DECLARE THE GOSPEL

Elders Bogden and Abankwa with Aaron Martin Saturday
Sunday Elder Abankwa turned 21

Sunday dinner Elder Fickling (assistant ward mission leader returned missionary going to college) Elder Caldwell (he has been in Augusta for six months), Elder Ultra, Elder Abankwa, Sister Berry and Elder Bogden

Saturday-Elder Bogden turned 20

Augusta District Saturday night planning meeting. Planing Sunday van route

President and Sister Holm and Elder Riddle (assistant)

Sister and Brother Decker (drove all day to make it to this meeting and arrived just as we were finishing dinner. Sitting next to them is Sister Laudie

This past week we had the opportunity to go to Columbia for a Senior Couples training meeting. We first met a a local chapel for training with President and Sister Holm and later drove to the mission home for a delicious dinner that Sister Holm had prepared. There are twelve senior couples and two senior sisters serving throughout the mission and only one couple was unable to attend. While we were having dinner Elder and Sister Decker arrived straight from the MTC and will be replacing Elder and Sister Hunt in the office. Elder Decker will be over transportation and Sister Decker over housing. The Hunts had to vacate their apartment for the Deckers so the Hunts were packed and ready to leave except they were staying two days to train the Decker's so they were staying at the mission home for two nights. Along with the Hunts, two other couples are going home and the two single sisters will be leaving soon. We are very sad because Elder and Sister Atkinson who trained us will be leaving this Wednesday. Although we have only known them for six months we have grown to love them as we have served in the same area together and will miss them greatly. The Atkinsons were over military relations at Fort Gordon and worked with the Grovetown Ward which meets in the Augusta building. We enjoyed planning and preparing the transfer dinners for the Elders with the Atkinsons. They truly loved the missionaries and served the Lord with all their hearts. There is no replacement for the Atkinsons yet and we don't know how long it will take to get another couple so Elder Berry and I will be the only Senior Couple in Augusta, Georgia, at this time. One of Sister Holm's responsibilities is the health and welfare of the missionaries. Because she and President Holm can't be ever where she asked us to be eyes and ears for them as we server with the young Elders and Sisters. Recently we reported to sister Holm that one of our missionaries was sick and needed to see a doctor because he wouldn't make the call to her. Sister Holm immediately contacted the missionary and made arrangements for him to see a doctor. It turns out that the missionary was very sick and they greatly appreciated the information. We were asked not to advise, talk sports, grandparent or make missionary work too easy for them although we are to help them. As we have served with the young Elders in the Augusta District we feel they are far above us in their ability to Declare the Gospel and serve with all their hearts. We have served with some of the best Elders in the Columbia, South Carolina Mission. During our training we were reminded that we were to: help local units in reactivation no matter what other assignments we may have and help find but the Elders were to teach, be Bold-Loving but bold, fellowship recent converts, visit less active and part member families and serve. President Holm told us that no matter what other duties we have we are here to Declare the Gospel and teach the restoration. The more we work and serve the more successful we will be and our sins will be forgiven. We thoroughly enjoy the time spent with other senior couples and the instructions and guidance from President and Sister Holm. We love being senior missionaries.

As you can tell from the pictures we had a very busy week. Elder Bogden had a birthday Saturday and Elder Abankwa had a birthday Sunday. The highlight of the week was the baptism of Aaron Martin. Aaron is stationed at Fort Gordon and he and his wife live in our apartment complex and we had the opportunity to fellowship them as they were taught by the missionaries. Tiffany, Aaron's wife is less active yet she wanted her husband to get baptized so they can go to the temple. We still have some work to do with Tiffany. One Sunday we invited Tiffany and Aaron to our Sunday dinner with all the missionaries and Brother Ficklin. We all had a very good time. Tiffany prepares dinner for the missionaries every Thursday evening. They invited us to their home with the missionaries the following Thursday so now we have a standing dinner date with them one Thursday night a month. Every Saturday evening we meet with the missionaries from 8-9pm at our apartment planning the van route for Sunday and what every one's responsibility will be. Who will drive the van and which elders will ride in the van to direct the driver, who will drive the two other elders around to knock on doors and which doors to knock on. The route changes according to who is being taught and if there is room for members who don't have cars and aren't on a pick up schedule by a ward member. Every Saturday evening we always have a snack for the Elders and with that snack we have milk. They love milk and can do away with almost a gallon. What they don't drink we send it home with them. Saturday the snack was cupcakes for Elder Bogden's birthday. Sunday we celebrated Elder Abankwa's birthday with chocolate cake and ice cream after dinner.

This past week we knocked on lots of doors. Sometimes we could hear people inside, one door almost opened but then everything went quiet. We think a child tried to unlock the door but a parent stopped them. Some have talked to us at the door and some have invited us in. As we visit we include active members who are older and have special need. One door we knocked on was a less active recent convert but there was no answer so we left our card and some magazines. She called us back later and invited us for lunch the next day. She and her husband both have cancer and are struggling with that. Our lunch was delicious and we left them with a message and prayer. She said she would try to be at church Sunday but it's hard to know how she will feel from day to day. She didn't make it to church Sunday. The highlight of our visits was with a sister who is a widow. She converted to the church as a young mother at the age of 23 and has been active and served ever since. Her story is so inspiring yet sad and it's hard to imagine the trials that she has endured. As we visited with this sister we had the opportunity to discuss gospel principles and the love the Savior has for us. By her testimony she Declared the Gospel to us.

We are hoping before our mission is over we will be able to Declare the Gospel Bold as we have been instructed and bring others to Christ. We Boldly Declare to our family and all our friends that the Gospel is true, that Jesus is the Christ the Savior of the world.

Love Elder and Sister Berry