Week of miracles! 7/8/13

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

week almost 5

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...

Trials are a learning tool...

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...

my feelings

The rest of my mission can be summed up through reading my posts sent via email. The purpose of this post is to sum up some of my final feelings and bring some closure in my mind to the events that led to me finishing my mission early. Earlier today I read a blog post by another missionary who served in the same mission that I did. She went through a similar experience. She was so open and honest, and through her display of courage, I figured that I could do the same. (Her post can be found HERE ) To provide a short disclaimer, the things expressed in this post are entirely my own thoughts based on my own knowledge and experiences. They may not always be accurate because I don't know everything, and I would encourage anyone and everyone to investigate and form their own conclusions. In August of 2013, 5 months after I left on my mission, an ugly beast that had plagued me most of my life, decided to manifest itself in the most forward and unavoidable way. For most of my ...

Life as an Uncommon Elder

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