Transfer 3 Week 4

Where do I even start? Konnichiwa!

WARNING: This email might not make any sense and will probably be shorter than most of the time, due to the lack of sleep last night that I will further explain later in the following email... 

This week so much happened and so I'll only be able to share a few things, but basically it was awesome and I have learnt SO MUCH!

Last Saturday we had a mission activity at Brighton's Girl Camp, not only was it an extremely awesome and fun day with lots of activities but a very revelatory experience for me and for my investigators. 

We had many fun activites where we got to swing of ropes, have balance, work as a team, be blindfolded and try to find our way, but in the end every one of these activities we related to the gospel and how we need Jesus Christ in our life and how with Him by our side, all things are possible and can be made easier with him. We need to hold to him and let him guide us, let him be the rope we hold to, to guide our path, sometimes (most the time, if not all the time) we walk blind, because we have no idea what the future holds or what we need to do, but as we hold on to him, never letting go, no matter if people try to pull you away, no matter how many trees (trials) we walk into there is always a way around it and to pass through/by it and that is with Him by our side, helping us get back to Heavenly Father and at the end we will hear those beautiful words from a loving Heavenly Father (in this case President Poulsen) saying "Welcome back".

This week we have found some incredible people, which have been so prepared to hear the word of God and to have to gospel of Jesus Christ enter into their heart and change their lives. Over Chat, Phone, Square, it's been awesome. This one guy called in and said he wanted to make an appointment with missionaries, and so we said we could teach him over the phone and offered to call him back the next day and he was so excited for it! Sister Turro was off to the dentist and so I taught by myself as the Sister I was on exchange with had lessons to teach in Spanish. I called and we had an awesome lesson and at the end I invited him that when he comes to know these things are true, would he "follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood power and authority of God" and he said "Yes! absolutely, when I come to know these things are true." The Spirit was so strong and it is at those moments where you know you are fulfilling your purpose as a missionary in inviting others to come unto Christ, I'm so excited to speak with him again and see where it all goes! The Lord is preparing people more than ever to hear His word and accept His gospel and it is so exciting to be a part of that!

"...the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming—" - Alma 16:16

Now... the fun stuff... Sister Turro went to the dentist to get her Wisdom Teeth taken out and so she was gone for a couple of hours and when they get back we meet them back at the appartment, she has this beautiful pink (she HATES pink) bandage on her head, ice packs on her cheeks, she has just been sick and there is blood everywhere, wooh! I had just got back from getting the food needed for her to, so it was perfect timing really. She didn't saying anything funny like those hilarious videos you see of people who are just coming out of the drugs, she just looked so out of it and zombie like. We made her eat something and got her resting, we didn't have any ice but I did have frozen RICE and so we have put some frozen 'R'ice packs on her cheeks to keep the swelling down. Sister Araujo and Pichardo went to get her medicine, there were a few hiccups but we got it in the end, during this time I'm helping her wipe blood away and cleaning her chin from the food (Wendy's shake) she is trying to eat and when they came to drop off the medicine and tell me everything that I needed to do I just about died... haha. I needed to make sure she had medication every 3 hours, so I set the alarms and we woke up and I got out of bed got the medicine, made sure she had it, went back to bed, did the same things 3 hours later...  Yesterday morning we had an incredible Relief Society about how our missions would make us better mothers/nurturers/wives etc... and we talked about the things we learn on a mission that will help us when that time comes to be a mothers/nurturers/wife etc... I was not expecting this...
Yesterday when we talked about our missions preparing us for motherhood, this wasn't quiet what I was expecting. Getting up every 3 hours to give her more medication, making sure she eats and sleeps and rests well, tucking her into bed because she feels weak and dizzy and tired but I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have had to be able to serve her, because the more I do, the greater Christlike love I have for her and it really strikes me as something so important, not just to serve your companion, but to serve all those around us so that we can feel a greater Christlike love for them. Jesus Christ performed the most charitable thing in the world, being the Atonement and it's been wonderful to just serve in a way where I know that I can help. And I know she appreciates it, even when she can't talk she find a way to say "thank you" and "I love you" says "give me a hug" when I do something nice for her. It's been an awesome learning experience. 

Sister Poulsen called up this morning to ask how Sister Turro was and after explaining everything that I've done to try and help and what I was about to do and the medication schedule etc, she asked "Have you ever thought about becoming a nurse?" and I said "I want to become a mother, isn't it close enough?" and she laughed and agreed with me.  

My mission is teaching me so much more than I ever thought it would, it has been the most incredible and wonderful experience of my life! There is a quote of the District 2 and it says "if you're worthy to go and you choose not to, you're making the biggest mistake of your life!" and though it's a bold statement, I agree 100% because you learn things on the mission that I don't think I could have learnt anywhere else and I know they will prepare me for the rest of my life. 

As I make the most of each day, each hour, each minute I see the Lords blessings and tender mercies, the pieces start to come together and make sense and I'm so grateful for this incredible opportunity I have to serve the Lord.

"And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye areonly in the service of your God." - Mosiah 2:17

I also got a package from home this week and so we had TimTam slams the other night which was so much fun! 

and I got to open my package today from Elder Wheeler! (HAPPY ONE YEAR TOGETHER!) It was beautiful and perfect, full of wonderful things and a beautiful letter, I feel so blessed to have him in my life. Thank you Jayme, I love you.

I love you all! Thank you for all that you do and say. I appreciate all of your support and love.

Keep smiling, Stay amazing, Love life, Live the gospel, Put your trust in the Lord.

Love, Sister Ryan xx