LETTER FROM RYAN #30 10.27.14

WHATS UP EVERYONE!! ! ! ! ! !  

GREATEST WEEK EVER! This week was so busy. Each week feels like we are getting busier. It’s great BUT EXHAUASTING!  This was the BEST WEEK IN MY MISSION! We taught more lessons than I have ever taught so far and experienced so many miracles!

We were tracting and we found this one lady. She said she is the neighbor of one of our old investigators who moved away. But, he moved back because of health problems, so we went to see as well.  He was so excited to see us! He loves us so much. As we were sitting down my comp asked me what we are going to teach him. I said, “I don’t know”.  I was just thinking about reviewing, “The First Vision”.  However, right before we started to pray, I received a very clear and powerful prompting saying “OPEN YOUR EARS".  Our investigator’s name is Cleofe.  He is super old, loves the missionary discussions, and has eye problems so he can’t read. When I received the prompting "open your ears" I was thinking where is that scripture? In 3 Nephi 11, the Nephites had to open their ears to the spirit before they could understand.  So, we shared with him that scripture.  We told him we knew it was a challenge for him to read. However, if he would open his ears to spiritual truths, he would know the truth as it says the spirit will pierce you. Super powerful lesson. At the end of the lesson he told us... “Elders I really felt it... it was so POWERFUL”. It was amazing!

Later that night, we planned to teach one of my favorite investigators. Her name is Leonar. The nicest lady you will ever meet in the world! She lives by herself so we always have to take a member with us.  So the three of us go and find our investigator DRUNK AS A SUNK!  She was falling over in the street. Her neighbor carried her home and we returned the next day.  While we are there she says, “Elders.... I have been having some problems lately”.  We talked with her about trials and things and invited her to church.  On Sunday, we SEE HER WAITING THERE at the front door at church!  It gets better… After sacrament meeting she saw one of the members who lives close to her and they were long lost friends! She was so excited to see some of her closest friends there at church! The members asked, “What are doing here”? She said, “The elders invited me”.  They have become best of friends and now that member picks her up and takes her to church every week! It gets better… At the end of church she said, “I FEEL IT ELDERS”. We went to teach her later that night and we invited to her to be baptized and she SAID YES! ON NOVEMBER 29! So Super pumped!!! 

Another investigator, who has been investigating for years, finally came to church as well.  It was so Great week!!  We are getting so busy in the area. The area is progressing so much!

Love you so much, Elder Hernandez

LETTER FROM RYAN #29 10.20.14

HEY EVERYONE!

What’s going on?

Anna – Four Months!  My prediction is boy.  Mom, Looks like NEW YORK WAS SO FUN! I MISS ALL OF THOSE FOODS SO MUCH! I’m so glad you had a good time! Hayley just the definition of a Girl in New York, having the time of her life.  THE GIANTS are in the World Series?  TALK ABOUT COMING OUT OF LEFT FIELD! Good for them, they always find a way to wiggle their way to the World Series.  GO ROYALS! Ha-ha J/K. What is happening to the 49ers and BYU? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

This week was great! We went tracting and the first door we knocked, he let us in! SO INTERESTED IN THE GOSPEL! Get this his name is JOSEPH! He was wearing a Manchester UNITED JERSEY! HE IS SUCH A BALLER! We are finding and teaching people like crazy. They are so willing to read and listen. They say they will go to church but it’s a challenge for them. It’s far away and expensive because of travel. It’s a challenge we have been facing.  But with every challenge there is always a way to conquer it.

This week was transfers, I did not get transferred. Everyone in my district did so we will see this week what happens. I can’t believe that it’s already the end of October! Time is going so Fast!

One of our less actives came back to church, for no reason. We haven’t had a chance to go to that part of our area because it’s so far away.  It has been awhile since we have gone to that area. But we went to her house this past week and we started teaching her husband who isn’t a member! It’s super cool and now she is always coming to church.  She told us she really wants her husband to be baptized.

This week was my first exchange with the Zone Leaders. Luckily, I live in the same apartment with them. I went with Elder Roja, on Saturday, to his area. It was his last full day in the mission as his mission is finished. It was a cool experience but sad because he is one of my best friends in the mission. But this week is great!

Oh PS, I forgot to tell you that I weigh 159 pounds now. 

Love, Elder Hernandez

LETTER FROM RYAN #28 10.13.14

First of all, to my amazing mother I want to wish you a happy birthday! YOU ARE THE BEST MOM EVER! That is the truth!  I really miss you and your amazing back rubs and back scratches. Seriously,   I love you so much and hope you’re having the best birthday! I am sending a letter to you!  

