7 months of the mission are down! 5-26-14

 well tomorrow marks the 7 month mark, it feels like the days are passing by without me knowing what happened to them! its crazy! so here is the news of what has been happening in my life here in Maceio!

monday i got a package! thanks mom and dad for all the treats! i have already started using that "one shoe" haha just kidding! but im hoping that the other one actually gets here! haha needless to say that food lasted like 2 days! haha

but this week started with 2 days of everything falling through! like every appointment we planned got dropped and every backup plan we had dropped to! it was ridiculous! haha but the after those first two hard days, things really took off! we worked every day with one of the members, contatcting a bunch of refereals that they gave us and teaching lots of people! we found lots of people who are really interested and this week we had 4 people visit church on sunday! i didnt know what to do because i had never had so many investigators at church before! haha but it was awesome! we have also been working lots in what is called the "Grota" here, or the flavelas that are in these mini canyons that they have every where here in maceio! dont worry mom, they arent too dangerous! haha but my thigh muscules are getting yoked from walking up and down the hills! we are working with 2 families which has been probably my favorite part! they are progressing really well but they need to get married before we can baptize them! so that is always tricky here, because the judicial system is a little wack! but hopping that they ca get married before the world cup because when the world cup starts, every thing will be closed! the world cup here is literally a holiday! like every one is stocking up on food and stuff because all the stores will be closed during the cup! its ridiculous! soccer is there life here! but things are going really well here! i love the area! we have great members here who help a ton and the people are awesome! training has been a hoot! i get to put my spin on things, which has been nice for a change! things over all, are looking up. its possible that we will have baptisms for every saturday for the next month! hoping that every things works out well!

funny story for the week! we taught the dad of one of the members here, everything we tried talking to him about, he just wanted to argue! it was a struggle! but i was settled on never going back there! i was sitting there on the stand on sunday (because i lead the music) and i saw him walk in! i about stopped breathing i couldnt believe it! hahaha i was seriously so surprised! so that is the funny story about the guy who hates the mormons and every thing we teach and then goes to our church on sunday! haha

well that is about everything from this end! thanks for all the letters, im finally starting to get them through snail mail! so keep sending them! thanks for all the love and support! Até próximo semana!

Elder Ryan

first week as the trainer! 5-19-14

well to start things out this week... i am now training! WHAT???? haha my newe companion is named Elder Cordeiro, or in engish, Lamb! haha but he is really cool! he is eighteen and i can smell the mtc on him! haha but he is really good he is already really prepared and such! he is really good at working with the members, one of the things that im not exactly strong in! but he markes days for us to leave with the members all by himself and has already planned to family nights to take our investigators to! he is a stud! he also teaches really well! its like im not even training him, just helping him adjust to missionary life! i really like working with him! he is really excited and has a real strong desire to do his best! makes things really great and way more fun! my new area is , called... Paradise! haha serious though! and it really is paradise! the members here are really good and help out a ton! members can make or break missionary work, and they are doing so much here it is seriously heaven! haha

we got here and had a paper on the desk that said we needed to visit this old lady who had already been to church 3 times... when we got to her house we asked her if she had already talked to the missionaries, she said only at church had she seen them, but that they had never stopped by her house.. they next thing she asked me was, "what day can i be baptized??" i about fainted i was so surprised!! ive never had anyone ask me that! haha! but we told that we could baptize her this saturday, we taught her all the lessons and such. she stopped smoking cold turkey after we taught her the word of wisdom. she was a super Eleita!! we baptized her this saturday! it was awesome! my companion was thrilled to baptize in the first week of his training! she chose me to baptize her! it was really cool experience! ive never seen anyone so prepared by the lord! i feel like we really didnt do much, we just gave her the information that she needed to hear! 

im really liking being senior companion! it has been really nice to call the shots and finally i feel like my opinion has some weight! haha it has been a really great transition! haha  over all this transfer has started amazing! we also have a possible baptism for this week too! patrick! really all he needs is for his mom sign the form, and after, baptism! things are really looking up here in paradise! really loving it here. my area is in maceio, with lots of flavelas, but its weird i dont feel in danger like ever! haha im sure that if i was here not being a missionary i would walk in half of the places that i walk in every day here! haha! but everything is good on this end! hope that all for you is well! love you all and appreciate all for you letters! 

Dad. you almost gave me a heart attack when you said that the excursion was dead!! haha 

Bom semana por todos! 

Elder Ryan