Last Email From Her Mission

Hello dearest loved ones! 

I have debated long and hard what I would do with this my "final weekly".... 

1 Appendix removed AND one heart converted. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. He lives and loves us. The low point of my mission when I had emergency surgery helped me to gain a greater understanding of the atonement and the love of our father in heaven. 

2 Trainees, trainers, and trips to the temple. The best things come in two's! :) My two adorable trainees have become powerhouses missionaries who are blessing the lives of many. My trainers taught me how to be the missionary I am today. And every trip to the temple has been wonderful! 

3 Areas. Dunn Ave, Normandy, Oak Leaf. Three wards of amazing people and so many dear friends made.    

4 Zone leaders as an STL. I have learned how to love and support these incredible elders who serve the Lord just as have. Priesthood is real and I am so thankful! 

5 Pairs of shoes. So much walking and knocking and talking. Everyday rain or shine. Everyday blessed not stressed. 

6 Baptism. Richard, Michael, Josh, Paul, Dusty, Alberto. Each one separate and distinct each on a blessing I will never forget. 

7 Sister training leaders. These sisters serve and love and cry trying to help us become who we need to be. They are amazing! 

8 Million bug bites. Scratch them one by one. ;) 

9 Companions. From start to finish each one has taught me and helped me become who I am today. Sister Periera, Bolos, Saxton, Thomas, Fotheringham, Clay, Tryon, Beecher, Ridenour. <3

10 Musical numbers. Singing everyday! I love musical and I've learned the spirit communicated through the universal language of music. 

11 Zone conferences. Opportunities to learn and grow. Always become better day by day. 

12 Months celebrated with ice cream on a tradeoff. Crazy! Time rushes by, don't blink or you'll miss it!

13 Transfers can you believe it???

14 Hand sanitizers I think I have problems, haha p. But at least I have clean hands. 

15 Different pass along cards. The Work of the lord knows no bounds he is always providing more and more ways to help the work progress. 

16 Holidays spent in Florida. Including world turtle day. ;) 

17 My favorite chapter in 3rd Nephi. Go read it!

18 Unforgetable months, counting every minute and every single blessing. 

This mission has been an incredible adventure and I have absolutely loved every moment of it. I am going to keep on keepin' on this week. I can't help but look back in reflection at how far I have come and who I am today. But I also look forward to the plan heavenly father still has for me. And who he needs me to become. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity to serve as a missionary. I have changed so much and my personal conversion has increased I know I am better than I've ever been. I love Jesus Christ. I know he is the savior of the world, throughout my mission he has become my dearest friend. I trust him and desire to serve him each and everyday.

Love you all, 

Sister Bryans 

Photos from the week

1. Cute puppy!

2. Pie made with a friend.

3. Adeola and Sister Harrison. 

4. Went and got sushi with a member, Sister Mills for life!

5. Sushi! #yum. 

ALBERTO GOT DUNKIN 10/16/2017

Hello dearest loved ones,

This was an incredible week for the books! I love Florida and I love being a missionary. :)

This weekly will be told photo by photo... Haha  

Photo 1. The bug jar. So my adorable companion is absolutely disgusted and terrified of the bugs in Florida. Since in am not really bothered I have the opportunity to catch and release them into the wild. ;) this particular fellow was found on the table Wednesday morning before we went to an incredible district meeting. Huzzah! I love my district. 

Photo 2. Tradeoff!! So following district meeting Sister Periera and I went on another tradeoff. She's an incredible missionary and truly one of my best friends in the whole world. I have absolutely loved serving along side her during this crazy adventure. We had a great tradeoff too. We went out in the evening with Katherine and found the 2! Then she was adorable and went and got us milkshakes. 

Photo 3. The next day we went out and had a delicious lunch with a lady named Cristal and she became a new investigator. She is so awesome and really prepared to receive our message. :)

Photo 4 & 5. The adorable puppy named Max. We went and had dinner with the Hartz again to prepare Alberto for baptism and to finish up the lessons. It was both fun and cute. Alberto is so awesome! He is elect!! And member fellowship is so important for investigators to be able to progress in the gospel. 

