Marco

Hola,

This week I have had an amazing experience with our TRC Investigator, Marco. Most of our investigators here are members but we do have some nonmembers. Every one of them is paid to play a role of their choice. Such as playing the role of themselves before they were converted or whatever they choose. 

I don't know how old Marco is but I love to just see him and be around him. He has Polio and walks around on crutches but he is always smiling. When ever I come up to Marco, I can just feel his Spirit. I can literally feel Marco. I feel all the love he has in his heart and all the happiness that radiates from his body. He told me he writes poetry about life challenges but they're not about his life's challenges. He writes about challenges in general so that his readers can relate. Next week we are hoping he brings in some of his poetry! His investigator story is that he is from Peru (which is very likely) and his sister gave him a Book of Mormon (Libro de Mormon) and invited missionaries over to hear more. We have only taught him about 2 lessons before our lesson yesterday... which has been the best lesson yet. 

Our lesson yesterday was about how to recognize the promptings and feelings of the Holy Ghost. This was our lesson because the day before he had a question about how he will know the feeling of the Spirit. We started by sharing a few scriptures: 3 Nephi 11:3, and D&C 8:2. I used only a part of 3 Nephi so that I could explain how the Spirit talks to us. After I shared the scriptures and we explained them so he could understand, we shared some our first and most impressionable experiences feeling the Spirit and recognizing it as the Spirit. 

I started by telling him of how I felt the Spirit comfort me and testify of our Heavenly Fathers love, at my friend Kirklyn's memorial service. Then I told him about how I felt it while singing a hymn in sacrament meeting with all the priests and laurels in our ward. As I explained my feelings and thoughts of these events, and after my companion shared his experiences, we could feel the super strong presence of the Holy Ghost. I then asked Marco how he felt. He said he felt calm, peaceful, happy, and that he didn't want it to end. I then told him that he is feeling the Holy Ghost. And as I started to say "I also hope you can feel the love of your Heavenly Father", the spirit grew even stronger and I started to cry tears of happiness and joy because I could feel Heavenly Father's love. I also had the impression that the words coming out of my mouth were intended for me as well. 

After our lesson we took pictures with Marco and he got our email addresses because he didn't know if he'd see us again, he stops working here at the end of this month. He faithfully writes to about 70 missionaries a week right now!! This man is definitely going to Heaven!! We left by giving him hugs and I told him I love him because I truly do. 

But today I was so excited because we saw him as soon as we walked into the temple!!  

This experience made my week amazing and I hope my lessons in the future will be like this amazing Spiritual experience. 

Love,

Elder Berry

Marco. Please excuse my smile, I don't think I realized the picture was being taken. 

 

Idk what this is but me and Elder Jardon drew it and we love it.
​
​

Elder Aguirre, Elder Jardon, Me, and Elder Macinnes. 

Elder Jardon is a total hipster from Canada, it's super funny. And my companion (Macinnes) is also from Canada.
​

 

3rd week

Hola,

So this week has been pretty awesome, even with the sad news about Uncle Rich. It hasn't been too hard thinking about him not being here anymore. I know that he isn't suffering anymore and that makes me happy. I actually gave a devotional on eternal families and shared my experience this week with my whole zone, I think there were only a few dry eyes in the room. I told them I wanted to inspire them to stay strong on their missions no matter what happens. Then I showed them the Mormon Message 'Mountains to Climb', after which I bore my testimony.

Teaching our 'investigators' is difficult but also really fun. Everyday we learn new things about how to teach people based on their needs and it really helps a lot. My Spanish is slowly improving, I'm not expecting to be able to speak completely in Spanish for a few weeks but I can ask and answer most questions in Spanish. I have an easier time understanding what my teachers are saying, then trying to make sentences. In our lessons we speak a lot of Spainglish because we feel like we can say what our investigator needs to hear better in English... but we are working on taking our time and trying to say it in Spanish. 

Oh I keep forgetting to mention a pretty major thing... I joined the choir. hahaha. I have been doing it since about the time we got here. I usually sing Bass or Baritone, if they have Baritone. I can't go higher than that, I tried singing with the 1st and 2nd Altos.... and that was horrible. 

On Tuesday we watched a video at Devotional called 'Character of Christ' by Elder Bednar. It is one of the most awesome videos I have ever watched and had me on the verge of tears. I encourage everyone to watch, I think we all can learn something from it.

So I love my District. We are District C but we call ourselves Distrito Chulo, and no I don't mean Cholo. But there has been some issues with a companionship. One of the Elders told his companion that the first week he would just think about everything he hates about him. The Elder who told his companion that he hated him is quite the character. He is constantly talking and can dish out jokes but can't take them. He and his companion are working things out, which is better than what they were doing yesterday... which was not talking. The zone leaders are dealing with them now.

I also really love the other districts in my zone! There is District A, B, and D. District A has the zone leaders and Elder Quin Payne is in District B. District D is a district of all Hermanas and they are in the classroom right next to us... we really appreciate that. ;D But don't worry, there is no flirtation. If anyone is getting flirtatious, the other Elders just mention the numbers 33 because that is the page in the Missionary Manual about how there is to be no flirting with the Hermanas.

A lot of Sisters and Elders ask me about Vegas. Everyone seems to know someone from Henderson except Hermana Kilgore (Her cousin went to Shadow). They all ask me how close I live to the Strip and I am tempted to tell them that I live on the Strip. It's also pretty funny how Molly Mormon they are; they're almost all from Utah. They think that Las Vegas couldn't possibly have a whole lot of LDS members, but they are so wrong!! 

