From: Bryan Jay Barney
Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 7:39 AM
To: Marilyn J. Barney
Subject:
Hey, no idea if anyone is online/awake or whatever, but I didn´t receive any e-mails which were sent to me last week, if any were sent to me. I have a new e-mail account because the church is planning on changing the system. Dunno if e-mails sent to the old one will come to me, so let everybody know to send to [email address deleted].
Love,
Bryan.
Note from Mom: If you would like to send Bryan an email, please send me a request for his email addy at my email: inkstndpsyche@yahoo.com
Remember: He can only receive your emails, he cannot reply to them.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Email - 12/22/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:08 AM
Subject: Re: RE: Natal Tá CHEGANDO!
Wow, that photo . . . has got to be one of the worst shots of me in the mission ever. ACK. I had like, a huge zit or something that day. Oh man. But wow, Dad on the mission? That´s a huge trip to see. A HUGE trip. SO LONG AGO. That´s a photo that needs to be preserved. Some day I´ll show it off to my sons and daughters, and wow, there´s grampa some 300 years ago, haha. WOW. I´m trying not to laugh because I´m in the Lan House surrounded by people, but that is funny as heck to see. I don´t even know why. It´s so crazy see the difference in style, too. It´s against Mission Law for us to use shades, and no Elder in his right mind here would wear a vest. But if you really want to see some shots that are similar, you need to put that picture of Dad along side some shots of me when I was in Goiânia, and my hair had grown and I had started to use glasses. THAT is why I find it so crazy.
My new and possibly temporary companion is Élder Barbosa, a friend of mine from WAAAAY back in my second transfer in Uberlandia. He´d been working in the Staff as the Sec. Historian until recently, AKA last week. But, according to what I understand this Sunday we´ll know if he´s gonna stick around till the transfer, or if we´ll be trading again. Funny, really, after Élder Eliason, not a single one of my companions has stuck with me more than 6 weeks.
Friday last week Élder Zwick, of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy visited our mission. It was really cool to meet him, and to learn from him. He said that an Élder Barney had served in the Chile mission he had presided, and Sister Zwick had spoken with some friends of mine from the CTM who are serving in Salvador, Bahia. E. Zwick told an awesome story about how, when he was coming here, he was stopped in the Temple by Pres. Monson, who told him to give a big hug to our mission from him. Very awesome.
As for my boxes, I´ve only received the one Matt sent. The Two (?) you sent were not sent to me this week, though Sunday, if we go to Goiânia, Élder Barbosa and I will grab the boxes. I sent one Secretary to open one of them for me, because a jar of jelly had exploded, but he informed that, outside the jelly, only one photo had been ruined, and that another jar had survived the journey.
Wow, the vacuum died huh? How long have we had that thing? Twenty, fifty years? Great-Gramma Richey used that sucker, didn´t she, haha. I hope the new one doesn´t kick it before I get back. I haven´t seen a floor that can be vacuumed since Provo.
It´s good to hear Megan made it home safely. I, myself, won´t be in Jardim São Paulo (Saint Paul Garden, which is not, at all, as pretty as the name suggests, or at least, not enough to merit St. Garden) I´ll be on division, working down town. Zone Leaders, what´cha gonna do, huh? So I have no idea what phone I´ll be using to call home. Just know that it´ll probably be or in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on our schedule. Because if I call at Noon, it´s only 6 AM back home, but if I call around 4 PM here, it should be around 10 AM there, though if I put it off til 8 PM here, it´ll be around 2 PM there, though I think it more likely that I´ll be calling in the morning. No idea yet, because well, the Zone Leaders sent me a loop. SO NO SLEEPING IN.
I Love you all, send my love to Grampa, Matt, and the whole family, to Kelsey, Sharelle, Jessica, Josh and all my friends, and to the whole Spanaway Ward.
Back to work for me, haha.
Love,
Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 8:08 AM
Subject: Re: RE: Natal Tá CHEGANDO!
Wow, that photo . . . has got to be one of the worst shots of me in the mission ever. ACK. I had like, a huge zit or something that day. Oh man. But wow, Dad on the mission? That´s a huge trip to see. A HUGE trip. SO LONG AGO. That´s a photo that needs to be preserved. Some day I´ll show it off to my sons and daughters, and wow, there´s grampa some 300 years ago, haha. WOW. I´m trying not to laugh because I´m in the Lan House surrounded by people, but that is funny as heck to see. I don´t even know why. It´s so crazy see the difference in style, too. It´s against Mission Law for us to use shades, and no Elder in his right mind here would wear a vest. But if you really want to see some shots that are similar, you need to put that picture of Dad along side some shots of me when I was in Goiânia, and my hair had grown and I had started to use glasses. THAT is why I find it so crazy.
My new and possibly temporary companion is Élder Barbosa, a friend of mine from WAAAAY back in my second transfer in Uberlandia. He´d been working in the Staff as the Sec. Historian until recently, AKA last week. But, according to what I understand this Sunday we´ll know if he´s gonna stick around till the transfer, or if we´ll be trading again. Funny, really, after Élder Eliason, not a single one of my companions has stuck with me more than 6 weeks.
Friday last week Élder Zwick, of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy visited our mission. It was really cool to meet him, and to learn from him. He said that an Élder Barney had served in the Chile mission he had presided, and Sister Zwick had spoken with some friends of mine from the CTM who are serving in Salvador, Bahia. E. Zwick told an awesome story about how, when he was coming here, he was stopped in the Temple by Pres. Monson, who told him to give a big hug to our mission from him. Very awesome.
As for my boxes, I´ve only received the one Matt sent. The Two (?) you sent were not sent to me this week, though Sunday, if we go to Goiânia, Élder Barbosa and I will grab the boxes. I sent one Secretary to open one of them for me, because a jar of jelly had exploded, but he informed that, outside the jelly, only one photo had been ruined, and that another jar had survived the journey.
Wow, the vacuum died huh? How long have we had that thing? Twenty, fifty years? Great-Gramma Richey used that sucker, didn´t she, haha. I hope the new one doesn´t kick it before I get back. I haven´t seen a floor that can be vacuumed since Provo.
It´s good to hear Megan made it home safely. I, myself, won´t be in Jardim São Paulo (Saint Paul Garden, which is not, at all, as pretty as the name suggests, or at least, not enough to merit St. Garden) I´ll be on division, working down town. Zone Leaders, what´cha gonna do, huh? So I have no idea what phone I´ll be using to call home. Just know that it´ll probably be or in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on our schedule. Because if I call at Noon, it´s only 6 AM back home, but if I call around 4 PM here, it should be around 10 AM there, though if I put it off til 8 PM here, it´ll be around 2 PM there, though I think it more likely that I´ll be calling in the morning. No idea yet, because well, the Zone Leaders sent me a loop. SO NO SLEEPING IN.
I Love you all, send my love to Grampa, Matt, and the whole family, to Kelsey, Sharelle, Jessica, Josh and all my friends, and to the whole Spanaway Ward.
Back to work for me, haha.
Love,
Bryan.
Email - 12/15/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 8:02 AM
Subject: Natal Tá CHEGANDO!
Our weather has also been pretty freakish down here. One hour it´s burning hot, the next it´s raining cats and dogs. Basically you have to hide every 15 minutes to avoid some manner of terrible fate. I´ll let you know if it snows.
I want a cute froggy hat, too!!
I´m excited to get my packages this week, then I, too, will have a concert in my house! I have speakers, a cd player, batteries, and now I just need CDs!
I hope she pulls off getting home in time for Christmas this year. Goodness knows close calls are stressfull.
It´s going to be fun this Christmas. My day´ll go something like this. I´ll wake up around 7 AM, because hey, it´s Christmas, I think I´m justified just once, then we´ll open our packages, then after a while it´ll be off to lunch. Lunch is in a place where generally there are no forks nor cups nor anything to drink, but then again, the sister tries her best, I feel, given she has 8 kids who run around breaking stuff and she buys plates especially for us to use. Then we´ll probably take off to call home, then time allowing, we´ll pass by one or two of the people we know, and then at around 5ish we´ll show up at another member´s house whose invited us to pass the Supper with them. So it´ll be a good day.
Hey, you never know about long hair. Look at the Prophets. It´s been a good long time since they used long hair. Haha.
Let´s hope the phone call works out all wonderfully then. I´ve been hunting a good spot to sit and call this Christmas. I´m sure I´ll have to discuss it with my companion.
Speaking of which, Elder Souza Silva, my companion, was transferred in emergency this morning, to Uberaba, in Minas. Elder S. Silva is from Minas, and will now be serving close to home, haha. No, we don´t know why, nor do I know who my new companion will be. At the moment I´m here with Élder Ribeiro, from my district.
Well, I´m about out of time, but let everyone there know I love them, and to keep up the good work. Let my friends know I can receive e-mails from them, but not respond,that way they can communicate more quickly with me, because frankly, it might be a while until I can send letters.
Until later!
Love,
Bryan
Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 8:02 AM
Subject: Natal Tá CHEGANDO!
Our weather has also been pretty freakish down here. One hour it´s burning hot, the next it´s raining cats and dogs. Basically you have to hide every 15 minutes to avoid some manner of terrible fate. I´ll let you know if it snows.
I want a cute froggy hat, too!!
I´m excited to get my packages this week, then I, too, will have a concert in my house! I have speakers, a cd player, batteries, and now I just need CDs!
I hope she pulls off getting home in time for Christmas this year. Goodness knows close calls are stressfull.
It´s going to be fun this Christmas. My day´ll go something like this. I´ll wake up around 7 AM, because hey, it´s Christmas, I think I´m justified just once, then we´ll open our packages, then after a while it´ll be off to lunch. Lunch is in a place where generally there are no forks nor cups nor anything to drink, but then again, the sister tries her best, I feel, given she has 8 kids who run around breaking stuff and she buys plates especially for us to use. Then we´ll probably take off to call home, then time allowing, we´ll pass by one or two of the people we know, and then at around 5ish we´ll show up at another member´s house whose invited us to pass the Supper with them. So it´ll be a good day.
Hey, you never know about long hair. Look at the Prophets. It´s been a good long time since they used long hair. Haha.
Let´s hope the phone call works out all wonderfully then. I´ve been hunting a good spot to sit and call this Christmas. I´m sure I´ll have to discuss it with my companion.
Speaking of which, Elder Souza Silva, my companion, was transferred in emergency this morning, to Uberaba, in Minas. Elder S. Silva is from Minas, and will now be serving close to home, haha. No, we don´t know why, nor do I know who my new companion will be. At the moment I´m here with Élder Ribeiro, from my district.
Well, I´m about out of time, but let everyone there know I love them, and to keep up the good work. Let my friends know I can receive e-mails from them, but not respond,that way they can communicate more quickly with me, because frankly, it might be a while until I can send letters.
Until later!
Love,
Bryan
Email - 12/8/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 7:59 AM
Subject: Re: Merry December
Staying in one spot isn´t necessarily BAD, so much as you get this kinda Cabin Fever. You want to see more. You want to go somewhere else. The only time that staying somewhere is really bad is when the area itself isn´t so great. Which I know Pres. says is an apostasy, but I´m still of the opinion that not every ward or branch is as good to work in as every other.
Christmas is a big deal here. Doubt that it´s the same as back home, but it´s still a big deal. Not all food here is so bad. In this part of town it can be a bit bland, but generally it´s well seasoned. Salt, Garlic, Peppers, or Lime, usually these are the main seasonings. It´s been a long time since I had some thing which black pepper. But I´m not actually over worried yet. All ought to go well for us down here.
Brent´s actually doing something with his time then? Last I heard he was trying to get in the airforce. I never will understand why he didn´t go on his mission. It was so weird what happened that summer. He stopped going for his eagle and decided he didn´t want to be a missionary all in one go. Weird. Oh well, though, huh? What you gonna do? Just gotta love him. Let me know his address when you get the chance, I´ll try and write him.
Fashion Zombies aren´t even the worst threat down here. The problem, really, is that all women, from preschool to old-person home aged, super skinny to outrageously chubby, all wear the same short-cut clothing. To the point where you wonder if they don´t just make outfits one-size-sorta-fits-all. It´s ridiculous, and reminds me why the church has clothing standards.
Poor Elder Strange, he´s serving Missão Washington Spanaway. NO ESCAPE!!
It was good to receive so many photos this week. Let Colin know he needs to cut his hair though. HE´S SHAGGIER THAN CHINGU. I hope you´re all well. I´ll look into phone card´s still, I still have to hunt a good spot here to sit when I make the call.
Gotta split, love you all, until next week!
Love, Bryan,.
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 7:59 AM
Subject: Re: Merry December
Staying in one spot isn´t necessarily BAD, so much as you get this kinda Cabin Fever. You want to see more. You want to go somewhere else. The only time that staying somewhere is really bad is when the area itself isn´t so great. Which I know Pres. says is an apostasy, but I´m still of the opinion that not every ward or branch is as good to work in as every other.
Christmas is a big deal here. Doubt that it´s the same as back home, but it´s still a big deal. Not all food here is so bad. In this part of town it can be a bit bland, but generally it´s well seasoned. Salt, Garlic, Peppers, or Lime, usually these are the main seasonings. It´s been a long time since I had some thing which black pepper. But I´m not actually over worried yet. All ought to go well for us down here.
Brent´s actually doing something with his time then? Last I heard he was trying to get in the airforce. I never will understand why he didn´t go on his mission. It was so weird what happened that summer. He stopped going for his eagle and decided he didn´t want to be a missionary all in one go. Weird. Oh well, though, huh? What you gonna do? Just gotta love him. Let me know his address when you get the chance, I´ll try and write him.
Fashion Zombies aren´t even the worst threat down here. The problem, really, is that all women, from preschool to old-person home aged, super skinny to outrageously chubby, all wear the same short-cut clothing. To the point where you wonder if they don´t just make outfits one-size-sorta-fits-all. It´s ridiculous, and reminds me why the church has clothing standards.
Poor Elder Strange, he´s serving Missão Washington Spanaway. NO ESCAPE!!
It was good to receive so many photos this week. Let Colin know he needs to cut his hair though. HE´S SHAGGIER THAN CHINGU. I hope you´re all well. I´ll look into phone card´s still, I still have to hunt a good spot here to sit when I make the call.
Gotta split, love you all, until next week!
Love, Bryan,.
Email- 12/1/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 7:32 AM
Subject: Re: RE: Happy Thanksgiving
Well, transfers have rolled on around again. I´ll be here in Anápolis through Christmas. And probably New Year´s, as well. 6 more weeks in the city, I only hope to do much better in these 6. Elder Rosin will be continuing as a District Leader, but was transferred to Rio Verde. I will be District Leader over half the city, and, well, I´M TRAINING AGAIN!! It looks like every transfer things get that much more challenging. I only hope I´ll be able to carry out all of my duties and prepare our mission for the Mission Tour.
Thanksgiving I ate rather little. I mean, I ate 3 plates at lunch, but there was no pie, nor turkey, so, haha. Outside that it was just another normal work day for me. Running around, trying to make right everything that´s not here in the area. I wish there were some way to get the fire started here in this area, but until now the wood´s all green and soggy, haha.
I can´t believe it. Tony Lefler got hitched? Aw man, I remember when he was in Junior High School. I am SO OLD. Especially given that my new companion will be leaving, not in 2009, nor in 2010, but in 2011! I´m so ancient!! Elder is just a title, not an age! Yeesh. Just lacking Wade or Brent to get hitched and I´ll start calling myself the Ancient of Days. Everyone I know is getting married, ack!
Hey, I didn´t know Corey was out in the Phillipines. Does that mean he´s speaking Filipino and everything? I think I read something about a Temple being built out there soon.
Flannel wouldn´t help much at all here. It never really gets too cold. At night we turn on the fan, and during the day we just kinda sweat. Even so you still have the gangster kids who dress in fur coats and the goths who walk around in the full sun in all black. How, I don´t know. I myself, find it hot enough in Mission Standard. How much more in a cape and mask?
If my packages arrive this week, maybe I´ll be able to pick them up soon, since tomorrow I have to go to Goiânia and pick up my novinho, and on the 18th we´ll be out there for the Mission Tour. I´m just hoping my new companion is a Brasilian, cuz if not, I´ll have to learn how to teach him portuguese, which I don´t know how to do, heh.
Élder Strange is still in the ward? I think he´s been there since I arrived in Aparecida. Which is a long time, since I was still a Jr. at the time. I too had to talk Sunday. I was asked some 3 minutes before giving the talk to give it. So I gave one on Obedience. I don´t think it´ll have any effect on the rebellious, motley crew here, but hey, you never know.
I remember, as a kid, always hearing that the Elders were baptizing, but not retaining, and I always asked, "Hey, but why is no one sticking around." Nowadays I reflect and ask myself, "Well, where was I when that person got baptized? How many times did I speak to them during the following weeks? How many of them did I know the name of? When they needed help, where was I?" So, in response to that, Dad, that´s what I´d say. I don´t believe a quorum of Élderes can be "Too big" To know everyone of them. My quorum is some 120 Élderes, and I know the better part, and those I don´t know are because they live in the next state over and I´ve never had a chance to meet them.
But then again, maybe our Elders´Quorum back home is a lot bigger. I don´t know.
I have to take off now. I have a lot to do today, in preparation for tomorrow. I love you all, and send my love to the whole ward up there. Say hi to Matt for me when he passes by. Oh, and yes, 11 more payments Mom, but hey, who´s counting?
Love, Bryan
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 7:32 AM
Subject: Re: RE: Happy Thanksgiving
Well, transfers have rolled on around again. I´ll be here in Anápolis through Christmas. And probably New Year´s, as well. 6 more weeks in the city, I only hope to do much better in these 6. Elder Rosin will be continuing as a District Leader, but was transferred to Rio Verde. I will be District Leader over half the city, and, well, I´M TRAINING AGAIN!! It looks like every transfer things get that much more challenging. I only hope I´ll be able to carry out all of my duties and prepare our mission for the Mission Tour.
Thanksgiving I ate rather little. I mean, I ate 3 plates at lunch, but there was no pie, nor turkey, so, haha. Outside that it was just another normal work day for me. Running around, trying to make right everything that´s not here in the area. I wish there were some way to get the fire started here in this area, but until now the wood´s all green and soggy, haha.
I can´t believe it. Tony Lefler got hitched? Aw man, I remember when he was in Junior High School. I am SO OLD. Especially given that my new companion will be leaving, not in 2009, nor in 2010, but in 2011! I´m so ancient!! Elder is just a title, not an age! Yeesh. Just lacking Wade or Brent to get hitched and I´ll start calling myself the Ancient of Days. Everyone I know is getting married, ack!
Hey, I didn´t know Corey was out in the Phillipines. Does that mean he´s speaking Filipino and everything? I think I read something about a Temple being built out there soon.
Flannel wouldn´t help much at all here. It never really gets too cold. At night we turn on the fan, and during the day we just kinda sweat. Even so you still have the gangster kids who dress in fur coats and the goths who walk around in the full sun in all black. How, I don´t know. I myself, find it hot enough in Mission Standard. How much more in a cape and mask?
If my packages arrive this week, maybe I´ll be able to pick them up soon, since tomorrow I have to go to Goiânia and pick up my novinho, and on the 18th we´ll be out there for the Mission Tour. I´m just hoping my new companion is a Brasilian, cuz if not, I´ll have to learn how to teach him portuguese, which I don´t know how to do, heh.
Élder Strange is still in the ward? I think he´s been there since I arrived in Aparecida. Which is a long time, since I was still a Jr. at the time. I too had to talk Sunday. I was asked some 3 minutes before giving the talk to give it. So I gave one on Obedience. I don´t think it´ll have any effect on the rebellious, motley crew here, but hey, you never know.
