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| With the Familia Cruz |
HOLA FAMILIA!!!!! Sorry if this email is ridiculously love-bursty and joy-filled but I am on one today and feel so much love and gratitude and joy for this work and for being a missionary. So ya. That was the disclaimer.
So this week was interesting...
Tuesday we had a great personal study and then district meeting. I felt the spirit so strongly!! Elder Rubio shared a lot about what it means to really have the vision to baptize--which includes something much bigger and greater than baptism: the Atonement. He talked about the fact that when people reject the Gospel it's because they don't understand. It´s all based on the Atonement and if we all can understand that, then we will understand the importance of baptism and the doctrine of Christ.
Whenever people testify about the Atonement, the Spirit is so strong and it reminded me a lot of Logan and Dad who always testify and refer back to the Savior and the Atonement. I love Elder Rubio--he really has impressed me with his prayerful and spirit filled lessons, always trying to teach what we need and help and be humble and willing to improve and we have seen such improvements!
Also before district meeting started, we were talking to Elder Van Wagoner and learning more about his life. Wow! I never would have guessed it from the kind of missionary he is now--so solid and firm and awesome! He will be 26 in June. He studied 2 yrs, worked in many different job fields, wanted to get away from Wyoming so on a whim moved to Provo and played for 1 year. While doing so, he lived with all RMs and their influences inspired him to want to go on a mission. wow! I can't imagine what his life would be if he hadn't made this decision--he will be eternally changed and the outcomes of his life as well. The mission is a miracle! And so is the Gospel!
Comp study was INCREDIBLE on Tuesday and mind blowing and one of those times when things we talked about and shared touched my spirit so much and so deeply that I can't even really describe exactly how or what I was feeling and why but it was marvelous! During personal study I enjoyed reading that Elder Cook said that eternal life is to KNOW the Father and His perfect Son, Jesus Christ. I thought it was interesting it didn't say to live with them as a family or to know of or about them but to really know them. That is eternal life--the greatest gift of God and the scriptures as well as Preach My Gospel affirm this.
Also in 2 Nephi 28:24-25 it reminded me that this is a huge problem now a days and one of Satan's most clever tactics. We should never be at ease! There is no standstill! There is always more to be done and more progress to be made and we need to be moving towards God.
We had a comp convo about the difference in the beginning of the mission to now. It's interesting that when the mission and the Gospel become so much a part of you, while preaching, we are actually sharing of ourselves instead of a message or info. A mission can be a cool experience or it can be 100 percent a part of you--being in the mission is so much more incredible than being on a mission! We called that: The Mish Phenomenon! It made me so excited to apply all these things in my life after the mission. The mission, my experiences, and most importantly the Gospel and my love for it are SO deeply engrained into who I am and in my heart now. I love it!
Also while sharing, Hna Jo found a quote by Pres Holland last conference talking about the adversary--saying that he is: eternally opposed to the love of God, the Atonement of Christ, and the work of peace and salvation and he will fight against these wherever and whenever he can. WOW!!! Such strong, interesting language: ETERNALLY OPPOSED. NO WONDER!!! He is eternally opposed to God´s love and the Atonement, which equal a change of life. Also the work of peace and salvation reminded me of temple and missionary work. These are the things Satan feels most strongly against so no wonder we've felt that opposition! That is his plan, his tactic, and his weak spot. That is WHY we focus on love, on the Atonement, on missionary work, and on temple work: because if people understand and feel that, then Satan has no power over them.
On Tuesday we had an awesome, awesome lesson with Andres Rojas and my heart was busting the entire time sharing and testifying of God's personalized love and plan for us, the restoration and truthfulness of the gospel, the BOM, prophets, baptism, etc. He is so humble and accepting and can feel the amazing peace present while we pray or are there. He looked a lot happier with more light in his eyes just in 1 week. It's amazing how the BOM and the gospel change lives and bring the light of Christ to people!
Wednesday half-way through the day I got a huge rash and was super chilled, sweaty breaking feverish all day and by 5 pm I was fighting within myself to stay out or go home. I HATE THAT!! I want with all my heart to be out and cry like every time I have to go home haha What a baby but it's just the desires we have. We ended up going home and I ended up sleeping and trying to rest and get over my fever, etc. It felt like dengue when I had that last time.
I then woke up on Thurs morning SO pwned and it felt EXACTLY how sick I was for that month I was in the house. I was so scared because I don't know what that was or what caused it and how long it was going to last this time because it lasted forever last time. Elder Rubio was SO understanding about staying home and getting better and Hna Johansen was so great about it all. She wrote me a note with scriptures and lifting me up. I slept like all day and felt so so sick and just exactly like last time. I prayed a lot for understanding and for a miracle to get better. I prayed and really exercised my faith (like you mom!) that I knew He could make me better and if not by Friday I knew that by Conference I could be better and begged for that and for that miracle.
