Sister Jennadene Ryan Meets Temple Square: October 2014

Transfer 5 Week 6

Not long left now of the best transfer of my mission so far! Seriously this transfer has been a transfer of miracles! Every day we are constantly in awe of how much we have been blessed by the love of the Lord and how he is in the details of our lives.

There is so much that happened in the last week, and I really just have no time to write it all but I will share some highlights with you.

Last Saturday Brenda was baptized! It was a beautiful day and it was so amazing to see her and the light and happiness just beaming out of her, she is naturally a happy chirpy person anyway, but she was just glowing with the light of the gospel. We got there and we are all excited, we got talking to people and we see Elder and Sister Bedell, who knew Sister Pipe when she was living in North Dakota! What are the chances that they are serving as the senior couple of the baptism of our investigator! It was awesome. We took a million and one photos together and then it was time to get into it. It was so amazing, the spirit was so beautiful there, Sister Pipe gave a great talk about baptism and then it was time. Nathan (her husband) was baptizing her, they get in and both smiling from ear to ear. I was doing all I could to hold back my tears of joy! She was baptized, Brenda, a beautiful daughter of our Heavenly Father had made that choice to follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ and was baptized. After everything was settled it was now my time to give my talk. I don't like preparing talks but I had studied and I had prayed and I knew that the Lord would give me the words to say. I started to speak and looking back I don't remember what I said, but Brenda had tears in her eyes the whole time. There are only a few parts that I remember and that is that I shared with everyone how Brenda and I met and it was awesome to see how it started to where it is now. After the baptism we gave her a little gift, a little necklace of a compass with a quote that said "The gift of the Holy Ghost is available as a sure guide, as the voice of conscience, and as a moral compass. This guiding compass is personal to each of us. It is unerring. It is unfailing." - James E Faust. And it is so true! After everything they invited us out for lunch and we went to Chuck-a-Rama and had a great meal with them, spending time and talking about the gospel in a busy buffet, haha. The next day we wanted to know how her confirmation was, she said that she was wearing her necklace we got her and we asked in one word describe your experience and she said "humbling". What better word could to say for such an experience, to receive such a gift from our loving Heavenly Father. She has come so far and it is amazing to see how the gospel changes one's life. It was truly an incredible day and I am just so grateful to have been a part of her journey and that the Lord entrusted me to help her get to this point. I will be forever grateful. The only way to put into words of how I felt is in Alma 26:16. "Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."

So Jacque moved to Oregon just recently and I didn't think I was going to see her for some time, after church finished on Sunday someone asked me where she has been and so I told her, then all of a sudden Sister Pipe says "There's Jacque" I was in shock, I dind't know what to say or do, I just tried to push through the crowd and give her the biggest hug ever! I made it! and it was so amazing to see her, it was truly a miracle, just being able to see her and feel of her light and spirit, she is doing such great things and is back home (Utah) for a week. She has been with some of the Sister's for the last couple of days and just yesterday invited someone to be baptized over the phone! She is changing so many peoples lives because of her discussion to come back into the arms of the Savior and it's been so amazing again to be a part of all of this. I know that I was meant to come on my mission to meet particular people and I know for an absolute certain that Jacque is one of them!

Also on Sunday we had this most amazing miracle! We were asked by some Sisters to close the Joseph Smith movie because there was a Native American man who had a lot of questions! We met him and his name is Gold and they were right - so many questions! But it was such an incredible experience and If I wrote down everything that happened I would be here forever but he asked about the Gold Plates and how the Book of Mormon could be a record of his people if they were 'savages' and all these things. We answered and bore testimony as we went. He then had the question "Did John the Baptist really come, did Peter, James and John really come?" we looked at him and just said "yes, they did".. He said "Wow..." and started crying "I haven't cried like this since 1981, I feel like what you say is truth..." Sister Pipe and I are just about in tears and the spirit was so strong! We are meeting with him again soon and he is Navajo and even knows it! and so the next day we went to Deseret Book and got him a Navajo Book of Mormon! And so he is going to teach us and it's going to be awesome. We are so excited, it was a pure miracle! He is so ready to hear the gospel and have it in his heart. There are somethings we are confused about, but it will all pan out.

Monday I was thinking, well I have nothing exciting to write in my journal today, well when I think that then something really awesome happens! Sister Tuinukuafe asked me if I would like to join her in a VIP tour, for some Australians! VIP Tours are Zone Leaders only, unless it's a language tour and well even though it's all English it was basically a language tour! We waited and then they came, it was Karen Lanyon she is a Consul- General of Australia for the 7 west states of America. It was her and her husband and they were so lovely! We took them around the Senior couple basically led it, which was nice, and I don't know if I was meant to do this, but she is from Sydney and so on the Temple Pamphlet it has a picture of Sydney Temple and she wanted to keep the Pamphlet, it was great! we went to the Tabernacle and the Christus and in the end they wanted a photo with us! and then she said "Oh, I will send this to Kim Beasley, and I'll get him to tweet it!" hahaha, it was so weird but so awesome. She is great!