I remember, as a kid, always hearing that the Elders were baptizing, but not retaining, and I always asked, "Hey, but why is no one sticking around." Nowadays I reflect and ask myself, "Well, where was I when that person got baptized? How many times did I speak to them during the following weeks? How many of them did I know the name of? When they needed help, where was I?" So, in response to that, Dad, that´s what I´d say. I don´t believe a quorum of Élderes can be "Too big" To know everyone of them. My quorum is some 120 Élderes, and I know the better part, and those I don´t know are because they live in the next state over and I´ve never had a chance to meet them.
But then again, maybe our Elders´Quorum back home is a lot bigger. I don´t know.
I have to take off now. I have a lot to do today, in preparation for tomorrow. I love you all, and send my love to the whole ward up there. Say hi to Matt for me when he passes by. Oh, and yes, 11 more payments Mom, but hey, who´s counting?
Love, Bryan
Email 11/24/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 6:51 AM
Subject: Re: Happy Thanksgiving
Well it´s good to know that everything goes well up north. Just a quick respond and update, then I have to e-mail Pres. Tobias. If not, well, I´m dead, haha.
It´s good to know you´re ready to admit that you´re ready to be a grandma, Mom, but we all know this already. Don´t think nobody heard you make certain comments about holding babies up until now. Haha.
"And hopefully, no one is going to die while you're on your mission!"
Well that was ominous. But actually, if I don´t fool myself, a few people my companions have baptized have died, and at least one apostle. Time goes marching on.
The problem with uploading photos isn´t the cable, it´s that some of the crummy lan houses here don´t have a spot to plug the cable in, because the hide the towers behind boxes. Which I suppose makes sense, since the normal clientel probably shouldn´t be messing with such things anyway.
Wait, are you sure Elder Stapler went to Uberlandia? Morada do Sol is in Rio Verde, which is Goias, and Uberlandia is a city in Minas. But then again, who knows. Me and Elder Stapler lived together in Morada do Sol in Goiania, and I passed a neighborhood called Recanto do Sol here, as well as the fact that there~s a Morumbi here, in Uberlandia, and one in São Paulo.
Wow, the news about the Baileys just made me feel really old. Cindy is hitched, and her husband is at war. Jeanette´s married. Jessica had a kid. Every girl I ever knew will be married before the end of my mission too, haha. Katrina got married years ago. Sam Brickey´s already divorced, if I don´t fool myself. Kate Hetland moved off to Utah and Arizona, which is a surefire sign that a Mormon girl´s looking for a husband (90% of the American Missionaries in the Brazil Goiânia Mission are from these two states, with the next largest part being Idaho.) Cindy is married. I never really paid any attention to the girls in the stake, and as we all know, no girl in the limits of the Brazil Goiânia Mission is allowed, as 1) HAIRY LEGS and 2) You just can´t date someone from where you served.
I think I´ll have to date Canadians. They don´t know what bacon is, but hey, at least they know how to use flannel, huh?
SO, a quick update on me. I´m still here in Anápolis, as I expect I shall be until the end of the year. Transfers are on the 1st, but since I just got here, I´m in no hurry to leave. This week I had a division with Elder Deivison, who, some of you may remember, was my companion back in May. Elder Deivison and Elder Stapler are probably my favorite companions to work with, despite the little amount of time I was with either one of them. This week passed very, very quickly as Elder Deivison and I worked harder than heck, yet felt more like playing than working. It´s funny how that works.
Next month is Mission Tour, which would mean that a General Church Authority is coming to visit our mission. Which means we´re all running around like crazy trying to do our jobs better and make sure our appearances are sparkling and clean. Unfortunately, it´s not as easy as it sounds at times, to make all the missionaries in your care, well, care.
As part of the preparation, we´re all reading the Book of Mormon again, and have to finish before Christmas. I´m in Mosiah 3, but I have to get to Alma 32 before the 6th. On this same subject, as of Christmas, I will have read the whole Standard work in English once, as well as the Book of Mormon an additional time in English, and two more times in Portuguese.
So all goes well down here for me. Let everybody know I love them, and eat a lot of pie for me. Say hi to the whole rogue´s gallery, and tell them to save my seat for next year.
Love,
Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 6:51 AM
Subject: Re: Happy Thanksgiving
Well it´s good to know that everything goes well up north. Just a quick respond and update, then I have to e-mail Pres. Tobias. If not, well, I´m dead, haha.
It´s good to know you´re ready to admit that you´re ready to be a grandma, Mom, but we all know this already. Don´t think nobody heard you make certain comments about holding babies up until now. Haha.
"And hopefully, no one is going to die while you're on your mission!"
Well that was ominous. But actually, if I don´t fool myself, a few people my companions have baptized have died, and at least one apostle. Time goes marching on.
The problem with uploading photos isn´t the cable, it´s that some of the crummy lan houses here don´t have a spot to plug the cable in, because the hide the towers behind boxes. Which I suppose makes sense, since the normal clientel probably shouldn´t be messing with such things anyway.
Wait, are you sure Elder Stapler went to Uberlandia? Morada do Sol is in Rio Verde, which is Goias, and Uberlandia is a city in Minas. But then again, who knows. Me and Elder Stapler lived together in Morada do Sol in Goiania, and I passed a neighborhood called Recanto do Sol here, as well as the fact that there~s a Morumbi here, in Uberlandia, and one in São Paulo.
Wow, the news about the Baileys just made me feel really old. Cindy is hitched, and her husband is at war. Jeanette´s married. Jessica had a kid. Every girl I ever knew will be married before the end of my mission too, haha. Katrina got married years ago. Sam Brickey´s already divorced, if I don´t fool myself. Kate Hetland moved off to Utah and Arizona, which is a surefire sign that a Mormon girl´s looking for a husband (90% of the American Missionaries in the Brazil Goiânia Mission are from these two states, with the next largest part being Idaho.) Cindy is married. I never really paid any attention to the girls in the stake, and as we all know, no girl in the limits of the Brazil Goiânia Mission is allowed, as 1) HAIRY LEGS and 2) You just can´t date someone from where you served.
I think I´ll have to date Canadians. They don´t know what bacon is, but hey, at least they know how to use flannel, huh?
SO, a quick update on me. I´m still here in Anápolis, as I expect I shall be until the end of the year. Transfers are on the 1st, but since I just got here, I´m in no hurry to leave. This week I had a division with Elder Deivison, who, some of you may remember, was my companion back in May. Elder Deivison and Elder Stapler are probably my favorite companions to work with, despite the little amount of time I was with either one of them. This week passed very, very quickly as Elder Deivison and I worked harder than heck, yet felt more like playing than working. It´s funny how that works.
Next month is Mission Tour, which would mean that a General Church Authority is coming to visit our mission. Which means we´re all running around like crazy trying to do our jobs better and make sure our appearances are sparkling and clean. Unfortunately, it´s not as easy as it sounds at times, to make all the missionaries in your care, well, care.
As part of the preparation, we´re all reading the Book of Mormon again, and have to finish before Christmas. I´m in Mosiah 3, but I have to get to Alma 32 before the 6th. On this same subject, as of Christmas, I will have read the whole Standard work in English once, as well as the Book of Mormon an additional time in English, and two more times in Portuguese.
So all goes well down here for me. Let everybody know I love them, and eat a lot of pie for me. Say hi to the whole rogue´s gallery, and tell them to save my seat for next year.
Love,
Bryan.
Email - 11/17/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 5:50 AM
Subject: Re: Mid November
Well . . .
Congratulations to Mom, for having the best show-stopping announcement of the week. Katie´s getting married, huh? To Jim, who I don´t think I have ever met, nor, can I honestly recall a single photo of the guy? Isn´t this the same dude who dumped her via e-mail?
Not sure I know how to feel. But I´m happy for Katie that she´s finally getting married, and that she´ll be a mom. I´ll keep on praying here that everything goes well for her in her marriage. Please send photos and the what-not to me when it all goes down.
It´s kind of impossible to think of having a brother-in-law or a niece/nephew. Are well all really this old already? Whatever happened to my childhood, haha. It´s so weird, how things kind of happen without your being able to see it, or even actually hear it, out here on the mission. But I guess it could be far worse. I´ve known missionaries who´ve had parents die, so I guess I´m way lucky.
But it´s still pretty weird.
All continues to go well here in Anápolis. Our city had 5 baptisms this weekend, one of which was a mother and daughter pair which I interviewed. The mom, Carla, is a fashion reporter/model/single mom who, frankly, I was impressed to meet. She lives in a fancy little apartment and has had a serious change of heart since Elder Williams and Elder Mendes started teaching her. She was a bit tired, but since she´d been off coffee only a day or so, I suppose it´s natural. I hope to see how she is a few weeks from now, to see how the Spirit has improved her life. Because well, in honesty there was a lot we had to talk about in her interview, but the Missionaries did their job well, she was taught the right path, and walked down it.
And her daughter, Barbara, was in fact more impressive still. She´s a 12 year old kid who has sickle-cell anemia, who has a friend who´s a member of the church. Barbara went to church one Sunday, decided she liked it, and wanted to be baptized, went home, and told her mom the two of them would go into the waters together. Because of the faith and determination of this little girl, she and her mother arrived at this point.
We had a missionary get sick this week, so I was covering his area for him, from there we had to do baptismal interviews in every area in our district, plus the Zone Leaders, so this weekend, I walked the whole city of Anapolis just about. President Tobias is visiting the city almost weekly, too, haha.
We´re all doing fine down here. Send my love to everyone up there. To my siblings who never write, and to my friends, too. Say hi to Grampa Barney for me, and for Grama and Grampa Haney, all my aunts and uncles and the whole rest of the rogue´s gallery.
Love,
Bryan
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 5:50 AM
Subject: Re: Mid November
Well . . .
Congratulations to Mom, for having the best show-stopping announcement of the week. Katie´s getting married, huh? To Jim, who I don´t think I have ever met, nor, can I honestly recall a single photo of the guy? Isn´t this the same dude who dumped her via e-mail?
Not sure I know how to feel. But I´m happy for Katie that she´s finally getting married, and that she´ll be a mom. I´ll keep on praying here that everything goes well for her in her marriage. Please send photos and the what-not to me when it all goes down.
It´s kind of impossible to think of having a brother-in-law or a niece/nephew. Are well all really this old already? Whatever happened to my childhood, haha. It´s so weird, how things kind of happen without your being able to see it, or even actually hear it, out here on the mission. But I guess it could be far worse. I´ve known missionaries who´ve had parents die, so I guess I´m way lucky.
But it´s still pretty weird.
All continues to go well here in Anápolis. Our city had 5 baptisms this weekend, one of which was a mother and daughter pair which I interviewed. The mom, Carla, is a fashion reporter/model/single mom who, frankly, I was impressed to meet. She lives in a fancy little apartment and has had a serious change of heart since Elder Williams and Elder Mendes started teaching her. She was a bit tired, but since she´d been off coffee only a day or so, I suppose it´s natural. I hope to see how she is a few weeks from now, to see how the Spirit has improved her life. Because well, in honesty there was a lot we had to talk about in her interview, but the Missionaries did their job well, she was taught the right path, and walked down it.
And her daughter, Barbara, was in fact more impressive still. She´s a 12 year old kid who has sickle-cell anemia, who has a friend who´s a member of the church. Barbara went to church one Sunday, decided she liked it, and wanted to be baptized, went home, and told her mom the two of them would go into the waters together. Because of the faith and determination of this little girl, she and her mother arrived at this point.
We had a missionary get sick this week, so I was covering his area for him, from there we had to do baptismal interviews in every area in our district, plus the Zone Leaders, so this weekend, I walked the whole city of Anapolis just about. President Tobias is visiting the city almost weekly, too, haha.
We´re all doing fine down here. Send my love to everyone up there. To my siblings who never write, and to my friends, too. Say hi to Grampa Barney for me, and for Grama and Grampa Haney, all my aunts and uncles and the whole rest of the rogue´s gallery.
Love,
Bryan
Email - 11/10/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:39 AM
Subject: Re: RE: Into November
Yes, I can listen to Church music. Which is to say, if it has the Church´s seal on it. Any other type is strictly prohibited. I got myself a free CD player recently, but I have no jams, yo.
The garments aren´t exactly urgent, as mine are far from being totally ruined, but they´d be nice, and sooner or later I´ll need some. I believe I left a few packages in the top drawer of my dresser, which ought, therefore, to have the size. The only difference I´d ask in them is that they´d be the kind where the collar goes around the neck, and not the one where it leaves the big circle that´s visible to everyone always.
I have a few smaller requests as well. As obvious, I´m asking for peanutbutter, but I´d also like to request a couple butterfinger candy bars. My companion and I were discussing chocolate the other day and well, they don´t sell these goodies here! Waah!
I´ve been meaning to ask. How is the English in these letters? Is President Tobias´s English good? I imagine it´s better than he lets on, because, well, he´s got to travel in the states and with his calling he mingles with Apostles and everything. Plus he´s had two good years as a President to learn English also.
Elder Challis is from my mission group. Which is to say he and I arrived and will leave the mission the same day. He is also the other district leader here in Anápolis. I´ll talk to him tomorrow and advise the Staff of the problem today. Outside that, I dunno what else I can do.
Well, I suppose that, after so much time, it had to be obvious that Chingu would some day figure out how to get through there. I´´m just surprised he managed to do it AFTER he got bigger, and not before. Nutty little punk. I hope it didn´t cause too much hastle for our neighbors.
To Dad:
If I could only begin to count the number of ways the Lord puts His saints through the refiners fire. There´s a good reason it´s called Endure unto the End, after all. A huge problem is that many people, when they´begin to be blessed, begin to slack. And that spiritual slacking off killed the Nephites and caused the Jews to crucify their God. That spiritual slacking off made the Americans persecute the Saints and is the reason Pharoah lost so much.
Today we had a brief conference with President Tobias, where we quickly learned that the reason our mission baptized so much in July and so little in October is exactly the same. Pride. Lack of Righteousness. Disobedience. We became a proud group, and for this things fell down. For this things are this way. And now the Gospel is again one of Repentance. First to the Elders, then to their Investigators. We are learning a lot lot lot lot these days after Pres. Tobias spoke with Elder Richard G. Scott. Things I can´t begin to explain in this limited time. Things of value in the mission, after the mission, and for all eternity.
This is the best time of my life. I would not trade this next year for anything. No other experience in all the world can possibly compare to this. I can´t begin to explain all the things I am learning, the experiences I am having, and everything else I am passing through these days, but I´d like to give just a tiny example:
We are teaching a Padre. Yes, a Pastor in the Catholic church has invited us, pursued us, even, to come to his home, and has stated that he will hear the messages (though in all honesty, it´s because his sister is a member and he is helping his nephew overcome drugs and the what-not and his sister requested that we help this nephew receive the gospel.)
Nevertheless, this week I heard a Padre ask for a Book of Mormon.
That said, I send my love unto all, and ask for an update on Matt and Grampa. It´s been a good long time now since I´ve heard from them. Send my love to my friends, too. Let Jessica, Kelsey, Sharelle, and Josh know that I´ve received all packages and letters unto this point, and that the next time I get pics from them, there´d better be more of someone other than Sharelle, because, well, the number of people convinced in South America that she is my girlfriend, my elect lady etc. is only comparable to the number of missionaries who have threatened to write to her.
Let this be a lesson. Never send pictures of just one girl, but yes, many.
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:39 AM
Subject: Re: RE: Into November
Yes, I can listen to Church music. Which is to say, if it has the Church´s seal on it. Any other type is strictly prohibited. I got myself a free CD player recently, but I have no jams, yo.
The garments aren´t exactly urgent, as mine are far from being totally ruined, but they´d be nice, and sooner or later I´ll need some. I believe I left a few packages in the top drawer of my dresser, which ought, therefore, to have the size. The only difference I´d ask in them is that they´d be the kind where the collar goes around the neck, and not the one where it leaves the big circle that´s visible to everyone always.
I have a few smaller requests as well. As obvious, I´m asking for peanutbutter, but I´d also like to request a couple butterfinger candy bars. My companion and I were discussing chocolate the other day and well, they don´t sell these goodies here! Waah!
I´ve been meaning to ask. How is the English in these letters? Is President Tobias´s English good? I imagine it´s better than he lets on, because, well, he´s got to travel in the states and with his calling he mingles with Apostles and everything. Plus he´s had two good years as a President to learn English also.
Elder Challis is from my mission group. Which is to say he and I arrived and will leave the mission the same day. He is also the other district leader here in Anápolis. I´ll talk to him tomorrow and advise the Staff of the problem today. Outside that, I dunno what else I can do.
Well, I suppose that, after so much time, it had to be obvious that Chingu would some day figure out how to get through there. I´´m just surprised he managed to do it AFTER he got bigger, and not before. Nutty little punk. I hope it didn´t cause too much hastle for our neighbors.
To Dad:
If I could only begin to count the number of ways the Lord puts His saints through the refiners fire. There´s a good reason it´s called Endure unto the End, after all. A huge problem is that many people, when they´begin to be blessed, begin to slack. And that spiritual slacking off killed the Nephites and caused the Jews to crucify their God. That spiritual slacking off made the Americans persecute the Saints and is the reason Pharoah lost so much.
Today we had a brief conference with President Tobias, where we quickly learned that the reason our mission baptized so much in July and so little in October is exactly the same. Pride. Lack of Righteousness. Disobedience. We became a proud group, and for this things fell down. For this things are this way. And now the Gospel is again one of Repentance. First to the Elders, then to their Investigators. We are learning a lot lot lot lot these days after Pres. Tobias spoke with Elder Richard G. Scott. Things I can´t begin to explain in this limited time. Things of value in the mission, after the mission, and for all eternity.
This is the best time of my life. I would not trade this next year for anything. No other experience in all the world can possibly compare to this. I can´t begin to explain all the things I am learning, the experiences I am having, and everything else I am passing through these days, but I´d like to give just a tiny example:
We are teaching a Padre. Yes, a Pastor in the Catholic church has invited us, pursued us, even, to come to his home, and has stated that he will hear the messages (though in all honesty, it´s because his sister is a member and he is helping his nephew overcome drugs and the what-not and his sister requested that we help this nephew receive the gospel.)
Nevertheless, this week I heard a Padre ask for a Book of Mormon.
That said, I send my love unto all, and ask for an update on Matt and Grampa. It´s been a good long time now since I´ve heard from them. Send my love to my friends, too. Let Jessica, Kelsey, Sharelle, and Josh know that I´ve received all packages and letters unto this point, and that the next time I get pics from them, there´d better be more of someone other than Sharelle, because, well, the number of people convinced in South America that she is my girlfriend, my elect lady etc. is only comparable to the number of missionaries who have threatened to write to her.
Let this be a lesson. Never send pictures of just one girl, but yes, many.
Email - 11/3/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 9:08 AM
Subject: Re: Into November
Well, I tried to send a better e-mail, but it died.
Mail from the office gets to me during conference our councils. Since it´s about 1 conference per month/transfer, I will be receiving mail before the end of the month.
As for what I´d ask for for Christmas, the only things I really need are my French Book of Mormon, Church CDs, and new garments. Everything else can handle more or less on my own.
The Pão de Queijo you made looks to have turned out about right, which is great to know, because I always worried it was impossible to make back home, so I would have to bid it farewell.
I have to be more brief, because, well, the computer killed my last attempt, and I still have to send a report to Pres. Tobias. Speaking of which, if you have the photo of me with him and Sister, that´s the day I got into the field, and I myself would like that shot, too.
So, this Thursday I will have been in the field for a whole year! Not that I´m counting, but that´s a whole year without video games, normal clothing, mom´s cooking, english speakers, and american culture. Until now, however, it has still proven to be the best year of my whole life, so here´s to one more year! WOO!
Just a few quick notes to everybody, then I have to send my report.
Mom: I got a letter from you that has some photos of grapes. Did this become jelly? And if there are excesses in the food storage, feel free to send them my way, haha.
