Skip to main content

First full week in AUS

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 going as far as shouting across the train platforms. Even though there is a lot of negativity all around, the work is still amazing! It's the little successes and miracles that make it all worth it. This week I'm determined to pray for more miracles in our area. I know that as I serve and work harder that God will help me to find those who are seeking that relationship with Christ.


I love you all and hope you're all doing well!


An Uncommon Elder

Elder Timothy Ryan

Popular posts from this blog

7/14/13

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
Read more

Preparation

Sorry for not writing for a fairly long while. the plans I had to write regularly kind of went up in smoke. Despite my best intentions, and my several recurring attempts, I never seemed to manage converting the thought and intent into reality. ...Continued As I left the temple that day, I was riding in the passenger seat of my friend's car. I pulled out my iPhone 4 and called my boss at the time. In a concise way, I informed him of my decision to quit, that I felt it was right, and that I'd be willing to work it out to make it as smooth of a transition as possible. We decided that it would be best for me to give it a few weeks, and I decided that it was okay not to be hasty. When you quit a job without a contingency plan, it can be a very stressful experience. All of a sudden you have bills that you know you're not going to be able to pay, the things that you've become accustomed to will vanish. But despite all of these fears and worries, I knew everything would b...
Read more

Spiritual Insights (9/2/13)

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...
Read more