BE HAPPY

 The atonement of Jesus Christ is the central point in the great plan of happiness. At Christmas we celebrate His birth with many traditions and happy memories. In years past we have had the opportunity to spend Christmas Eve with dear friends who happen to be the parents of our son's wife.Each year the story of Christ's birth was read from the scriptures while the children and now grandchildren dressed in costume  preformed. Last year we missed the Christmas Eve party and will do so again this year but Saturday we had the opportunity to attend our Ward Christmas party. After dinner we enjoy a special program preformed by the Young Men, Young Women, and Primary. Two narrators read the nativity story while everyone else acted it out but it had a little twist to it. Every time the angel had a part she drug a chair onto the stage and stood on it, then drug it back off with her. Joseph was supposed to be sleeping but he didn't lie down so the narrator read again in a louder voice, "I said Joseph was sleeping." There were a few other little things like that which brought little laughs. We love being with our ward family and we feel this program was especially  for us. No matter where we are when we here this story it is always the same and it always brings great joy.

Angel 

Narrators

We learned the hard way, one thing you never do on a mission is shell pecans. The South is famous for pecans and pecan trees grow everywhere. We bought a few pecans to shell and use in our Christmas baking. Wednesday morning we shelled a few pecans and when Elder Berry stood up he got a catch in his back and the rest of the week went down hill from there. Later that day he hobbled to the dermatologist and had a big hole cut out of the side of his head, skin cancer removed. After the dermatologist he hobbled back home and spent the rest of the day with an ice pack. He wasn't able to make it to "Bible study" ( Book of Mormon class) that night. Thursday was a stay at home day trying to heal. Many of the people we have been working with called to check on Elder Berry and let us know they were praying for him. One sister made a cold pack/heat pack and brought it to him. We have had so many people showering us with love and concern, for this we are grateful and brings great happiness.

Friday we had Zone Training Meeting and interviews with President Holm. Elder Berry struggled getting dressed and getting out the door, but he made it. President Holm instructed the Elders and Sister how to be happy. He said being happy is a choice and that you don't just wake up some day and decide to be happy. It's a journey not a destination. Being happy when you don't feel like it is an act of faith, happiness is a product of self respect. Self respect is a by product of desire which is to desire what God wants for us. Desire is a by product of dreams and goals and that fuels vision which require faith and hope. All these qualities the president spoke about were tied together with scripture. Mosiah 2:41 "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness...."

If we put things into our lives to make us happy then our lives will be happy. President Holm told us we will be getting 88 more Sister (19 year old) missionaries in the next few months. One hundred ninety missionaries are now serving in our mission and in the near future the mission will grow to two hundred seventy four. Missionary work is accelerating and with this many missionaries serving we should roll the stone forward in a more rapid pace. Happiness is leaving your family many miles away (even at Christmas) as you serve the Lord and invite others to  come unto Christ and partake of the Great Plan of Happiness.

Love, Elder and Sister Berry

                    Cory--King Herod