Now you're all caught up!

We were having some serious blog issues, and I got a little swamped so apologies! Here is what you've missed. :)

3/17/2014:

Elder Jose A. Teixeira of the Seventy spoke to us on Friday at a Zone Conference!  It was such an amazing experience and I feel like I have learned so much!  He talked about many things but the thing that stuck out to me most was about Mat. 25.  This is where we see the Parable about Talents.  I don't have much time to explain this parable so I recommend you read it if you aren't familiar with it.  Elder Teixeira told us that the Lord doesn't expect quantity, he expects a difference.  When are at the completion of your mission, will you be able to say that you made a difference?  If so, then you have had a successful mission and the Lord will say,"Well done, thou good and faithful servant."  I thought was so powerful and it even applies to everyday life.  I hope to walk out of every situation, whether it's at home or talking to someone in the streets, and say that I have made a difference. 

 

I experienced something new last night.  I had my first door slammed in my face.  We didn't even have the chance to say hello!  It was so unexpected that I bursted out laughing.  It was very unfortunate but if I didn't laugh then we night might have been ruined.  Luckily it was all uphill from there!  We have over a 100 less-actives listed in our are so we decided that was what we needed to work on last night.  Unfortunately most of the people we went to see moved but much to our surprise nearly every person we met in their place wanted to learn more so we were able to set up loads of return appointments for this coming week!  It was a miracle!  The second we got home we got down on our knees and prayed.  We are so grateful to have been put in their path and we could tell that these people are elect!  Be persistant, make a difference!

3/24/2014:

So this week has been interesting.  I pulled out my back again(woops).  I did it when I crashed on my bike(woops).  I was trying to zip up my pocket while riding(Stupid, Don't do that).  I finally got it and looked up when a parked car magically appeared in front of me.  I turned, slammed on my brakes, and had a pretty good fall.  I was on the ground for a solid 15 minutes not wanting to move from the pain.  Elder Hess thought that it was quite funny.  He was laughing so hard that he had the hiccups for 30ish minutes. On the plus side I did miss the car!  Yay for the car...

I forgot to tell you something that happened at the Zone Conference!  At the beginning President Rasmussen calls all of the new missionaries to stand and be recognized.  And as you already know Elder Teixeira of the Seventy was there.  And just so you know he is the President over the Europe region.  So President Rasmussen calls my name, I stand up, and expect him to call the next person.  Instead, he pauses, thinks for a second, and says, "Elder Teixeira, you might be the President, but he's the Bos."    I didn't have the guts to look at Elder Teixeira's face.  But everyone was laughing so I'm guessing that he was too.  

I had to go to Nottingham on Thursday and Friday.  Thursday for a zone meeting and Friday to work with the zone leaders while Elder Hess was at a training meeting in Birmingham.  I felt like a kid in a candy store while we were out finding people.  They have a place that they call "the funnel".  People are constantly flowing into this road and I love it!  I was running from one person to another.  It was great but at the same time we had a lot more nos than I'm used to.  It was still a great experience though.  At one point I just stopped and realized that Grandpa Stevenson could have walked down the same streets.  It was an amazing feeling.  

England is now in bloom!  I love it!  And so does Elder Hess!  

Elder Parham and I came across a Mexican restaurant and they had Arizona licence plates in the window!  We took that picture while we were on our way back from the train station.  It was exciting to see.  

I love this work.  I love the Gospel.  I love all of you.  I hope that you have a great week!  

Elder Bos

3/31/2014:

So lately we have decided that we would create a Birthday card for all members and less-actives.  A few days ago we took the bus 30 minutes north to deliver a card.  It was a long trip and we weren't ever sure if this less-active still lived there.  We finally arrived and no one answered the door.  So we decided to knock on the neighbors door to ask them if he still lived there.  We knocked and this lady answers the door and gets super excited.  She tells us that her cousin was in the church and that she has been wanting to learn more for a long time.  It was a miracle, we finally have someone to teach!

