Great great week

 Hey everyone! I figured out this week that I have less than 15 months so that's wild. Anyway haha this week was a great week! I got my new comp Elder Jensen and I love the kid! He's willing to buckle down and work hard and we got tons done this week. 

   Last Tuesday I was stuck in Amarillo waiting all day for Elder Jensen. But I picked him up and one other Elder, Elder Smith, to take him to his trio companionship. We then spent some time introducing Elder Jensen to members, and our members are so amazing. They're really starting to get excited about missionary work, they're asking us to take them to lessons and they're asking us for Book of Mormons to give to their friends. I'm so proud of them haha.

   We met a guy named Miguel who is very interested in coming to our church. We shared with him the book of mormon and he got very excited to listen to it (he can't see very well) and said he's dying to learn more! We also met a guy on the street named Tyler who talked to us for a sec, he took our number but didn't give us his and he went on his way. So we were kinda sad but he texted us later in the week! It was so cool! He said he's been dying to talk with us ever since that day!!

   We had a lesson with the five girls, and Edith is progressing tons! She loves the book of mormon and it's so fun to see her get into it.

   On Sunday we met this awesome family who was grilling pork chops and wings in their backyard in the dirt. It was on a tiny grill and they were so cool haha. I was still fasting because it was before dinner but they started throwing food on plates and soda and giving it to us, so I figured the Lord would be alright if I ate with them haha. So we sat and ate with them and they thought we were Jehovahs. But we were able to explain who we were, what missions are and why we're serving one. We introduced the Book of Mormon as we we're sitting with them, and read a few verses. They were very interested! They said if it's that important to you, I can give it a shot haha. So cool!

   Later on Sunday we were knocking and a woman let us in who's husband was outside working haha. It was so crazy. It started off kinda bashy, and it was my first bash in Spanish (ive had plenty in English, sadly) but the language wasn't a problem and I could talk just about as if it was English haha. She had problems with prophets, and thought it was "evil" that we need a book other than the Bible. She said that the Bible is perfect, we need no other book. I asked her if it is perfect, why there are so many translations, and she said because many different people read it differently. So we asked how can she know what's correct, and she said it's up to your own translation. So I asked her wouldn't it be nice if we had another source, to clarify and make certain the teachings of the Bible so we can know for sure? And she said it makes sense but still we don't need more than the Bible. I had the prompting to read Moroni 10:32-33, about being perfected and saved through the grace and blood of christ. After we read it, she looked at us in tears and told us that the book is true! It was unreal! And then she told us that people say bad things about it because they won't read it, but she said now I will read it! Craziest thing ever!

   Sorry for the long story haha, but it was so cool to see her change instantly. There is true power in the book of mormon! I'll talk to yall next week! Love yall!

Love, Elder Ryan

New Transfer!

Hey everyone! This week was transfers. I'm staying in Dalhart, but Elder Holgreen is leaving and I'm getting Elder Jensen. I'm super excited! We have some awesome people that are preparing for Baptism and we have a sweet district up here. I got asked to be a DL.

   So on Tuesday we had exchanges, and Elder Allen and I went to teach a member lesson. When we got there she told us she got off the phone with her husband, saying they need to call the missionaries because they're having problems with "ghosts" she said. Her lights and doors turn on and open throughout the day and night and she sees stuff at night sooo I blessed it for her and the room felt instantly better. But this is the third time she's had problems, so we're going to dedicate her house soon.

   We've been working hard with our members about helping do missionary work. It's taken some time but we're seeing the fruits of it! We went to a members dinner and they brought a friend of theirs who they've been praying about! We got to know him and shared an incredibly spiritual thought. The spirit is always so strong when talking about Christ so I know he felt it haha. 

   We then had a few lessons with our 5 friends...Anita, Edith, Sandra, Mercedes and Belem. We've been going through the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them, and they've been reading the Book of Mormon NONSTOP. We had a super cool conversation, where we read John 3:16 and just explained that Christ was sent into the world to save us. He wants us to be saved so bad, and he has given us this gospel right here to do so. And the spirit was so powerful, and hey started asking how we baptize and what not. Then, Edith said that this whole changing religion thing is kinda different, so she's just trying to go at her own pace and process. So that's awesome!

