"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."
--Ether 12:4




Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Update

Hey family!  


So you can forward this if you´d like but firstly I just want to say HOW amazing it was to talk to you on Sunday and the joy that filled my heart when for 10 minutes Logan was on too and we were all a family again :)  How joyous will be our reunion.  I wanted to let you know that the call did NOT make me sad or trunky or anything--in fact it gave me more strength, joy, happiness, and everything else you all do for me.  I was crying not from sadness but from gratitude, love, and everything else and especially when Logan got emotional.  How special you all are to me.  I love our family.

So I´m not going to take time to write right now--I´m still not all the way better but the good news is that after 2 days of a 38.5 celsius fever and feeling super horrible haha I don´t have a fever now!  That's the good news.  I´m still weak and feel super hot in my body, etc but know I´ll get better now that I don´t have a fever.  I went to the hospital last night and I think the best way to describe medical service in this country is with the banner Elder Hammer came up with last night: Ecuador: Finding Problems, Not Solutions.  hahaha He was pretty proud of it and it totally describes it.  

Well thank you for your prayers--I want to be totally better like now.  Being sick is never fun but now I can tell you that being sick in Ecuador is the worst.  But I just love the work, love you all, love Eliana and pray I´m 100 percent better by Saturday--if not, I´m going anyway like I did for Marianela and Gabriel haha.  Speaking of which, I LOVE them!  They are so so so neat, huh?  I'm so excited for you guys to meet them.

Well give my love to everyone until I can write a really good email on Monday.  I know you´ll miss my super long, detailed emails til then :) 

Love you so much.  Thanks for your prayers--keep em comin!

Hermana Bryan

Monday, December 19, 2011

Feliz Navidad!!

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!  

How much I love you all especially in this season of love, warmth--infierno warmth here in Guayaquil haha, Christ, family, etc.  I love Christmas and I love YOU!  Alrighty this email might be a little bit crazy but disclaimer:  this week has hands down been the craziest week I´ve had in my entire life.  I still have many more crazy experiences awaiting me this week until some things are figured out but here goes!

First of all I forgot to mention last week that last Sunday was the Primary Program and I got to accompany them on the piano--the ward members here really take advantage of that fact so I have been able to attend practices for that, YW program, etc to accompany people.  I love playing the piano!

Listo.  Here goes.

Monday I got taken out by a wooden ladder during zone choir rehearsal and totally skinned my arm and elbow.  It was crazy but the best thing is that Elder Bushnell just kept asking how much I was ok and how tough I was, etc hahaha thank heavens for the nice elders here.

Wednesday we had multi zone conference for Christmas in the hotel at the temple and got to go to the temple!!!  I LOVE the temple!!!!!!!  It was incredible the difference in understanding compared to 5 months ago my Spanish haha.  I love the temple so much and I loved loved loved attending the temple with other missionaries and our beloved President Amaya and Hermana Amaya. Afterwards, we had a  Christmas zone conference which was more like a devotional.  It was wonderful--Pres Amaya addressed us briefly, we got to watch President Monson's part of the Christmas devotional, and then each zone had a spiritual thought and song to present.  Ours was hilarious--the elders hid behind the hermanas doing actions to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, we had a Santa, an Elf and Rudolph and each of us wore Christmas hats.  Zone Kennedy is awesome :)  Hna Goering took lots of photos and will send them to you, family as I just as of today bought my new camara--thank you!!  Hermana Amaya addressed us and one thing I absolutely loved that she said was that the people we´ve affected have been eternally affected and vice versa.  I love the mission and this is so true!!  I want to be like Hermana Amaya when I´m older.  We had a delish lunch and then had a photo shoot and I am so grateful for and love the relationship I have with the office elders --it makes all the difference in the world!  I feel like they actually enjoy talking to me or teasing and having fun and I think it´s thanks to me being sick for so long that we all developed that haha--also makes the difference here.
Afterwards we went to the office so Hna Palma could talk to President Amaya again and find out what her leaders back home said and when she should return. Well she came out of the office bawling and then Pres Amaya called me into his office to talk.  He started off by telling me that all of this has nothing to do with me and that I´m doing a great job.  He then started repeating the situation of Hna Palma to me but then said that he called her leaders and they told Pres Amaya that she was lying, she isn´t sick, her family actually does NOT want her to come home, that she had plans to leave with her boyfriend to Spain, etc.  WHAT?!!  All of this was 100% exactly opposite of what she had told us.  She also told different things to Pres Amaya than she told us and I was completely taken aback and shocked.  Pres told me that he in no way is going to send her home to be released medically and honorably if she really had been lying all along.  But that one way or another she will be sent home.  What craziness.  I wrote in my journal that I don´t know exactly what to believe but that I was almost relieved for a bit because I always thought something was a bit off because she didn´t have her thoughts or heart or mind in the mission one little bit the whole time and didn´t have the attitude or spirit of the work.  She also didn´t really want to go to the temple and then something told me things are wrong.