 

After that we had to take a different bus an hour south of where we were to get to another less-active for his birthday.  We get off the bus and start walking by a playground with around 40 kids running around, riding scooters, and playing tag.  Out of no where an Ice Cream truck comes around the corner and there is total chaos!   The music is blast and the driver can tell that he hit the jackpot.  Kids were waving their money, frantically looking/yelling for parents, and sprinting for the truck.  All of this happened withing 30 seconds.  The best part though was the reaction of this little girl.  She saw the truck, dropped her scooter, took two steps, and started to yell "ICE CREAM!  ICCCCEEEE CRRRREEEEAAAMMM!!!!!"  She yelled that over and over again.  Each time she would lift her arm and throw them down while going into the squatting position.  Definitely a funny sight.

 

So after that we arrived at the less-actives house.  And again we had no clue if he lived there or not.  We knocked and some guy answered.  We asked him if Robert lived there.  He said no.  We had an awkward moment of silence and then Elder Hess says, "We came to deliver this Birthday card to him.  It wouldn't happen to your Birthday would it?"  It was his Birthday! I was in shock for the next 20 minutes.

 

Yesterday was an amazing day for us.  We had a lesson!  It was our first lesson in over a week.  I honestly felt incredibly nervous.  It almost felt as if I forgot how to teach.  Before walking in we said a prayer and that made all of the difference.  We walked into his home and had the best lesson.  The Spirit was so strong.  That was by far the most powerful lesson that I have had while out here.  His name is Dapo(Duh-poh) and he is from Nigeria!  He is a legend!  

 

I don't have a lot of time but I hope that you all have a wonderful week!  Love you!

 

The girl screaming was the highlight of my week.

4/7/2014:

General Conference was so amazing!  We didn't have it at our chapel so we had to catch a ride to Nottingham to watch it at the Stake Centre.  Because of the time difference we had to do it differently and unfortunately we had to miss the last session.  I was able to see Saturday Morning's session on Saturday night, Priesthood Session Saturday morning, Saturday Night session on Sunday afternoon, and Sunday morning session on Sunday night.  It was an all day event and I loved every minute! 

 

Here are a few things that I liked:

-We are a Temple attending, not a Temple building people.

-Bear your crosses with love and gratitude

-Service prepares us to love what The Lord loves

-These are the days to stand strong, to build faith, and to become a Disciple of Jesus Christ

-take the short and long view when making choices

-The real tests of courage are quieter,like doing what's right when no one is around

-Not all acts of courage bring great result, but they do bring peace of mind

-Choose Courage, not compromise

-gratitude leads to ALL Christlike attributes

-Be Consistant, Persistant, and Follow-up.

He always has a plan, to safely get me home again

-Don't wait, Act!  We have eternity to think.

-I pray because I can't help myself

The miracle of the Atonement can make up for flaws in our perfomance

-Show love, Avoid regrets

 

 

In between sessions Elder Hess and I had the opportunity to teach a man named Mansoor.He is from Egypt and we met him on the street and gave him our number ages ago.  He called because he really wanted to go to church.  We told him that it was differnetly this week and that if he wanted to go we could find a ride for him.  We told him that it would be an all day event and he gladly accepted!  He nearly begged us!  It was so awesome.  He showed up with some members and was able to listen to two sessions.  In between we taught him about the Restoration and explained in a lot more detail about General Conference.  He really enjoyed it and he told us that he can't wait to meet with us again!  that was this weeks miracle.  I hope that all of you are seeing miracles in your life.  I know that the Savior lives and that He is there to comfort you in times of need.  He can bless your lives, so let Him!

4/14/2014:

What a week!  My entire week was made great by one lesson.  Her name was Linda and we taught her with Brother and Sister Tulip at the Church.  She is a sigle mother of 3 kids and has been wanting to find a church where she feels welcome and uplifted.  The Spirit was so strong during the lesson and you could just tell by the look on her face that she felt it.  At one point we asked her how she felt and replied, "Light, I feel peace."  Something else happened as well.  Normally she reads the Bible by opening to a random page and reading the first verse that she sees.  Well that's the first thing that she did when we gave her a Book of Mormon and she opened up and read 3 Nephi 19:13.  That scripture talks about being Baptized and receiving the Holy Ghost.  She instantly gasps and starts to cry.  It was so powerful.  Afterwards she grabed my hand and with her mother like strength pulled me into a hug. It was so awkward...My eyes went wide and I started to panic.    haha I told Elder Hess after and he just laughed and said, "That won't be the last and it's awkward everytime."  That was the amazing lesson for this week. 