I GOT THE PACKAGE! YOU ARE THE BEST! IT IS SO AMAZING! I HAD WAFFLES LAST NIGHT FOR DINNER!  I almost cried as it was the best!

I haven’t got to watch conference yet.  I will be able to watch it on Saturday!  I AM SO PUMPED I have definitely gained a new appreciation for conference! Can’t wait!

This week was great! On Thursday I wasn’t having that great of a day.  I didn’t feel well and I was really bothered as all of our appointments fell through.  After saying a prayer we decided to go tracting.  Not having much success at first but then we met this family. They let us in. They said, "oh you are Mormon”. “All of our friends here are Mormon”.  “We go to family home evenings all the time... and WE LOVE GOING TO CHURCH”.   THEY SAID, THEY WANT TO BE BAPTIZED! They are the definition of a golden family! We went back later that night and found another FAMILY!  We found and taught another guy on the side of the street.  He said, “Your message is beautiful”. “Can you come back and teach my family”.  It was truly a day of miracles! 

For P-day had a sports fest with the branch. Challenged the branch presidency to a ping pong tournament...I lost my first game because I was scraping off the rust. Ha-Ha Then I went undefeated after that!

Love Elder Hernandez

October 13th, 2014

This week was great! Conference was so great! Honestly, my favorite talk was the guy from Ukraine. . President Monson is the MAN! This week flew so fast. It is the last week of the transfers. I don’t think I’ll get transferred but there is a chance because Elder Lee Lo might become a trainer.

One of our investigators, Sister Leonor, is the dream investigator. She is so interested, wants to know so much! She reads the Book of Mormon every day and she is so excited for her baptism.

Today was our district activity and it was the first one I planned.  We had a GAME DAY! The sisters in my district made it very clear that they don’t want to play sports so we had a game day. It was very similar to game nights and I taught them all of these American games. It was super fun!

This week was super busy because we had conference and we had our interviews with President Guanzon. He is Awesome!  He is one of the reasons why I know I had to come to the Philippines. Every time we talk he answers many of my questions.

BUT HAPPY 8 MONTHS TO ME!  Love you, Elder Hernandez

LETTER FROM RYAN #27 09.29.14

Much has happened this week. On Wednesday I went to a leadership training meeting for all of the zone leaders and district leaders for the entire mission.  President Guanzon took all the DL’s aside and had a talk with us. He said, “Of all the leadership, we have the most influence on the missionaries”.  This really helped me as I have been struggling to stay positive because as a missionary you want to save souls. Right? I want to bring people into the church SO BAD! I want to baptize people so bad! I know I’m not supposed to compare myself to others but it’s hard when everyone around you is baptizing and not one of our investigators has come to church. I have been pleading with Heavenly Father asking to help me bring others to Christ.

 

I began to ask what I am doing wrong.  I have been obedient to the mission rules, teaching with the spirit, and trying to talking to as many people as I can. Then the next day I fasted for an answer. I am not complaining about how much success I have had at all! But I want to bring as many souls as I can. Then three answers came to me. One was at the Leadership conference and the other two came the other day.

 

I was reading in Book of Mormon about Abinadi.  The thought came to me.  Abinadi only converted one person on his mission.  However, that one person ended up being one of the most influential people in the Book of Mormon.  That really showed what one person can do. Another example was with an investigator of ours.  She said, “Elders I would like to share an experience with you”.  She said, “You know in the past I’ve had trouble reading the Book of Mormon because it hurts my eyes when I read”. (She has eye problems). She said, “I prayed the Lord will help me”.  “It doesn’t hurt anymore and I read almost every day now”!  That was so great! The third answer was great.  One of the main problems in the area is that our area is 30 minutes away from the chapel. It’s really difficult and expensive for our investigators and less actives to come to church. President Guanzon told me to start a group/branch in my area. What an answer to my prayers!!!... We could have our own meeting house and eventually chapel.  The spirit testified to me, Elder Hernandez, this is what you need to do. It was so clear!