Dad: If I had a nickel for every time I saw someone say something totally off the wall because a pastor told them, I could buy the state of Goias. If I had a dime for every time this off the wall statement had to do with the Gift of Tongues, I could buy Brasilia, too.
Matt: I haven´t heard from you recently, but then I don´t know if I have written you, too. Let me know how you´re doing, and how everything is going up there in the frigid northern wastes of sunny southern California!
Megan: Could you send me a photo of you in your army uniform? Some people down here are having a hard time believing that you´re really a part of the army. (Funny side note. "Army" in Portuguese is "Exército," and "Lord of Hosts" in Portuguese is "Senhor dos Exércitos." Or, Lord of the Armies.)
Colin:REPENT! QUICKLY! (Dunno, just kidding around, haha.) Hey, it looks like you got a shiny new keyboard, judging from the camp-out photos. Are all these negócios seus taking up space in my room, or yours?
Grampa: The funny thing about being a Fisherman, or being a Fisher of Men, is that either way, you have some interesting stories about "The One that Got Away."
I have to go now. I need to send a report to President, and then I NEED to EAT. Lunch fell through yesterday (LOOONG STORY) and we haven´t properly stocked the house recently.
Love to everyone, I´ll try and write some letters soon.
Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 9:08 AM
Subject: Re: Into November
Well, I tried to send a better e-mail, but it died.
Mail from the office gets to me during conference our councils. Since it´s about 1 conference per month/transfer, I will be receiving mail before the end of the month.
As for what I´d ask for for Christmas, the only things I really need are my French Book of Mormon, Church CDs, and new garments. Everything else can handle more or less on my own.
The Pão de Queijo you made looks to have turned out about right, which is great to know, because I always worried it was impossible to make back home, so I would have to bid it farewell.
I have to be more brief, because, well, the computer killed my last attempt, and I still have to send a report to Pres. Tobias. Speaking of which, if you have the photo of me with him and Sister, that´s the day I got into the field, and I myself would like that shot, too.
So, this Thursday I will have been in the field for a whole year! Not that I´m counting, but that´s a whole year without video games, normal clothing, mom´s cooking, english speakers, and american culture. Until now, however, it has still proven to be the best year of my whole life, so here´s to one more year! WOO!
Just a few quick notes to everybody, then I have to send my report.
Mom: I got a letter from you that has some photos of grapes. Did this become jelly? And if there are excesses in the food storage, feel free to send them my way, haha.
Dad: If I had a nickel for every time I saw someone say something totally off the wall because a pastor told them, I could buy the state of Goias. If I had a dime for every time this off the wall statement had to do with the Gift of Tongues, I could buy Brasilia, too.
Matt: I haven´t heard from you recently, but then I don´t know if I have written you, too. Let me know how you´re doing, and how everything is going up there in the frigid northern wastes of sunny southern California!
Megan: Could you send me a photo of you in your army uniform? Some people down here are having a hard time believing that you´re really a part of the army. (Funny side note. "Army" in Portuguese is "Exército," and "Lord of Hosts" in Portuguese is "Senhor dos Exércitos." Or, Lord of the Armies.)
Colin:REPENT! QUICKLY! (Dunno, just kidding around, haha.) Hey, it looks like you got a shiny new keyboard, judging from the camp-out photos. Are all these negócios seus taking up space in my room, or yours?
Grampa: The funny thing about being a Fisherman, or being a Fisher of Men, is that either way, you have some interesting stories about "The One that Got Away."
I have to go now. I need to send a report to President, and then I NEED to EAT. Lunch fell through yesterday (LOOONG STORY) and we haven´t properly stocked the house recently.
Love to everyone, I´ll try and write some letters soon.
Email 10/27/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 10:23 AM
Well, my first week has come and gone, and let´s just go with the positives, huh? I am learning a lot more about what it means to serve others, and to think creatively, and I´m adjusting quickly to my new area.
Elder Rosin, my new companion is very nice. He, like Elderes Felippe and Elder M. Santos, is from Southern Brazil, in his case, the Curitiba area. He and I met a few months back in Aparecida de Goiania, when I was companions with Elder Deivison.
We arrived in Anápolis by Onibus, so yeah about an hour and a half. It´s close enough that the Staff missionaries even paid us a visit today. Which means that President and Sister could pass by any hour. (Though at the moment Pres. Tobias is in São Paulo, at a conference for Mission Presidents.)
Today the english is coming along a little better, though I don´t know why. I almost never see Americans during the day, and I almost never speak English, save when I´m helping Elder Rosin with the language. I can think more fluently in portuguese than english, I think, though grammatically, I´m still better in english than portuguese, because, while portuguese language structure is simple, it´s rules are still beyond me, especially accents. I know I´ve been blessed with a gift, despite the many, many wackos around here who vehemently proclaim that The Gift of Tongues is a puddle of gibberish. There´s no other explanation for my ability to speak more or less fluently with people who grew on the other side of the world from me. As for those who don´t learn, in part I would say that yes, it is lack of motivation. Look at Elder Richard G. Scott. He speaks more languages than I have fingers. Elder Felippe speaks English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French. When you dedicate yourself, you succeed.
So you saw the pictures of me with specs, huh? Ugly, ain´t I? I look sometimes at the pictures my friends have sent from when I was young and compare to the recent shots I´ve taken and, well, I have to admit, I look waaay older now. And funny. We have a big mirror in our bathroom, so I take a look sometimes before bed, and I have a huge difference between the tan on my arms and my pale, pale belly.
But you can tell Colin that he´s the one who looks like Matt.
As for the phone cards, I´ll look around, but half my area doesn´t have paved roads, so I don´t know if I´ll find such advanced technology around here.
Oh, and the shirt size for me these days is 16.5, but I think I´m actually thinner. I´m going to look and see if I don´t fit a 15 around these parts. And you can keep sending toothbrushes. Razors and toothbrushes are a robbery here, so I accept all you send.
You made Pão de Queijo? Really? I thought it was impossible for lack of a special flour made from mandioca. Oh man, I haven´t eaten since breakfast and you´re talking about feijoada. HUNGER.
To Dad:
I should probably be consolled. Monday I have Leader Meetings, and Saturday I am responsible for Interviews for Baptismal Candidates. A whole lot of new stuff to learn. But I needn´t worry much about Sun-bathers. Outside of the fact that we have some excellent rules about where not to be which help avoid the rampant porn, no poorly dressed women catch the eye here. Why? Well, for starters, half the churches here teach women they can NEVER remove any hair from their bodies. (1 Cor. 11) and then again, even the unreligious have legs hairier than mine. My companions all swear this is just a Goias´thing, but I like to pull their chains and say it´s what all Brazillian girls do outside of Rio. Haha.
Send an oi to Elder Nielson for me, but let him know serving in California is for Fubecas, heck, any mission that has a temple near to it is to easy. But let him know I said hi. Tell Elder Van Duyn I said hi, too, but that Portuguese remains greater than Spanish. Also, Peru, in Portuguese, means Turkey. If you have the chance, send a hi to the rest of the Elderes in our stake, and also to Elder Shumate.
It´s good to know that the Quorums are worried about retention up there, but down here we haven´t exactly got quorums. Jardim Curitiba was a big ward because we had a High Priest Group and an Elder´s Quorum. I´m not even sure we have a High Priest in the Jardim São Paulo Branch.
Well, we´re having a division this week, which will be between us and the Zone Leaders. I´ll be working with Elder K. Williams, who, if I´m not mistaken, is younger than I am by a couple months, though, in mission law, he´s older than I am, because he has 1 transfer more than I do in the field, and he´s already been an AP and everything. Not that´that´s super important, but I intend to use well the opportunity to learn more.
I have to go now, I think my hour´s up, and I need to pay the computo-man, so away I go, until next time.
Send my love to everyone, say hi to Grampa for me, and hug the dog for me, too.
Love, Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 10:23 AM
Well, my first week has come and gone, and let´s just go with the positives, huh? I am learning a lot more about what it means to serve others, and to think creatively, and I´m adjusting quickly to my new area.
Elder Rosin, my new companion is very nice. He, like Elderes Felippe and Elder M. Santos, is from Southern Brazil, in his case, the Curitiba area. He and I met a few months back in Aparecida de Goiania, when I was companions with Elder Deivison.
We arrived in Anápolis by Onibus, so yeah about an hour and a half. It´s close enough that the Staff missionaries even paid us a visit today. Which means that President and Sister could pass by any hour. (Though at the moment Pres. Tobias is in São Paulo, at a conference for Mission Presidents.)
Today the english is coming along a little better, though I don´t know why. I almost never see Americans during the day, and I almost never speak English, save when I´m helping Elder Rosin with the language. I can think more fluently in portuguese than english, I think, though grammatically, I´m still better in english than portuguese, because, while portuguese language structure is simple, it´s rules are still beyond me, especially accents. I know I´ve been blessed with a gift, despite the many, many wackos around here who vehemently proclaim that The Gift of Tongues is a puddle of gibberish. There´s no other explanation for my ability to speak more or less fluently with people who grew on the other side of the world from me. As for those who don´t learn, in part I would say that yes, it is lack of motivation. Look at Elder Richard G. Scott. He speaks more languages than I have fingers. Elder Felippe speaks English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French. When you dedicate yourself, you succeed.
So you saw the pictures of me with specs, huh? Ugly, ain´t I? I look sometimes at the pictures my friends have sent from when I was young and compare to the recent shots I´ve taken and, well, I have to admit, I look waaay older now. And funny. We have a big mirror in our bathroom, so I take a look sometimes before bed, and I have a huge difference between the tan on my arms and my pale, pale belly.
But you can tell Colin that he´s the one who looks like Matt.
As for the phone cards, I´ll look around, but half my area doesn´t have paved roads, so I don´t know if I´ll find such advanced technology around here.
Oh, and the shirt size for me these days is 16.5, but I think I´m actually thinner. I´m going to look and see if I don´t fit a 15 around these parts. And you can keep sending toothbrushes. Razors and toothbrushes are a robbery here, so I accept all you send.
You made Pão de Queijo? Really? I thought it was impossible for lack of a special flour made from mandioca. Oh man, I haven´t eaten since breakfast and you´re talking about feijoada. HUNGER.
To Dad:
I should probably be consolled. Monday I have Leader Meetings, and Saturday I am responsible for Interviews for Baptismal Candidates. A whole lot of new stuff to learn. But I needn´t worry much about Sun-bathers. Outside of the fact that we have some excellent rules about where not to be which help avoid the rampant porn, no poorly dressed women catch the eye here. Why? Well, for starters, half the churches here teach women they can NEVER remove any hair from their bodies. (1 Cor. 11) and then again, even the unreligious have legs hairier than mine. My companions all swear this is just a Goias´thing, but I like to pull their chains and say it´s what all Brazillian girls do outside of Rio. Haha.
Send an oi to Elder Nielson for me, but let him know serving in California is for Fubecas, heck, any mission that has a temple near to it is to easy. But let him know I said hi. Tell Elder Van Duyn I said hi, too, but that Portuguese remains greater than Spanish. Also, Peru, in Portuguese, means Turkey. If you have the chance, send a hi to the rest of the Elderes in our stake, and also to Elder Shumate.
It´s good to know that the Quorums are worried about retention up there, but down here we haven´t exactly got quorums. Jardim Curitiba was a big ward because we had a High Priest Group and an Elder´s Quorum. I´m not even sure we have a High Priest in the Jardim São Paulo Branch.
Well, we´re having a division this week, which will be between us and the Zone Leaders. I´ll be working with Elder K. Williams, who, if I´m not mistaken, is younger than I am by a couple months, though, in mission law, he´s older than I am, because he has 1 transfer more than I do in the field, and he´s already been an AP and everything. Not that´that´s super important, but I intend to use well the opportunity to learn more.
I have to go now, I think my hour´s up, and I need to pay the computo-man, so away I go, until next time.
Send my love to everyone, say hi to Grampa for me, and hug the dog for me, too.
Love, Bryan.
Email 10/20/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 12:31 PM
Well, I've gone and done it again.
I've been transferred.
I'm here in Anápolis now, a city about an hour and fifteen minutes outside of Goiânia. I'm serving with a Brasillian called Elder Rosin, he being my 3rd companion from Curitiba. I met him back in May, when I was in Aparecida de Goiânia. A few other old faces are popping up here, too. Elder Deivison, for example, who was my first Brasillian companion.
I am literally translating from portuguese to english the thoughts in my head. And the internet and keyboard are less than pleasing, so the message may be a bit stunted.
I know everyone is dying for pictures, but they'll have to wait a bit longer. I have no way to upload on this computador, er, computer? And I don't know if there's a cheap photo shop near home. But Bishop Richards has been receiving photos I've been sending, I believe. So maybe one of those shots of those baptisms has me with specs.
While it's possible that international phone cards are sold, I have no idea where in Brazil I'd go about buying one. But I'll look into it for you. Last time I called you come a local call card and it ate the card in less than 2 minutes.
I have been hearing a great deal about the new stake center thing. Brother Smith also sent some info to me about it. Six million dollars to build? Wow. Here in Anápolis, we have a rented space, and our neighbors are the Assembly of God the Devil Only Knows What Ministry. Read everything Jesus said not to do in prayer, and you have an initial idea of their church.
I can't really complain too much, I guess it just makes part of having your garments clean from the blood of this generation, this thing about recent converts. But for everything that goes wrong, there are still diamonds in the mud. A young woman we've been teaching for a few months called the Bishop Saturday, asking to be baptized. She's been studying the pamphlets we leave, marking up her Book of Mormon, and fighting all kinds of opposition to be baptized. So this Sunday was her baptism.
Two young men I baptized are also going very firm. One has even been ordained an Élder.
Oh, and yes, I did receive the packages. Thank you very much for the PB and J, but I think the toothbrush and shirt one size larger were a bit of a stab, né?
(By the way, super thank you for a white shirt. My shirts are all turning yellow)
To Dad:
At the start of my mission me and Elder Eliason joked alot about the lake in our area being the Waters of Mormon, and every missionary runs around cracking his own Lamanite jokes. But one friend of mine, Elder Borcem, his patriarchal blessing says he's of direct descent from Judah, and since he's 100% native, he'd have to be a Mulekite, which were the people of Zarahemla.
To the great surprise of all men: I have finished reading the Bible for the first time in my life. I have now also read the Book of Mormon 3 times. 2 in English, one in Portuguese. I only need to finish the Doctrine and Covenants before the end of October to have read all the Standard Works this year in English. I have also read Jesus the Christ 2 times, and am eager to read it in portuguese soon.
To Colin: Relive my childhood for me, too, while you're there, hahaha. I'm glad to hear you are practicing singing. Here on the mission the two most required musical skills are vocals and keyboards, so they'll help you out.
Well, if you believe the Air Force will help you, go for it. Just two words of advice: 1) Don't tell Megan, cuz she says the Air Force is for wussies, and 2) Pray about it. If it is possible, go to the temple and pray there, too. Remember the talks in Conference where they spoke about revelation. You've a right to it, too.
What you ate was (possibly) Feijoada and Mousse de Maracujá, which means you ate very, very well. And of course many people served here. You, too, will serve your mission in Brazil.
(Don't tell mom or dad, but I'm not training anymore, I'm a Co-District Leader) If you can send my French Book of Mormon for Christmas, that'd rock. There's an elder here who speaks French, Italian, Portugues, Spanish and English.
To: Bro. Smith:
Sorry I can't write more, but my time is running out and I have to report the weekly numbers to my President, or I'm a dead man!!
With love to all,
Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 12:31 PM
Well, I've gone and done it again.
I've been transferred.
I'm here in Anápolis now, a city about an hour and fifteen minutes outside of Goiânia. I'm serving with a Brasillian called Elder Rosin, he being my 3rd companion from Curitiba. I met him back in May, when I was in Aparecida de Goiânia. A few other old faces are popping up here, too. Elder Deivison, for example, who was my first Brasillian companion.
I am literally translating from portuguese to english the thoughts in my head. And the internet and keyboard are less than pleasing, so the message may be a bit stunted.
I know everyone is dying for pictures, but they'll have to wait a bit longer. I have no way to upload on this computador, er, computer? And I don't know if there's a cheap photo shop near home. But Bishop Richards has been receiving photos I've been sending, I believe. So maybe one of those shots of those baptisms has me with specs.
While it's possible that international phone cards are sold, I have no idea where in Brazil I'd go about buying one. But I'll look into it for you. Last time I called you come a local call card and it ate the card in less than 2 minutes.
I have been hearing a great deal about the new stake center thing. Brother Smith also sent some info to me about it. Six million dollars to build? Wow. Here in Anápolis, we have a rented space, and our neighbors are the Assembly of God the Devil Only Knows What Ministry. Read everything Jesus said not to do in prayer, and you have an initial idea of their church.
I can't really complain too much, I guess it just makes part of having your garments clean from the blood of this generation, this thing about recent converts. But for everything that goes wrong, there are still diamonds in the mud. A young woman we've been teaching for a few months called the Bishop Saturday, asking to be baptized. She's been studying the pamphlets we leave, marking up her Book of Mormon, and fighting all kinds of opposition to be baptized. So this Sunday was her baptism.
Two young men I baptized are also going very firm. One has even been ordained an Élder.
Oh, and yes, I did receive the packages. Thank you very much for the PB and J, but I think the toothbrush and shirt one size larger were a bit of a stab, né?
(By the way, super thank you for a white shirt. My shirts are all turning yellow)
To Dad:
At the start of my mission me and Elder Eliason joked alot about the lake in our area being the Waters of Mormon, and every missionary runs around cracking his own Lamanite jokes. But one friend of mine, Elder Borcem, his patriarchal blessing says he's of direct descent from Judah, and since he's 100% native, he'd have to be a Mulekite, which were the people of Zarahemla.
To the great surprise of all men: I have finished reading the Bible for the first time in my life. I have now also read the Book of Mormon 3 times. 2 in English, one in Portuguese. I only need to finish the Doctrine and Covenants before the end of October to have read all the Standard Works this year in English. I have also read Jesus the Christ 2 times, and am eager to read it in portuguese soon.
To Colin: Relive my childhood for me, too, while you're there, hahaha. I'm glad to hear you are practicing singing. Here on the mission the two most required musical skills are vocals and keyboards, so they'll help you out.
Well, if you believe the Air Force will help you, go for it. Just two words of advice: 1) Don't tell Megan, cuz she says the Air Force is for wussies, and 2) Pray about it. If it is possible, go to the temple and pray there, too. Remember the talks in Conference where they spoke about revelation. You've a right to it, too.
What you ate was (possibly) Feijoada and Mousse de Maracujá, which means you ate very, very well. And of course many people served here. You, too, will serve your mission in Brazil.
(Don't tell mom or dad, but I'm not training anymore, I'm a Co-District Leader) If you can send my French Book of Mormon for Christmas, that'd rock. There's an elder here who speaks French, Italian, Portugues, Spanish and English.
To: Bro. Smith:
Sorry I can't write more, but my time is running out and I have to report the weekly numbers to my President, or I'm a dead man!!
With love to all,
Bryan.
Email 10/13/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 8:01 AM
Subject: Eis Me Aqui
Hello there Barney Family and associated personages! It is with great happiness that I announce that my e-mail is up and running again, and am heretofore able to communicate semanalmente de novo! So I suppose I ought to send forth some greetings and a general update.
I have been in Ala Jardim Curitiba (Curitiba Garden Ward) since June, I believe, and we are nearing the end of my 3rd full transfer here (20th of October). I have had 4 companions here. Elder Felippe, Elder Stapler, Elder Maxwell, and Elder M. Santos, whom I am training (and let me tell you, it's not as easy as it sounds training a brasileiro). I've been here so long the missionaries out of the ward are all returning to it.
