PRIESTHOOD POWER

ZONE CONFERENCE - TUESDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2012

President Squires (middle) our recently called Stake President



. Tuesday was Augusta Zone Conference in Augusta, Georgia. Our new Stake President, President Squires and his wife spoke to the zone. President Squire outlined his vision for the stake and missionary service. He was truly inspiring as he talked about achieving real growth. Real growth is tied to the atonement of Jesus Christ as we invite others to come to Christ. The four key indicators of real growth are: temple recommend holders, Melchizedek Priesthood, sacrament meeting attendance, and prospective missionaries. In order to achieve real growth we need Priesthood Power. Priesthood Power comes through activating priesthood holders and personal righteousness. Righteous women increase Priesthood Power. Strengthening testimonies, know who we are,  and living as we should will increase Priesthood Power. Priesthood Power is given to all who are worthy disciples of Christ who go and do. /(Alma 5:14-15). Service (go and do) and increasing number of priesthood holders increases Priesthood Power. President Holm and President Squires are truly working together to increase Priesthood Power in our stake and mission. Missionary work has risen to a new level. Instructions from the missionary department is to put prospective  members on date to be baptized in three weeks not four. The missionaries responsibility is to teach, invite and baptize. The missionaries move on so the new members need to be converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ not the missionaries. Priesthood Power will increase as members fellowship, continue teaching and strengthen testimonies. Every member is a missionary!

Car Inspection

Senior couples inspected missionary's cars while they were in meetings we joined them when finished

Thursday we had the opportunity to drive the Grovetown elders, Elders Maurer and Bailey, to Adrain, Georgia, a little town 83 miles (1 hour 45 minutes) south of Augusta. Adrain is in our zone but there are no missionaries there although there is a branch in another small town a few miles away but still no missionaries. The Elders got a referral to teach a sister there, got permission from the mission president to go  if they could get someone to drive them there because they couldn't spare the miles on their car. On the first visit their ward mission leader drove them. Although the Elders couldn't reach her on the phone and make an appointment, they felt inspired to go and so they did. Connie was home, welcomed the missionaries and they gave several discussions, left a Book of Mormon and other material. She was excited and eager to learn more. The Elders got permission to make one more trip before turning her over to the branch president. The Elders needed transportation so Elder Berry and I had the privilege of driving them and meeting Connie. We learned that her aunt who is a member of the church and has been for years submitted her name. Connie told us her aunt and 90 year old grandmother joined the church when she was a young girl. After they joined the church she told us the rest of the family disowned them and even persecuted them. The aunt raised a righteous family which is active in the church. Connie has lived a hard life of drugs, etc but has been drug free for ten years when she gave her life to Christ and was saved. Since that time she has studied the Bible and she teaches a Bible class each week. Her Bible is falling apart from use. She loves what she has been taught, has studied the material that was left and read from the Book of Mormon and compared it to the Bible. She knows the Book of Mormon is true and is eager to be baptized but needs to live the word of wisdom. Her dileama, she transports some little old ladies to church who don't drive and what to do about her Bible study group. The Elders told her to pray about it, good answer. Connie manages many acres of private land with a huge lake. Her house sits across the road facing the lake and what a beautiful view. She lives in a little bit of paradise.The pictures aren't bad, just bad weather. It was cloudy and rained on us most of the day but we had a wonderful trip. We were grateful to meet Connie, feel of her desire to know the truth, feel her sweet spirit and have the opportunity to assist the Elders as they bring others to Christ. Now the branch has the opportunity to fellowship and love Connie as she progresses and grows.

Connie

View from Connie's house

This Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving is transfer day and would have been the last transfer for many of our missionaries. Due to the holiday, transfers came early for those leaving the mission field. They reported to the mission home Friday afternoon instead. They left for their new assignment Saturday, home. Elder Cahoon was one of the Elders who reported Friday so Elder Berry and I drove him to the mission home. We love Elder Cahoon and wish him God speed.

Augusta District last picture - Elders Olsen, Potts, Wilkenson, Cahoon, Berry and Sister Berry

Elders Cahoon and Olsen - Elder Olsen will be without a  companion until Wednesday. He will join Elders Wilkinson and Potts making three.

The Mathis family had a new baby Thursday and brought him home Friday. Elder Berry and I didn't get to visit them until Saturday. He is beautiful.

Happy brothers

Our grandson Elder Garrett Berry is serving in Seattle Washington and his weekly letter was forwarded to us. His message is what we are attempting to say but better. Elder Garrett wrote, "Sharing the gospel is our responsibility as members and especially if we hold the priesthood. In D&C:50 it talks about to what we were ordained and it is to preach the gospel, so if we hold the priesthood and we are not preaching the gospel to people we are not living up to the oath and covenant. It's also interesting because preaching the gospel goes alot farther than to just non members. It is doing our home teaching, helping strengthen the members in our wards and under our stewardship and our families. I have just been thinking alot about that the past few days and how important it is that we all share the gospel and not hold the celestial kingdom back from anyone."  Now is the time for all members to be actively involved in missionary work. We need your help in finding, transporting, fellowship and loving others as they receive the true gospel of Jesus Christ and claim their blessings so Priesthood Power can be increased in our stakes, wards, and branches throughout the world.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! Count Your Many Blessings

Love, Elder and Sister Berry