 

The district presidency (or like the stake presidency) were all for it! They then told me what I needed to do.  They said, “ELDER HERNANDEZ THIS IS WHAT WE NEED”!  I need to map and chart all of the members in the entire Oa's area. This is huge. There are about 400 members... only 69 active...only about 30 are mapped on the MLS.  They gave a giant binder of all the people. I have to find each one. After that, I will submit to President Guanzon and he will approve us for a chapel.  What an answer to my prayers!!! I know that this is what the Lord needs me to do.  Yes, I will not probably have a baptism here for some time in this area.  However, when I finish this task, it could change this whole area.  They project that if they had a chapel in our area we would have 200 active members.  Now, we have to go find them!  When we do this... the area will change into the most progressing and fastest growing area in the mission. I know it!  Please pray for us!

 

I know that the future missionaries after me will bring many souls unto Christ because of our future meeting house.   The Lord truly answers prayers.  They are just sometimes not what we expect.

Love, Elder Hernandez

 

LETTER FROM RYAN #26 09.22.14.

This week was great! We found a family last week and they WANT TO GET BAPTIZED! SO EXCITED! This week we found 11 new investigators and we didn’t even tract that much. Lately, we have been able to walk by a house and talk to the people and have been able to TEACH THEM! That has happened to all of our new investigators this week! 

This week... The volcano could erupt at any time.  Don’t know if/or when. It could take months. DONT WORRY, I AM SAFE.  My last area is where the people are being evacuated.

The language is really starting to flow and it’s great! Everyone here calls me Nicholas Cage... Random people off the side of the road always stop and say you look like Nicholas cage... ha-ha Even the branch president said that in our council meeting.

The area is really progressing and the branch is starting to work with us more. We explained to them that we just took over the sister’s area. They are really getting involved.

One thing that we have been running into with our investigators is the WORD OF WISDOM! They all love to smoke and drink because that’s what they have been doing for their entire life. There is no age limit to smoke or drink.  We will be teaching a lot of word of wisdom lessons this week! One investigator of ours is 21. She has been an investigator for almost a year and she has such as strong testimony. We asked her WHAT IS KEEPING YOU FROM Baptism and she said, “My boyfriend says if I join the church that we are done we will break up”.  We than had a powerful lesson as Elder Lee Lo and I shared personal experiences. It was a great lesson.

sige mahal ko kayo talaga at nygon mahal ko kapag nagsasalit ako sa Tagalog! Hah i love speaking in Tagalog

Love Elder Hernandez

LETTER FROM RYAN #25 09.15.14.

This week was great! I got transferred and my new area is Oa's in the Ligao zone. My new companion is Elder Lee Lo from Samoa.  He is HUGE!!! His arm is bigger than my face. He is 6 feet 240 lbs. We are in the most north zone of the mission. It’s probably easier for us to go to Naga city than it is to go to Legaspi. My new area has lots of restaurants and has a 7-Elevan in our area. Greatest Thing Ever!!! They sell “REESE’S”.

With the transfer I was also called to be the NEW District Leader! I love it so much! We have 8 missionaries in the district, 4 elders and 4 sisters. Two of the sisters both attended BYU so that is awesome.  My new area is great but it is really far from the chapel. The chapel is huge but far for all of our members and investigators to attend church.  It takes about 30 minutes to get to our area every time we have to go out. We have to take a jeepny or a bus. The last bus leaves 8-9pm to return and that is the best time to try and find families.  It’s a challenge as I wish we could spend that time in our area and not on a bus.

Because of the bus situation, we have to focus the work around the apartment later in the evening. President has made it really clear that we are supposed to have dinner at 5 every day so we can focus 6-9 in the area. That is the best time to work. So instead of going home for dinner, we just eat out which allows us to stay and work longer.  We usually get a small pizza or hot dog.  We need to maximize our time in our area and make some sacrifices.  We want to be obedient to the mission schedule and maximize time in our area.

The town of Oa’s used to be divided into two areas. Oa’s “A” and Oa’s “B”.  “A” used to be the sister missionaries area. However, they were pulled out because we didn’t have enough sister missionaries. We now have area “A” and we juggle 2 areas.  Our investigators in our area are great. We are currently teaching this family. We taught them about the BOOK of Mormon. There is a special spirit when you teach Families rather than one person. THAT’S THE TRUTH! We also found this old guy. He said he had two sons that served missions but doesn’t really know much about The Church. We taught him and HE ACCEPTED TO BE BAPTIZED during our last lesson! I really love my new area. The area is bigger than my last area. We have a giant branch. It has 150 members.

I feel my Tagalog progressing each week. I Love TAG SO MUCH! This week was great!

This is my Dream AREA!!

Love, Elder Hernandez

PHOTOS FROM RYAN 09.01.14.