Tuesday I had my interview with President, it was pretty normal and he complimented my missionary efforts and how well we are doing this transfer etc. and then he asked "so Sister Ryan, what's happening to you next transfer?" and I replied "I don't know I was hoping you would tell me" and laughed. He just said "well, let's put it this way, we are putting you to work".. I told him that the only revelation I have had about transfers is that it will be a humbling experience and that I will learn a lot, he told me "that's a really good attitude to have, no wait, let me rephrase that, that is a really good revelation you had" so I don't know what's happening but it's something! I had a lot of anxiety about it all... not gonna lie, I was freaking out! Because there is so much expection put on you by other Sisters and it can be really hard with them always asking or assuming that you are going to do something in the next transfer, but Thursday morning I had an incredibly humbling personal study that really set my mind at ease about it all. I studied faith and humility and also some of the Book of Mormon. The Spirit was so loud yet so silent and I just knew that it would be okay, the Lord has a plan for me, It doesn't matter what others think, but what matters is what the Lord thinks of me and my missionary work and efforts, He loves me despite all my imperfections and flaws. He knows what I'm capable of even if I don't and that I need to trust in Him more and stop fearing about what it is come, because it is up to me how I see the situation and what I make of it, it's not going to change and so if I want it to be different I have to change the way that I see it. It will all work out, it will be hard, yes okay, but I will learn so much from it and it will be for my benefit and learning. If I trust in my Savior and the enabling power of the Atonement, I will be given the strength needed to do what is needed of me. He will give me the tools I need as long as I'm willing to work for them and know that He will provide a way. (1 Nephi 3:7, D&C 6:36, John 12:43, D&C 122:7). I got on my knees and instantly repented for my lack of faith, I know that He has a plan and I know that it is better then what I could ever put together, He knows me better then anyone, knows me better than I know myself.

Thursday we had an Organ Tour of the Conference and Tabernacle organs which was incredible to see how they work and sit on the organs and pretend to play it (as if we had a clue what we were doing) and last Friday we went shopping (Sister Worthen, Sister Rasheed, Sister Orndal, Sister Rajah and Sister Pipe and I) for coats and boots and ended up having dinner brought for us at this Korean BBQ food truck (Thanks JK) and it was just an awesome night all together, we had so much fun!

Well that's enough for today! I know this email is a little different to others, but I hope you enjoyed it just as much.

I love my mission, I love this work, and I know that it is the Lords work, this is His time and I can't afford to waste a single second of it as I do all I can to fulfill my purpose in helping others receive the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Miracles Happen, Lives are changed, The Book of Mormon is true and the Atonement is real!

If you have troubles rely on the Lord and I promise you can't go wrong. He is there for you and loves you if you know it or not! Turn to Him and I promise joy and peace will be brought in to your life in a way you never imagined.

I love you all but as I said last week, the Lord loves you more!

Have a blessed week (something I would never say back home in Australia but is a common thing here)

Love, Sister Ryan xx

Photos

Brenda's Baptism

Conference Organ

Up close and personal with the
Tabernacle Organ

Jacque and I after she surprised me!

Sister Orndal, Rajah, Worthen, Rasheed, Pipe and I with
JK after he got us all dinner :)

Korean BBQ is amazing!!!

Brenda's Baptism

Up close Tabernacle Organ

Conference Organ and Me "playing" the Tabernacle Organ

Transfer 5 Week 5

I don't like how fast this transfer is going by, I don't want transfer day to come!

Last Friday night we had our District activity at Elder and Sister Howells, it was awesome. We got there and Elder Howell showed us around the house and all the things they have collected as they traveled the world together! There was a room just for hats from all over the world, naturally of course we all got so many photos trying on different hat's and things. After the hat wearing and photo taking, we gathered around for pizza, cleaned up and then it was time for the main reason we had the District Activity to start with, we made Dream Catchers! It was awesome and they all turned out so beautifully! I can now make dream catchers and it's an awesome thing to know how to make, they look so complicated, but it's actually pretty easy! Time went by so quickly and before we know it, it was time to head home. It was awesome being in a home though, eating dinner, having fun, bonding together and becoming more united at a District. We had so much fun and now we all have so many inside jokes from that one night, it was so great!

So anyone who knows me, knows that I am terrified of needles and I was so happy that I got all my needles done before my mission and I wouldn't have to get any more... Well, I was wrong. This week the whole mission had to get flu shots and I was so terrified! Sister Pipe wasn't going to get hers, but she loves me so much that she decided to get it with me so I wasn't alone. I did it though and I was brave through it! I didn't even cry! I'm slowly conquering my fear... But I did it! just to share my ridiculous miracle with you.

