I love TOUGH things

Our district Elders brought their gifts to our apartment Christmas morning to open them and have breakfast

Our district Elders Cardon, Caldwell, Holyoak, and Muhlestein

Christmas morning cooking breakfast for our district Elders before going to church.

The following pictures are of our zone transfer dinner Monday Evening. We, the senior couples, give a dinner before the transfer meeting on Wednesday. This transfer many of our zone will be transferred, lots of changes are being made, and this will be the last chance to be together in this zone.

Elder Billings and Elder Boyd, Spanish speaking

Elder Oliver, one of our zone leaders but will be transferred

Sister Atkinson and Sister Berry

Wednesday, transfer day. It was cloudy and drizzling rain. These pictures of just a sample of the activity in the parking lot getting everyone back to their old or new locations. We received 19 missionaries from the MTC this transfer.

Sister Hunt works in the mission office over housing and her husband is over transportation

Elder Berry assisting a member load his vehicle for the return trip home with 6 missionaries, luggage and bicycles. There is even luggage tied and wrapped in canvas on top.

Sister Berry and Sister Lusk with her new companion. Sister Lusk was in our zone but was transferred in November. It was good seeing her again.

We have had a very busy week. We made two trips to Columbia, South Carolina transporting missionaries because it is transfer week. We have visited with many wonderful people and had experiences that will change our lives. We have seen and felt the outporing of the spirit of giving in the ward and in the community. Although we missed our family this holiday season we are thankful to be serving the Lord at such a special time as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

As the New Year is fast aproaching we will share with your one of the standing quotes for our mission and a mission moto:

I love TOUGH things

I am first to do TOUGH things

I do TOUGH things first

I'm a finisher.

We wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Love, Elder and Sister Berry

CHRISTMAS, TEMPLE, AND CHURCHES

We had the opportunity to go with the ward to the Columbia South Carolina temple Saturday. The youth and recent converts did baptisms for the dead. The temple is about an hour and half from Augusta. Tim and Annette Jackson rode up with us. The temple is located outside the town of Hopkins, a suburb of Columbia, nestled in a grove of trees. It is very beautiful! We know this temple and all the temples of the Lord throughout the world preform His work of redeeming the living and the dead.
Tim and Annette have been members almost two years and are preparing to go the the temple for their endowments soon.


Elder and Sister Berry leaving the temple. This is the first opportunity we have had to go the the temple since our mission. Last week at zone conference the mission president encouraged us to take time now and then to explore and get to know our mission area. So now we know we can take off from time to time to attend the temple.




Zone Conference last Thursday. What a wonderful day. Three of the zones in our mission were in attendance. This was the third and last conference. The meeting started at 8am with instructions and lasted until 1pm. then we had lunch. The afternoon was filled with skits, fun and games util 4pm, then everyone changed back into suits, had a closing assembly and sent back out to work.

Elders Flake and Caldwell from our district. Look at their plates they wiped them clean.

Some of the senior couples enjoying the lunch the ward in Lexington South Carolina had prepared for us. They treated us like royalty. They decorated the cultural hall, covered the tables with cloth table clothes, and served us the most delicious holiday food! They went the extra mile and it seemed they were honoring the missionaries for their service. Before lunch the mission president invited those who were responsible for the lunch to line up in front of the chapel and the elders were instructed to stand and sing Called to Serve with all their heart. The Elders belted out the hymn and there wasn't a dry eye in the chapel. I have never heard that hymn sung with such boldness and love before. How privileged we are to be part of this and how proud parents would be if they could see their sons and daughters.

This picture and the following pictures are some of the churches in Augusta, Georgia. There is not a street we drive down without a church. Some are huge and beautiful, some modest, old, new and others very small. There are more churches here than gas stations.

