Ryan's new email

Good morning everybody!
Well, as my subject says I have been transferred! And wow is it crazy. I am currently writing you from the Utah Valley Park Stake Center or the Utah Taylorsville North Central Stake Center - I am not quite sure which one. Either way, I am now in Taylorsville, Utah and will likely be for at least a few transfers (thank goodness, the packing to move was horrendous). I moved from the farthest south you could get in the mission up to the farthest north. It is like two different worlds - up here there are all apartments or old, tiny houses. Old meaning at least 50 years if not much, much more. Absolutely no farms or livestock or anything like that was in Riverton. The people so far seem very different as well....not nearly as friendly or happy. Oh well, guess I will have to work on changing that. The area I am in is not doing too well - only 5 or 6 baptisms for the past 7 months (in the other one we had around 20ish). We only get to use the car half the time, we share it with the Spanish elders and we have half of the miles that I used to have on top of that. The apartment is very different as well - no more duplex with a whole half to ourselves and lot of extra space and tons of nice furniture. Plus two bathrooms and a big kitchen and family room. We are in a member's basement with quite limited space and one small bathroom, a tiny kitchen, and a small bedroom. It is a very nice place to be, but it is also a very big change to make. However, the bed I have now is much nicer. I might actually be able to get some sleep now, who knows? Luckily, we still managed to have a family history center at one of our stake centers so we can email from there and not have to wait in the long lines in the library or pay money for using those computers. Oh, I am also now a district leader. Don't know how that happened. Most of the areas in my district I have just found out were whitewashed this transfer and moved around a lot. (Whitewash is two brand new missionaries entering an area and all the old ones moving out). So appartenly this district needs quite a bit of work - my companion is the only one left over from the last district at all. I have to give an hour and a half training tomorrow and I have no idea how that is going to work out - they haven't even given me the paperwork I am supposed to train from yet, supposedly getting it later today (at least I hope). Also, I have to work out exchanges, interviews, and all that jazz. I am feeling kind of overwhelmed, but excited. I'll tell you though, I am homesick for my old area. We went around yesterday after I got the transfer calls and said goodbye to about 50 or so people. It almost broke my heart. All are excited to see me go and experience change, but all also gave me big hugs and said they were going to miss me. Boy, I am going to miss them. Thankfully, Christmas Day we can go visit anywhere we want and I already have a lot of offers to go for meals, visits, treats, games, and etc from down in Draper and Riverton. Also, got the brilliant idea from Elder Simpson to start a missonary journal of everybody. Kind of like a missionary yearbook. I took it to everyone's house and asked them to take a few minutes to write some memories in it and also to put a picture. It turned out looking really great and it is the best thing I have gotten physically from a mission so far, one that I will cherish forever. Everyone also wants me to come up and visit when I am at BYU, which I really want to do. The problem is not ditching my BYU ward to much for wards up here on Sundays, hahaha. I didn't know how much you could come to love people that weren't family until I came on a mission and I will love those people forever. If you come pick me up at the end of my mission (not saying I am trunky or anything) Mom and Dad, there are really a lot of people that want to meet you and I would like you to meet them. Quite a few of the journal entries from people also wanted to thank you for raising me right and being such a big influence on my life so that I could touch theirs. Thought you would like to know that and I truly am grateful to have two such wonderful examples as parents that have such strong and solid testimonies of the gospel. That helped me to gain my own and helped me to obey all the family rules, even when I really, truly didn't want to. So thanks.

Also, I have decided for Christmas, above everything else I could use some stamps. I am out of them and now that I am writing a lot more letters every week, I have discovered how truly expensive stamps can be to buy in bulk and then use them all and have to buy more. Especially now that I have to write a few more people that I have taught and worked with from down in my last area to keep in touch. That is my Christmas wish list, truly.

I think I am still mostly in shock from actually being transferred. A part - and quite a large part - of me for quite a few of the past weeks was really hoping to serve my entire mission in that one area. It felt like home to me and the people have become family. I could now actually see myself living in Utah to be around such people later on in life - the cold and snow would still get me though. I completely trust in the inspiration that President Miller received though and am confident that God has me here for a reason and He will help me to adapt. Even the district leader part of it, even though I think I have no leadership skills whatsoever, especially to train and teach other, better missionaries for that long every week. I don't know how I am going to do it. But I have been fervently praying for help and I have already been greatly comforted through the Spirit.

