Well this is it, family! The last time I will be writing you guys as a full-time missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! I'll tell you a little bit about how my week went, because it was one of the best ones I've had in my whole mission!!
Oh and btw, yes go ahead and invite all extented family to the airport, I would be thrilled to see them all!!
So, as you can imagine, lately there have been a lot of ¨Lasts¨ and a lot more to come in this week to be sure. But on Wednesday we went to Los Mochis and had our last zone conference with President Myers. He never fails to impress us, and this was no exception. Per tradition, all of the missionaries who are finishing their missions give their final testimony at the end. I got to hear very powerful testimonies from some of my closest friends and some companions that I started the mission with and that was really cool. After the zone conf, I did a companionship exchange with Elder Cuevas, we came back to Choix and were together for a few days. The whole time we were working as hard as I think I've ever worked and seeing many awesome changes in people, feeling the spirit, and finding new people who heard and accepted the message that we brought to them. I wish I could tell you about each one of them in more detail!! The best part of all was on Sunday when 36 people came to church, including 10 investigators!! It was so moving to see the tiny little church building filled to capacity and to hear the testimonies of the members. It was most definitely an experience I won't forget. I will continue to work as hard as I possibly can to continue finding and teaching people in the time I have left! Tomorrow we will be having a baptism which I'm also very excited about, so I will show you all pictures when I get home next week!!!
It's a definite mix of emotions to be leaving a place, a people, and such an important assignment that has been my whole life for the last 2 years. Over the past two years there have been a number of times where there was nothing I would've wanted more than to be in the comfort of my own home, with my normal life, doing the things I was accustomed to doing for the first 19 years of my life. However, there have been so many more times that I have found myself at a loss for words, amazed at the tender mercies of the Lord, his infinite love for us, His children, and the joy that living His gospel brings. I have seen people crying, begging, yearning to find the joy of the gospel. If I lived to be a million years old I will never forget the feelings that it brings to see those very people learn about these eternal truths, put them into practice, and experience the saving grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I have come to better know that same feeling in my life, and have the assurance that His way is the only way that will truly lead us to lasting happiness, and eventually to be saved and return to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. I know that the Lord tests us, but never more than what we can withstand, and never without providing a way to overcome and ultimately become stronger from those moments. And finally, I know that the very Savior and Redeemer of the world, the omnipotent creator of this very universe and all of the things that in it are, Jesus Christ, loves us so much, with such an undying, infinite, perfect love, that he has restored His true church and in that church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the fullness of His everlasting gospel is found. It is directed by him through living prophets, it is the only church that has the priesthood of God. I know that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ spoke to Joseph Smith. That through him we now have the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Jesus Christ. It has the power to penetrate even the hardest of hearts. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is upon the face of the earth. The church is true!!! I am sure of it, and I am so thankful for it!! I am so thankful for each and every one of you, you are my biggest blessing and I could never begin to thank you for all that you have given me. I love you all, and I can't wait to lay eyes on you, hug you, and catch up on time spent apart.
I close with the immortal words of Aubrey Drake Graham.... Tell them fix my suite up, cause your boy´s coming home.
All Love,
Ryan
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