Monday, February 18, 2013

Letter to Dad Feb 18, 2013

Hey Dad!

Sweet stuff! Thanks for checking the balance on the card and making sure it was good to go. It saved my life a couple minutes ago. There was money on it then.... probably not anymore.

Yea, I don't know what the deal is with these people here in Katy I keep running into. It's pretty funny though. Seriously, Katy is the coolest! My companion and I helped do a Stake Leadership Training on Saturday and I got to see many wonderful people from my first ward, Westlake, one of which was Letty! It was SO GREAT to see her and these other people again! It honestly felt like coming home. Having people like that really inspires me to be better and to do better here. That puts on a lot of pressure, though.

Right now we are working with 7 or 8 different serious investigators.

Just a couple days after I got into the area, we were at dinner with a family and the 17-year-old girl had her 19-year-old boyfriend, Ryan, there. After dinner, we asked them all if we could teach a lesson, as is customary after member dinners. They agreed and we started sharing the Restoration (the first lesson that we teach to investigators) and Ryan committed to be baptized on March 23rd. He is very worried what his family will think but we are trying to strengthen his faith to keep him going strong. He is pretty cool. He does BMX competitions and such, not really in school or anything, just working and doing BMX.

The next person we are working with is an 18-year-old girl named Emily who loves at our apartment complex. We were working on a Ward list on the computers one day when she came in. We started talking to her and she agreed to learn more. We taught her right then and then again the next day and she committed to be baptized on March 16th. She came to Church with us on Sunday and got to see President Eyring and Elder Scott for Stake Conference. (It was a broadcast, they weren't actually there.) I am very hopeful for her and praying that she will stay strong and continue to progress.

The lady, Paulette that texted Mom is actually another of our investigators. She has been investigating the Church for quite a while, but we are very hopeful that she will commit to be baptized soon. She has been taught everything by previous Elders and has been coming to Church for many months. When we asked her at dinner the other day if she had thought about joining the Church, she revealed that the only thing holding her back was the fact that she doesn't feel like she knows enough and was worried what her family would say. We are going to try and set a baptismal date at our next meeting on Wednesday.

Another family we are working with are named the Ebbinghaus. They are a couple with two small children. They have been investigating the Church for a couple months. I love them! They are so awesome! I really don't know them that well at all, but in talking, Brother Ebbinghaus actually wanted to be a fighter pilot and went to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida to pursue that. Unfortunately, at the time, the military was letting pilots retire early because they didn't have a huge demand for them, so he decided to do something else.

And after this, there are a couple of other part-member families we are teaching, and a family we tracted into my first Sunday in the area. Good stuff, though!

As far as the District, I don't know what the goals and such are. I am no longer a District Leader. I just do what I am told.

So good to hear about the family scripture study! Great stuff! I am very excited to be a part of that. YEA!!!! How is everything else going for you? Work going well? Any new business? And what's up with Jordan? I haven't heard from him in a couple weeks, is he dead?

As far as what I need, just your love! Thanks for always asking and always being so quick to respond. You are awesome! (This is the Johnsons- the couple from Jordan's mission.)

 Love,
-Elder Ryan A. Bell


Editor's Note: I just cant say enough about Bro & Sister Johnson they took care of Jordan while serving with him in Tallahasse, Florida. We had the opportunity to meet them when we picked Jordan up last October... And here they are back home and keeping an eye on Elder Ry!! 

No comments: