A Great Time in Roca!

Buen Dia Familia!!!

This week was super great! i had the chance this week to go to Roca for a few days to be able to work with some of the Elders that are there and it was great! i had a lot of great experiences this week, one of the greatest experiences that i had this week was with an investigator named Aimara. She is super prepared! she has been reading a lot of the book of mormon and i swear she knows more than i do. but she said that she hasnt felt yet that she needs to be baptized, she knew it was the right thing to do but said that she just didnt feel it. we were able to have a very spiritual lesson with her where we bore our testimonies and taught her the doctrine that she needed to know. at the end she couldnt stop saying thankyou because she said that she felt the same way that she did when the missionaries first taught her! (that was Elder Lloyd!! ) and she said she would prya to know when she needs to be baptized! i then got a call last night from the Elders and she is going to get baptized this friday! it was a great time there in Roca! i am back here in Nequeun so we will see what happens this week! Have a great week! Love you all!

Elder Stuart

Ps. my next pday will be on saturday due to transfers!

Exchanges in the South

Hello family!! Well this week has been great, we have been here in the south doing exchanges and helping out the missionaries here! So that has been great. While here in Esquel we found a lady named Mica who is super prepared, her whole family are members and she never was baptized. We were able to teach her with the elders and she will be baptized soon!! All is going well. The mission is the best :) love you all!!

Elder Stuart

Photos!

1 - The kid in the white shirt got baptized in Junin when we were there, and Elder Villa and Elder Simon are the ones on the right.

2 - With the Leal family from Chos Malal!! their grandson is the kid that got baptized!

3 - This is Veronica and Sergio after church on Sunday!

Transfers!

Hello everyone!! So today is my pday because of transfers this week, and i am going to stay here for one more trasfer! im greatful for my time i have here to do what i can to help the Lord in this great work! Things are crazy, there are a lot of changes so i dont have much time today. but all is well! The mission is doing great! we might have the most baptisms in one weekend this weekend so that is pretty cool!! Also we have the visit of Elder Maynes this next week, one of the Presidents of the Quorum of the Seventy, so we are super excited for that too! Love you all! have a great week!

Elder Stuart :)

Photos!

1 - In the snow!! This is between Junin de los Andes and San Martin

2 - The baptism of Veronica!!!! She was baptized by her husband, Sergio!

3 - Elder Stuart 

4 The move of the Westergards, a senior couple

Special Experiences!

Buen dia familia!

This week was great!! we headed down to the south to help a matrimony (senior couple) move from Junin to Villa la Angostura! so that was fun, and while we were down there we took advantage of doing exchanges with the elders that are there in Junin and we had an amazing experience!! We went to go visit one of their investigators, Veronica, who is the wife of a less active member. She had assited the church the past few weeks and was thinking about getting  baptized but she still wasnt sure so we went in and we had a wonderful lesson with her! in the middle of the lesson we decided to have her pray right there to ask God if she needed to be baptized this saturday, she said she was scared to do it, so we had her husband pray first and right after she said she would do it. In the middle of her prayer she just went silent and you could hear her crying a little, she finished her prayer and said that she had never felt something like that, she explained that it was like someone there hugging her. We explained that that was the spirit, and she recieved her answer and was eventually baptized this past saturday by her husband Sergio who is reactivating :) It was such a special experience that we are so lucky that we were a part of! Things are going great! I love you all, have a great week!

Elder Stuart!

ps. my next pday will be saturday because of transfers!

Paying Attention Pays Off!

Hello Family!

This week was great! we did exchanges in Cinco Saltos and i got to go with Elder Bliss!!! It was so much fun to be able to be with him again and work with him. We had a great day, We went to this investigator they had, Blas, and we had a really good lesson with him, but the coolest part was that his brother maxamiliano was there in the room too and we invited him to listen and he accepted and he loved it! We were able to put baptismal dates with both of them, so that was awesome! And then, it happened again! We went to teach one of their investigators that already had a date, Raul, and he wasnt there but his brother Ezequiel answered the door and we were able to teach him and he too accepted a date! It is amazing that when we really pay attention to those around us as we teach and we always try and find new people to teach through our investigators the Lord will always bless us. It was a great week! Love you all!