So this past Sunday we knew we had a special guest coming and everyone was speculating who was going to come to this mission fireside. The Piano Guys were in town and some other people, maybe a General Authority, all these ideas being thrown around, after Sacrament they kept us for an announcement saying that our special guest for our Mission Fireside would be... David Archuleta! Of course, naturally a mission full of Sisters we all gasped, trying to be as reverently excited as we could be. Everyone was so excited! so 6:45 came and some Return Temple Square Missionaries came and covered the Square for us with their tags on and everything and we wen to one of the Theaters all eagerly awaiting the Fireside to start. It started and we were told that the night would be a combination of him performing for us as well as a Q&A style. It was amazing, being able to talk with him like that and really see how his mission changed him. It was cool, this being the second time seeing him on my mission. We asked him questions about after the mission and about during the mission, about his music and you can see how the gospel was centered in everything that he did. He sung "Glorious" from Meet the Mormons, "Hark, All Ye Nations" in Spanish and English and also "I'm trying to be like Jesus". I think the greatest thing I learnt from that night is what type of person I want to be after my mission and what commitments I'm going to make to the Lord to help me stay strong, to help me always be a missionary in my heart, even if I don't have a tag (though I have a long time to even worry about that) also alot about the enabling power of the atonement, and about giving all that we have, even if we don't see the end result of that hard work. It was a really great night! A very edifying and spiritually uplifting night. We closed by seeing Temple Squares version of Called to Serve and he and his accompanist loved it so much and after the prayer, zone by zone we got photos with him. When it was my zones turn, everyone was trying to stand next to him and I was just standing awkwardly not knowing what to do or where to go, just looking towards the camera and then all of a sudden he walks up next to me and stands ready for the photo and says "I don't know how close I should be standing next to all these Sister Missionaries" it was so funny! He is so shy and timid and though his voice is powerful, his manner is very different. We all shook hands and thanked him for coming and sharing with us things about before, during and after his mission and I got to tell him how I saw him in the MTC and he was surprised that I remembered it, as if he was just some Return Missionary who wasn't world famous or anything.

I just started reading the Book of Mormon again for the 3rd time this year and I have a goal to finish it by the end of the year. The first time I read it was in 29 days mainly for history, names, stories, etc. The second time was when I first got to Temple Square and that took my about 5 months, reading it pertaining missionary work and helping investigators. This time is different again, my goal is 3 months and my view this time is focusing on how the Book of Mormon truly is another Testament of Jesus Christ. While reading it I have been marking every time it mentions "the Lord" or a name or title of Jesus Christ. I am only in 2 Nephi and my whole view of the Book of Mormon has changed, it really is so centered on Jesus Christ and sometimes as we read we don't recognize w ho is giving the commands or how frequently the Lord is telling someone to do something etc. I look and I just see yellow all over the pages and just that alone has changed my heart. I already loved the Book of Mormon, but my love for it continues to increase as I read looking for things about my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I know the Book of Mormon to be another Testament of Jesus Christ and I know that it contains his teachings and is physical evidence of the Restoration of the Gospel. I know through the Book of Mormon we can find answers to the questions of the soul and find peace and joy in a way like no other as told in John 14:27. I invite you to read it, ponder it, look for those things that testify of Jesus Christ, ponder and sincerely pray and you will receieve your answer. If you have read it before, read it again and again. I promise new things will come to you each time as I have learnt so much on my mission.

Not much new is happening in the ways of investigators, but Brenda is getting Baptized next week and Lyle had to put back his date a week due to work conflicts with the guy baptizing him, but it is all so exciting! Holly is doing incredibly and hopefully we will be calling her soon! She is up to 3 Nephi and feels that the Book of Mormon is true, she is loving everything we have to share with her and really doing all she can to live the gospel. The lord truly does prepare people to hear the gospel, I have such a strong testimony of that! Got back in contact with Richardo and Irene! and also been talking with John and helping him progress towards baptism. We have a few new investigators that we are excited to work with and people we are excited to get in touch with also.

The work is great and it is hastening on. This is the Lord's time and this is His work and how wonderful it is! I feel so blessed to be called to serve in a mission where I get to teach all nations like it has always been my dream to do. I love this work, I love my Saviour Jesus Christ and I love being a Temple Square Sister Missionary where we not only represent The Lord and our Families, but also our Country. I love knowing that the Gospel reaches all nations far and wide. The Church is true, I know it with all that I have and if you don't I promise that through study and prayer you can come to know also as I promised before.

I love you all, but the Lord loves you more!

Love, Sister Ryan xx

Photos

South 1 with David Archuleta (me not knowing where to look)

District Hat Party at the Howells

Our District, I love them all so much!

Top Hat selfie

Sister Pipe and I with opposite hats

Music and Spoken word

Dream Catcher I made

We have so much District Unity

Me looking like a Primary School kid with one of Elder Howells Hats!

Transfer 5 Week 4

I do not like how fast this transfer is going, I don't my companion to leave, we are seeing so many miracles together, it has been amazing! And we continue to see more!