So Pres just smiled a lot at me knowingly, as I was smiling and laughing a bit at unbelief.  He told me he felt so sorry I had to go through this and I just laughed and said that this is the mission and he laughed and agreed with me.  He called the parents of Hna Palma and then called me back in smiling super knowingly and I feel really close to him and love that he trusts me and knows who I am and what kind of missionary I am.  He gave me specific instructions to NOT treat her like a poor thing and not be the shoulder to cry on but that we are to work and have patience to see this out.  He thanked me a lot and told me to be in touch with him for anything at all.  CRAZY!!!!¨

Thursday was another crazy day.  During comp inventory for 2 hours Hna Palma talked about everything and we had to give her counsel and I was super firm in some things and had to tell her to beware of her attitude towards her church leaders, to accept responsibility for her actions and feelings, to never think that getting married and starting her own family will solve everything, to not miss church, to do the things the Lord requires and to only and wholly rely on Him.  We told her she lacked faith and relying on the healing power of the Atonement would cure all.  That sounds pretty harsh--it wasn't, but things seemed to go in and out one ear.  It´s incredible how much loyalty I felt to Pres Amaya and how we would defend him to the end.  We then had the rest of the day and night visiting bone doctors, etc with Elder Hammer and another office elder.  Elder Hammer kept kind of smiling and looking knowingly at me of the situation.  I definitely have learned patience here in the mission.  Hermana Goering had a wonderful dinner with the Pres and when she got dropped off, the Pres gave me and her specific instructions to stay up late talking to each other :)  Hermana Goering gave me an incredible compliment and I loved working with her, her support, and the Pres´s support of us two.

Friday at lunch we had an incredible discussion with Hermano Frias.  He totally could see in Hermana Palma what was going on and shared a personal experience from his mission in changing a comp who didn´t want to do anything and spent his time in the mission lying, with a bad attitude.  I couldn´t believe exactly how it related and I know that he shared it because he had the discernment to see what was happening.  She went to the bathroom and he came over and told me to hang in there and if I ever wanted to fast that he would join me.  I felt super grateful for that whole discussion and his support.  The family Frias and family Cruz are really the families we feel like are our family.  I love them and feel so close to them!  Friday was rough with Hna Palma not wanting anything, threatening to lock herself in the bathroom to not leave to preach, etc but then during our comp study and the program study I taught her, us feeling the Spirit so strongly and we cried and she expressed to me what she felt, I was able to tell her that was the incredible spirit of missionary work!  It´s funny because the things I admired in my wonderful trainer Hna Angulo people now are starting to compliment me on, like asking inspired questions, speaking with my eyes, etc it´s crazy but I know the Lord is helping me.  I am like 100% alone here in the sector but thank heavens for the members and Pres Amaya.  The Lord is my strength, and also the love I have for this work and the people, strengthens me so so much.  (Isaiah 41:10)

Saturday was my best friend´s wedding!!!  Thought about them all day and shared with everyone haha.  I opened up with Hna Palma sharing my feelings and experiences and I feel like that helped our relationship.  Highlight of Sat was CRISTIAN!!  I feel like I haven´t felt such joy in such a long time!  He opened up completely and talked to us for a while--a crazy friend he has stole my hymnbook haha weird things happen to me in the mish.  But it´s ok cuz I have the big one.  It was his 27th bday that day and we watched The Restoration with him and the nature really affected him and he felt such calm and peace and told us that when the movie talked about faith that hit him too, like he needs to exercise his faith to believe.  He said he believed and wants to keep coming to church but wants to prepare more for baptism.  Then he kind of sheepishly said that he also feels guilt--feels guilty like he needs to repent.  I started smiling SO bigly and he started smiling too because of my reaction and I told him how happy that made me because thats EXACTLY how the conversion process works and that he really is special to feel all of this so quickly and believe.  He understands and feels and acts--investigator of gold.  I felt SO happy I could fly haha.
But then we got home and Hna Palma forgot all that and started saying she´s going to pack her things and not preach anymore, etc.  She let negativity come in and ruin her spiritual experiences.  gah.  But I LOVE the missionary work and love Cristian and love my married bffs and my fam that´s in Mexico!