Whitney Snell and Ben Boss did get baptized this past week and it was a simply wonderful occasion for both. The kids, yes, but especially the less active parents and siblings were touched by the Spirit and have made solid commitments now to follow their kids to attend church each and every week. The Spirit that is at a baptism is so powerful and overwhelming. But it was nothing compared to the Spirit that was felt at the sealing of Tom Hansen and McKaylee Farhner this past week at the Jordan River Temple. That was overpowering, almost to the point of being overcome by the Spirit like the multiple people in the Book of Mormon. Both of their faces were shining so brilliantly with the Spirit, there wasn't a single dry eye in the whole sealing room and not a single person that was not beaming with true and everlasting joy. It was amazing to watch both of them gain a testimony and get worthy to enter the temple for their marriage and not have to get married and wait another year, but be able to just get married in the temple right off the bat. I have never felt so happy before in my entire life watching them kneel at the altar and look into those mirrors and think of their eternal destinies and that they were able to make it. It made me think of all the other people I constantly pray for everyday to make it to the same place and how totally worth it is to do missionary work to help people to get there. There is no better calling in all the church, or none more fulfilling, especially at the moment. Next summer, I am looking forward to attending a good 5 or 6 more at least and it will be just as great and amazing experience as this one.

My new companion is Elder Noll and I have already come to like him a good deal. He and I immediately seemed to "click" which is very nice considering I have yet to do that with any of my other companions. That only happened after two or three transfers. But Elder Noll seems a lot more like me and we have a lot of things in common and I am excited to get to working with him and becoming really great friends with him. He does have an interesting condition that will help me to lose weight and get me to look like I was lifeguarding or swimming again. He cannot digest protein. So therefore no meat at dinners anymore - chicken, steak, fish, you name it, can't do it without seriously making himself ill or even possibly killing himself. Only some basic grains and mostly fruits or vegetables. That should slim me up a good 10 to 15 pounds in the next few months. I am really excited for that, I was starting to get a belly and was not overly happy about it. This will be much better. Plus I will actually get to eat healthy foods! I haven't had fresh fruits and vegetables for so long, it will be delicious! :) Elder Noll is also excited about my blender, so I am not the only one who has an addiction to smoothies. I think this is going to be a really great transfer. We don't have very many investigators or a very big area or very many nonmembers to actually teach at all, but having a companion who is excited to do the work and wants to work hard everyday. Loves talking to people and getting to know them. Has all the right social skills. Is always usually happy. Knows how to correlate with ward and stake leaders. It is going to make a huge difference!

One more request, please update the blog if at all possible! People have been telling me in my old area how they googled my name and found the blog. Only to notice there was no update since April. There are quite a few people that would love to read it if you have the time to update it. If not, that is ok too. I will just write more letters and buy more stamps. The Lord will provide somehow.

I know this church and gospel is true! Living the gospel has brought me the greatest happiness in my life and makes all the difference. I know that President Monson is a living prophet and that the church was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Like Bishop Bickmore said in stake conference "I do not worship him, but I revere him." I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. He did it all out of love so that he can help us. The Atonement works and I know it is true. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us. He is our Father, we are His children. Prayer is how we talk to Him and is one of the greatest gifts that we have. The scriptures are true and if we honestly study them and ponder them and pray about them, we can find answers and guidance in them everyday and multiple times throughout each day. Thank you for all your love and prayers and support, they truly make a difference! I went through a rough patch there for a month or two, but it is nice to be back to being regular me with all the same quirks, smiles, and positive-ness. Much better, I know all your prayers helped me to get back to that and where I should be.

I love you all and pray for you all by name. I am so excited about the block party you are throwing with the missionaries, let me know how that goes!

Sincerely,

Elder Ryan Leroy Hughes

PS. If someone wants to get on my Facebook and add some of the people who are trying to add me as friends, that would be great.