    We were knocking doors and found this guy from Guatemala named Elder and he's way cool. We had a laugh about our names haha. He is so cool, he let us in immediately after we said the name Jesus Christ, and immediately started talking to us. We brought up Baptism in the first lesson, and he said the same thing that it's a process but he's willing! So cool!

Those were the main highlights of the week....I miss yall! Talk to ya next week! Love yall!

Love, Elder Ryan

Stuck in Dumas

Hey everyone! So this week was weird. I got stuck in a different teaching area almost the whole week haha. I was doing an exchange on Tuesday and then during the exchange the mission changed rules about how many miles we can use so they didn't have enough to come down and get me too quick. So I got stuck till Friday haha. 

 We still got some good stuff done though! I taught one of their friends who is close to getting baptized who took us to a Chinese restaurant. We talked about the covenants we make at Baptism and the renewing of them AR the sacrament. 

 We were able to find a really cool family! We knocked some doors and they answered and just immediately let us in. We sat down and got to know them and then shared the Restoration with them. They were way cool! And they just kept going and gathering all the family members to come and listen to us while we were there haha. 

 So the exchange was in a bike area and I went biking for 2 hours in 3 degrees so that was the worst. And nobody was interested but I'm praying for blessings from that haha. 

 Once I finally got back to my own area we had a lesson with our 5 girls again. Two of them are reading The Book of Mormon and praying like nothing I've ever seen. We're hopefully going to put them on baptismal date this week! We changed the way they prayed because they were praying to Saints, not God, and the 3 of them who did it said that it was such a beautiful experience. They talked about feeling peace and love during the prayer! 

 We knocked a friends door who opened up, did an out loud "ugh" and slammed it so hard haha. It was way funny. And then on Sunday while translating, the woman who was speaking was making it very difficult haha. She was talking so fast, reading so many very long and complicated quotes from Apostles, and reading scriptures and it was difficult. Elder Holgreen sent a message to our district telling them to say a prayer for me hahaha and they did and all the sudden I started translating insanely well and it way smooth. So prayer is real! 

 We also got to teach second hour and we put together an amazing lesson about The importance of Gathering Israel and how we have to the members help. We shared with them the guiding principles of Love, Share and Invite that the First Presidency released to help us and broke all those down. We challenged them to make an action plan to share the gospel this week and we are visiting all of them to make sure they do it haha. I'm so excited for our area to improve with their help!! 

 Well sorry yall nothing too crazy this week. Love ya! 

Talk to ya next week! 

Love, Elder Ryan

1- Cowboys

2- Biking in the freezing cold

3- me and Elder Holgreen
 

the Priesthood and Sacrament

So on Tuesday I had exchanges with Elder Rigby! He's brand new and he's waiting for his original assignment to Canada. We were knocking doors and we found a lady named Stephanie and her son Angelo. They told us to come back later so we did, and it was so cool! She told us she already had a Book of Mormon because she ordered one the other week because it caught her attention. We shared a scripture and taught her about about the Restoration and she said she wants to come to church! She said she can't this Sunday because of work, but next Sunday she wants to! And she wants to bring her son because he's been searching for some happiness. Super cool! 

 We had a class with our 5 friends: Anita, Sandra, Edith, Belem and Mercedes. They're so awesome! Anita, Sandra and Edith are progressing the most. But they're all friends and we have a group chat with them and they all remind each other to read it's SO awesome. But anyway, they read The Book of Mormon and are super interested in Baptism. So we explained the Restoration and why it's so important to be baptized in our church. Then we explained the story of Joseph Smith and it was so incredible. It strengthened my testimony so much of Joseph Smith! As we recited the First Vision the spirit filled the room it was crazy. The girls all had tears in their eyes and they all thought it was the coolest experience they've ever heard. They explained that they're all baptized Catholic, and we told them that it's basically only valid in our church, and they actually accepted that. Way cool lesson! 

 We taught our friend Nydia who was trying to decide between our church and The Baptist church. She won't read The Book of Mormon so we've been praying for a miracle. She told us she is going to try and get baptized in their church on Sunday, so I felt really strongly I had to make one last attempt. Well she got kicked out of the Baptist church! Kind of a miracle haha. But for some reason she still wants to go back and talk to them about it. But we had a powerful lesson about priesthood authority and how baptism in our church and only our church is valid. I feel bad for her because she is under a lot of stress and pressure. She knows our church is correct but she feels like she will be judged at ours for her past decisions, plus her whole family is Baptist. So please pray for her. 

 Had another lesson with our 5 friends! This one was way cool. We talked about Baptism, The Sacrament, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. They read The Book of Mormon tons but won't pray about it. We finally got out of them why they won't pray. So, as Catholics, they don't pray directly to God and they do recitations. They pray to one of the saints, or Virgin Mary. So we had to clear that up and hopefully they get their answer! 

 Well those were the highlights of the week! Before I end I wanna talk about the Sacrament. Before my mission, I overlooked the sacrament. But it is such an incredible time that we need to try and utilize. It's an opportunity to renew our baptismal covenants and receive a remission of our sins, we all know that. But focus on the why. And the why is because of Jesus Christ. I want to challenge everyone this next week to focus on the symbolism of the sacrament. His broken, bruised and torn body, and his blood which was shed for us. I know that because of Christ's Atonement, and his willingness to be tortured, bruised and killed for us, we can all be clean. And I promise that as you focus on that during the Sacrament, it will be such a powerful experience, and you will feel the spirit and his love a lot more. It will become more meaningful!

 Love yall! Talk to ya next week! Love, Elder Ryan

Baptists Stole a Soul

Hey everyone! So this week was pretty good! There was a lot that happened so I'll just go over some of the lesson highlights of the week haha.

So on Tuesday I had exchanges with the Zone Leader. While we were driving back our tire got dangerously low so we had to fill it up that was fun. We taught two lessons, one was with one of our friends Nydia who was trying to decide what church to get baptized in. She said she can't decide between ours, and a Baptist church here in Dalhart. She won't pray about it so that's why her choice is so difficult haha. But she wrote down "Baptist" and "Mormon" on her paper in front of her. We taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the importance of Baptism but just emphasized Priesthood Authority and how it only is in our church. I know yall are expecting a miracle haha but in the middle of me talking to her she looked at her paper and starred the Baptist church. We asked why and she said because they will let her be who she is, and they don't have "rules" like us. So that was a bummer. 

Then we had a lesson with our friends The Meekers. They are interesting because they'll read The Book of Mormon, and they'll talk to us but they don't want to get baptized and change religion. We taught them about Lehi's dream and the tree of life. If you havent studied that lately I strongly recommend you to study that right after this email. It's 1 Nephi 8. It's such an incredible lesson and it's such a perfect way to start out The Book of Mormon! The Vision of the Tree of Life is an "allegory of life" or a road map and a guide for us. It's neat that The Book of Mormon starts with that, because the book of mormon is just that. It's the Iron Rod, our guide to partake of the goodness of Christ and His gospel and our way to navigate this life through the mists of darkness. I won't bore you with more of my thoughts about it, unless you want to email me about it haha. But go read it and study it yourself!! 

 On Wednesday we taught our 5 friends who read the Book of mormon together. We didn't have a ton of time with them, but they got to read 3 Nephi 11 and specifically liked how Christ taught Baptism. So that's way cool! 

 Thursday I had one of the most incredible lessons of my mission! It was a guy named Bo, who we've been trying to contact for weeks. So his mom was baptized two years ago but then passed away this last summer. He explained that he heard a bit of the missionary lessons when they taught his mom, but he's a Baptist so he didn't really care. But he did feel like our church was different. He's read The Book of Mormon and likes it a lot. As I listened to him talk about his mom, I had the strongest impression of her in the room with us and of her desire to have him join the church. I told him what I felt and the spirit filled the room so fast and we all were in tears! He explained a few stories in his life where he felt he should have died, but he was saved. We testified that he was saved because this is his time, to join God's true church. And we testified that he needs to be baptized to see his mom again, and then at the end after we taught him about Joseph Smith I looked at him and said "Bo, you need to be baptized." And he goes "ya know, you're probably right but I need to think" hahaha. So he's currently reading and praying about Baptism! Pray for Bo! 

We're putting a huge focus lately on helping the members do missionary work, and getting them excited for it! Because honestly guys, we are all missionaries whether you have a tag or not. This is the true church, and if you truly love it why would you not share it! So I challenge yall to share it! And if you need to grow to love it more before you share it, then do that too! But still share it after haha. 

 We had some other fun and cool lessons throughout the week but those were the highlights! And kind of a lowlight but the first one was funny haha. I love yall! Reach out to me whenever you'd like! 

 Love, Elder Ryan