Semana 2 en Montevista

Mexico Lindo y Querido!

Familia!

Siento que estoy viviendo en Mexico cuando manejamos en uno de los calles en nuestro area. We're doing good!  We don't have a ton of time, but I'll tell you about a few miracles we had this week! So,

#1 Sebastian. Our first week here, we were driving home one night, and passed a car with a flat tire on the side of the road. I felt strongly we should go back and try to help them, so we pulled a U-ie, and went and parked behind them. We talked to them...it was a super cold night, but we really couldn't help with anything with the flat tire, so we talked to the young man driving the car. He said they live in Commerce City, and we were speaking spanish, so we knew they were in our area. We told him what our purpose is as missionaries, and if they ever needed anything or wanted to know more, they could call us. We left him a card and that was that. This week on Tuesday we missed a call from a number, and we got the voicemail. It said that this was Sebastian, and we met him on the side of the road. He wanted to know more about what we do and teach as missionaries. So we met with him that night. He is 18, still in high school, and he says he's the only one in his family that is interested in God at all. He's been trying to study the Bible for years, but he can't understand it. He wants to do what God wants him to do, but he doesn't know how. We taught the first lesson the restoration, and he ate it up. He is so prepared to receive the Gospel!  What a miracle that he called us, after we had met him for 3 minutes on the side of the road. He has been prepared by God to do His work!  Sebastian is elect!

#2 My spanish is doing ok. I thought it'd be easy, and I'd pick it up since Dad speaks perfectly, Mom speaks perfectly, and Kenna does as well. Well, no. Not true. But I can tell the difference in my Spanish when we have the Spirit in our lessons. In particular, yesterday. We taught Clara again. We took our ward mission leader, Hno Bermudez with us to teach Clara, and it was an awesome lesson. The Spirit was soo strong in the lesson, and as we bore testimony, both Hno Bermudez and I started to cry. Clara knows the gospel is to bless her family, and I know she wants to progress. My Spanish had no problems. I could clearly express myself as well as I needed to because the Spirit was there. The gift of tongues is real. In contrast, the next lesson we had, the Spirit wasn't as strong, and my Spanish suffered, a lot!  But I know that the Spirit helps me, and it helps us to know and testify that we're here because we love them and God loves them. We testified to Clara that we weren't there just to share information. We are there because we love her and her family. It was awesome!

I love the gospel and this sacred and marvelous work! We haven't seen a ton of success lately, but we're working dang hard, and I know it will come. Like Isaiah 40:31 says, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint."  As we wait upon, and work for, and love the Lord, these blessings WILL come to pass. I have seen it too many times to doubt. So, we're working, loving, and waiting. And I KNOW  we will see the arm of the Lord outstretched in so many blessings, it will be hard to have room to receive them. That is the power of the Gospel that I know to be true. I love you! 

Love,

Elder Logan Bryan

I'm a Greenie Again

Como Estan Familia? 

We had a good week this week. Monday was a cool day--we picked up a group of 25 at the airport. 4 visa waiters and 21 new missionaries assigned to our mission. They're a good group. It's weird not knowing how they're doing, or how things are going in the mission, but I get to focus totally on my area now. I don't know very many people here in Barrio Montevista because we had Stake Conference this past week. It was an awesome conference. By the way, do you remember my first dinner in the mission field how it was green? That was the Brown family, and Thad Brown used to be the Bishop of the Buffalo Ridge Ward like a year before I got there. Yesterday the Cheyenne Stake was split into 2 stakes: Cheyenne, and Cheyenne East. The new Stake President of the Cheyenne East stake is Thad Brown. Cool!

