December 24, 2012 Veracruz !!!!

Hola hola mi familia como estan!!! Como fue el cabin. I can skype you all around 4!!! I dont know your skype info so I need you to add me my skype name is elderryanlehikainen so pleaseee add me =).These first few days have been crazy but I absolutly love it here in Veracruz my first area and my area for the next 12 weeks is Cosamalopan in the southern part of the mission. It is a great area and we have a baptism for the 30th I guess we baptize like crazy down here. We have a baptism once a week which is sooo awesome. We we with alot of referals because that is safer I guess and that is what the brotheren want us to do so that is what we are doing and with referalls it helps the members have a relationship with the new converts which is really good. We teach around 6 lessons a day and walk all day from lesson to lesson which I am not used to any more lol My walking legs are gone. But they will come back soon enough. I love it here the people are so loving and so very humble they have nothing but seem to give us the very best. We dont eat dinner with the members we eat lunch every day at 2 with them and the hermanas are just sooo giving they are really an example to me. The poverty here is kinda shocking I knew that I was going to a poor country but it is a little different living in it.  We are so very blessed to be living in america and to have a father who has an amazing job. Most of the families here dont even have hot water to shower. I dont know I just realized how good and how blessed we are back home it has really opened my eyes. The spanish here is not the spanish that they taught me in the MTC lol it is kinda overwhelming but it just takes time to get used to. Thank goodness my trainer is a stud his name is Elder Charles and he is from Arizona. He does most of the talking and teaching which is normal but I just want to help do my part and know what is going on lol Yesterday was better I was able to add a little bit in our lessions. The ward is great there is a ward here and there are about 85 members that attend regulary. So I lucked out and didnt have to bare my testimony mom but I taught actually my comp taught gospel principles and I added a few things here and there.  But Elder Charles says we do alot alot for the ward so I will talk or bare my testimony pretty soon =) Oh I blessed the sacrament sunday I hope they could understand me.

    So how have you all been how was the cabin? I bet you had a blast the pictures look awesome. Tyler how does my jacket feel lol just playing you look like a stud and you are so muscular now. Anyways I have been studying in preach my gospel more here in the field and reading in the book of mormon. This morning I read in alma 54-56 about the 2000 strippling warriors and what great men of faith they were. I was brought to tears as they spoke of there mothers and the reason the had there faith in there heavenly father was because there mothers had taught them to do so. I then looked at the CTR ring mom and dad got me and read what they inscribed in it ´´ryan trust in the lord with all thine heart love mom and dad´´ that is exactly what I needed to hear and to ponder about this morning and I just wanted to thank you mom and dad for raising me how you did because I have been raised of goodly parents and I know what I must do. Can you read that chapter this week guys that would be awesome if you did. The lord is always there for us with his hand out stretched we just need to reach back or jump and he will catch us. But by making that attempt we show him that we have faith in him and in his son Jesus Christ and we are blessed for doing so. I think that is one of the biggest things we do as missionaries is help the people act and once they act the lord blesses them and they are filled with the spirit and they cannot deny what they have come to know in there hearts.
    I cant wait to see and talk to you all tomorrow it is going to be AMAZING. I will leave you all with my testimony that I know our Heavenly Father loves us all sooo very much. He loves us so much that he sent his son Jesus Christ to this earth to die for us. I am so very grateful for that because I sin daily and without Jesus Christ comoing to this earth and performing the atonement there is no way that I would be able to return with our Heavenly Father and live with the family that I love so very much. I am so very grateful for all of you and may god be with you till we meet again.

Love you son, brother and friend,
                               Elder Ryan Thomas Lehikainen