Photo 6.  Alberto got baptized on Saturday!! It was such a great baptism, the spirit was incredible. Everyone felt that Alberto is super elect and prepared for the gospel. The talks were beautiful and there were so many people there to support him. He is great! Truly many tears were shed. Haha. Emotional sister missionaries, I tell ya.

Photo 7. Today was zone Pday and we carved pumpkins. Now everyone is praying volleyball. Crazy how last October before Halloween I was in Dunn Ave carving pumpkins in Hendricks. Wow! O.o 

Photo 8. Zone photo... but sadly I wasn't in it... didn't get the memo. Haha! Oh well. Good photo anyway. :) 

This week has been awesome! I love serving the Lord. I am blessed every day. I look forward to next week's email. Xoxo

Love, Sister Bryans 

Members make the difference!!!

Howdy friends! Greetings from Florida where the sun always shines and bugs keep getting bigger. ;) Since it is now fall Florida is cooling a bit, and by bit I mean it is out of the 90s! Haha. I think I'm gonna freeze come winter though. O.o I love being a missionary. There is no where I'd rather be than here. :) This week was an all around adventure. Just a few highlights or key moments;

   First Alberto is awesome! He is prepared for baptism we have had some great lessons with him this week, and we had the opportunity to fast with him on Thursday prior to him taking a military test thing. It was so good and such a spiritual experience for him. Our lesson with him on Saturday was really fun! We had a brother from the ward FaceTime into the lesson because he was out of town. The spirit was the same and it was great to see the tools we have in action. Alberto is getting baptized on Saturday. We are hoping to have many, many members in attendance! His family is really unsupportive of his decision to be baptized and it's hard for him. So this week we will be having nightly family prayer with him. We know that our members are going to take good care of him too. :)
   Second we went and prayed with members and it wasn't awkward! Yay. :D We prayed with brother Jones and then visited his neighbors and we found a new investigator. We were so excited we went right back and told him. His face just lit up and he even said he'd like to come to our return appointment. It was incredible. Miracles do come as we unite our faith with members. They are absolutely key to this work! Sister Ridenour and I are focusing on working with members this week. Really building trust so that the missionary work in Oak Leaf can hasten even more.
     Third church was a miracle! We had been praying really hard to have good church attendance this week and we had been reminding our investigators and inviting absolutely everyone to come. And we ended up having 6 or so non-members there (only four in our current teaching pool) and then we had 4 less active families attend. It was a miracle. I know it happened because we'd done all we could and had faith that it would all work out. Church really makes all the difference. It is so important and I just loved watching the members welcome these friends to church. I feel like this week was just a reminder of how important members are to our work! Hence the title to the weekly! :)
   Fourth we had a really powerful lesson with Jasen, we met him this week at his LA step-fathers home. We had a lesson at church with him on Friday night and we were able to have a member present. As the lesson was coming to an end I asked Jasen to say the closing prayer, he once again expressed the awkwardness and how much he didn't want too. Our member asked about his experience praying after we had our first lesson and it was clear he didn't understand or know how to truly pray. I felt the spirit so strong that if he didn't learn to pray he won't be able to receive an answer to his questions. So I taught him the steps of prayer and then explained the doctrine. Testifying that the moment he opens his mouth God would be listening and that it would allow him to receive answers. He felt the spirit and agreed to pray. It was so powerful, such a sincere prayer and so heartfelt. I know that he felt the spirit during his prayer! It was incredible. 

    Fifth we had Zone Conference this week! I performed the musical number with my companion we sang How Great Thou Art, needless to say many tears where shed. We also officially went online. We now have smart phone to aid us in the work and we are using Facebook to connect and communicate with members and non-members in the area. It's incredible! Truly this is a tool the Lord has given us to hasten the work. I love it! 

    SO in a nut shell that's my week. :) I love y'all. Please remember to pray for Alberto this week. Xoxo

Sister Bryans 

Photos:

1. Zone conference with my girls! They are both incredible!! I love watching them learn, grow and bless the lives of so many. I love them. ❤

2. Throwback to the generations. :)

3. My love Sister Armstrong, she makes me smile!

4. KATELYN!!!! She s the bestest ever!

5. When your companion becomes cousin it from the Adams family.

6. Car selfie! 

District ice cream

Wanted to add another photo! My district is the best district. :)

We went and got ice cream and it was so neat. They literally made it in front of you! 

