2012: lovin' it

Hey Family,

Well this week was pretty great, even though the missionary work was pretty slow. I am so ready for the holidays to be over, and I am glad they are now. Well, I'll give you some thoughts since I'm pretty sure I'll be leaving here in a week and a half: I have loved being able to learn from the leadership of Bishop Ross. He is a wonderful man with his mind on missionary work and on power in the priesthood. I have been so grateful to learn from Elder Washburn and Elder Mckay. They are two of the most excellent missionaries I have ever met, and I have loved being able to learn from them and work with them. I don't know how I was so blessed to have such great companions so far, but I know it has been a blessing. I have felt a little down this week, but I have also been awakened to the all-powerful reality of the atonement and Jesus Christ. He really does strengthen us and help us fight each day to become better. I am so grateful for Him.

Something I've gained a stronger testimony and been extremely grateful for lately has been the priesthood. I think for a lot of my life, I have taken it for granted. I have been able to feel the power of it in my life this week, probably stronger than ever. I was really sick one day this week, and Elder McKay and Brother Blanchard (from the Bishopric) gave me a blessing. I felt my faith increase, and I knew that if I kept my faith strong in the power of the priesthood and in Jesus Christ I would be healed. I was better the next day. Elder McKay was extremely sick the next day. He asked for a blessing that night, and Brother Olsen (Ward Mission Leader) and I gave him a blessing. He said that immediately he felt better, and he was better the next day as well. All this brings me back to what Brian Thomas said when we met with him this past week. We asked him how he felt being able to baptize Jess, and he said it was awesome. Then he said, It just hurt looking up at you guys confirming her and knowing that if I lived my life a little differently, I would have been able to be there. He is a wise man, and a good man with a strong testimony. I am so grateful for all those who live worthily and exercise their priesthood boldly with no hesitation or embarrassment. I am grateful for the honor and privilege I have to bear the Holy Priesthood after the order of the Son of God. It is an immense blessing to know that God loves us so much, He has entrusted us with His power to bless the lives of others. I love this gospel, it is true. We met with an investigator today, Amy Robinson. She talked about running into missionaries from another church, and after listening to what they had to say, she was fearful of them and their church. Then she said that when we come over and teach her, everything we say just makes sense. I then told her she was exactly right and she was feeling the Spirit. I quoted the scripture: "For God giveth us not the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind". I told her that was God telling her what we were teaching was right, and Elder McKay and I taught her the rest of lesson 1 and she committed to be baptized on Feb 25. It was a miracle how we found her--walking around downtown Cheyenne, and she lived in our area we found out after talking to her for a while. It is amazing.

Well, I love this work, and I am so glad and honored to be a missionary for my God.

Love,

Elder Logan Bryan