January 17, 2006

Today turned out a lot different than I thought it would a month ago. I was planning on flying to Atlanta, Georgia, and then on to Sao Paulo Brazil where I would begin my missionary training tomorrow. I would have stayed their for approximately two months learning to preach the Gospel better using the spirit and meeting other missionaries and learning the Portuguese language. I was very excited to land in Sao Paulo and immediately be in my mission country, without training in the United States. I was excited for the culture shock and especially for the surrounding spiritual maturity. I was very excited to begin my missionary work, to meet new people and to better understand the Lord’s Gospel and my role in sharing it. I am still excited to do so and many of these things have already come to pass. I have met many new, interesting people, many of whom I think would be accepting of the Gospel. I have decided to give them a copy of the Book of Mormon with a copy of my testimony and a personalized note to each of them.

Tonight the youth and youth leaders from the Auburn Hills Ward came to visit me. They were all very attentive and kind. Many of them have grown up so much over the past few years that I hardly recognized them and there were others I didn’t even know since our ward is growing so fast. They asked me questions about my life at Craig and what was involved in an average day. I told them basically that it was a lot of therapy and a lot of resting. And when I could we would work on the blog site and answering emails. Sometimes my family reads to me from Church magazines and the scriptures.

The youth brought beautiful gifts to me. All of the families in our ward put their favorite scripture on a quilt square. On of the sisters pieced and bound the quilt. The young men and young women made me a pillow to match the quilt. On one side, the young women have signed it and written notes to me and on the other side, the young men have done the same. In the middle of the quilt, there is a monogram that says “To Ryan J. Walters, love the Auburn Hills Ward, 2006”. It is a labor of love that I will always cherish.

I also accomplished a huge goal today that I had set with my physical therapist for next week. I was able to throw myself from my back to my stomach and then grab my leg and pull myself up to a sitting position. I did this five or six times. I feel very satisfied when I am able to participate fully in my therapy and when I can speak with family and friends when they visit.

I want to thank my ward for my quilt and pillow and all of the other nice things you have done for me and for my family. Often the Lord shows his kindness through other people. I feel blessed to be in the ward I am in, to have the family that I have and most of all to have the Gospel.

Love,

Ryan