Sunday was a special day for me because we had 2 confirmations. One of Cláudio, an ex-pastor, and one of João Victor, a nine year old in a wheel-chair whose aunt we baptized in August. Cláudio also got up and bore his testimony, and I was a wee bit embarrassed because he called me up to the front. He.'s a very interesting person, Cláudio, but it was very, very special to hear him, after 3 arduous months of work hear him bear his testimony of the Restoration.
At times being a missionary can be a bit exhasperating. You find yourself frustrated seeing the people you baptized thrown here and there, and you feel devastated when one falls away. You find yourself appreciating a lot more the patience of Moses, of Mormon, of Peter, Paul, and Christ. You find yourself amazed at the ability of such men to carry on, when people they loved, in whose salvation they had rejoiced, tossed away so carelessly so precious such things. You find yourself all the more close to such great men, and yet so far.
But you cannot give up. You always have to look to be more faithful as an Élder or Sister. Only he who endures to the end is saved. You can..t give up hope. Because simply put, you understand nothing, and you have to take a lot of faith, trusting that The Lord knows what is best. For example: Yesterday I met two families who, while inactive, where still beloved by a member, and because of this member, and the love of the gospel the family still had, these families were still desirous to come back.
The war is real. Élders and Sisters the world over fight it every day, but without the members, it is exceedingly difficult for converts to continue on. The pressure laid by Satan after someone's baptism and confirmation is higher and harder, and if the members sit and think that person will be just fine on their own, they are absolutely wrong.
Salvation, we are accustomed to say, is individual. While this is true, we also cannot forget that Exaltation is in families and that, as hard as we may try to ignore such a truth, all men are our family.
But I suppose I'm just a tad bit frustrated. Inasmuch as it is the greatest of all joys to know that a recent convert is progressing firmly, growing in the gospel, it is a terrible, terrible affliction to see a recent convert fall away as the members sit on their hands and do nothing. The ward where I am is excellent, and I love them dearly, but something has to be done to help these recent converts.
IN ANY CASE AND MOVING ONWARD.
I am 21 years old now. Which feels very odd. Also, I have a little more than 11 months on the mission, which feels VERY odd. The other day President Tobias said I had a year, and I almost died of a heart attack. My portuguese continues to improve (I've almost finished reading the Book of Mormon in Portuguese this year.) I've now read the Book of Mormon twice in English on my mission, and I'm at the very end of the Bible in English also. I intend to finish D&C before New Year's, and then study all the Standard Works in Portuguese before returning home.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KELSEY, Whose birthday, if I remember, was August 6th.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEGAN, Whose birthday was September 18th. As amazing as it sounds, there are no birthday cards to buy near my home.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SHARELLE, Whose birthday, I believe, was September 30th.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MATT, Whose birthday is this week. OLD MAN.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME AGAIN, Because the anniversary of my Baptism is also this week.
In response to a few questions made recently: Yes, there are many nasty bugs here in brasil, namely beetles, which I find to be the worst of all kinds, for they are like unto roaches, which I detest.
I will indeed remember the Howells in my prayers, and you can send my love to the family.
To Sharelle specifically, send my greetings to Braden again.
To Jessica; While it was a nice attempt, sending pictures of Braden with Sharelle, the larger part of people were still unconvinced, and they persist in referring to her as my "Japanese Girlfriend".
To Kelsey; You owe me a piece of cake.
To Megan; say hi to Wendy, Rachel and Jackie for me.
To Colin and Matt; You guys are owing me letters. And Colin needs a hair cut. His head is ridiculous.
To Grandpa; Hang in there. I'm just as impatient to go camping as you are, and all the pictures I've gotten from home lately don't help.
To Mom and Dad; I love you, I'm fine. Despite my complaining, I'm really just fine. I have never had so great a time in my life as this.
I love you all, and will write again soon.
Love,
Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 8:01 AM
Subject: Eis Me Aqui
Hello there Barney Family and associated personages! It is with great happiness that I announce that my e-mail is up and running again, and am heretofore able to communicate semanalmente de novo! So I suppose I ought to send forth some greetings and a general update.
I have been in Ala Jardim Curitiba (Curitiba Garden Ward) since June, I believe, and we are nearing the end of my 3rd full transfer here (20th of October). I have had 4 companions here. Elder Felippe, Elder Stapler, Elder Maxwell, and Elder M. Santos, whom I am training (and let me tell you, it's not as easy as it sounds training a brasileiro). I've been here so long the missionaries out of the ward are all returning to it.
Sunday was a special day for me because we had 2 confirmations. One of Cláudio, an ex-pastor, and one of João Victor, a nine year old in a wheel-chair whose aunt we baptized in August. Cláudio also got up and bore his testimony, and I was a wee bit embarrassed because he called me up to the front. He.'s a very interesting person, Cláudio, but it was very, very special to hear him, after 3 arduous months of work hear him bear his testimony of the Restoration.
At times being a missionary can be a bit exhasperating. You find yourself frustrated seeing the people you baptized thrown here and there, and you feel devastated when one falls away. You find yourself appreciating a lot more the patience of Moses, of Mormon, of Peter, Paul, and Christ. You find yourself amazed at the ability of such men to carry on, when people they loved, in whose salvation they had rejoiced, tossed away so carelessly so precious such things. You find yourself all the more close to such great men, and yet so far.
But you cannot give up. You always have to look to be more faithful as an Élder or Sister. Only he who endures to the end is saved. You can..t give up hope. Because simply put, you understand nothing, and you have to take a lot of faith, trusting that The Lord knows what is best. For example: Yesterday I met two families who, while inactive, where still beloved by a member, and because of this member, and the love of the gospel the family still had, these families were still desirous to come back.
The war is real. Élders and Sisters the world over fight it every day, but without the members, it is exceedingly difficult for converts to continue on. The pressure laid by Satan after someone's baptism and confirmation is higher and harder, and if the members sit and think that person will be just fine on their own, they are absolutely wrong.
Salvation, we are accustomed to say, is individual. While this is true, we also cannot forget that Exaltation is in families and that, as hard as we may try to ignore such a truth, all men are our family.
But I suppose I'm just a tad bit frustrated. Inasmuch as it is the greatest of all joys to know that a recent convert is progressing firmly, growing in the gospel, it is a terrible, terrible affliction to see a recent convert fall away as the members sit on their hands and do nothing. The ward where I am is excellent, and I love them dearly, but something has to be done to help these recent converts.
IN ANY CASE AND MOVING ONWARD.
I am 21 years old now. Which feels very odd. Also, I have a little more than 11 months on the mission, which feels VERY odd. The other day President Tobias said I had a year, and I almost died of a heart attack. My portuguese continues to improve (I've almost finished reading the Book of Mormon in Portuguese this year.) I've now read the Book of Mormon twice in English on my mission, and I'm at the very end of the Bible in English also. I intend to finish D&C before New Year's, and then study all the Standard Works in Portuguese before returning home.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO KELSEY, Whose birthday, if I remember, was August 6th.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEGAN, Whose birthday was September 18th. As amazing as it sounds, there are no birthday cards to buy near my home.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SHARELLE, Whose birthday, I believe, was September 30th.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MATT, Whose birthday is this week. OLD MAN.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME AGAIN, Because the anniversary of my Baptism is also this week.
In response to a few questions made recently: Yes, there are many nasty bugs here in brasil, namely beetles, which I find to be the worst of all kinds, for they are like unto roaches, which I detest.
I will indeed remember the Howells in my prayers, and you can send my love to the family.
To Sharelle specifically, send my greetings to Braden again.
To Jessica; While it was a nice attempt, sending pictures of Braden with Sharelle, the larger part of people were still unconvinced, and they persist in referring to her as my "Japanese Girlfriend".
To Kelsey; You owe me a piece of cake.
To Megan; say hi to Wendy, Rachel and Jackie for me.
To Colin and Matt; You guys are owing me letters. And Colin needs a hair cut. His head is ridiculous.
To Grandpa; Hang in there. I'm just as impatient to go camping as you are, and all the pictures I've gotten from home lately don't help.
To Mom and Dad; I love you, I'm fine. Despite my complaining, I'm really just fine. I have never had so great a time in my life as this.
I love you all, and will write again soon.
Love,
Bryan.
Email - 7/7/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 11:27 AM
To the Saints up North,
Things are still going here. It's Tuesday afternoon and our allowance still hasn't showed up. It is supposed to fall every 5th and 20th day of the month. Just that, well, it's quickly going into day 8, and no money yet. We'll try again soon, but I don't bother getting my hopes up.
I'm not actually as bothered as I should be. I have 25 cents to my name. I'm using the net on borrowed money. Incurring a debt thus. There's little food. I'm out of soap, deodorant, and laundry detergent, but I'm not as worried as I ought to be.
My companion, on the other hand, is a bit nervous now. I don't know how to help him outside of pray, but he's getting to be overstressed. I worry that if we don't have money soon, he's going to freak out.
I'm glad you all had a great fourth of july! Mine was more or less lukewarm, but we had some chocolate cake, and on the 5th I had red, white, and blue jello. It would have been nice to go camping, and given the lack of money, I'm more or less doing that any way, haha! I grabbed a match, lit it, and threw it in the road. That was how I and Elder Stapler celebrated the 4th (Elder Stapler is the other American who lives with us.)
Elder Laman is a Brasileiro, but that doesn't have much to do with it. Nine out of ten Brazilians are cool. Just not him. He's annoying, and it vexes me to live with him, but I'll keep on doing like Dad says and pray for him. One of the Saviors best friends betrayed him to death, I think I can pull of living with an annoying missionary for a month or two.
My companion continues to threaten to marry my sisters. It's entertaining. I have to remember to stop telling people that I have two unmarried sisters. It gets crazy some days.
I love the funeral pyre for the peeps. It's done in true mom style. Just hearing about the Blue hole makes me a teeny bit trunky. It's been 8 months now since I left home for the field. Not that I'm counting, but hey, some days the kids back home want to know.
We're teaching a nice bunch of people now. A less active member and her step-son and her 2nd cousin and her husband. Things are moving along fairly well, though here and there a block comes up in the way of the baptism. Things like Dona Rosa, an old woman who lives with them, but is from another church, a vicious other church.
Quick shout out to Jessica. She got a 1 day weekend. My weekend starts 11 o clock Tuesday and ends 6 PM the same day. Some weeks fly by, and others drag on and on.
Somebody whomp Sharelle for me. Now that we know I can get e-mails, I should at LEAST get an e-mail, haha.
I hope you are all doing well. I'm moving along here. In 21 days this transfer comes to an end. I live across the street from the post office, but have no money to send letters.
Well, unless I break into my personal account.
I love you all, and wish you all a good week. Keep me in your prayers and thoughts, and I'll keep you all in mine.
Love,
Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 11:27 AM
To the Saints up North,
Things are still going here. It's Tuesday afternoon and our allowance still hasn't showed up. It is supposed to fall every 5th and 20th day of the month. Just that, well, it's quickly going into day 8, and no money yet. We'll try again soon, but I don't bother getting my hopes up.
I'm not actually as bothered as I should be. I have 25 cents to my name. I'm using the net on borrowed money. Incurring a debt thus. There's little food. I'm out of soap, deodorant, and laundry detergent, but I'm not as worried as I ought to be.
My companion, on the other hand, is a bit nervous now. I don't know how to help him outside of pray, but he's getting to be overstressed. I worry that if we don't have money soon, he's going to freak out.
I'm glad you all had a great fourth of july! Mine was more or less lukewarm, but we had some chocolate cake, and on the 5th I had red, white, and blue jello. It would have been nice to go camping, and given the lack of money, I'm more or less doing that any way, haha! I grabbed a match, lit it, and threw it in the road. That was how I and Elder Stapler celebrated the 4th (Elder Stapler is the other American who lives with us.)
Elder Laman is a Brasileiro, but that doesn't have much to do with it. Nine out of ten Brazilians are cool. Just not him. He's annoying, and it vexes me to live with him, but I'll keep on doing like Dad says and pray for him. One of the Saviors best friends betrayed him to death, I think I can pull of living with an annoying missionary for a month or two.
My companion continues to threaten to marry my sisters. It's entertaining. I have to remember to stop telling people that I have two unmarried sisters. It gets crazy some days.
I love the funeral pyre for the peeps. It's done in true mom style. Just hearing about the Blue hole makes me a teeny bit trunky. It's been 8 months now since I left home for the field. Not that I'm counting, but hey, some days the kids back home want to know.
We're teaching a nice bunch of people now. A less active member and her step-son and her 2nd cousin and her husband. Things are moving along fairly well, though here and there a block comes up in the way of the baptism. Things like Dona Rosa, an old woman who lives with them, but is from another church, a vicious other church.
Quick shout out to Jessica. She got a 1 day weekend. My weekend starts 11 o clock Tuesday and ends 6 PM the same day. Some weeks fly by, and others drag on and on.
Somebody whomp Sharelle for me. Now that we know I can get e-mails, I should at LEAST get an e-mail, haha.
I hope you are all doing well. I'm moving along here. In 21 days this transfer comes to an end. I live across the street from the post office, but have no money to send letters.
Well, unless I break into my personal account.
I love you all, and wish you all a good week. Keep me in your prayers and thoughts, and I'll keep you all in mine.
Love,
Bryan.
Email - 6/30/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 1:59 PM
Well, from the sounds of things, the world is having a pretty busy week. I've grabbed a bit of news here and there, and we just might be hearing a thing or two from me, too.
First and foremost, I received packages from both Mom and Jess this Tuesday, and, as this letter will soon reveal, that turned out to be one of the greatest blessings of my life.
That said, I'm excited to hear that Grandpa is using this experience to bring the Gospel to other people. Something that really, really helps people in these situations is the approach. One time I was teaching a woman who was absolutely against the idea of a ressurrection because of the way it was taught to her by another church (TJ- Testemunhas de Jeová), but, when we taught it, the lesson went much, much better. I've had at least two experiences here in the field where I've gotten to a house and found a woman or a family totally devastated by the loss of a loved one and uplifted by simple Gospel truths.
I would also suggest reading Section 4 of Doctrine and Covenants, which I have memorized (as with all other church things, everything I know is in portuguese only.)
I'm excited that everyone is running off for the 4th, and on the 5th I will actually have money again (part of this week's story). I hope you all have your own various fun times, as I doubt anyone will notice here, despite there being 2 Americans here.
Yes, I did hear about the King of Pop. And I have not yet stopped to hear his music in the streets since that day. It's kinda sad, but not in any personal sense.
As for your question, Kelsey, Myldsmail stands for My, or Meu, Latter-Day (or Último Dia) Saint (Santo) Mail. LDS is an abbreviation for Latter-Day Saint, which title makes part of the name of the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ (because this is Jesus Christ's Church) of Latter-Day (being these the last days, or last times, before the 2nd Coming) Saints (as the scriptures refer to Christ's people as Saints.)
As for your other worry, my advice is that BRASIL ALWAYS WINS IN SOCCER. Er, yeah.
One last brief note that must be transmitted as quickly as possible. Seeing as I only received pictures of Sharelle in this package from Jess, and after 8 months of explaining that she ISN'T my girlfriend, I have decided that I'm not going through it any more.
Or rather, as of this moment, I will tell the entire combined states of Goias, Minas Gerais, and a part of Mato Grosso, that I am dating Sharelle. Do I much care that she's dating Braden? Nope. She can go right on with that. None of my business, but as far as the Southern Hemisphere is concerned, we be goin' steady. Haha.
Alright, and now for the moment we have all been waiting for. HOW WAS BARNEY'S WEEK?
Long story short, I'd rather not talk about it. But I will anyway.
1) We moved houses this week. Very tiring. I and Elder Felippe had to go all over town this week for this and that to fix up the contract, to get light, to get hot water, to do everything, with almost no help from the other companionship in our house. As a result, I'm practically broke now. I am just a weensy bit stressed out. Oh, and I met someone I don't like for the first time in a long time. But how can that be?
2) I don't like Elder Laman. Name removed because well, I don't know why. Basically he has been going against everything we've been doing since the start of the move. AND THAT'S WITH HIM BEING THE ONE WHO GOT ROBBED. To give the low-down, he's never treated me well since I got here, for whatever reason, incluiding getting on my back one day for breaking up a fight HE was causing (and cuz I pointed at him. Oh no!) He doesn't like my companion because my companion doesn't take crap from him. Oh, and Elder Stapler, who is just about the most patient guy I know, has done nothing but receive verbal abuse on level with spousal abuse since he got here. This missionary does not work. Swears at members. Lives like a pig. Treats us like dirt. When we moved in, he didn't even carry his own bags, and well, I'm rapidly losing my patience and having a very, very hard time inviting the Spirit and remembering who it is I represent here.
3) President Tobias came down hard on us this week, demanding we flood the chapel so we could boost our numbers and help the members here gain a new chapel. Just that, with everything else going on, especially with Elder Laman threatening to beat up my companion and beat up the Bishop IN THE BISHOP'S HOUSE, it was nearly impossible to work on this week.
Nevertheless, all glory be to the Lord, for we did, in fact, bring 35 souls to church this week, in the midst of aflictions and mental agonies and stress and financial disasters and lack of basic luxuries, the Lord had mercy upon us, and we fulfilled our duties.
Today our house was invited to the Mission Counsel of Leaders. It was nice to see so many missionaries together and eat such good food. This week we have three young men we're ready for the waters and, as you might guess, a fair number of visits to make.
I am tired.
I am broke.
I love you all.
These are the best two years of my life.
Thank you so, so, so much for the peanut butter.
Love,
Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 1:59 PM
Well, from the sounds of things, the world is having a pretty busy week. I've grabbed a bit of news here and there, and we just might be hearing a thing or two from me, too.
First and foremost, I received packages from both Mom and Jess this Tuesday, and, as this letter will soon reveal, that turned out to be one of the greatest blessings of my life.
That said, I'm excited to hear that Grandpa is using this experience to bring the Gospel to other people. Something that really, really helps people in these situations is the approach. One time I was teaching a woman who was absolutely against the idea of a ressurrection because of the way it was taught to her by another church (TJ- Testemunhas de Jeová), but, when we taught it, the lesson went much, much better. I've had at least two experiences here in the field where I've gotten to a house and found a woman or a family totally devastated by the loss of a loved one and uplifted by simple Gospel truths.
I would also suggest reading Section 4 of Doctrine and Covenants, which I have memorized (as with all other church things, everything I know is in portuguese only.)
I'm excited that everyone is running off for the 4th, and on the 5th I will actually have money again (part of this week's story). I hope you all have your own various fun times, as I doubt anyone will notice here, despite there being 2 Americans here.
Yes, I did hear about the King of Pop. And I have not yet stopped to hear his music in the streets since that day. It's kinda sad, but not in any personal sense.
As for your question, Kelsey, Myldsmail stands for My, or Meu, Latter-Day (or Último Dia) Saint (Santo) Mail. LDS is an abbreviation for Latter-Day Saint, which title makes part of the name of the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ (because this is Jesus Christ's Church) of Latter-Day (being these the last days, or last times, before the 2nd Coming) Saints (as the scriptures refer to Christ's people as Saints.)
As for your other worry, my advice is that BRASIL ALWAYS WINS IN SOCCER. Er, yeah.
One last brief note that must be transmitted as quickly as possible. Seeing as I only received pictures of Sharelle in this package from Jess, and after 8 months of explaining that she ISN'T my girlfriend, I have decided that I'm not going through it any more.
Or rather, as of this moment, I will tell the entire combined states of Goias, Minas Gerais, and a part of Mato Grosso, that I am dating Sharelle. Do I much care that she's dating Braden? Nope. She can go right on with that. None of my business, but as far as the Southern Hemisphere is concerned, we be goin' steady. Haha.
Alright, and now for the moment we have all been waiting for. HOW WAS BARNEY'S WEEK?
Long story short, I'd rather not talk about it. But I will anyway.
