Sister Jennadene Ryan Meets Temple Square: December 2014

Transfer 7 Week 3

I have no time to email much because I was emailing a bunch of investigators, but I will say that I had an amazing Christmas full of love, food, gifts, friends, family, the gospel and of course my Savior Jesus Christ.

I'm so grateful for Ashley having us in her home and letting us Skype home and making one of the biggest breakfasts I've eaten in my entire life. It was an incredible day and I wouldn't have had my only Christmas on the mission be any other way!

Nothing much happened this week, it is a bit slower in the YSA around holidays because everyone is going home or moving for school and different things. We have had some great contacts and absolute miracles that unfortunately are not YSA but we know that with the help of the missionaries in the family wards will receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

Miracles happen when you follow the Spirit and when you give the Lord all that you have and put every inch of faith into the work, into finding, teaching and testifying. Things are happening! slowly but surely.

I know the gospel to be true with all that I have, the Book of Mormon is the word of God and Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, all is possible through Him and this work is impossible without Him. I know that His atonement is real and powerful and that Christmas is a special day to put aside the things of the world and focus on the creator of all things, Jesus Christ.

I love you all, thank-you for everything.

Miracles Happen through Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Love, Sister Ryan xx

Photos

Christmas Eve and Christmas Selfies in PJ's
mum sent for Christmas

Christmas Eve and Christmas Selfies in Jumper
mum sent for Christmas

Keeping up Tradition with Coco Pops
for breakfast Christmas morning

Christmas Stocking gifts

Christmas Breakfast with Ashley

My Companion and I

Christmas Eve Caroling with a cute penguins
and an amazing companion

Christmas Eve Caroling with an amazing companion

Ashley and my Companion

Transfer 7 Week 2

Hey everyone!

MERRY CHRISTMAS for Thursday!

I can't believe how fast the time has gone and it is just around the corner that we have the opportunity to celebrate our Lord and Saviors birth.

What a wonderful time of year it is, having Christmas as a missionary has definitely changed the way I see a lot of things, I have learnt so much about Christmas in the last few weeks and it has been an incredible thing to be able to ponder about everything and really think about what Christmas means to me and how I can make it more Christ centered. Something that has really stood out to me this Christmas is knowing that without what Jesus Christ did in His life and ministry and what he did on Calvary, we would not have had the record of Bethlehem.

I have had the most Christ centered Christmas of my life and I am so grateful for that! Yes, we have helped decorate trees, eaten gingerbread (though it was no where near as good as my Mum's), and all those things, but I have also sung a lot of Christmas Hymns, thought about the shepherds and about Mary and Joseph and about my Savior, trying to imagine it and envision it as if I were there. To ponder about how I would act if I saw the Savior as a baby or even a child, then what it would be like for him to minister to me, to talk with me the way he did others and in doing that pondering about what I can do to apply those things into my every day life, especially as a missionary. As we teach, contact, invite, serve... to do it the way the Savior would have.

This is an amazing video about Christmas that really touched my heart this past week: https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/glad-tidings-of-great-joy-the-birth-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng

This week Sister Martin and I had some incredible experiences. All centered on not knowing what to do, then consulting the Lord in everything, having faith that we would receive the answer and acting immediately on the promptings given. Thursdaynight we went contacting and it wasn't raining (for the first time in forever) and so we contacted! then it just poured down! We had no idea what to do, everyone was in a hurry, wanting to get out of the rain and no one would listen to us. We decided to pray right there and then, we didn't care who saw us, we prayed our hearts out to the Lord and we felt prompted to go back to the car and look at the binder and so we did, we felt prompted to go to 2 peoples homes, we went to the first, we went and then once we got there we got the feeling to leave! We were so confused ... why were we lead here if we were only told to leave again by the Spirit? we prayed and felt so strongly to go to the next place where a guy name Frankie lived. We got there and an elderly lady answered the door, we asked if Frankie was there and he was and actually sounded delighted to have us! We walk in and are offered cookies and we got talking, he was blessed as a baby but never baptized, he doesn't know anything about the church but was willing to learn more. As we talked we then discovered that he doesn't even live there anymore and was actually just visiting his Grandma for dinner! We left with cheerful hearts full of joy, we had just witnessed an absolute miracle because we followed the promptings of the Spirit. Though he is out of our area and we can not teach him... we found him and it was because the Lord is aware and the Lord also knew what we needed to cheer up our hearts. All we we had people cancel, bail, drop us and it was a rough week, but because of promptings that we have followed we have been able to help a lot of people and found new potentials that will hopefully become new investigators prepared by the Lord to receive the gospel at this time.

