Mi carta a vosotros el día 18 de Febrero!

Buenos días! No puedo creer que ya viene el tiempo del día de preparación! Me siente que era ayer!
It has been a crazy week. First, Elder Ríos went on exchanges, so we had Elder García, another Elder native to southern Spain. He was super to have. He's only been out a couple months, but is super great. And he's a little more like me, super laid back and chill. I've noticed that a lot of Spaniards are like that. I'd fit right in here if it wasn't for being tall, blue eyes, and had an accent when I talk! Spaniards are basically all white with brown hair and eyes, like plain food, and talk in castellano con un acento de Catalá, at least here in the Catalunya area. Mom asked, we are in L'Hospitalet, kind of a suburb of Barcelona.

So anyway, then Thursday and Friday we had Specialty Training conference with the Hospitalet and Barcelona zones, and it was super good. I like how here President Pace gives more of the trainings. He and Sis. Pace both give something in the morning and in the afternoon, and los ayudantes or the zone leaders will give something right before lunch. In Ogden, it felt like zone leaders and the ayudantes gave most of the training. It's good because they learn, but we hear from them all the time anyways, and there's nothing like listening to pure revelation from the mouth of your mission president. I think my love and respect for President and Sis. Pace grows every day. They are so great! When Pres. talks to us, his words are not only inspiring, but at least for me I could feel the Spirit of his message, like how he felt when he received the revelation so it's like you are receiving it right then and there. They're testimonies are both so precious too. Our Ayudates are two of the most humble, hard working, and powerful missionaries I have ever met, they are incredible. Elder Archibald from Alabama and Elder Cerqueira from Portugal. So the conference was great. It was like feeling the Spirit all day, getting that recharge that I think I needed. Also, there were lots of tips about contacting, working with members, and how to go about the work, and also the reasons for why we are here and the power of our callings. There is so much I wish I could tell you about it, but I left my notes at home, and my camera too, lo siento. It was super great though. The problem though is that after you go about doing work again and you aren't feeling it super powerfully so you feel a little discouraged, but in the long run it is great! The testimony meeting at the end of the second day was incredibly powerful too. The missionaries here are incredible. I know God calls missionaries to where they need to be!


I read a thing about different kinds of missionaries this week, about becoming a more consecrated missionary. Basically, it described 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and what a 4th missionary is and does, with 4th being the best kind. A third missionary is what the world would consider successful, he is obedient, baptizes, does the Lord's will, except that he does it just because that's what he's supposed to do. Being a fourth missionary is still obedient, still reaps blessings, except that he gives his whole heart, might, mind, and strength to the Lord, and does it because he wants to, and those are the missionaries that come home changed. It was neat. There will always be something more we can do or give to the Lord, because we aren't perfect.

Grácias por todo! Os amo y hasta luego! Sé que esta Iglesia es verdadera y es el reino de Dios! Testifico que Dios tiene un plan para cada uno de nosotros y que él nos guiará en el camino que conduce hasta donde vive él, y que estamos parte de esto plan en las vidas de otras para ayudar y bendecirles, porque Dios nos usa como instrumentos y herramientos para bendecir a sus hijos y contestar sus oraciones sinceros!

Noticias en España

Buenas tardes!
I love Mondays, being able to open up my email and see news from home! Kinda like you said, it's just a little boost/confirmation that what I'm doing is right and boosts my spirits a little. It's not that it's boring or terrible here, quite the opposite actually! I guess just being away from home you start to wonder what is happening, how everyone is doing, etc. And hearing from home is always great =)

 It's interesting here, the missionaries search out their own pisos (apartments) instead of the church doing it like in Ogden. I guess the contracts are a little shorter term here, so missionaries basically search out their own, give a list of 3 or 4 suggestions, and the office will select one.

 I think for me one of the hardest things is just adjusting to the change of everything. We got all settled into what missionary work is like in Ogden, then we get here and the country and culture are different, the streets and buildings are all layed out differently and super easy to get lost (but then you can ask for directions and contact at the same time!), and the work as result of such is done a little differently. So all the other missionaries that have been here for 6 months are like the older experienced missionaries and we feel like greenies again (and the members all think it too because we always look lost and confused or something haha). I think it will be a quick adjustment and change after a few weeks since we do have some foundation.

