the first week of the Transfer! 11-17-14

alrighty so the biggest news is who is my new companion!  Elder Gauchay, from Orem utah, he is 6 foot 4, so the first time ive been shorter than my companion, and my first american comp, he has one year and 7 months , so he is finishing up, he was teh secretary of the mission for 7 months, so i already knew him before he got here! he is way cool, he likes the Lakers... so that is a problem! ;) but other than im really liking working with him! 

I was Called as Zone Leader A this week as well, something i wasnt really expecting, but the challenges keep coming! president has already called me a couple times this week, asking me to go and solve a couple of problems here in the zone! one thing is for sure, being Zone leader is never boring!

investigator wise, things are good. president took one of the companionships from the ward here and put them in a new city where the church was opened! so now we have inherited both areas and all of there investigators! WAHOO!! we have been working with some new people there and the members there are helping a ton! things are really looking up! 

Carmelita, this little old lady that me and elder Lima had been teaching for like... forever!! finally accepted a date for baptism, should be this saturday if all goes well! so happy to finally see here make the changes necessary to follow christ, this week she threw out all of her coffee without us even asking! it was awesome!! 

Islei and Mécia, our couple that we are working with are doing awesome as well! right now we are just waiting for the papers to pass through the courts and we can do the wedding! shouldnt be more that 2 weeks now! really hoping that we can baptize them the second week of december! but they are changing so much! cool to see how reading the scriptures and praying as a family has changed their lives so much for the better! they are way happeir now than the first time that i taught them! this week they asked us when they could go to the temple!! it was so cool, glad to know that they are already looking at the big picture to have their family sealed! loving helping them and seeing the changes! 

really the mission has been great,so gald that i came, i have had so many experiences and challanges that have changed and shaped me for the better! the mission sure hasnt been easy, as a matter of fact its been pretty dang hard, but there is no where i would rather be! "spreading the good word" as my friend shaw always writes me, really is the best! the Good Word has changed my life in the last year, and i have watched change the lives of many more! 

love you all tons! thanks for your letters and your prayers! hope that everyone is doing well that you cheer for the jazz and play some super smash bros on the N64 in my honor! love you all!! 

Elder Ryan 

the transfer 11-10-14

so this week we had a transfer, i stayed here in the area! which i am pretty happy about seeing as we have been having lots of sucess here, but Elder Lima was transfered! its so crazy, time passed by so freaking fast,we passed 3 months together, but it felt more like 3 days! im gonna miss him, he really was my best companion so far! 

 well this week we got the hang of taking care of both the areas that we are working in! good thing because president called and said that only one companionship would  stay here in the ward.. soo that means all of there investigators are ours now! so that is pretty exciting! im really excited to see what this transfer has in store for me! 

 this week I had some really good studies, i made a goal with my self that i would try and study more the lessons that we teach so that i could teach better and such, it was a really good experience! really enjoyed studying about the commndments, especially Keeping the Sabbath day Holy and Keeping the Law of Chasity. really opended my eyes to a lot of things and just how important the commandments are! really grateful that i have so much time to study more about the gospel, it opens up my eyes everytime as to how important living the gospel is! really loved! 

One other thing that I forgot to mention in my last email about the things im liking about my misison that i reflected on this week was the Power of the Atonement to Heal and save people. Really grateful to have the knowledge and peace that comes from knowing about the atonement of Jesus Christ. im really glad that i have been able to overcome lots of rought experiences and my own personal weaknesses and sins through the Lord Jesus Christ. over this last year i learned a lot and now i can say: I know that He lives. 

we were able to get 7 people to church this week which was a thrill for me! carmelita is this old lady that we have been teaching for about 2 months and she never went to church, this sunday she made it! it was awesome! also something really cool that happened this week was that Islei and Mecia this couple that we are working with, went and started the marriage papers this week! in about a month the wedding will happen and we will be able to baptize them! really loving it here on the mission! having so many experiences that i never would of had if i wasnt here right now! 

things are great! hope that every one is doing well! love the letters and emails that you send! hope that you all have a great week Love you all!! 

Elder Ryan

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

3 more days... 10-27-14

well the one year.. and it feels so unreal! like what has happened to time! it has gone by so fast! not really sure how i feel about it either! haha its a weird sensation knowing that im half way through!

This week was a tough one. being Zone Leader has been full of excitment! started out the week with the assistants coming here and doing a division with us. it went well but didnt really give us a whole lot of insight on what we could do in terms of helping our zone reach there goals and baptize more. the Zone is really struggling with this, setting goals and reaching them! but other than that the division was good. 

on wednesday we did a sacrifice of our area and did a double division with one of the companionships in our zone, they had been struggling with health problems and in general, everything. when we got there, the house looked like  a tornado had passed through... it was horrible! but we spent the day working really hard trying to find new people for them to teach and trying to train them a bit better of what to do in the area. it was good... then the whole night, literally 5 hours, we cleaned... and cleaned.. and cleaned! when we left, it was much better.. but i still felt like it was dirty! haha but that was a real adventure! 

we also got the news that president was transferring in emergency a companionship out of the zone and closing the area for the next 3 weeks, leaving us to care for the district there and the area as well! it has made things a whole lot more exciting, seeing as our zone is already having lots of problems... its one more for us to solve!haha but hoping that we can handle it all and make it work! 

