Hey I don't have a ton of time today. 8 minutes in fact. We're just taking our lunch break to email today because we are going to the temple next week and have to switch a temple day for a pday. This week was good. Not a lot of news on the home front. We have definitely learned a ton this week. We had set a goal to get 70 Quality Gospel Conversations this week, and we were doing really well and on track to do that, and then things got crazy. I know we can't make excuses, but we got so close this week. Closer than I ever have before. I know that the Lord will bless us for this. We only got 62 QGCs this week, but we definitely worked hard. I love working. There is no joy in missionary that can come without work.
Well Ricky and Erik bailed on us probably 3 times this week, and we are going to have a final make or break lesson with them. It isn't fair to them or us to keep trying and keep getting our hopes up. Obviously right at this moment in time, they aren't ready to make a covenant with God and keep it. It's just so hard seeing so many people get so close. We will have to see what we can do to help them out this week, and if they really want to progress and make God #1 in their lives or not. Rita is still the same, we're trying to get as many people as we can to apply for the job that she's working, so she can quit. We'll see how it goes. I have fasted, prayed, and worked to try and help Rita be baptized, and I know that it's now in the Lord's hands. This week I fasted for revelation from conference, but mostly I fasted for someone to be baptized. I don't know who, and I don't know how, and I don't even know if that's appropriate to fast for that, but I want to be able to fulfill my purpose so badly. I want to be able to see someone change their life around so much and finally find true happiness. It's been kind of frustrating, but that's how it goes. Somehow, some way, I will have learned what I needed to learn from these experiences, and be a stronger and more diligent missionary because of it. It's definitely not a cakewalk, but it's so worth it.
I love the gospel. It's true. As we strive to live it like we never have before--with more purpose and fervor than we have ever had before--we will be awakened to a new reality of love and life that come through lives lived for Jesus Christ. We seek Him, and we find new life. We live this new life, and we find Him in our eternal home. I love the gospel.
Love,
Elder Logan Bryan
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Week 3
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| Elder Anderson and Me at the Airport/Air National Guard Base |
Well this week was pretty good. Well, actually this week kind of stunk it up big time as far as the work goes, but I'm happy. What can I say? I'm in the servicio del Señor. What greater thing can I be doing? Not a thing.
Ricky and Erik did not show up to church, and that means that Ricky can't be baptized, and I don't think we have time to teach Erik everything so he can be baptized this Saturday, but we'll try. Rita we taught this week, and it was a good lesson. We challenged her to pray for a miracle so she can come back to church and be baptized and she said she would. Well one of our investigators' husband lost his job, and we're hoping he can get hired, and then Rita will be able to quit! It would be awesome. We taught his wife, Sunshine, this week, and she had followed our invitation to pray. She was reading a pamphlet we left her, and then felt a strong urge to read the Book of Mormon, and then while reading that, she felt a strong urge to pray. She said it was an intense and emotional experience. She'll definitely be baptized, and we just have to get her to progress more. We got to do a ton of service this week. Probably like 8 hours. But it was good. I love doing service, and I love the service that teaching the gospel provides. Even though right now in the Buffalo Ridge ward, there aren't very many people wanting to jump into the baptismal font, there will be. We work hard, we do our best, we give it our all, and we go further than we thought we could. That's the only thing we can do. I want my mission to be counted toward my eternal blessings and salvation. AND! "We know it is by GRACE we are saved, AFTER ALL WE CAN DO." I can't afford not to put my all into this awesome and totally rewarding work. It is the only intelligent thing to do to work harder than ever.
Not much to report on this week. We had a leadership training meeting in Fort Collins on Thursday, and Elder Anderson tore it up in our area while I was gone. I got to see Elder Washburn, and man he's such a stud. I love that guy. I'm so thankful for my trainer. This will be my last week as senior companion this transfer because part of training is letting the trainee be senior companion. So the next time I'll be senior companion in an email that I send will be in a new area. Crazy. I got to see one of our ward missionaries swear into the Air National Guard. That was sweet. Missionary work is awesome. There is no way around that. I have figured out lately that there's no point in being out here if we're not going to be happy. Happiness is a crazy thing. I think Heavenly Father blesses us with it at the weirdest times in our lives--the times when we feel like we shouldn't be happy at all because we're tired, or there's no success, or whatever. But we're happy. I know that only the gospel can provide such a happiness.