This week was a thing called Carnival in Spain, basically a 2 or 3 day celebration just for the fun of it. It's like Halloween but without candy, except of course booths and stuff that sell random stuff. All the kids go around in costumes. Night time is when all the drunks and weirdos are out on the prowl, but missionaries have learned pretty well how to avoid it so it's all great for us. I was told it's basically like the Carnival in Rio in Brasil, but a little less intense. Yesterday was also a FC Barcelona match, the metro was PACKED on our way to church! Everyone had their jerseys, scarfs, and backs and such. I wish we could go to one, except they are mostly on Sundays. The only time we'd be able to go see a thursday or wednesday game is if by some miracle an investigator had extra tickets and president approves us to go, which is pretty unlikely haha. We just stick to stealing peeks on the bar tv's =)

So my learning from my studies this week. I read a story that a missionary in Ogden gave me, titled "Uneaten Donuts". It's too long to share, but basically the moral/what I took out of it is that the Savior suffered for everybody's sins, pains, and weaknesses, whether we accept and use that gift in our lives or not, or whether people even know about it or not. In the story, the teacher brings a big box of fancy extravagent donuts to class, and he offers a donut to each student. To give a donut to someone, a student that he had preselected had to do 10 pushups. If they didn't want a donut, the student still did 10 pushups and they had to just leave it uneaten on the desk. After 35 students or so, and the last one had the offer, the student just collapses on the floor in exhaustion. A neat story, I'll have to see if I can send it or not sometime. The Savior suffered for each of us whether we choose to accept it or not, no one could intervene or do their own, and in the end He finished His work and ascended to the Father. There are a lot of people out there in the world with uneaten donuts and la mayoría don't even know they have a donut available to them! THat's why there are missoinaries =) Also, Alma 37:39-47 impressed me a lot. Our guidance from the Lord will depend a lot on our faith, kinda like the quotes mom sent me last week. The guidance and miracles we receive will be by small and simple means, easy to overlook if we get lazy or fail giving diligent heed. It is just as easy for us to look to Christ as it was for them to look at a compass, both require our faith and will guide us to a promised land. We have a far better land of promise, we have the small and simple means (daily scripture study, sincere prayers, church attendance, prophets, etc..) and we have to only look and take the steps. God can guide our footsteps, but He won't if we aren't willing to move our feet!
Well, my time is up. Love you guys! Have a fantabulous week!

Spain at last!

¡Buenas dias mis queridos amigos y familia!
So, crazy week! We are in SPAIN!! It feels very different to think we are actually here. I love it! We flew all day Wednesday pretty much and got in to Barcelona Thursday morning. We got like no sleep so we were all (and still are) very tired. It's also weird to think it is like 4 am there right now! Anyways, Barcelona is great. We got the chance to talk to a few natives on the plane, which had us super excited the whole flight over. At the airport we were a little early so we had to wait like 20 min for the Paces and the office Elders to meet us. They are all great. Los ayudantes are Elder Cerqueira de Portugal and Elder Archibald de Alabama.

Elder  Ryan Coombs at Barcelona Airport!

 I've realized a lot of the missionaries are from the states and a few from south america, and a few native Spaniards. The first day we went to go see a castle that overlooked barcelona that is close to the shore, and it was super cool. This city is huge!

Barcelona

 President Pace took us each one by one to talk and welcome us as we walked around. There were 6 elders and 2 hermanas and a married couple that came with us on our flight, and we should be getting 3 more elders and 1 hermana next week. Everyone here was super excited to get us! We feel so popular!