Elder Stuart

Happy Mother's Day!

Hello Family!!

All is going well here in Argentina!!! Happy Mothers day to all! it was great being able to see the family and talk with them :) We finished up the conferencese there in the south so that was great to be able to be down there with them and work along side the missionaries that are there! Pablo is doing great, he is preparing to recieve the priesthood and we are hoping it will be this next week!! Claudia is doing great, getting ready to receive a calling! Things are going great, finding people to teach and baptize! Love this work! Ciao!

Love,

Elder Stuart

Super Busy & Loving It!

Well this week was really good!! we had to send home 5 missionaries that ended their mission but we got 6 great new missionaries to come and start their mission here! we are super excited for them and excited to see what happens in this next transfer! We are starting with the conferences so that is going to be fun, we are headed first to Esquel and then making our way back to the north. We are super excited to see what we can do in this month of May! Not much to say, its been a super busy few weeks but things are going great! love you all!

Elder Stuart 

Mom Note: They had 55 baptisms in April. The most ever in the mission! He is sure finishing strong!

Transfers!

Hey Family!!

Well it is transfers week again so my pday is today instead of monday. All is going well!!! .... So i am staying here for a 7th transfer! hahah things are going well and we are super excited. This weekend we have quite a few baptisms planned in the mission, and if they all get confirmed then we will have more baptisms in one month than we ever have had, and by a long way! we are super excited for that because we can see that the Lord really is advancing His work and we are able to see more of our brothers and sisters making covenants with Him :) Things are great, im excited for another transfer here to be able to do what i can to help the Lord in this great work. All is well!!!

Love,

Elder Stuart

ps. Pablo and Claudia are doing super good!!! They are amazing :)

Mom Note: Here is a little excerpt Ryan wrote to me:

I'm super excited to stay for another one (transfer). The mission is going great and it is making me stretch myself everyday. I learn so much with President and it is such a great experience to be here with him. I wont lie, it gets stressful sometimes with all the responsibility and tyring. but it is all worth it. It gives me a bigger chance to serve my Lord and have a bigger influence in his work. and I love that ☺   I doubt I will finish here, but I didnt think I would stay this transfer so you never know! I'm super excited and happy mom ☺   We are baptizing in our area, the mission is baptizing. It took a big trial of faith, and going through the refiners fire these past few months, but it has made me into who I need to be and I am greatful every day for that. I am seeing so many blessings and miracles and I love it.     

Photos!

1-2 Claudia’s baptism!!

3 President and his Family with me and Elder Ortiz :)

A Spirit-Filled Week!

Hola Familia!!!

This week was super great!!!! Claudia got baptized! She was so prepared and it was amazing to see her baptism :) It is so amazing to see how the gospel really can bring families together and now they have the chance of being together for ever! It was so cool because when she came out of the water she couldnt stop smiling. it was such a gratifying feeling to know that this matrimony now is in the path of the one and only true gospel :) i know that through baptism we can become clean from all of our past mistakes and that it is the way that Christ showed us to do, just like we learn from 2 Nephi 31 If we was perfect and was baptized how much more do we have to be baptized being sinners. He put the example for us and now invites us to follow him. It was an amazing week full of the spirit :)

Have a great week!

Elder Stuart :)

He Is Risen!

