Week Seventeen

Elders Delgado and Gallo
by the Orlando LDS Temple

This week has been a great missionary week for us. Last Sunday we learned that Elder Delgado was getting transferred and Elder Gallo would get a new companion, so we took this picture of them by the Orlando temple. Elder Gallo will use it in an article he's writing for a Florida Brazilian magazine about them being here from Brazil as missionaries. 

Elder Baugh, Anthony and Idelfonso
Estevez, and Elder Cook

We also went to the baptism of Anthony Estevez in our Windy Ridge ward last sunday afternoon. Anthony was taught by Elders Baugh and Cook, and was baptized by his dad. He's a great kid! 

Monday morning I went with Elder Romero to Dr Phillips Hospital's cardiac unit to administer to a man there whose wife is a member that Elder Romero taught. Had a good visit with them. I advised the husband to try to get better soon so he could finish his work and prepare to enjoy retirement. He wasn't too excited about that ... he seems to see retirement as years of boring nothingness. I've found it to be the opposite.

Pres and Sis Berry with the first 17 new missionaries who arrived Monday afternoon.

We got to help welcome 24 new missionaries who arrived in our mission monday and tuesday. Seventeen came in monday afternoon and we helped with dinner for them. Six more came very late monday night. The six were visa waiters, several of whom are going to Brazil. Elder Willard arrived on tuesday. He served previously in the Brazil Manaus mission, went home for surgery and recovery, and is now serving the rest of his mission here in our Florida Orlando Mission. Elder Willard was assigned to be Elder Gallo's new companion in the portuguese-speaking parts of the Orlando South stake. 

Tuesday morning transfers at the Wetherbee Church

Tuesday was transfer day, which was busy getting all the newly assigned companions paired up and loaded to move to their new apartment locations. Sis Nielson helped with part of the tuesday orientations regarding health practices and use of medical insurance cards.  Pictures of the new missionaries with their trainer companions are on the Berry's website at http://floridaorlandomission.com/.

Elder Gallo celebrating his birthday and Elder Willard
with his welcome pumpkin that Elder Gallo carved

Tuesday night we went to a second missionary lesson with our Portuguese elders and a young Brazilian lady. It was about the restoration of the church, that we have apostles and prophets now, and we gave her a Book of Mormon. She was surprised and somewhat excited that she could go onto LDS.org and see what the prophets and apostles have said just last month and in previous conferences. Elder Willard was just off the plane less than a day, but pitched right in and helped teach the lesson well. 


Thursday was Elder Gallo's birthday, and he and Elder Willard came over to our place for dinner. They live in the building next to ours.  Had another lesson scheduled for thursday but it got cancelled.

Us with five visa-waiter Elders who got their visas and left for Argentina on wednesday. 
Elder Cook and Elder Dial served with us in the Windy Ridge Ward.

Saturday was our day of service. We went with our Windy Ridge ward to clean up and paint the Ocoee Elementary school, and had a great time. Sis Allred and Sis Jackson are spanish-speaking missionaries, and Sis Lopez is our stake Relief Society president and wife of our phenomenal ward mission leader.  

Elders Gallo and Willard; Sis Spreier and Pierce (back)
Kirk and Jan, and Sisters Jackson and Allred (front)

We had a great turnout of missionaries and ward members, both at this school and throughout many other service locations throughout the stake. We had good comments about our bright yellow vests when we stopped for lunch.

Windy Ridge Ward, one of several LDS groups helping at the Ocoee Elementary School cleanup

Sky writing above Orlando

Saturday afternoon we went down to the Palm Bay 2nd ward for a baptism service, and saw an airplane writing in the sky. The message started with 'Love God', and went on, but we drove out of range to get a picture of the rest. 

Sis Thomson, Bob and his
daughter, and Sis Lamy

The baptisms were for Bob Winzeworth and Joel Ortiz. Bob is at the left with his daughter and Sisters Thomson and Lamy, who taught him. 

Joel Ortiz & Elders Baeza and McBride

Joel Ortiz was taught by Elders Baeza and McBride, and his wife and children were baptized previously. 

We saw Sisters Hiatt and Ackley there. They had a baptism in the Palm Bay 1st ward earlier saturday afternoon. 

Sister Nielson with
Sisters Hiatt and Ackley