February 21, 2011

Dear Family:

That is great to hear about our new mission president. Today they will probably talk about it. We have a really cool meeting that my zone and a couple of others will get to go to. We get to meet with Elder Dixon (area 70), Elder Sitati (area 70), Elder Gonzalez (I think one of the pres. of the 70), a member of the Presiding Bishopric, and one other GA. It should be a great meeting and I can't wait to hear from them and learn what we need to do to be better missionaries.

Thank you so much for the package. I got it at Zone Conference. I especially like the Cran-Grape, the chips, and the candy. The hand grips are great, thank you! I accidently broke one though...I guess I am just that strong now :) The hankies are great! It is great to look at them and to think of Dad, Grandpa, and Guelito.

So, this week has been a really great week! We had Zone Conference on Tuesday, which was great. Pres. Sabey announced what the new mission goal is and it is: 1. Baptize an individual who has family members who are already members of the Church, 2. To seal a family. This will be the hardest mission goal yet, just because parts of the mission are about 6-7hrs. from the temple and the families are going to make the financial sacrifice to get there. This is a very exciting goal and Elder Bunker and I have already started preparing to complete the goal.

We are having another baptism on March 5. We have five candidates and two of them will accomplish the first part of the goal for us. It will be a very cool baptism.

Then as far as the sealing family, Saturday we collected names of families in the branch who need to seal their families. Yesterday we went and met with them and have four families who are preparing themselves to go be sealed in the temple. It will be a very neat experience helping these families be united for time and all eternity. The rest of the Zone Conference was great. Pres. talked about the Atonement and it was amazing. He talked about how many churches will say and use the scripture that says we are "saved through the grace of Jesus Christ." He talked about how too often we, as missionaries, jump on that and say that it is our action that save us. He taught us about how we are saved through the grace of Jesus Christ, and how our actions help us become more like Him and how we prepare ourselves to be with Him again. I'm not giving his talk the justice that it deserves, but it was excellent.

As I thought about it I realized how true it was. Our actions allow us to become like Jesus Christ. Romans talks about how "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Our actions are how we become like our Savior and gain our glory back. That is why they are called the kingdoms or glory. It is based on how much "glory" or how much we become like our Savior. There is a quote that I really like and it says, "In order to become what we want to be, we must be what we want to become." This is true in how we want to become like our Savior. We must then be and act like Him in order to become like Him.

This week the Spirit really taught me a lot. We were teaching about the Restoration and Maxwell had plenty of questions. We taught really well and helped him to answer his questions. But he still had concerns and doubts. We taught about the Book of Mormon and helped him to see that the Book of Mormon could and would help him know the truth and come to the know that this church is true. I then taught him something unplanned and afterwards realized how powerful it was. He is our age and I told him that right now he is at a critical point in his life. The decision he makes now will effect the rest of his life. Decision such as school, work, family, etc. will effect his future. But then I said the decision to open this book, the decision to pray, the decision to investigate and maybe one day join this church are decisions that would not only effect his future, but also his salvation and eternity. The message sunk in and I think he realized how important this truly was. Neat thought, huh? Sometimes it is the little decision that have the greatest impact in our lives. The decision I have made to serve a mission and help my brothers and sisters come to know the truth is one that has definitely effect the rest of my life, but also my eternity.

Another thought the Spirit taught me was when we were teaching a man named Ebenezer. We were teaching him the first two principles of the gospel: Faith and Repentance. Elder Bunker taught Faith and it came to me to teach Repentance. I have taught this many times, but took a different approach that ended up being very profound. I began by talking about how countless times in the New Testament when Christ heals someone he says "Thy faith hath made the whole." I taught about how our Faith in Jesus Christ allows us to be made whole through Repentance. When we sin we become spiritually ill, and separate ourselves from God. But through our faith in Christ we are healed and made whole again. I then went on and taught the steps of repentance and taught how he could be made whole by his faith in Christ through repentance. Truly the Spirit taught me so much this week. Things I had not planned to teach I taught, and whether for the benefit of the person I don't know, but also think it was teach me something too. I have been made whole through the blood of our Savior. I have repented and am doing my best to become like Him. Now it is my turn, just as Christ told his disciples, to go and preach his gospel and to help "heal" my brothers and sisters here in Ghana through the gift that is repentance.

Friday was kind of a hard day, but the Lord blesses his servants who continue to press forward despite difficulties. We met with one of our really solid investigators who is trying to make the switch to our church, but it was just a difficult lesson. He has the desire to come to our church, but it looks like it will take time. It was a little frustrating, but we kept working. We then had a couple of appointments fail and it began to rain a little. I just chuckled to myself and thought "Oh man." But we kept working and turned it into a great day. We ended up teaching nine lessons when it looked like we would have none. One really stuck out to me. We were teaching a man named Richard. He is a new investigator and so we were teaching him about Joseph Smith. I told the Joseph Smith story and was teaching the importance of it and the Spirit was just so strong. I could see the desire he had to learn more and could tell that he was feeling the spirit teaching him. We had given him a pamphlet on Joseph Smith the time before and when we asked him about how felt when he read it he said, "I felt relieved." It was something new that I never had heard someone say before, but that is how one should feel when they read or hear that story, relief. As I taught the story I felt relief as well. The story of Joseph Smith brings relief because we no longer need to live in a world of confusion. He restored the truth and showed us the path to follow that leads back to God and Jesus Christ.

Here is kind of a funny story. So we were teaching a different Richard who we have taught for quite some time now and I think is doomed to be an Eternal Investigator. But we were teaching him and he was just being difficult. I was showing him how reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and coming to church would help him find and answer. He had been reading and praying, but yet to come to church. He then was throwing out random scenarios and asked us what if the person can't read even though he can read. I said well we can turn in the Book of Mormon and read to them like this. Opened up to a random scripture began to read and it was Alma 34:41. It talks about having patience during difficult times. It was highly appropriate, since I think the Spirit could see I may have been getting a little frustrated:) Funny I right?

Things really are great here. I love this chance I have to be a missionary and to be able to teach people everyday. I am in good health, taking my medicine everyday and trying to stay healthy. The people here are great. They have a desire to learn and some have truly been prepared to hear the message of Salvation.

Thank you so much all of you for what you do for me. The letters, emails, packages are awesome! I truly have been blessed to be part of such an amazing family! As we have this new goal I can't help but think of all of you! I am eternally grateful that we can be a family forever through the blessings of the temple!

Love you all and thank you!

Love your son and brother,

Elder Ryan S. Alba