So this week we have tracted a ton. We've tracted a specific apartment complex a lot. And it has yielded some really good fruit. It's a huge complex with 24 apartments in each building and at least like 12 buildings, so it's taken us some time to tract a part of it. We found some really good investigators from it. One is named Matilda Hernandez. We tracted into her, and then a few days later, we brought an awesome RM named Rafael Espinosa with us. It was a rough lesson, but somehow she still accepted an invitation to be baptized if she knew it was true. We found a really nice lady named Clara. We went back the next night with a couple in the ward--the Salazars, and had a good lesson with Clara and her husband Eucelio. It was a good lesson. There were some hiccups, but good overall. We set them with a baptismal date to work toward, and they're working toward being baptized on 19 Mayo. Clara is elect. She is really awesome, and I guess it's part of the culture, but she didn't do much talking in the lesson. Most of the talking was from Eucelio. But, when we explained and testified of the Book of Mormon, and gave them a copy each, she started intently looking through the pages, and I could just tell she wanted to know and wanted to feel.  It was cool. The other day, we were tracting, and we knocked into a door of a lady named Norma. She started talking to us and telling us how she had spent so long looking for the truth--she studied with Jehovah Witness, Christians, etc.--but she didn't find it, and so she had pretty much given up and decided on worshipping in her own way in her own house. So we told her that we wanted to share with her what we believe and invite her to find out on her own, just as she had in all the other instances, if it is true. She invited us in and her 22 year-old son was there named Jesus. We explained who we were and that many know us as Mormons, and her face was surprised. She said they were from Monterrey, MX (Cool!) and lived right in front of a church building. Her kids used to go "con los Mormones" all the time to play and have fun. She said she's worried about Jesus and the decisions he's making, and said she would love it if he went again "con los Mormones", and asked him if he would accept that. He said he would. So we taught them the restoration, and told her her exact question was one the gospel could answer. They loved it, and we are going back this week. She told us nobody had been able to explain the reason there are so many churches before us, but now she understands it. It was cool!

So we're seeing a lot of miracles. And I love being here in this area. It's hard, but I wouldn't want it any other way. If I didn't grow these last two transfers, I wouldn't be doing the Lord's work in the Lord's way--progressing grace for grace, line upon line, precept upon precept. I'm grateful for the desafios, for the hard times and challenges. For when I am weak, THEN am I strong. Because I will turn to the Lord in the times of affliction and trial. I am always, and will always be led back to my favorite scripture: Alma 26:12--"Yea I know that I am nothing. As to my strength I am weak; therefore, I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God; for in His strength I can do ALL THINGS." With His strength, I can become better. With His strength I can learn Spanish. With His strength I know I will become more like my Savior. I love Him.

Love,
Elder Logan Bryan

Last Week in the Broadlands Ward and as an AP

Well My Family,

I won't have much time to write today, but I am doing well.  As you know transfers are next week.  This is an email I sent to Kenna a couple weeks ago:   Hey so, I don't really want you to tell Mom or Dad or Dallin or anyone, but I want to tell you about a miracle that I had this week. So I've been talking to Elder Young about our desires. He is a firm believer that if you let God know your righteous desires, and pray for them and live to receive those blessings, we will receive them. So I've wanted my whole mission to serve in Spanish and learn Spanish. I've felt like it would be such a blessing, and I would love and completely consecrate myself to it. So on Saturday morning, I was praying in the shower for it, and again on my knees during/after studies I prayed for the opportunity to serve in a Spanish area. Well, it snowed hard that day, and we had to go to the office and do a few things, and while we were there, President Toombs came in and started talking to us about miracles going on in the mission, etc.  We went back to work, and he was on one of the computers, and yelled over to me, "ELDER BRYAN!"  I said "Yeah?"  He said, "How's your Spanish?"  He told me to come over there, so I did. He pulled up the transfer scenario for next transfer on the computer, and said, "I'm thinking about putting you in the Montevista Ward, in Spanish."  He said, "The other day when you were giving your training, and showed the videos of you and your sister opening your mission calls, I thought how cool it would be for you to be in a Spanish area and know it when you go home. I've been thinking about it, and thought that would just be cool. What do you think?"  I was dumbfounded. I couldn't believe it. I said, "President, you know I would go anywhere you wanted me to, but that would be a dream come true. I would LOVE it."  It's not completely for sure, but what a testimony builder that God knows us and our desires, and is willing to grant them to us. I'm fairly certain I'll be in an awesome area, in a Spanish ward to end my mission!  What a blessing!  It has nearly brought me to tears a couple of times.

