FIRE!!!!

So yes, this month has been one of natural disasters.  A tornado a couple weeks ago, and now, a fire!  It's been going on just west of Fort Collins, and hasn't been contained very much.  There have been many homes evacuated, and even one death (I heard it was a stubborn old lady who wouldn't leave her house. Sad.)  So this week we did some tracting for hygiene kits for those that have been evacuated from their homes.  This week was also great as far as the work went.

 

So first of all, on Monday we had set up an appointment to get to know a part-member family named the Pritchards who remind me a lot of the Deans back home.  The dad races in trucks and dune buggies and stuff, and the kids are all super fun and awesome.  Their 9 year old twins want to be baptized, and so on Monday we got to know them a little bit and talked to them about the Book of Mormon.  We also have an appointment with them today, and we're hoping to be able to get them to work towards becoming active and getting baptized!  It's awesome!

 

Next, Alissa is going to be baptized this Saturday!  It's going to be great.  Bro. Meyers is going to baptize her, and a lot of his family is coming into town to see it. She is just so ready to do this.  It will be something that will bless her life forever.  Not only her life, but the life of her children and many more people.  We are teaching her tonight, and then she will be having a baptismal interview in the next couple of days or so.  It's amazing to see such a prepared soul.

 

We got a referral from Mormon.org this week for a man named Gary Stinson.  He wanted a Book of Mormon, and so Elder Ellsworth and Elder Stanger were on exchanges and gave it to him and set up an appointment with him for Friday. We went over on Friday, and started talking to him.  He says he is tired of making decisions in life all on his own and screwing up. He needs God and is ready to change.  We did "How to begin teaching" with him from Chapter 10 of PMG, and while doing that he committed to be baptized!  Tender Mercy.  We then gave him a church tour the next day with a member, and then he came to church yesterday!  It was awesome.

 

All in all, the Greeley Zone and Elder Stanger and I are loving the work and working our hardest.  It's amazing to see what the Lord blesses you with just because He loves you and wants his children to be happy.  I love Him so much, and He truly loves us.  There is no greater knowledge than knowing the almighty God loves you personally, by name, and is truly involved and interested in your life.  Tell him about it.  He cares.  I love you all. 

Love,

Elder Logan Bryan

Tornado!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So yes this week Greeley was in a tornado warning. Thursday night was the big event. There was supposed to be a tornado watch (not as bad as a warning) until 9pm that night. Well we got home and 9:30 rolls around, the wind started picking up, and lightning was going crazy outside. We got a call from one of the elders that lives in town and he told us that we had a tornado warning now, not just a watch. So we started freaking out, and we packed up food and water and clothes and went to the concrete basement where the Spanish elders live. We chilled there for a while until it was pretty apparent that we weren't going to get hit by this tornado. It did touch down in the town of Nunn, which is pretty far north of us, but we went to Ault and Eaton on Friday, and the wind stripped the trees, the crops, and the hail did a lot of damage too. Crazy! I was actually really hoping I'd get to see a real tornado! Oh well.

So as far as the work went this week, it was great. Monday we taught Alissa Snyder. She is so completely golden, it's amazing. Bro. Meyers has been fellowshipping her a ton since October. They go down to the temple grounds frequently and talk about gospel-related things. She's pretty much been taught everything, and we just have to teach her the lessons as a formality. She is set to be baptized on June 23rd. It's amazing! Her children, she has two that are baptizing age, can't be baptized because recently she went through a divorce and her ex-husband is pretty anti. That is pretty sad because her kids are amazing and super attentive. One is 11 and one is 8 I think. They're such great kids. We're teaching her again tomorrow!

We also taught Caleb Alipio on Monday, and it turned into a bash session. He told us in preparation he had done some research, and began the conversation by saying, "How can you be part of a church that is and has done so much bad?"  Well, we went into a conversation freckled with points of anti materials, testimonies, and relatively un-heated arguments. It wasn't very productive. We ended by bearing our testimonies and asking him to do research in a way that finds good things about the church, and reading the Book of Mormon, and we would come back on Wednesday and hopefully have more to talk about. He said ok.  We left on good terms, and then that night he texted us and told us that both he and we were set in our beliefs and wouldn't really budge, so he cancelled our meeting on Wednesday and basically dropped us.

