Transfer 7 Week 1

Well... this is weird... Transfer 7? Please someone stop time from going by way to quickly! My mission just continues to fly by and tomorrow I will be on my way to my next adventure in the California, San Jose Mission! I am so excited and I know that everything that I have learnt from this transfer will be exactly what I need next transfer, which is so exciting! 

This transfer was hard in many different ways, but I have learnt so much. I didn't realize the reality of every weakness coming and hitting you in the face! But it is real, it is hard! But it is the best thing because of that I have been able to grow so much! Because more of who the Lord would have me through, through many experiences. I learnt this transfer and gained a testimony of the fact if we continue to go about life or the mission happy and content, never wanting to change, we won't improve and nothing will happen, we will stay the same, but in order to get better and continue to progress, change must happen and sometimes change comes through overcoming weaknesses.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble;and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." - Ether 12:27

I want to break this scripture down, this is something that really helped me this transfer, it is a famous scripture in the Book of Mormon, but this transfer I was able to see it in a completely different light. 

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness" by the Lord showing me my weaknesses, that means that I have done something right, because that means I am coming so much closer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "I give unto men weakness that they may be humble;" Now that I have done that, of course I realize how I need to improve and how that is impossibly without His help and I need to let him help me improve, I have to humble myself before him. "and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me" and though it means that I have made mistakes, that is okay, because His grace truly is sufficient and as my friend Brother Taylor says "The atonement covers in that". Because of his great love for us! "for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." As we have faith (which leads to action) and in Jesus Christ and His atonement which he so lovingly did for us, he will be able to mold us into who He needs me to be. Because he knows what I can become, but I must turn to Him in order to get there. 

This transfer really changed me, in ways that would just take me way too long to talk about over email, but I am so grateful for it and I realize that it is because I was able to let the Lord change me, I submitted to His will and not my own, that I was able to take advice and apply it. That I was able to recognize that I needed to change and got onto it immediately. Today I have been on my mission for 9 months... (crazy I know) which means I have 10 more months, I'm basically half way through! I can't even imagine what else more I will learn throughout my mission and how much more the Lord will change me to be the Daughter of God needed of me. 

This week a lot of really awesome things happened! for Relief Society we went to the Relief Society building and we had our lesson from the Relief Society General Presidency we were mainly addressed by Sister Linda S. Reeves (2nd Counselor), who beforehand I had the pleasure of talking with and shaking her hand. It was an incredible experience and my testimony of Relief Society has flourished while being on my mission. I am so proud to be a member of the worlds largest and greatest Women's organization in the world. I'm excited for when I get back to really be part of and participate in it the way the Lord needs me to. 

This past Sunday a few Sisters in the mission also had the opportunity to attend the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It was so amazing, we had great seats and the program was just amazing. I am so excited to go out to San Jose and apply all that I learnt in the Devotional. I felt like everything that was said was specifically for me. It was an incredible experience, I knew that the Lord was aware of me and what I needed to hear and the Spirit made it so! There are so many things I want to do and study now since hearing the Devotional. Something that I really loved though was when Bonnie L. Oscarson said "The Spirit of Christmas is Christlike love" I'm so excited to go out and share this Christlike love so that people can feel the Spirit of Christmas, which is the Spirit of Christ all year round. 

If you haven't watched the Christmas Devotional, please do! It will change the way you see Christmas and it is so amazing, just the Spirit that was felt in the meeting was incredible. And I know that you will feel it as you watch it online too, you don't have to be in he Conference center to feel the Spirit intended in that meeting. I loved it so much and I know that as we are willing to apply what is said, even before we get there, the Spirit will bear witness to us of what we can do to make those things possible and you to will have the feeling that the Lord is talking directly to you while listening to the beautiful addresses given by inspired men and women called of God. 

Next Transfer I know I will learn so much about charity and I am so excited! especially because charity is the pure love of Christ. To serve the way the Lord would serve and to see these beautiful children of God the way he would see them. I'm so excited and happy beyond belief! I know it will be hard and a great challenge and that it will go by all too quickly, but I'm so grateful for the opportunity the Lord is giving me to serve in another part of his vineyard for the next 3 months. I know that it will make me a better missionary and more prepared to go home (though it be a while away) to help the missionaries in my ward back home do this work of Salvation. 

I'm not going to say too much more, I better get used to writing shorter emails as my email time will shortly be cut in half but if you want to serve and you're not sure how, I would love to invite you to read Chapter 13 of Preach my Gospel, every member of the church should read this chapter! it changed my whole perspective of everything this morning and made me so much more excited to do the work, not only as a missionary, but just as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have the greatest thing in the world which is the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ, let it be our Gift to the Savior this year by sharing it and being missionaries ourselves to proclaim His truth and His gospel. 

I know that He lives and that the Savior, Redeemer, Creator of the world, Jesus Christ was the greatest being to ever walk the face of the earth and yet he was born in the humblest of circumstances. That He is the gift given to us by a loving Heavenly father to each and every one of us, though half the world doesn't realize it. This work is true and it is amazing and I love serving the Lord with all that I have. I'm ready and willing to make the changes necessary to be better and to be more like him and the missionary he would have me be. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and the First Vision truly did happen, and that one event has changed the world in one way or another. I love being a missionary so much! It is the greatest thing I have ever experienced in my entire life.

I love you all, thank-you for everything, next week I will be emailing you from Sunny California! 

Love, Sister Ryan xx