My Week

Me and Elder Young

Hola Familia!

This week was pretty good. I'm feeling a lot better than I did last week. My migraine is gone, along with other minor health problems. I've felt pretty good this last week. We had Zone Conference on Tuesday which was awesome!  I'll have to share with you my notes on these past Zone Conferences when I get home. 

Well, it's true. The mission is splitting. President Toombs had known for a few weeks, and we were the first missionaries to find out. We knew last Sunday, the 17th. It's crazy. The Fort Collins mission will consist of the following stakes/zones: Boulder, Longmont, Loveland, Greeley, Ft. Collins, Cheyenne, and Laramie. The new Denver North Mission will have the following stakes/zones: Westminster, Arvada, Denver North, Aurora, Arapahoe, Denver (metro), and Parker. We pick up 2 stakes from the South mission and 1 from Springs mission. It will be effective July 1st.  7 days before I go home. President Toombs made the announcement to the zone leaders on Friday. It's been nuts!  I'll know more about us preparing the way for the new mission and the new Ft. Collins mission president, President Kelly Brown (please pray for him). 15 months of my mission have been spent in what will now be the Ft. Collins mission!

So this week was full of exchanges and Zone Conference, but the highlight of my week was yesterday evening. It blizzarded yesterday so we couldn't drive our car, but that night we called Cody Engstrom, a YM who has his mission call to Brazil to come out with us. We went to visit Michelle (her son is named Matthew). She let us in, and we talked with her. We asked if she could ask God anything, what would she ask him? She told us she would ask why she has cancer and why she can't have children right now because the greatest gift she can give God is more children. She broke down with a few tears, and we testified of the atonement and of God's love for her. She was at a very low point of her life, but we testified and we are meeting with her tonight again. I could really feel God's love for her as we taught her, and I know she will progress. Pray for Michelle and her son Matthew. 

I love my mission.  I love promising people blessings in the name of Jesus Christ. I love representing Him.  I love the glad tidings and joy that the Gospel brings. My testimony echoes that of Jeffrey R. Holland (I have memorized this quote from his last talk, and used it while we trained at Zone Conference):  "Ours is not a feeble message; it is not a fleeting task.  It is not hapless.  It is not hopeless.  It is not to be consigned to the ash-heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God and it is to change the world."  This is the work of Almighty God.  He is my Father and He has chosen me to aid in His wonderful work and glory to literally change the world.  The work is hastening.  It is clear.  I have such a marvelous blessing to be part of it.  I love you. 

Love,

Elder Logan Bryan

Zone Conference Week

Elder Young and I training at Zone Conference

Well, I had a migraine this morning and I'm not feeling too well. So this might be a lame email, but I want to let you know how my week went.

We had "P-day" on Monday. Really we met with President Toombs and drove up to Loveland to get a car, and then took a brand new missionary, Elder Barluschke (from Wuppertal, Germany) first to Commerce City to pick up another missionary, and then to Aurora, and then we had to meet a few other missionaries and drop some other missionaries off.  It was kind of a crazy day. 

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday we had Zone Conferences. They were really good Zone
Conferences, and we did a lot of role playing. Most of what we did was President Toombs would teach, and he would turn to us and we would testify and backup what he was teaching with experiences.  We taught about a pyramid of missionary work.  The bottom is obedience, then the next level is finding, the next level is contacting, then teaching, and finally inviting. We taught about each one and hopefully each missionary could connect the dots in his/her mind.  It was a fantastic few days, and we have one last Zone Conference tomorrow in Greeley. It will be a good one.

Thursday I was on an exchange with Elder Anderson, and we got to go to Celeste's baptism. It was a good experience and I have some pictures to send next week or so.  I just have to find my battery charger for my camera. 

I know there are people that are waiting in the woodwork for us to work and find them.  I pray that we'll find them and be able to teach them.  I know the atonement is real.  It has blessed my life, changed it, and saved it.  I love my Savior.  He truly does succor us each day we go through pain and trials.  What a magnificent blessing I have to represent Him.  I pray I'll never take it for granted. 

Love,

Elder Logan Bryan

What a Week

Well family, I don't have much time. Let me give you a quick update:

1) The traveling stuff is being toned down. We aren't going to be traveling as much. We are going to be doing things as the Zone Leaders request us to. It's going to be good, and we'll be able to work more in our area. I want to get this area going. 

