Transfer 3 Week 6

LAST WEEK OF THE TRANSFER!

Last week we had an awesome Zone Activity where we got to clean the chapel at Capitol Hill, it is such a gorgeous chapel! It was so awesome being in a normal chapel building again and seeing Young Women's rooms and Primary Rooms and seeing the bulletin board with who is on missions and who got their call, etc. I think that's one thing I really miss; being in a family ward.  

After the activity we got pizza, wrote letters, did German braids in our hair, and watched Rio in one of the apartments, which was lots of fun. Seriously, watching movies has never been funnier until you watch it in a room full of Sister Missionaries from all around the world and hear so many gospel related jokes like "ETERNAL FAMILIES!" "THEY JUST NEED THE GOSPEL!" "THE BOOK OF MORMON IS A GOOD BOOK!" it's pretty hilarious!

We are teaching this girl Kaley from England over email at the moment and she is so awesome! We didn't even invite her to go to church, just asked her if she has ever been to one of our services and then we get an email saying that she went to church! It was so awesome! It was a little confusing she said and she was so nervous but the local missionaries really looked after her and now she wants to go back when she gets back to Uni which is so exciting! and Simone (from Italy) who we are also teaching over email is seeing the missionaries tomorrowand is so nervous but we are so excited! He came on Temple Square and "it didn't make sense" to him and then he found Sister Turro's Facebook and then her mums and then we got his email and been teaching him ever since and he is so awesome, really taking everything on. I love the work we do and none of it would be possible without the Lord by our side!

On Sunday we had a special surprise we were told about that morning, there was going to be a special concert for the mission, but at7:30pm... who was going to look after the Square?! well... we went and then later found out that Sisters that had previous served on Temple Square were covering our desk assignments! They had their tags on and everything, it was so awesome! Josh Wright came and played for us and it was so incredible. I love knowing that Heavenly Father has given us everything we love, every note of music, ever colour of the leaves, every letter to create the words we type or speak, every beautiful rain drop on a bright yellow rose, every emotion of joy and love and everything! whatever it may be, he has given it to us because He loves us so much! It was a really revelatory experience, I really enjoyed it! My mission has given me such a greater appreciation for classical music, and I'm loving it!

This week 2 of out almost progressing investigators dropped us which is sad. One of which we invited to be baptized and he said yes, and so having him drop us was a complete shock and the other wants to do this search on his own because he "has all the necessary tools" and will "call/text us when he wants to learn more"... which breaks our hearts because you put so much effort and love into this people and you just want the very best for them, because you love them the way Christ does and you want them to have all the blessings of the gospel! but I loved something Jayme sent me in his letter this week and I don't have it with me so it's probably wrong the way I'll say it but "a fire ball missionary comes when an investigator says no" and it's so true! Because then we put all that we have into it and it makes the difference, but we have to accept their agency and remember that we have all been given the gift to choose and hopefully they will accept eventually down the road and they just need a little more preparation.

Sister Turro's language skills are so wonderful and constantly improving, she has an incredible talent. With every language tour we take, mainly in Italian and French and as her language skills improve, the gift of tongues for me (in the way of understanding) is improving also, I may not be able to speak, but I at least know/understand what is going on when then Spirit is there and able to be more fully involved and simply flow off what Sister Turro say's in whatever language and I love it so much! We haven't taken many English tours because everyone speaks English and the demand for French and Italian is higher then other languages with the amount of French and Italian speaking Sisters we have here, but it has been incredible and makes me have such a great appreciation for the gifts that have been given to us as individuals to help the work hasten on!

Sister Tui'nukuafe and I took a group of Youth around yesterday that got their "mission call" to Australia! and had companions and everything and so we got to talk about Australia and the church growth in Australia and everything like that, it was so awesome talking to much about home and involving it in missionary work and encouraging the youth to serve and answering their questions and helping them prepare, we got them sweet little "Temple Square tags" with the flag beneath and they loved it so much! It was super incredible! 

Then today we had a Youth Conference and John Bytheway was the guest speaker, he comes a lot but today was the first chance I've had to hear him and so it was really cool! He was talking about us coming unto Christ now, and not in the future. It was really insightful and full of revelations that definitely change the way I look at a few things and how we can help some of our investigators in coming unto Christ.

Jesus Christ isn't waiting for us to be perfect, he wants us how we are so he can bless us and help us and so that we can become "perfected in Him", he wants us in all of our brokenness, so that he can heal us and help us become who He knows we can become as we unlock our greatest potential.

"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness,and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and ifby the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." - Moroni 10:32

This work is so true, and as many people has told me this week "The Church is true and the Book is Blue!" 

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ, I love the Book of Mormon, I love knowing that Jesus Christ church has been restored on the earth today, I love Jesus Christ and I love the Atonement and how powerful it is, I love how it changes peoples lives and helps them more fully understand life and love and everything else, I love the way it strengths and heals people, the way it gives us so much strength, peace and joy. 

I love being a missionary more than ever! Because we get to share the happiest message in all history! This is the greatest work in all history and I feel so blessed and honored to be a part of the Lords greatest army of missionaries in all history and it continues to grow, truth continues to roll forth and it will forever!

Stay strong, Stand true, Keep smiling and Come unto Christ now, don't wait.
I love you all,  Sister Ryan xx