Happy Mother's Day!

 

Hi everybody!

How's it goin!? Hope everyone's doing really good!!!! Things here well they've been pretty boring and low-key.....yeah...that's a lie....so like I was telling you all Elder Bednar came to the Sweetwater stake during stake conference and just belted it! It was sooooo good!!!! He talked about finding a testimony a lot and how a testimony and conversion are similar and not so different. He told us that a "testimony is knowing the Gospels true however conversion is being true to the Gospel" and our conversion grows out of our testimony. Something else that really struck me was that he said a testimony is not enough to get through especially in this world and in these latter-days but rather it's just a beginning or a foundation to the defense of the adversary but we need sooo much more to combat it all. It was just an alll around stud conference! Elder Bednar is such an awesome guy and just feeling the spirit while I was there was incredible!!! So on to more news...I think I touched on it a little bit last week but Elder Perry came down and the reason was I'm sure because our mission got two more stakes from the Carlsbad mission...the Poway and Peneskito stakes and so there was a need for around 40 missionaries and so guess who's up north in a little podunk town called ramona population 46.....1564 if you count livestock haha it's not that small but compared to San Diego I thought we got lost and found ourselves in the beautiful town of Holt,Missouri....close enough though. It's really cool here you know I was soooooo sad to leave my last area in Bonita with all the people that I got soooo close to and the time we had together but being here I'm really excited! It really does seem like home just open fields cows instead of pitbulls...cowboys instead of gangsters... horses instead of cars....hmmm hmmm hmmm home sweet home! I stayed with my companion Elder Hill which is good we kept our car which her name's whitney...she's perrty... were in a little tiny branch still spanish but this place has a lot of potential I feel our old area had 4 with a baptismal date and we had 5 at church the past week so things were rockin but I know the Lord has sent Elder Hill and I here for a reason and I tend to found out what that reason is in the short time that I have left but it's all good...im the district leader over 4 companionships including mine so there's a lot of work to do but it's just time to put the shoulder to the wheel and push along...maybe even literally up here... but I'm excited to be here rep it out the last few weeks of my mission! So that's the boring up dates haha man im pooped!!! we had to close our old apartment down and move everything because there's not going to be anymore elders living there so it was a long night and day...it's still been a long day!!! but its all for the best cause and Im still soooo happy to be a missionary!!! Best decision of my life to give the blessings that I already have. President Hinckely said Serving a mission isn't a sacrifice because you receive soooo much more than you sacrifice.... and I know that to be true without a doubt I love this gospel and I love my mission sooo much!!! It has meant everything for me more than anyone i'm sure but it's the same cause were all engaged in so be converted and "when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Have a great week everyone!!! love you all sooo much and I will talk at cha next week!!! Oh since I forgot last week thank you all who sent me cards for my birthday and a little letter in the book that whitney put together it meant sooo much to me to see all of those names and words of encouragement....I feel love people and Im sendin it right back at cha and too Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas!!!! Have a good day on Sunday!!!! Love you all and take care!!!!

One Love,

Elder Ryan Lawter