So this last weekend was General Conference as you all know and for most missionaries it's a time to bring investigators and sit down and watch 10 hours of broadcast, for Temple Square Sisters it's a time where we are on a feet from 7:30am to 9:45pmwith 20 minutes meal breaks and constant smiling and talking and basically it's the craziest weekends of the year for Temple Square! But it is a weekend full of miracles and I would love to share with you just one.

Saturday we had Guest Services for an hour and we just sat down eating lunch in Guest Services and then the Assistants to the President asked us if we had an investigator here in Salt Lake City, we said yes and then they gave us an extra conference ticket for our investigator! And it was the session that we were attending! Rose was here to watch the first session of Conference and we were so excited (may or may not have been crying of excitement), we get a call that Rose was at one of the desks but we couldn't just leave Guest Services, we tried to find a cover and just as we did, we were told that she had left, we RAN! through the basement of the South and got up and tried to find her, we couldn't see her anywhere, only waves of thousands of people coming out of a session... We tried to call and nothing, she wasn't picking up. My heart was literately breaking, I was so overcome with just utter sadness... I didn't know what to do. She text us saying she couldn't find us and how sad she was that we couldn't catch up, I called her and she picked up, I told her that we had an extra ticket for her but she wasn't sure if she could come back, she asked and they were more than willing to bring her back so she could experience her second session of Conference. We met with her, we got inside and sat down (she sat between Sister Pipe and I) and she was so excited! We asked her what her favorite part of conference has been and she instantly said "Seeing the Prophet." She is so amazing and so strong in her testimony. She was taking notes of things that stood out to her and I felt like it was the perfect session for her as they talked about Following Jesus Christ and having a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I certainly had my questions answered and the quote from Elder Neil L. Andersen "Spiritual questions deserve spiritual answers from God.". My Favorite talk was given by Elder Jörg Klebingat, it was so forward and direct and exactly what I needed! And this Conference being the first conference that they speak in their native language! Hearing Elder Eduardo Gavarret speaking in Spanish, though I didn't understand much at all (beyond the Spanish words for God, Jesus Christ, Church, etc) The spirit was so strong! I can't even put it in words, I loved my General Conference experience and it was truly just amazing!

Sunday night after everyone is dead and tired we had a meeting in Theater 5, it's like a "share your miracles and then we have something awesome for you!" type thing. Sunday night we got to see a special screening of "Meet the Mormons" before it comes out in Theaters today! It is so amazing, I really tried to imagine myself as someone who was not too familiar with the church watching it and what they would think, what stereotypes would be ruled out, and how it would have an impact on them learning more. Though I have seen it before (in my 2nd Transfer I think) It was incredible seeing it in a different way. I loved it! and I can't wait for everyone to have the chance to see it!

After getting back in contact with Lyle and him now having a baptism date, we are in constant communications with him, we called this week and he said "well I'm coming to Temple Square in about an hour, I would love to see you!" So we met up and it was awesome! The Gospel of Jesus Christ has completely changed his life, I can't even describe it in any other way but the fact his whole countenance was different. He is getting his life into order and making a difference, the guy that picked him up in his truck and his family have really just taken him in as one of their own, he got to see conference with them and spent time with the whole family and apparently they just treated him as if he was one of their own, like he was really their brother. You can just see in his face he is so much lighter and happier and he is so excited for his baptism, he is excited to make that step in changing his life, in starting fresh and clean and he wants us to be there for it! and great news! We got the approval to go!!! So we are so excited, Lyle will be Sister Pipe's only Native American Baptism on her mission, it's so special and exciting. Having Sister Pipe as my companion I have really been able to see how the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 49:24 is coming to pass "But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose.". Lyle loves the Book of Mormon and knows it to be true. It truly is a record of ancient people in the Americas and it's so special because for Sister Pipe, for Lyle and for all other Native Americans, no matter what tribe, this is a record of their people, the things in the Book of Mormon go hand in hand with Oral Legends of the Native Americans, they have a connection to the Book of Mormon and it's been so amazing to see, my testimony of the Book of Mormon has flourished in a way I never knew possible. I love it so much, I love the Book of Mormon, I know it to be the word of God, I know that it was translated by Joseph Smith by the power and Authority of God!

A few shorter updates, Brenda put back her date until the 18th October, which is okay, she will be ready for it, she just had a few things hold her back but now they are worked out. She even asked me to speak at her baptism and asked us to choose the Hymns as well! So sweet. John is on date for the 8th November! and even though he has a lot personally going on, he is really excited and really working towards it, he really wants this to be a sacred thing, he really want to make the most of this as he follows the example of Jesus Christ and enters into the waters of baptism. Jacque has moved to Oregon so that was a really hard good-bye, and even though the good-bye was initially weird, she even came back the next day to surprise me and say good-bye once again. I don't think she will ever realize how much it meant to me. I know she will do great there, she will remain strong and rely on the Lord more than she has ever had to but I'm excited for her, it's a great opportunity she has.