This is the First Baptist Church of Augusta. It is huge and very beautiful. Thursday evening we had the opportunity to attend a concert there by the U.S. Army Signal Corps Band stationed at Fort Gordon. It was a big production with music and vocals. SPC Jamison Walker sang O Holy Night and we don't think anyone we have ever heard sung it as well. We attended the concert with the Atkinsons and yes we wore our missionary badges and was very proud to do so.

At zone conference we received training for a new missionary program. Our mission president, President Holm, developed it and with the approval of the missionary depart our mission will pilot it. The program is called "Best Relationships Proselyting". The purpose of this approach is to find investigators, rescue the less active with members, missionaries, and Mormon.org all working together. Everyone knows that if the members give missionaries referrals that through these referrals there are more baptisms with the converts remaining active. The missionaries make appointments with ward members, show film strip encourage members to set up profile on mormon. org and invite members to recommend friends or family members they can send letters to. The ward member selects one of four pre written letters and give missionaries names and addresses. The missionary sends the letters and a week after they are mailed the missionaries go to the home of the investigator or less active member. This has been tried by a zone in our mission and the missionaries involved said they got into nine out of the ten homes they visited and are teaching. This is just a short review of the program and we in our mission feel it is inspired and the missionaries are all fired up ready to begin.

This Wednesday is transfers so tonight is our zone dinner before everyone gets reassigned. We are very sad because we are loosing Elder Flake and Elder Oliver. These elders get under your skin.

So what does Christmas, temples and churches have in common? This morning early we went to the grocery store to pick up a few things for dinner tonight. People were already out and about rushing to accomplish their Christmas preparations. Even though things do get rushed from time to time this Christmas season we have the opportunity to teach others about Christ, his humble birth and atonement. We have temples to attend and worship in, learn and renew our spirits that have been dedicated to the Lord. There are many churches in Augusta but there is only one LDS chapel within the city limits but others in surrounding areas. We are thankful to be members of that one true church and are not confused about which of those other churches to attend. We love visiting in recent converts home. Their children love us and hug us and like to sit by us. One family we visit have two little dark skinned boys that are 5 and 6 years old. The five year old hugs us so tight and sits by me and rubs my hand and cheek and when he hugs he puts his cheek right on my check and hugs sooo tight. This is a choice family that is no longer confused as to which church to attend.

We wish you all a MERRY AND WHITE CHRISTMAS!

Love, Elder and Sister Berry

WE WISH YOU A WHITE CHRISTMAS

District Meeting

Left to Right Elders Oliver,Cardon, Caldwell, Berry and Flake

Many of you live in places that seldom if ever get snow and some of you may even have a white Christmas most every year. So why are we wishing everyone a White Christmas?
Each month our mission has a different theme. In November it was Thankful November. This month of December our theme is White Christmas. What does White Christmas have to do with Christ? That's what our district leader wanted to know and so he went to the scriptures. This past week at district meeting Elder Flake taught us why President Holm chose this theme. Six of us make up our district. Elder Flake gave each of us some scriptures to read.

The Scriptures:
D&C 33:3, 7
Isaiah 1:18
1 Nephi 8:11
Alma 5:21
Revelation 3:5
Joseph Smith History Verse 31
1 Nephi 12:11

We would like for you to read each scripture for yourselves. This could also be used for a Home Evening Lesson.We read our scriptures out loud then Elder Flake asked us to explain what we had read. After we had all read our scriptures and discussed them, Elder Flake asked us what word each scripture had in common. Each scripture contained the word or words white. For more scriptures look white up in your Topical Guide. Then we talked about the symbolism of white in each scripture. White is symbolic of being clean and pure. We talked about the symbolism of being baptized in white and wearing white clothing in the temple. We even mentioned the Elders and Priesthood holders wear white shirts while performing their Priesthood responsibilities. We are thankful for Jesus Christ, the Savior of this world, and that we can be made white again through the blood of his atonement.

This year as we celebrate His birth we wish each of you
A WHITE CHRISTMAS

Love

Elder and Sister Berry

P.S. We love our Elders. They are always teaching and leading us and they are truly inspired from on High.

