FROM AUGUSTA WITH LOVE

Mathis children. Tony in yellow shirt is the door locker

Japanese Magnolia in full Bloom. They are beautiful.

Missionaries spreading a little Glue

Town of Harlem

Love is like glue-it holds everything together so we have been all over Augusta spreading glue We have had some good and some sad experiences as we have traveled the city. One family we contacted said they no longer believed in the Book of Mormon, only the Bible. When we drove up to this man's house he saw us coming and came outside and met us and wanted to know how we found him because his family had moved three times since they stopped coming to "your" church. He wasn't very happy to see us and asked us not to contact his family anymore. We talked with him briefly, shook hands and hopefully were able to spread a little glue. We knock on doors, people peep out but never open their door. These people will get letters and hopefully some day we will be able to visit them so we can spread a little glue. One family we visit just love for us to come but we can't get them to Sacrament Meeting very often. It seems someone in the family is always sick or something. This is a beautiful family with children so we visit them once a week and give them a family home evening lesson involving the little children (which they really enjoy). By small and simple things we hope to get them to attend Church regularly by spreading a little glue. The Bishop sent us to see a young man living in a half way house who had been excommunicated from the church who had been referred to us by his Bishop in another town. This young man expressed a desire to get his life in order and start coming to church. We left him with some books and arranged for him to have a ride to church Sunday. Sunday morning he called and wasn't able to make it to church because of a mandatory meeting he had to attend. Yesterday we called and arranged to take him to lunch Wednesday and he seemed eager to meet with us again. Hopefully we'll be able to spread a little glue with this young man as he struggles to get his life in harmony with the Gospel. By last Friday we had spent so much time in our car driving the city of Augusta we decided riding in a car wasn't for us. Friday was spent doing what needed to be done with as little driving as possible and baking heart shaped cookies to deliver on Valentines Day. Saturday was a baptism and all members of a family are now baptised except the baby. What joy to watch as a family is united in love and faith in God
Yesterday as decided to drive to Harlem and deliver some Valentine Cookies to the Sisters there. We hadn't seen them since we dropped them off over a week ago. We decided we need to spread a little glue since they are in a small down away from everyone. They were excited to see us and told us they had been trying to get our phone number because they needed a ride to district development meeting the next day at the ward building in Augusta. We agreed to pick them up because we also go to DDM at the same building. They needed a ride because a round trip in their car would rack up forty miles and they didn't have any extra miles to spare. We will drive eighty miles in order to help the Sisters save forty miles. We love it though.

A little poem by Elder Berry: Love is what makes the Elders go.

Through humid heat or blinding snow.

Love is what helps change behavior.

Blessings are received when we show

Love toward our neighbor and Savior.

Have a Happy Valentines Day and be sure you spread lots of glue.

Love, Elder and Sister Berry