Sunday was super hard for me in the morning because Hna Palma packed up her things, her attitude was incredible and I had been so patient but couldn´t take it--it infuriated me because I literally would give ALL I have for the few wonderful investigators we have.  Anyway Eliana came to church and was fasting because we challenged her to do so to finally get an answer and are praying she did!! Cristian didn´t show and I started crying in the bathroom after that (first time I´ve cried about this situation and I felt pretty strong the whole time--so I figured once after all this craziness was ok).  The last speaker at church was from the Stake Pres and it was incredible--such an answer to prayers.  Then after church, Pres and Hna Amaya were actually in attendance at their ward for the first time since I have been here so that was a blessing.  Hna Palma asked to talk to them and Pres Amaya was super super direct and firm with her and she didn´t hear any of it and it was incredible to see and watch. I love him so much and he kept smiling at me. She then went to the members to try to get their pity and support and I was so so mad and didn´t know what else to do--we were at the end of our straws and I felt I should go to Hno Frias.  I asked him for a blessing and it was incredible. The Priesthood is real!  During Hna Palma´s blessing, he told her that she needed to ask for forgiveness and that she wouldn´t finish her mission.  Wow.  We were all taken aback and he sat down with us to discuss the impressions he felt and that there was something she had been holding back from everyone causing this negativity and the Spirit to grieve her.  Yep.  She admitted that yes.  Hno Frias made her realize who I am and what I´ve done from his eyes, made her realize her error and attitude, and expressed the love of the Savior but that the church is true and she can´t live in sin especially in the mission and gave her 2 days and said if you don´t call Pres Amaya I will.  haha wow I love him.  She finally opened up and Hno Frias was a servant of the Lord at the time, and she really for the first time in her life told me how true she realized the church was and the priesthood because of him.  We went home and she confessed her whole story to me and from then on, her attitude completely changed.  She thanked me a ton, felt so much better though nervous to talk to Pres Amaya, but actually wanted and encouraged us to go visit Cristian.  What?=!  Amazing.

We visited Cristian and it was incredible.  He whole heartedly accepted everything about the word of wisdom and I feel SO happy and joyous every time I am around him and feeling of his goodness and light--these are the wonderful people we get the privilige of being around!!  And watching them change!  Wow.  
I called Pres Amaya to set up an appt for Hna Palma and after I got done talking he said, HERMANA...careful!  DON´T believe her.  Be cautious of believing everything no matter how believable it is.  Interesting and we will see.  I´ve caught her in a few white lies today so we will see what´s going on for real when she meets with him tomorrow morning.  I do believe the big part of her story and love that her attitude has changed and she wants to work and wants to laugh, etc.  It makes it so much easier.

I have NO idea what will happen and honestly am just praying we can stay here for the week so I can be with our other familes here singing Christmas carols and having 2 Christmas dinners (one with Fmly Cruz on Sat and other with Fmly Frias on Sun).  But I´m going to make the most of every single moment and take lots of pics in case!  I LOVE being a missionary and testify with all of my being that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true.  Christ directs His church. Christ lives--He loves us and He suffered for YOU--for your sicknesses, pains, trials, and sins.  I love you so much.  Jesus Christ is my Redeemer, my light, and my absolute strength.  I feel so blessed to be His representative and so humbled. In this Christmas week, I hope you can feel of my love for you and my support. More importantly, I hope you remember and feel of the Spirit and love of our Savior whose birth we celebrate on Sunday.  Come unto Him and live!  

I LOVE you with more than I can adequately express.  I´m grateful for your prayers, support, and everything.  Merry, Merry, Merry Christmas!!!

Love,
Hermana Bryan!

Monday, December 12, 2011

The Lord's Hand

Well Family,

How dare I ever question the Lord´s hand in my life.  I have been very humbled this week by very difficult circumstances and very distinct blessings and just KNOW that the Lord has His hand in my life and in His missionary work.  I´m so so grateful to be His missionary and strive to be more worthy of that calling every day.