I think that's about everything that has happened this week. I love you all!! And send my letters!! DearElder.com can send free letters if you can't actually send me one. My mailing address is:

Elder Caleb Wade Berry

NOV10 MEX - MEXN 

2033 N 900 E Unit 848

Provo UT 84602

-Elder Berry

In order:



 

Me and Elder Macinnes


 

On our way to the temple

Hola

Hola,

SO... I didn't get a P-day Saturday because I had to travel for my visa to Salt Lake. On the trip we saw hobos, talked to a lot of people on the trains, and one pair of missionaries gave out a Book of Mormon... who do they think they are? Missionaries? :P Anyways, it took two hours to get to the consulate and we were only there for 30 minutes and then it took two more hours to get back to Provo. There was one idiot missionary who ran across the tracks, after hopping off the platform. I don't know why, but fortunately for him there was no train coming. 

I'd like to tell you what my last week was like but I can't really tell you in detail because I can't remember!!! We have the hardest time remembering what days we did certain things on. I will share what I can remember. So our 'investigator' turned into one of our new teachers this week. We weren't expecting that. He's really cool and kind of hipster; he's 22. Our zone is huge, we have 4 districts in our zone and one of them just came in last Wednesday; they're all Hermanas and the classroom right next to me ;) One of the Hermanas from another district told me about the dream she had of me. I was a zoo keeper and I worked the alligator exhibit hahaha I think I can actually see myself doing that, so I will look into it after my mission. 

I have seen Elders Payne, Decker, Rounds, Klingaman, and Lundquist while I've been here. Me and Elder Payne have to stay on West Campus but on our trips to main campus, he saw the other Elders. West campus is shutting down on the 30th, and then we move to Main Campus. IT SUCKS!! West Campus is very relaxed and nice and small. I don't want to move in with the other weirdos at Main Campus, they think they're better than us. 

My spanish is coming along very nicely. I can pray, bear my testimony, and ask most questions in spanish. I am anticipating speaking in full sentences in 2 weeks or so, HOPEFULLY! I have also spiritually grown a lot. I cried on Saturday evening during class bearing my testimony about faith in Jesus Christ and what it means to me... I didn't even know I was going to until I couldn't see through all my tears. I love being a missionary and I love learning about the gospel and how to teach people, NOT lessons. They tell us to teach by the spirit, which means that the lesson we spent like 30 minutes preparing could go a totally different direction if one of us feels inspired to talk about other things. Yo se que este iglesia es verdadero y que Dios y Jesucristo amor mi. 

I am going to close with a joke that only makes sense in spanish. Que la diferencia entre una pera y la novia de un misionero? Una es pera y la otra no espera. 

Love,

Elder Mora (Berry in Spanish)

In order:

Me and some guys from the District.

 

 

 

Me and Elder Decker

 

 

 

Elder Berry (Mora)

Elder Berry's First Letter

Hola,

I don't have my address book with me today so I can't email everyone, so if you could share this on Facebook or something, that'd be awesome! I am on main campus today and I live on West Campus, building 29. I walk past the area Tino lives by everyday haha. We move to main campus in a few weeks though. I love the MTC, I am having a great time! My district is amazing, we all love each other so much and it's ridiculous how well we get along because it is only day 4. We are in our classroom for 12 hours a day. 3 hours of teaching from Hermana Steward, 3 hour block for each of our 3 companionships to teach our investigator Benjamin (who only speaks spanish) and 4 hours to plan, personal study, companion study and study spanish. The first day we got here, our other teacher Hermano See, only spoke to us in spanish... and he usually does unless we are really confused and then he talks in english, but only for a second. I can almost completely pray in spanish, I gave the opening prayer at our district devotional in 98% spanish and 2% english. I love spanish!! I usually pray for 'el don de languas', as do most the missionaries in my district. 

My companion is Elder Macinnes and I love him to death. He is a little quiet but is strong in the Gospel. He is from Saskatchewan, Canada. He is 21 and was in the Canadian Army Reserve before his mission. Which, reminds me, I would like it if I could get some money or if you can send some of my own stuff down here for me to give to mi companero. I feel like his financial situation was tight before he came here and there are some things he doesn't have. He needs a light p day jacket because the mornings are very frio, and this morning he had to use his thin rain jacket. I also want to give him some shirts and pants because all of his p day ones he said, are from a second hand store... which isn't bad but they are a little old and ratty. I love him so much and I just want to help him as best as I can to be as comfortable as me.

My district is made up of tres companionships: Me and Elder Macinnes, Elders Aguirre and Jardon, and Elders Adams and Gage. Elders Aguirre and Jardon have an unfair advantage because they came from Mexican families and can 80% of the time understand what anyone is saying in Spanish. However, I use them to my advantage and ask them how to correctly say things. Elder Aguirre is the District leader and Jardon is his senior companion... There have been a few discussions on who has more authority haha. District leader wins everytime. I also forgot to mention that Elder Macinnes is my senior companion for 3 weeks and then I am his.

I love my district, companion, and zone. I would send pictures but since we are on the main campus today for general conference and the computers don't have SD card ports, I will have to send them next week :(. I love you guys and I will talk to you next week!

Love, 

Elder Berry