After the castle trip we went to the office, the Paces fed us, and we settled in a little. President also told us to take a 2 hour nap, which we gladly did =) President Pace is the best though, and not just for that. He cares insanely much about each of us, loves people and is super lovable, knows how to work, and has an amazing grasp on things and a vision for where he wants to be. He felt strongly to make the goal for 20 baptisms a week in the mission, which is not where we are at, but where he feels the Lord wants us to be. We actually had about 13 this weekend throughout the mission! For the first day we split off on temporary assignments, I went with Elder Cerquiera and Elder Bozarth with Elder Archibald which was lots of fun. The next day we had the actual official welcome and interviews with President when we were actually a little more awake to remember stuff =) We also got another temporary assignment until our transfers in Feb. 10 days or so. I am with Elder Shiflet from Arizona, and Elder Shumway with Elder Olson from Utah. Both of them are great guys and lots of fun. They're the Zone Leaders here in Hospitalet. It's tons of fun! This mission, the president, and missionaries are definitely for me! Each mission has a unique feel, vision, and personalitly I guess you can say, and the missionaries are all a certain kind/type of people, if you know what I mean. I love it here! Obedience is focus, baptism is focus, and it's an optimistic, loving, and hopeful feel to it. The culture of Spain itself is different too! The housing is all apartments stacked super high and the ground level is all shops and stores. It's kinda hard to find/keep track of the doors, because there is one to get in. You push the doorbell/call button to whichever room then they have a button in their room they open it with and then you just walk up the stairs or elevator and walk right into their door to their apartment! The streets are all one way and the other half of the road is parked cars (which are all pretty small!) Most people walk or take the metro, so we contact a lot of people there. Espanoles son mucho mas duro, so it's different to contact them. They either don't believe in God, claim to be catholic and don't care, or are just wishy washy. There are people from everywhere here-it's more of a melting pot than the states! Most of our ward is de Ecuador, theres a few Bolivians, Peru. There's lots of European too, and Africa. There's actually quite a bit of middle east, and the chino stores sell stuff super cheap so missionaries love them =) It's pretty warm if you are in the sun, but all the buildings are so tall that you walk mostly in the shade, so it's a little more chilly. Still don't really know my way around, but it's nice already knowing the language, minus the accent so everyone can pin you as gringo right off. I love it here though! We feel like real missionaries at home at last! That's about all for now...we don't have much time to email. Love you all and hope all is great in the states! Tenga un buen dia y semana! Estoy bien aqui, y en manos buenos del  Señor y misioneros!

Bound for the promised land :)

Finally! Going to Spain! Elder Ryan Coombs, with the other Spain visa waiters from the Ogden, Utah mission are reporting to the Provo, Utah MTC to get their visas processed by a visiting consulate authority.

Vamos a Espania!! I Thought I'd send my quick update! We got here in the MTC and got all of our stuff signed.The guy was telling us about how it was a little on both ends in Madrid and Los Angeles as to why it has taken so long. Basically, they had a slow few months from August to January and were really understaffed, so our stuff sat on the desk. But, everyone should get visas pretty quick now, they are optimistic and hired new staff. Sounds like all of the newly called won't have to wait. So we fly out to JFK tomorrow morning, fly out from there to Barcelona, flying all night and arriving the next morning in sunny Spain! We are all super stoked! There are a lot of missionaries heading out today, tomorrow and next week. There are a lot more for Madrid and Malaga, only a few we have met headed for Barcelona. Elder Miskin has been in the MTC call center the whole time. He leaves Tuesday. Also, I saw Elder Hunter Black (Skylers brother) here when we arrived this morning, He is leaving for Costa Rica soon. That is all my news.. I will see if I have a chance to call from New York. Os quiero!

Christmas Photos

Elder Coombs with his aunt Anne Cook, husband Mitch, children , Cannon and Addison, with Grandma and Grandpa Valberg. Christmas Eve Dinner in Hooper, Utah

Christmas time with the Eckart family

Elder Wright, Elder Coombs, and Elder Ward

Hey so here are a few pictures! There is one of me and the family on Christmas eve =) There's the one with my new companions, Elder Wright (left) from Arizona, and had been serving in Tremonton; and Elder Ward (right) from North Carolina, and had been serving in Ogden (with Elder Bozarth and Shumway, the other Spain waiters). They've both been out for about 6-7 months. The other picture is the Eckert Family. Alex is the oldest in red, Carlos hiding behind his mom, Diego is hiding behind the tree or something, trying to be funny. Angie is the youngest on her dad's lap. Hna. Eckert is from Puerto Rico, Hno. Eckert is an American who grew up as a little boy in Mexico and served in Spain, so he has excellent Spanish =) This photo was from a while back, but that's who we spent Christmas with. Elder Morales is in the back, and his previous companion, Elder Maynez is in the chair.

Feliz ano nuevo!!

Feliz ano nuevo!! Y Buenos tardes a todos que estais leyendo esto! ;)

So, it feels weird to be in 2013. The year everyone thought wouldn't come because of "December 21" nonsense (I was kinda surprised we didn't meet any crazies...apparently there were a few in Ogden). Also, I didn't think I would still be in Utah by this year, pero asi es! We didn't do too much for New Years. President said we had to be in by 9. We did all of our appointments as regular, had our dinner at 8 because the lady couldn't do it earlier. It seemed like she was a little upset when we told her we only had like 45 min...I think she was planning on us staying for some party. Oh well, we missionaries do what we do! We pretty much just went home an slept through the new year =)

It was fine by all of us though!