The last couple of transfers I have really been able to learn how I personally receive revelation and what a joyous thing that is and something that will bless me throughout the rest of my life! It has been amazing and Sister Martin and I have really grown individually and as a companionship this past week, it has been amazing.

I love this work and I love Jesus Christ, I love Christmas and everything it really means, not the fake materialistic stuff, but those things that tie us together and bring us closer to our Savior. I love knowing that the Lord is aware of everything and everyone, everyone's circumstances, even when they are visiting Grandma for dinner and making it rain so the missionaries can find them when the missionaries have had a hard week, the tiniest things that lead to eternal progression. To find people going to the book store and recommending to them the Book of Mormon and teaching them the Restoration on the street. This life is so detailed and beautiful, it is incredible to witness the majesty of all that has been created so that we can live the life we love.

Thank-you all for everything. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.

Please do not forget the Savior this Christmas and remember Him always.

He is the Gift and He is the reason we have it in the first place.

Love, Sister Ryan xx

Photos

my Hot Chocolate in a Santa Mug :)

First Gingerbread of the year

Contacting at the Park

We found out there is an Australian store right near us!
It was closed this morning when we went to check it out,
but they have a van and a Australians only parking space!

Christmas for us! Our tree with presents
underneath

my stocking that Sister McGee's mum sent us :)

Sister Martin and I :)

Transfer Week between 6 and 7

So because Temple Square has a different Transfer cycle to the San Jose mission it's a little bit weird, but we are getting there!

Wow so much has happened since getting here! I wasn't supposed to be in my new area until tomorrow, but there was some complications on Wednesday when I got here and I went to my new area basically immediately.

I am serving in a YSA ward in Saratoga and it is the best! The YSA are amazing, they are so supportive and involved with the missionary efforts here which is something I was really hoping for!

California has already stolen a piece of my heart and I never thought that it would, but I love it here! It is completely different to Temple Square and adjusting is a little weird, but I think I'm doing well. I just contact (street contacting was really scary at first), teach when you find, find when you teach manner as I would Temple Square and we have seen some awesome contacting miracles that I am excited to see what lies ahead of. I think the biggest difference is not only working with members, but the contacting style you have to use on he streets, you have to be very aggressive compare to Temple Square! You really have to actually stop people and hope they will talk with you and have to really rely on the Spirit to have the Spirit there so that you can share a short and powerful message with them so that they will have a desire to learn more. The more you do it, the easier it gets, I'm still working on it, but it's been a lot of fun!

I have met a few investigators which I am excited to get to know more and met a lot of members and excited to work with more too. Being in a ward and working with members is the best! I am so grateful for this experience and opportunity I have to experience the other side of missionary work.

My new companions are awesome! Sister DeLaMare finishes her mission and goes home tomorrow and Sister Martin will stay with me for the next (7 week) transfer. They are both amazing and incredible missionaries and we have a lot to learn from one another. We have already learnt so much form each other! We have so much fun and I haven't had a good laughing ab workout like I have recently in a long time! I am having the best experience out here! I wish my time here was longer than 3 months, but just gives me a greater desire to make the most of it!

This is going to be an incredible experience, I feel like i just got here, but I already feel like I have been here for so long. This feels like home! And there is humidity here so I feel like I can breathe! hahahaha.

I don't have time like I used to to write big long emails, but I love this work and it is amazing no mater where you go. I love my Savior so much and I am so excited to serve in this part of his vineyard. I love the gospel and my love and desire to share is increases every day! I can not express how amazing it is to serve the Lord in this capacity. I know He lives and I know he is on our side as we ask for him to be thee and ask for his assistance!

Trust in Him and I promise you will never go astray! He is the path that leads to true joy, peace and eternal life!