Kaleb Cook has fallen off the map and hasn't kept any appointments or come to church at all. We have another investigator right now in Peakview named Brodie. I'll tell you more about him next week probably when there is more to tell about the story. We've been trying to figure some things out with him, and he wants to be baptized, we just have to work out some details. So things all in all, are doing pretty great, and the work is amazing!

We had a stake priesthood meeting yesterday, and it was all about getting people on missions. It was fairly good, and at the end, the stake president had Elder Stanger and I get up there and bear our testimonies of how the mission has blessed our lives. It was unexpected, but I appreciated the opportunity to bear testimony of the miracle of a mission. IT truly is amazing. You learn more of, and about, and through Christ than you ever would before. Being His authorized representative teaches me more about love, about kindness, about perfection than anything else.  Moroni 10:32-33--Come unto Christ. There is no better way--there is no other way to find joy, or peace, or happiness. I love being in his service!

Love,

Elder Logan Bryan

Greeley Week 2

Hey Family!

This week there isn't a whole ton to report on. It was a week full of all kinds of administrative stuff, which can be so much more tiring and so much less fulfilling than missionary work. I guess it is missionary work, but it doesn't feel like it. I'll give you some updates on the work:

1) The Schumans are being taught by the missionaries from the ward they live in. They should be doing well, and I hope they continue progressing and gaining testimonies.

2) Alissa didn't make it to church on Sunday, but we are meeting with her today and hopefully it will go really well. I think she'll be super receptive and ready to be baptized.

3) We didn't get to teach anyone in the University ward this week, but we set up appointments with both Calebs (actually I think one is spelled Kaleb) this week.

4) All in all, this week was a week of setting up appointments and getting ready for this week. It's kind of discouraging when you have a week like that, but we're going to have a great week this week.

5) Cool experience of the week: We were in a meeting for Peakview ward yesterday before church, and we had a little bit of time in between church and the meeting. So we went tracting in a neighborhood right next to the church. We were "spirit-guided" (tried to focus on where the Spirit was telling us to go) to a street and we knocked the first door...nobody was home. Knocked the second one...it was a guy whose best friend was a Mormon and he is set in his church. Knocked the fourth one because we skipped the third because the lady and kids went inside the garage and shut the door. Nobody was home. Then we felt like we should go back and knock the house with the lady that went into the garage. We did, and she answered. She said that she had been on a 17 year mission to the Lakota Indians and helping people find God. We talked to her and in the beginning she said that she was good with what she believed (kind of closing us off). We talked for a while and we really felt like she needed to be invited to look into our church.  We testified and invited her too, and she lit up a little bit. She said she had never been invited before, but she wants her children and grandchildren to be able to follow in Christ's footsteps. We took down her number and she has ours and we should be able to meet with her and her husband sometime in the next couple of weeks. She said she has known Mormons and has always been impressed with their outlook on life, and their perspective. Her name is Lucy Bighead (her husband is Lakota and that's his tribal name). It was a way cool experience to be guided on a doorstep to do what we need, to help children of God to come closer to Him. Awesome!

Well I love you all so much and hope to hear from you soon. Work is going well and this upcoming week is going to be awesome!

Love you,

Elder Logan Bryan

This Week in Greeley

Well family I have about no time to email right now.  I'm sorry.  We have had a ton of zone stuff to figure out.  But here's a quick update on the work:

1--The Peakview Ward is awesome.  One family, the Tippets brought some friends to church.  The Schumans.  Bro. Tippets works with Mr. Schuman.  Apparently Mrs. Schuman was going through some really hard trials, and I think medically she was fading fast.  She's only in her 30s.  Well Bro Tippets went over to the Schuman's house with another member and gave her a blessing.  Sis Tippets said it is nothing short of miraculous that Mrs. Schuman is alive today.  So the Schumans introduced themselves to us and told us they were VERY interested in becoming part of our church because it has blessed their lives so much.  MIRACLE.  Also one of the members, Bro. Myers, has a friend named Alyssa who is a single mom, and she's been coming to church since October!  We introduced ourselves to her and she said she is ready to take the step to become a member of our church.  MIRACLE!  We're so grateful to be in this ward.

