New Kru Town

We've now been assigned to the New Kru Town Branch.  

Our Branch President is President F. Nyenswah Doe Sr.

Our first Sunday in the Branch, President Doe shook our hands and said, "Welcome home."  I got a little teary when he said that.  

This is the front of our building.  It does have some electricity or they use a very loud generator.  There are lights, ceiling fans, a microphone (some Sundays), and an electric keyboard (also on some Sundays) that 2 young people in the branch know how to play. 

The building on the side is where Primary, the Literacy Class and, Young Women's in held.

These are the Sister Missionaries that serve in New Kru Town.

Sister Iwenofu and Sister Okeke

 Here's the New Kru Town Elders, Elder Farewell and Elder Conners, pushing one of the branch's newest members to church.

Here's inside the Primary Room.  Today there were 52 children in Primary - in this one little room.  That is Sister Ibra, the 1st counselor, singing with the children.  I was very impressed by the number of Primary songs this little Primary knows.  They've already learned the new song for this year - 'The Family is of God' - and can loudly sing all 4 verses.  That's quite an accomplishment when you realize that they have not actually heard the music.  They've only heard Sister Dennis sing it to them a few times and she knows it by having it sung to her at a District Primary Meeting.

Meet one of the Primary children - Princess.  She's all decked out for church.

A little girl named Ida was sitting next to me today.  She wanted to hold my hand.  (When I saw this picture, I thought what's my mom's hand doing at the end of my arm?)  She also rubbed the skin on my arm and felt my hair.  We decided our skin felt the same - just a different color.  But our hair, felt very different.

The people of New Kru Town are very faithful.  They fill the chapel each Sunday.  And I mean fill!  I don't think we could have fit one more person on the benches.  The branch continues to grow.  There is a confirmation almost every Sunday.  We are loving our new branch and are grateful for the chance to serve there.

Another great week!!

Last weekend, the Senior Couples were able to take a quick trip to Marshall.  On our way, we attended a couple of well dedications with our Humanitarian missionaries - Elder and Sister Miles.

This cute little boy is already learning how to help get water from the well and carry back to his house.  His little bowl started out full of water but after a few steps he was pretty wet.  We tried and tried but couldn't get him to smile.  He took his job very seriously.  

Elder Berrett made a new friend.  This little guy came up and stood right next to him.  So many of the children are shy or afraid of us, but he was not.  He wouldn't leave Elder Berrett's side.

After the dedications, some of the villagers took us for a ride in this blue boat to see Monkey Island.  I was so nervous.  The boat would tip to the right, then to the left.  I was sure we were 'going in'.

I was grateful when we reached the island and I saw how big these monkeys (Chimpanzees) were, to learn that we would NOT be getting off the boat.  Instead we sat in the boat and watched.  The monkeys were afraid of the water so they stayed on the island.  We threw them cookies to eat.  One monkey went and got a stick to try and retrieve a cookie that had landed out in the water.  Pretty smart!

After our Island adventure, we all went to the Libassa Ecolodge for over night.  We each had  our own little Palaver Huts to stay in.  

All the furniture was made of bamboo.  Even the water spout in the bathroom was bamboo.  Felt kind of like Swiss Family Robinson.

Here I am enjoying the beautiful private beach of the lodge.  I was thinking about asking if I could serve a beach mission.

We had a wonderful time being together.

Elder and Sister Miles, The other Elder and Sister Miles (the 2 Elder Miles are brothers), President and Sister Kirkham, Elder and Sister Berrett, Ryan and Shannon Busby, Elder and Sister Hezseltine. 

This week we attended Caldwell's District Meeting.  We were well taught and glad we had attended.

Elders Falemai, Orton, Godi, Gunnell

On Wednesday night we teach an Eternal Marriage Class at the Paynesville Chapel.  This is the Paynesville Zone who were at the church teaching lessons, doing interviews, and holding a Book of Mormon Class.

L to R - Elders Jemba, Khasiahi, Gharbin, Tolar, Jensen, Pearmain, Pishl, Price

We're baaack….

… IN LIBERIA!!

 After 17 hours in the air and 8 plus hours worth of layovers, we arrived back in Liberia on February 15th.  Our 4 large, very heavy suitcases, however, did not arrived till 

February 18th!! 

 Long story - let's just say we felt very blessed to finally have everything arrive safely.

Here I am hugging our 'found' suitcases.  I even did a 'Happy Dance' for the airport luggage guys, which they really enjoyed!!

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The Monday before we came back to Liberia, we had the chance to meet with several of 'our' missionaries' parents.  It was easy to tell why these missionaries are so great!!

Front row - Elder and Sister Berrett and Lindsay Pearmain

Middle two - Brother and Sister Witehira, Sister Zaugg, Sister Price, 

Sister and Brother Pearmain

Back row of dads - Brother Conners, Brother Zaugg, Brother Price

We got back in time to do apartment inspections.  Just had to share this picture of the cleanest missionary kitchen we've ever seen and the missionaries who made it happen.

This is the Banjor apartment -

Elders Cottrell, Bowring, Osanebi and Morrison

They'd even put up hooks to hang their pots from.  We were very impressed.  In fact, their whole apartment looked great.  Nice work Elders! 

