transfers and the happenings 1-26-15

soo to start out, i was think that this would be my last week here in Siqueira Campos seeing as i've already been here for 6 months, but to my surprise, i stayed and Gauchay was transferred.. i don't know who will be my new companion until tomorrow, but im pretty anxious to know who it is. not really sure how i feel about staying one more here.. i mean i've been here forever now, and sometimes it gets hard because i feel like i've done so much and that there isn't anything that i can do more.. obviously a lie! haha but at this point, Siqueira campos is home now, and im happy that i stayed!

So this week the highlight was that Islei passed the sacrament and he brought his kids to church all dressed nice, it was way cool to see! love them like crazy! they have literally become my family here and it has been so awesome to see the changes that have taken place in their lives! Mécia is getting a little unexcited and i was ready to give up on her, but i think that i stayed in the area just for one reason.. i have a family to complete here, so before i leave, my goal is to see her baptized!

this week was a tough one in the are of proselyting, we have been working a lot in a place called Bairro América ( because all the streets are named after the countries in the americas) but im planning to start working more in the are that is a bit more rich, but it is way closer to the chapel, should be tough, but im needing a change of scenery! haha

we are working with Suzana, she is the lady that likes to talk a ton.. i'm not sure if i already wrote about her, but she went to church for the second time and she is progress fairly well, the only problem is that she doesn't want to get baptized! haha so that makes things kind of tricky, she is living all the commandments and such, she doesn't think she is ready yet, but its pretty clear to us that it's water time! but we´ll see what we can get done this week!

We also have been teaching Luciana. she is a good investigator, she has been keeping the commitments till now, but the best part is that the whole street are her family members, so it looks like there are lots of possibilities there as well!

so pretty much thats all i have to say about this week! we got the water problem figured out, which was good! and that is about it!

Love you all! hope you all have a great week!

Elder Ryan

The Best week of my mission! 1-12-15

So this week honestly was probably the best one yet!

Things started out with a travel to Maceió for the leadership counsel meeting. It was good, we talked about our desire and helping the missionaries that we lead reach their potential. We also made goals for the mission for the year! It was cool to be a part of the planning, and see just how much room to grow we have as a mission.

So we get back from Maceió and we become the wedding planners! We spent most of the week running to and fro trying to make sure that everything would be in order for the wedding! Let me tell you something… im totally going to hire a wedding planner when I get married because Dang! It is a lot of work! Haha but it was all worth it! Saturday night was the wedding. It went awesome, we didn’t have a whole lot of member appearance, but it was really great, they had all their family there, and when the ceremony finally took place.. watching Islei and Mécia finally making that step after 4 and a half months of teaching them…. It was Heaven. It was seriously the best feeling in the world. The purest feeling of happiness that I have ever felt was watching them finally make that covenant with one another! But that was just the Start of things! After the wedding was the Islei´s baptism. (Mécia had to wait because of some problems with some of the commandments)              But he asked me to do the baptism… it was like finally coming home after a really really really long walk… but really it is just the start of a new journey. The feelings that were felt this weekend, I really cant seem to describe them. But I think that it is something that we will be feeling in the celestial kingdom! But it was amazing. On Sunday he got confirmed and received the Aaronic Priesthood. He is ready for the Journey and im so glad that I had the opportunity to be part it! It has been the most stressful, worrisome, discouraging, but yet most rewarding and amazing experience ive ever passed through in mission, and my life.

Other investigators that are showing good progress are Carol and Jessica, their baptisms are marked for the 17^th and the 24^th! As of now, there are no apparent problems! Sorry I don’t really have other news about the work happening here in the area. This week was just make sure that everything went smooth for the baptism and wedding!!

Mom to answer your questions about where I am! The area is huge here!! There are some parts that are flat, and there are other parts that have lots of hills, but nothing like climbing the hills in Viçosa! We live in the nicest apartment in the mission.. because we have air conditioning! Its so legit!! The houses here are completely different than anything ive seen in the states so I don’t know exactly how to explain how they are here…. No one has a front lawn or a yard for that matter… we live above a wood mill, so that makes things quite dusty at times, and we live on one of the busiest streets in Aracaju! Hope that is what you wanted!!

Love you all! Thanks for Writing!!

Elder Ryan

                            Islei and Mécia                               Elder Gauchay and Ryan "the wedding planners"

                   Marriage and Baptism....what a day!!

                                                           Happy Missionaries!

New Years, and Wedding Preps 1-5-15

lrighty so i cnat believe that it is already 2015... i was talking to Elder Gauchay this week, and we realized that we are doing everything for the last time on the mission, like holidays and months and stuff like that.. so weird to think that im already in the year that i will be coming home.. it just doesnt feel real! feels like i just barely Got here! 

But this week was really good and stressfull! we have had a lot on our hands lately! so Islei and Mécia are getting married this week, and we are basically the wedding planners! haha wishing i had Cathryn´s event planning abilities right now, but i guess i will have to settle for the president of the relief soceity! ;) but its been a lot of work arranging how the cerminony with work, the food, the cake and clothing and such! but looks like everything should go alright! 

also this week we have been acompanying some really good investigators. we are teaching Jessica, she is a freind of a recent convert here in the ward, she is preparing for the 17th, we have been teaching her for like a month already, but she never had gone to church.. and finally.. Miracles!! she went to church this week! We are also teaching Carol, another referal from a recent convert, and she is markder for the 9th, things are looking really promising for her to! jsut need to teach her the last little things and should be a baptism this week! 

Also we are teaching Suzana. we found her this week looking in the area book for old investigators, her sister was taught like 1 year ago, so we decided to go there, and we found her. we started teaching her, and everytime we teach her, her eyes light up. she has been passing through lots of problems of depression and feels like every place that she has looked for the comfort, she hasnt found it... she is super ready to accept the gospel. so im pretty psyched for this month! we have lots of really good  people progressing in our area to be baptized this month! 

New years was good, we spent drinking Guaraná and playing chess and Uno.... legit! haha but it was a really good year. So Glad that i decided to come on the mission, the experiences that i had over the last year i kow that i couldnt have replicated in any other place. this last year has chaged me a lot, i have grown so much.. a bit sad to think that its coming to an end! just going to try and live up these last 9 months and "Leave it out all on the Court" as Kenward would say!

Hope that everyone is doing well! love you all and miss you all! Feliz Ano novo! espero que essa ano é o ano aonde todos de seus sonhos são realizadas!! 

Amo Todos Vocês!!! 

Elder Ryan