2--Elder Stanger is awesome.  He's on the quieter side, but is a great missionary.  HE is from Mesa AZ, and is probably the best guitar player I've ever met.  HE's amazing.  He connects with a lot of people by playing his guitar, so it's awesome to be his companion.  As a zone (combined with the Loveland zone) we're planning on doing a Spanish musical fireside, made by that one lady that mom sang for.  The lady that made all the Spanish fireside music.  Elder Stanger and I are doing a song called "En Un Hermoso Bosque" about Joseph Smith.  I don't know what the fireside is called, but if you look up that song, I'm sure it will have more info on the fireside.  It should be great.

3--We're ready to do work, and it's going to be awesome this transfer.  It's getting hot here in G reeley, and it doesn't stink as much.  It's pretty awesome!  I love the work.

Elder Logan Bryan

Still in the Farmhouse

Catherine getting baptized by Sam!!!

Hey Family!

So we're still in the farmhouse probably until July 15th or so.  Elder Dodd is leaving though.  That was a huge surprise!  We found out on Saturday after the baptism.  He's getting transferred to the Denver North Zone to be a zone leader there.  Guess who the new Assistant to the President is? ELDER WASHBURN!  What a beast!  I'm so excited.  We'll get to go on an exchange this transfer! It's going to be crazy!  So I'm staying in Greeley, and my new companion will be Elder Stanger.  I'll meet him in a couple of hours.  Apparently he's really musically talented--especially on the guitar. Everyone I've talked to loves him, so it should be great.

Catherine's Baptism!  It was awesome.  Everything was great!  Sam baptized her and did a wonderful job, and it was just cool to see.  Afterwards she felt great, whereas before the baptism she was nervous and kind of freaking out.  It's amazing what peace the gospel can bring us.  She had several friends come that were Catholic, and it was cool to be able to talk to them and see them watch the baptism.  I think it was a neat experience for them.  I got to confirm her on Sunday and it was an awesome experience as usual.  It was cool to see what my thoughts were as I was confirming her.  I think her relationship with our Heavenly Father is strong, and so much stronger than it used to be. Afterwards she said this weekend was awesome!  It really was.

So Kaleb Cook we taught for the first time on Monday, and he is just so ready to be baptized.  It is awesome to see someone who has waited their whole life to be baptized, and now will finally get the opportunity to do so.  He read the scriptures after our lesson, and is having all of the memories and knowledge of the gospel come back to him now that he's really searching for it again.  The only problem will be getting him to church.  He's had family in town over the last little while, and it's hard getting him to come with them there.  We also taught a guy named Caleb Alipio, who we tracted into a few weeks ago.  He is a believer in Christ, but doesn't believe in one true church.  He believes there's really no right and wrong but it's only about your relationship with Jesus.  He's a really great guy who has a sincere desire to learn about the gospel, and it's awesome being able to teach him.  We taught him a little bit about the restoration and then he had to go, but he set up his own return appointment, and really wants to keep meeting with us.  The tender mercies the Lord gives us are awesome.

Greeley is doing awesome, and I'm excited for this transfer.  Elder Dodd and I have made some sweet changes here, and things should be going great.  We're going to be picking up the Peakview Ward which is on fire, and we're stoked for that blessing.  Things do slow down a little bit for the summer, and I think we'll go back to just University after the summer.  Greeley is awesome and I'm so grateful and humbled to be able to be here and doing the Lord's work.  I was reminded this week of the responsibility we all have to be the captains of our lives.  We don't necessarily have control over everything that happens to us, but we do have control over how we respond.  Our attitude, our outlook, and our emotions are within our control, and when we feel that we are going through challenging times that don't seem to be positive at all, we have the right and the responsibility to respond with positivity, with happiness, and with peace of heart and mind.  There are times when we let our emotions or our attitudes be in control, but through the peace that the Comforter gives us, we can once again be the masters of our lives.  Self-mastery is one of the greatest achievements, but also one of the hardest.  We can only come to ourselves in this way through the Master of our salvation. How great it is to be in His service.  I love it.