This morning we went to the temple, we have had it planned for a while now and I put the alarm on last night for 5:40am, enough time to get ready I thought... the alarm went off at 6:15am, normal time, we had to leave in 15 minutes! I jumped out of bed, prayed, and had the quickest shower of my life! got ready, half dried my hair, did make up and then we were out of the house, on our way to the Temple! Such a crazy morning, but when we got there it was like none of that even happened, we sat down and just before we went in I started to read in Moses 7 and I just had the greatest feeling of my Heavenly Fathers love for not only me, but all His children and how He just wants us to be happy, how He truly wants us to make the right choices and come back to Him. While reading I really imagined and felt just a part of the sorrow he would have felt as he is talking to Enoch in verses 29-33. Heavenly Father really does love us so much, and this has really been illustrated by President Uchtdorf in this time of Conference.

"...God knows of your successes; though they may seem small to you,He acknowledges and cherishes each one of them. He loves you for extending yourself to others. He loves you for reaching out and helping others bear their heavy burdens—even when you are struggling with your own. He knows everything about you. He sees you clearly—He knows you as you really are. And He loves you—today and always!... He loves you not only for who you are this very day but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become. More than you could ever imagine, He wants you to achieve your destiny—to return to your heavenly home in honor." - Living the Gospel Joyful By President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

My goal of having General Conference more engraved in my heart is already coming into play, we have been studying it in our spare time and coming to the Square for studies and highlighting it all and writing down quotes to use and using them, using talks in lessons with investigators and uplifting members, it has been awesome! There are so many things we have been invited to do and I'm excited to continue to go through the rest of the talks and write down all the invitations, Sister Pipe and I already looked at the Joseph Smith pamphlet and it was incredible. These Invitations given to us by servants of the Lord are inspired and are given to us for a reason.

I love this Gospel and know it to be true will all my heart!

Love, Sister Ryan xx

photos

Rose and I at Conference!
(My awesome Companion contacting someone behind us)

Sisters Pipe and Ryan after Conference

Sister Ryan and Lyn (mum's) Visiting Teacher

Transfer 5 Week 3

This week I truly felt like an instrument in the Lords hands in a way I have never felt before. I have never had our investigators so heavenly press my mind and heart than this week, and for such incredible reasons! I truly sent to sleep and woke up thinking about our investigators and their baptisms and how much joy the gospel has been brought into their lives. I truly found this week that when we really have Alma 26:15 in our hearts "Yea, they were encircled about with everlasting darkness and destruction; but behold, he has brought them into his everlasting light, yea, into everlasting salvation; and they are encircled about with the matchless bounty of his love; yea, and we have been instruments in his hands of doing this great and marvelous work."
Then Alma 26:16 comes to pass; "Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever.Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel."
This week so many incredible miracles happened and we are so excited to see where it will all take us! I shared with you last week about Richardo, Tiffany and Alejandro. We had been trying to get in contact with them all week and no answer or response, I called and Richardo's wife Irene picked up, I was so scared! Because he had told me she was a devout Catholic and strong in her faith and I was scared she would stop him from learning more. We got talking and I introduced myself as "Sister Ryan from Temple Square" and she says "Richardo had the most amazing experience there at Temple Square! Here let me give you his cell phone number to call him, he is at work, he would just love to hear from you!" and so I was thinking, wow, she is so nice! I tried to call him and no response, my heart broke a little but the Spirit kept pressing my heart and mind to call her back but I kept thinking "I can't that would be weird, I just got off the phone to her 5 minutes ago" but of course, the Spirit won and she picked up again. I expressed my desire to get to know her a little more and we talked and she shared how Richardo came home and couldn't wait to share with her the Joseph Smith Pamphlet we gave him and how he takes the Book of Mormon with him everywhere he goes and she wants to read it but hasn't had the chance to read it because he never lets it out of his sight and about how he is a different man because of the experience he had here on Temple Square. I said "this is something you can have too" and she couldn't be more excited to know she could have this also! So now we are teaching nearly the whole family and it is so exciting! They even changed their work schedule so that they wouldn't miss the missionaries when they came over to meet with them. They are going strong and just love everything we have to teach them and it's so exciting! They are such a beautiful family and It is so amazing to be a part of all of this.

