Yes, this week we got snow. Not as much as we thought, but I'm thankful we have 4 wheel drive. Hope your week was great. Our week was pretty good. Elder Anderson is doing great, and he's learning quickly. I have definitely learned a ton from being with Elder Anderson. He is a great worker, and he wants to get things done. I definitely have grown from being around his simple but powerful testimony. This week, I went on an exchange with Elder Montague, my zone leader, which was a great learning experience, and he is a great leader with a powerful testimony (and the obedience to back it). I have enjoyed being able to learn from him and his great example. I also went on an exchange with some missionaries in my district. It was good, and if nothing else, I learned to love these Elders a lot more than I did--which is comforting because I thought I would have a hard time with that.
This week has been another intersting, but good week for us. It's always disappointing to see people cancel appointments and not keep commitments. We had our last lesson with Neil and Jess Avery this week. They weren't wanting to read or come to church anymore, so I asked them "Why do you still have us over?" They said it was because they like us. I told them that as Logan Bryan, back home, I would love hanging out with them, but as Elder Bryan--a representative of Christ--I have a purpose I need to fulfill, and I have better things I could be doing. They totally understood that we need to invite other people to come closer to Christ (and that they weren't getting any closer), but it was so hard dropping people you've come to love that aren't progressing. Another thing I've learned from them is that as a missionary, it is so much easier to love people. In the world outside of my mission, I would have never even thought of going into their home or getting to know them. I love how much the love of Christ rubs of on me when I'm engaged in His work. Rita was sick this week, but we're teaching her tomorrow. We're hoping to set her for baptism in mid-March. I fasted for her progression yesterday, and I know she is ready to accept the gospel, so we just need to have faith, and the miracles will come. Amy Robinson said she was going to come to church yesterday, but then we stopped by (after she didn't show) and she said she slept through her alarm. We are going to have to push her baptism back because she hasn't come to church at all in the time we've been teaching her--the last time we taught her was on January 3rd. Myra (the latina from Indiana) couldn't meet this week, I don't know how comfortable she is in having us over, but I hope she can work things out--she's soooo golden. It's hard when the elect are right there and we can't do anything about it. We're praying for new people to teach and to find more of God's elect children. Elder Anderson was looking at the finding ideas during our weekly planning session, and I asked him what he felt like we should implement that we haven't been. He said he felt like we should start up a scripture study class. It was brilliant! I was blown away, and I didn't even remember having thought about doing that before. So we've been organizing and recruiting through the members people to come to our class. We'll start the class in a week or two, and we will be holding it on Thursday evenings at 7. It will be about 30-45 minutes long, and we have already had several people from the ward commit to coming. I think it is a great activity for members to be able to invite their friends to, that isn't as big of a commitment as church is. We both feel that it will increase the finding efforts in our area.
We had dinner with Brian and Jess Thomas this week, and I love them so much. If I never get to see anyone else be baptized, simply because of them, I am happy. They are going to be leaders in the church. Last Sunday, after church, they just went home and read the scriptures. They read 60 pages in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants last Sunday!!???? I love them, and Brian should be getting the Melchizedek Priesthood in a few weeks. It's just amazing to see their progression. He loves reading the scriptures with Jess because he'll remember things that he learned in Seminary. He's a living example of the promise of the Spirit bringing all things to our remembrance. Now that he qualifies for the Spirit, he is remembering the wonderful things he learned as a seminary student. They're amazing.
Well, we're trying to work hard and study well. I've been studying about desire and motivation recently, and I have come to realize how much of a difference those two things make. Elder McKay and I talked once about where desire comes from. I showed him a scripture in Mosiah 28 where it talks of the sons of Mosiah having the desire to share the gospel with every creature. In the next verse it says, "And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them...". I have come to realize and have grown in testimony that one of the fruits of the Spirit of God is desire. The Holy Ghost can give us more desire. It is simple, but so undeniably true. We have to seek earnestly for the best gifts of the Spirit, and right now, I think one of the best gifts I can ask for is increased desire to do the will of God. The other thing is motivation. I have always thought a lot about Christ on my mission, and I know that He is the center of everything we do. His atonement should be our number one motivation. Like it says in Preach My Gospel, when our knowledge and testimony of the atonement increases, so does our desire to share the gospel. I know what we do is God's work. It is never easy, but it is so completely worthwhile and life-changing that I wouldn't ever want it to be easy. I love it. Thanks for all your prayers and your thoughts and your love.
I love you all so much,
Elder Logan Bryan
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