Our investigators are going well! Isley and Mecia said that they were going to get the marriage thing all figured out this week and they are progressing really well! also we foud another family this week! we taught them on sunday night, Vinicius is a less active and is wife kelly was really receptive and things are looking good there two! things are good with elder Lima, he is a stud and im really liking working with him still! 

this week was a tough one, but it was still good! i think that is about it for this week! hope that everyone is doing well! thanks for your letters and prayers! 

Elder Ryan

"LOOK AT THAT GOALIE!"

Beleza! 10-20-14

so to start this week out, i will answer mothers requests and talk a little bit more about the area and my companion

Area: Ward Siqueira Campos: the oldest ward here in the state of Sergipe. we have one of the most violent neighborhoods in the city, which always makes things fun here! there are lots of hills in our area which are helping my legs stay in good shape! most of the people here are catholic or or go to Gods Assembaly. because there is a massive catholic church here on the top of the highest hill, and there is a massive assembaly church here too! our chapel is pretty small but really cool because it has an older format, it has a garden in the middle it! it is pretty legit! the people here are pretty nice, they are willing to hear us, but few are willing to follow! but what is new! 

Companheiro! Elder Lima, he is from Poço de Caldas, a little city in Minas Gerais, that is famous for its hot springs and cheese! ate some of the chees from there the other day, annd dang it was real good! he is 25 and has a masters in math, the guy is a genius! he is a hard worker and is always thinking of new ideas to help us in the work! he is easily my favorite companion so far! we work really well together and laugh and have tons of fun!

so now for the updates of the week here in aracaju! 

we baptized Aparecida this week! it was freaking awesome, she has changed so much from when we first met her, the gospel has filled her life with purpose and given her light for a better tomorrow! we really had to fight for this baptism but it made it all the sweeter! on sunday we were visiting her, and she was already talking about how she wants to start visiting people with us to help them be baptized as well! she is awesome!! 

I did a division with Elder Tejeda from Chile this week, he is a cool guy. really quiet, but we had a good division, he had just finished being trainned and is on his second companion, feels like yesterday that i was in his shoes! 

we had a really good week of work here, we have been teaching this family and they are really awesome! Isley, is 32 and is mom was already baptized like forever ago, he and his wife Mecia have 2 kids, Yasmin, who is 6 and Islã, who is 4. they arent married yet, but this sunday they went to church with us and said they liked it! Mecia is really liking our focus on the whole marriage deal, she got so excited that she already bought rings! it has been awesome teaching them, and seeing how the little things like prayer and scriptures can make such a big differnece! 

we have some other investiagtors that are going well and went to church as well, but im a little short on time so i leave it at this: things are going great! really loving the area and my companion! really loving seeing the change in peoples lives and helping them over come there dificulties and such! having a great time and a little bit in shock that one year is already approaching! its just too wild to me! 

Espero que todos vocês têm um bom semana!! 

Elder Ryan

Alrighty now! 10-13-14

Soo here is the latest and greatest news from Siqueira Campos Aracaju Sergipe!

so not much too exciting has happened this week, started the week by doing a division with Elder Brandant, has about 3 weeks in the feild! he was lost! haha but it is cazy to think that i was in his position like just 8 months ago! wow time is really flying by! but it was a good division! fun to smell the MTC again and see the faith that the newbies have!

this week i have felt that i have really gotten into a groove working wise! which has been good! Me and Elder Lima are working lots and pushing our selves to the limit. even though we have been having a really hard time getting people to church! so this week we are gonna try working closer to the church to make it easier to get them to church, but the problem is that it is a rich area and its hard to get into the houses there, but we are having some success there and we are trying to get some of the rich people baptized! ;)

things with Aparecida are going really well! she is a bit nervous about this friday, which we have planned for the baptism, but things are looking really good. she is some one that really has been changed by the gospel, she told us how before we started visiting her she felt depressed and lost, and now she feels happy and that she has a purpose in this life. it has been a really awesome experience there!

well i think that is about it for this week! not too much happened out of the ordinary, we have been working tons, im happy in this area even though the members arent helping out too much but, everything cant be perfect right?? but imt ill be staying here for a long time! but i think that is about it for the week! sorry that it was short! love you alll! thanks for the letters and emails!

Elder Ryan

soooo here we go again! 10-6-14

so this week was a good one! conference was a killer, really enjoyed it and learned tons! hoping to start the application process now! 

this week we had to go to  Maceió for the leadership Counsel. it was a good time! 5 hours on the bus to get there and then a meeting all day long on tuesday, and 5 hours back, getting home at midnight.. i was beat! haha but it was a good meeting, basically all the Zone leaders meet together with President and we talk about all the problems that the mission is having and what we need to do to fix it! it was cool to have my voice heard and put in my opinions on how to make things better! 

Thursday we had Zone Meeting. it was good, we talked  a lot about how lots of times or efforts arent always pointed to what needs to be done! even though we may be working, we need to remember our purpose and focus our efforts there! it was good and intense! this week we already started to see the difference in the Zone! 

This month is looking like it will be a good one! the Zone is really excited and working well! hoping that everyone will be able reach their potencial! 

not much news about the investigators! Aparecida is progressing really well she watch both sessions with us on sunday! but seeing as the stake center is about a 45 minute walk from our area, we had a tough time getting people to go and watch it this weekend! 

but i think that that is about it for this week! closing in on the one year mark, seems pretty unbelievable to me!! passing by real fast like! but hope that everyone is doing well! Love you all! 

Elder Ryan