Life as an Uncommon Elder

So, no update on the teeth. I find out  on Wednesday .   We have an investigator right now who is SUPER AWESOME!!! She's met with us nearly every day and is learning super quick. I can't wait to see where it goes. Maybe baptism?!?!   Miss you all. Sorry for the short update.   Love, Elder Ryan

This week has been mostly normal. Not many downs, but not many ups.   The work is steadily increasing in the area. All of the investigators we started with have dropped off, and we now have some absolutely amazing people that are choosing to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ.   This week I haven't had any real noteworthy experiences or insights. So just remember, God loves you. He put you here to succeed and wants you to return to live with him. Aceept Christ as your personal Savior and follow his teachings.   Love you all!   Elder Ryan

This week has been pretty good. I've had some awesome and humbling lessons where I was the only Vietnamese speaking missionary. Both of them were referrals, both of them I felt the spirit so strongly, and both of them made me feel really inadequate as a servant of the Lord. But I have found strength in the testimony that can be borne by the spirit that we truly can't say in words, and that we can only convey if we are living worthy of it. In conference we were encouraged to all step it up and live the Gospel. I hope you all can find one way to increase your faith and follow the counsel of L. Tom Perry and reach out to 1 person by Christmas. Love you! Elder Ryan

This week has been a great week! I don't have a lot of time to write a post for this week, so this will have to do. I love you, I miss you, and I hope you're developing your relationship with God. Love, Elder Ryan

Sorry, this is a week late. This week has been a week of change! Whoo, I think I might be used to change now...   I'm now in Springvale, re-opening the area for Vietnamese missionaries. I have an English speaking companion, and lots and lots of work to do. There is definitely not a lack of things to do, it's just a matter of the best way to get it all done, build up the program here and make the area viable to assist the Vietnamese in the area to come closer to Christ. Unlike in the city, there are several barriers present (like translation services) that I now have to figure out a way to overcome. There are lots of different things that are new. In the city, the church space is convenient and easy to give directions to. Here the chapel is more conventional and kind of out of the way. The public transit here isn't as frequent, so we're on bicycles (which presents a problem of it's own).   So this week, I think I've lost some weight already, my bod

One of the best ways I've found to get out of negativity, is to ignore it and move on to something more cheerful. Presently, it's the song, "Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam." It's such a simple song, without deep doctrinal content, but it brings such a spirit of peace to my mind. Sometimes that's what we need. A quite and peaceful distraction from the noise that's around us. Challenge for the week, look for quite moments to notice the beauty of God's creation. Sing a hymn or song that reminds you of your relationship with God. Read the Book of Mormon at least 5 minutes a day. You will find more enjoyment in life. :) Love, Elder Ryan

So this last week has been a week of overcoming, and I'm not ashamed to say that it hasn't been easy. I love my Heavenly Father, I love Jesus Christ, and I love the Holy Ghost. Without them, I would literally be nothing. I am not a perfect missionary, nor am I a perfect person, but I know through Christ's Atonement for us, I have received strength. Emails in the mission are always a plus. Letters are even better (but I don't expect people to waste money on postage).  At this time, I'd like to make a declaration of my faith. I don't really care if you don't agree, but it helps me to put it out there. I know that Jesus is the Christ; the anointed of God to come and cleanse us from our sins. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows us intimately, and we knew him before this life, and through a concerted effort, we can know him again. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know it, I know it, I know it! I know that Joseph Smith was a

So, this week has been a very good week in some aspects, and a very grim week in other aspects. Another 2 of my former investigators have been baptized!!! One lady from the Bronx that I taught, and one of the people in the branch I'm currently serving in. It's amazing to see the miracles that come from serving selflessly. In contrast of the amazing things I've seen, personally, I've experienced some challenges in my self belief. I know that all things are possible through Christ, but sometimes it's difficult to believe that you are worthy enough, or capable enough to accomplish the things that God has asked you to do. I've felt that way this week. One of my personal goals is to trust the Savior more; trust in His atonement. Be willing to ask for help when it's needed from God and those around me. I know God loves me, I know he wants me to succeed. I'm working on knowing the same thing of myself. I hope you're all doing well. With Love

So, this week I had a little more time to study independently (and unlike other weeks, I remembered to bring my notes to the library) so today, my blog post is going to be mostly on how to answer the question, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Many people have asked this question, and many people have used it as grounds to disprove that there is a God. Don't let yourself get caught in that trap. God is real, he loves you! If you don't know it now, seek him out and I promise you will find him. In my studies, I have found a few scriptures that helped prove this in my mind. In Joseph Smith's adversity he was comforted by these words from the Lord, "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;" (D&C 121:7) and was later counseled, " 7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if th

