Ryan's Christmas Day 2009

Ryan's e-mail home

Feliz navidad, prospero años en felicidad.

Guau (wow in spanish) its hard to believe that I have now passed two Christmases in the mission.  This year it was special.  Firstly it’s because our president didn’t make us work, next, we were able to play Santa Claus.  I want to say before anything, that we, as Americans, are very blessed.  We have so many blessings that we underestimate how much the Lord has helped us in our lives.  After being in two third world countries, I’ve been able to see a lot of things but at the same time pure gratitude for the few things they do have. 

For Christmas, we first went to the Chungara family to give them a Christmas.  Their Christmas plans were to have a small sized chicken for lunch, and go to work. Then we went to the Sanabria Family.  I love that family.  Even though my family (all of you) are in the USA, they are my family here in Bolivia.  We are still working with the rest of them so that they can also enter into the true church of Christ.

But for me the best part of Christmas was being able to speak with my real family.  I miss you all.   

Elder Thompson

Fireworks for Christmas

The Chungara Family

The Sanabria Family

Wha?!!! Word ...

Baptisms ... Ryan and his companion had five scheduled for the day after Christmas! You go with your bad (hmmm ... good) self! I love this boy and miss him. Keep Serving Ryan. That is the greatest Christmas gift you can give!

Thanksgiving and Pictures

I love hearing about the family.  I am sure Thanksgiving was a good day and you all enjoyed it.  But what I miss more than a cooked turkey is a honey backed ham... i will kill (then do the baptisms for the dead )  for a honey backed ham.

So sleepy ...

At five in the morning we left as a zone to climb a mountain (YEAH).  But after we had reached the top the clouds started to cover us.  We were convinced to start going down when lightning bolts start to strike around us.  Lightning go boom.   A lot.  I love lightning and thunder (especially Chocolate Thunder) but when it starts to strike next to you as you are on top of a mountain, it can be intimidating.  One hit that was so loud everyone dropped down to see if everyone was alive.  I love risky situations.  Like jumping from bridges, planes, or running away from angry lightning.  And now I am sleepy.

Monster Bug!

¡¡¡¡¡¡MONSTER BUG!!!!!!!

   As my companion and I were finishing our day with our daily planning session we were attacked by a KILLER BUG!  After trying to kill with without dying at the same time I managed to pin it down with my foot.  Then we had fun.  After reading of its offenses, it was executed by fork and its head has been placed on the wall to warn off all other potential KILLER BUGS!

Four Stories

Story #1   Hueco en el Zapato

AS many of you may know, in the mission shoes wear out.  I believe that Elder Nyman can testify of that.  I have a very large whole in my right shoe and the guy I want to fix it doesnt trust me.  He wont give me his name and thinks I am a CIA agent... I think.  But its okay, now I can imploy Carlos the talking shoe in my contacts.  You might think that it wouldnt work... but your right it hasnt.  I still have hope.

Story #2  The cellphone continues.

AS you all might now I wrote about a certain hermana here in our ward who used the 50 bolivianos that the bishop gave her to buy food and bought a cell phone instead.  Sunday in church, states cell phone started to ring.  Luckily she was in the front row where everyone could hear her.  It also turns out that she has a ring tone to "Praise to the Man".  The bad thing is that she answered the phone and started to carry a conversation.  I actually thought it was very funny because the majority of the people had fallen asleep in the stake presidents talks.  But I guess its better to laugh than cry.  Which reminds me about the first part of this letter.....

Story #3  Borracho Loco

Crazy drunk.  Last Saturday the family that was going to give us dinner wasnt able to.  So as we are walking the streets of Tarija I decide that I am thirsty and only want a soda.  Luckily Walter found us.  HE'S the crazy drunk.  Normally I dont follow drunks, especially the crazy ones, but I thought I would have a good story afterwards.  I was right.  As we enter his patio, he sends his wife to buy us soda.  In the meantime he tells us that his name is Walter.... 28 times.  I then tell him to pull a chair out for him too.  After rejecting this invitation multiple times I convince him. But I hear a loud screaching sound.  He started to pull his giant living room chair.  Then after successfully pulling the chair out he insists that I sit there because I am American and it is such a pleasure to have an American in his house.  Would that make him a rascist to Bolivians?

Story #4  The confused catholic

Sunday, my companion and I went on a division with some of the members.  I went to a reference at the deep extremity of our area.  There we found his reference aka the confused catholic lady.  As we were teaching, she struggled to understand my spanish... as well as the spanish of the member.  Later he asks her if it is important for he church of Christ to have apostles.  She answers "Well the Catholic church already has them."  I ask her where are they.  She says slightly laughing at my foolish question "Well they're dead.  BUT they are inside of us".  Strike one.  Later she is convinced that we worship Joseph Smith.  But I convinced her that we worship BYU football.  Not really... but really.  Finally the climax came at the end of the lesson.  As I, wanting to escape from this pointless lesson, I ask if it is okay to end with a prayer.  She asks "Is it okay to prayer under a tree?"  "Of course" I respond.  THen she asks "Is it okay to pray under a roof"  Now I am more confused.  Do trees and roofs impead a prayer to the being who created these very things?  SHe then says "I think that we should pray under trees.  Where was Christ when he prayed?  Under a tree.  ANd José Smith?  Under a tree."..............  I was not aware that trees gave prayers mistacle power to reach our father in heaven.  But she might have a point.  I think we will have to try it out.  Trees... who would have thought.  And if I could find an olive tree I would be set!

The end

PIcs from Bolivia ... what a cute chickie boy!

Well, another rollercoaster week.  But this time more ups than downs but with a giant loop in the middle.  The appointments arent canceling on us quiet as often and we've managed to put two more people down with baptismal dates.  But now you must all be asking youselves about this mysterious loop... Wilnor wasnt able to be baptized.  He never showed up to his baptismal interview.  Then we spent the night calling him.  AFter forty minutes someone answered and said he was asleep.  THen in the morning we call.  AFter two hours someone answers, he's asleep... seeing a pattern.  I tell them to have Wilnor call us but by the time I called again they said he had left.  They pretty much summerized it.  I think his depression had been kind of bad and that might be why he missed his interview.  But we fasted for him and i'm sure that in these upcoming weeks the Lord will bless him with another strength to be baptized and change his life forever.
Also there was a parade yesterday.  But here I should probably call it something different, mainly because there are no floats, every is dancing, it lasted 12 hours... 12 hours you are thinking, maybe Elder Thompson made one of his common errors and put a 1 before the 2 but NO!  12 hours... I think there were more people participating than watching.  But as a great song once taught us "YOu can dance if you want to, you can leave your friends behind, but if they dont dance then they're no friends of mine"  Thank you safety dance.
ANd I am reading Doctrine and Covents and loving it.  Mainly because I'm doing it with a study guide.  I heart the scriptures.  So much to read so little time.

Elder Thompson

Ryan's heading to Bolivia TOMORROW!

I JUST GOT THE MESSAGE TODAY ... 8.3.09

RYAN'S OFF TO BOLIVIA again TOMORROW

Here are a few pictures he sent me from Peru ... with love. I miss my tall drink of water! he also wrote to me "Also when I go back to Bolivia I will arrive the exact same day as when I arrived the first time.  It looks like I have a second shot at my mission there.  Hope I dont mess it up this time, they might send me to Argentina this time... wait, Argentina... I didnt think about that."

The boy loves packages. So here's the new address if you get a hankerin'! Thanks!

Mision Bolivia Cochabamba

Av Villarroel 1132

Edificio Confort, Piso 7

Casilla de Correo 1375

Cochabamba, Bolivia

More Peru Pics

Christmas Package from home