1) We moved houses this week. Very tiring. I and Elder Felippe had to go all over town this week for this and that to fix up the contract, to get light, to get hot water, to do everything, with almost no help from the other companionship in our house. As a result, I'm practically broke now. I am just a weensy bit stressed out. Oh, and I met someone I don't like for the first time in a long time. But how can that be?
2) I don't like Elder Laman. Name removed because well, I don't know why. Basically he has been going against everything we've been doing since the start of the move. AND THAT'S WITH HIM BEING THE ONE WHO GOT ROBBED. To give the low-down, he's never treated me well since I got here, for whatever reason, incluiding getting on my back one day for breaking up a fight HE was causing (and cuz I pointed at him. Oh no!) He doesn't like my companion because my companion doesn't take crap from him. Oh, and Elder Stapler, who is just about the most patient guy I know, has done nothing but receive verbal abuse on level with spousal abuse since he got here. This missionary does not work. Swears at members. Lives like a pig. Treats us like dirt. When we moved in, he didn't even carry his own bags, and well, I'm rapidly losing my patience and having a very, very hard time inviting the Spirit and remembering who it is I represent here.
3) President Tobias came down hard on us this week, demanding we flood the chapel so we could boost our numbers and help the members here gain a new chapel. Just that, with everything else going on, especially with Elder Laman threatening to beat up my companion and beat up the Bishop IN THE BISHOP'S HOUSE, it was nearly impossible to work on this week.
Nevertheless, all glory be to the Lord, for we did, in fact, bring 35 souls to church this week, in the midst of aflictions and mental agonies and stress and financial disasters and lack of basic luxuries, the Lord had mercy upon us, and we fulfilled our duties.
Today our house was invited to the Mission Counsel of Leaders. It was nice to see so many missionaries together and eat such good food. This week we have three young men we're ready for the waters and, as you might guess, a fair number of visits to make.
I am tired.
I am broke.
I love you all.
These are the best two years of my life.
Thank you so, so, so much for the peanut butter.
Love,
Bryan.
Email - 6/22/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 11:50 AM
Hey, I'm just sending a quick note today, because, well, I don't know that I'll have a chance to send e-mail tomorrow. The run down is basically the following, Wednesday of last week we came home and found a ladder in our yard, which is out of place, given that all yards in Brazil are fenced in by large stone walls mounted with broken glass up top. Anyway, the idea is that maybe, or rather, probably, someone is trying to enter our house. So we went house shopping this week (which is a long, annoying, and stressful story), and now we're moving to a small, but safer apartment.
The move will happen tomorrow, and my companion and I also have to go to the Eye doctor tomorrow (his turn to get specs, I guess), after which we'll come home and move in, and then at night Pres. Tobias is having a meeting with all the Missionaries, Ward Missionaries, and Bishops in the district, I guess, I'm not sure, but it's about dividing my ward. Which means the weeks about to go to heck making sure that our numbers are nice and high sunday, as we'll need to turn out a shiny show for the month in order to meet the goal.
On a side note, if I suspect that my pen-drive has a virus, but it isn't doing anything, should I worry?
Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 11:50 AM
Hey, I'm just sending a quick note today, because, well, I don't know that I'll have a chance to send e-mail tomorrow. The run down is basically the following, Wednesday of last week we came home and found a ladder in our yard, which is out of place, given that all yards in Brazil are fenced in by large stone walls mounted with broken glass up top. Anyway, the idea is that maybe, or rather, probably, someone is trying to enter our house. So we went house shopping this week (which is a long, annoying, and stressful story), and now we're moving to a small, but safer apartment.
The move will happen tomorrow, and my companion and I also have to go to the Eye doctor tomorrow (his turn to get specs, I guess), after which we'll come home and move in, and then at night Pres. Tobias is having a meeting with all the Missionaries, Ward Missionaries, and Bishops in the district, I guess, I'm not sure, but it's about dividing my ward. Which means the weeks about to go to heck making sure that our numbers are nice and high sunday, as we'll need to turn out a shiny show for the month in order to meet the goal.
On a side note, if I suspect that my pen-drive has a virus, but it isn't doing anything, should I worry?
Elder Barney's Email Address
Bryan's mom here:
As Bryan mentioned in his email, apparently they have permission to RECEIVE emails from friends, but are not permitted to reply to friends through email. For that, they still need to use snail mail.
So if you would like to send an email to him, you can first email me for his address and I will give it to you if you identify yourself to me. My email is inkstndpsyche@yahoo.com. Please don't spam with me with crap :-)
He'd really like to know what his friends are up to these days.
Thanks!
As Bryan mentioned in his email, apparently they have permission to RECEIVE emails from friends, but are not permitted to reply to friends through email. For that, they still need to use snail mail.
So if you would like to send an email to him, you can first email me for his address and I will give it to you if you identify yourself to me. My email is inkstndpsyche@yahoo.com. Please don't spam with me with crap :-)
He'd really like to know what his friends are up to these days.
Thanks!
Email - 6/16/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 2:10 PM
Well, I still have to send my report off to pres, and I have a few appointments still tonight, so if I don't manage to finish this e-mail, I'll try and send out a new one later this week.
I'm okay that I didn't receive any e-mail this week, because I received a bunch this week, which doesn't make sense, but you all understand what I mean to say.
I was transferred two weeks back, so my companion now is Elder Felippe, from Curitiba. He's not my ideal companion, but recently we were told that if we wanted to have the right companion, we first needed to be him, so I'm really trying my best to smooth out the rough edges of my character.
I use glasses now, and I've taken a few photos, but I don't have my camera with me, so I can't really send any pics at present. I was told this week that I can receive e-mails from my friends, but all responses from me have to go through snail mail still, so I don't know what you all make of that, but okay.
This week we baptized a Peruvian man, named Douglas, who has a fairly interesting story. He's from Peru, but moved to the States, where he met and married Dulce, who is a Brasilian, but in 2001, in the middle of all the craziness following 9/11, Dulce was deported by the Cuban government out of Florida and into Brazil. Which hurts my head to wrap my brain around, but the long story is, we are trying to help her stop smoking so she can get baptized.
The church is pretty well established here in Brazil, and normally things go fairly well. The members are, on the whole, very faithful, and a great lot. Not a single convert to the church lacks a story that is long and interesting. In fact, one of my favorite techniques is, "Sister, could you tell us how you got to know the Church?" I have yet to see one of these stories last less than half an hour.
The thing is, no matter where you are in the world, there will always be a few crazy members. No matter where you go as an ELDER, though, the number of crazy people in and out of the church goes up. The other day we were seated at the bus stop, and I was talking to Elder Felippe in English (he speaks a good number of languages, my comp), and this lady she asked him, "Are you a foreigner?" "No, I'm a Gaucho (from Rio Grande do Sul)" "What brings a Gaucho to these parts?" "I'm here to teach The Gospel."
And the lady went berserk. You don't teach the gospel! You're a cult! Every night I pray that you learn about the truth (funny sister, we do the same for you) and tal and tal and tal and wow, the lady just sat there and attacked us and said all sorts of crazy things. It was not easy to set a bad example of the church, so we just grabbed the bus and disappeared. The lady was literally nuts. She walked off to throw something away, then came back and continued cussing us out.
But on the whole, the mission goes well. I meet more good people than bad. This week we met a young man named Bruno on Saturday, taught him, and brought him to church Sunday. During the week you teach a lot of people who say, "Oh, yep, I'm SO going to church this Sunday." When they realy want to say, "NO WAY JOSE." In fact we went until just about the end of the world to find someone who was a sure bet for Sunday, who didn't show up,and then came back, to find that Bruno was getting ready to go looking for the church on his own.
Time's run out for now, I love you all, and I'll try and send out a note later, but if I don't pull it off, I'll see you all again next week, huh?
Love, Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 2:10 PM
Well, I still have to send my report off to pres, and I have a few appointments still tonight, so if I don't manage to finish this e-mail, I'll try and send out a new one later this week.
I'm okay that I didn't receive any e-mail this week, because I received a bunch this week, which doesn't make sense, but you all understand what I mean to say.
I was transferred two weeks back, so my companion now is Elder Felippe, from Curitiba. He's not my ideal companion, but recently we were told that if we wanted to have the right companion, we first needed to be him, so I'm really trying my best to smooth out the rough edges of my character.
I use glasses now, and I've taken a few photos, but I don't have my camera with me, so I can't really send any pics at present. I was told this week that I can receive e-mails from my friends, but all responses from me have to go through snail mail still, so I don't know what you all make of that, but okay.
This week we baptized a Peruvian man, named Douglas, who has a fairly interesting story. He's from Peru, but moved to the States, where he met and married Dulce, who is a Brasilian, but in 2001, in the middle of all the craziness following 9/11, Dulce was deported by the Cuban government out of Florida and into Brazil. Which hurts my head to wrap my brain around, but the long story is, we are trying to help her stop smoking so she can get baptized.
The church is pretty well established here in Brazil, and normally things go fairly well. The members are, on the whole, very faithful, and a great lot. Not a single convert to the church lacks a story that is long and interesting. In fact, one of my favorite techniques is, "Sister, could you tell us how you got to know the Church?" I have yet to see one of these stories last less than half an hour.
The thing is, no matter where you are in the world, there will always be a few crazy members. No matter where you go as an ELDER, though, the number of crazy people in and out of the church goes up. The other day we were seated at the bus stop, and I was talking to Elder Felippe in English (he speaks a good number of languages, my comp), and this lady she asked him, "Are you a foreigner?" "No, I'm a Gaucho (from Rio Grande do Sul)" "What brings a Gaucho to these parts?" "I'm here to teach The Gospel."
And the lady went berserk. You don't teach the gospel! You're a cult! Every night I pray that you learn about the truth (funny sister, we do the same for you) and tal and tal and tal and wow, the lady just sat there and attacked us and said all sorts of crazy things. It was not easy to set a bad example of the church, so we just grabbed the bus and disappeared. The lady was literally nuts. She walked off to throw something away, then came back and continued cussing us out.
But on the whole, the mission goes well. I meet more good people than bad. This week we met a young man named Bruno on Saturday, taught him, and brought him to church Sunday. During the week you teach a lot of people who say, "Oh, yep, I'm SO going to church this Sunday." When they realy want to say, "NO WAY JOSE." In fact we went until just about the end of the world to find someone who was a sure bet for Sunday, who didn't show up,and then came back, to find that Bruno was getting ready to go looking for the church on his own.
Time's run out for now, I love you all, and I'll try and send out a note later, but if I don't pull it off, I'll see you all again next week, huh?
Love, Bryan.
Email - 6/12/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 6:54 AM
Subject: Concerning My New Eyes
As of Wednesday of this week I have been using glasses. I went to the eye-doctor Tuesday afternoon, passed through a series of tests which I'm sure you've already seen, and in the end 1)You need glasses and 2)If you ever need surgery, your eyes are really good for it. So we went off with a prescription to find specs, Sister Tobias sent us to go to 3 different stores and see what the cheapest, best-looking set of new eyes would be.
As you may have noticed, I made the purchase with my own card, taking money out of my account. Sister Tobias said that, if we can afford it, we should pay for the glasses, but if we can't the mission can pay for it. So I made the buy. It was R$130, which I think is some $65 USD, but I'm not sure. Any way, I was given permission to send this e-mail and see what you and dad felt, and then well, go from there.
But yes, I am officially a member of the family, I use glasses now and everything. I didn't quite understand the instructions for how to wash my new eyes, though, so if you could explain that for me in your reply in english, I'd be grateful.
Seeing Much More Clearly,
Bryan.
Sent: Friday, June 12, 2009 6:54 AM
Subject: Concerning My New Eyes
As of Wednesday of this week I have been using glasses. I went to the eye-doctor Tuesday afternoon, passed through a series of tests which I'm sure you've already seen, and in the end 1)You need glasses and 2)If you ever need surgery, your eyes are really good for it. So we went off with a prescription to find specs, Sister Tobias sent us to go to 3 different stores and see what the cheapest, best-looking set of new eyes would be.
As you may have noticed, I made the purchase with my own card, taking money out of my account. Sister Tobias said that, if we can afford it, we should pay for the glasses, but if we can't the mission can pay for it. So I made the buy. It was R$130, which I think is some $65 USD, but I'm not sure. Any way, I was given permission to send this e-mail and see what you and dad felt, and then well, go from there.
But yes, I am officially a member of the family, I use glasses now and everything. I didn't quite understand the instructions for how to wash my new eyes, though, so if you could explain that for me in your reply in english, I'd be grateful.
Seeing Much More Clearly,
Bryan.
Email - 6/9/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 7:10 AM
Well, just a quick break down of the week, I guess. We didn't do a whole lot, because there were a slew of meetings and the what not this week, but my area seems to be the biggest ward I've been in since the start of my mission. Ironically, we have the smallest chapel since the start of my mission, too.
I got here last week, and I sent an e-mail Tuesday, so we'll pick up from Wednesday. I had my first District Meeting here, with some 22 Elders and Sisters in the District. The cause for this? This coming Monday, 13 missionaries are going home, and no one is arriving in the field. So the mission has become a bit smaller, and President joined these two zones together. No letters at the district meeting were received.
Thursday was Zone conference, where I had the chance to tell my old district I'd been transferred rather quickly. Zone conference, as always, was a lot of fun. We learned a lot, ate a lot, and had a chance to talk to other missionaries. As per usual, Pres. told the whole lot of us to repent and get back to work at the end of the day, haha. I found out that a letter did arrive for me, but in the wrong district, so I am still waiting for that.
Friday passed without worthwile note.
Saturday there was a ward activity, but Pres. expressly forbade all missionaries the zone-over to go to any type of parties or activities for more time than 1) to eat and 2) give a brief message. So we did. In the meantime we tried to teach a few lessons, but found no one worth mentioning.
Sunday we went to Church, where there was a member telling the assembled Priesthood that members specifically SHOULD NOT help the missionaries. In a ward with 4 missionaries, the member was swiftly put into his place with a number of citations of prophets both ancient and modern.
Monday was Monday, which unfortunately means very little happened, though not because I didn't want it to.
Which brings me to here. Today we'll have lunch, then I have to go to the City Center. I have an appointment with the Eye Doctor. At present nothing has been said about money, I just have to take enough to get their and back and a couple of papers with me.
We have to get going soon, so I just thought I'd make a quick call out to my friends: Kelsey, Jess, Sharelle, Josh and Lance, to send some kind of information this way. I think the last time I got a letter from them, it was April, so I'm a bit crazy for news. I will be writing some letters tonight, but sadly I can't vouch for when exactly I'll be sending them. This week is the last week of transfer, so I don.'t even really know where I will be next Tuesday. It sounds like the mission is on the verge of a big change, so I have to be ready for it.
Could somebody pass me Katie's e-mail? I haven't heard from her since I left home, so I thought I should pass an e-mail to her. At the least I ought to include her in these weekly newsletters, huh?
At present I'm still alive, I haven't died, and the work is continuing to go forth, whether it be at the pace I'd like it to our not is another story. I hope everyone is doing well back home.
And just to show how good my language skills are, I'm reading the Liahona for General Conference in Portuguese this month. I started last week, and I've read all the Sisters, Bishopric, and almost all the Seventies' talks.
I have to go now, but I love you all,
Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 7:10 AM
Well, just a quick break down of the week, I guess. We didn't do a whole lot, because there were a slew of meetings and the what not this week, but my area seems to be the biggest ward I've been in since the start of my mission. Ironically, we have the smallest chapel since the start of my mission, too.
I got here last week, and I sent an e-mail Tuesday, so we'll pick up from Wednesday. I had my first District Meeting here, with some 22 Elders and Sisters in the District. The cause for this? This coming Monday, 13 missionaries are going home, and no one is arriving in the field. So the mission has become a bit smaller, and President joined these two zones together. No letters at the district meeting were received.
Thursday was Zone conference, where I had the chance to tell my old district I'd been transferred rather quickly. Zone conference, as always, was a lot of fun. We learned a lot, ate a lot, and had a chance to talk to other missionaries. As per usual, Pres. told the whole lot of us to repent and get back to work at the end of the day, haha. I found out that a letter did arrive for me, but in the wrong district, so I am still waiting for that.
Friday passed without worthwile note.
Saturday there was a ward activity, but Pres. expressly forbade all missionaries the zone-over to go to any type of parties or activities for more time than 1) to eat and 2) give a brief message. So we did. In the meantime we tried to teach a few lessons, but found no one worth mentioning.
Sunday we went to Church, where there was a member telling the assembled Priesthood that members specifically SHOULD NOT help the missionaries. In a ward with 4 missionaries, the member was swiftly put into his place with a number of citations of prophets both ancient and modern.
Monday was Monday, which unfortunately means very little happened, though not because I didn't want it to.
Which brings me to here. Today we'll have lunch, then I have to go to the City Center. I have an appointment with the Eye Doctor. At present nothing has been said about money, I just have to take enough to get their and back and a couple of papers with me.
We have to get going soon, so I just thought I'd make a quick call out to my friends: Kelsey, Jess, Sharelle, Josh and Lance, to send some kind of information this way. I think the last time I got a letter from them, it was April, so I'm a bit crazy for news. I will be writing some letters tonight, but sadly I can't vouch for when exactly I'll be sending them. This week is the last week of transfer, so I don.'t even really know where I will be next Tuesday. It sounds like the mission is on the verge of a big change, so I have to be ready for it.
Could somebody pass me Katie's e-mail? I haven't heard from her since I left home, so I thought I should pass an e-mail to her. At the least I ought to include her in these weekly newsletters, huh?
At present I'm still alive, I haven't died, and the work is continuing to go forth, whether it be at the pace I'd like it to our not is another story. I hope everyone is doing well back home.
And just to show how good my language skills are, I'm reading the Liahona for General Conference in Portuguese this month. I started last week, and I've read all the Sisters, Bishopric, and almost all the Seventies' talks.
I have to go now, but I love you all,
Bryan.
Email - 6/2/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 8:15 AM
Well, a lot of strange things to report first, huh? As I told dad in an e-mail, I had my first Bible-Bash this week! It was sad to watch someone attack and attack and attack two young men and all they believed while the young men continued to behave themselves with more manners than the attacker deserved, beloved child of God or not.
After a hard week of work, every last one of our plans crumbled Saturday night and Sunday morning, leaving us more tired than anything. You work all week to get a baptism ready, just to have the members of the ward through it in your face in the end. "No Elders, you have to have a party and a cake and his family has to be there and his uncle has to perform the ordinance and the pope has to wear green socks that day and his cousin's wife also has to be baptized even if you've only seen her twice and the moon has to be full and way to go Elders, I can't believe you failed to do things that were our responsability!"
So I left Church Sunday feeling rather irked about the ward, given that the Relief Society President had not shown, nor bothered to create a new calender for lunch, leaving us indefinitely hungry, when, out of the blue, a member came chasing after us and invited us to his house for lunch. Normally I don't think much of this, but it helped change my attitude.
Sunday night we received a phone call. "Elder Barney, get your bags ready, you're being transferred." So, even though Transfer doesn't happen until 16th of June or something to that effect, I am now in a new area, called Jardim Curitiba, I think. It's all a bit confusing.
I don't know a Carlin Hill. But it must be cool, huh? Lord willing, Colin will get out soon, too, and Spanaway Ward will have 4 Elders serving, where once it passed years and years with none.
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 8:15 AM
Well, a lot of strange things to report first, huh? As I told dad in an e-mail, I had my first Bible-Bash this week! It was sad to watch someone attack and attack and attack two young men and all they believed while the young men continued to behave themselves with more manners than the attacker deserved, beloved child of God or not.
After a hard week of work, every last one of our plans crumbled Saturday night and Sunday morning, leaving us more tired than anything. You work all week to get a baptism ready, just to have the members of the ward through it in your face in the end. "No Elders, you have to have a party and a cake and his family has to be there and his uncle has to perform the ordinance and the pope has to wear green socks that day and his cousin's wife also has to be baptized even if you've only seen her twice and the moon has to be full and way to go Elders, I can't believe you failed to do things that were our responsability!"