DECEMBER GREETINGS

The Smoots

Sister Berry holding Lyric Michelle Smoot

Every week here is so different. Last week it was cold and rainy but this week it is warmer and cloudy. Our work each week is so unpredictable. We spend a lot of time in our car. Monday we drove an investigator around town putting in applications. Tuesday since it was cold and raining Elder Berry drove the bicycle Elders around on appointments and joined them for the discussions. That evening it was still raining so we picked up the Elders and joined them on a discussion. Wednesday morning Anthony, a recent convert who we have been fellowship called and needed a ride to the store to get his baby some diapers. We did that then had a discussion with the Elders. The appointment was at church because the investigators have several young children and they are very disruptive. The husband has set a baptismal date but the wife is undecided. Before the wife gets baptised she needs to be interviewed by the Stake President. It just so happened that President Holm was coming to Augusta Wednesday for meetings and the Elders had already set up an interview appointment with President Holm for another girl. Elder Caldwell suggested to the lady to just go ahead and have an interview with the Mission President since he is in town today and she agreed. They hung around for about thirty minutes for President Holm to arrive and while they waited with me and Elder Caldwell. Elder Berry took Elder Oliver with him and drove downtown to pick up the young girl for her baptismal interview. After the girl's interview Elder Berry and I drove her back home, then returned to church for a very special meeting with President Holm and another district. There were ten of us in all at the meeting. Wednesday evening we were to assist the Elders with a discussion but when we got to church to pick them up they told us it got cancelled. We hung around church and visited with those who were waiting in line to see the Bishop. We got to meet several people and decided we needed to visit some of them. It was getting late when we left church and there was a man who came to see the Bishop and needed a ride home so we drove him home. Thursday we drove around visiting and dropping off Friends and Ensigns. We tried to get around without the GPS but gave that up after doing a lot of unnecessary driving. Friday we visited one of the ladies we met at church Wednesday night. We got the directions mixed up and drove around before finally figuring our what we were doing wrong. Let me explain, we aren't dumb we're still learning. We had quite the visit with Lee Ann. Her six year old niece who lives next door was visiting. Lee Ann sent her home but she immediately returned and plopped down on the couch. Her little mouth ran the whole time we were there. She told us about having a broken collar bone. She said her friend pushed her to the ground and held her down and that's how her collar bone got broke. She said her momma got really mad. I said if my little girl got hurt I would get upset too. The little girl said her momma and her friends momma had a fight. I thought she meant they had words so I said I would probably fight anyone who hurt my little girl. The girl said my momma got a busted lip and the other momma had a black eye. Moral of this story: choose your words wisely.

Friday evening just as we were about to leave for an appointment the phone rang and it was the Smoots. Christian was having severe stomach pains and Lakisha was recovering from having all her wisdom teeth pulled Monday. She had a really hard time. Christian was concerned because Lakisha wasn't eating. Christian needed a ride to the emergency room and didn't want to take the car for fear he would be admitted. So off we drove stopping to pick up soup, pudding, and applesauce for Lakisha. Lowell drove Christian to the hospital and I stayed with Lakisha and kids. After running a few test Christian was released and sent home. Saturday morning we picked up Annette Jackson and drove her to church for a budget and finance meeting and then fill out a food order. On the way home Annette mentioned lots of people got food stamps and food from the church. She said if you got food stamps you shouldn't get food from church also. She said that was wrong and those people were just greedy. Saturday night was stake Christmas program. It was a beautiful program. We picked up Anthony and we were so glad he could experience such a program. Another thing that touched my heart was Patty. She would go and find her friends and bring them over and introduce them to Elder Berry and Me. She would start by saying I want to introduce you to my sister. That warmed my heart that she was proud to introduce "my sister". Thanks Patty. Sunday was another taxi day. Elder Berry didn't drive the van but he made many trips transporting members in our car. We picked up the Jacksons for church but the games started after church. The Jacksons needed to see the Bishop and they were waiting in line so Elder Berry drove me home to finish preparing dinner for the Elders. He drove back to church to pick up the Jacksons and return them home but they weren't ready so he drove another lady and her son home who lived downtown because she missed the van as she needed to see the Bishop. Elder Berry was returning to church to picked up the Jacksons when he noticed a lady walking away from church and recognized her as one of the recent converts we had visited this week. This girl is eight months pregnant. He drove to church picked up the Jacksons and returned to find the pregnant girl. They finally caught up with her, put her in the car and drove her downtown to her home then he took the Jacksons home. He and the Elders walked in the door for dinner at the same time. We had a very spiritual testimony meeting although Sister Jackson and Sister Hobbs sat behind me and talked and ate. One of the things they ate was oranges because I smelled them. I ordered some candy from kids at church and they gave it to me before church started. During the meeting Annette leaned up to me and said Sister Berry do you have candy in that bag. I told her I did but it was fast Sunday and I couldn't open it. Another inspiring thing the ward did today was have the Relief Society and Priesthood meet together for opening and showed the conference talk by Elane Dalton "Love Her Mother". We then separated and discussed what we had heard. I was pleased because the Smoots made it to church today.

