Dog

The eggs have hatched, egg-breaking animation with a glorious man with a nametag emerging, Elder Berry is here. Sorry, gotta captivate the reader somehow. I'm doing better than I deserve here in Madera. This week was amazing!

We went to the temple with Victor, and I got to see my trainer, Elder Lovejoy! I hadn't seen him for so long. Truly a lifelong friend. The temple was nice and peaceful. Victor really enjoyed doing baptisms, and we ate In-N-Out burgers after. The burger was buss. I gotta learn to eat slower so I'm not just watching people eat.

We have been teaching quite a few people, and it's been amazing to see the Spirit soften the hearts of all those in the room, including mine. I often am quite swift in pride because I "think" I've figured out how to be a good missionary, and the Lord never disappoints and always helps me be humble.

I can't recall too much of what happened this week, but it definitely had its ups and downs. Tomorrow will be my six-month mark! I've been in Madera for a little over five months now. I love it here, but maybe one day I'll get a change of scenery.

I'm not sure I had anything drastic or a great epiphany this week, but missions are hard. There, I said it. I am constantly swallowing a pride pill, and I'm wrong a lot. I'm learning a lot about God and about myself. But despite my imperfections, I have so much fun and find joy through trying to repent and become more like Jesus Christ. Repenting isn't supposed to be dreadful and horrible. How AWESOME is it that we get second chances—or infinite chances? We're loved no matter what, and we have a patient Heavenly Father. If you can learn to diagnose where your feelings are coming from—the God of love or Satan, the master of lies and misery—you'll be a lot happier in finding where to turn for joy.

Anyways, you don't have to have something crazy happen in your life to have your testimony grow. So I don't worry if I don't have some life-altering, perhaps traumatic, life event to gain a stronger testimony.

Sanity is overrated.

Elder Berry