STAND ACCOUNTABLE

Augusta District Stands Accountable-Elder and Sister Berry, Elder De Ferrari (Spanish speaking, two weeks in the mission field), Elder Ultra, Elder Harris (Spanish speaking), Elder Cahoon (district leader), Elder Phillips, Elder Bogden - This last transfer the Spanish speaking Elders were put back in our district and with a senior couple that makes us the largest district in the zone.

Look at this crew do they look accountable for anything? Once and a while we just need to have a good time. The good time was had at Sunday dinner at our apartment after a long day of service. The Spanish speaking Elders attended church at the Spanish Branch and the rest of us were responsible for getting members to the Augusta Ward. As we have written before our day starts at 9am and isn't over until about 6pm when the last person is dropped off at their home and the van returned to its owner. These Elders have a lot of responsibility on Sundays getting members to church and they do a great job standing accountable for this responsibility. Once we get everyone to church, fellowshiping and directing them to where they need to go and what they need to do is some of the things they do best. Sunday dinner last an hour and then the Elders are out the door. Our Sunday dinners give us all a chance to just relax and discuss the day, what went wrong, what we could have done better, and the good that was accomplished. We also joke and laugh and enjoy each others company. We stand accountable for our actions that day.

       Sister King from the Harlem District and Harlem Ward had a birthday.                                   

After District meeting on Tuesday we celebrated with birthday cake. There are only four missionaries in the Harlem District, a set of Elders (Waynesboro Ward)  and a set of Sisters so if there isn't a ward mission leader available to meet with them Sister Berry is sometimes invited to meet with them which she is happy to do. When this happens Elder Berry attends our district meetings. On Tuesday three district meetings are held at our building in different rooms, Grovetown District, Harlem District and Augusta District. At each of these meetings the Elders and Sisters are Held Accountable for their works the past week, who they are teaching, and how many people they have on date for baptism and what they plan to do to accomplish their goals. This is a favorite part of the meeting for us. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more people
in this world would stand accountable for their actions. Stephen R. Covey says, "Accountability breeds responsible-ability." This is true and we see it in our missionaries actions as they eagerly strive to seek those who have been prepared to receive their message.

Sisters Roos and King (Harlem)

Elders Cooper (Harlem District), De Ferrari, and Harris

Elders De Ferrari, Bogden, Cahoon, and Harris

Elders Ultra, Phillips, Bogden, Worthen, and Sister Roos

Elder Worthen (Waynesboro, Harlem District)

Elder Harris and Elder Ultra

The weeks seem to just fly by but each week is so different from the week before. One thing we can always count on is that each new week brings new adventures. Two weeks ago as we were searching out ward members we had the opportunity to meet a very special young man. About a year ago the missionaries taught him, the van picked him up for church, he was baptized and when the van stopped picking him up he became inactive. For a week we pondered over how we could help this young man, and how much supervision he would need when attending church. This young man lives in a home with a care giver so we decided we should talk to her. (Why is it so hard to figure out simple things?) The care giver is not a member of the church but is very supportive of this young man.We learned that he is Down Syndrome, has been abused, needs constant supervision and has a hard time with people he doesn't know. There is no one that can bring him to church and remain with him. Social Service does not permit visits with his family. We and the care giver agreed that we could visit this young man each week and get to know him then we will decide where to go from there.The care giver told us he likes ice cream so our next visit we'll take ice cream.

Elder Berry has finally found his Monday preparation day activity. There is a widow in our ward with a large yard who needs flower beds dug up, weeded and raked. She has allowed us the privilege of assisting her. Last Monday we spent two hours in the outdoors using our muscles and we loved it. Today we will go back for another two hour session. Yesterday at church she said she would see us Monday. 

We spend lots of time talking and visiting with people, mostly inactive or less active. Some invite us into their homes while others talk to us at the door. One sister invited us into her home, we visited, she had a desire to come to church but didn't have transportation, we arranged for the van to pick her up and she was at church yesterday. We visited another sister at the door, invited her to come to church and she and her family were at church yesterday. The bishopric greeted this family warmly and other ward members did the same. We could see the joy on their faces as they attended all the meetings. The Elders are teaching a young lady with two children and she is living with her fiance, the father of the baby. This girl's dad is a convert and she agreed to have the missionaries come because of the great change in her dad since he joined the church. She and her fiance had their first discussion Saturday and the Elders invited us to go with them. It was so wonderful and so sweet. The Elders invited them to church but they didn't make it. We have another discussion with then this week and we are looking forward to it. We have had so many wonderful experiences along with lots of tender mercies for which we are grateful. We Stand Accountable.

Standing Accountable is not just for missionaries. It is a principles we need to apply throughout our lives no matter what opportunities we may have or challenges we may face. ( "So then everyone of us shall give  account of himself to God." Romans 14:12)

Love, Elder and Sister Berry

         Persian Proverb "Thinking well is wise, planning well, wiser; doing well wisest and best of all."