Wednesday in our meeting President Holm introduced a new missionary approach with ward members to involve them in missionary work. President Holm developed this program and it has been approved by the missionary department and our mission will pilot this program.. If it is successful it will then be used throughout the church. One district in our mission has been using it and it has proven to be very successful. Next week in zone conference we will be given more detail and instructions and be sent out to use this approach. I think it is a very inspired program.

Although this letter may seem light hearted and mocking it is not meant to be so. We love the people in August, we love serving them, we love to hear their stories and visiting with them. We hope to be an instrument in the Lord's hand to bring these choice people to Christ and that they will endure to the end.

With all our love,

Elder and Sister Berry

MISSIONARY WORK IS SO HARD

I Couldn't resist adding this photo. We seldom have the opportunity to just sit and relax in this chair. Our days and evenings are filled with serving the people in august Ward and studying. We are still trying to catch up with the Elders on the discussions from Preach My Gospel. The Elders are certainly Stripling Warriors and have been taught and now they are teaching with the spirit. They study hard and work hard also. Every Tuesday morning at District Meeting(DDM, District Development Meeting) we sit at their feet being taught. How humbling. Elder Flake our District Leader gives such inspiring training lessons and involves all of us. We love these DDM meetings and these Young Elders.

Phillip and Jana Trigg

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Our daughter Jana and her husband Phillip visited us from Decatur Alabama. She brought 9 file boxes full of church magazines. For everyone in Decatur Ward who contributed THANK YOU! We had such a good visit but it didn't last long enough. Thanks also to everyone for the yarn. We have already given out some of the magazines.

Thanksgiving at Crunk Home

This is an advantage of being senior missionaries. We were able to have Thanksgiving Dinner with my sister Paty Crunk and her family. They live in Martinez which is about 7 miles from our apartment. We ate good food, southern cooking, and enjoyed visiting with loved ones even more.

This past week flew by. We didn't take Monday off for preparation day because we took three days off for Thanksgiving. Monday between appointments we decided to go home for lunch. On the way home we stopped at the grocery store. Elder Berry and I were walking down the isle and a large woman in a motorized shopping cart looked at us and started to greet us but a woman pushing a cart came up and spoke to the lady in the motorized cart. While all this was happening I was racking my brain trying to remember who the lady was that stopped us. There are two ladies in the ward who have motorized wheel chairs and I was trying to remember their names. The lady pushing the shopping cart started telling us about her eyes and that she was having eye surgery this week. Before the lady with the shopping cart pushed her cart away she noticed our name tags and read them out loud. We explained to the two ladies who we were and what we did. When the lady pushed her cart away the lady in the motorized chair told us she didn't know who we were and had not noticed our name tags but told us when she saw us walking down the isle there was a light about us and she knew we were somebody special. She told us when she came in the store she was troubled and now she knew everything would work out. She didn't live in Augusta but was visiting here for Thanksgiving. Elder Berry and I left the store in awe about what we had been told. We had many more inspiring experiences which we will cherish always. It is always enjoyable to accompany the Elders as they give discussions.