We got pulled to give Sacrament Meeting talks this Sunday 3 minutes before it started. I gave my talk on the atonement. There's no way around the atonement. It is the center of everything we believe. Our faith is centered on Jesus Christ and his Atonement. When we exercise faith that we will change, we will repent, or somebody else will do the same, we are completely and fully putting trust, faith, and hope in the Atonement of our Savior and Redeemer of our souls. How can we fail when the Savior of all, the man who commited no sin, the perfect, and perfectly loving Brother that we all have is standing by our sides? We cannot, and we will not--if we put our faith in him. Like Nephi says: we know that God is able to do all things for us, if we just exercise faith in Him; "Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." Recommit to do it. Live by faith, walk by faith, and change by faith; others will do the same. We all are on the path to our Father, and the only way we can get there is through Jesus Christ, our Mediator, our Lord, our Salvation. Let us hold fast to His rod, and eat of the fruit He is so willing to give us--through his infinite, eternal, perfect atonement. Let us love Him. I love you all.
Love,
Elder Logan Bryan
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| Awesome Ward Missionaries: Courtney and Sterling Law and their kids Graham and Maylee |
Monday, March 12, 2012
Week 2
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| Sweet Mustachioed Bug with Sweet Mustachioed Missionary |
I have been out of the area for three days this week on exchanges and meetings and such. So not a lot of work was done, but what did happen was pretty good.
Rita has fallen off the map because of work. She wasn't able to go to the movies we invited her to see--Prophet of the Restoration with us and her fellowshippers, and 17 Miracles with the High Priest group activity. We have fasted for her this week, and we really hope a miracle happens with her. We know the Lord will bring about her conversion in His time, we just hope it's soon. Rita is amazing. I know she will be baptized, it's just a matter of when. She is so prepared, so willing, so golden. We just have to find out what more we need to do to help her progress.
We didn't get to see Ricky or Erik because they bailed on us a couple of times. They didn't come to church either, which is depressing, but their mom texted their fellowshipper and said they didn't make it to church this week because they forgot about the time change, and they would be there next week for sure. We're earnestly hoping and praying for them to progress and be ready for baptism. I know they will be ready to be baptized if they keep doing what they're supposed to and make this a priority. It's hard for them to see the importance right now, but it will bless their lives so much.
K'neesha is doing well, we have now taught her everything, and we're just hoping and praying she can get everything ready to be baptized. It seems like we have so many people so close, it's just making and being able to take that last step which is always blocked or hindered by something. There is truly opposition in all things, but we just keep going no matter what, and helping others use their moral agency to choose for themselves is the joy of the work. It's also the greatest source of sadness, but how can there be one without the other?
What do we have if we don't have this? If there is no God, if there is no church, if there is no atonement, then there is no point. Without a plan, without a purpose, there is no reason, there is nothing for which to live. But if these things exist--and not only exist, but persist--then we have everything to live for. There is a God, and He loves us infinitely, perfectly, and individually. He has restored His church, and it is His kingdom on the Earth. The atonement is real, and no change or progress or betterment would or could possibly take place without its penetrating and perfect reach. The plan of salvation is God's plan for us to be happy. Happiness comes through God, Jesus Christ, and the families they give to us. There is a purpose, and it is to seek out and find the joy that God is so ready to give us. Jesus Christ lives, and His complete and undying gift to us is the atonement: the path to perfection. It's a path of stumbling and of getting back up. But it is a path of complete happiness, rewarding progress, and eternal existence. I know this and love it, and continue to seek happiness. Find it, because it is worth it. I love you all.
Love,
Elder Logan Bryan
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| Elder Anderson and the Bug |
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| My Grandpa, Elder Gochis, Me, and Elder Anderson |
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| Last Tranfer's District |
Monday, March 5, 2012
What a Week
My family,
I love you very much, and I've missed you more than normal this week. This week tested my faith, and my fortitude. We had several ups and downs this week, and I hope that in the future there will be more ups than downs, but that's how it goes.