So, this week, I was able to baptize one of my former investigators and see two other people be baptized. Baptisms are an awesome way for people to reaffirm their faith. I know this because it has helped to reaffirm mine. The covenant of baptism is one of the greatest manifestations of our faith. It is a promise to follow Jesus Christ.  It is the gateway to the Celestial Kingdom. One of the things I've been focusing on in my studies is the necessity of the Doctrine of Christ in applying the Atonement. Often when we teach the lessons, we teach them as individual units, somewhat disconnected, and our investigators don't really understand how each part comes together as a latticework of interdependent threads. Without one, the others have little effect. Each piece is important, and if we fail in some areas we may preclude ourselves from receiving the blessings of Eternal Life. As many of you may know, Preach My Gospel mentions the importance of the Atonement as central t

So, I am officially 22. The mission has just gotten a lot different. The Vietnamese program is growing and I'm feeling pretty reminiscent.  This past week, the Vietnamese program in Melbourne went from 4 elders to 9, with another coming in September. 4 came fresh from the MTC, and 1 is finishing his mission here (he was trained with a Vietnamese elder, and was quasi in the program for 6 months of his mission). Oddly enough, I'm not training. I have been placed with one of the Zone Leaders, but am not a ZL. My area has changed from Footscray to North Richmond, and I have a lot of work ahead of me. So, the baptism that was supposed to happen a week and a half ago is now happening on Friday. I may no longer be her missionary, but she has asked that I perform the baptism! WHOO YEAH! Another of my old investigators is also being baptized on the same day, and at the same time. He is awesome and I'm so grateful to have been a part in bringing them closer to Christ. From th

So, I'm officially done with my 12 week training. I've now been in two areas, Kingsbridge 2nd Ward in the Bronx, NY, and Footscray, VIC Australia. And I've been informed that I'm getting transferred to a new area tomorrow. :) You'll find out next week. Now just as all things, there has been some good, and some less good. The good news is that I'm healthy, energized, and out of the funk, so I'm pumped to be a missionary! Whoo Yeah! The less good news (not bad news) is that the baptism for Sunday was postponed until the 23rd. It was easier for all parties involved. So as a way of recording, since I am the absolute worst at Journal writing, I'm going to summarize the last 8 weeks here in Melbourne. So I arrived very tired and don't really remember the first three or four days. I met a lot of people, had serious jet lag, and slept a lot. Then it got better. Here, they call street contacting GQ'ing. When we are GQ'ing, I

So this week has been much different, but emotionally a mixed bag. We've seen some amazing miracles, but we've also seen some terrible rejection. We have one investigator who is preparing super quickly to be baptized, and we have a few others who are also progressing and building faith. There are a lot of things that impede our progress, and the biggest is the lack of personal freedom that is taken from us through things outside of our control. I hope you are all doing well and that you can see miracles in your life. Keep praying, I know they will come. Elder Ryan

So, After an awesome week following a hard week, I've had another trying week. Things seem to work that way. We have a few really solid investigators right now, but we also have some that are going through difficulties in finding faith and keeping that faith that they have already found. They claim to have experiences, they're not sure what they're feeling, and they're not sure if it's coming from God. Unfortunately, no amount of testifying, no amount of smiles and warm greetings can substitute for that foundational belief of faith. The only way to gain that faith is through action, through calling upon God, keeping His commandments, reading His scripture. Without doing these fundemental things with patience and forebearance, it is impossible to gain a solid faith in God. If you are currently struggling with your faith, seek God and you will find him. I promise you will.

So, after such a difficult week, this week has been the BEST WEEK THIS TRANSFER!!! We had a ton of  great appointments, we hit pretty much all of our goals, and it's been awesome. One of our investigators decided to remain Catholic, it really upset my companion Elder Lynguyen, she appeared to be a golden investigator, willing and open ears, but in the end it was too much of a change for her, but we did our job of inviting her to come closer to Christ. Another of our investigators is progressing very well, she's brought friends to meet us, she's developing faith in Christ, and it's awesome! There are just a lot of awesome things going on. Just keep moving forward and keep praying and everything will turn out allright. An Uncommon Elder, Elder Ryan