Sunday as we were preparing to go to Missionary Correlation Meeting a new member of the church called and needed to take his son to the emergency room and needed a ride. Most of the converts don't have cars. Elder Berry left and I thought he would be gone for a long time. He wasn't gone long but returned after dropping them off at the hospital. This man was to drive the van but since he was busy with family that left Elder Berry to drive the van. Elder Berry and two Elders left at 10am to go pick up the van, then made two trips picking up members, investigators and made it back to church just as Sacrament meeting started at 1pm. They repeated this returning people home then returning the van after church. Elder Berry writes: This past Sunday I drove the van again. I got to Sacrament meeting just as it was getting started. I came in the building to find Sister Berry so I could sit with her. When I found her there wasn't room to sit by her because there was a family sitting by her I didn't know. She was holding their year old baby and looked at home in doing so. I wish I had a camera to take a picture of her but we were in the chapel. She also held the baby during Gospel Essentials Class. The young Elders are not allowed to hold children. The couple is investigating and this was the first Sunday for them to attend the church.

Augusta History

This building is located downtown and was build in the 1800's and was orginally used in the cotton industry. It is now a bank.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Love Elder and Sister Berry

Happy Thanksgiving

Just driving down the street, grabbed the camera and shot. Most of our pictures are at least 30 miles an hour.

An example of why the trees are chopped up and why so many homes are without power during storms. The trees get blown over and take the wires with them. The trees are beautiful. The weather here has been warm and sunny most of the time. Yesterday it did rain

It seems every week is so different here teaching and contacting members, inactive and less active members and is very challenging. This Sunday was a busy day. A member of the ward has a fifteen passenger van that he loans to the Elders on Sunday to pick up the new converts and investigators. This Sunday the Elders couldn't get anyone to drive so guess who got to drive the van? Yes, Elder Berry. What an experience. With the Elders directing and a GPS after two trips they got everyone. We were disappointed because most of the people we have been working with didn't show up for church today. The hardest thing for the new converts to do is commit to come to church every Sunday. The rain could have been an excuse for not coming.

This past week we had many wonderful experiences as we visited. Most everyone welcomes us warmly. The Elders invited us to several discussions with them. A young girl they have been teaching and we have been involved with asked the Elders if after she was baptized and got older if she could go on a mission like the "Elderberrys". You never know how you touch people's lives.

Last Sunday, Brother Johnson, a member of the bishopric asked Elder Berry to take one of the young men who passes Sacrament, JoMo Crawford, to get his hair cut with the aid of Tim Jackson, a man we have been working with. Elder Berry picked up Tim Jackson then picked up JoMo then returned to Tim's house and Tim's son cut JoMo's hair. JoMo is about thirty, a convert and kind of slow. He is very dedicated and attends church ever Sunday when the van picks him up. While JoMo was getting his hair cut on Tim's front porch Elder Berry visited with Kenneth Pressley from across the street and three young men who just walked up. Kenneth Pressley is a member and we have been trying to visit but he only opens the door a crack and speaks to us. Elder Berry said he had a good visit with Kenneth Pressley. It seems when all else fails another door is opened. JoMo had long bushy hair but when the hair cut was finished he had a missionary cut. Now the challenge is to get his big bulky jacket off and a walking stick he carries for security.

Sunday is a long hard day for the Elders. We cook dinner for them and is usually after six by the time we get back to the apartment. The past two Sundays I have cooked soup so the Elders have started calling it "soupersunday". Elder Flake our district leader is from Mesa Arizona. He grew up in the ward my cousin Charles Foster lives in. Small world.

