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

photos

Sister Orndal and I with
 German braided hair

Youth Group from Boise with the Aussie "Mission call"

Transfer 3 Week 5

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ALREADY WEEK 5!

This transfer has seriously flown by, when they said it gets quicker and quicker I didn't realize how true it was until now, and I've only been out for a few very short months! But at the same time feels like I've always been a Temple Square Sister Missionary, which is an awesome feeling, we may have the smallest geographical mission in the world, but realistically, the world is our mission and I love that so much! I love meeting people from all over the world and helping them come to a knowledge of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

This week will be a smaller email than usual, a whole bunch happened (but at the same time, not really..), I continued to be Mum for Sister Turro as she recovered from her wisdom teeth extraction, giving medication, making sure she rests enough and making sure she doesn't eat anything she shouldn't etc. So there wasn't too much time on the Square until later this week, which has been really great now that we are back in action. We have met a lot of great members and people who have served in Australia or are from Australia and it's been really awesome talking about how much better the burgers are back home (pineapple, egg, beetroot, cheese, onion, lettuce, etc), how beautiful it is and how much they miss it and want to go back. Some even know some of my friend because they live where they served or served with them which has been pretty awesome. The world is such a small place when you're at the head quarters of the Church.

HAPPY PIONEER DAY FOR YESTERDAY! (It's a Utah thing), as a mission we got to go to the parade as well, which was so awesome and so much fun! The only Parade in the world that would start with an opening prayer, it was so epic! I love being in Salt Lake City! I loved seeing all the floats from Stakes around Salt Lake City areas and all the marching bands and how much spirit was in the parade, it was great fun! We even got ticketed seats paid for us by some VIP, which was so sweet and lovely of them whoever they are, so by the off chance you see this, thank you so much! I got so many photos and would have gotten more but my battery died 1/3 of the way through, but it's okay, it was so exciting there was so much happening and President Thomas S. Monson was in the Parade too! Which was super awesome!

This week even though we haven't been able to do too much was one of the best weeks we have had together in the ways of teaching lessons and different things, it has been really awesome to see our investigators work towards coming to know these things for themselves, even if it is only over email or the phone. Some are a little up in the air and one even almost dropped us recently, but I know that as we have faith all things are possible in the Lord and I really hold to that. Faith is so important, without faith, nothing happens, nothing works. Like in Ether"For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith. Behold, it was the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth. Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost. Behold, it was the faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites." - Ether 12:12-15

It is through faith and through doing all that we can, we see those things happen, we see the gospel change their lives, no matter how familiar or not they may be with it.
Nothing "incredible" is happening at the moment, no people are on date for baptism or anything like that, but people are reading the Book of Mormon, they are praying, trying to get to church, trying to recognize the Spirit and have these things in their hearts, and it's these simple steps that make a big difference when it comes down to accepting the gospel into their lives and wanting to make a difference in their lives by coming unto Christ through Faith, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the Gift of The Holy Ghost an Enduring to the End.

I look around Temple Square and I see the thousands of people that come a day and I look and just think "these are all my brother's and sister's, these are all children of God and they all need the gospel of Jesus Christ and I have been called to serve here as a missionary because He trust me enough to bring them back to Him in someway or another" these people are prepared, some people just need a little more time than others to have their eyes completely opened to the gospel. But I know that not a single effort is wasted. Because it may be our testimony that touches their heart and when they get back home and have the missionaries knock on their door, they will open it an accept it because of the Spirit they felt here on Temple Square.

The work is hastening on more than every before! I know that the church is true with all that I have, that through Holy Temples families can be together forever, that it is His plan for us, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet of God to bring forth the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in these last days, that modern day revelation is alive and well, that we have a living prophet Thomas S. Monson on the earth today and that God will continue to reveal his word always through Prophets. All things are possible through our savior Jesus Christ and noting will stop the work from pressing forward! Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and our prayers are not only heard but answered through the Holy Ghost. I know that God loves me by the way the roses bloom, by the blue of the sky, but the green of the trees and the birds that chirp and fly around the beautiful grounds of the Temple, the love I feel when I count the many blessings I have been given in my life no matter how great or how small. I know that no matter what we go through we are never alone, the Savior is always by our side and He understands us and knows us perfectly. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I love you all, I hope all is well, Keep smiling, Stay amazing. 

Sister Ryan xx

Photos

PANCAKES! which was
 Sister Turro's first solid food!

Sister Turro and I at the Parade :)

Pioneer Parade

Pioneer Parade