The BEST day EVER!! (11/21/2016)

Today is the best day ever!!!! =) 

I was able to open my Christmas package today, and as y'all know Christmas is my favorite!!! And now it is in full swing here ❤️ 🎄🎅🏼 🎁 ⛄️ (maybe a little early for my companion, but she's amazing and just goes with it. Lol) 

This week was also amazing. We saw so many miracles and tender mercies, and it was delightful!! Just a few highlights for you:

Monday night we saw one of the best miracles ever! So gather round and listen to this story #storytime Sister Thomas and I had chosen an apartment complex to knock before our FHE activity. We started on the first floor and there was this cat, and it was so annoying!! It just kept crying and calling out- so finally sister thomas and I agreed something wasn't right. So we go up the stairs and found the cat on the roof, and there was a pretty good gap between us on the stairs and this poor little kitty. After some fiddling we couldn't get it so we tried the 3rd floor residents to see if someone could help, no luck! So we try the second floor, knock on the first door and a burly man answered, this was the conversation:

Man: yes?

Us: do you have a grey kitten?

Man: i hate cats. 

Us: (awkward) well... there's this cat stuck on the roof.... 

Man: (skeptical) what?

So we led him to the cat and watched in amazement as he climbed over the ledge and onto the roof. He quickly grabbed the cat handed it to us climbed back over and went back into his apartment. Our minds were blown, we didn't even have time to thank our name-less hero. So with our new friend the rescued cat we continued knocking the 2nd floor when to our amazement the name-less hero returns! He asked us if we live here which is when we introduce ourselves and started a conversation. He was actually interested in our beliefs so we taught him the first discussion briefly, left him with the Book of Mormon and a commitment to read it, and a cat which he fondly named Smoke. And we have another appointment with him tonight!! It is so exciting!! =D #miracles #theLORDworksinmysteriousways #thankacat

For our FHE we taught on gratitude and in that mindset we made the elders cupcakes as a thank you for all the awesome things they do. The FHE was awesome!! We had a pretty good turn out and everyone felt the spirit. :) 

Friday we had interviews with President Lee along with District meeting. 

 I love President Lee so much. I was the last to be interviewed, and it was good. I received some good council and I also was able to be given a blessing. It was very comforting, and I feel very blessed to be surrounded by worthy priesthood holders. There is no better feeling. :) After our meetings we went to lunch as a district and then we had a referral blitz for the downtown Dunn Ave Elders. It was 2ish hours of trying referrals and going all over the place. It was pretty fun! And we got to teach a preacher and his family. They were really nice. Then we went back to the church for Josh's baptism interview. YAY!!! 

Saturday was amazing!!!! Josh had his baptism in the morning.

It was stressful getting there but once we made it all was well. Josh was so excited! And his whole family came, and they loved it. It was really great. Sister Thomas and I spoke and Elder Andrus (our District Leader, who goes home in a few weeks) was able to baptized him. 

It was really awesome. His family loved it and we had some pretty good support from Ward members. His conformation was Sunday and it was so powerful. Josh is going to touch an awful lot of people, he is so awesome. 

Anyway... those were the highlights. :) All in all it was an amazing week. I want you all to know I love you. Y'all are always in my prayers. And I thank you for the prayers in my behalf. This week I invite you to read the conference talk: Sharing the Restored Gospel by Dalin H Oaks. Because Christmas is the best time to share the love of God with our neighbors, through the knowledge we have of Him and the purpose of life. And get excited!! This week on the 25th comes out the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Christmas initiative and video. #LIGHTtheWORLD If you go to mormon.org/downloads you can see a teaser and get an idea of what the church is planning with their 25ways in 25days. :) It is going to be amazing, and the FJM is so pumped up. Also I'm not sure if I've told y'all but the FJM has a blog: 

http://Floridajacksonvillemissionnews.blogspot.com Sister Lee is always posting photos and things, so go check it out if your interested. 

 Anyways... this has gotten long winded haha. 

I love you! I love being a missionary. I love the Lord and all he stands for. I know He lives, and loves us so much. There is plan and purpose to all things- even if we don't see it right away. Doctrine & Covenants 123:17, "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." 

All my love, Sister Bryans

P.s. We found this yesterday when we were out working. 

It was pretty awesome!! This was the rest of it.