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.