So Tuesday we had the incredible blessing of going to the temple!!!!!!  Hna Martinez wasn´t leaving until the afternoon and wanted to go to the temple so Hna Goering and I accompanied her.  What an incredible blessing.  My perspective immediately and completely changed towards Hna Goering and the challenges ahead and I honestly can´t explain it but know it was the Lord blessing me with that.  I felt so content, patient and loved wholly my comps and our experiences.  
Tuesday I also got to see Hna Angulo right before she left for the airport!  She left me two cards--what a blessing she has and will be in my life.  We also visited on Tues night Cristian and his family--WOW.  I LOVE him and his fam!!  We felt so great about them.  The mom has such desire and interest in reading the Book of Mormon and finding out if it´s true and this week told us that she felt all of this was true and it´s something that can´t be found in other religions and she feels it´s true.  Cristian accepts everything but has doubts about the First Vision-Joseph Smith.  He wants so badly to believe but it´s new and surprising for him.  Luckily, the class yesterday was exactly for that and directed towards him and during a video, he started smiling super bigly and we could tell he was feeling something. We have FHE tonight with some young adults and are going to watch The Restoration.  Pray for him!!  and his mom!!

Thursday we had a capacitation meeting with Pres Amaya and the trainers and it was wonderful.  Then we got our comps and my comp's name is Hermana Palma from Honduras but she lives in Nicaragua.  We then had another meeting and it´s always so great to be with him and learn from him and Hermana Amaya.  We waited forever for them to get their IDs and the other sisters and I got to sing Christmas hymns in a public bus terminal haha it was crazy but so fun and great and I had the opportunity to get to know and feel really close to a few other hermanas.

From now on I don´t have specifics because everything else has been a blur but these last few days have been so so difficult.  Starting Thurs night, Hna Palma cried and cried and cried and unloaded everything on Hna Goering and I.  Her experience in the CCM destroyed her--her comp was horrible and literally destroyed her.  She has arthritis and other health bone problems and can´t walk much and after a lot of talking she told us she wasn´t completely honest in her mission papers because she wanted to serve a mission badly so she wrote what they wanted to hear health wise so they would be approved.  She actually received a negative answer to serving a mission when she prayed but came anyway because she had desire.  I can´t even imagine that!  The mission is too hard to not have an answer and assurance to remember that we need to be here. So now she´s regretting it and because of that, has only been able to think of herself, her feelings, and situation.  That´s been the hardest for me--trying to make someone have the perspective, want to work, love the work, think in the investigators and not herself, put her heart in it, have a good attitude etc.  She complains about studying the program and practicing and that kills me because I LOVE that time!  There is so much to learn and that's the time we receive revelation for our investigators and it´s incredible.
Well Hermana Palma has done amazing, wonderful things in Nicaragua for the church.  Her stories are wonderful, super humbling and inspiring.  But this has been so hard for her and told us that she finally felt she got an answer that she has to go back home.  It´s been difficult but also really good for learning.  I know that Hna Goering and I were supposed to be her comps during this time to build her up, listen to her, open her heart, correct her with love, and keep going.  

I can´t even DESCRIBE to you HOW much of a blessing Hna Goering has been in my life.  How dare me for listening to other missionaries.  Wow the Lord had his hand in this whole situation.  He knew how hard this experience training Hermana Palma would be and that I would need extra support during this time.  She is always supporting my words, backing me up, giving comfort, being there as well, having an extra hand but more than anything, she knows how I feel.  She had a hard experience training a sister who struggled a lot with emotional problems and also similar things to Hermana Palma and wanted to go home and actually ended up going home.  Coincidence that the only missionary who had that experience as a trainer was put with me to train my comp?  No way.  The Lord knows everything.  I´ve learned a lot of patience yet actually this experience has made me realize and feel that I am a missionary 100% and my whole being and heart is in the work and the investigators.  It´s been super time consuming being in charge of everything but also great and wonderful to make me realize and recognize who I am as a missionary and how much I LOVE this work and LOVE being a missionary and want everyone else to feel the same way!  This is the best decision I ever made.  The trials don´t stop but neither does the progression!   

