Laughs

Shane, Elder McKay, Elder Young, Me

Man, I think I laughed more this week than I have in a really long time. Being with Elder McKay and Elder Young in a trio was a blast! I am so sad to see Elder McKay go. I learned so much from him, he truly is a representative of Jesus Christ and is connected to his purpose. I couldn't have asked for a better companion for 1/4 of my mission. I'm so glad we're rooming together at BYU. It's going to be a blast!

Well, this week was kind of crazy but in a good way. We picked up Elder Young from Laramie on Wednesday night. Then we worked in our area last week, and got to teach several people. We are working with Sandy, Joyce Slaughter's friend, and she is doing really well! She is progressing awesomely, and she is excited to be baptized. What more could we ask for than working with people who are excited to make a covenant with God? We taught Chad again this week, and it was a really good lesson. We taught the first lesson, and showed the restoration DVD, and the Spirit was so strong. We testified of the miracle it was that we were sitting in his living room right then, all because our Father in Heaven loves him so much. It was awesome!

On Saturday we had a going away get together with a lot of families in the ward for Elder McKay. It was so neat to see so many people share how Elder McKay has impacted their lives for good. What a neat thing for him to be able to see, and for us to be able to see so that we can try to become more like Christ through becoming more like Elder McKay. Cool!

Yesterday was one of the most exciting days of my mission! We picked up 20 missionaries at the airport. 6 sisters, 14 Elders. 2 Sisters are 19 years-old, 1 Elder is 18 years-old. We get to meet with the trainers and greenies for a while on transfer day, and as we were doing so, we started off by singing Come, Come ye Saints (powerful!) and I just was so excited. You could see their excitement and nobility and valor in the room. It was indescribable. The feeling and Spirit was almost tangible. We closed with How Firm a Foundation--and I felt so privileged to be able to witness such a marvelous gathering of the next age of God's army joining the ranks. What magnificence! I love this work so much. It is amazing. The Spirit I felt last night was real. Heavenly Father is real. With a perfect love that my mortal imperfections will never get near to describing with any shade of perfection, He loves us. He knows us. His Son performed the atonement perfectly, infinitely, and completely so that we may become like Him. So that we may be clean and become more. I love this work. What a privilege I have to stand in the midst of it and add my testimony to all those that have come before. I love it.

Love,
Elder Logan Bryan

P.S. I got pulled over last night driving our 12 passenger van with trailer attached. Luckily it was only because the trailer lights were out. But still, I don't like getting pulled over. It'll give the new missionaries something to write home about though!  

The Kaisers and the Trio--Elders McKay, Young, and Me

Shane and Me singing "How Can I Be?" to Elder McKay

Taking Hma. DeRenzy and Hma. Flores to the airport

Me with 3 Elders that were going home

Becoming

Me and Elder McKay

Dearest Family and Friends,

This week was a blur. I don't remember a lot of it, to tell you the truth. We had 2 leadership training meetings on Tues and Thurs, and then I was on an exchange in Greeley on Wed, in Loveland from Thurs-Fri, and in Fort Collins from Fri-Sat night. So, it was a crazy busy week. I was grateful for the time I was able to spend in the zones. How grateful I am for the opportunity we have to represent the Lord Jesus Christ and strive to be like Him. I have felt His love for my brothers and sisters here as I have tried so hard to help them become more like Him.