Hello Fam!! :)

This week was incredible!!! We had President Nelson come to our mission this weekend to talk to us! it was an experience that i will never forget, he had such a spirit and power when he talked. It is so true that they are called of God to be His Special Witnesses here on earth :) Something that he and his wife talked a lot about this weekend, being easter weekend, was the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I love the words in Mattew 28 that say "He is not here: for he is risen." I share the feelings that our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, said about these words, that there is nothing more comforting than those words that the Angel spoke to Mary. Because just from our knowledge of the Ressurection, we know that we too will be ressurected, that one day we will have the chance to live eternaly with our families if we follow diligently the Doctrine of Christ. I have a firm testimony that He has Risen and because of that we too will rise in that great day. Something that Sister Nelson taught about those words is that we can apply it to our daily lives. As we repent and apply the cleansing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ, we too can be risen every day to a higher level spiritually. She goes on to explain that as we repent , people will say for example "where is timmy that used to lie all the time?" and we can say "he is not here, for he has risen." As we learn this princple we can know that we can always rise above our trials and defects and because more like our Savior. I know that this has happened with me, through the great power of the Atonment i have been able to rise up to be a better son of my Heavenly Father and that the old me is not here, but i have risen. I have seen it in a lot of the people i have had the chance to see, i am seeing it in Pablo who just got baptized that he is rising, the old him is no longer there, and he is rising up. He even is helping us teach Claudia and prepare her for her baptism this weekend! I hope we can all apply this into our lives, especially during this great time of year that we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I love you all! have a great week, sorry for the long email, haha!

Love, Elder Stuart 

From Elder Stuart's Mom:

I thought I would forward a bit of my email from Ryan so you get a little more information about this past week!

Hey Mom :)

Happy Easter! I had a wonderful sunday! how was yours?? Thank you! i am super happy for Pablo and Claudia!!! also it is the first time the APs have baptized in like 4 years, so that was pretty cool to do.

It was an amazing conference Mom. Yeah the whole mission came up Friday so that was a nightmare for us to organize everthing and get them to their hotels safely. then Saturday morning from 9-12 we had a conference with him, and there was a small chior that sang. and it was amazing :) Some of the things he told us blew my mind. then he was in our stake conference this sunday too and spoke so that was cool! 

Photos!

1-3 Pablo got baptized and Claudia will be getting baptized the 22nd!

4-5 Pablo and Claudia’s wedding :)

6 My Mets tie for Lizzy! ☺

7-8 Elder Stuart and Elder Ortiz last week when they were traveling to Esquel

This picture was just sent to me by Elder Stuart's Mission President's daughter, Lucia. They celebrated Ryan's birthday today! Made the tears flow!!  -Stephanie

After All We Can Do, His Grace is Sufficient!

Well family, this week was super good!!! Pablo and Claudia got married!!!! and then Pablo got baptized this weekend! Claudia had to go to zapala for this weekend so she will be getting baptized the 22nd!! We are super excited and very greatful for the Lord for giving us this oportunity to work with such great people :) It was a rollercoaster of a week where the devil put a lot of speed bumps in our path but i know that just like it says in the scriptures after we do all we can do for the Lord, His grace is sufficient to help us accomplish our goals. my testimony on that has grown so much this week. I know that through the grace of Christ we can accomplish whatever thing that the Lord wants us to. I have no doubt that this is his work. We are super excited for the coming of President Nelson this week!!! It is going to be such a special visit for our mission! Things are great :) Love you all! have a great week!! And thank you all for the birthday wishes :)

Love,

Elder Stuart

General Conference & Investigators

Hola Familia!!

whats up?! THis week was amazing!! Our investigators are progressing very well. Pablo and Claudia are doing super well, we went with them this week and we took out a date for them to get married the 5th and they will be getting baptized the 8th :) Im super stoked for them!! Please pray for them so that they can complete with this covenant they are about to make! Hermano Rigoberto Castillo is doing really well as well, we went saturday morning and we watched the first session of conference with him in his house! he loved it!! but he says that he still isnt prpared to be baptized, so we will keep trying to help him and see what it is that he needs to make it!

Conference was absolutely amazing! I hope you all were able to take something out of it to apply in our lives and recieve answers to our prayers and the questions of our hearts. For me the best part was to hear the many testimonies of the Godhead. It was amazing how many testified of God our Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, our Savior and Mediator with the Father and the Holy Ghost, the testater of the two and the comforter for us in this life. I know and have learned that the more we learn about them and their natures we will have more desires to follow them :) What a great conference with such great messages!