Love,
Elder Logan Bryan

No Time, Sorry

Hey family. I don't have any time today to email. Sorry :(

But here's some updates on what is going on:

---Elder Dodd and I this week figured a lot of things out about the zone.  We have been trying to create a vision and something that will unify the zone so that the Greeley Zone won't plateau in its success, but that it will keep skyrocketing.  We are planning on making some awesome additions to the zone next transfer including zone goals, a welcome-to-the-zone packet, and calling the zone when someone sets someone for baptism. It will be great.

---We also have been working with Catherine closely and she is set to be baptized this week. She is awesome and is weathering all the storms that are coming her way.

--We got some great referrals this week, one of which was from some other elders. The guy's name is Caleb and he has pretty much been a member his whole life, but his mom wouldn't let him get baptized (or give him permission because he didn't live with her).  We talked with him, and he definitely wants to be baptized now that he's over 18.  So that's a tender mercy of the Lord.  All in all the Greeley Zone is doing great!

--We reserved some plots of land on the church farm and are going to make a zone garden! We're going to grow jalapenos, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, corn, etc. It's going to be awesome and unify us.

I'm so thankful I got to talk to you. I love you so much and I miss you so much. But even though it's hard, this is where Kenna and I need to be.  And even though it will be hard for Kenna to go home in December alone, that's where God needs her to be also.  Whatever happens, it's the Lord's will.  I love being His servant so much. 

Love,
Elder Logan Bryan

Graduation Party!!

Zone Leader Council

Hola Familia! 

How are you today?  I'm doing awesome, and it's been a good week.  Finals was this week and Graduation was Saturday.  The Institute will be getting smaller, but it will still go on.  We might pick up another ward for work.  We'll see.  This week we had some awesome things happen.

First, we taught Becky twice, and then she left on Friday, and so now she is in the Denver South mission.  Both lessons were great, we made sure we had taught her everything, and we shared testimonies.  She is going to get baptized, and she is so solid.  She has such a strong testimony and has gotten so many answers to prayers.  I'm so glad I had the opportunity to teach her and see her grow so much.  We taught Catherine as well this week, and she is doing great! She is set to be baptized May 19th still.  Sam will baptize her which will be awesome!  I don't know if I told you, but Sam received the Aaronic Priesthood last Sunday and he asked me to give that to him.  It was a way cool experience, one that I hadn't had the chance to do before.

I don't know if I told you about the other Sam yet, but last week we taught a guy named Sam Erickson, who was a contact by the missionary here that I replaced. He taught him while Elder Dodd was on exchanges, and then we didn't hear from him for a while.  Last week we finally set up an appointment.  He told us he was agnostic, and didn't really know what to believe.  We taught him the first lesson, and it went really well.  He said he would read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it was true.  Well we taught him this week on Friday, and I was definitely not expecting what happened.  We started talking, and we asked him if he read and prayed.  He told us he hadn't had a chance to read yet because of finals, but he did pray.  He said one night he was just struggling to know how to approach a certain issue that had come up, and he thought for a while and then prayed.  He said that when he prayed he felt this overwhelming feeling come over him that was hard to describe, but he said it gave him clarity as to how he needed to approach this problem and what kind of attitude he needed to have. We read Galatians 5 with him about the fruits of the Spirit, and he said that he felt this comfort, joy, and peace like he never had before.  He said he was almost to the point of tears--which is extremely unusual for him.  It was such a testimony of prayer.  I then asked him, "So where is your belief now?"  He then said, "I believe in God".  It was so amazing and I couldn't really realize the weight of how awesome it was until after, but it was a stunning and real testimony to me of the truth of what we teach. Sam left on Saturday to go work for the summer in a small town East of San Diego, but he is planning on reading the Book of Mormon. Baptism has been on his mind, and he said he is a little afraid of the commitment and change he would have to make, but it is on his mind and he knows he needs to pursue this.  Awesome!

This week my testimony is that of deep love and charity.  I can't tell you how much I have learned about those things in the past 4 weeks.  It's amazing how much the Lord can give you situations that try you and test you, but help you grow and strengthen your testimony so immensely.  There is no greater gift you can give than charity, and we will be blessed so much by it as well. Pray for it, and find a way to give that gift to someone--the gift of love, forgiveness, acceptance, comfort, the gift of charity.

I love you so much,

Elder Logan Bryan