After this miracle with Irene, Sister Pipe comes in the TC (as we were on exchanges that day) and says that she has a phone number to call Lyle! We had lost contact with him since not being able to come back to the Square for another lesson and so we called him together and he is doing so well! We got talking and he said he called Guest Services and told them our names and asked if they could relay the message so we could get in touch with him! So, we made a time to call him the next day. That night we planned and as we looked at dates we prayed and felt so strongly about the 18th October for a date that he can prepare to be baptized on and we knew it was right. We called him the next day and talked about everything that the missionaries had taught him and where he was at. It was is our companionship goal to invite at least 1 person a day to be baptized and my personal goal was to do it boldly, I boldly invited and he said YES! Then we extended the date and he said "Yeah, the missionaries that came over yesterday put me on that date too". I was almost in tears and we are both just so over the moon excited! We then realized that Heavenly Father wasn't telling us the date to put him on, but telling us the date he already had. We know it is inspired and that the 18th October is the day that Lyle will enter into the waters of baptism and receive those blessings from doing so. He has such great faith and just knows all of this to be true, he has read the first 4 chapters of the Book of Mormon and already had that confirmation by the Spirit that he has been looking for and knows that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet of God.

And more miracles came as we used our time wisely and had our investigators in our hearts and minds, I called John while Sister Pipe was taking an Inbound call and I got talking with him about everything that is going on, something that has really been on my mind is to ask him, if he knows that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and if Joseph Smith was called as a prophet to restore the church of Jesus Christ on the earth again today. I haven't had the chance to ask him but this time I did and he said "Of course I know it does! I just know it, it works completely with the Bible and it just makes sense for it to be the word of God" and then I asked about Joseph Smith and he continues to say "those testimonies go hand in hand, to believe one you have to believe the other and so I also know that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet of God" At this point my jaw has just dropped and my heart is so full of joy! and then I ask "Then what's stopping you from being baptized?" and he replied "I plan to do so at the end of this month, start of next"... He explained how this is all so sacred to him and how he wants to be fully into it and make sure he really takes this all seriously, but he has that goal! And now he is working towards 1st November to be baptized! I have been in contact with John since my second transfer and he disappeared for a while there, but now he is back and progressing and just doing so amazingly.

Last week we found a new Aussie investigator Holly, who we are just emailing at this moment which is working for the both of us, but she didn't respond for a while and it broke out hearts, we don't know what happened, but all of a sudden we got an email from her! And it has been so amazing! We have been sharing with her the Restoration little by little and she is just loving it! Everything just makes so much sense to her, we have been inviting her to read the Book of Mormon and to also watch General Conference and here is some of what she has said "I'll definitely watch the General Conference, it makes so much sense to me that the church is led and guided by a Prophet and 12 Apostles. I'm really enjoying The Book of Mormon and I feel joy every time I start to read it I would say that I don't know what it is but I feel like it's God's presence over me as I read. It's something I can't describe. ...If I see missionaries there can I just go up and talk to them?" She is so amazing, we invited her to be baptized today (yes, over email) and so we are eagerly awaiting her reply this coming weekend!

Talking about this weekend... IT'S GENERAL CONFERENCE! and you can not even imagine how excited I am! This is like Christmas for missionaries, so many people to contact and uplift and also being able to be a part of it all here on Temple Square, these are our busiest days of the year and it's so exciting! Everyone is getting pumped up and ready and thinking about those question they want to have in their hearts as they attend/watch General Conference. I feel like it is something that I have never really had engraved upon my heart, and last Conference being my 3rd day on the mission field, I couldn't possibly take it all in and I was exhausted by the time Sunday Afternoon Session had come around. This time, I am so pumped! I have been preparing with quotes to use and role-playing how to help members as they go into or come out of Conference. I have a new mindset to take into General Conference and have a greater desire to really have the messages from the leaders of the church in my heart and apply the things we are invited to do. It all changed when I read this amazing Message given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf and it said:

"A fine member of the Church was talking with a neighbor who was not of our faith. When the topic of discussion turned to general conference, the neighbor asked, “You say you have prophets and apostles? And twice a year in a worldwide conference they reveal the word of God?”
“Absolutely,” the member replied with confidence.
The neighbor thought about that for a moment. He seemed genuinely interested and then asked, “What did they say in the last general conference?”
At this point the good member of the Church went from feeling excited about sharing the gospel to feeling embarrassed. Try as he might, he couldn’t think of the details of a single talk.
His friend found this troubling and said, “You mean to tell me that God speaks to man in our day and you can’t remember what He said?”
The brother felt humbled by this exchange. He vowed that he would do better to remember the words spoken by the Lord’s servants in general conference.
We all know how hard it is to remember every message of general conference, and I’m confident that we need not be embarrassed if we don’t remember everything. Nevertheless, there are messages in each general conference given as a gift and a blessing from heaven specifically for our personal life situations.
In preparation for general conference, let me suggest three basic concepts that may help us to better receive, remember, and apply the words spoken by the Lord’s servants."

I realized that I was one of these members... That a prophet called of God was speaking to us inspired revelations that come from Him, and I just didn't have these things in my heart or remembers what had been talked about the previous conference. Being here on Temple Square is such a blessing and I want to make the most and be converted to the most I can be that my mission involves, and that involves many things but at this time I'm focusing on General Conference. This year and forever more I'm making my vow to do better in remembering the words spoken by the Lord's servants in General Conference, to have them more fully in my heart, so that I can turn to them and remember the counsel given to us by a loving Heavenly Father.