So now I know I will be in this ward, and I am so excited!  Yes, it looks like I'll be finishing up my mission speaking the celestial language of Spanish. What a dream, wish, and desire come true!  I'm so grateful.  What an answer to prayers!

We taught Tara 3 times this week, and she is completely awesome! She, Michael, Lauren, and Ashleigh went to church, and Michael's dad, Tara's 1st ex-husband came as well!  He grew up Jehovah Witness. It was great!  

Just thought you guys would like to know, we gave talks yesterday in Sacrament Meeting, and I thought it was one of the best talks I had given in a long time. I didn't have notes, just my scriptures, and it was great!  I talked about how to become converted, and used D&C 112:13 as the basis for my talk. I talked about how we must overcome the temptations of Satan to become converted--all of which temptations boil down to 2 things: doubt, and fear.  I talked about both a little bit. Apparently, we didn't know until after, there was a general authority in the audience. Elder Webb, from Idaho, is in the 5th Quorum of Seventy, and he was in our Sunday School gospel principles class. He pulled me aside after the class and said, "Do you have a minute?"  I told him yes.  He told me that he thought that was a great talk, and he especially was impressed as I testified and said, "As an authorized representative of the Lord Jesus Christ I testify that He lives."  He told me to say that as much as I could, and he praised me.  That was super cool. Then this morning, when we saw President Toombs as we were picking up the missionaries from the airport, he brought up, "Well I guess you had a general authority in your sacrament meeting yesterday?"  I said "Yeah, and if we would have known that, I would have been a lot more nervous for my talk, because both Elder Young and I talked."  He said, "That's how I knew, actually, he told me how impressed he was by the talks he heard by my missionaries. I got an email from him this morning. In particular, he mentioned a missionary named Elder Bryan. He said how nice it was to see a missionary that just gets it."  What a blessing to hear that!  And coming from a member of the Seventy!  Wow, pretty cool! 

Milagros

Wow! This week was awesome! General Conference was amazing, and I feel so spiritually uplifted afterwards. Just like Kenna, all of my questions were answered, and I feel like the Lord knows me more than ever. He knows what I need, and How I need to do it. What a blessing. Like always, Elder Holland's talk blew me out of the water! It was so short though; I was ready to listen to him for another hour. I thought Elder Bednar's talk was amazingly powerful. President Uchtdorf's talk on light was great, I must have zoned out in that one though because I feel like I need to really go back through it. What a weekend!

Lately, President Toombs has been really emphasizing the need to pray for and find 1) families to teach, and 2) Men to teach and become future leaders of the church (future Melchizedek Priesthood holders). So Elder Young and I have recently been praying for families to teach, and the ward has been doing a 40 day fast, so things were bound to happen. My very finite and forgetful mind always seems to not see the end from the beginning and sometimes I seem to lose hope. But once again, a loving Heavenly Father allows me to receive even more witnesses of the fruits of faith and the power of prayer and fasting! So on Tuesday morning I received a call from a man named Rich Johnson. He's a ward mission leader in a ward in Fort Collins. He called me and told me that he had a referral for us, the Broadlands ward. He told me that he works from home, but one of his co-workers (who also works from home) whom he's had lots of contact with since they've worked together has showed a lot of interest in the church. He said the lady's name was Tara. She has 3 kids: Michael (12), Lauren (5), and Ashley (15 mo.). Recently they had a death of a little boy who is close to their family, and the kids have been asking Tara questions. She told Rich she better start looking into religion, and if she was doing that, she better look into the Mormon faith. She asked him if he could send some guys to teach her about it! So she gave him her address, home phone, cell phone, and times in the next few days she was open to meet. I was so excited! So I called her later that day, and set up a time the next day to meet with her. So we did, and she is awesome! The young boy that died goes to the same day care as her daughter, and her daughter knew the boy. Lauren asked her mom, "Mom, when is God going to bring this little boy back?" At that point, when Tara couldn't answer that question, she knew she needed to learn more of God, and grow closer to him. So we taught her the restoration, and we testified, and she committed to be baptized once she knew it was true! Awesome! Then, 2 days later, we set up a time to give her and her family a tour of the church. So, we set up a time that the Rennakers (Mom, the lady who sent you that pic of me in green St. Patty's day stuff) and us could give Tara and the kids a church tour. It was awesome, and the Rennakers are perfect for Tara. They invited her to come to a picnic with them yesterday and to watch General Conference, and she went! While at the church, we talked about how much the Gospel would bless her family, and we testified of it. Then we invited her and Michael, her son, to prepare to be baptized on May 4th. Tara turned to Michael and he said yeah, and she said she would prepare to be baptized that day as well!  What a miracle. I love them so much, and I know God is blessing the ward for their righteous desires and sacrifice. What a blessing!