I love you all, thank-you for everything!

Love, Sister Ryan xx

photos

Sister Kruse and I at the airport, ready to go!

Flying in California!

I came just when California gets it's good dosage of rain in 3 years and it reall hit!

Transfer 7 Week 1

Well... this is weird... Transfer 7? Please someone stop time from going by way to quickly! My mission just continues to fly by and tomorrow I will be on my way to my next adventure in the California, San Jose Mission! I am so excited and I know that everything that I have learnt from this transfer will be exactly what I need next transfer, which is so exciting!

This transfer was hard in many different ways, but I have learnt so much. I didn't realize the reality of every weakness coming and hitting you in the face! But it is real, it is hard! But it is the best thing because of that I have been able to grow so much! Because more of who the Lord would have me through, through many experiences. I learnt this transfer and gained a testimony of the fact if we continue to go about life or the mission happy and content, never wanting to change, we won't improve and nothing will happen, we will stay the same, but in order to get better and continue to progress, change must happen and sometimes change comes through overcoming weaknesses.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble;and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." - Ether 12:27

I want to break this scripture down, this is something that really helped me this transfer, it is a famous scripture in the Book of Mormon, but this transfer I was able to see it in a completely different light.

"And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness" by the Lord showing me my weaknesses, that means that I have done something right, because that means I am coming so much closer to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. "I give unto men weakness that they may be humble;" Now that I have done that, of course I realize how I need to improve and how that is impossibly without His help and I need to let him help me improve, I have to humble myself before him. "and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me" and though it means that I have made mistakes, that is okay, because His grace truly is sufficient and as my friend Brother Taylor says "The atonement covers in that". Because of his great love for us! "for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." As we have faith (which leads to action) and in Jesus Christ and His atonement which he so lovingly did for us, he will be able to mold us into who He needs me to be. Because he knows what I can become, but I must turn to Him in order to get there.

This transfer really changed me, in ways that would just take me way too long to talk about over email, but I am so grateful for it and I realize that it is because I was able to let the Lord change me, I submitted to His will and not my own, that I was able to take advice and apply it. That I was able to recognize that I needed to change and got onto it immediately. Today I have been on my mission for 9 months... (crazy I know) which means I have 10 more months, I'm basically half way through! I can't even imagine what else more I will learn throughout my mission and how much more the Lord will change me to be the Daughter of God needed of me.

This week a lot of really awesome things happened! for Relief Society we went to the Relief Society building and we had our lesson from the Relief Society General Presidency we were mainly addressed by Sister Linda S. Reeves (2nd Counselor), who beforehand I had the pleasure of talking with and shaking her hand. It was an incredible experience and my testimony of Relief Society has flourished while being on my mission. I am so proud to be a member of the worlds largest and greatest Women's organization in the world. I'm excited for when I get back to really be part of and participate in it the way the Lord needs me to.

This past Sunday a few Sisters in the mission also had the opportunity to attend the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. It was so amazing, we had great seats and the program was just amazing. I am so excited to go out to San Jose and apply all that I learnt in the Devotional. I felt like everything that was said was specifically for me. It was an incredible experience, I knew that the Lord was aware of me and what I needed to hear and the Spirit made it so! There are so many things I want to do and study now since hearing the Devotional. Something that I really loved though was when Bonnie L. Oscarson said "The Spirit of Christmas is Christlike love" I'm so excited to go out and share this Christlike love so that people can feel the Spirit of Christmas, which is the Spirit of Christ all year round.

If you haven't watched the Christmas Devotional, please do! It will change the way you see Christmas and it is so amazing, just the Spirit that was felt in the meeting was incredible. And I know that you will feel it as you watch it online too, you don't have to be in he Conference center to feel the Spirit intended in that meeting. I loved it so much and I know that as we are willing to apply what is said, even before we get there, the Spirit will bear witness to us of what we can do to make those things possible and you to will have the feeling that the Lord is talking directly to you while listening to the beautiful addresses given by inspired men and women called of God.

