Elder Ryan Bell Texas Houston Mission

Crazy week! I actually got a brand new $300 pair of dress shoes from a member on St. Patrick's Day. It was sweet! THAT DAY IS MY DAY!!!!! I had Corned Beef, Cabbage, Potatoes, and Cornbread with Donnie and Russ for dinner on St. Patrick's Day and I will tell you what- THAT was the absolute best meal that I have had on my mission thus far. Just so Irish and just SO FLIPPIN' GOOD!!!!!

YEA!!!!!!!

Elder Peterson and I saw some cool miracles this week and we have worked harder than we ever have in the weeks past. On St. Patrick's day after dinner, we both came home and were just.... down. We didn't have anything planned for the rest of the night and the night was young. I didn't know what to do for the people we had just visited, what I really wanted was time to just sit and think, study, and ponder. But I knew that we needed to get out. I suggested it and lacked answers on where we needed to go or what we needed to do. I called every member I could think of for us to go visit and start our Finding Hour, but absolutely no one was available. Yes, this lack of a plan made it even more enticing to just stay there and do spiritual activities, which isn't bad mind you, but gosh dang it, I'm a missionary! People are out there that need US! This is not what I was thinking at that moment.) But anyways with absolutely no motivation or drive I insisted that we need to just get out and leave. We were NOT going to waste any time on St. Patrick's Day; not on MY DAY!!!! So we just went. No idea where we were going, no idea what to do, facing resistance, Elder Peterson suggested that he felt we should go visit a less active member neither of us had ever met or really even heard of before- so we did. And that was Miracle #1 out of 4. They weren't going to let us in, but then after somebold insistence, they allowerd us to come inside. Then we talked, found out that they had requested no visits from the Church but had allowed us in, we discussed their concerns, and then after some inspired questions, we asked if we could come teach them the discussions, at first they said no, but then mid-sentence changed their mind and agreed to let us come back and teach them the discussions to get them on their spiritual feet. Anyway, it was a great night after that and we both felt WAY HAPPIER from working!!! Even though neither of us wanted to, even though neither of us knew what to do, we just went and did- and look what came of it! And more!

-Elder Ryan A. Bell