Ryan's Entire Mission

Ryan's Entire Mission
ryan is in the far right corner

Ryan at a Zone Conference...

Ryan at a Zone Conference...

Ryan and President Brubaker

Ryan and President Brubaker

eating raw fish -- eeewww

eating raw fish -- eeewww

Ryan at temple - day before MTC drop off

Ryan at temple - day before MTC drop off
handsome guy!

Ryan and President Smith

Ryan and President Smith
getting set apart as a missionary

Welkom all friends and family of Elder Ryan Leash

We welcome you to the first edition of Elder Ryan Leashs' missionary blog. We hope that you will find the information included fun, informative and memorable. Please make comments and show Ryan your support by writing him often!







Thursday, April 28, 2011

Transfer to Netherlands!!!

April 27, 2011


Dad,

It was really good to hear from you. My mission president did give me call and let me know that Grandma had passed on; I'm glad that I was expecting it at least. It sounds like she had wonderful support and little pain in her last few days. I’m sure it will be a bit of an adjustment getting back into to the swing of things after such an emotional ordeal, I love you lots dad.
I am getting transferred :), and your guess was right, I am going back to the Netherlands, barely lol. I am headed to Heerlen tomorrow morning. Heerlen is in the very bottom right corner of the Netherlands, and also lies very close to Germany and France. In fact, there is a place in Heerlen where you can stand in all 3 countries at once :) I’ll do it for sure! I will be serving with Elder Mohrmon lol, pronounced as Elder Mormon ha-ha. I have heard only good things. Heerlen has a very large American army base, and because of it, the ward there is English speaking! I’m excited to speak some English! I don’t know much else at this point, but I’ll keep you posted. Oh I lied, I do know my address:
Vesweglaan 295
6412 HK
Heerlen, Netherlands

Well, my week was not too shabby. We had more of a working P day, and then on Tuesday we went to the temple, had a picnic, and went to the famous Keukenhof Tulip Garden :). It was very beautiful! Very packed also, ppl from all over the world there!!! It was just great! Sunday, we had a pretty good service, and had two investigators in church that we hadn’t seen in a long time, however Alain and Richard were not able to be there because of conflicting schedules :/. My companion Elder Bjork is nervous about taking over the area but I have confidence in him, he will do just fine. The new Elder coming down speaks French and I know he will be a huge blessing to this area!!!! In any case, the work of the Lord continues to go forth! I know that Christ leads and guides this work and His church in this day! I love you all and am so looking forward to TALKING to you very soon!
Lots of Love
Elder Ryan Leash

Monday, April 25, 2011

Grandma Elsie and missionary work

April 18, 2011

Dear Dad,
Just thinking about your last week moved me to tears, I felt the spirit so very strongly when you talked of grandma and her experiences being so close to the veil..... I can only imagine at this point how that would be to say goodbye to your mother. My thoughts and prayers are with you dad, I love you very much, I love grandma very much and I know without a doubt that we will see her again. Please let me know how things further unfold.

Yes, your right it is getting close to transfer time, I will find out this coming Sunday or Monday if I will have to leave my home here in Kortrijk :(, I think I will probably be transferred. As to where I go I have no idea, my first choice would to stay here in Kortrijk, but if I can’t get that then I hope that I at least stay here in Belgium. I've really come to love and appreciate the Flemish ppl and culture that live here in Belgium, but I am sure that I will love wherever the Lord places me. Things continue to move forward and progress here in the Kortrijk area. Day before yesterday we had an appointment with 18 year old Richard, a friend of a member; Richard has agreed and desires to be baptized on may 28th! Upon inviting him to be baptized he requested that I baptize him and that would be such an awesome experience, I told him that if I was still here when the time came that I would absolutely do that, we will see :/. Richard has some obstacles to overcome, namely smoking, however he already has a budding and blooming testimony of the restoration and the plan that our Heavenly Father has for us; I really think that he will be able to defeat these struggles and partake in the happiness and peace that the Gospel brings! Exciting!
Alain is also growing and making great strides in the gospel, we had a good time getting to know each other a little better yesterday on the way to and from Stake Conference and he is still excited for his up coming baptismal date! Faustino and his son junior are still doing well, however, we are having issues lately with getting French joint teacher their way, but I think that we may have to move their baptismal date back a little while. When we do get some regular joint teaches established for them and things really start to sink in for them that they will really take hold and will be baptized! Elder Bjork is doing alright, we are still plugging along. I’m sure that it will be difficult learning this area for him just as it was for me, but that he will get oriented quickly and do just great.
On a personal level, I just finished 2nd Nephi this morning, and I remember thinking not long ago that I didn’t know how my testimony could grow any more, but I realized that it has, I just KNOW that these things are true, that this Book of Mormon is true and that I have a loving Heavenly Father who sent his literal son to help us learn and grow here while we are away from Him.
Well, I’d better get going, but again dad I love you dearly, and I know that things will come to pass according to the Lord's will! I will talk to you soon, and talk to you literally not long thereafter!
Much love
Elder Ryan Leash