Next Transfer I know I will learn so much about charity and I am so excited! especially because charity is the pure love of Christ. To serve the way the Lord would serve and to see these beautiful children of God the way he would see them. I'm so excited and happy beyond belief! I know it will be hard and a great challenge and that it will go by all too quickly, but I'm so grateful for the opportunity the Lord is giving me to serve in another part of his vineyard for the next 3 months. I know that it will make me a better missionary and more prepared to go home (though it be a while away) to help the missionaries in my ward back home do this work of Salvation.

I'm not going to say too much more, I better get used to writing shorter emails as my email time will shortly be cut in half but if you want to serve and you're not sure how, I would love to invite you to read Chapter 13 of Preach my Gospel, every member of the church should read this chapter! it changed my whole perspective of everything this morning and made me so much more excited to do the work, not only as a missionary, but just as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We have the greatest thing in the world which is the Restored gospel of Jesus Christ, let it be our Gift to the Savior this year by sharing it and being missionaries ourselves to proclaim His truth and His gospel.

I know that He lives and that the Savior, Redeemer, Creator of the world, Jesus Christ was the greatest being to ever walk the face of the earth and yet he was born in the humblest of circumstances. That He is the gift given to us by a loving Heavenly father to each and every one of us, though half the world doesn't realize it. This work is true and it is amazing and I love serving the Lord with all that I have. I'm ready and willing to make the changes necessary to be better and to be more like him and the missionary he would have me be. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and the First Vision truly did happen, and that one event has changed the world in one way or another. I love being a missionary so much! It is the greatest thing I have ever experienced in my entire life.

I love you all, thank-you for everything, next week I will be emailing you from Sunny California!

Love, Sister Ryan xx

photos

I've been 'approved' meaning, "BYE! You're no longer really a Temple Square Sister because you can't get anywhere because I took your security card" hahaha.

Christmas Devotional

Merry Christmas Bringham Young!

This is Sister and Elder Moore (from Australia)

I have adopted them as my mission parents,

I love them so much!

Transfer 6 Week 6

"You have been temporarily re-assigned to serve in the California, San Jose Mission"

I'm going outbound! We got our letters yesterday and everyone was asking me "where are you going?" but I hadn't received my letter yet because I had been in the Beehive House. I got to the mail box and nothing was there, my heart sunk and I just thought, I must not be going... okay... but then I hear my tricky Zone Leader Sister Christensen say "Sister Ryan you are going to!!!!" and then I ran into the Guest Services cubicle and she would not give me my letter! There was so many people around, we walked out and went to the chairs close by, she still didn't give it to me and then gave it to my companion and Sister Huang said "How much do you love me?!" and laughed then gave it to me. Then I walked away and everyone was like what?! No! hahaha. I wanted to read it by myself and I went around the corner despite the many people that were around and eagerly awaiting and then opened it up and saw "California, San Jose Mission" for the slightest second I was like "are you serious" It was the very last place that I wanted to go, but then I realized, it was so right! I knew I needed to be there and I was just so excited! I turned around and went back to everyone and just said to Sister Christensen "we got a lot of talking to do" and after a second her jaw dropped and she was like "no way!" I said "Yep! I'm going to San Jose!" (because she served there) it was exciting and so I will leave next Wednesday, and even now, it still doesn't feel real but I am so excited! And all I have in my head right now is...

"It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle's front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I'll go where you want me to go.
I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,
Over mountain or plain or sea;
I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;
I'll be what you want me to be."

So that is the latest news! in other news, we have had a lot of absolute miracles with our investigators and we are so excited!

- Sister Huang found this guy Jason on chat, who was interested in learning more. We taught him and he just knew that all of this was right, that this was the missing piece, it all just fascinated him about Jospeh Smith, the Gold Plates, the Book of Mormon, everything, he had begun to feel the love of the Lord and the love of our Heavenly Father, something that he has never really felt before. He didn't make it to church the first time but had already arranged a ride so that he could make it. He went the next week and throughout we continued to teach him the Restoration, Plan of Salvation some of the commandments and he was taking it all on so beautifully! We called him to ask how church was and he said "I have good news! I'm getting baptized on the 27th December, possibly the 20th!" We are so excited, he just knows it feels so right and we prayed about it before we called him and was going to put him on date for the 20th! so we know that is is right and that he is truly one of the elect! I love talking with him, he is just a little bundle of joy!

