Hi! It's me. Your favorite. I know. It's just too much to handle. All of this (yes, I just gestured to all of me).
But truthfully, GUESS WHAT?!? This transfer is already one of best and I've only made it through the first week.
Highlights of the work:
I
have a new companion. She came to me on Tuesday at around 5:45p. She
has been out 13 months and is from a teeny tiny mining town in Arizona.
Her name is Sister Woods. She is 5'9". She is diabetic and celiac. She
has one sister who is married and has two kids with one on the way. She
has already graduated from BYU-I with a degree in child development. She
loves babies. And she is super willing to work which is great!
Did
I tell you that she likes to work? I have been biking her around
everywhere in the effort to meet the ward. Set up great appointments.
Teach amazing lessons and WORK WORK WORK. I can promise any missionary
going out or desiring to be successful - if you are working with all
your might, mind and strength to the point that you are ready to sleep
for a hundred years by the end of the day. Then you are making a
difference. Even if you don't accomplish much you are doing a ton, and
your effort will be matched 10 fold with the blessings of heaven.
Carly
keeps progressing by leaps and bounds. I wish we could meet with her
every day. She has read through 1 Nephi 17, and she continues to take
notes and ask amazing questions. It's great! At our last lesson we
talked about the priesthood and very briefly discussed the temple. She
still wants to be baptized. And hopefully this week she will be able to
come to church. (So she works at Walmart and asked for Sunday's off, and
they gave them to her without question.) HAPPY DANCE!!!
She
was also able to come to the evening session of Stake Conference - where
she continued to take notes. She's the best. I just LOVE her SO MUCH!!!
I think my other favorite highlight of the week was going
to Brother Kunkle's home for breakfast Sunday morning. He made us gluten
free pancakes and eggs. And both were super delicious. And then the two
sisters who came to breakfast so we could be there drove us to church
so we didn't need to bike all the way there. w00t w00t! They are super
great. I love them both. And I found out that one of them is related to a
girl I went to school with at SVU (one of my hall mates) who is serving
her mission in Korea. It's a small world. What did I learn from
yesterday's breakfast adventure. A couple of things: 1) gluten free
pancakes are delicious and might be my new fave 2) I really want to
serve in a YSA ward. I love family wards, but I'm ready for a change -
Someday.
Spiritual Highlights of the week:
Can I
just say that I am finally feeling like my studies have a purpose and I
am learning things that I have never thought of before. This has never
happened. Actually that is not true. It happens, but it happens rarely.
And recently, I feel like it has been happening more and more each day. I
learn new things all the time and it is great! So what have I been
learning. Let me share a few that I think will benefit you all:
First,
I've been studying faith and how it relates to prayer. Can I just say,
WOW! My prayers have changed SO much! It's amazing. Last Monday I was
having a really rough time, so when I said my evening prayers, I just
poured my heart out in the worlds longest prayer not prayed by an
apostle or a mother. And it was amazing. After I was done. I felt so
much peace and comfort and It helped me just change my whole perspective
on life. MIND BLOWN! I wish I had practiced this principle a long time
ago.
And then I was studying the Christlike Attribute
of Diligence from Preach My Gospel and the scriptures, and my eyes were
opened. I read through the scriptures on Diligence found in the Topical
Guide. (Ps. I have totally gained a great love of studying from the
Topical Guide and Bible Dictionary and Index btw) And one of the
scriptures I read triggered this thought, "When we are busily [and
diligently] doing those things which are right. we have no time to sin
and do those things which are wrong." I also read a scripture which
triggered the thought, "Endure to the End can also be changed to: Be
Diligent to the End."
And this morning, I was read
Alma 56:45-48; 57:21 and was pondering on how the Mothers of the
Stripling Warriors taught their sons about faith. And I thought that of
all the things they were taught, they were taught who they were. The
Sons of Helaman knew that they were sons of God and that they were sons
of a Covenant People. To which I thought about how that principle
applies in my life. I am a daughter of God and I have been born to
parents who have been Sealed in the temple for time and all eternity.
And they are continuing to keep their covenants. They are a Covenant
People. AWESOME! Studying the scriptures and Preach My Gospel is the
best!!!
Invitations from Stake Conference/Me to you:
I have two invitations.
First
- I want to invite you all to have more effective personal and
family/couple scripture study. President Whitehead spoke to the members
during the evening session of Stake Conference and shared about the
accountability and unity it creates. Share what you learn in personal
study during family scripture study and then study the scriptures
together discussing and sharing as you go along. I know that it will
bless you. For, as you share, you know.
Second - I
want to invite every family who reads this to invite the missionaries
into your home so they can share all 5 of the Preach My Gospel lessons
with you. Our Stake President, President Foster, has invited all of the
families in the Fort Collins Stake to do this because the lessons are
meant to help strengthen our testimonies and help us deepen our
conversion. They are not just for investigators.
Blessings will come and greatness will happen as we prepare for the Second Coming of the Savior and Hasten his Holy Work.
I LOVE YOU ALL!
Love,
Sister Bryans
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