I love y'all have a blessed week. 

🎶This is Halloween 🎃🎶

Hello! :)
   This has been a wonderful week. Conference was truly so inspired and powerful. I love that we have prophets and apostles who lead and guide us in our day. They make so many sacrifices as they serve the Lord, I am so grateful that we have the oppertunity to sustain them. I add my testimony to our beloved apostles that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. And we need to listen to the prophets voice and follow his council. If you are not reading the book of Mormon every day, then get started! My darling Sister Elizabeth gave me the invitation to read the book of Mormon before I get home so I'm working on it! I'm already in 2nd nephi and I love the council and direction I receive. I truly have a testimony that the book of Mormon is the word of God. It is true and of we live what it teaches our lives will be blessed in so many ways. :) Also I add that you take a moment to read and study the living Christ. I am going to memorize it before I come home. It will be awesome!! Remember, if a 6yr old can do it, you can!
   Other than that a highlight if this week was Alberto!! He is doing so well! He is truly progressing in the gospel and his faith is increasing. He was able to come to a session of General Conference and it was perfect. He really felt the spirit. We then were able to have dinner and a lesson in a members home after the last session. It was so spiritual! He was so touched and that home become such a holy place. Brother Hartz offered to give him a blessing and it was so spiritual and uplifting, Alberto is preparing to be baptized on October 14th. A week later than planned but I know he'll be ready then!  I love teaching him, he is just so prepared! :)
    We had an awesome district meeting this week! Our district is so wonderful. We are getting closer together and learning how to work in unity. We are as a district taking time to sacrifice something so we can have great miracles this month, I know sacrifices bring great miracles! I love everything!! Our meeting was uplifting becuase we focus on what we do well not just on where we are struggling. Elder Holland talk from conference was so powerful. If you are on the path stay in it! Even if your staggering along on the path the most important thing is that you are on it. Remember his talk from a few years ago when we said, "You get points in the gospel for trying, even if you don't succeed." I know this is true and it is so reassuring! Have peace my loved ones. Remember you are doing better than you realize and you are good enough!!
    Also mini-shout out to my Sister Elda who is now happily married. Sister Ridenour and I celebrated by going out to eat and getting ice cream. I'm so happy for this next step in her journey. And the opportunity to have an eternal family is such a gift within the gospel. I loved Elder Oaks talk on the family proclamation. He was so powerful and so right. The family is from God and the family proclamation his his plan for us to find happiness within our families. Take a moment to study it this week and tell you what you learn! :)
Love you all!
Sister Bryans

1. When you get a sad fortune

2. Favorite door mat ever!!

3. Favorite district photo! #throwback

"Time be a changin' in this mission"-said in your best old man's voice

Greetings one and all!

TRANSFERS are awesome, I love my new companion! Although I miss Sister Beecher oodles and bunches. :)
SO the beginning of the week we had district meeting and little baby Sister Beecher gave her first ever training. It was so incredible! She is such powerful missionary. I loved serving with her in Oak Leaf. She taught me much and her love helped me through so many things. Photo 1

Then we transferred on Wednesday. I will really miss Sister Beecher but I'm happy to have this time to serve with Sister Ridenour. She is so powerful, she is an incredible missionary and I love serving as her companion. I think she's already such a blessing to this ward. And I am learning so much from her. She is an example of all good things. :) she really knows how to talk to people and she is so driven to be the best missionary she can be. And she is such a good listener, she really cares about my ideas and feelings and we've had such powerful companion inventories. I am really going to focus on her, I feel strongly there there is a reason we are companions. And I want to be the best companion I can for her.

We saw so many miracles this week! We were able to find and teach and be so powerful! I love serving in this ward and seriously this area is on fire! Blessed.
We were able to do service over the weekend and helped so many good people. My heart was so touched. People are so loving and so grateful for the good we do. I love the children of God I am serving here, I never knew how I could change and learn to love each person I meet do fully and completely. I am blessed to serve here!
The big news is the the FJM is getting Facebook! So this is a short email to allow for time to polish up my profile. :) crazy! Haha.
I love each of you! I love being a missionary more than anything in this world. I truly have found more happiness here than ever before. And I am so blessed to be able to serve my Savior. I love him! I know he loves each of us and truly he wants to bring us home. And the fact that we have the OPPERTUNITY to help him in this work is such an honor. Please enjoy the photos!
All my love, Sister Bryans 

Hurricane cleanup, transfers, last 6 weeks?