So I left Church Sunday feeling rather irked about the ward, given that the Relief Society President had not shown, nor bothered to create a new calender for lunch, leaving us indefinitely hungry, when, out of the blue, a member came chasing after us and invited us to his house for lunch. Normally I don't think much of this, but it helped change my attitude.
Sunday night we received a phone call. "Elder Barney, get your bags ready, you're being transferred." So, even though Transfer doesn't happen until 16th of June or something to that effect, I am now in a new area, called Jardim Curitiba, I think. It's all a bit confusing.
I don't know a Carlin Hill. But it must be cool, huh? Lord willing, Colin will get out soon, too, and Spanaway Ward will have 4 Elders serving, where once it passed years and years with none.
Email - 6/2/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 8:02 AM
That's cool that Brian noticed the good examples in the ward. Sometimes I don't know what the purpose is of what I'm doing in some places, but if I'm leaving a good example, then that's a good thing. For example:
This week we had, for the first time in our mission, someone chuck a Bible in front of us and start to attack the Book of Mormon. We were visiting a woman who has been off-and-on investigating the church for some 7 months now, when her mother (with whom we were already somewhat acquainted, and familiar with her odd beliefs) began the assault.
Being somewhat prepared for this, and fully aware that this woman did not want to listen to any explanation we would give using the Bible, for we are in fact fully capable of proving the Book of Mormon using the Bible, we did what we felt best to leave a decent example for the woman for whom we had come.
"Ma'am, can you show me God now?"
"No, because no man at any time has ever nor will ever see God."
"Can you show me Jesus, then?"
"No, I can't."
"How then, can I be expected to believe in them? I can't see them, and you can't prove they're real. How can I believe in what I can't see?"
"It's called Faith."
"Exactly. And it is this way that I know that The Book of Mormon is true. Faith."
To cut a long story short, we bore our testimonies and left. The woman attacked and attacked and attacked, and the more I have reflected, the less I have understood why. What reason could she have? This woman, who claimed to have such knowledge of the Bible (though evidently very little, as the interview so clearly showed from her vehement claim that no man could see God), likewise frequented no church. Thus she could have no real agenda against ours in this manner. We were 2 young men who had come to her house to talk about The Word with her daughter, who is a woman in her own right. 2 young men in a world rife with sin and debauchery, who could very well have been out doing who knows what kind of horror, but because of our faith we had dedicated 2 years of our lives to the service of the Lord. What, then, was her reason in trying to destroy our faith?
I tell this story only to illustrate that at times there is nothing we can do but be better people. The phrase, "Be the Better Man" comes to mind. I don't mean to say this proudfully, that I am a better person than this woman, but that in that situation I was determined not to sink below what the Lord expects of me. As President Uchtdorf recently said, I am doing a Great Work, so that I Cannot Come Down.
I'm glad to hear Spanaway Ward is doing well. Make sure Colin helps out the Missionaries when he can. If he can't get a badge for himself for now, he can at least help the work roll along, huh?
Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 8:02 AM
That's cool that Brian noticed the good examples in the ward. Sometimes I don't know what the purpose is of what I'm doing in some places, but if I'm leaving a good example, then that's a good thing. For example:
This week we had, for the first time in our mission, someone chuck a Bible in front of us and start to attack the Book of Mormon. We were visiting a woman who has been off-and-on investigating the church for some 7 months now, when her mother (with whom we were already somewhat acquainted, and familiar with her odd beliefs) began the assault.
Being somewhat prepared for this, and fully aware that this woman did not want to listen to any explanation we would give using the Bible, for we are in fact fully capable of proving the Book of Mormon using the Bible, we did what we felt best to leave a decent example for the woman for whom we had come.
"Ma'am, can you show me God now?"
"No, because no man at any time has ever nor will ever see God."
"Can you show me Jesus, then?"
"No, I can't."
"How then, can I be expected to believe in them? I can't see them, and you can't prove they're real. How can I believe in what I can't see?"
"It's called Faith."
"Exactly. And it is this way that I know that The Book of Mormon is true. Faith."
To cut a long story short, we bore our testimonies and left. The woman attacked and attacked and attacked, and the more I have reflected, the less I have understood why. What reason could she have? This woman, who claimed to have such knowledge of the Bible (though evidently very little, as the interview so clearly showed from her vehement claim that no man could see God), likewise frequented no church. Thus she could have no real agenda against ours in this manner. We were 2 young men who had come to her house to talk about The Word with her daughter, who is a woman in her own right. 2 young men in a world rife with sin and debauchery, who could very well have been out doing who knows what kind of horror, but because of our faith we had dedicated 2 years of our lives to the service of the Lord. What, then, was her reason in trying to destroy our faith?
I tell this story only to illustrate that at times there is nothing we can do but be better people. The phrase, "Be the Better Man" comes to mind. I don't mean to say this proudfully, that I am a better person than this woman, but that in that situation I was determined not to sink below what the Lord expects of me. As President Uchtdorf recently said, I am doing a Great Work, so that I Cannot Come Down.
I'm glad to hear Spanaway Ward is doing well. Make sure Colin helps out the Missionaries when he can. If he can't get a badge for himself for now, he can at least help the work roll along, huh?
Email - 5/26/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 11:14 AM
Epistle of Élder Barney to the Saints Up North,
This week was once again a tough one. A lot of running to and fro with little payback, but well, some weeks are up, and some are down. We tried our best to laugh during the rough patches of the week, including creating (in our heads and on a few sheets of paper) Obra Missionaria! Batizar Até o Pó! (Missionary Work! Baptize Until the Dust!) A non-existent but highly entertaining anime about Missionary Work here in Brazil. Needless to say we did a LOT of walking around this week.
That's cool that the Mowers went off to the Holy Land recently. Maybe someday I'll get around to trotting off there. I wonder how the food is there? Food's not actually too different here.
I read Dad's talk and liked it a lot. I find it funny that, actually, this same Sunday I gave a talk, too. I gave a talk on Forgiveness in portuguese for 10 minutes. I have to work up another one now, because well, you never know when the Elders have to get up and speak. Granted it's not too hard to talk Gospel these days. It's essentially all I know.
Good to hear I finally have a plaque, now that I'm nearing the 7th month of my mission. Let's hope the Brian Van Duyn's plaque doesn't take so long, huh? Speaking of him, someone let him know I'm pulling for him here. The more missionaries our ward sends out, the better, and I actually picked up a magazine in Spanish the other day and read it (it's basically Portuguese with a lot of spelling errors.)
I live in a place called Jardim Presidente, I think I live in a building on Rua Pres. Washington, but I know I live above a store called FF Utiliarios, for all that helps. I live on the 3rd floor. As of now no one has ripped my eyeballs apart to see if I'm okay, but we have Zone Conference soon, so I should have a chance to bug Pres. about it pretty quick.
Good to see you all went to the beach to play. There are no beaches anywhere near where I am, and the sea is probably one of the few things I miss still. That picture of Chingu is very funny, and it does remind me of Yoda. Granted, he wouldn't have to bite the sea if it would just go where he wanted it to.
I have no idea when or if I spend too much time in the sun these days. I basically bathe in sun-screen, and then it makes me slimy and gets in my eyes and I go more blind, but eh. What's a mission without a little work?
No baptisms this Sunday, but we're shooting for 2 this coming. And, close-minded Mormon as this sounds, I finally understand what Mom meant when she said there are people in the world who wrest the scriptures unto their own destruction. We had someone reject the first vision the other day because Joseph Smith saw God's face, when Moses couldn't even see more than his back (though, as anyone who has actually READ the Bible might remember, that's not actually true.)
Sometimes we go past churches and can't help but laugh. We went by one and the pastor was saying "Today we have three kinds of offerings. One of R$30, one of R$50, and one of R$100. Who has faith pays accordingly."
Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 11:14 AM
Epistle of Élder Barney to the Saints Up North,
This week was once again a tough one. A lot of running to and fro with little payback, but well, some weeks are up, and some are down. We tried our best to laugh during the rough patches of the week, including creating (in our heads and on a few sheets of paper) Obra Missionaria! Batizar Até o Pó! (Missionary Work! Baptize Until the Dust!) A non-existent but highly entertaining anime about Missionary Work here in Brazil. Needless to say we did a LOT of walking around this week.
That's cool that the Mowers went off to the Holy Land recently. Maybe someday I'll get around to trotting off there. I wonder how the food is there? Food's not actually too different here.
I read Dad's talk and liked it a lot. I find it funny that, actually, this same Sunday I gave a talk, too. I gave a talk on Forgiveness in portuguese for 10 minutes. I have to work up another one now, because well, you never know when the Elders have to get up and speak. Granted it's not too hard to talk Gospel these days. It's essentially all I know.
Good to hear I finally have a plaque, now that I'm nearing the 7th month of my mission. Let's hope the Brian Van Duyn's plaque doesn't take so long, huh? Speaking of him, someone let him know I'm pulling for him here. The more missionaries our ward sends out, the better, and I actually picked up a magazine in Spanish the other day and read it (it's basically Portuguese with a lot of spelling errors.)
I live in a place called Jardim Presidente, I think I live in a building on Rua Pres. Washington, but I know I live above a store called FF Utiliarios, for all that helps. I live on the 3rd floor. As of now no one has ripped my eyeballs apart to see if I'm okay, but we have Zone Conference soon, so I should have a chance to bug Pres. about it pretty quick.
Good to see you all went to the beach to play. There are no beaches anywhere near where I am, and the sea is probably one of the few things I miss still. That picture of Chingu is very funny, and it does remind me of Yoda. Granted, he wouldn't have to bite the sea if it would just go where he wanted it to.
I have no idea when or if I spend too much time in the sun these days. I basically bathe in sun-screen, and then it makes me slimy and gets in my eyes and I go more blind, but eh. What's a mission without a little work?
No baptisms this Sunday, but we're shooting for 2 this coming. And, close-minded Mormon as this sounds, I finally understand what Mom meant when she said there are people in the world who wrest the scriptures unto their own destruction. We had someone reject the first vision the other day because Joseph Smith saw God's face, when Moses couldn't even see more than his back (though, as anyone who has actually READ the Bible might remember, that's not actually true.)
Sometimes we go past churches and can't help but laugh. We went by one and the pastor was saying "Today we have three kinds of offerings. One of R$30, one of R$50, and one of R$100. Who has faith pays accordingly."
Email 5/19/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 10:05 AM
Well, this week can readily be called one of my less favorite weeks in a few ways. Not that we did not work hard. We worked very hard. In fact, I would say that, numerically speaking, this week turned over the best numbers (outside of baptisms and confirmations, granted) in my whole mission. As far as labor goes, this was a well done week.
Nevertheless, I fear much time was wasted in pursuit of people who, frankly, were more interested in wasting our time than not. Every day this week we worked toward the baptisms of a certain group, and in the end, this group, well, let's just say it's not worth walking back to their house again. Any more details and I'll be dwelling on things negative.
On the adventure and fun side of life, Well, little can honestly be said. We knocked a few doors this week and saw a few strange and lame responses. "Somos TJs (Jehovah's Witnesses, there are a lot here. A lot.)" "PERFECT! Can we come in and talk with you all about Jesus?" "No, it's dinner time."
We literally had a woman tell us to not come back because she doesn't like to turn off her TV at night. Which of course was so absurd that, well, we couldn't help but laugh 30 seconds after the fact. It's one thing to say, hey, you kids are cool and all, but I'm good where I'm at, and another entirely to say "My TV is more important to me than Jesus."
But hey, if someone enjoys the companionship of a glowing box more than human beings, so be it.
Oh! We got lost one night this week. Our area is really, really big, and neither of us have been here very long, and so one night we got lost and ran into this creepy guy speaking broken english on a bike and passed a few really wierd churches before we knew where we were. Fun night.
Outside that, not much, really. I know e-mails are working quicker to communicate between the family at present, but I have a responsability to write people in Uberlandia now, too. Seeing as I can't send them e-mails, it's straight up pen and paper for them. Thankfully, I think there is a post office near the stake center. Not 100% sure though.
Thanks for the picture of the Seattle Temple, it's better than the one on the website, I think, but I think that's because Temples look cooler at night.
Parabens for Dad! Congrats on the bike ride. We're wishing a lot these days that we had bikes here in our area, because, well, it would be pretty darn helpful for us in getting around to our various and long-spaced appointments. I had the opportunity to ride a bike thursday for a tiny bit. I'd forgotten how fun it can actually be.
I hope all is going well for the whole world. Send my love to the Van Duyns, and let them know I'm praying for 'em.
Also, I received a bit of advice I'd like to pass to the whole world at this time, which is to say, I was reading the Liahona and it said to read our patriarchal blessings, so I'm encouraging everyone out there to give that a shot.
A quick shout out to Jessica, Kelsey, Sharelle, Josh, and Lance, as well: I'm not quite dead yet! You all can write to me! And I'm especially accepting photos from AFTER I LEFT! Be cool to see how everyone's doing.
Until next time, then!
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 10:05 AM
Well, this week can readily be called one of my less favorite weeks in a few ways. Not that we did not work hard. We worked very hard. In fact, I would say that, numerically speaking, this week turned over the best numbers (outside of baptisms and confirmations, granted) in my whole mission. As far as labor goes, this was a well done week.
Nevertheless, I fear much time was wasted in pursuit of people who, frankly, were more interested in wasting our time than not. Every day this week we worked toward the baptisms of a certain group, and in the end, this group, well, let's just say it's not worth walking back to their house again. Any more details and I'll be dwelling on things negative.
On the adventure and fun side of life, Well, little can honestly be said. We knocked a few doors this week and saw a few strange and lame responses. "Somos TJs (Jehovah's Witnesses, there are a lot here. A lot.)" "PERFECT! Can we come in and talk with you all about Jesus?" "No, it's dinner time."
We literally had a woman tell us to not come back because she doesn't like to turn off her TV at night. Which of course was so absurd that, well, we couldn't help but laugh 30 seconds after the fact. It's one thing to say, hey, you kids are cool and all, but I'm good where I'm at, and another entirely to say "My TV is more important to me than Jesus."
But hey, if someone enjoys the companionship of a glowing box more than human beings, so be it.
Oh! We got lost one night this week. Our area is really, really big, and neither of us have been here very long, and so one night we got lost and ran into this creepy guy speaking broken english on a bike and passed a few really wierd churches before we knew where we were. Fun night.
Outside that, not much, really. I know e-mails are working quicker to communicate between the family at present, but I have a responsability to write people in Uberlandia now, too. Seeing as I can't send them e-mails, it's straight up pen and paper for them. Thankfully, I think there is a post office near the stake center. Not 100% sure though.
Thanks for the picture of the Seattle Temple, it's better than the one on the website, I think, but I think that's because Temples look cooler at night.
Parabens for Dad! Congrats on the bike ride. We're wishing a lot these days that we had bikes here in our area, because, well, it would be pretty darn helpful for us in getting around to our various and long-spaced appointments. I had the opportunity to ride a bike thursday for a tiny bit. I'd forgotten how fun it can actually be.
I hope all is going well for the whole world. Send my love to the Van Duyns, and let them know I'm praying for 'em.
Also, I received a bit of advice I'd like to pass to the whole world at this time, which is to say, I was reading the Liahona and it said to read our patriarchal blessings, so I'm encouraging everyone out there to give that a shot.
A quick shout out to Jessica, Kelsey, Sharelle, Josh, and Lance, as well: I'm not quite dead yet! You all can write to me! And I'm especially accepting photos from AFTER I LEFT! Be cool to see how everyone's doing.
Until next time, then!
Email 5_12_09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:34 AM
Well I'll send the best quick e-mail I can. Eventually I'll get an letter sent out from here, but well, I'm working hard to keep my expenses to an absolute minimum in a situation which is requiring me to spend more than I'd like.
Nevertheless and notwithstanding all afflictions, I can, as humbly as possible, now announce that the rumors about Brazilian Missions are true: My companionship has baptized 3 weeks in a row. Weekly (Or Semanalmente, for those who'd like to know) baptisms, with a fair chance that will be filling the font again this Saturday.
As I said Sunday, though I know not if Mom has made it know to the congregation, the Lord God has at last repaid me for years of being proud of my good eye sight. Today I spoke with Sister Tobias about seeing if my eyes are up to snuff. She has to send an e-mail to the area doctor, and then they'll let me know what's going on.
Elder Deivison, my first Brazilian companion, is a hard worker and good teacher, but he's not what you'd call very strict at keeping Mission Law. (Yes, he drinks the dreaded Coke.) Despite this, he's a good guy. Even though he's crazy.
It looks like my time has come to an end for this week. I had a lot to do, and still have a few papers to print. I don..t know how, but the system has changed a bit, and I have become somewhat responsible for the paperwork in my area.
Nevertheless, I love you all, and call you all to repentance (haha), until next time, huh?
-Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 11:34 AM
Well I'll send the best quick e-mail I can. Eventually I'll get an letter sent out from here, but well, I'm working hard to keep my expenses to an absolute minimum in a situation which is requiring me to spend more than I'd like.
Nevertheless and notwithstanding all afflictions, I can, as humbly as possible, now announce that the rumors about Brazilian Missions are true: My companionship has baptized 3 weeks in a row. Weekly (Or Semanalmente, for those who'd like to know) baptisms, with a fair chance that will be filling the font again this Saturday.
As I said Sunday, though I know not if Mom has made it know to the congregation, the Lord God has at last repaid me for years of being proud of my good eye sight. Today I spoke with Sister Tobias about seeing if my eyes are up to snuff. She has to send an e-mail to the area doctor, and then they'll let me know what's going on.
Elder Deivison, my first Brazilian companion, is a hard worker and good teacher, but he's not what you'd call very strict at keeping Mission Law. (Yes, he drinks the dreaded Coke.) Despite this, he's a good guy. Even though he's crazy.
It looks like my time has come to an end for this week. I had a lot to do, and still have a few papers to print. I don..t know how, but the system has changed a bit, and I have become somewhat responsible for the paperwork in my area.
Nevertheless, I love you all, and call you all to repentance (haha), until next time, huh?
-Bryan.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 - New Address
Bryan's mom here:
Now that he's back in Goiania, he has a change of address that you can write to him at. Once again, it's the mission office, so here is the updated one.
Elder Bryan Jay Barney
Brazil Goiânia Mission
Rua 18, 110 Salas 1105 a 1107
Setor Oeste - Ed Business Center
Goiânia-GO
BRAZIL 74120-080
Also, Bryan says he would really, really, really like people to send him pictures of themselves doing things they've done AFTER he left last November. He wants to see what you're up to. And you don't need to send him pictures through the mail. He says that your digital pictures can be emailed to him through me. So if you have pictures, send them to me, mbarney@drizzle.com. I will attach them to my weekly emails to him (if you get them to me by Monday evening, he'll see them the next day on Tuesday (that's email day, if you're wondering)
Just a small update on him. I got the blessing of having him call me on Mother's Day, giving me a number to call back on (my first international phone call ever!) and then getting to talk for almost an hour. Missionaries are allowed to call home on Mother's Day and then again on Christmas Day.
He now has an accent. He sounds like he is thinking in Portuguese and translating into English. He's been told he speaks the language quite well.
-Marilyn
Now that he's back in Goiania, he has a change of address that you can write to him at. Once again, it's the mission office, so here is the updated one.
