Transfer 3 Week 3

G'day Mate!

Not much happened this week in the way of people and stuff but there was a lot of personal growth and development, lately our teaching pool hasn't been too crash hot, people aren't picking up phones or are out of town, all these types of things, but I know that no effort is wasted and that eventually it will all work out, there is always something to learn from and to gain from each day, no matter if you teach 1 lesson or 100. 

We went to the Bountiful Temple today because the Salt Lake City Temple is closed for maintenance the whole transfer, it is so beautiful! It is at the top of a hill and looking out over everything was so breathe taking!  And it's the Temple they use for God's Plan for His Family! I was so excited when I realized that! So crazy how close all the Temple are here in Utah... You can get to like 3 temples or so in the time it takes you to get to the closest chapel back home.

This week I did see one crazy wonderful miracle with a member. I was on exchanges with Sister Guedea (Texas) and we walked out of the South Visitor Center and we are walking and I see these two girls and don't think anything of it, a few more steps and the spirit was basically pulling me back to go talk to them and so I said "We have to turn around and talk to those 2 girls" and she said "What 2 girls?" I basically just turned around and pulled her around and we walked, it was crazy... We get there and they are sitting on the grass and so we started talking just generally, it was a little awkward and then I say "Do you mind if we pull up a bit of grass?" and they move over and we sit with them. We started talking more and started asking them how prayer and scripture study was going and they said it was good and that she was up to 2 Nephi... I realized they has been crying... I was so confused but in the end just ended up asking them what was going on and one of the girls explained that her ex-boyfriend who she had been trying to get over was deployed in the Army 3 months ago and that she just started to get over him, she hadn't heard from him etc... and then he called and all the emotions came back up and different things. We talked and tried to give comfort but then a scripture which helped me in a time of darkness when I was coming back to church came into my mind. I said "Do you mind if i share a scripture with you?" and she said of course not and then I opened up the Book of Mormon to 2 Nephi 4 and read verses 27-35 with her. She wasn't getting emotional or anything like that but I asked her how that made her feel and if it helped and she said "You wouldn't believe it, but I just finished reading that, and they are the scriptures that have been helping me a lot lately". I was like "what?!" in my head... There was NO WAY POSSIBLE that I could have known that, but Heavenly Father did and The Spirit prompted me to use that scripture for some reason, to help her. It was incredible, it was a testimony builder to all 4 of us that God is aware and that He loves us and that The Spirit knows all things and as we listen to the Spirit and have faith, miracles happen. It was awesome to see her testimony grow in just a short period of time. Her friend then later told us that they were in the bathroom and she had been praying for someone to help them, they sat out on the grass and then the Spirit prompted me to go talk to them, to help them. Heavenly Father answers prayers and He knows what we need at the right place at the right time. And how honored I feel that Heavenly Father trusted ME to answer her prayer... I am just a tool in His hands. He knows much better then I do and I'm so grateful for that. This work is impossible without Him.

Which leads me to my next point about the Atonement in missionary work. This week we watched the incredible talk about missionary work and the atonement (Jeffery R. Holland and Henry B. Eyring) and every time I see it it just opens my eyes and my heart to so many revelations. And I forgot my notebook full of everything that I was going to write but what pressed upon my mind so much was that people will ask "why is missionary work so hard?" but the fact is, that salvation was never cheap, it was never easy and someone better, the greatest person to ever walk the earth, asked the same thing, even Jesus Christ himself asked for the bitter cup to be taken from him as he suffered for the pains and sins of the world. It wasn't easy for Him... why would it be easy for us? I'm not saying that we have to bleed at every pore or to have nails driven through our hands and wrist but to just walk some of the path that he walked carrying His cross, shed one tear that he shed, feel just the tiniest portion of what He felt! And it would make the world of missionary work a whole lot different. This week a truly gained a testimony that we NEED Him by our side and we do, and have every right to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in this work, to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best person this world has and will ever see! This is HIS WORK, not mine. But I am the instrument in His hands, I know that when we feel just a portion of what the savior feels for them, it changes everything! It changes the whole way we talk to them, the way we teach them, the way we keep in contact with them, the concern we have when they don't keep a commitment, everything. Everything changes when you love them and do everything you can to see them the way Jesus Christ does.

There are so many things this week where I witnessed that God is there and that He loves me, everything from the way the light caresses the clouds and are positioned perfectly as the light perfectly touches the Temple. I can't even express how the beauty of Temple Square is evidence alone to me that God is there and that He loves me, that He loves all of His children, no matter where we are from, even the fact that the beautiful perfectly coloured purple roses between the Assembly Hall and Tabernacle are starting to bloom again. It brings my heart so much joy and peace and I just love seeing the beauties and tender mercies we are blessed with in this life. Everything is so beautiful and we have every reason to be happy! People ask me why I'm so happy and bubbly and chirpy and enthusiastic... It's because I have every reason to be, because I am a daughter of God who knows my purpose, who knows that I am loved, who feels beautiful knowing that I have a divine worth and incredible potential when putting my trust and everything I have to the Lord, who has the happiest message in all history to share with the world! How can you not be happy and bubbly and chirpy and enthusiastic etc when you have so many blessing you are being constantly surrounded with?!

Things get tough some times, it's just fact. Some times life gets hard and there are times where you just want to sit in a corner and cry... But the fact is, if you change your mind set, you look for every beautiful thing in this life, find gratitude for the tiniest of things, look for every blessing that the Lord has given you. You will see a smile come to your face and a joy within your heart, knowing the Lord loves you and just wants to help you and bless you in all that you do. All we have to do is turn to Him. Humble your self, be patient through hard times. That is something I have really learnt this week, you have a problem... you probably need to humble yourself... whether it's some one or something, you probably need a little lesson on humility... I know I did this past week and I can promise you it changes everything. When we humble ourselves and submit to the Lords will and look for the things we are meant to learn or gain from an experience or whatever it may be, that's when we see the blessings that have been right in front of your face the whole time!

I know with all that I have that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father love me and that they want me to be happy! That they wouldn't give me anything that wasn't for my benefit and learning and that I could over come. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real, when I realized what I had been doing with a prideful heart and that I needed to become more humble and patient, when studying these topics I knew the Lord was telling me to repent and I was so excited to repent! Repentance has never been as exciting as it was to me in that moment, I could not wait to get on my knees and put everything on the table, to do all that I could to make things right and partake of the sacrament and have that clean slate again. Make the most of Jesus Christ's Atonement, it has been paid for, we just have to do our part. And when we do it with a willing heart it makes an incredible difference, as I partook of the Sacrament this week I literally felt like I could breathe again, I didn't realize how much my pride was weighing me down until it was lifted off me.

All I can say is that The Church is so True! and I am so blessed to have the opportunity to be called to declare God's truth and Hid word to the world as each day passes. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and it truly changes lives. This isn't a hotel for perfect people, this is a hospital for sinners. And we can all become that little better, step by step as we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Don't ever doubt His love for you, don't ever deny yourselves of the blessings He is eagerly awaiting to give you! Embrace Him and His love and you will find the greatest love and peace and happiness you have ever felt!

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." - John 14:27

I love you all! Thank you for all that you do. 

Keep smiling, Stay Amazing, Love Life and Count Your Blessings

Love Always, Sister Ryan xx
ALSO I HIT 4 MONTHS ON THE MISSION TODAY!