Elder Ryan Phillip Lawter

Ho Ho Hooooooly Canonli what a week it’s been!
So this past week for starters we have had what we call the MTE, which stands for Missionary Training Exchanges and through this whole week we’ve had another missionary come out with us and coach us on various things that a general authority taught them in a meeting a few weeks ago, so it’s kinda like footballs “hell week” during summer training for us but it has been such an amazing experience and I think it’s given a lot of the missionaries a new outlook on missionary work as well as the members too! The San Diego mission is the only mission doing this MTE because we’re kind of like the guinea pig mission, meaning we try out all the ideas that the general authorities have revelation on in Salt Lake and they give it to us to try out and work out all the kinks. The whole MTE thing worked out though and this mission is slowly starting to turn into the mission that president and all of us have envisioned. So probably within the next few months to a year all the missions worldwide will be doing the MTE program every other transfer instead of zone conferences and interviews.
So kind of a brief overview of what it’s all about is it puts focus on missionaries to work with more with the members, focus more on planning and practicing more effectively for our investigators, and has us focus always on our purpose which is to “Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.” So we’re always on duty. Those are the main things that were stressed in our training this past week, kind of seems simple right? But there was so much more depth to it and so much more work. It’s been a stressful past few weeks but it’s been a good stress and we’ve seen tons of blessings in El Cajon and in our mission. We have found a few investigators that are just so very prepared to receive the gospel and all of it’s blessings, past investigators that we’ve stopped by have found a new drive and want to improve, and investigators that we currently have that have been a little than less productive in their commitments are finding life and joy in church, in the Book of Mormon, and in praying. Dang I’m just overwhelmed about how many just amazing things are taking place right before my eyes! It’s incredible! I just wish I could tell you in words instead of a letter…..oh wait!.....yea hmmmm I think that we have a phone date in like 11 days from now! Oh baby! I can’t wait fo dat! You might want to get comfortable because 6 months of boggled up things I have to say just gotta explode sometime or another!
Oh btw are you serious that the Christiansen boy is home!!! That’s nutso Lewis! I remember sitting in sacrament when he was giving his farewell! I gotta admit that time is picking up for me too, I don’t know about you all but it just seems to keep going faster and faster and faster…. 6 months already! ¼ of the way home! Speaking of home, Elder Ulrich goes home in a couple of weeks… I’m really gonna miss that guy. I don’t think there’s a missionary out here that I respect more than that man… He’s been my best friend out here and just an awesome role-model, I guess it’s just crazy for me to think that he’s goin home! It’ll be here before you know it and debe debe debe that’ll be all folks for me! But I’m happy where I’m… I’m happy to be in El Cajon, I’m happy to work with people, to help people, I’m happy to be in the service of our Lord and to carry the armor of Heleman, I guess I’m just a happy guy! I love it! Love where you’re at in life. Love the car that breaks down, love the cat that jumps on the couch, love the computer that doesn’t work (aka dude sitting next to me, I think he’s about to drop-kick the computer haha), love the people that cut you off on the highway, love the time in your life, love what you have, but most importantly love WHO you have. It’s one of the greatest blessings that Heavenly Father has given us is our family and friends and the potential to be with them forever through blessings of the temple and the restored gospel. Now’s the time that those in whom we hold so dear, we need to hold closer and those in whom who are so distant we need to bring closer. So reach out, touch a life who is longing to be touched and love a person who is longing to be loved. As the Christmas season draws closer and closer so do we as a people need to grow closer and closer to all of our brothers and sisters in this world. We need them just as much as they need us. So love one another as you have been loved and I think we will then figure out the true meaning of Christmas and have just a glimpse of the love that our Savior has for us all.
I love you all so dear and hope for the best Christmas week eve ever!!!
Venga lo que venga y ama lo. – Come what may and love it.
Much love!
Elder Ryan Lawter
Aka the man