Eliana had a baptismal interview and talked about her fears with the elders and didn´t accept.  She doesn´t fully feel or understand or accept and doesn´t want to be baptized.  I started crying when we talked with our ZLs afterwards because that was the last straw of everything and I hadn´t cried a bit in all of this up until Sunday!  Amazing for me especially in the mish haha.  Elder Bushnell was so so concerned and genuinely wanted to help--what a blessing.  Pray for her.  We are at a loss of what to do and maybe she will be one of those that don´t progress but has taken parts of my heart as well.  We cry for the people we LOVE with all our hearts that make the decision to not progress.  

Last night Hna Goering and I stayed up really late talking and it was SUCH a blessing.  She shared the things she saw in me and her feelings of being my comp and we got to tak and share experiences and I am so so so forever grateful for her in these days and for being able to be with someone like her.  It´s fun to have a Gringa for a comp and also INCREDIBLE how focused she is.  She doesn´t even think about the fact that in a few days she will be home!  Amazing.

Well today Hermana Palma met with Pres Amaya and turns out she is going home.  I have no idea why I was called to be a trainer for a week.  I know that the Lord has His reasons and I´m a bit disappointed I can´t train and watch her progress and progress with her and I have no idea who I´ll be with or if Tarqui will have missionaries--kind of like Manta?  haha crazy.  But only can trust in the Lord.

I really love love love being a missionary and feel so grateful for every opportunity the Lord sees fit to give me.  I miss you all tons especially at this time of year but know that at Christmas time that we can reflect on our Savior Jesus Christ and what He gave for us.  Let us give our lives in service to Him and to everyone around us.  Pray for the situation of our area and for our companionship until she returns home.  I am going to keep studying with her up until the moment she goes home :)  I love this work!!  And I love you all so so so much!!!

Have an amazing week and give my love to my best friends getting married this week!  How I wish I was there.

Love,
Hermana Bryan

Monday, December 5, 2011

Hola

Hola familia!

Welp crazy stuff happens in this mission!  First off big news: as of Thursday I will be a trainer!!  Crazy.  i´ve been feeling so much responsibility and stress on my shoulders lately but I know that whom the Lord calls, He prepares and I just have to trust fully in Him.  I want to make my comp feel as comfortable and sure as possible especially because I so remember those new, overwhelmed feelings.
Second news, we had to go to the terminal today because a gringa comp will be with me for the next 11 days until she goes home as well.  Hna Martinez leaves tomorrow and I´m sad--we have gotten along greatly and learned a lot together--she´s an amazing example of a strong woman and I´ll miss her.  I will have to start training while we are still in a trio and to be honest, I´m really nervous. I can´t even express to you how hard this is to accept right now because she is supposedly one hermana that tries the patience of almost everyone here in the mission and she literally acts like a 4 year old--it's just her personality.  Gah the hard never ends, huh?  I´m just praying these 11 days go by SO fast and then I can enjoy my greenie and focus on me and her and training.  Any advice would be amazing.  

On Monday I forgot to write that I was writing from the city Duran--we asked permission to go back there so Hna Martinez could say goodbye to her converts and the members there--that was her favorite area and I have to tell you guys how amazing those people in Duran make you feel.  They are golden.  The area is not pretty at all but wow--the people?  The best.  I was only there for hours but felt so wonderful--there is a great spirit there and I hope I can return someday!
Monday night was crazy--they cut our light and electricity and we had to run around like crazies asking for help and from the members and we had a full house of members in the darkness with my two mini flashlights haha Hna Martinez kept asking if it was Halloween.  Also I forgot to mention we are looking for a house--have been for 2 weeks now under Pres orders and that is SO stressful!!!  We´ve looked at two with the Pres and then Hna Martinez and I have looked at tons and still no.  We found a gorgeous one with a great spirit and neighborhood but it's a bit overpriced and the mission won't pay that...so that's another stress on my mind because we have to move asap.