Well this week was great! i hope you all have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Stuart

Blessed in the Work!

Buen Dia!!!

Well... here we go for my sixth transfer here as AP! [He has 3 more transfers left!] I'm staying, and i am super excited because we are getting ready for the visit of President Nelson! I am so greatful for the opportunity that the Lord is giving me to help in this great work. This week was great, it is amazing to see the way that the Lord helps us when we work with diligence and obedience. This week we saw the miracle that this week, we had three diferent members come up to us and tell us we had to go to their house to teach some of their friends! We have been trying to find more people to teach and it was amaizng how the Lord blessed us with the hellp of the members to find some great people to teach. 

Pablo and Claudia are doing great! they came to church again this week! and Nestor who is a member and the brother in law of pablo brought them and it was amazing because he hasnt come in a long time and since ive been here he has been trying to get the faith to pay his tithing, and during church he looked at us and pulled out a tithing slip and payed his tithing!! so it was great to see how he is now reactivating, and pablo and claudia just need to get married and then baptized!

Things are going well! I hope you are all well! Love you all!

Elder Stuart 

Promises of the Lord

Hola familia! This week was great! we have been working really hard on trusting on the promises of the Lord and having faith in that! i love John 4:35. :) im not gonna say what it is so you can look it up and read the scriptures today everyone ;) but it is a promise that is so true, we just need to look like the Lord does, keep working and he will give us the success that we need, not always what we want, but just what we need. We found a new/old investigator this week. His name is Martin and he had talked with the missionaries before and had gone to church a couple of times, and we found him in the house of a recient convert and started to teach him! Pray for him that he can have the desires to take the step of baptism soon!! The Lord really is blessing us here. :)

Love you all :)

Elder Stuart

Look for the Miracles of Every Day

Hello Fam!

This week was super great! We finished up the conferences in the south and made our way back to Neuquén! Things are going super well, we finally got back with the Familia Melo, and they are doing good. You can tell that their honeymoon took out a little of the excitement to get baptized... but they said they would pray to see if they need to be baptized this coming week. Please pray for them to recieve their answer! They are so great! We also had a miracle happen on Saturday, we were walking along and i took a Book of Mormon out of my bag to show Elder Ortiz something and then we saw a man working in his car and we asked if he needed help and he just said ¨no, but is that the book of mormon you are carrying?" we were so surprised and he told us he found one one time and started reading and really liked it, but had never talked to missionaries. His name is carlos and we have a cita with him this week!! We hope he keeps progressing!! Things are going well and we are seeing many miracles in our mission right now! i love it! All is well and i hope you are all doing well and know i pray for you all every day! Have a wonderful week and look for the miracles of every day!

Love,

Elder Stuart

Elder Teixeira & Miracles

Hola Familia!!!

This week was amazing. This truly is thework of the Lord. this week we went down to Bariloche to prepare for Elder Teixeira (our area President) who came Friday to have a conference with us. While we were there we went to work with the missionaries with the investigators that they had that had gone to church and were progressing but just werent getting to baptism. They had one person that was going to get baptized that weekend. But then the Miracles happened. We taught this family and a very long story short they called the missionaries the next day and wanted to get baptized, it was amazing to see how the work of those missionaries helped this family out so much and we were able to give them the last push they needed and now they are baptized members of the church of Jesus Christ :) It was amazing. at the end of the week Bariloche had 5 baptisms. It was such a Miracle. The Lords hand really was here with us. Then we had wamazing conference with the Elder Teixeira and all the Zone Leaders and Hermana Leaders. It was an amazing conference and i learned so much. I am so proud to be a missionary at this time of this great work! Things are advancing and we are seeing a lot of miracles in the mission, seeing things happen that have never been done. The Lord is blessing us. This is His work and His glory. i know that without a doubt :) Love you all! thanks for all your support! have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Stuart