Elder Ryan Phillip Lawter

New Year, new swagga,
So how was everyone’s Christmas this year? Mine was really good, especially with a couple of baptisms on Christmas Eve! The two girls that I was talking about last week; Paloma and Raquel, well everything was perfect and they were baptized by their brother one after the other. It was a really sweet experience and a really sweet day, the spirit was so strong at the baptism, I love it! Most of their family was there to watch them get baptized and we talked to a few of them and they said that they’re interested in having us come over and teach them more! Just to see the Spirit of the Lord move people, is truly a miracle and I’m so grateful to be able to see it day in and day out. So after the baptism, all the missionaries in the branch that I’m serving in went caroling to a few of our investigators home and even to President Donaldson’s home so Christmas Eve was a really good day for me and Christmas was even better. Let’s see… Christmas morning a few of us missionaries woke up and hiked Mt. Cowles, which was weird because there were so many people up on the mountain that day, guess it’s just the thing to do on Christmas morning but we got to watch the sun come up over the valley and the ocean and that’s always a really cool thing to watch. Then after we got done hiking Elder Morales and I got cleaned up and went to the Branch President’s home for a Christmas breakfast, which was really nice to be in a nice cozy home, in a just a picture perfect family setting for a change. It’s been so long since I’ve been in an actual house so it was really but then after that, went to Martin’s stole his phone for a “bit” and the rest is history. So overall, not the Christmas that I’m used to but it still wasn’t too shabby. It really made me appreciate being home for the holidays and just being around family, it’s humbling being out here because you take a step away from all the family, friends, being together especially around this time and you see the true need for these so very important people in your life, it’s not a want but a need. I not only saw in myself but I also saw it in the faces of people walking alone on the streets. I had a cool experience, kind of sad too but it was a neat one… I’ll kind of briefly summarize it cuz I don’t have too much time but the Tuesday night before Christmas, Elder Morales and I were walking to an appointment and it was around 8 o’clock but we were walking in downtown El Cajon and I saw this man a few hundred feet in front of us and my initial thought was “Oh great, he’s gonna make fun of us or yell at us or do something like that,” but the closer we got the man who had kind of a limp and a hunchback started walking towards us. So we kept walking and he came up to us with a hand full of change and said with the kindest voice, “sirs would you like to go to Starbucks and get a cup of coffee with me or something,” and I told him politely, no because we had an appointment to go to, then he asked Elder Morales and he said no and after we said that, I guess the man felt bad for bothering us and apologized to us and told us bye. So the further we walked the more and more I had a feeling to go back, so I finally told Elder Morales that we needed to go back so we did and we looked….and looked….and looked for this man and he was nowhere to be found. We walked for about thirty minutes looking for this guy and it got to the point where I said, “he’s long gone, let’s just head on to our appointment,” and right at the time, your typical missionary moment happened, we turned the corner and there was that man, just kind of wondering around looking all lost. So we walked up to him and told him that we’d like to take him up on his offer but instead I offered to take him to Quiznos for a sub and just the huge smile and shock on his face was really heartwarming. So we took him in and the whole time he kept asking me “really sir? Really? Thank you sir. Thank you.” And we just sat there for the longest time talking about his life and just about anything and everything in between. He had kind of a speech impediment, his clothes stunk, he looked liked he hadn’t showered or shaved in a year but we paid attention to him and made him feel like he was the most important person to us, which he was at that time, he had no idea that Christmas was even close to be coming and just didn’t know anything really what was going on anywhere but he was smiling and laughing the whole time, I told him some funny stories, gave him a Book of Mormon, talked to him a little bit about the Restoration and the gospel and that was that, then we left and went on our way. I probably will never see him again but I don’t think either one of us will forget that experience. It was just a cool thing that happened to Elder Morales and I and I think us coming in contact with him was more of a blessing for us than it was for him. It just showed us that we need each other. There are people out there who have nothing or nobody and they’re hurting and they need us. It’s the love of Christ, it’s not sufficient enough that we carry it with us but we need to spread it as well, “men are that they might have joy.” It’s been the coolest Christmas experience, sure I missed being home a TON but I’ll be home for Christmas every year after this next one, you only get two mission Christmas’ and they truly are awesome. So that was my Christmas in a nut shell but I hope that everyone had a good time with their families and their friends, that’s what Christmas is all about so I hope it was good! Wow this email was long…thanks for reading on but I’ve gotta run! I hope that you all have a good week this up coming week and a safe one too with New Years coming up! Let’s get a new swagga with the New Year and make it a really good one! I love you all and pray for you always! Have an awesome possum week!
Much love,
Elder Ryan Lawter