Week 59 - Success Follows Work

August 28, 2017

This week, honestly, I can't remember anything that happened it went by so fast.

My new Companion is Elder Rodriguez from Panama, but we are also in a trio and training an Elder from Brasil, Elder Cunha.

They're both really great!! And I'm enjoying myself a lot. It is weird knowing that they are only my companions for 2 weeks, and running the area because they both don't know it.

We were able to find a lot of people and help them get going with the Gospel.

We have a few different people who are all investigating right now! Samantha, the girl we found last week, has a baptismal date for this weekend, also her family is coming to church now.

Zulma is the mother of a few recent converts, and she is also preparing to get baptized this weekend. We have been working with her for a LONG time, but she has had a very rough life, so its been a process, but she started reading the Book of Mormon last week and began to cry.

We also have two others for this weekend, Lizeth and Juan. They were both miracles basically. Lizeth came from Peru, and she has gone to the church, but left it behind. She's now progressing very well.

Juan is cousin of a recently baptized family who we found last week. The family basically prepared him, taking him to church and everything, just preparing him for us. Miracles haha

I was reading a lot of the missionary stories this week in the Book of Mormon, with the thought in mind, "Many missionaries believe its natural to not have success, considering there were times when there wasn't success for the missionaries in the scriptures"
Reading all the stories I realized something, All of the missionary stories where there was a lot of difficulty in having success, ended with bringing many to souls to the truth. BUT, it all followed work and following the counsels of the Lord!

You can apply this to everything really. Yes tough times will come, in the family, work, school, church, emotionally, physically, any type of way, but that doesn't mean you have to lose! With work and the Savior EVERY challenge is beaten. Maybe not at first, but always in the end.

So don't just accept that a situation is bad because it looks like it is, Fix it. God gives us scriptures, Prophets, church leaders, church on Sundays, temples, families, many many talents, and Knees to pray. We have more than what is necessary.

I love you All sooooo Much!!!

Elder Ryan