Sept. 21, 2011

Dear Family:

Hey everyone! How is it going? What's new? What's going on in the real world? Any news? Anyone getting married? How are my friends?:)

Sorry the email is coming late this week! On Monday we had to go and help clean one of the apartments in our Zone (it is an older apartment and it was in real need of a deep clean!) and then after we had finished there the Zoll's needed help in preparing for a fireside that they gave yesterday, so we went to go help them and had Family Home Evening with them. Sister Zoll made BBQ Beef sandwiches and pasta salad which were great. It reminded me a lot of home. Then yesterday we had District Meeting in the morning and then were busy all the rest of the day. But don't worry I am never too busy to email! I will always email home, nothing can get in the way of that! Emailing is what keeps me going!

This morning I received the package that you sent for my year mark! It is great! I am excited for everything that you sent and the CD's are great! Thank you so much! I know that the packages come as a great sacrifice on your behalf so thank you! They are always great!

This past Sunday was our "Church Hoppin’" day. One of the families in our ward that is super solid is a young couple with a little boy, and his mother is not a member. She is a very devote Catholic and we have been meeting with her at least once a week and sometimes for FHE. Anyway we have been inviting her to come to church, but she kept putting it aside. But then one day she invited us to come to here church, so we told her that if we come this week she has to come next week. So we woke up at 5:00 am and attended the 6:00 am mass. It was very interesting and totally different. But she was very happy that we came and invited us to come over to their house in the evening for dinner. So from there we attended our ward and then the Zoll's came to pick us up and we went to Pastor church to teach them how to sing "I am a Child of God." So in one day we attended three different churches. It was very interesting seeing the differences in all of the churches and seeing the kind of things that they said/did. At the end of the day as I looked back, I realized how grateful I am for our church. It really strengthened my testimony that we are the only true church. We worship our Heavenly Father and Savior the way they want us to. The big difference came when we entered into our ward you could feel the Spirit! Our church is the only true church! It has the fulness of the gospel and does things "in wisdom and order." Thank you for raising me in this church!

Our investigators are doing great. He traveled to Accra this past week and will return a few days before, but he is ready! He really loves the church and knows that he has found the truth. We also received a couple of referrals that should be baptized this Saturday. One is for sure, she is a young girl, she has been taught by other missionaries in the other Kumasi Zone so we just have to make sure she is ready and then Saturday baptize her. The other is a lady who has been attending the church forever, but hasn't been baptized. All of her children are members.

This past week I gave my first baptism interview. It went well and the candidate was baptized that Saturday. It was very different being on the other side of an interview, but it went well. I just tried to listen to the thoughts that came to my mind and go from there. Any advice dad? What do you do in interviews?

I am just about finished with Jesus the Christ. I am on the last chapter of the book! It has taught me so much about the Savior and has strengthened my testimony of Him. It amazes me how He willingly endured everything for us. He endured mockery, suffering, humiliation, pain, everything just so we could be from the grasps of sin. Yet everyday we still sin and add to the pain that He went through. The Savior knew that we would, but because of His love for us He did that for us. Jesus the Christ has really taught me a lot and I can't wait for when I come home to be able to talk about it with all of you. I am also rereading the Book Of Mormon and I’m on 2nd Nephi 31 (the Doctrine of Christ).

The Spirit has really been teaching me a lot lately. I will be reading things or hear something and a thought/idea will come to my mind teaching more and testifying to me that the thought/idea is true. That is truly one of my favorite parts of being a missionary. You get so much time to study the gospel and learn every aspect of it. Never will you get such a chance to learn the gospel like you do here. Sometimes I try and think about what I knew before I came out, but it is hard for me to even remember because of all the things I know now. The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints is the only true church of God on the earth. The more you study the scriptures and learn the doctrines and teachings of them, the more you see the truthfulness of the church. We are truly blessed with the knowledge that this gospel brings to us, and the blessings that temples are to us.

I'm doing well! I am healthy, exercising everyday, even I am becoming pretty strong. Being a Zone Leader is not easy, but I enjoy the opportunity of serving my fellow missionaries. I just received the impress (money for missionary expenses) and so now I am in charge of that this time. We have transfers coming up in a week and half so we shall see what happens in our Zone. But I am doing good, just trying to do my best and leave the rest in the Lord's hands. It is crazy that I am almost at one year! Time has really been flying.

Well family I have to go! I love you all and thank you for your prayers and support! Continue to pray for me and the work! I love you!

Love your son and brother,

Elder Ryan S. Alba