I was on exchanges this week, and there is a missionary in that zone that I grew to become pretty good friends with while serving in Greeley (he served in the Spanish branch there). His name is Elder So and So. He is such a talented elder with so many gifts from God given to him to be able to do God's work, but sometimes he doesn't live up to his potential. I'm not saying I do the best at that, but Elder So and So has the potential to be so much more. I knew he hadn't been doing very well, so I asked Elder Kyger (my companion for the day) if we could go on tracting splits with that companionship. I took Elder So and So with me for about an hour or so to tract, and we talked while we did it. A while back, he had told us as his zone leaders in Greeley that he was ready to change and become more. He sat us down and shared with us something the Holy Ghost had prompted him, and we tried to help him. I asked him how he was doing, and he said he was doing good, but I could tell he wasn't. So we kept talking and I finally asked him, "Elder So and So, do you remember that day you sat us down in Greeley and told us you were ready to change?" He said he did. I then asked him, "What is the difference between you then, and you now?" He then quickly responded, "You. You and Elder Hernandez aren't there to be able to help me. I knew you loved me and cared about me and wanted to help me. I don't feel that here. I just feel judged." Well, I told him that even if he might feel judged the people that are trying to get him to step it up are doing it because they love him. I then talked to him about the potential he has. I asked him if he really knew who he could become. He kind of brushed it aside and we kept talking, and on the way back I told him I think he is one of the most talented people I've ever met and he has the potential to be one of the best missionaries ever. I then asked him again on the way back if he knew who he could become. He then responded, "I don't really know. But I want to do it. I want to become who God wants me to become." I told him that I had a really hard time in the beginning of my mission. Later on I showed him the recording on my recorder of my 3rd or 4th day in the mission field when I was having a really hard time. I told him that I had a really hard time, and only with the Lord's help am I who I am today. He does have the power to change us and strengthen us. After listening to it, he asked me, "Elder Bryan, why do you care so much?" I asked him what he meant, and he said, "Why do you care so much about everything, the mission, the missionaries, me?" I then taught him about charity. I told him I had prayed for it and asked for the ability to see others (especially the missionaries) as they can become (which is a fruit of charity, Moroni 7:48). I told him that somehow I had been able to see how much he could become, and because I can see that, I have to do all that I can to be able to help him get there. I started getting emotional as I told him how much I knew he could become. I don't know why I wanted to share this, but I am so grateful for the opportunities I have to be able to minister to people. How grateful I am for the example the Savior set to "leave the ninety and nine and go after the one".  It is the Lord's pattern of ministry. 

I don't know much of what happened this week, other than the fact that Elder McKay and a zone leader taught Angie. They pulled some strings and figured out a way to have a YW babysit Angie's kids in the Kaiser's basement while they taught her with the Kaisers upstairs. It went well Elder McKay said, and Angie said she would start coming to church. We did get to teach Sandy on Tuesday with Bro. Van Wagenen (our WML) and it was a good lesson. We taught her about faith, repentance, and baptism. She talks a lot, but is such a good-hearted lady, and I know she will be baptized. Looks like our January goal is not going to be accomplished, but stranger things have happened. I know the Lord is doing His work in His time. I need to step my game up to be able to be his servant and instrument. I love His gospel. I love His church. They're true. 

Love,
Elder Logan Bryan

Near the beginning of our hike to Royal Arch in Boulder.  The Kaisers took us--we love them!

Nearly there--going down before going up again.

At the Top!

Made It!

Beautiful View at the Top!

Exchange Week!

Well my family, I don't have much time, but let me give you a quick update.

I was on exchanges in Laramie and Cheyenne and Denver North this week. They were good. While I was away, Elder McKay did some awesome work, like always. We found 4 new investigators this week. Monday night, a guy we had street contacted named Alex had us over for dinner. He and his friend were there and it was a great dinner, and they talked to us about Christ and how much He has blessed and changed their lives. It was cool. We taught them the Restoration after dinner, and they were very attentive and interested. We taught them about the Book of Mormon, and they both committed--very sincerely--to read and pray about it. They're cool guys. It was a neat experience and they told us they want to have us over for dinner every couple of weeks or so, so in a week we'll be having dinner at their house again!

Elder McKay taught a lady named Sandy. She is in a nursing home and is good friends with a lady in the ward named Joyce. They taught Sandy the Restoration and about the Book of Mormon and asked her to read and pray about it and she said: "I already have" and they asked her if she got an answer and she said "I know it's true"! Talk about a tender mercy of the Lord. She was going to come to church on Sunday, but she got sick. We're teaching her again tomorrow, and it's going to be awesome!

Well, my time is short. I know what we're doing is sanctioned and watched over and progressed by the Lord. He is the Lord of the Vineyard, and in becoming like Him, I must ask myself, "What more can I do for my vineyard?"  I love Him.

Love,
Elder Logan Bryan

Broncos cupcakes from the Kaisers--who were hopeful fans on the day they played the Ravens!

Beast Mode

The effects the Office has on Me!!!

Well my amazing family,

This week was beast! We had some different duties that we needed to get done, but all in all, it was a dang good week. I went on 2 exchanges--one in Aurora, and one in Arvada. They were both really good. Elder Mckay's birthday was this week too! It was a really good day where we both were edified so much by President meeting with us before ZLCs. He just testified to us of the love God has for his children and how when we exercise faith, God will help us find them. I was in tears meeting with him, and at the personal experiences he shared with us. President Toombs is such an amazing man. I love him.