We had several great things happen this week and a couple of downers too. We got to meet with Ricky and Erik Garnica (14 and 13 years old) and they committed to come to church. And they did which was a miracle and we taught them after church at the Browns' (an awesome family in the ward. He used to be bishop before Bishop Ross, and Sister Brown's brother just got called to the Nevada Las Vegas mission Spanish speaking!), and they committed to be baptized on March 24th. They seem different this time around and they seem more committed and more aware of the commitment that is necessary to be a member of the church. They are very receptive, and I hope and pray they are ready and will continue on this path. Rita this week was our biggest let down. She has been called back into work, and now has to work Sundays with no immediate end in sight. She is upset about having to work but corporate told her they couldn't switch around everybody's schedules, and she has to work Sundays now. Which means her baptism will be pushed back indefinitely. It is rough, and it made me do a lot of self-reflecting on how much I had taken this for granted, and how much I needed to improve. Rita has been so golden, she has progressed amazingly, and her husband has been so supportive, and now the situation is hard, and could be that way for a while. We fasted for her yesterday, and I know whatever happens will happen for a reason. It's just been hard to see someone so ready have only one thing holding them back. One thing they don't have much control over. We're going to keep trying. K'neesha has been doing pretty well, we're trying to jump a few hurdles with her, and as long as that happens, her baptism will be set. We taught Sunshine, the sister of a member of our ward, and talked with her atheist husband a lot. He is a really great guy, just sees things differently. That went pretty well, and we'll keep working with them.
Things have been going great in the good old state of Wyoming. I find it hard sometimes to look at my trials in an eternal perspective. I think of the things I go through, and although they are nothing compared to Christ's, or the Prophet Joseph's, they test my will. I think of the promise-filled, and peace-giving comfort the Lord gave to Joseph Smith while undergoing surely some of the most painful and absolute loneliness: "My Son, peace be unto thy soul...". What greater witness can we have than from God? He gives us the peace we seek, He supplies us with the tools we need to tackle the trying tribulation that so often plagues us--His weak, mortal children. Then I think of the self-inventory that the Lord invites when he sheds eternal perspective on the situation: "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" What comfort comes from considering the complete and truthful line from the hymn: "Who, who can understand? He, only one." I love Him.
Love,
Elder Logan Bryan
I love you very much, and I've missed you more than normal this week. This week tested my faith, and my fortitude. We had several ups and downs this week, and I hope that in the future there will be more ups than downs, but that's how it goes.
We had several great things happen this week and a couple of downers too. We got to meet with Ricky and Erik Garnica (14 and 13 years old) and they committed to come to church. And they did which was a miracle and we taught them after church at the Browns' (an awesome family in the ward. He used to be bishop before Bishop Ross, and Sister Brown's brother just got called to the Nevada Las Vegas mission Spanish speaking!), and they committed to be baptized on March 24th. They seem different this time around and they seem more committed and more aware of the commitment that is necessary to be a member of the church. They are very receptive, and I hope and pray they are ready and will continue on this path. Rita this week was our biggest let down. She has been called back into work, and now has to work Sundays with no immediate end in sight. She is upset about having to work but corporate told her they couldn't switch around everybody's schedules, and she has to work Sundays now. Which means her baptism will be pushed back indefinitely. It is rough, and it made me do a lot of self-reflecting on how much I had taken this for granted, and how much I needed to improve. Rita has been so golden, she has progressed amazingly, and her husband has been so supportive, and now the situation is hard, and could be that way for a while. We fasted for her yesterday, and I know whatever happens will happen for a reason. It's just been hard to see someone so ready have only one thing holding them back. One thing they don't have much control over. We're going to keep trying. K'neesha has been doing pretty well, we're trying to jump a few hurdles with her, and as long as that happens, her baptism will be set. We taught Sunshine, the sister of a member of our ward, and talked with her atheist husband a lot. He is a really great guy, just sees things differently. That went pretty well, and we'll keep working with them.
Things have been going great in the good old state of Wyoming. I find it hard sometimes to look at my trials in an eternal perspective. I think of the things I go through, and although they are nothing compared to Christ's, or the Prophet Joseph's, they test my will. I think of the promise-filled, and peace-giving comfort the Lord gave to Joseph Smith while undergoing surely some of the most painful and absolute loneliness: "My Son, peace be unto thy soul...". What greater witness can we have than from God? He gives us the peace we seek, He supplies us with the tools we need to tackle the trying tribulation that so often plagues us--His weak, mortal children. Then I think of the self-inventory that the Lord invites when he sheds eternal perspective on the situation: "The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?" What comfort comes from considering the complete and truthful line from the hymn: "Who, who can understand? He, only one." I love Him.
Love,
Elder Logan Bryan
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