Hello!!! What a week this has been! I feel so abundantly blessed everyday. :)
   I am safe and well! The hurricane was kinda fun! We had the Orange Park sisters at our apartment and it was a blast! We stayed very safe and sound. We have done a lot of hurricane clean up, the majority with our ward. It has been a blessing because it has brought greater unity to our ward family. As we have served together we have laughed and gotten to know one another better. It also has been a blessing becuase service softens hearts. This is a great time to reactivate those lost members becuase they are really feeling the love. My heart has been especially touched by the gratitude people have been expressing. My heart overflows with compassion and a desire to help them. And I can truly feel of God's love for them.
    We were also able to teach Alberto this week. We moved his baptism date to October 7th becuase of General Conference. He is still so excited! We have started to teach him the commandments and I have been so inspired as we have taught becuase he understands that if God commands he must obey. Even if he doesn't fully understand a commandment or the "why?" he understands enough to say, like Nephi, I will obey. Truly the spirit has been working and preparing him for the gospel for a long time. I also think a good reason why he is progressing so rapidly is becuase he is close friends with members. He loves them and he has watched how they live and he see's the blessings they enjoy. Truly members are the best missionaries!! :)
    TRANSFERS!! Sister Bryans is staying in Oak Leaf and Sister Beecher is going to Gainsville YSA! Wow! Blown away, I was not expecting that at all. I am so excited for Sister Beecher to go forward on her journey. She has been an incredible blessing to this ward and to each person we have met. She has learned and changed so much since day one. Her confidance has increased and so has her testimony. She is such a powerful missionary I know she is going to do amazing things in each area she serves. I will miss her though, she has become a dear friend. She has helped me though some of the harder parts of my mission. But I trust the Lord and I know he has a much bigger plan that what I see.
    I am excited to have Sister Ridenour coming to serve here with me. I know she will be a great blessing to this ward and area. I am so excited for the miracles ahead! I had a neat experience Saturday night after transfer calls, I was praying for a confirmation and feeling a little discouraged and fearful about the changes ahead. And I was reminded powerfully of the training from Sister Neilson about companion unity. I felt strongly that there is a need for sister Ridenhour and I to be together for the next 6 weeks. That we need each other and I feel strongly that we will become fast friends. I also thought about Sister Beecher and prayed for her, and was reminded that no transfer is random. But each one is inspired, I felt that I needed to trust the Lord and encourage her to do the same. I know this will be a great transfer of growth for her. 
    I can't believe I am on my last 6 weeks. O.o It blows my mind. I am so grateful for this opportunity to serve. And I ask for y'alls help in keeping me focused for these last 6 weeks. :) WHEN you email me send me a scripture or a spiritual thought y'all have had. I love serving as a missionary. Everyday I am so grateful I chose to serve. I love what I am learning here and now and the ability I'll have to continue to apply it going forward. I love my Savior. I know he loves each of us. I know he is very aware of us. I am so grateful for his sacrifice and how the atonement can help us on the path to become.
All my love, Sister Bryans.

Clean Up Picture from a Member (9/12/2017)

Hi Sister Bryans

My name is Hannah Mandel and I am in the Orange Park Ward. Sister Bryans gave me your email address to send these pictures to you! Today, we had the privilege of meeting Sister Bryans. She joined the sister missionaries from our ward and a team of ward members in assisting my family and my neighbor in cleaning up after Hurricane Irma. Sister Bryans helped Helen clean up her yard in record timing of debris from the storm. What was impossible task for my family and Helen  to complete the missionaries and ward members got done in a few hours. Your daughter is a gem and we are so grateful for her helping us today. Thank you for sharing her with Florida. The first picture is Sister Bryans, Beecher, Knight, and Swann with Helen. The second picture is lunch time at my house. 

Hannah Mandel.