EXPECT MIRACLES

Sandra Lynch and Sister Berry

Sandra lives in an assisted living apartment tower in downtown Augusta. She has been inactive for years. Her records had been sent to Salt Lake because the wards here lost track of her. Another resident in the tower, Carol, is an active member of the church and she introduced us to Sandra. When we first started visiting her she was a very polite and gracious lady and we could tell she still had a spark alive but wasn't ready to committee. She went to the ward Christmas party with us and enjoyed it very much but kind of distanced us after that but was friendly and we enjoyed our visits. Through Carol we learned Sandra needed assistance getting to the doctor so we called and offered to help. Sandra had a day surgery planned and her son was to take her but they got to the hospital to late and she couldn't have the surgery and she was very discouraged. Carol let us know what had happened so we called Sandra and told her if she could get her surgery rescheduled we would drive her. Last week we drove Sandra to the doctor and she made arrangements for surgery this week and we will drive her there this Thursday and return her home. Last week as we visited with Sandra and drove her to the doctor and home we could tell that Sandra was really touched by what we were doing. She kept saying she really appreciated all we were doing for her but it just seemed so strange that we actually didn't know her but was willing to help her. We could tell that Sandra's heart was changing. Before joining the church Sandra was attending a Baptist church and had attended the same church, St. John Baptist Church, since she was a young child. The assisted living building she is living in is operated by St. John and the church is right next door so Sandra had returned to attending the church with her childhood friends. Today Sandra called and the minute I heard her voice I could tell she had changed. She was happy and wanted to know if we could come visit her today because she had something very special she wanted to share with us. She apologized because she knew we would be busy getting ready for our zone transfer dinner. We drove over to Sandra's and the minute we walked in her apartment and looked at her and saw her beaming and filled with joy we knew she had decided to return. Her joy was so full she just had to share it. She told us she would go back to St. John Baptist Church this Sunday and tell all her friends good-by and she wouldn't return. This was a Miracle. Pray for Sandra that she will be able to make the break on Sunday. Today we rejoiced with Sandra.

Sister Holmes brought all the ingredients for omelets and each Elder made his own in a zip-lock baggie and put it in a pot of boiling water.

Sister Holm served brunch at the zone training and interviews with the President

Sister Atkinson, Sister Holm and Sister Berry

Wednesday President Holm was in Augusta for instruction and interviews for all missionaries in Augusta Zone. Senior Couples were included. Our interview with President Holm was very brief because he needs to focus on the Elders. Senior couples are stable and all mission rules for the Elders don't apply to the seniors. He expressed his love and appreciation for our service and encouraged us to take more time for ourselves. He encouraged us to visit more with my sister, have date night, and make sure we take our preparation day and take a day or two occasionally and travel around our mission sightseeing. President Holm appreciates our involvement with the Elders but cautioned us not to spoil them or make things too easy for them. He and Sister Holm love the senior missionaries and have requested more senior couples from the missionary department. President Holms tells us often "Expect Miracles" in our missionary efforts and promises us that if we are exactly obedient we will receive miracles. Last Sunday the Relief Society President asked us to visit a sister that just had a baby but didn't have her phone number or address. Monday I prepared a dinner for the new mother and spent the day trying to locate her phone number and address. Everyone told us she lived off 15th street Finally I got a phone number for the new mother but it didn't work. We learned that a doctor in our ward delivered the baby so I called him and got her current phone number, called the new mother and arranged to visit her the next day and take dinner. (Now we have an address and current phone number to give the membership clerk) Tuesday was a day of miracles for us. We had a list of names of people we needed to visit and call. It seems Tuesday that everyone answered their phone or was home when we knocked on their door and we were able to get the information we needed or make an appointment to visit. Relief Society, Primary and Young Women have given us lists of people that need to be contacted. Many times they were baptized were active for awhile then fell into inactivity. Contacting by phone is mostly impossible as phone numbers change on a monthly basis it seems. We are still working on our lists and we will Expect Miracles.

We are working with a mother (recent convert) of three children ages 3, 2, and 10 months. She has no mothering skills and gets frustrated with us when we try to soften the way she treats her children or when we treat the children with patience, kindness and love. She screams orders to her children and expects them to obey. When they don't respond she screams "what's wrong with you, why don't you listen." She doesn't appreciate our example so we are praying for an opportunity to teach her when she will be receptive and we are Expecting a Miracle. Sometimes the truth is too hard to bear.

