May 28 family letter from Ryan

Hey Family,

I have had a good week. Only 5 more days in the CCM! Yay!!! ha.

Umm do you mind looking it up in the past emails i have sent you? i dont have much time to send emails and i have about 10 different people writing me right now so i'm trying to split up my time so that i can at least send everyone a line or too.

I bet that was still an awesome time. I'm jealous you guys got to be on the beach and in the water. I won't have that for another 23 months at least! Haha i bet brad was bummed out. I hope he was still grateful they got to go. He'll definitely treasure that memory like i treasure going to Spain with dad.

That dude is huge!!!! No steriods?!?! wow. Maybe i'll get that big by the end of my mission. 150 pushups and 300 situps every night so far :)

I went to the temple for the last time for 23 months today. Really felt the spirit. Put your guys names in the temple one last time today. I hope you feel the Lords love and blessings in your life each and everyday. You guys are constantly in my prayers. Teaching investigators has helped convert me to the gospel even more than i was before i came out here. ive realized that even if i dont baptize a single person throughout my entire person i need to be converted to the gospel more than when i was here.

I'm almost done with the book Jesus The Christ. Did you that Christ did not even know that he was the savior of the world until he was 30 years of age? He understood that he was Gods son but did not realize his purpose until he was baptized by John the Baptist. Incredible. Such an amazing book.

Spanish is coming along as it comes. I understand everyone no matter how fast they are speaking and I can read with a great fluid accent but coming up with words in my head is hard on the spot. I'm ready for a latino companion so i will be pushed harder everyday.

So far the mission has been everything I have needed and more. I am grateful for every opportunity I have gotten here and have made lots of friends. Tell Mom that I might have even found my next girlfriend when I get back ;) Hermana Adams. Really nice girl from Conifer, Colorado. She actually knew Jon Layne when he lived there.

Today we got to go to Pizza Hut. We managed to convince the Mission President to allow us to since it was our last p'day and we miss american food. Pizza has never tasted so good. Bought a watch, a CTR (HLJ) ring, and a Peru soccer jersey. Everything is super cheap here. It'll be even cheaper in Bolivia. 1 american dollar is 7 bolivianos.

I hope you guys have been enjoying your excursions lately. Sounds like you have had alot of fun. I miss you guys alot and tell everyone about you and all of your little adventures. Everyone thinks i'm just a little rich kid but i see how the Lord has blessed my life. I am grateful for the example you guys have set for me as parents and i hope to replicate that with my own family someday. I've had to give 3 blessings to sick people here so far. I've kind of played "doctor" here as well. I never realized this but by watching how you, bishop lifferth, and other doctors have treated people i've picked up some stuff. Maybe it's the Lord encouraging me to become a doctor like you. I dont know, we'll see. I have lots of time. People around me call me "Doctor Neuhaus" its funny.

Love and Miss you guys alot. Stay safe and live the commandments of the Lord. He will bless you.

Elder Neuhaus

p.s.- the guy i am with in the temple pictures is papi Gonzalez. he is one of my teachers. love that guy to death.