Hey!
I firstly want to start off by publicly congratulating my 2 best friends on their ENGAGEMENT!! I love you, Jess and Scott!! You are a power couple for sure and I am SO sad I won´t be there but so so so beyond happy for you. (I know I said this already in their email but in public is much cooler, right?) December 17 will be the best day ever.
Secondly, thank you everyone so so much for your emails. It helps so much to receive emails and they always touch my life and strengthen me, so thank you!! Please tell Sis Merritt thank you so much for her email and Aunt Sunny and to tell everyone to keep em coming :) You are all awesome!!
I don´t know what my problem is but these past 2 weeks I´ve really really missed you guys a lot. But that just means I have tons of family and friends that I love so so much and hold close to my heart :) Thank you so much for your support and prayers and examples in my life.
Monday we had a great lesson with Marianela and Gabriel about tithing and they whole-heartedly accepted to live the law of tithing after baptism. They also told us they were out with their friends and told them about their new standards and that they are remaining strong, their friends support them and that they were going to be married and baptized and start a new life! They are so incredible!
Tuesday we met with them again and a miracle happened due to a Priesthood blessing Hno Lucas gave Gabriel on Monday night. When Gabriel went to smoke a cigarette Monday night, his body starting rejecting even the smell of the tobacco and was absolutely repulsed by everything so he didn´t smoke. Such a miracle from the Lord!! And he recognized it. He also was the one to remind Marianela to pray at lunchtime before they ate--she shared how impressed she was by that since she was usually the one. They are just golden! We taught them the importance of the Priesthood and I could tell Gabriel realized the importance of that great responsibility and he committed to prepare to receive the priesthood the week after their baptism.
We also had Priesthood Committee Meeting and it was absolutely incredible. The whole meeting was kind of focused towards us and it was amazing the support we felt for the first time from the ward that night! The Bishop told us he had been able to see that lately we had been feeling down about some things that happened and said he feels so strange seeing us like that because he wants us to be happy. He told us he has recognized our work, wants us to ignore the people that get mad or make us feel badly or not good enough, and said that he has never felt this way before but if he knew ahead of time the President wanted to transfer us, he would call and beg us to stay. He told us he loved and cared about us a ton and wants us to know that and know we have support in the Cordova ward. How incredible that was! We met our goal for member lessons this week for the first time since I´ve been in the mission--its been a ton better! If we can keep it up and train the leaders from the different organizations, we can start a ward mission plan.
Wednesday Marianela and Gabriel got married!!!! We went with them and their family and friends to the civil registration and were able to watch. It´s not a ceremony really but it meant a lot to them that we all were there--they didn´t expect everyone to come support them!
Wednesday we also met with Soheil and taught him about the Restoration. He is back but not completely--there is still some light missing in his eyes that was there before. We´ve tried to find him all week but haven´t been able to coordinate our schedules to meet with him again. I hope he progresses!! We printed out some scriptures in Farsi/Persian so he can actually understand more.
Thursday was my 3 month anniversary in the mission!! (and Logan´s!) we met with a new investigator Gonzalo who has tons of knowledge about the Bible but is searching for the truth. He promised to read the Book of Mormon but ¨not more than 1 hour a day¨. hahahahaha we were like UMM PERFECT!! 1 hour is a lot--we feel really good about him. We also met with recent convert who is struggling a ton and cried with her a bit and shared scriptures, etc. Another rough night unfortunately with working out problems but the power of prayer is incredible. Dad, you are absolutely right with the intensity and faith of prayers, the Lord grants us power and strength and we can feel of His love and do His work. I had a really neat experience and testify to everyone that prayer is so real--the Lord and our Heavenly Father loves us SO much and I promise you that you can feel of this love. Pray with all you have and have faith in Him and in His timetable, every righteous desire you have will be granted. Pray to feel His love and sometimes that is enough to get you through--it often is for me!
Friday another great lesson with Marianela and Gabriel and Gabriel had read somewhere or talked to somebody about things that happen in the temple and had tons of questions but with good intentions. They are preparing to be sealed in a year´s time and I think that has made all the difference in their progress. A lot of time missionaries focus investigators on their baptism and once they are baptized, a lot of them go inactivate because they already were baptized. But the real end goal is exaltation and the temple is the way, and if we focus our investigators on the temple, they are more likely to progress and remain firm! The temple is the goal and baptism is the door into preparing for the temple--it was interesting to think in this difference in our lesson focuses and progression of investigators, but it does make a huge difference! I hope I can attend their sealing--that would be so so neat.
