3 days until Christmas! 12-22-14

soooo lets just get the important information settled right here at the beginning. so i will be calling you at about 2 or 2;30 my time.. due to the fact that we have lunch at 12, we cant call at that time! sorry fam! but that means it will be like 10 or 10;30, i think.. that is.. if my math is right! after a year of not ever doing math.. its kinda rusty! 

but anyway! lets get the jucy details of this week on paper! so to start things out, a miracle happened this week! it was friday, the last day that the courts would be open, working on wedding papers and such.. so we decided to call to see what was the position of Islei and Mécia's papers.... And they were authourized!!! finally!! so we ran to there house to give them the news and such and we marked the wedding, which will happen in the church, and the baptism for the 10th of january! super excited! this is the first family that ive ever gotten this far with! it has been so cool to see the changes that have happened in their lives and how they have made so much progress! that really is the best part of the mission, watching people change their lives! sometimes, it doesnt even seem possible for them leave the things that they have been doing wrong since childhood at times.. but that is the miracle of the gospel, to change us even when it didnt seem possible to change! 

we have been having a lot of success working here with the members. it is funny, change the bishop and it seems like a completely different ward! wouldnt mind staying here in the area if things continue to go good like they are! 

investigator wise... we have a whole bunch who are willing to learn more and want to make the church a part of their lives, but its like there just hasnt been enough time in the day for us to acompany them and teach them, help them live the commandments, help them go tp church and such! some of them that are showing good progress are jessica, Thiago, Katiele, Sandra, Mayara, Vinicius, and another Jessica! with all hope we are gonna keep teaching them! hoping that chirstmas week doesnt put us out of buisness!! haha 

had a real interesting conversation with elder Brandant this week. he has about 4 months on the mission, and ive lived with him since he got here! but we talked about how on the mission, we have to learn and become something that we werent before, that sometimes the call comes and we are completely qualified for the task, but how we need to rise to the occasion, not just try to do our best, but actually Do our best. it was really interesting! i think my whole mission has been full of these experiences! times when i didnt really know what to do, or how to do it, or why i was chosen to do it! at times i felt way under qualified and that it was a task way to overwelming for a young 19 year old kid to handle... But in those times ive learned to use and rely on a force that is way above my own. that is Jesus Christ. i think ive learned over this last year just how much work is requierred of me, and just how willing he is to help me achieve what needs to be done. Reminds me of the scripture that says that, "many are called and few are chosen" it just depends on us if we are willing to accept the call, and Do what is necessary! the conversation ended at 1 am... the next day was a tough one to say the least! but it was all worth it!

Over all things are good here in Siqueira Campos, Aracaju. its hotter than ever, and its christmas.. doesnt really seem like those two words should go together, Hot and Christmas.. but here they are real good friends! thanks so much for the letters and prayers! Love you all and cant wait to see you fam on christmas day! 

Love 

Elder Ryan

 Ryan may have been having flashbacks of all our visits to Idaho....although most of the farm equip in Idaho seems to be John Deere Green

This was a picture of Ryan and his companion Elder Lima after their Christmas phone calls last year 2013

No title for this pic...use your imagination?

well there goes one! 11-3-14

Well that is it for one year! seems like yesterday that i was stepping of the plane here in Maceió and understanding nothing and thinking, "Dang.. the sun is really hot here!!" 

The one year mark came and went and here are a few reflections on one year as a missionary:

the mission is easily the most confusing thing when it comes to desciribing the emotions that it gives me! haha it is easily the hardest thing that i have ever done, but at the same time... it is easily the best thing that i have ever done! at times i am stressed beyond all belief and but at the same time, there is no other place that i would rather be! 

What i do every day is invite people to know more about the ture doctrine of Chirst.. Faith, Repentence (AKA Change!!) And Baptism (the Best part). its a hard work! lots of people dont believe me, others cant seem to overcome their dificulties or pleasures to go and follow the correct path. but those that do accept and work to change and follow Christ... these people, i have had the greatest pleasure in watching, becaue they are the people who are 10 times happier than they were before! 

in the last year i wasnt brain washed or convinced that what i teach is true.. when i got here i realized just how weak my testimony was, and just how unsure i was about the truthfulness of what i was teaching! so i did what i tell people to do everyday. Read the Book of Mormon, and then prayed.... Now I can say that i Know that this is the Truth! it really is! not because a some one told me, but because God gave me an answer to my prayer! i have full confidence that any one of us, if we want an answer from God, we can receive one! but receiving an answer isnt always the hard part! it is following the answer that we have received! my hope is that during this next year of my mission, i can help many more people Follow the Gospel of Christ, Because i know, without doubts, that this is the path!

so now the update on the week! so we have been in the grind like always! me and Elder Lima hada lot of success finding new people to teach this week, which was good seeing as lots of our investigators are waiting on the marraige deal before they can be baptized! so it gave us a few people to work with to try and help them be baptized these next couple weeks! 

we are teaching Jonathan, he went to church for the last two weeks and things with him are going really well, his cousin was baptized in one of the other wards here in the city and she introduced the church to him, things are going well and hoping that all will go well for this week for him to be baptized! 

we are in a triplet here now, Elder Gross, finished his mission, and because president changed the day of the transfer, we are now with his companioin Elder Brandant, he has about 2 months in the feild! so it has made things interesting seeing as how we need to help him with the language and helping him learn how to teach! it has made things a real adventure!! 

well the one year mark was good! not really sure how to feel! didnt burn anything.. but yeah just another normal week of work! 

Hope that every one is doing well! love you all!

Elder Ryan