Driving members to doctors or for treatments is one of the things we do often. These members are around our age and because of their health issues we sometimes refer to them as older because we assist them into and out of the car and into buildings. President Holm refers to us as his "senior couple" but when we are dealing with our peers who have health issues we don't feel like seniors. I'm sure this is a miracle.

We know you will have miracles in your lives as you strive to live the teachings of Jesus Christ with exactness.

Love,

Elder and Sister Berry

INVITE OTHERS TO COME UNTO CHRIST

This has been a wonderful and busy week. We made three trips to South Carolina. Wednesday we drove to Irmo for training (all senior couples) and a dinner at the mission presidents home, President and Sister Holm. The training was motivating and inspiring and the dinner was delicious. Friday we had the opportunity to go with our ward to help clean the temple in Hopkins, just outside Columbia. The temple is cleaned twice a week and each ward has an assigned time once or twice a year to clean. I had the opportunity to clean the celestial room. We actually didn't clean because the temple never gets dirty we just polished and vacuumed. Four ladies were in a sealing room cleaning the crystals on the chandelier hanging from the ceiling and also the crystals on the wall lights. They said it took them about four hours. Saturday we returned to the temple to assist the youth in baptisms. While Elder Berry assisted in the baptistery I had the opportunity to do an endowment session. We got back to Augusta just before a baptism was over for a new convert in our ward. Leaving the baptism we drove to the stake center and participated in a super Saturday for the youth of two stakes. It was a mock MTC. When the youth arrived they were given name tags and paired up and sent to the cultural hall. The cultural hall had different activities, ironing, sewing on buttons, tying neck ties, etc. The youth were invited into the chapel and Sister and President Holmes spoke. President Holm invited the missionaries to come to the front and also the senior couples and we repeated our purpose. (My Purpose: Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. My purpose is to Baptize.) After the talks the youth were dividend into five groups and sent to different rooms for classes. We were assigned to assist the Alma group first as the teacher spoke about testimonies, then we had the opportunity to assist four more times as the groups rotated. Our day ended after our district gathered at our apartment and planned the pick up route for the van and our car for church Sunday (tomorrow). We had ward conference Sunday and it was such a special day, from sacrament meeting, adult joint meeting, and Relief Society. It was like attending a normal ward again. We were disappointed at the attendance of the recent converts. Our attendance has been gradually falling off. We have been given a list of names from Relief Society, Primary and Young Women to contact. The ward wants us to find and concentrate on the members who are serious about coming to church and get them there. So this week that is exactly what we will be trying to do.

We are finally experiencing southern weather, rain and lots of it. The past three days have been dreary and cloudy. We are enjoying it though. Come rain or shine missionary work will not stop nothing will stop the Lord's work because "the field is white allready to harvest."

Love, Elder and Sister Berry

BAPTISM BY IMMERSION

Elder Muhlestein, Carol Proctor, Elder Caldwell

Elder Muhlestein, Ann Smith, Elder Caldwell

Cliett Family Darrell, Ethaniel, Bobbie with Elders Oliver & Caldwell
They were baptized in December
The Cliett family spent New Years Eve with us at our apartment. All missionaries were required to be in their apartments by 6pm. The Cliett's have six children and three grandchildren. All were present except two. The toddlers called me Grandma. Last week at church one of the toddlers saw me and ran over and and said hi grandma.