Wednesday we had Interviews with Pres Amaya!!  It was SO wonderful.  We were able to both share neat experiences and feelings and he asked me if I felt ready to train because he knew I was.  Pres Amaya really has so much concern and care for each one of his missionaries and as a missionary, I can feel that love.  I felt so happy and grateful for that wonderful experience to share with him and this is just an opportunity of a lifetime.  Hna Angulo was there as well because she had last minute changes for one week haha--talk about crazy!  It was SO wonderful to see her like always and wow I´m just amazed at how much we share with each other and how well we know each other--I miss that girl.  We then had a wonderful night--I really felt like we should visit Eliana because we had an amazing district meeting on Tuesday--the most uplifting one I´ve had in the mish and it was all about practicing how to help Eliana.  It was literally SUCH an answer to my prayers and your prayers (thank you for praying!) when she told us she had been feeling little answers to her prayers and we followed heavenly guidance and inspiration during the lesson and she chose December 17 as her baptismal date!  PLEASE pray this doesn´t fall through because she still hasn´t received a 100 percent answer and is hesitant but I´ve seen such a change in the light in her eyes--she is prepared and we left SO happy this day!  Elder Bushnell and Palacios--our ZLs started shouting for joy and pure happiness when we told them haha.

Thursday was our last planning session together and during comp inventory we both cried a lot.  Hermana Martinez bore such a grand testimony to me, shared her whole heart and she is such an example of a strong woman.  She knows what life is about, knows how to work, is simple and accepting and I feel humbled to have had this time to share with her and known her great spirit and experiences.  Also on Thurs we got to help build an Año Viejo--google it haha we were so excited!  The people here build gigantic dolls and paper mache them and then on New Years, burn them and apparently all of Guayaquil looks like it's on fire haha.  The harder the year was, the bigger the doll.  It was awesome and the person building it is Giovany--a 19 year old boy with a heart of gold and just tons of light.  We could see that right off the bat.  He doesn´t have a ton of time free to listen or go to church but we are going to visit him still.

Saturday we met with a reference we received from the elders in another zone finally after many tries of trying to meet with him!  Cristian is 27 years old and just prepared to hear this message we feel like.  We had a great first lesson with him and our leader misional was there and shared wonderful words with Cristian.  He promised to go to church and literally when I was playing the piano in Sacrament meeting and looked down to see him walk in with his member friend from the other zone, I cannot even describe to you HOW happy I felt I thought I was going to burst!  He was so happy there and so smiley.  During the Sacrament I looked down at him and he was praying fervently after partaking of the bread and I just thought to myself, wow.  How many members do this and this is his first time here??  We met with him yesterday too and we feel so excited about Cristian. Keep him in your prayers that he will continue progressing and accept baptism--he´s like a light in our lives right now that we don´t have tons of people in our program!  Also on Sunday I just felt really really really grateful.  I´ve only been here for 3 weeks yet I really feel like some of the members are my family.  I feel really close to some of them and grateful for that.  I know that will get me through sometimes especially during these next 11 days until we are free.

Sunday also we had a rough time because all day we tried to find a way to watch the Christmas devotional and the members spent their whole day trying to find us a laptop with internet as we had to be in our house at 8 when it started.  Well we got to watch part of it but missed a lot and then later found out from our ZLs that we actually did have permission to go but they just never called or sent us a message to let us know that part.  We were so so mad and sad at their lack of courtesy to let us know when they knew how badly we wanted to watch it because we had called them earlier asking for permission to go.  Ugh the things you learn here haha but the part I did watch was wonderful and really hit me that as I won´t really have a Christmas Christmas this year, that doesn´t matter!  I will be just as happy if not more because of the work we are doing here and the blessings the Lord allows us to see.  What a miracle the mission is.

I´ve felt quite a bit overwhelmed at the stress of the area on my shoulders, training--how am I going to be a trainer?!!  And how we are ever going to find a house to live in that gets approved?!  I know the Lord provides but I´ve been feeling overwhelmed and even more so with Hermana Guerring here too.  But have a strong testimony of the amazingness of this work.  I love missionary work and love the Gospel and seeing it lighten people´s lives!

Well I love you all so so much and pray for you every day.  Pray for me, for patience, for my new comp that will come, Cristian, Eliana, and that we will find a house ASAP.  Love you so so so so much!!!  Happy December!!!  As we celebrate this Christmas season, let us remember why we do so.  Jesus Christ lives.  He is our Savior and loves us so much.  He can heal your pain, your trials, and carry you when you are weak but we have to let Him do so.  Make Christ and His light shine in your lives and live in your hearts every day of your lives!  Share the Gospel with those you meet and those you love--when we love someone enough, we realize how much we want them to have the blessings of the Gospel and so we share it.  Love and open your mouths and the Lord will do the rest! LOVE YOU!!

Love,
Hermana Bryan