 

Lately I have been trying to read the entire Bible.  The Old Testament is confusing but I love it so much!  I have learned so much since I have started and here is a scripture that stuck out to me:

Deuteronomy 8:2-6

2  And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lordthy God led theethese forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee,to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commanments, or no.

3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy father know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.

4  Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

5  Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee.

6  Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy god, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.

 

I want everyone to look up the Chris Williams Mormon Message.  I feel like that goes with this scripture.  I want to hear what people think about it so email me with your response! 

 

I have tons of pictures to send to you but the library is updating all of thier systems so we are unable to plug in our cameras and upload them.

 

I love all of you and hope that you have a wonderful Easter!  Remember what it is all about!

4/14/2014:

Sorry that I'm sending this so late in the day. Because of Easter we had to go to a member's home. 

We had transfers and Elder Hess was transferred to Woodsutton.  I received the new district leader. His name is Elder Washington and he is from South Jordan, Utah. He has been out 16 months and loves it. He is a great missionary and I have already learned quite a bit from him. 

New transfers!

Here is the latest from our Ryan:

We had transfers this past week! We lost Elder Maligon and Sister Wengert. We have recieved Elder Parham (who is from Arizona and 22 months out!) and Sister Leisse (who is from Germany and fresh out of the MTC.) It feels great not being the new kid.

This has been a very difficult week for us. We have lost all of our investigators and have been doing nothing but street contacting. It's hard, but I have come to realize something. When things get hard, something good is about to come. When you have a doubt, that's the devil, and he's try to get you to second guess yourself because you are about to go and do something great. I plan on using that to my advantage in this upcoming week. We have been denied hundreds of times so that we will be in the path of that one person who will say yes. I know that! It will happen this week, and I am ready for it! 

Today I was reading in 1 Nephi1:1. As I read that verse, I noticed the footnote by the word "afflictions."  I looked down, and the footnote read," Blessing; Gifts of God." I love that! As much as we hate trials, they are blessings. They help us in more ways than we can imagine. Maybe I was supposed to learn something this week that would make me a stronger and wiser missionary. Maybe that person I will find needed a stronger and wiser me. Never look at a trial as a curse, look at it as a blessing that you will come out of stronger and wiser. Elder Hess shared with me that President Eyring PRAYS FOR TRIALS! That sounds crazy, but it is his goal to come closer to Christ and what better way, than through trials? Crazy, but brilliant. 

I hope that everyone has a great week!  I love all of you!

Update from Ryan!

Excerpt from the e-mail from Elder Bos:

"These are pictures of Batman's house! That was the mansion that they used in the third movie! Awesome, right?  

This week has been rather difficult. All of our lessons except for two have fallen through.  Here is something that has been on my mind lately:

Having the right mindset, having a plan and praying for help and guidance to accomplish that plan are everything!

A few days ago we didn't have much planned so we decided to dedicate most of the day to Finding. We left that morning with the mindset that we would find at least 10 people and that we would give out at least 7 Books of Mormon! We were on bikes so we were able to go person to person with ease. We spent hours talking with people, being lectured, and being ignored. I noticed that the harder I worked, the more energy I had. The more effort I put into finding people, the easier it was to talk to them. It was an absolute miracle, and at the end of the day we walked into our flat with 10 potentials and 7 less Books of Mormon. 