Elder Bryan Jay Barney
Brazil Goiânia Mission
Rua 18, 110 Salas 1105 a 1107
Setor Oeste - Ed Business Center
Goiânia-GO
BRAZIL 74120-080
Also, Bryan says he would really, really, really like people to send him pictures of themselves doing things they've done AFTER he left last November. He wants to see what you're up to. And you don't need to send him pictures through the mail. He says that your digital pictures can be emailed to him through me. So if you have pictures, send them to me, mbarney@drizzle.com. I will attach them to my weekly emails to him (if you get them to me by Monday evening, he'll see them the next day on Tuesday (that's email day, if you're wondering)
Just a small update on him. I got the blessing of having him call me on Mother's Day, giving me a number to call back on (my first international phone call ever!) and then getting to talk for almost an hour. Missionaries are allowed to call home on Mother's Day and then again on Christmas Day.
He now has an accent. He sounds like he is thinking in Portuguese and translating into English. He's been told he speaks the language quite well.
-Marilyn
Email - 5/5/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 2:31 PM
Lemme think about that-
No, they don't sell peanut butter here. Not in the way you and I know and love it. So yes, for christmas or something, peanut butter would rock. I have a few announcements to make here:
1) Elder Owen and I baptized again this Sunday.
2) I have been transferred. I am now in Goiania, Goias, but I have no idea what my address is. My companion is Elder Deivison. Brazillian. Not as righteous as a missionary can be, but I love the guy.
3) I don't remember what time of day to call this Sunday, but I will shoot for later in the afternoon, after church. I hope you all remember that I'll be calling. And no, I'm not sure how the call system works.
It was a 7 hour bus ride here, but I am back in Goiania, a new area for me, but well, it should be good. It was a little hard to leave Tibery, but Garavelo, my new area, should treat me well. Sounds like we are on the verge of a baptism really soon, which should be nice. I just have a lot of work ahead of me. Elder Deivison is a great missionary, works really well outside of the house, but well, inside, eh, he could use some sprucing up.
But really, he is awesome. I have a brazilian companion finally!!! WOOOO!!!!
Speaking of that, in a round about way. I had an interesting experience the other day at lunch. Irmã Smith (Yes, we have a Smith couple here, Americano e Brasileira) was insistent that I will marry a brazilian, and went so far as to show me photos of her friends in an attempt to persuade me to her point of view.
I responded that I have only 1 kind of ordinance that I'm really interested in doing right now, and that..s baptism. It can be with water or fire, I'm flexible, but baptism only for now. I have a calling for salvação, not exaltação.
But all goes well with me. I will meet the ward tonight. I have to be a bit Pharisaic for a while so as to maintain my high pattern of retidão, but I'm incredibly excited for this transfer. The mission can only go up and away from here. The goal this month? 300!
I'll be sending out at least a letter for Colin this week, for his birthday. But outside that, I still have to work on my budget (and diet) to get everything in order.
Blenders are standard gear in the mission. It's DRIERS that I want. Oh, but I finally have a bed again. WOOT! I still have to do some straightening up around the house. Transfer weeks are generally messy. Those and divisions.
Got the letter from DC, though, so don't worry about that, Mom.
Until later,
Love,
Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, May 05, 2009 2:31 PM
Lemme think about that-
No, they don't sell peanut butter here. Not in the way you and I know and love it. So yes, for christmas or something, peanut butter would rock. I have a few announcements to make here:
1) Elder Owen and I baptized again this Sunday.
2) I have been transferred. I am now in Goiania, Goias, but I have no idea what my address is. My companion is Elder Deivison. Brazillian. Not as righteous as a missionary can be, but I love the guy.
3) I don't remember what time of day to call this Sunday, but I will shoot for later in the afternoon, after church. I hope you all remember that I'll be calling. And no, I'm not sure how the call system works.
It was a 7 hour bus ride here, but I am back in Goiania, a new area for me, but well, it should be good. It was a little hard to leave Tibery, but Garavelo, my new area, should treat me well. Sounds like we are on the verge of a baptism really soon, which should be nice. I just have a lot of work ahead of me. Elder Deivison is a great missionary, works really well outside of the house, but well, inside, eh, he could use some sprucing up.
But really, he is awesome. I have a brazilian companion finally!!! WOOOO!!!!
Speaking of that, in a round about way. I had an interesting experience the other day at lunch. Irmã Smith (Yes, we have a Smith couple here, Americano e Brasileira) was insistent that I will marry a brazilian, and went so far as to show me photos of her friends in an attempt to persuade me to her point of view.
I responded that I have only 1 kind of ordinance that I'm really interested in doing right now, and that..s baptism. It can be with water or fire, I'm flexible, but baptism only for now. I have a calling for salvação, not exaltação.
But all goes well with me. I will meet the ward tonight. I have to be a bit Pharisaic for a while so as to maintain my high pattern of retidão, but I'm incredibly excited for this transfer. The mission can only go up and away from here. The goal this month? 300!
I'll be sending out at least a letter for Colin this week, for his birthday. But outside that, I still have to work on my budget (and diet) to get everything in order.
Blenders are standard gear in the mission. It's DRIERS that I want. Oh, but I finally have a bed again. WOOT! I still have to do some straightening up around the house. Transfer weeks are generally messy. Those and divisions.
Got the letter from DC, though, so don't worry about that, Mom.
Until later,
Love,
Bryan.
Another Email - 4/28/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 7:08 AM
Keep up the good work, dad! Working with inactive/ less active members is a very, very hard thing, but on the other hand, it's one of the most important parts of the Church's work. Missionaries can go and convert, but without the support of members, retention isn't very high. You just have to keep going at it, and the Lord will bless you for your service.
Getting people to the Temple is, well, it's the endgame, isn't it? The Apostles spoke A LOT about going to the temple this conference, and it's an incredible experience. There are a lot of people who maybe don't feel worthy, whether they'll say that or not, to go to the temple. For this the NEED the friendship of members, to help lift them. Satan will do everything in his power to make people feel unworthy. At times, yes, we are unworthy of this or that blessing, but I learned something very important this week from a Seventy:
You MUST Rejoice at the Opportunity to Repent. Every chance to repent is a new chance to come that much closer to Christ. Obviously this doesn't mean we should go out and sin a bunch so we can repent, but that we should receive all calls to repentance with a smile, so that we can be that much better. Repentance is a miracle. Christ suffered absolute agony to give us the chance to repent, we should, therefore, use that chance to the fullest and with the highest level of gratitude possible. Obviously, to repent, you must feel sorrow for your sins, but at the same time, you ought to rejoice at the chance to become a better person.
Anything less mocks the entire work of God, seeing that the Atonement is the very center of His plan.
But I think you should see if we have a copy of Preach my Gospel in my room. It's an incredible book. I encourage you all to read it, but especially you and Colin. It's well, I use it as the 6th book of scriptures in my standard works.
I have to run now, I have a lot of photos to send Mom, and time and money are going fast, but I love you, and pray for your success!
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 7:08 AM
Keep up the good work, dad! Working with inactive/ less active members is a very, very hard thing, but on the other hand, it's one of the most important parts of the Church's work. Missionaries can go and convert, but without the support of members, retention isn't very high. You just have to keep going at it, and the Lord will bless you for your service.
Getting people to the Temple is, well, it's the endgame, isn't it? The Apostles spoke A LOT about going to the temple this conference, and it's an incredible experience. There are a lot of people who maybe don't feel worthy, whether they'll say that or not, to go to the temple. For this the NEED the friendship of members, to help lift them. Satan will do everything in his power to make people feel unworthy. At times, yes, we are unworthy of this or that blessing, but I learned something very important this week from a Seventy:
You MUST Rejoice at the Opportunity to Repent. Every chance to repent is a new chance to come that much closer to Christ. Obviously this doesn't mean we should go out and sin a bunch so we can repent, but that we should receive all calls to repentance with a smile, so that we can be that much better. Repentance is a miracle. Christ suffered absolute agony to give us the chance to repent, we should, therefore, use that chance to the fullest and with the highest level of gratitude possible. Obviously, to repent, you must feel sorrow for your sins, but at the same time, you ought to rejoice at the chance to become a better person.
Anything less mocks the entire work of God, seeing that the Atonement is the very center of His plan.
But I think you should see if we have a copy of Preach my Gospel in my room. It's an incredible book. I encourage you all to read it, but especially you and Colin. It's well, I use it as the 6th book of scriptures in my standard works.
I have to run now, I have a lot of photos to send Mom, and time and money are going fast, but I love you, and pray for your success!
Another Email - 4/28/09
Good news first: BAPTISM HAPPENED!!!!
So we have weekly district meetings, and this week the district leaders decided that we'd do a quick division, send someone to my area to help us get wet, so to speak. And I have to say, we were thirsty, too, haha.
But anyway, I was off in the District Leader's area for a day, and I then, when I should have gone to the Zone Leader..s area while they were in mine, we received a phone call from the Assistants-to-the-President. "There is only one companionship in the Mineiro Triangle (Minas Gerais) that hasn't baptized. It's Elder Barney's." So the decision came down from on high to send I and the other Zone Leader to Tibery also.
But first I had an interview with the APs. "Elder Barney, do you want to be the only missionary in the state this month who didn't baptize?" "No, of course not." "Elder Barney, do you want our Zone to be number one this month?" "Yes, of course I do" "Do you realize, then, that in the entire mission, you are the missionary who has the best knowledge about your area? Elder Eliason is in Rio Verde, and he's been there a month. Your info is current and complete. Go, baptize, and sin no more."
So we did. There is this young man, João Paulo, a 9 year-old son of some inactive members. I'd tried a few times to get his dad to baptize him, but well, there must be something else tangled in that situation. So we went, sat with this family, filled out the forms, and left them to be signed. The next day we called, the papers were signed, and the font was filling.
And that was my week. We have another 9 year old ready to baptize, but she lives in a pretty bad part of town. But she's completely ready to be baptized Sunday. Her mom and mom's boyfriend, well, just from the phrase you can tell they'll be a little longer in the going.
But all is well here for me. Say hi to Jackie, Rachel, and Wendy for me. And tell Jackie I said "Parabens!" which is portuguese for "Congrats!" about the babie. We have a recent convert here who had a daughter last month, so things are pretty neat here.
Just need to get this ward excited.
So we have weekly district meetings, and this week the district leaders decided that we'd do a quick division, send someone to my area to help us get wet, so to speak. And I have to say, we were thirsty, too, haha.
But anyway, I was off in the District Leader's area for a day, and I then, when I should have gone to the Zone Leader..s area while they were in mine, we received a phone call from the Assistants-to-the-President. "There is only one companionship in the Mineiro Triangle (Minas Gerais) that hasn't baptized. It's Elder Barney's." So the decision came down from on high to send I and the other Zone Leader to Tibery also.
But first I had an interview with the APs. "Elder Barney, do you want to be the only missionary in the state this month who didn't baptize?" "No, of course not." "Elder Barney, do you want our Zone to be number one this month?" "Yes, of course I do" "Do you realize, then, that in the entire mission, you are the missionary who has the best knowledge about your area? Elder Eliason is in Rio Verde, and he's been there a month. Your info is current and complete. Go, baptize, and sin no more."
So we did. There is this young man, João Paulo, a 9 year-old son of some inactive members. I'd tried a few times to get his dad to baptize him, but well, there must be something else tangled in that situation. So we went, sat with this family, filled out the forms, and left them to be signed. The next day we called, the papers were signed, and the font was filling.
And that was my week. We have another 9 year old ready to baptize, but she lives in a pretty bad part of town. But she's completely ready to be baptized Sunday. Her mom and mom's boyfriend, well, just from the phrase you can tell they'll be a little longer in the going.
But all is well here for me. Say hi to Jackie, Rachel, and Wendy for me. And tell Jackie I said "Parabens!" which is portuguese for "Congrats!" about the babie. We have a recent convert here who had a daughter last month, so things are pretty neat here.
Just need to get this ward excited.
Email - 4/28/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 7:33 AM
Okay, now I'm good. So, I should probably give the whole family a quick recap of what went down this week. I'm running low on cash/time (A final da transferencia, como eu te amo!) so I'll keep this sort of quick. Megan has a more extended version, for those who want it.
Essentially, Wednesday, the APs called me in and said, "Every companionship in the state has baptized but yours. Seeing as you have almost 4 months in the area, you are the most well informed on this subject. Go to, find the person who is ready, and baptize." Which is to say, all the Missionaries in the state, including the Sisters, had already had a baptize. Just not I and my companion. Elder Owen was already working in our area with another missionary to try and see if that would dig something up when this happened. So they sent me and another zone leader back into my area and well, we started visiting everyone who met the requirements written in the area book. Eventually we got to an inactive family, filled out the papers, and Sunday João Paulo was baptized. José Carlos, his dad, and Elisangela, are members I've been trying to reactivate for a while now. After months of work, this is the first time I've seen them at church. So well, miracles do happen.
I'm very happy to see the Stake Center coming along, but I wouldn't really call the Graham chapel too bad. It's huge in comparison to the Tibery chapel, which is actually one of the nicest chapels in the mission, I'm told.
Thank you for the Book. I'm also accepting peanut butter! No but really, thank you. Visual aids are a huge help in the mission. The "Vi dois personagens" in the first vision really doesn't work out if you don't have a painting of the scene.
Also, if someone could pass on to Sharelle that I have, in fact, successfully passed off one photo to some Brazilians. Elder Carlos and Elder Moura basically stole it from me this week, so, um, I'm in need of more photos from my friends? Specifically from the ferris wheel at the fair, but also if possible, I'D LOVE SHOTS FROM AFTER I LEFT.
The fruit shown in that picture is called a Mexerica, it's basically an easy-peel orange, and it is DELICIOUS.
We heard about the swine flu, yesterday, I think. It's like a mutant cold or something. I dunno, I'm still trying to avoid getting Dengue. They basically have HORRIBLE NEW EPIDEMIC OF THE MONTH here, so I don't really pay too much attention. Last month it was CALAZAR, THE SICKNESS OF REX.
Colin can drive? Well that just leaves me and Matt then, huh? And I can barely ride a bike, so, eh.
Also, please let Colin know that, while I'd love to get him a birthday present, I'm presently without. But a very merry 19th to him all the same. My advice is to go out with your friends, take many pictures, and then not show the embarassing ones to people in the mission field. Haha.
Well, I have to split now. I'm out of time for today. But I love you all, and I'll write again next week. I hope. Maybe.
Eh, Transfer is coming up, and I'm a bit conflicted. I'd actually rather get sent somewhere outside of Tibery than have a full Dia de Preparação.
Love,
Bryan
Sent: Tuesday, April 28, 2009 7:33 AM
Okay, now I'm good. So, I should probably give the whole family a quick recap of what went down this week. I'm running low on cash/time (A final da transferencia, como eu te amo!) so I'll keep this sort of quick. Megan has a more extended version, for those who want it.
Essentially, Wednesday, the APs called me in and said, "Every companionship in the state has baptized but yours. Seeing as you have almost 4 months in the area, you are the most well informed on this subject. Go to, find the person who is ready, and baptize." Which is to say, all the Missionaries in the state, including the Sisters, had already had a baptize. Just not I and my companion. Elder Owen was already working in our area with another missionary to try and see if that would dig something up when this happened. So they sent me and another zone leader back into my area and well, we started visiting everyone who met the requirements written in the area book. Eventually we got to an inactive family, filled out the papers, and Sunday João Paulo was baptized. José Carlos, his dad, and Elisangela, are members I've been trying to reactivate for a while now. After months of work, this is the first time I've seen them at church. So well, miracles do happen.
I'm very happy to see the Stake Center coming along, but I wouldn't really call the Graham chapel too bad. It's huge in comparison to the Tibery chapel, which is actually one of the nicest chapels in the mission, I'm told.
Thank you for the Book. I'm also accepting peanut butter! No but really, thank you. Visual aids are a huge help in the mission. The "Vi dois personagens" in the first vision really doesn't work out if you don't have a painting of the scene.
Also, if someone could pass on to Sharelle that I have, in fact, successfully passed off one photo to some Brazilians. Elder Carlos and Elder Moura basically stole it from me this week, so, um, I'm in need of more photos from my friends? Specifically from the ferris wheel at the fair, but also if possible, I'D LOVE SHOTS FROM AFTER I LEFT.
The fruit shown in that picture is called a Mexerica, it's basically an easy-peel orange, and it is DELICIOUS.
We heard about the swine flu, yesterday, I think. It's like a mutant cold or something. I dunno, I'm still trying to avoid getting Dengue. They basically have HORRIBLE NEW EPIDEMIC OF THE MONTH here, so I don't really pay too much attention. Last month it was CALAZAR, THE SICKNESS OF REX.
Colin can drive? Well that just leaves me and Matt then, huh? And I can barely ride a bike, so, eh.
Also, please let Colin know that, while I'd love to get him a birthday present, I'm presently without. But a very merry 19th to him all the same. My advice is to go out with your friends, take many pictures, and then not show the embarassing ones to people in the mission field. Haha.
Well, I have to split now. I'm out of time for today. But I love you all, and I'll write again next week. I hope. Maybe.
Eh, Transfer is coming up, and I'm a bit conflicted. I'd actually rather get sent somewhere outside of Tibery than have a full Dia de Preparação.
Love,
Bryan
Email - 4/21/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 9:54 AM
Hold on just a sec, looks like I have ten minutes left, and just enough time to mess with some pictures.
Okay, I bought some more time, so now I should be able to write.
Okay, so we had to go and pick up the macina de lavar roupa lá em Bairro Granada, then we got it home, and burned it out because of a problem with voltage. Now it works because of a simple part exchange and a very sketchy taping job with an extension cord. I think I have included some photos of this.
I'm of the mind that the house in Tibery is unusual in terms of the equipment it lacked, as you will see from the photos included, the house is a little better set now. And if Colin asks who the attractive Brasileira is in one of these photos, inform him the names read, from left to right, Sister Da Silva, Sister Judd (with whom I believe you are somewhat acquainted?) Sister Chaves, and Sister J. Lima. You have my written permission to apply this information in a way to excite him to go on his mission, haha.
As it happens, yes, kissing on the cheek is a rather normal thing to do here (although one man kissing another remains a little strange, even here), however Sisters may kiss the cheeks of other women. Élders, on the other hand, remain above the law of the land, haha.
I'm glad you included this story about working with inactive members. We have been doing so for a few weeks, and well, at times it's just a bit rough, really. There are people here putting up a good fight to keep there testimonies intact, and there are others who let all manners of vices- yes, even something as frustratingly stupid as the time of the meetings- destroy their exaltation.
I'm glad to hear they got the steeple up on the Stake Center. Sounds like people must be paying a worthy tithe if everything is moving along. Here we're basically trying to build a ward. We have a bishop, now we just need to organize everything below the Bishopric. Especially activity oriented organizations, like the Young Men's, Young Women's, and Seminary. If we can get these things off the ground, this ward.'l really start cooking.
As for the Gospel Arts Book, I'm kinda without means to buy one. Er, well, not without money, but without a way to get a hold of someone going to the Temple to buy one. I'll give it a shot for a bit longer. But I'm also kinda looking for a few photos more abstract, like of stars, the moon, and the sun, to portray the Kingdoms of Glory, and a shot of the Seattle Temple would be nice, too.
Speaking of photos, I have a pen drive now. You may e-mail me photos and I can thereafter print them out. The 2 Gig card Matt sent does not work with the camera, and I don't know why outside of the camera is too old to read her, but the Pen-drive is a good storage bucket.
I received a letter from the Bishopric this week, and it sounds as though all runs well there in Spanaway Ward. That's good news. Please send my love to them, and to the Primary, and if Brent shows up, let him know I said hi. Likewise tell Brian Van Duyn that I am absolutely impressed with his decision to serve. In a short time our ward will finally have a good number of Elders out of it. Oh, but let Brian know they sent him to Peru because he misspelled his name. Had he placed a Y on the page, he'd have been called to Brazil, too.
Hahaha.
