Transfer 9 Week 4

There is really not much to say about this week, but there was a few random moments here that made up our week. 

We took the sweetest Norwegian family on a tour, Sister Christensen passed-off! We went to the Lion House, had Explore day! We watched the new initiative Because He Lives (which is incredible!), met incredible RM's from the Nashville Tennessee Mission, But something happened, that taught me so much and that I too be honest am still learning and grasping more understanding as I write.

Last Saturday we met a man who was traveling from the East Coast for a convention, totally a normal thing! Got chatting and then he said "I was hoping to attend a sacrament service tomorrow if possible" Of course we just about died because that NEVER happens and so we got the information for him and we got talking, he wasn't by any means expecting a religious conversation, even though he even said "which is weird, because I'm here!" we shared some things about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon and then made a time to meet the next day. We were in communication and after Music and the Spoken Word we met with him. We sat down and went over the Restoration and even invited him to be baptized and he said YES! It was so amazing and the Spirit was so incredibly strong, we went to church with him, which was a really cool experience for us, again, this never happens! He enjoyed church and was excited to hang around Temple Square the rest of the day until he had to catch his flight back. This was incredible, an absolute miracle! We were so excited to keep in contact and we finally got to call him today! We talked and the more he was talking the more I realized... hold on... he is dropping us... My heart hasn't broken like that in a long time... I felt like I had never been dropped before and this was the first time. He loves the church, loves what we do and our standards and what we believe... but he doesn't believe in a critical part of the Restoration. It's hard, this week has been the lest successful week of my entire mission in the ways of lessons and investigators, I have had hard weeks before, but not like this. But something was said this week in our Zone Meeting and it was "You can count the seeds in the apple, but you can't count the apples in the seed."

It's hard, and just like Jeffery R Holland said "I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? " Today I was reminded of this and of the Saviors Atonement, as all of these things happen in our daily missionary work, and I know that what I am feeling is just a small, even microscopic portion of what the Savior went through when performing the Atonement, he hurt for us He himself physically broken because of everything that He was experiencing for every single one of us individually. By going through these things, these feelings, tears, heart break, everything else. I am walking by the Savior at this time just as Elder Jeffery R. Holland continues to say "When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life.". 

I know that by trusting in Jesus Christ and His Atonement that he so willingly and lovingly gave (John 10:17-18) I can find the path that He needs me to be on. Just like it was said in President Thomas S. Monson's talk last April conference. "...physically walking where Jesus walked is less important than walking as He walked." We in life will walk the paths He walked, of disappointment, temptation, pain, but we can also with Jesus walk the path of obedience, prayer, service, and we walk the path with him, "We will have no doubt that we are on a path which our Father would have us follow. The Savior’s example provides a framework for everything that we do, and His words provide an unfailing guide."

We may not understand everything and I certainly don't but I know that as I strive to reach out to my Savior, to call out, cry out to Him, He is here with me. He is on my side and I will know and feel of his love, as I pray with all I have, as I study the scriptures, ponder them and have them be a part of me I will come to know how the voice of the Divine sounds and feels like. (Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority - By Elder Richard G. Scott). And I find comfort in the promise given that "He came from God as a God to bind up the brokenhearted, to dry the tears from every eye, to proclaim liberty to the captive and open the prison doors to them that are bound. I promise that because of your faithful response to the call to spread the gospel,He will bind up your broken hearts, dry your tears, and set you and your families free. That is my missionary promise to you and your missionary message to the world."

I have faith in this promise and I have seen it come to pass many times, I am so grateful for the Atonement and how everything is simply an appendage to it. Without the Atonement of Jesus Christ, everything we have would be meaningless. I am coming to understand that more and more as every day passes by. I love my Savior so much, I am willing and ready to give all I have and it's hard but step by step and through the Atonement, it's happening. I am so grateful for a gospel that allows imperfect people to have a hope in Christ and in Eternal Life which will be given to us as we "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end" (2 Nephi 31:20). As I use the Atonement and continue to unlock doors I never knew existed, as I do all I can to seek and find the Savior and have that even greater relationship with him. 

This isn't at all how I planned my email today but if anything I needed to write it to receive the revelation I did, as I go through this time in my mission, and it is my prayer and it was able to help you also. My invitation to you is to seek Him out, really discover, embrace and and share the blessings of Jesus Christ Atonement, and 2 ways you can do this is 1. Checking outHeLives.mormon.org and 2. Really praying, studying the Scriptures and pondering about how you can come closer to Jesus Christ and what action steps to take next. 

I know that as you do this, things will be unfolded into your view in a way you never expected, be open to it because the Lord works in mysterious ways! And when those things happen, if it be hard or easy, it will be glorious and a wonderful lesson learned. 

Love, Sister Ryan xx