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We are so grateful for how well things worked out while we were home and that we were able to return to finish our mission after only 1 month.  My cheek is healing nicely and I only had to have 1/2 of my thyroid removed.  Right now, that half if working perfectly, so I do not have to be on any medication.  A real blessing.  Thanks to everyone for your faith and prayers. 

You can take the Berretts out of Liberia, BUT…...

You can't take Liberia out of the Berretts!! 

 While it's been nice to be home and see everyone, we really are missing Liberia and being 'real' missionaries.  We've had a couple of experiences that have helped with our 'homesickness' for Liberia.

We were able to meet Elder Orton's family and Elder Zaugg's mom and sister.

We had such a nice visit with them and were able to tell them we had recently seen their Elders and that they are doing well.

(We might not look like missionaries, but we still feel like ones!)

It really is a small world, especially in the church.  When we told Dr. Jason Hansen, who removed the growth from my cheek, that we were missionaries in Liberia, he made it possible for us to meet a young  man named Alex Vandi.  Alex works as a security guard at the doctor's clinic.  Alex had escaped with his family from Liberia during their civil war to live in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone.  He now lives in Utah.  We thoroughly enjoyed our visit with him.  

He gave us his sister's name and address for the missionaries to go visit.  A referral!!  Our plan is to go to Paynesville, and meet her when we get back.

  

What a difference a week makes!!

LAST MONDAY (Jan. 13), we were in Liberia at the Mission Office attending a farewell 

luncheon for Sisters Nyamekye and Udenwa who would leave for home the next day.  

Later that day, we were on OUR way home.

The Thursday before, we learned we would have to come home for me to have a growth removed from my cheek.  No doctor in Liberia could do what needed to be done.  

"OK, we'll go home, get it done and come right back." BUT the trip home also found I have a growth on my thyroid.  

So, THIS MONDAY (Jan. 20), we're waiting for the results of my thyroid biopsy.

The size of the bandage makes it look worse than it really is.  I was accused of coming home for a face lift.  Really? If I was going to get a face lift, I hope I'd look better than this!!

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So while we wait to see what will happen next, we've been able to spend time with family.  Can't complain about that!  Here we are with our 20 grandchildren.  Didn't think we'd be doing this for a least another year.  

We are missing Liberia and all the wonderful missionaries there. 

 We're anxious to go back and get to work.  

Good Bye to Logan Town :(

It was a sad day for us - Our last at the Logan Town Branch.  It was hard to say goodbye.

The Branch Primary Presidency

Sister Tlula, Sister Sorbo (President), Sister Berrett, Sister Tugbe

I LOVE these ladies!

Logan Town Branch Presidency

with Elder Berrett

Brother Tugbe, President Borwah, Brother Mombo

Notice Elder Berrett and President Borwah have the same good taste in ties!

These are Jatala ties, a well known brand here in Liberia.

My little friend Hannah 'Banana'.  We were both sad to say goodbye.

I was able to give out Rice Krispie treats and smiley face stickers to the Primary children.

Not sure who everyone in the picture is BUT I do know the little boy under my chin.

That's Isaac Morris who is a special little friend to me.  He struggles being good in Primary, but somehow he and I just clicked.  Maybe because I, too, have a hard time being still for very long.  He said to me today, "Sister Berrett, I will miss you" then handed me a flower he'd picked.  I will miss you too, Isaac.

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These are the missionaries that are serving in the Logan Town Branch area.

Elder Smith, Sister and Elder Berrett, and Elder Guymon

Elder Khasiahi, Elder Obeng-Poku, Sister and Elder Berrett

Look how crowded church was today.  They brought a bench from one of the classrooms so people could sit down outside.  See in the window, how full the chapel was.

Next week we will start attending the New Kru Town Branch and I'm sure we will come to love the members there just as much.

Happy New Year!!

Hard for us to believe it's 2014.  That we've been in Liberia parts of 6 different months.  We are excited  to be able to spend this next year here.

This Sunday will be our last in Logan Town Branch.  President Kirkham has assigned us 

to the New Kru Town Branch for the next few months.  It will be hard for us to leave Logan Town.  We have come to love these members and think of them as 'our' branch.

Elder Berrett with Brother McCauley.  

Brother McCauley owns the building where Logan Town meets.  Elder Berrett first met him when he and a member of the Branch Presidency were looking at the land behind the church to see if there would be room to add on.  Brother McCauley's home is behind the church.  Elder Berrett invited him to come to worship with us.  He said yes and came the very next Sunday.  Since then, he's been baptized, ordained a priest, and baptized his own son.  He will be a real asset to the branch.  

This is Logan Town's Branch President - President Borwah - with his immediate and some of his extended family.  He also has a son on a mission in Nigeria.  

During Primary, this little girl was fussy so Sister Sorbo, the Branch Primary President, picked her and put her on her back.  See how she's just holding on.  It's not even her little girl.  As soon as the little girl was on her back, she quieted down and was happy.  I was amazed how she was able to stay on!  The President just went on teaching the lesson.  No big deal!

We rode with the Humanitarian Missionaries - Elder and Sister Miles - to check on a couple of the well sites and latrines they are having built.  The communities we visited were so pleased to be getting their own. 

 These might be the only bathrooms some of these people will ever see or use.  Many came up to us to say thank you.  What great work the church is doing here in Liberia.  Brother and Sister Miles have worked so hard and blessed many lives.  

Something for you to think about this new year.

We love you all and wish you the best year yet in 2014.