The Update 6-16-14

so first thing is first, im sure that you all are dying to know what is happening here in Maceió during the world cup, so lets just start this sucker off with all juicy details! so we arent aloud to leave out house during the days that Brazil plays, i didnt really know why at first but after thursday.. i understood why! the entire game, there are fireworks being lighted off.. and when brazil makes a goal... you just start hearing the entire city screaming!! and then start even more fireworks.. and then the fires in the middle of the roads! it is freaking madness it is soo sweet! to bad that we cant leave the house! but it was so loud at the end of the first game when brazil won, that our house started shaking a little bit! so Dope! hahahaha

but now the update on the work! so it is pretty tough to find new people to teach because everyone is always watching a game of the cup! it is pretty annoying, cant lie! haha but we have learned a little better this week how to work for referals from the members, and also working with less actives and finding new people through them! but it was a good week over all, really different because of the cup, but over all was good! we had planned this week the baptism of Ana Vitoria, our over prepared investigator, who i am pretty sure knows way more than i do about the gospel! but out district leader did the interview, and she passed with flying colors, like he said that he was in shock a little bit! haha but she doesnt want to be baptized yet, even though she believes it all.. she is even doing personal progress... like even the active members dont do that! haha its an interesting situation, but im hoping for a moment of inspiration this week to discover what it is that she needs help with this week! 

everything is good with me and my companion! really liking working with him, we really click and work well together! he is really good, for only having one month on the mission, he surprises me everyday with the things that he does! either im a super good trainer... (i think to think that this is the reason! hahaha) or he came super prepared (the real reason! haha) 

this week was elder Cordeiro´s birthday, and the members, his family back home and I planned 2 suprise parties for him! the first was on saturday night in the church, he couldnt believe it, it was awesome! and the second was on sunday night, one of the members planned a family night in her house, and he was all psyched because she told him that she would bring some new investigators for us to teach.. and then when he got there , there was the surprise party! it was hilarious because after he told me that he was a little sad because there wereny investigators there! hahaha he cracks me up sometimes! but it was a good weekend because we ate lots of cake! haha 

things are really good here in the ward im in! we had ward counsel this last week and it was all things that were good because all the members got all excited to help us, and started asking us when they could visit our investigatores with us! it really makles all the differences in missionary work to have the members always helping you! 

also this is the last week of pres Gonzaga.. a little strange to think that he is already leaving and that we will have a new pres soon! 

but all things are good here in paradise! hoping that we can have a little more sucess during this month of soccer games! but all is well! 

but that is it from me! boa semana por todos! 

Elder Ryan

well here you have it! 6-9-14

So this week was an interesting one! 

this week was a week of everything falling through! i feel like i have already said that about a few of the weeks (or many possibly!) of the mission!  but i have never had a week like this! seriously everything that we planned would fall through, and then a plan B would fall as well! but it was a good because i learned alot how important it is to be persistent! 

i dont think i have ever worked so hard! we walked so much and talked to tons of people, it was funny because at the end of the week, i was feeling sad about how we didnt have such a good week.. when we added up our numbers of the week, we had had one of the best weeks number wise, of my whole mission! even though it was super hard, im glad i didnt give up this week, because there were a few days when it just seemed like a better idea to go home and sleep! haha but for some reason, we just kept working.. (i think im going a little crazy! ahaha)

one good thing about this week is that we have been teaching a Ana Vitoria. she is progressing really well, she has already been to church three times and she probably knows more about the church than i do! i have never seen anyone search so much to know that something was true! it was hilarious because at church one of the sunday school teachers told her that she needed to be baptized this week so that the next sunday she could teach the class! it was hilarious. but she is a little nervous about baptism, but im hoping that we can help her out this week and that she will be baptized this saturday! 

things are going really great here overall! My companion is all better, after going to the hospital twice, but he is back to working shape! it is crazy how fast he is learning. he puts me to shame already and i have 6 more months than him! haha but things are great on this end! i love the area, love the people, and i love sharing the gospel! it is all things that are good! haha hoping that things can continue at least a little bit during the rest of the month seeing as the world cup is starting on tuesday. we have to stay at home during the hours of the games of brazil, so that will probably mean lots of skip bo! hahah but that is the report for the week! 

hope that everyone is well! appreciate all the emails and letters! boa semana pra voces! 

Elder Ryan!

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