PRESIDENT AND SISTER BARRY
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Dear Family and Friends of the Florida Jacksonville Mission and the Georgia Macon Mission.
This is our final good-bye! President Barry and I finish our mission tomorrow, June 28, 2013! We express our love to all of you and especially to your missionaries. We love YOUR missionaries because they have become OUR missionaries! It has been our greatest blessing to be able to serve with them for the past 3 years. We as their 'mission parents' have watched them 'become'. It has been a miracle to watch. We have seen 475 young boys and girls arrive here as infants in the gospel and then watch them transform into Disciples of Christ. They go home powerful men and women of God. They have blessed our lives.
We
are having feelings that we can't describe or contain. We feel sad to leave but excited to go
home.
We look forward to recovering physically and
emotionally but sad we can't continue to beat ourselves up!
Elder Holland once said to missionaries - "I want you to go home on a stretcher!" That's a good description of how we feel. We have worn ourselves out in this service.We have hit the ceiling of our physical and emotional
endurance many times. We are to the point that we wear out quicker. It's harder to
recover from the stresses. We
have added some inches around the middle from the wonderful Southern Cookin'
and our crazy schedule. We are both a little more gray. Well, okay, we are both
really gray!! We have aged a lot!!! But it is a good aging and one that we feel
blessed to have experienced.
Our
experiences have taught us so many things:
1.
The Lord is in charge of this work - We felt it and saw it everyday. Not only in our own work but the work of every missionary. We know we wouldn't and couldn't do this work with the Lord's constant guidance.
2. The Lord is hastening his work. - This is evidence of the massive increase of
missionaries and the work of Salvation among the members. We have grown from 18
sister missionaries to 60. In the next two weeks you will hear of and see massive changes in the way we do missionary work. It reflects the speed and urgency of the Lord.
3.
Our work is to keep his commandments and help others do the same. D&C 11:20
4. Our
Glory is to be His instruments. Alma 29:9
He
can only use us when we are obedient and seek his direction. If we try to do it
our way we fail!
We
have seen powerful miracles. There have been those that are very obvious. We
have seen the Lord's intervention in the lives of so many missionaries. We have
seen missionaries miraculously protected and guided. We have seen missionaries repent of sins
and become powerful Disciple of Jesus
Christ.
But the most powerful miracle is the effect the gospel has in the lives of the investigators and recent converts. It came to our attention after we had been here about 13 months. A woman had been baptized soon after we arrived and we didn't see her again for a year. The change in her countenance was profound! From a trodden down spirit with no light in her eyes or countenance she had changed to a vibrant, happy and glowing woman of God. We have seen this time after time after time. The atonement works!!!
Our hearts burn as we think about this work. We feel the spirit testify that it is the Lord's work. This restored gospel is true! We have prophets on the earth. We have Priesthood power - literally God's power to bless all of His children. He is anxious that His children find the truth so He can give them greater blessings and peace in this life and exaltation in the life to come. We know that He loves all of us. His charity is profound! It fills us as we repent. We have felt that charity as we repent and serve. We love our Savior and Redeemer and our Father in Heaven. We love the Holy Ghost which testifies of the Father and Son and of their doctrine. We have seen too much to ever doubt. It is ALL true.
We say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
5 comments:
Pres. and Sis. Berry, thank you so much for your service. Our son has had such a wonderful experience working with you. We appreciate the love and care you have shown towards him and the people of the FJM. Elder Huckvale now moves to the GMM, where we look forward to the great miracles he will surely experience there. We wish you God's greatest blessings in this next stage of your lives.
Thank you for all you have done. Our daughter Sister Carlson has only been out three months but she will always be grateful for your love and support.
Since we live in Provo we would love to come to your homecoming if we knew the time and place.
Marci Carlson
Sister Moore and I extend our heartfelt appreciation for your service and the impact your leadership has had on our son Elder Eric Moore. The achieved goals you described are evidence this is the true church of our Lord and Savior. Best wishes for your future endeavors.
With love to you and yours.
President and Sister Barry I just want to convey my thanks for your service. My son Preston Housel loves you dearly has has appreciated working with you.
Good luck and God bless!
What exemplary Mission Parents you have been! You have had a profound influence on Elder Saxon Thomas and consequently many members of his large extended family. Best wishes for a peaceful transition back to regular service. You have left it all in the field. Much Love, Mark & Debra Adams, Kingman Arizona.
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