Elder Bryson Ryan -Texas Lubbock Mission: Happy Halloween!

This week was really cool! We did a lot of fun things but I also had a really amazing experience! So if you don't read it all at least read about Mark at the end haha.

So on Tuesday we went and got the Flu Shot not that cool but just so ya know I'm still doing that haha. Um we got new tires on our car so thanks y'all for your tithing money haha. The sisters set up a lesson on Facebook in Spanish so we talked to him and got him set up with missionaries in New Jersey!

On Wednesday we went and did some service for a woman the sisters are teaching and it was disgusting. She had like nineteen cats and dogs in her house and she never cleaned up their messes and ew disgusting. Now I know why my mom hates dogs in the house. And then we drove all the way down to Artesia, New Mexico. We had a referral down there and she's cool!! We also gave a member a blessing.

On Thursday we built a shed for a member! We also found like three people Thursday! We decided we were being too nice and that this is the restored gospel we need to be teaching and put more of an emphasis restored truth. So we did, and it worked! We got like three people in a night to listen to the Restoration and let us come back!

And then Saturday was our Trunk or Treat! It was sick! We spent over 500 dollars as a district to fill the bed of our Tacoma and it worked haha. It was legendary! We found a ton of people from it and we had a lot of people we're teaching show up. We also had a bunch of people post about us on Facebook saying how cool it was and how we were the favorite car so good publicity too haha. And also a guy named Mark showed up...Mark has a 3 legged chihuahua that he carries around everywhere.

So the story with Mark is he showed up to church last week and was super interested so we said we'd be in contact with him. He then showed up at the Trunk or treat randomly and he goes "I wanna be converted...the world is a mess and I need a home." So that was sick!! So then Sunday was nuts.

So we went to the English ward on Sunday because Mark wanted to go and the sisters said he's too flirty so they gave him to us. So he showed up for church and we were pumped! He sat down with us and he tried to give his dog the sacrament but the dog refused haha. and then he had to leave early because his 3 legged dog had to go to the bathroom and he had to deliver his friends Lunch. Right as he left one of the members got up and gave an amazing talk on Baptism so that was sad. So we were sad because he missed it butttt later at our Spanish branch he showed up midway through sacrament. I was like uh okay sure come on haha and he sat down and told us he can't speak Spanish amazing but he understands it pretty well. So then after sacrament, Elder Checketts and I had to teach the Sunday School lesson about The Plan of Salvation. He said he wanted to stay even though it was in Spanish because he was adamant about talking to us after.

So, Elder Checketts and I are giving this plan of Salvation lesson and it was a super spiritually powerful lesson. I was able to understand everything the members were saying and talk back with them and I could communicate better than I have my whole mission so far. Then, after church and our lesson, Mark sits down with us and talks about how we must be servants of Christ and how we must have his spirit with us because of the way we were able to communicate with how little practice we've had. It was so cool! I realized the spirit was helping me the whole time because that's what would touch Mark!

He also talked about how we have this light about us, and how he's so drawn to our happiness. He said he wants that for himself and asked "how can I become a member?" SO COOL!!! So we'll meet with him again and extend the baptismal invitation. Sorry for the super long story but I thought it was an amazing experience. And it taught me a few things! Always stay close to the spirit and worthy of it, because you never know when it'll need to work through you. Also, to BE A LIGHT TO EVERYONE! This is two weeks in a row now that someone had told us they want to join because of our happiness and light. This is the restored church of Jesus Christ, we have the full truth! It brings true happiness and we need to show it and be an example to everyone!

Matthew 5:14 and 16 "Ye are the light of the world....Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."

Love you all!

Love, Elder Ryan