Please inform my friends that I recently received a package for, um, Valentine's Day from them, and am very thankful for it. Someone needs to Noogie Sharelle for foubecando and not writing, but at the same time, it's been a while since I sent a fair number of letters out. Likewise I send a request to them, through this e-mail, for photos from the ferris-wheel ride, and remind them, as I remind all within the reach of this e-mail, that I readily accept photos that happen DURING these two years. My ugly face doesn't have to be in them people, I want to see what you're all doing too!
Speaking of which, I sent a letter out to them, which contains a letter for Jess, Kelsey, and Sharelle. I believe Matt and Miranda are on the schedule for this week.
As you know, Transfer will fall Dia 5 de Maio, which is also the day I turn 6 months old on the mission, and 4 months old in the field, more or less. This Transfer was only 5 weeks long, and I am not sure why, but because of Transfers of this type, I am led to understand that it's possible my Mission ends 2 weeks before the 2 Year Mark. I hope that's not true, however, as I have a great pile of work to accomplish before I finish here, and I cannot stomach the idea of it coming to an end before I am ready.
I should also say that my portuguese has allegedly improved. Eu não tenho certeza disso, vendo que Presidente ainda me colocou com um americano. Porém, estou falando bém. Não muito bém, nem exellente, mas acho que vou continuar.
This week we had an awesome opportunity. Elder Tobias, the brother of President Tobias, came to visit us. Elder Tobias is a member of the Quorum of the Seventy. So you can imagine, we had some sibling rivalry, we had to show off for the brass and, well, all the district and zone leaders were sweating bullets. But it was a lot of fun. We received some good training on Retention, Reactivation, and Conversion, and discussed Christ's gentle rebuke to Peter about when he would convert. Some deep doctrine fell about our heads, and we received our training on the New and Eternal Covenant, too, which, eh, dunno how to even explain it, outside of that Elder Tobias, who is, by the way, a Brasilian, told us that the training wasn't to make us "Trunkie", but to knock our heads around a bit so we can get off the mission and not slack off.
So stake conference here was at once awesome and horrible. Awesome because Elder Tobias was here, horrible because, as per usual, screaming children were required. Awesome, people are fighting at the computer next to me. I will send this now, so as not to lose it.
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 9:54 AM
Hold on just a sec, looks like I have ten minutes left, and just enough time to mess with some pictures.
Okay, I bought some more time, so now I should be able to write.
Okay, so we had to go and pick up the macina de lavar roupa lá em Bairro Granada, then we got it home, and burned it out because of a problem with voltage. Now it works because of a simple part exchange and a very sketchy taping job with an extension cord. I think I have included some photos of this.
I'm of the mind that the house in Tibery is unusual in terms of the equipment it lacked, as you will see from the photos included, the house is a little better set now. And if Colin asks who the attractive Brasileira is in one of these photos, inform him the names read, from left to right, Sister Da Silva, Sister Judd (with whom I believe you are somewhat acquainted?) Sister Chaves, and Sister J. Lima. You have my written permission to apply this information in a way to excite him to go on his mission, haha.
As it happens, yes, kissing on the cheek is a rather normal thing to do here (although one man kissing another remains a little strange, even here), however Sisters may kiss the cheeks of other women. Élders, on the other hand, remain above the law of the land, haha.
I'm glad you included this story about working with inactive members. We have been doing so for a few weeks, and well, at times it's just a bit rough, really. There are people here putting up a good fight to keep there testimonies intact, and there are others who let all manners of vices- yes, even something as frustratingly stupid as the time of the meetings- destroy their exaltation.
I'm glad to hear they got the steeple up on the Stake Center. Sounds like people must be paying a worthy tithe if everything is moving along. Here we're basically trying to build a ward. We have a bishop, now we just need to organize everything below the Bishopric. Especially activity oriented organizations, like the Young Men's, Young Women's, and Seminary. If we can get these things off the ground, this ward.'l really start cooking.
As for the Gospel Arts Book, I'm kinda without means to buy one. Er, well, not without money, but without a way to get a hold of someone going to the Temple to buy one. I'll give it a shot for a bit longer. But I'm also kinda looking for a few photos more abstract, like of stars, the moon, and the sun, to portray the Kingdoms of Glory, and a shot of the Seattle Temple would be nice, too.
Speaking of photos, I have a pen drive now. You may e-mail me photos and I can thereafter print them out. The 2 Gig card Matt sent does not work with the camera, and I don't know why outside of the camera is too old to read her, but the Pen-drive is a good storage bucket.
I received a letter from the Bishopric this week, and it sounds as though all runs well there in Spanaway Ward. That's good news. Please send my love to them, and to the Primary, and if Brent shows up, let him know I said hi. Likewise tell Brian Van Duyn that I am absolutely impressed with his decision to serve. In a short time our ward will finally have a good number of Elders out of it. Oh, but let Brian know they sent him to Peru because he misspelled his name. Had he placed a Y on the page, he'd have been called to Brazil, too.
Hahaha.
Please inform my friends that I recently received a package for, um, Valentine's Day from them, and am very thankful for it. Someone needs to Noogie Sharelle for foubecando and not writing, but at the same time, it's been a while since I sent a fair number of letters out. Likewise I send a request to them, through this e-mail, for photos from the ferris-wheel ride, and remind them, as I remind all within the reach of this e-mail, that I readily accept photos that happen DURING these two years. My ugly face doesn't have to be in them people, I want to see what you're all doing too!
Speaking of which, I sent a letter out to them, which contains a letter for Jess, Kelsey, and Sharelle. I believe Matt and Miranda are on the schedule for this week.
As you know, Transfer will fall Dia 5 de Maio, which is also the day I turn 6 months old on the mission, and 4 months old in the field, more or less. This Transfer was only 5 weeks long, and I am not sure why, but because of Transfers of this type, I am led to understand that it's possible my Mission ends 2 weeks before the 2 Year Mark. I hope that's not true, however, as I have a great pile of work to accomplish before I finish here, and I cannot stomach the idea of it coming to an end before I am ready.
I should also say that my portuguese has allegedly improved. Eu não tenho certeza disso, vendo que Presidente ainda me colocou com um americano. Porém, estou falando bém. Não muito bém, nem exellente, mas acho que vou continuar.
This week we had an awesome opportunity. Elder Tobias, the brother of President Tobias, came to visit us. Elder Tobias is a member of the Quorum of the Seventy. So you can imagine, we had some sibling rivalry, we had to show off for the brass and, well, all the district and zone leaders were sweating bullets. But it was a lot of fun. We received some good training on Retention, Reactivation, and Conversion, and discussed Christ's gentle rebuke to Peter about when he would convert. Some deep doctrine fell about our heads, and we received our training on the New and Eternal Covenant, too, which, eh, dunno how to even explain it, outside of that Elder Tobias, who is, by the way, a Brasilian, told us that the training wasn't to make us "Trunkie", but to knock our heads around a bit so we can get off the mission and not slack off.
So stake conference here was at once awesome and horrible. Awesome because Elder Tobias was here, horrible because, as per usual, screaming children were required. Awesome, people are fighting at the computer next to me. I will send this now, so as not to lose it.
Email Addendum - 4/17/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 2:03 PM
Speaking of that image kit. The church has something called like, the New Gospel Art Book for sale, too. It looks really cheap here in Brazil, but I don"t know how much they sell for in the States. Also, many pictures can be found on Lds.org, too, so those're, um, I dunno, quick things I wanted to say?
Love you!
Also, tell my friends I got the valentine's day package finally, haha.
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 2:03 PM
Speaking of that image kit. The church has something called like, the New Gospel Art Book for sale, too. It looks really cheap here in Brazil, but I don"t know how much they sell for in the States. Also, many pictures can be found on Lds.org, too, so those're, um, I dunno, quick things I wanted to say?
Love you!
Also, tell my friends I got the valentine's day package finally, haha.
Email - 4/14/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 1:39 PM
WASHING MACHINE WORKS!!!!!
Sim, queridos amados irmãos e irmãs, Os Élderes de Tibery finalmente podem lavar suas roupas!!!
I'm very happy, the house is at long last nicely furnished. Now if only I could say the work was so completely well moving as well. We're working on cleaning out the ward list to see who moved and who still is here, and who we can and cannot reactivate. And I have to be a little honest, it's a tad bleak at times.
But things are hardly grim and doom right now. I'm still having plenty of adventures and misadventures along the way. Elder Owen and I stopped to talk to Mara after school yesterday, and one of her friends came to chat with us as well. We're working our best to see if we can't baptize some of Mara's friends as well, haha. But anyway, we passed on by, and her friend chatted with us for a bit. The girls tend to love Elder Owen, he being blonde haired and blue-eyed, a rare commodity in these parts. Oh, and he's American, which goes well.
But to make a long story short, it's not weird here for people to kiss cheeks as they leave. So when I shook the hand of this girl as she was leaving she tried to kiss mine, and I had to do some major dodging maneouvers, since it's against the Law of Moses, among other things, to kiss an Elder. The poor girl was incredibly embarrassed, but really we're still laughing about it.
Also, I had an awesome experience Easter Sunday. We have in our ward a woman named Fernanda, who is a recent convert and a single mom. She recently had a daughter, and this Sunday was the blessing. So her Uncle, Franz Roberto, who has just a little more than a year in the church, was called upon to perform the ordinance, and I and Elder Owen got to participate. VERY VERY COOL.
I need a few pictures, yes, and laminated would be cool, but they don't HAVE to be made into a flip chart here. We have two papelarias in the area where we can have that done for fairly cheap. R$30 or so. It's just that flip charts are an incredibly useful thing. People remember better that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ if you show them a picture of it. The remember better that the Book of Mormon is about Jesus Christ if you show them a picture of it. So I need a few pictures for the Kingdoms of Glory, because it's a tad abstract for the average Couch Crente (Couch Believer).
I'm glad to hear Easter went so well for you all. I had a great Easter Sunday. We ate lunch in a bairro (Buy-hoe)(Neighborhood) called Morumbi, which is normally the poorer part of town, but that said, the ACTIVE members there are cool. The Inactives are of a ranging variety. Sometimes working with inactive members is fun. Sometimes, its not so great to see these people fall. I met a woman this weekend who had "Changed churches" Or rather, she no longer went to church because, in her own words, the time schedule was problematic for her, and she'd switched to A Igreja Internacional da Graça de Deus em Brasil! Which is to say, she watches Church on the TV now.
Hahaha, so speaking of that, one day we were out doing some street contacts using the Book of Mormon, and there was this lady, and I said, "Tudo Bom Senhora! My name is Elder, I'm from the US, but I came here to share this book with The Lady! This is the-"
"Sou CONGREGAçÃO CRISTAA!"
"Perfect, I want to share this free book with The Lady, it's The Book of Mormon, another book of sacred scriptures, like the Bible, can we visit you at your house another day to share this book and pray with you?"
"No, I only use the Bible."
"Does The Lady not accept more of the Word of God in her life?"
"No, no, I watch the Pastor on the telly every day, too!"
Hahaha. I feel sometimes like I'm Peter or Paul trying to share the New Testament with the Jews, and they just respond, "I already have the Old Testament." Or "I'm a Samaritan! I only use THE LAW." Or, "I watch my Rabbi on the telly every day!"
Just gotta laugh some days, right? It's an adventure, really, and we have to do something to cast of the enemy when he's trying his hardest to get us down. For example, Morumbi is kinda dusty, and the dirt here is all red, so one day we pretended we'd been called to serve on Mars, except you can't say that to members, because Morumbi is also the farthest from the chapel, so people get a tad offended.
It's not that it's bad watching Conference in Portuguese, its that it's BAD. The translators eat the microphones, but sometimes you hear snips of english amidst the Drive-Thru voice and lose your focus. But hey watching it was better than not. I even watched part of the Young Women's Session.
I hope you have a good time at the Temple. Every couple weeks I go crazy from not being there. You just kinda start to miss it after awhile.
Well, I have to split now, but I hope everyone is okay. Not sure really what to do about the phone call thing yet. If I'm still here in Tibery (Heaven forbid) I'll likely call from inside of a Jaguar, but that's a story for another day.
Love,
Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, April 14, 2009 1:39 PM
WASHING MACHINE WORKS!!!!!
Sim, queridos amados irmãos e irmãs, Os Élderes de Tibery finalmente podem lavar suas roupas!!!
I'm very happy, the house is at long last nicely furnished. Now if only I could say the work was so completely well moving as well. We're working on cleaning out the ward list to see who moved and who still is here, and who we can and cannot reactivate. And I have to be a little honest, it's a tad bleak at times.
But things are hardly grim and doom right now. I'm still having plenty of adventures and misadventures along the way. Elder Owen and I stopped to talk to Mara after school yesterday, and one of her friends came to chat with us as well. We're working our best to see if we can't baptize some of Mara's friends as well, haha. But anyway, we passed on by, and her friend chatted with us for a bit. The girls tend to love Elder Owen, he being blonde haired and blue-eyed, a rare commodity in these parts. Oh, and he's American, which goes well.
But to make a long story short, it's not weird here for people to kiss cheeks as they leave. So when I shook the hand of this girl as she was leaving she tried to kiss mine, and I had to do some major dodging maneouvers, since it's against the Law of Moses, among other things, to kiss an Elder. The poor girl was incredibly embarrassed, but really we're still laughing about it.
Also, I had an awesome experience Easter Sunday. We have in our ward a woman named Fernanda, who is a recent convert and a single mom. She recently had a daughter, and this Sunday was the blessing. So her Uncle, Franz Roberto, who has just a little more than a year in the church, was called upon to perform the ordinance, and I and Elder Owen got to participate. VERY VERY COOL.
I need a few pictures, yes, and laminated would be cool, but they don't HAVE to be made into a flip chart here. We have two papelarias in the area where we can have that done for fairly cheap. R$30 or so. It's just that flip charts are an incredibly useful thing. People remember better that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ if you show them a picture of it. The remember better that the Book of Mormon is about Jesus Christ if you show them a picture of it. So I need a few pictures for the Kingdoms of Glory, because it's a tad abstract for the average Couch Crente (Couch Believer).
I'm glad to hear Easter went so well for you all. I had a great Easter Sunday. We ate lunch in a bairro (Buy-hoe)(Neighborhood) called Morumbi, which is normally the poorer part of town, but that said, the ACTIVE members there are cool. The Inactives are of a ranging variety. Sometimes working with inactive members is fun. Sometimes, its not so great to see these people fall. I met a woman this weekend who had "Changed churches" Or rather, she no longer went to church because, in her own words, the time schedule was problematic for her, and she'd switched to A Igreja Internacional da Graça de Deus em Brasil! Which is to say, she watches Church on the TV now.
Hahaha, so speaking of that, one day we were out doing some street contacts using the Book of Mormon, and there was this lady, and I said, "Tudo Bom Senhora! My name is Elder, I'm from the US, but I came here to share this book with The Lady! This is the-"
"Sou CONGREGAçÃO CRISTAA!"
"Perfect, I want to share this free book with The Lady, it's The Book of Mormon, another book of sacred scriptures, like the Bible, can we visit you at your house another day to share this book and pray with you?"
"No, I only use the Bible."
"Does The Lady not accept more of the Word of God in her life?"
"No, no, I watch the Pastor on the telly every day, too!"
Hahaha. I feel sometimes like I'm Peter or Paul trying to share the New Testament with the Jews, and they just respond, "I already have the Old Testament." Or "I'm a Samaritan! I only use THE LAW." Or, "I watch my Rabbi on the telly every day!"
Just gotta laugh some days, right? It's an adventure, really, and we have to do something to cast of the enemy when he's trying his hardest to get us down. For example, Morumbi is kinda dusty, and the dirt here is all red, so one day we pretended we'd been called to serve on Mars, except you can't say that to members, because Morumbi is also the farthest from the chapel, so people get a tad offended.
It's not that it's bad watching Conference in Portuguese, its that it's BAD. The translators eat the microphones, but sometimes you hear snips of english amidst the Drive-Thru voice and lose your focus. But hey watching it was better than not. I even watched part of the Young Women's Session.
I hope you have a good time at the Temple. Every couple weeks I go crazy from not being there. You just kinda start to miss it after awhile.
Well, I have to split now, but I hope everyone is okay. Not sure really what to do about the phone call thing yet. If I'm still here in Tibery (Heaven forbid) I'll likely call from inside of a Jaguar, but that's a story for another day.
Love,
Bryan.
Email - 4/7/09
From: Bryan Barney
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 7:29 AM
Well, actually, transfer is 5 weeks only. I'm not sure why, but it is. It happens 5th of May, so who knows where I'll be then (please not Tibery, I'm ready to see more of the mission!) Actually though, things are looking fairly bright now in Tibery. We have a Bishopric now, and the house has some furniture. It isn't super new, but hey. We have a Washing Machine, a cabinet for our clothes, a microwave, and yeah.
Also, May 10th will be my telephone call home. I don't know a lot beyond that just yet, but that's about it.
General Conference was incredible. Maybe it is just because it was the first time in my life I actually LISTENED and not just HEARD the things spoken. Maybe it's just the first time I looked at the Prophet and said, "Here is a man who, as Moses, speaks face to face with the Lord, as a friend would." Maybe it's because '.m serving a Mission and I tried to apply every last bit of juicy doctrine that came forth to my work, but Conference was INCREDIBLE.
From David A. Bednar's "Please, Repent." To the Prophet's cautionary/Old Testament style fire and brimstone for people fallen to pornography, "CEASE NOW!" Conference was incredible. The cries to repentance, the warnings against coming hard times, the call for all who can to go to the Temple more frequently, the warnings against judging our fellow members, our fellow man, it was amazing. I feel by far the best was the talk by Elder Holland about Loneliness. It was just, WOW. I don't know if you can watch talks again, but that one is worth seeing.
I took 27 pages of notes on General Conference. Especially on such things as the 6 things which destroy testimonies.
Watching it in Portuguese isn't so great, but maybe just because of the sound quality. All the Brazillian missionaries seemed to have gotten the full effect too, so that's good.
Well, it's time to go again, but I'll talk to you all really soon. Much work to do, and I'm praying for you all. Keeping fighting the good fight, and go to the temple when possible. It's only been 3 months, but I'm already eager to go back.
-Bryan.
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 7:29 AM
Well, actually, transfer is 5 weeks only. I'm not sure why, but it is. It happens 5th of May, so who knows where I'll be then (please not Tibery, I'm ready to see more of the mission!) Actually though, things are looking fairly bright now in Tibery. We have a Bishopric now, and the house has some furniture. It isn't super new, but hey. We have a Washing Machine, a cabinet for our clothes, a microwave, and yeah.
Also, May 10th will be my telephone call home. I don't know a lot beyond that just yet, but that's about it.
General Conference was incredible. Maybe it is just because it was the first time in my life I actually LISTENED and not just HEARD the things spoken. Maybe it's just the first time I looked at the Prophet and said, "Here is a man who, as Moses, speaks face to face with the Lord, as a friend would." Maybe it's because '.m serving a Mission and I tried to apply every last bit of juicy doctrine that came forth to my work, but Conference was INCREDIBLE.
From David A. Bednar's "Please, Repent." To the Prophet's cautionary/Old Testament style fire and brimstone for people fallen to pornography, "CEASE NOW!" Conference was incredible. The cries to repentance, the warnings against coming hard times, the call for all who can to go to the Temple more frequently, the warnings against judging our fellow members, our fellow man, it was amazing. I feel by far the best was the talk by Elder Holland about Loneliness. It was just, WOW. I don't know if you can watch talks again, but that one is worth seeing.
I took 27 pages of notes on General Conference. Especially on such things as the 6 things which destroy testimonies.
Watching it in Portuguese isn't so great, but maybe just because of the sound quality. All the Brazillian missionaries seemed to have gotten the full effect too, so that's good.
Well, it's time to go again, but I'll talk to you all really soon. Much work to do, and I'm praying for you all. Keeping fighting the good fight, and go to the temple when possible. It's only been 3 months, but I'm already eager to go back.
-Bryan.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