2) Elder Young and I are doing great. It's going to be a good learning transfer. I feel so inadequate all the time. I feel like a poor example all the time. I feel like I'm missing something or lacking something. I know I need to rely more on the Atonement and become better. I know I need to quit focusing on myself, my inadequacies, my failures, and I need to focus outside of myself--focus on my brothers and sisters. I need to be in the scriptures more and know them more and memorize them more. I have a very, very long way to go. But it's possible. And, it's fulfilling and enjoyable and happy.

3) We have Zone Conferences this week. We won't be preparing notes or a talk or anything, but President Toombs, Elder Young, and I will all together be standing and teaching from our hearts on: obedience, finding, contacting, teaching, and inviting. Pray for us :D

4) There were cool experiences this week. Sandy is dropping off slowly...it's sad. We're praying for her and trying to get her to come to church. She has excuses, and life IS hard for her medically, but I know the gospel will bless her. It's so close to having her accept the gospel. Chad has dropped off the face of the earth. I haven't seen him in a while. We've dropped by a few times in the last week or two. We're trying to build up a teaching pool. I know it will happen. We tracted into this lady named Michelle, and she was sleeping and her cool young son answered the door and said his mom was sleeping, and then shut it. A few seconds later he opened it again and said his mom was woken up and we talked to her and she was so nice and my heart just swelled for her as a single mom with Matthew as a son, and she said we could come back on the weekends in the morning. I really hope it goes well. 

I know this gospel is true. This work is the best I've ever done in my life. I love it. I know it's right. I know it's inspired. Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Logan Bryan

Week 1 is Done

My Wonderful Family,

This week has been a good, crazy week. The usual. What a wonderful experience it was to be able to pick up those wonderful, prepared, noble missionaries from the airport and how reversed I think the roles are. Somehow they all instinctively look at Elder Young and I and look up to us, but I am the one who is truly looking up to them and their valor and courage and consecration. It's awesome!

We had 3 exchanges this week--I know, crazy! The first week, we almost never do that many exchanges. But, since this transfer is only a 5 week transfer and ends on March 3rd, we are going to have to push everything into a really short timetable. We have 4 zone conferences this transfer too, so that takes some time out of our weeks. We are driving to Laramie tonight, then to Cheyenne tomorrow, then to Ft. Collins the next. I might have to buy a nice sleeping pad depending on how things go because we are changing the way we do things as assistants. We're  going to be traveling AP's so we can be out with the missionaries. Not traveling totally, but we are going to spend the majority of our day out with missionaries in the field. Then we will spend our evenings in our area. It's going to be awesome. Elder Young and I both feel like that's why we were assigned to be assistants. For the one on one work we can do with the missionaries. We just let our ward know about it yesterday, and they (and we) are still trying to figure out how everything's going to work, but it's going to be sweet!

We didn't get to do a ton of teaching this week, but we tried to visit Chad 2 or 3 times, but either he wasn't home or didn't answer. Sandy called me on Wednesday and Thursday and said she didn't want to be baptized so soon. She said she is having concerns with the fact that our church doesn't have a pastor give a sermon every Sunday. She said she's used to theologians giving sermons, and isn't sure how she'll take talks from members of the congregation. I know it's a simple concern and we'll be able to resolve it. I'm excited about meeting with her and getting her to church. She wants to come and see how she likes it, so it'll be good. By the way, I'm talking in Church on Sunday, so pray for me. My subject is on "ordinances". We got to have dinner with Jennifer Murray, and her daughter Joy, and her husband Jason. Jennifer was a less active lady that Elder Washburn was the first one to visit in this area. She went on a mission to California, and had some things happen in life and is less active. Joy is her 11 year old daughter and is awesome! She is the happiest girl ever, and we love teaching her. She was baptized when she was 8, and now both her and her mom are getting active in the church. Jason is Jennifer's second husband and isn't a member. He is a really nice guy, but not interested in the church--or so he thinks!  I was on exchanges with Elder McElroy and we tracted into the Murray's neighbor two houses down. His name was Eric, and he was ridiculously nice to us. He told us to come back on the weekend, and he would definitely let us in. We're excited to go back!

Well I don't have much time, but it was a great week, and I'm looking forward to all the new changes that are happening! The Gospel is true! I am so blessed to be a part of this. How marvelous this work really is. This is what this life is all about. D&C 138:56. This is what we have been prepared for. We received our first lessons to prepare us for this. I love this work. 

Love,
Elder Logan Bryan