While we were on exchanges this week, Elder McKay and some zone leaders found many potential investigators, and 3 new investigators, and last night Elder McKay and I found 1 more! I wasn't there for any of the lessons for them except last night with Chad, but I've met one of them, her name is Angie. She has golden gospel questions, and I know if we could teach her in a non-distracting environment (like in the church) she would progress and be baptized. The one experience I was here for was teaching Chad, and it was great. When Elder McKay and Elder Reiber found Chad, they were driving on that road, and felt a strong prompting to go back and talk to him. They turned around, parked, and walked right up to him. He said he is wanting to change his life. They told him about the prompting to go talk to him, and he said it gave him goosebumps. We went back and taught him last night, and we asked him to tell us his story, and he did. We then testified of the cleansing power of the atonement--how all-encompassing, and ever-reaching it is. We testified of baptism and how it could help him, and invited him to be baptized, and he accepted! Then we invited him to be baptized on January 27th, and he accepted! It was an amazing lesson, and we're going to do everything we can to help him to be prepared to be baptized on that date. He is humble and willing to do so, and I know this is an answer to our prayers and fasting. Elder McKay and another zone leader are going to teach him on Thursday at 11, because we're doing 4 exchanges this week. I know it will be a great lesson, and just pray that he will be willing to come to church and show his faith by being baptized and keeping commitments.

One last experience. I was in Arvada on exchanges, and we went with one of the districts to go tracting in one area. We went and I wanted to be paired with one of the brand new missionaries to go tracting. So we went. His name is Elder Wengreen, and we went tracting in a fairly well-to-do area. So we started and weren't having much luck. Then we tracted into this girl named Cheryl. She was about 21 or 22, and we started talking to her and letting her know who we were. She told us she wasn't religious. We asked if she believed in God, and she told us she didn't believe in anything. Well, it wasn't going so hot. Then we just started talking to her and getting to know her life and her dreams and goals. She is going to culinary school and hopes to be able to travel around the world and see the different cultures and cuisines and bring them back to the US. She told us that being in culinary school had changed her life around. We asked her how, and she told us that after high school she had gotten into some bad stuff, and that when she went to culinary school she got rid of her group of friends that had a bad influence on her. We testified of the power of the atonement and God's love for her. She then told us, "You know, part of me wants to believe" and shared an experience her brother had. We testified of our purpose and again of God's love for her, and the conversation ended with her being so excited to call us and meet with us, and also her saying, "I will definitely call you, and I'm sure my mom would want to meet with you too, so I'm excited!" WOW. The Lord is preparing the hearts of his children--even as we testify to them. How powerful is the Spirit as it testifies to the hearts of those we talk to. I love the gospel. It is the power of God unto the convincing of men. It is happiness. I love the Savior. 

After Cheryl we tracted into a lady that didn't even open her screen door and told us she was Catholic and was about to shut the door, but then we asked for a referral! She actually thought about it and told us there was a lady a few houses down that was elderly and had just lost her husband. So we went and tried to find this lady, and sure enough a few houses down, Connie answered the door. We told her we were missionaries and were here to help people in whatever way we can. We asked if we could help her with anything now that her husband is gone, and she told us her kids help her with most things, but then she broke down and said, "It's hard." How my heart felt for her as she told us this. We testified to her that her Heavenly Father loves her, and she thanked us for telling her that and for coming to help. Then she said her husband was a physician and had lots of Mormon patients, but she never really got to know about the religion or what we believe and that she'd like to. We told her that's what we do (a little excited and astounded), and she said she was interested in finding out what we believe. We asked if we could share a scripture with her then, and she invited us in--but we couldn't go in because there was no male home.  We then told her we could bring a gentleman from our congregation by in the next week to talk to her. She then said, "You know, why don't we try that. Let's see how that works". So, the Arvada 4th ward is going to get a pretty prepared investigator that they can simply testify of the atonement, and of the plan of salvation to, and the Spirit will do the rest. I know this is the Lord's work. Things don't just happen like that. I was even astounded at how amazing that tracting experience was (especially in Arvada.):D But the Lord is preparing people, and "Angels are declaring" His gospel. 

Love,
Elder Logan Bryan

Celebrating Elder McKay's Birthday at the Kaiser's Home!

Loved Photo Collage gift from Mama McKay!

Part of the Group at Dinner/Birthday Celebration