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving! We are excited Jana and family will be here. At this time of year we are thankful to be serving in Augusta Georgia. It is truly beautiful here. We are doing the Lords work and are thankful for this opportunity and hope we will be able to touch lives as we share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Love

Elder and Sister Berry

TRANSFER DINNER

Elders Atkinson and Berry transfer dinner

Elder Flake "P" day - Dinner before transfers on Wednesday. At our apartment. The senior couples host a dinner for the zone before each transfer.


Elder Atkinson loading his truck for the move



First of four loads





Moving Anthony Mathis (green shirt) Anthony was recently baptized and has changed his life drastically. He was a gang member in California before moving to Georgia with his family as he wanted to change his life. He joined the church and his life will never be the same. He has read all the church literature he can get his hands on and was recently ordained to the Priesthood. Sunday he blessed the Sacrament.

Elders Cardon, Flake, Enosa (he is responsible for baptizing 48 people in August), McPheters

Taking a break

Anthony Mathis and Elder Flake

Sunday before church. First time he wore a suit to church and he blessed the Sacrament

Sunday dinner at Elder and Sister Berry with two of the four Elders in our ward. Elder Flake (district leader and Elder Caldwell (zone leader) They all four were excited to have dinner because the ward here doesn't do dinner appointments. They are at church from 9am to 6pm
every Sunday.

Elders Flake and Cardon in front of their apartment. We dropped them off after going on a teaching appointment with them.

Driving down a street in Augusta

Driving in Augusta we see so many beautiful homes and tree lined streets. The trees make a canape over the street. Truly beautiful. We also pass many "projects" and that is where we visit many of the recent converts.

Transfer day Wednesday. At Elders apartment, figuring out who to pick up, luggage and bicycles.

Senior Couples on transfer day at the stake center in Columbia South Carolina. The senior couples load up missionaries, luggage, and bikes from all over the mission for transfers. Many members transported missionaries also driving many miles, waiting about 2 hours during transfer meeting and then returning to their area with a new set of missionaries. This is a wonderful day watching missionaries meet and greet each other with a hug and big slap on the back. We had 14 new missionaries arriving in our mission and 9 going home along with one senior couple. All new missionaries have an opportunity to bear their testimonies (1 minute), new senior couples (3 minutes) and departing missionaries (3 minutes). Since this was our first transfer since arriving we were considered new missionaries so we had the opportunity to bear our testimony. What a beautiful sight looking over the chapel filled with missionaries dressed in suits and ties. Now we are experiencing some of the same things our grandsons have been experiencing.

All loaded up and ready to go. We returned two bicycles to Columbia and Elder Enosa (last Elder on right)

Along the Savannah River Elder Berry found this bird to give a discussion to before the bird swam away. Just though I would say that because we have gotten many pictures of missionaries holding up scriptures in front of a dog or other animal.

Savannah River

Railroad bridge crossing Savannah Rive

Savannah River-River divides South Carolina and Georgia

Annette Jackson and Sister Berry River Walk- Savannah River- August Georgia


This week we visited a sister in a nursing home. She was one of the happiest and most cheerful person we think we have ever met. She sat at the foot of her bed with a blanket over her lap. We visited for a while before she told us both her legs had been amputated because of diabetes and she was legally blind. I had not even noticed any of these things until she mentioned it although Elder Berry said he had noticed the legs but not the eyes. We had a very delightful visit. She had served in the Columbia Temple as an ordinance worker before and after her amputation. She has two children a daughter who lives in Oklahoma and a son that lives in North Carolina. The son is a truck driver and he visits her monthly or more depending on his driving schedule. Before leaving I ask if we could bring her anything. She told us she crochets humanitarian blankets from yarn. She loves to use left over yarn from projects because she hates to see anything go to waste. If any of you who read this blog have any yarn and would like to donate it just send it to me at: 2703 Woodcrest Apt C

Augusta Georgia 30909

We love you and love serving in August

Love Elder and Sister Berry