So my invitation to you is, will you go to General Conference with a prayer in your heart and a question you need answered and after Conference have the messages given to us more fully in your heart?

I know as you do that you will feel enriched with love and knowledge and that you will be able to feel the spirit more abundantly in your every day life as you remember the word's of the Lord's servants on the earth today.

And.... you don't want to have an experience like Sister Pipe and I had when we met Elder Ronald A. Rasband (who gave the talk "The Joyful Blessing of Discipleship" last April Conference) at Deseret Book and then again at the crossing lights today and asked us if we remembered what he spoke about last Conference and neither of us could remember... Until he said 'Tornado' and I said "oh! in Oklahoma! I read your talk the other day!" (which is funny because I actually did). ANYWAY!...

Love you all! Hope you all have an amazing week! Enjoy Conference, even though back home in Australia I will email again before it is shown in chapels, but enjoy it as you watch it online and prepare to watch it at the chapel next weekend!

Love, Sister Ryan xx

Photos

A beautiful rainbow after a heavy storm
on North Temple

a car selfie while waiting at Walmart for some Sisters.

Sunday afternoon after conference

Transfer 5 Week 2

Where do I even begin to talk about what happened in the past week?

Last Friday, Sister Pipe and I went to Ensign Peak, a beautiful walk in the blazing sun and it was great! walking up a lot of things reminded me of home with the gold grass and little shrub type things, we made it to the top and took photos and looked out over all Salt Lake City, it was beautiful! You could see Temple Square and all the building surrounding it, I love my mission so much. I feel so truly blessed to be here and to have these wonderful opportunities. No where else in the world would you see names like Bringham Young, Wilford Woodruff, George A. Smith, Ezra Taft Benson on plaques, besides Utah! because here, it's not just church history but Utah State/United States history, which is so incredible! We look lots of photos and then went our way down, and after all that hard work of walking up, we went and got pizza, so rewarding! haha.

Last Saturday Sister Pipe and I were able to attend the Stark's baptism! He was so excited that we could make it, and he was so happy that the day had finally come. On the way there, we used the GPS and we came across the chapel... but the GPS told us to keep going, and so we did and literally just around the corner there was another one! #OnlyInUtah. It all happened so quick because the next thing we know, He is entering into the waters of Baptism and it happens, he goes down and comes up, a child of God, making that promise with the Lord to follow Him for the rest of His life. he went to go give me a hug afterwards but I did this awesome matrix move and said we just shake hands, and it was like "oh, I forgot sorry!" haha, it was all good. He was so happy, just filled with joy! and in one year they can all be sealed and when their little boy is old enough, He will be able to baptize him! It was so amazing, to think about the power and authority of the priesthood and how essential baptism is in coming unto Christ and why that is part of our purpose as missionaries. Actually being able to see baptisms changes the way you see it all, which is so amazing.

Sunday comes and we got to watch a screening of the Ogden Temple Re-dedication! It was so amazing, I have never need to a dedication and so I had no idea what to expect! We went to the 1pm session and I just learnt so much about the temple and how important it is to keep these promises we make, to hold them close to us and how special the temple should be to us no matter where we are or how often we can go, to have the temple open and close to us no matter where we are, that it should mean more to us outside the temple than inside the temple. What it means to hodl a temple recommend and it was just wonderful! I can't wait to go to the temple, having all of this in mind, it's an exciting and wonderful feeling. After being so close to the temple here, walking around and near it's holy grounds, I have learnt how truly important they are and how much I will miss being so close to it every day when I return home (luckily I have a while before that day comes). My temples are now the Melbourne and Salt Lake City temples, they are the ones that will always be close to my heart.

Being District Leader companion, you are forever on exchanges! and Monday I was on exchange with Sister Malavasi (from Italy), we saw so many miracles that day, we set high goals and had the faith that we could achieve them, the day was going well and we had talked to many people, taken many tours, unfortunately they didn't want to keep in contact, but we know they had a special experience, dinner time came and I was thinking that we hadn't achieved our goals yet, how could we make it up... we had finished dinner and was just resting and talking with other sisters until our time had finished, west gate called the kitchen to see if anyone was available to take 3 English and so we looked and said we will! We got up stairs and greeted them, they all looked like a lovely family (which we found out later wasn't the case, being a family that is). Turns out a member (Edna) had a friend (Richardo) come visit his daughter (Tiffany) and her boyfriend (Alejandro) and he wanted to come to Temple square and so they came all together. We took them around and it was an average tour, I was trying to get them involved but they all stayed so quiet, as the tour got on, we learnt more about them and then we went to the Christus, on the way we taught a brief Restoration and when we got up there, we talked about how through Jesus Christ all things are possible and Richardo let it all out, that he wasn't close with God or Jesus Christ, that he doesn't feel that love, that he wants to but keeps feeling something is in his way or that something keeps pulling him back, we testified how this was possible and how we as missionaries can help him achieve his desires to come closer to Him. We offered to stay in contact and next thing we know, they all wanted to keep in contact and all want the gospel. I felt prompted to invite them to go upto the Christus and tough the prints in His feet, we did this and Richard just looked up, and it was a look that said "I want to know you and come closer to you", Tiffany was looking at her father, look at the Savior and it was such a tender moment. I was holding back tears, Edna was in tears and it was just beautiful, we gave them Book of Mormons and also asked if we could send missionaries to them and they all are so willing! We are calling them tomorrow so we are really excited to see how it will all go. It was an incredible miracle and because of that we were able to see our goals achieved, they were truly inspired and as we had them in our heart and worked hard to achieve them we were able to see it happen.