I later thought of the Brother of Jared. He needed to somehow provide light in his ships so that they weren't in the dark while crossing the sea. When he asked the Lord for help the Lord responded with another question.  "What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?" (Ether 2:23).  In a sense, he is saying, What is your plan and I will help. I love that! The Lord wants us to use our brains!  He gave it to use for a reason, so use it.  Next, the Brother of Jared came up with an idea, one that involved a lot of faith! He collected 16 stones and offered up a prayer: 

Ether 3

2:"O Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee; for we know that thou art holy and dwells in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee..."

4:"And I know, O Lord, that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit on man; therefore touch these stones, O Lord, with thy finger, and prepare them that they shall shine forth in darkness..."

5:"Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this. We know that thou art able to show forth great power, which looks small unto the understanding of men." 

My favorite part about this story is the fact that he mentioned his weakness. As humans we sometimes like to consider ourselves indestructible, when in reality, we are all weak, and keep in mind that we all have different weaknesses. One of my many weaknesses was having the courage to approach random strangers. It took a plan, it took faith, and it was asking the Lord to help me to overcome that weakness that is how I was able to leave my flat with the "I WILL" attitude. It has become my goal that even in the hardest of times, I will keep the "I WILL" attitude. Sometimes we feel defeated, sometimes we feel like all is lost, but we have to remember that the Plan of Salvation was designed for everyone to win. 

I love all of you and hope that you all remember the love that our Father in heaven has for each of us, his sons and daughters!"

Here are more photos he sent of his adventures in England. He looks like he's having fun and that he and his companion are both goofballs. ;)

 

Ryan's New Mailing Address

Ryan's new mailing address has been updated on the right side of the blog! Please note that only letters can be mailed to his flat, and all packages should be sent to the mission office address. I know he would love to hear from you all!

Recent Photos

This is definitely my favorite because you can see that sweet smile we miss so much!

He's representing the U of A with another Elder!

Ryan Turned 21 in England

First things first! This was the week of our missionary's birthday, so HAPPY 21st BIRTHDAY, RYAN!!

Ryan is out of the MTC and in the field! Here are some excerpts from his most recent letters.

"This week has been a roller coaster. On Saturday we had the MTC exercise for ward members. We did this hoping that members would get more excited about sharing the Gospel with friends and family, but the only people that showed up were those that already do missionary work so we were very disappointed.  

We have been teaching a guy named Jonathan, and he is definitely ready to be baptized! We were planning on teaching him about the Word of Wisdom because we thought that that would be his biggest struggle. We only thought that because we are always asked if we want coffee or tea when we walk into his home. It turns out that he doesn't have an issue with it at all and was just trying to be a good host! I love it! He told us that his testimony is growing word by word, page by page. He'll be baptized February the 15th! The day can't get here fast enough! 

On Thursday we went to see Stanley. The night before he had a really bad fall, and it took him almost 2 hours to crawl to the phone so that he could call for help. It tore us apart to hear his story, and it took everything I had not to cry. He told us that he feels  his time on earth is coming to an end. He then asked for a blessing, and I had the priveldge of giving it to him. I was prompted to bless him with healing and energy. We saw him a few days later, and he had a big smile when he saw us! He is so strong, and I am so blessed to have seen this miracle. Count your many blessing everyone! I can promise you that the Lord loves you and that he will never forget you! 

We were blessed again yesterday with a guy names Brian. He just walked into church and wanted to be taught...THAT RARELY HAPPENS!!! He walked almost an hour just to get to the church. We plan on going to see him this week! We also were able to teach an elderly man names Ken yesterday.  he lives way out in Mickleover so it took a solid hour to walk to his flat. He has bad hearing so I'm not sure if he heard half of the things we said, but the Spirit was there and that's all he needs. I am so blessed to be here. Within two weeks we went from zero to three investigators. 

 We have had so many dinner appointments this week that I feel as if I'm going to explode. We have people from all sorts of places in our ward so we usually get a variety of food. Last night we were fed by the Thompsons. They moved to England a few years ago from Jamaica! They made us chicken and pink rice...delicious!!!"

As you can see, our Ryan is changing lives in England, and he has such a sweet spirit as his guide. We are hoping he had a wonderful birthday and continues to have successes across the pond!  

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