Saturday we met with Rebeca Alcivar and WOW had that family missed us--it was crazy! Maria hugged us so much and Rebeca absolutely would not let us leave haha. We are going to teach Rebeca more because she has some doubts about Jesus Christ and God--that would be the reason for her not progressing more and we just recently discovered these! So of course she doesn´t fully understand or feel the Restoration. We need to focus everything on Jesus Christ because He really is the center of everything and of our message. She did tell us that the one day we sang for her Come Thou Fount was the one day she felt the Spirit the most strongly maybe in her life. We are trying to point out to her these are confirmations of Christ, His love, and the truthfulness of our message. We will see! Manuel was outside playing and we could tell he wanted to be inside I think. He kind of smiled at us and waved and his face looked a bit sad or shameful but his pride didn´t let him come in to particpate. We met his uncle who is a member in a town about an hour away and a great leader. He told us that he thinks what happened is that when people reach the point of no return in changing their lives or in accepting the Gospel, they panick and there is fear present. He thinks that happened but that Manuel had no idea how to control or manage those emotions. I feel like that could be adequate but we recognize that everything is on the Lord´s timetable and aren´t worried about it. I feel much more at peace about the situation. And yes, Mom he still has my CTR ring haha.
Sunday, Hna Angulo spoke and gave a farewell talk practically hahaha she feels like she is going to be transferred in a week. She has been here for 8 months--thats a really long time and things that have happened have made her feel that way. We never know, though! We also last minute had to teach Young Women. It´s crazy how fast time goes by in life and I got kind of emotional while teaching them--thinking back to my time in YW. I never ever thought I would serve a mission yet here I was in Ecuador trying to help these great YW make their goals and recognize what they really want and need to do to get there. It made me really teary to think of the experiences I´ve had and to think of that great stage of life--though it may not seem great in the moment haha-- (enjoy it young men and young women!) but most especially to think of Mom doing the exact same thing every Sunday. I felt very close to her and know how blessed the YW of Desert Valley Ward are to have your influence and counsel.
Well, this work is the work of the Lord and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. The Book of Mormon is incredible and so true. Read it and it will change your life. Pray with all the energy you have; feel of Heavenly Father´s love for you. He loves you! Jesus Christ is our Savior and how grateful I am for His Atonement. I´m so grateful that families can be eternal (and friends too :) ) and I just am so blessed to have you all in my life. Thank you for your examples! Live this Gospel and exude the light of Christ in your lives. There is no other way to happiness or true joy in this life than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let the little things make the difference in your life.
And for those struggling in life, big or small, I want to share this quote: "Individual, personalized challenges are the means by which we overcome the world. Faith that God knows what He is doing and that He loves you and that our trials won´t last forever (but the strength we gain from them will) helps us overcome.¨
That is so true! We are here to learn and grow and you are being molded into who you can really become. The pain won´t last forever, but the strength will. He loves you--let His love into your life! I love you, too. Thanks for everything! Have an incredible week!
Love,
Hermana Bryan
PS: I got to listen to Michael Jackson´s Billie Jean blasting from a neighbors window one night this week and I felt so happy to know that it was October and yet in Ecuador I could for one night listen to MJ during the month of Oct :) (Jess and family you know what this means haha)
Logan: I don´t know if you will ever know the influence and example you are to me right now in our missions. You are INCREDIBLE and such an amazing missionary--the best I know. Your experiences being down really touched me but moreso was your attitude and your testimony. Your emails and testimonies you bear in them are incredible and so strengthening. I have the best family ever--thank you for being the best brother and so supportive. I am praying for you and your investigators every single day. Can´t wait to be reunited!!!
Dallin: WHAT A BEAST!!!! On the ballots and almost Homecoming Duke--we always knew you were the popular one :) with the perfect hair, smile, teeth, nose, bum, etc hahaha but seriously. Don´t feel badly because maybe this was something Holden needed right now in his life. How has building the float gone? What's your responsibility for homecoming? I loved those days :) I know Mom hates them haha but I loved working on the floats and getting caught up in Homecoming week. Best of EFY sounds so so awesome. Sounds like you are doing better int he friend department? How have you felt lately? I know that there are no better friends than family and feel so blessed we are all best, best, best friends. I don't want to go to school when I get back in December--haha I really really would love just time with you guys for a while. Dallin, keep up your example--you are the best 15 year old I know. Keep doing the small but important things that will build your testimony and you will be the best missionary ever--like your brother is. I LOVE YOU! Never forget that.
Mom and Dad: For some reason I have been thinking of Nana and Papa and wondered what the updates were with them--I never even knew they were being transferred haha! But I am glad everything went well and I´m so glad they will be close to family. How is Papa´s health--is he progressing or getting better? I´m so glad you were able to help, Dad. Mom, thank you SO much for sending the suits and the other packages in advance. For some reason, Guayaquil hasn´t sent our mail down for like 3 weeks so hopefully I get the mail soon. The mission office gets the mail and then they send it down to Manta to our ZLs so that's why it takes much longer. Did you ever by chance send me some printed out pictures of family and friends? I would love those. I feel so so so beyond blessed to have you as parents and can´t even express to you how I feel. I am SO grateful for your examples and your emails and support and strength. I feel so blessed to have your examples of love and also of living the Gospel in my life. You are examples of what every family wishes they could have or be and thank you SO much for living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making it a priority. Your emails are always so encouraging and uplifting and supportive and I miss you all so so much!
Pics: making a toilet seat cover to protect from diseases
our Zone
our Bishops family
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