We have many baptisms in Augusta but this Saturday the baptism was very special. An older lady, Carol Proctor, with many health problems was baptized along with a twenty one year old girl, Ann Smith. The Elders taught Carol Proctor the gospel and she wanted to be baptized but the problem was getting her to church. She rides a motorized chair and can't walk without crutches. She has a car but can't drive it because of her eye sight. The Elders invited Elder Berry and me to go with them as they visited Carol. We all fell in love with each other. We started going with the Elders every time they visited Carol. Finally when Elder Berry didn't drive the van to church on Sunday and before anyone called us for a ride we made arrangements to pick Carol up in our car and drive her to church but she would have to walk from the car to the church with the aid of her crutches. During the week we checked all the thrift stores in Augusta for a push wheel chair. We found one in North August which is across the Savanna River in south Carolina. The price was right but the size wasn't. She made it to church with us, the walk from the car on crutches was difficult and she stayed for all the meetings. She was one tired lady when we finally returned her home. The following week Carol's nephew was staying with her so he drove her to church. That was her third time to attend church so now she could be baptized on Saturday. The problem was she was very heavy, had health problems and getting down the font steps to be baptized would be very difficult. Elder Berry and the Elders started making plans on just exactly how to baptize her without causing injury or embarrassment. They decided to put both Elders in the font and a chair for Carol to sit on and she was to sit on it sideways. After the baptismal prayer they would simply lean her back and immerse her. It all went well but when they immersed her she started floating. From above Elder Berry was a witness and an instructor. The Elders listened and followed his instructions well without any complications. Everyone was happy. The scary part was that the next day Carol drove herself to church because her nephew went back home. The other person baptized was Ann Smith. When we first arrived in Augusta the Elders were teaching Ann and she wanted to be baptized but she had to be interviewed by the mission president so he made a special trip to Augusta. The Elders arranged for us to pick her up and drive her to the interview but when we arrived to pick her up no Ann. She just disappeared for a week or so then she showed up again and arrangements were made for another interview. The mission president was in Augusta and agreed to work Ann in his schedule. Again arrangements were made for us to pick her up and when we got to where she lives she came to the car, we drove her to the interview and returned her home. The mission president gave his permission for her to be baptized. So a baptismal date was set and arrangements were made for us to pick her up. When we got to her apartment she wasn't home. We learned later she was across the street visiting and saw us drive away and tried to get our attention but we didn't see her. Then she disappeared for a week or so and then she shows back up and wanted to get baptized. Before her baptism Elder Berry and I had an opportunity to get to know her a little better. When we first picked her up we weren't very impressed with her. Once we got to know her and learned more about her we learned she has goals, is working hard to achieve them but she is at a disadvantage. She told us she lived with her grandmother until she was eleven years old and her grandmother always took her to church. Since her grandmother's death she has come to her in dreams tell her to go to church. We explained to her about genealogy and temple ordinances and told her she better not mess up because her grandmother was depending on her. Saturday we drove to Ann's apartment and drove her to her baptism. Sunday she rode the van to church and was confirmed. We sat together during Gospel Essentials and Relief Society and she would answer most of the questions under her breath. She is reading the Book of Mormon and is now reading from Alma. Sunday after church she showed me where she was reading and asked me to explain it to her because she couldn't understand it. We have great hopes for Ann and are looking for her a math tutor.

We had a great week if you subtract the two days Elder Berry had the stomach flu and the water heater in the apartment above us busted and flooded our apartment. "After we scooped up the water we made lemonade" (Elder Berry)
Love,

Elder and Sister Berry

PLAN YOUR WORK/WORK YOUR PLAN/NOT

Sunrise

Church parking lot

Sunset

After Sunday dinner and the Elders are leaving

No matter how hard we plan our schedule for each day it seems nothing goes as plans. Our days don't fall apart but they are filled with more important things so we put our plans on hold. For example: a member who lives in assisted living may call and need a ride to the doctor then after the doctor she needs us to drive her across the street to pre admit for outpatient surgery, the Elders call and invite us to accompany them as they teach a single girl, or someone needs a ride to church for an interview with the bishop. The list goes on and on. Saturday we had rides arranged for church on Sunday. We were to pick up Carol Proctor (an investigator) who lives downtown, then pick up Lee Ann (a recent convert) drive them to church and drop them off, then drive around the corner to pick up the Mathis family. Saturday Carol Proctor called and she had another ride. Curtis Fielding had been calling because he, his wife and baby needed a ride to church. Our schedule changed. Now we would pick up the Fielding family drive them to church drop them off, go pick up Lee Ann drop her off at church then pick up the Mathis family (a mother, 2 toddlers and baby), The phone woke us up from a deep sleep 12: Saturday night (or is that Sunday morning). It was Annette Jackson. She and her husband needed a ride to church. Elder Berry wasn't very kind but told her we would manage to get them to church. He also told her he was going to buy her a big clock to put on her wall so she wouldn't call people in the middle of the night and wake them up. Sunday morning we got a call form Christian Smoot who needed a ride to the hospital because his van was giving him trouble and he didn't have money to put gas in his van. The Schedule changed. We went to missionary correlation meeting then picked up Christian and drove him to the hospital. Now it was time to start our rounds picking up for Sacrament meeting. Lee Ann called and wouldn't be going to church because she had the flu. Our schedule changed. Elder Berry dropped me off at the Mathis so I could help Allisa get her family ready for church. Brother Berry picked up the Fielding family drove them to church, then picked up me and the Mathis family. At missionary correlation we made arrangements to get the Jacksons to church but their ride was late so they called us. We were able to track their ride down, the ride was on the way and they made it to church on time. Our schedule after Sacrament meeting can't be written for your understanding in the English language.