- We have been teaching this guy George, who knew everything! had studied everything, even Preach My Gospel and the White Handbook! He would quote "Our Purpose" to us! He is great, but every time we talked about baptism he just wouldn't commit to a date, well he did, but it was May 15th, the day Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdry were baptized, he had been teaching us lately and even bore his testimony and his testimony was so strong and sincere, we didn't understand why he would want to make that covenant and be baptized, to receive the Holy Ghost and have those added blessings! Monday we called him and he talked about how church was weird yesterday (because he is moving this week) and then he said "but I have good news... I got baptized and confirmed yesterday" (30th November 2014) WHAT?! It was crazy, Sister Huang and I just freaked out! What just happened?! He told us that he had been thinking and he knew that he had a testimony, and thought why shouldn't I be baptized? (Which is what we had been saying all along!) and so he talked with the missionaries and then the bishop and because he is moving the Bishop said we can baptize and confirm you today and so it happened!

Just lately Sister Huang and I have been wondering, what is going on? we are working so hard, we are diligent and obedient and we are being as united as we can be... why aren't our investigators being blessed? Why aren't they progressing, what is happening? and then all of a sudden these beautiful miracles are happening! It's amazing to see what happens when you really just love and care and will do everything you can for your investigators, they are amazing and every investigator changed a part of me and they hold a very special place in my heart. I know that these friendships we make will not only last forever from now on, but are friendships from before this life, that we made a promise to find each other and we finally have!

Last Thursday was Thanksgiving! and we actually got to go to a members from in Bountiful and have Thanksgiving with them, it was amazing! We were with a couple Jan and Bill but then they said they were going to Bills daughters place (The Barton's) and so we were excited, more people! We got there and another set of sisters were there and so there was 4 of us and it was so awesome. We ate traditional Thanksgiving food and watched the new 'He is the Gift" video, shared spiritual thoughts, bore testimony, talked and joked around. It was so amazing to spend time with members in their homes and so I'm so excited to go outbound and experience it even more!

"My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also helps us feel Gods love.... To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts us to touch heaven" - President Thomas S. Monson

Even thought Thanksgiving is classified as an American Holiday because of how it started, learning more about it and learning how it actually came around to be an annual holiday, makes me realize that we all should set aside a day of Thanksgiving! We should always be grateful and express gratitude, but have a special meal at a set time of year to celebrate and ponder about these things we are grateful for. Heads up for when I get back to Australia, I'm bringing Thanksgiving and everything pumpkin spice back with me!

So Thanksgiving is over and with that, that means that Christmas has come! The lights on Temple Square are beautiful, absolutely breathtaking when you take a second to really look at them and really just let the spirit enter into your heart, and it is really "starting to feel a lot like Christmas". With the sound of the Nativity, Choirs, the lights all around, the beauty of the Temple, the spirit that is felt by everyone, the sound of the He is the Gift video, it's all just so amazing and I just love it all so much. This Christmas for me is probably my most spiritual! Fully centered on my Savior Jesus Christ as I continue to bear testimony of Him and declare His gospel. I think about the traditions back home and though they mean the world to me! (Like Coco Pops for Breakfast) But then I think of everything my Savior has given me and has done for me, his infinite atonement, the lessening of burdens, the revelation, comfort, direction in my life, the gospel, the Book of Mormon, the opportunity to serve a mission. He is the BEST gift I could ever ask for, he is everything to me and it's not a gift just for Christmas time, but for everyday of the year!

I love the Lord, I love His work, I love the Book of Mormon, I love Christmas, I love my mission and I know I am going to love San Jose as well, I love being a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Atonement is so real, and there is power in the atonement that we just have to unlock, I know it as I use it every day in my missionary work and I'm so grateful to know that my Savior is always on my side.

I would love to invite you to pray about who you know needs the gospel at this moment and share with them your testimony, send them the He is the Gift link, invite them over to have the missionary discussions, something. You never know what might happen! As it says in Preach My Gospel "People will not likely change unless they are invited to do so" so invite them and as you do it prayerfully and with the Spirit, great things will happen!

Thank-you for all you do,

Love Sister Ryan xx