I don't have a ton more time, but I want to leave with my testimony. I know the Lord knows us. He loves us. He knows the thoughts and intents of our hearts, and he grants them to us. In our hours of despair or darkness or confusion, He is the light of the world. I will echo the words of the Psalmist who wrote, "The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures...yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me...my cup runneth over." Truly, the Lord has been my shepherd, through good and bad. At times in my life, I have been the lost sheep for which He left the ninety and nine and found me. At times I still feel like that. But now, as I have tasted of the goodness of the gospel, and have eaten of the fruit most desirable above all other fruits, He--the Prince of Peace, the Good Shepherd--has trained me, taught me, prepared me to be a shepherd as well. I have been instructed, edified, trained, taught, chastened, and brought low to become a better shepherd than I was before. It is my turn. He has allowed me to leave the ninety and nine; He has given me the experiences, trials, and challenges to become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and now I can strengthen the feeble knees, and lift the hands that hang down. I LOVE the Gospel. It is the peace promised, it is the comfort prophesied of, it is the kingdom restored to the earth. What a marvelous and awesome blessing to be a representative of Christ. I love Him. 

Love,

Elder Logan Bryan

Broadlands

Easter Basket delivered by the Kaisers from my Family

Mi Familia!

I don't have much time AT ALL. But I'll give you a quick update. Elder Young was gone all week, in Laramie, Cheyenne, Loveland, Arvada, Aurora, and I was here. I had to do something for a guy named Sam Sturgeon, he's from the Research Information division at Church Headquarters. Our mission is taking a survey for them, and I had to arrange all the access codes and such, so it took a while. 

The best part of the week was teaching the Pollaccia family. I can't remember if I told you about them, but they're a less active family that lives in a gigantic Italian Villa Mansion house. Anyway, we got in with them on Friday night, the night before they left to vacation in Mexico. It was one of the most powerful lessons I've had in a while. Basically we told the Easter story from beginning to end, and testified powerfully of the atonement and its power and blessings in our life. I was able to testify purely of my Savior for 30 minutes or so, and it was so refreshing to be able to do so. What a blessing. They felt the spirit powerfully. (So I did basically all of the teaching because we were on exchanges and the elder I was with is quiet, and after we challenged them to pray individually to know for sure if Christ was their Savior,  Brother Pollaccia talked to us. He told me he might not, but that was one of the most powerful witnesses of the Easter story he had ever heard and it was straight from the heart. What a blessing to have somebody tell me that.) 

It was a great experience. I have to go, but I love you all so much. I love being a missionary! 

Love,

Elder Logan Bryan

Hurrah For Israel!!!! For the Cause of Christians!!!

Preparation Day with Kaisers and Elder McKay in Aurora!

Yummy Lunch that Kaisers prepared

Playing Shane's Uke

Basketball Game!