Friday was the only day our schedule didn't change. We drove three of our Elders to Columbia, South Carolina for a leadership training meeting and Elder and Sister Atkinson drove four. We didn't have to attend the meeting so we and the Atkinsons spent the day shopping and sight seeing in Columbia. Sister Atkinson noticed at transfers last month that one of the Elders wore a suit that was probably three sizes too small and holes were in both the elbows. He had grown so much since coming on his mission. Sister Atkinson notices all the Elders suits and checks to see if any ones suits needs mending. She mends and even alters suits. Sister Atkinsons's mission was to "check out that boys suit and buy him another one because there was no way that suit could be mended and not enough material to alter it and make it look decent." We checked out that boy and sure enough he had on that same small, ragged suit. We went to the mall, found a Penny's and the Atkinsons bought him a suit. During lunch break the Elder tried on the suit and it was almost a perfect fit. The pants needed to be lengthened and waist let out. Sister Atkinson said she could fix that so she took the suit back to Augusta with her when the meeting was over, did the alterations and drove back up to Columbia the next day and delivered the suit to the Elder. The Elder was thrilled and humbled. Sister Atkinson told the Elder when they returned the new suit they were on a "seek and destroy mission." They were seeking the old suit to destroy it. The Elder refused to let them destroy his suit because he wanted to take it home. So we all decided the suit had character. After our fun and relaxing day when the meeting was over we picked up our Elders and drove them back to Augusta. We saw the sun rise in the east as we drove toward Columbia and saw the sun set in the west as we drove back to Augusta.

We ask ourselves can we serve the Lord on a schedule/Not

Love Elder and Sister Berry

LIVING WATER

As we drive around Augusta and into South Carolina high above the buildings and trees we see water towers, many water towers. We can be driving on a ridge and far on the horizon above the trees on another ridge we see a water tower. We became fascinated with these water towers and started taking pictures of them. The thought came to us about water and the symbolism of "living water" as written by John in the New Testament. The last three months of 2011 we have been serving in Augusta along with the other Missionaries offering "living water" to those who would drink. Many drink but walk away while others listen and never drink yet others drink and enter the waters of baptism. This past week we had two baptisms. One on Thursday evening and one on Saturday afternoon. The baptism Saturday was two teenage boys, their mother should have been baptized with them but she can't stop smoking. Friday the Elders who have been teaching this woman invited Elder Berry and me to a discussion with her. She told us she still hadn't stopped smoking although her baptism due date was Saturday. We discussed her dilemma but she consented for her children to be baptised. We had a beautiful discussion and read from the Book of Mormon. We each took turns reading and we read the 8th chapter of First Nephi about Lehi's vision of the tree of life. The reason we started reading there is because that was where she was in her reading. Each of us took a turn reading and as Elder Berry read he would explain what he was reading. Occasionally we would stop and ask her if she had any questions or comments but she understood that she needed to grab hold of the iron rod. Before we finished she shed tears and we were all touched by the spirit. Elder Caldwell called the Mission President and got permission to baptize her the next day if she promised never to smoke again. With tears of gratitude she accepted the commitment. Saturday afternoon only the boys were baptized. Our hearts were breaking for her because she let a cigarette prevent her from drinking of the "living water".

We enjoyed New Years Eve with a recent convert family. They came to our apartment with all their children and grandchildren, nine in all. All missionaries ( including seniors) were required to be in their apartments by 6pm and stay. We ate and enjoyed visiting, tried to watch Legacy on the computer (the screen was too little) plus the toddlers wouldn't settle down. About ten the toddlers and baby got so tired they went home. I guess they enjoyed our evening because they sat by us at church on Sunday.
Early in the week we arranged to pick up an investigator for church on Sunday. The Elders have been teaching her but she can't get baptized because she hasn't been to church. She is large, handicapped and uses a motorized chair plus has poor eye sight. Because of her handicap she can't get into the van. She can walk short distances with the aid of crutches. The walk from the parking lot to the building is quite long. Tuesday we spent the day trying to locate a push wheel chair but had no luck. Sunday she came to church with us, stayed all three hours, and when we returned her home she was exhausted. She loved the meetings and the spirit she felt. She drank of the "living water"

Our days are busy and challenging. We love to serve. We love the people and we love Aususta. Our goal for the New Year is to help others come to Christ whether investigator, new convert, or less active by bringing them to drink of the "living water" and hold tight to the "iron rod" and serve the living God the remainder of their days. This is our desire and our testimony.

Love, Elder and Sister Berry