Brenda is going so good! She put back her baptism date for the 11th October, but that is okay! and this is why... when planning for her a while ago, we had 2 dates in mind, the 28th September or the 11th October, after praying about it, we felt like the date should be October, but when we called and she said she was going to on the 28th! it was like oh, okay, maybe I just mixed it up or got it wrong, but now looking back at it, I know it was true inspiration and that she will truly have those blessings of the gospel on the 11th October as she enters the waters of baptism, she has so much going on for her and she is changing her whole life around, she is doing all she can to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and that includes sharing the gospel with her family and friends! Listenig to conference when she can't make it to church and reading the Book of Mormon any chance she gets, she is so wonderful and I just love her so much! She has so much going on around her yet she chooses to put the Lord first, she is a great example of faith and trusting in the Lord.

Rose is so excited for General Conference! she can't wait to see the prophet walk in! She has the strongest testimony I've ever seen in a 15 year old girl and just has such a strong desire to really apply all these things in her life and she is receiving the blessings for it. She has questions she is praying about to receive answers at General Conference and is just so willing to put forth every inch of faith that she has, she loves the scriptures, she loves praying and says the most beautiful prayers, she loves the Book of Mormon and reading from it, studying topics to help her in her life and she herself is being a great little missionary because now her parents back home want to watch General Conference and come to church when they come to visit her soon! Miracles happen and people are truly prepared, sometimes certain things need to happen in order for us to get in the right situation to receive such greatness and joy, to recieve the fullness of the gospel that has been restored on the earth again today.

This week we had an awesome Relief Society and has Michael Otterson (member of Department of Public Affairs for the church) come to talk to us about answering questions and dealing with anti's on and off the Square. There was so many great insights that really made me think and really strengthened my testimony in the truthfulness of the gospel. A few things really stood out to me, Testimonies are a life time quest, people must have a genuine search for truth, a humble inquiry and desire to learnand that the Lord wont keep you waiting when he knows the sincere desire of your heart. It is so important for people to act, in order to receive their answers, they must pray, read and ponder with an open mind and being willing to learn, to humble themselves to the Lord and admit they are searching for truth and light and when we do that, He will know we are ready to receive that knowledge that comes from Him.
People have had issues with the church since the very beginning and I'm not just talking about since the Restoration, and everything that Joseph Smith went through, I'm talking about when the greatest man to ever walk the earth was here, Jesus Christ, because He went through more than we can ever imagine. Ridiculed, charged of apparent blaspheming against God, being accused of so many things, to the point where an innocent man, crucified... People have always opposed truth.
The Book of Mormon is what holds it all together, the evidence of what we share as missionaries purely comes down to if the Book of Mormon is true or not, if it is, then Joseph Smith was called as a prophet of God and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Jesus Christ restored gospel on the earth today and everything else that stands with that. If it is not true, than this is the greatest hoax in the world that 15 million+ people have fallen for. The Book of Mormon has been tried and tested more than any other book in all history and yet it still stands. I know it to be true with all that I have, I have developed such a greater love and testimony for the Book of Mormon than ever before and I know it is from God and that it is inspired, that it is for us in today's day, no matter how long ago it was written.

Our standard of excellence for the mission is to double baptisms and have it be our divine obsession and with this hard work, diligence, faith and using time wisely, it's coming naturally, nothing forced. I am beginning to become the missionary I have been called to be, the reason I was called here to Temple Square and I love it. As each day passes I have a greater love for those people the Lord has entrusted to us and a stronger desire to help them receive those blessings of being a part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This week I truly felt like the most successful I have been my entire mission, with everything I have learned, I've been able to put it all into practice and see the fruits of those labors. There is an amazing feeling you have when you know you are doing what the Lord needs of you. I know the Lord is proud of the work I am doing and I know that I have become a greater instrument in His hands and I pray that I can continue to do this and get better at it as time goes on and as I go through my mission.

Thank-you for making it too the end, I didn't anticipate on writing this much, but I guess it just happened.. haha

Love you all! Thank-you so much!

Love, Sister Ryan xx