So, Australia is not the US, and there are a lot of things here that are cool, but also very different. 1 - Aussies talk differently. Not only do they have an accent, but they say things differently. 2 - A gas station is called a SERVO... 3 - Mexican food apparently isn't very good here, but they have a chain called Taco Bill 4 - The equivalent of a Burger King is Hungry Jack 5 - People don't regard some common profanities as impolite in public settings The work here has had a lot more rejection this week. Of 12 appointments that we've had with investigators, 3 actually came through. The ones that came through were awesome, one is Catholic, the other is Buddhist, one learns from us in secret so as not to upset their family ties, the other is just wanting to learn. Once again, I don't have much time to write, but I'll keep you all posted. Love, An Uncommon Elder, Elder Ryan

Week of miracles! So things have been mostly slow, but they are picking up at a rapid pace. This last Sunday for the fast, my companion and I decided to fast specifically for our investigators. The result was amazing. We had two phone calls out of the blue from old street contacts that wanted to meet with us. We have a ton of appointments booked for this week. We're building rapport with the members , and it is GLORIOUS! I still don't speak Vietnamese very well, and even though my pronunciation is very clear, most people see my pasty white face and immediately assume that they don't understand what I'm saying. It takes a little bit of effort to get them to realize I'm not speaking English that they don't understand, but speaking Vietnamese. It's a lot of fun. Elder Ryan

Hello Everybody! So I have officially survived a full week in Australia! My Vietnamese is still pretty terrible. I mostly just sit quietly in lessons and smile. (like this ^_^) and nod. We work with a lot of University students from Vietnam. So retention can be difficult, but the members are super solid! We have some amazing members currently, and there is a lot of great things happening. I've heard that there was a super big announcement in the broadcast, but as of yet, I don't know what it is... I haven't seen it yet. I can't wait to find out though. I've seen a lot of opposition here, and ultimately every objection I've heard can be directly answered in the bible, supported by the Book of Mormon. But people have their agency and the right to find out for themselves. There is a huge difference between here and the Bronx. In the Bronx, people respected the missionaries and would keep their ill mannered thoughts to themselves. Here people speak them openly, even

So, A lot has happened in the week and a half it's been since I wrote last. I'm no longer in the Bronx, but my visa came and I am writing from Australia. Funny story... So I had been working with some investigators and such, and was having a fair bit of success. The people in the Bronx were amazing, and I loved them. My companion and trainer, Elder Fuller had been steadily increasing the amount of work, we had been slowly but surely increasing the numbers for the area, and we were starting to see some real growth in our investigators. Then, as I was out getting lunch after the district meeting  on Monday , I was at the Checkers off Fordham near the church, and I got a call from Sister Dennison who worked in the mission office. She informed me that my visa had arrived and that I needed to get my things ready because my flight left at  6 PM that afternoon. This call was received around  2 PM . Due to the international nature of the flight, I needed to be at the airport by 4

Temple in Manhattan!!! I don't have a lot of time to write today, but I want you all to know I'm doing well. Missionary work is so rewarding. We've had a fair amount of rejection, but we've also seen some amazing miracles!  I ate stewed fish yesterday. I'm so grateful for the strength that the Holy Ghost gives me to endure some of my strongest trials. Anyone who knows me knows that I don't really like fish, but I was able to eat it, and not get sick. I love the Holy Ghost.  I hope you've all been able to recognize the atonement in your life. It's so amazing!!! Pray for it, study about it, it will bless your life. He has his visa and is now is Australia. :) more to come!

So, I have officially been in the Bronx for 1 week. It's a totally different place than anywhere I have ever been before. There are so many people here, it's insane, and most of them are not the least bit interested. But the vast amount of rejection makes the successes so much sweeter. We have had so much success this last week. Through faith, determination, and hard work, we have been able to meet new family members, talk to some inactive church members, and really bring people closer to Christ. The people in the ward are amazing! There is so much love at church, it's just really hard to get people there. They have a lot of excuses; they're too busy, they want to relax on Sundays, they don't have enough money to ride the train or bus. Some of these are definitely true, but for a lot of them, it's truly just an excuse. My trainer, Elder Fuller, is awesome!!! He's from Sandy, UT, he's been in the area for a long time, he really knows his stuff and he

700 White Plains Rd. Suite 315 Scarsdale, NY 10583 Elder Timothy Ryan new address he is serving in the Bronx please feel free to write him and give him some love :-)

Uncommon Elder Timothy Ryan is being redirected to New York New York North mission until his visa comes. He will then be shipped off to Australia. :)

