell us. She when and hit the scriptures and got on her knees and ask for help from our father in Heaven. I don’t know how every time we have a trial that comes if we will get on our knees, dive into the scriptures that everything will be fine. Not to say that everything is taken away, but Heavenly Father strengthens us to where we can over come our trials. That was very evident to me to see the strength and growth that had a accrued for Meghan in less then 24 hours. The power of our saviors Atonement is real! I testify that if we will let it change us we will have exponential growth. I am grateful for my savior sacrifice for me all of you.

Saturday was Meghan’s big day. She was able to enter the waters of baptism. It was such s spiritual experience. I am so grateful for the spirit and how it testifies of the truth of the restored gospel. Elder Anderson was able to come to the baptism. He taught her a few months back. So it was such a blessing to be able to teach her after he did. The change in her over the last few months has been so big. 

I was on an exchange with Elder Young Yen. Yes one of my past companions. Over a year that we served together. We had such a great day with teaching people. We went to the lesson that we had set up with Filisi and Maka. It was one of the most spiritual lessons that I have had in a long time. It was like we never stopped being companions. We taught with unity and testified of each other. It was so cool. After we had finished the first vision, we sat quietly to let the spirit work on them. After about 20 seconds one of them said “wow.” The spirit was so strong we extended April 7th to them and they said that they will work to that day. Maka said that the 1st day that we came by was the 2 year anniversary of his mother passing away. He told us that he thinks by us coming by on the anniversary of his mother death that god is telling him that this is something that he should do. Always follow the spirit trust in heavenly Father and you will be exactly where you should be.

That was the most of our week. Hope this finds you well. Know that the church is true. If it has been a while pick up the Book of Mormon. Start reading it and apply the teachings you learn from it and watch the peace that come from our father in Heaven flood into you life!!

I love you!!

Elder Berry

Sorry there is no pictures of the baptism. I hadn’t gotten them from the other elders. Sorry I will send them next week!

March 5, 2018

Hey everyone, 


It's been a wonderful week here in Sacramento, hail storms and all! The hail wasn't too bad, it came while we were out on bikes with other Elders and thankfully it was only pea sized versus the quarter to softball sizes from home! It was pretty funny to see how everyone began driving carefully because they consider it winter conditions! 

 We had a few miracles occur, which we are very grateful for! 

 First, we met a less active family in the Goethe Park ward and after sitting down the father opened up to us about his spiritual needs and the stresses of working. We related to him with our calling as zone leaders and talked about the similarities of our situations and how the small things, reading, prayer, and attending church, make the world of difference. We discussed how having the spirit is key and that God cares about all aspects of our lives and as we include him in our efforts they will be counted to us for righteousness. This really helped us begin a great relationship with them and we will be helping out with several projects soon! At the end of the conversation they found out we didn't have a dinner and handed us their credit card! They said to keep it for the night and they would COME TO CHURCH to get it! Sure enough they were there and it was a really great thing to see. 

 Second, Arianne came to church again and we had a lesson afterwards. She has been reading the Book of Mormon and mentioned it brings great peace when she is depressed or stressed. I testify it truly does bring peace and it makes our day. It's like you're never fully dressed without a smile; well, your day is never complete without reading! The spirit was strong in the lesson, especially as we invited her to be baptized on March 24th...she accepted!!! She had tears in her eyes as she said "This feels so right" and asked the members there to help her prepare for baptism! Third, Meghan brought her husband to church, who had previously wanted nothing to do with church or religion! We overheard members talking to him and they were discussing joining the church! 

 Fourth, we had the opportunity to be a road side assistance crew! We were merging onto the freeway when we saw a man pulled over with his hazards on. We should have thought about it a little more considering we were in oak park.....rough area....but we immediately pulled over and hopped out. The man, Alex, is a great devote Catholic and had ran over a ladder. We worked with him for about 15 minutes and managed to get it the ladder untangled from under the car! He asked for our card and said he would be in touch with us. The sad thing is he had been there for roughly 25 minutes and not a single car stopped. If you see someone you can serve, please do so. It will bring them and yourself joy, I know because I saw and felt it. 

 We spent a lot of time with President Hymas this week because a strange situation with an investigator which is too much to type, but it suffices me to say we are no long teaching them.

 Also for the first time in 15 MONTHS WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!! I cannot express the spiritual nourishment I received there. I didn't feel like I had anything missing in my life but walking into the Celestial Room felt like I was home and a hole inside me was filled. I literally felt as though I was with my Father in Heaven as I prayed and could not expressing anything accept praise and thanks for the blessings I have and for those who mean so much to me in my life. Even now as I type this it makes my heart leap for joy! I really do love to see and visit the temple! The temple is literally heaven on earth and for the members, please go as often as possible. For those who are not members of the church, you can learn more via the missionaries and one day, if you so choose, go there as well and experience a peace, joy, and love you have never before felt. 

 I love you and pray this finds you well! Meghan is getting baptized this weekend!!!

Love, 

Elder Berry

If you want to see more photos then go look on my Facebook page!

February 26, 2018

Dear Friends,

This week has been totally crazy! We went on Exchanges this week. I went with Elder Yazzie. He is an elder from Arizona. He is Native American. So it was cool to be able to talk to him about his heritage and all the traditions that he had growing up. I don’t know if you have ever realized it but people who come from different back grounds or cultures have cool experience or things to share. It was cool to talk to him about how some of his traditions and the traditions of the Lamanites from the Book of Mormon were similar. I kinda what it would be like to serve in another country like Devan and to see those difference 1st Hand. But we also where the lords wants us to go and I am grateful for where I am at!

This last week we our investigator Alvin who got baptized two Saturday’s back got confirmed. Due to stake Conference he had to wait another week to receive the Holy Ghost. Yesterday I was able to confirm him a member of the church of Jesus Christ. That was such a cool experience. This was the 1st as I gave a blessing that the words just came and I didn’t really have to do anything but speak the words that came to my mind. It is so cool to have the spirit in my life. I am grateful for it being in my life and I wish everyone would choose to have the spirit always in their life. I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t have it in my life. If you don’t have the constant companion of the Holy Ghost do what ever it takes to be it in your life and see the blessing that poor out upon you by Heavenly Father. You will never regret it. I know I haven’t.

Then to finish up the week of finding, teaching, baptizing. We got to go on a team up. It was so cool to be with Elder Edgington & Buckley for a few hours. To be able to be with them to learn how I can be a better missionary was such a blessing. With  most of the missionaries around me that are young and excited I have to always make sure that I am on my gave so I can keep up with their excitement. But I am grateful for the missionaries that I get to serve they are all great!

I hope you all have the best week of your life! Let me know if I can do anything for you! God speed!!

Love Elder Berry