Friday I woke up and was still sick. Luckily it wasn't as bad, but it was still like feverish kind of and so so tired, etc. Elder Hammer was hilarious on the phone and when I answered because he wanted to get my symptoms he went into this pretend recording for Bienvenida a la Clinica Kennedy. Si su nombre es Hermana Bryan, por favor toque el #1, etc. He was hilarious the whole time and asking my symptoms if they were just the 'Normal Hermana Bryan symptoms' or something different hahaha. He set me up for a med appt. I then prayed and knew the Lord's will would be done. I then was blessed with more energy towards the night and got to study and can I tell you HOW MUCH I grew to love Jacob from the BOM??!! The Book of Jacob. He is my new fav person in the BOM! haha I just smiled the whole time reading that book and seeing his personality and his awesome teachings. He is so awesome and I love his teachings and his sarcastic personality sometimes. I didn't sleep for 2 nights really BUT
woke up on Saturday and was blessed with the energy to go to my Docs Appt!! Miracles from the Lord according to our faith and desires--wow. We went to a different clinic who we are now contracted with and MAN what a difference!!! It was so so awesome and I felt like I was in the states--I was very impressed. Took some general stats and blood exams and then we went to CONFERENCE!!!
I can't go into every detail of everything I loved about conference but HOW blessed I felt!! I just felt so great and blessed and at home here watching conference with our zone, my comp bff, in Ecuador here in the mish, and IN ENGLISH!! What a blessing to watch all sessions in English. It was SO wonderful the whole experience! There were cute senior missionaries who got close to us during these 2 days and who knew almost no Spanish, yet were so excited to be there and working in the temple! Also I loved seeing old members from Tarqui like the CRUZ family!! What a blessing they are in my life. I loved how Julio came and stayed for Priesthood, and his light, and Miguel came to every session except for one when he was working.
Saturday evening I felt pretty crappy again from not sleeping in 2 nights and being sick and was fighting within myself again but wanted to try. I felt like we should go by an old investigator couple I went to once with Hna Hernandez and Aragon. When we visited them, they were cold, not open, set in their ways and only wanted the Bible, etc. It was a tense weird environment the last time but I didn't feel they were given a fair chance to be dropped. We went by and WOW--what a difference. It was night and day and I testify to the experience Elder Koelliker talked about! When he related that story between two comps and their act of love, I was thinking: what would have happened if they didn't have unity or love or had been fighting or didn't get along?! Our unity really does touch peoples' hearts and lives. We are living testimonies of that. Also of what Elder Evans shared in sharing the Gospel in a natural and normal way. That is SO important! First, you have to let people know you care, you care about them, be really interested, be unified with your comp cuz they can feel it, and create a relationship so sharing the Gospel becomes normal and natural as part of your caring relationship! Carlos and Diana totally opened up to us, we gained their confidence and they were laughing with us, sharing about their difficulties, wanted to invite us to the beach with them (Haha I wish), and were touched by the little thing we shared with them in love and through the Spirit. WHAT a blessing it is to be in a unified, loving companionship. And how important and KEY that is in missionary work.
Elder Eyring answered one of my big questions this conference and it was so incredible how every single question and theme I was wondering and praying about was touched on and answered. How blessed we are to be members of this gospel and I KNOW it is true! With ALL my being and heart!
It was also amazing how so fully and totally confirmed, were the spiritual truths that Hna Jo and I have studied and learned and shared together and personally. It was SUCH a neat experience I can't describe but literally almost every cool spiritual truth we came upon or scripture we really loved or studied was touched on in a way most others didn't notice but we had been studying and the Lord taught us through His spirit. It's so amazing the power of real study and inspiration of the Holy Ghost. I've never had that kind of experience and we were so excited and thought this is probably what it's like because these are spiritual truths, just things we learn line by line and precept by precept if we really have the desire to do so and are praying thoroughly for the Holy Ghost and studying so much. Also it's a blessing we share everything together because we LOVE learning and growing and etching these truths and testimonies on our hearts.
I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE!!! :)
I'm so sad it's over but loved everything and there wasn't a single talk I didn't love or have a ton to write about. Also, Elder Holland was a beast in the way he ended his talk! I couldn't believe it--wow! I loved them all and loved the themes of overcoming adversity, raising children, creating a home where the Gospel principles are taught, being converted disciples, etc. I loved them.
I feel SO blessed to be a missionary, to be here in this area, to have the most wonderful companion, to have YOU all, to be a member of the true church, and to know my Savior and Heavenly Father, and to be able to be better and progress daily. It's a daily process! We daily take up our crosses and daily make decisions to move towards God or away from Him. I love this quote about the mission: obediencia es el precio, el amor es el motivo. El Espiritu es clave. Fe es el poder. Cristo es el resulto.
So true!
I LOVE YOU! But I'm so glad I'm here because I don't want to come home sometimes--times like today and this weekend :)
I pray for you always. Have a great week!!
Love,
Hermana Bryan
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| My awesome, best, most loving Amazing Comp Ever! |
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