9th week... I've been here for 8 weeks and a day now. My visa isn't through so this may not be my last week at the MTC. The rest of my district leaves  next Tuesday  and Wednesday . I'm losing my companion who has become one of my closest friends and I'm trying to emotionally prepare for that by just being super excited that he gets to go to Anaheim and serve the Vietnamese people. His Viet name is Thắng For those of you in Southern California, go visit the Viet branch sometime and say Hi for me. Take him cool things, just not chocolate, he doesn't like chocolate. I have finished my goal of reading through the entire Book of Mormon during my stay at the MTC, and it was glorious. This is probably the first time I've read through the Book of Mormon with purpose and actually trying to understand instead of just reading to read. That's not to say I've never studied it, I have and understood a lot of the doctrine before, but I have a much greater convicti

Today is the first day of Week eight, and my oh my, has week seven been eventful. With the awesome Mission Conference, amazing devotionals on Sunday and  Tuesday , and a super awesome surprise that I'll tell you all later.   So, for the gospel topic of the week, it's a continuation on the Atonement.   In Moses  6:59 -60 it states: 59 That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the  a spirit , which I have made, and so became of  b dust  a living soul, even so ye must be  c born again  into the kingdom of heaven, of  d water , and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and  e enjoy  the  f words  of  g eternal life  in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal  h glory ; 60 For by the  a water  ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are  b justified , and by th

Hello all,   Preparation day has changed to Wednesday. The MTC is changing to accomodate the soon to be massive influx that will happen as all of the graduating seniors start flooding in.   How are all of you doing? How has life been? What have been your greatest successes and greatest challenges since we've spoken last? While life here after 6 weeks gets pretty routine, there are a lot of really cool things that happen here all the time. The devotionals are always amazing. Classtimes are consistently frustrating as I try to master a tonal language, but rewarding when you finally "get it". I'm currently working on memorizing the words of the prophet Joseph Smith for his First Vision, in which he saw God the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Because it's tonal, it's sounds like I'm singing a song as I rehearse it.   My biggest obsession right now is really trying to understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ in a greater sense.Some words I woul

I JUST PASSED HALF WAY DAY!!!   The MTC is a magical land where you never hear anything from the outside world. I've heard rumors that there was some form of bomb at the Boston Marathon, but know nothing of the incident. When I came into the MTC there was tension in the Euro-Zone because f Cypress, there were issues of Marriage Rights preparing to come before the Supreme Court. I have no idea how any of these things have progressed, just as for most of you, I don't get to share in the joys and pains that you're going through. Even though I'm not there, and can't follow your Facebook or twitter, please know that I do care. I love and miss you all.    There are a lot of things that you have to give up when you leave on your mission. The hardest thing for me has been listening to music. Prior to coming into the MTC, I listend to music like 80% of my waking hours. Now, when I get the chance to listen to music, it's only music from General Conference becaus

Well everyone, it's the end of week 4. Saturday is my halfway mark in the MTC, and things have leveled for me emotionally, I've become much more comfortable with Vietnamese, the obedience is much easier, and life in general is a lot less dramatic. For this, I am grateful. I still have the best companion at the MTC. Life here is so routine it's hard to tell one day from the next. Days are long, weeks are short. I've heard many people say it, and it's true. The days can be long and exhausting, and then you get to a Sunday and you're thinking, wait, what happened to the other 6 days. I'm definitely grateful that I get to be at the MTC for 9 weeks. There are a lot of things I needed to grow up about, and a lot of humilty that I needed to learn. I'm not perfect, I probably won't be perfect, but I've realized that I can't always be right, even though I am (^_-). Sometimes I just have to accept the fact that other people have other opinion

Week 4!!! I'm slowly approaching the halfway mark of my 9 week stay at the MTC. The atmosphere here is definitely different. My companion is awesome, but has asked that I don't use his name online. There has been a lot going on. Over the last week, we've had one person leave to San Jose, California, Another person came and left for Cambodia  and now we're sending off another roommate tomorrow to Fresno, CA, Hmong speaking. I don't speak or understand Hmong, but I'm pretty sure it's harder than Vietnamese. As all of the people I've become familiar with are leaving, I have a feeling these next two weeks are going to be stressful as I prepare to engage with new people.   The devotionals are still one of my favorite things here at the MTC. This last Sunday, an Acapella group from BYU came and performed  They are called "Vocal Point" if you've never heard them or heard of them, look them up, stream it off the internet, and if you want, see