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

OUR TRAINERS

Let me introduce you to our trainers, Elder and Sister Atkinson. They have been so helpful. They are assigned to the Grovetown ward which meets in our building. Elder Atkinson is retired military and they are also assigned to Ford Gordon, wonderful people. This picture was taken after district meeting this past week.

Two fun things happened to us this week. We rode over to Akin South Carolina with the Atkinsons, just across the river from Augusta, to take some mending to the Elders there.

Sister Atkinsons mends all the Elders clothes. Two sets of Elders live in the same apartment. One set of Elders had been on splits with ward members. One Elder went with the son and the other Elder went with his Dad. The dad and son came in to visit, introduced themselves, their last name is Brooks. The younger Brother Brooks said to Elder Berry and me I know who you are. He said he served a mission in Las Vegas about three years ago and had dinner at our house. He also said Lowell shook his had every Sunday. We didn't remember him but what a wonderful visit. The older Brother Brooks thanked us for taking care of his son while serving in Vegas.

The second thing happened this past Saturday night. We were at a Baptism and the ward mission leader said he had a surprise for us. About that time Ann and Monte Stewart walked in the door with their son Tommy and daughter Elizabeth. What a joyful visit. Their son David lives in Martinez and was blessing his fifth child on Sunday so they stopped in at the baptism for a short surprise visit.

We met the sweetest young couple this week, Christopher and Lakeysha Smoot. They have four young children, 2girls ages 4 and 6, a 2 year old boy, and a 4 week old baby. They welcomed us into their home and we had a wonderful visit. They have been members of the church about a year so they are young in the gospel and struggle. They love the gospel and just need lots of love and encouragement. That is something we can do. They let me hold their baby and told us she was getting blessed this Sunday. That was one of the most beautiful little babies I have ever seen. She had beautiful skin big brown eyes and dark short curly hair. I fell in love. Saturday we took them a little white dress for the blessing. They were so appreciative. We also had the opportunity to teach about the sacred nature of ordinances. The baby was beautiful in her little white dress being held in the circle by the Priesthood. Christopher held the microphone and took the baby back to their seat. The baby was beautiful. The Smoot's home teacher blessed the baby. When Christopher and Lakeysha walked in church they looked a little sad. After Church they told us his mother had passed that morning so they had to leave and take care of funeral arrangements.

We stay very busy but are still figuring our exactly all the things we need to do. Two families were baptized since we have been here. One family is mother and two children. The other is father, mother, and three boys. We decided we would go into their homes, have home evening and nurture them for a while. We have two appointments this week. One of the draw backs to the converts is they don't have cars and they have to depend on others for rides to church.

The ward has many challenges but they are working very hard to overcome them. The Relief Society lesson yesterday was how to fill out a tithing/donation slip. They taught about each donation, where it went and how it was spent. They even showed how to put in an envelope and who to give it to. Our job is easy compared to theirs. One thing we have learned is this is not a nine to five job. Our desire is that everyone that is baptized stays on that straight and narrow path to Christ. We know it will bless their lives and help bring them up out of their circumstances. We love the work and love being here.

Love Elder and Sister Berry