Also, you asked about Christmas Eve. Since everyone celebrates it on the evening of the 24th, practically nobody was home or they were getting stuff ready, so we couldn't really do much. We shoveled a few people's driveways, had snowball fights with the kids we were helping, went sledding with a couple others, did a few visits for the Bishop, then went up to Anne's for dinner. After that we didn't have much to do. We went and watched this house that had some crazy Christmas lights synchronized with Christmas music for like an hour haha. It was pretty sweet.




So basically, Elder Ward, Elder Wright, and I are tearing it up out here in Clearfield. It's been great! We've done a lot of tracting in the new area (north) and have done lots of visits in Syracuse based off of ward maps we got from the English missionaries, and some referrals/potentials the branch President gave us. We tracted into mostly members, most of them white and not spanish speaking. Either them or anti's/people who have met with missionaries for like a thousand years or a bajillion times and really don't care. Much better to find the members who offer us food/goodies/money for lunches ;) Sometimes they have more referrals for us too! So that's been fun. We've picked up a lot of new investigators in Clearfield with a date. We have 6, with more on the way! There is a family Silva/Briseno who the mom was recently baptized when they lived in Layton a month ago, and the husband and two teenage boys that we are working with.They are super cool. The kids love the church and want to go, and already have had super powerful spiritual confirmations of the truth of the Book of Mormon and baptism. The dad wants to change, just is kinda scared and likes his other church still. The Oxandabarat kids have a date too. They are the family that moved in from North Ogden. The parents have been less active, but now want to start going again. They have 4 boys and a girl. The oldest is almost 10, the next 8, then they go down to the daughter, who is a couple years. They would have probably been baptized the 5th this week, but they didn't come to church, so they have to wait until the 12th, and the father still has to meet with the Bishop to see if he will be able to baptize them. Nicole, the 9 year old we've been teaching, her parents in Guatemala said no they didn't want her to be baptized, but the grandparents that she's living with have legal custody over her and the Bishop will probably push them to do it anyways =) Yolanda hasn't been cooperating to set up an appointment recently, so we have no idea where she's at with her answer. Pepe Olaya went to Cali for a while, so we have to wait for them to get back. Our recent convert Rolando is still having a super rough time with his situation with his wife leaving and his work and stuff. We pass by often to comfort him/read in the Book of Mormon, he still hasn't gone to visit the Bishop or to church yet though. He needs lots of prayers =) The ward was really good at supporting him, but they can't ever seem to catch him or have stopped going apparently.

One super cool miracle story. So we were at the church 1/2 hour before sacrament meeting, and we get this phone call from an unknown number. Some guy is talking in a jumbled, unorganized voice and kinda fast and it takes a while for Elder Ward to understand him. He basically told us he wanted to meet/talk with us sometime. (All in Spanish) Elder Ward was like "Ok, church starts in 25 min, want to come?" "No, no I can't, I have to go visit someone, can you come by later, at like 7?" "Yeah, sure. What's your address?" "It's 525...*jumbled nonsense, phone going in and out*" "I'm sorry, what was it?" "It's 525...well, nevermind. You know the Aztec Market store?" Elder Ward looks at me and asks...I say yeah "Yeah..." "And you know the laundromat right by there?" (Again he looks at me...I say yeah) "Yeah..." "Ok, let's meet there at 7". So we agreed and planned on that. So all through the day we were thinking about this sketchy appointment to meet at this dumpy laundromat. We went there around 6:50 and waited a littlebit, scoping out any hispanic looking people, thinking this might be some sort of drug deal situation or something. At around 7 we text him saying we're there, and this guy comes out from behind it. He took us into his place, basically a little garage behind one of the empty for rent spaces nearby. Long story short, this guy has talked to missionaries before and turned them down at his door where he used to live. Recently he says he's been searching God, and looking for something. He said one day he felt like he should go for a ride in his truck. While he was out he passed some missionaries walking, and felt like he should stop to talk to them. He thought "no, I'm not talking to those missionaries!" and kept driving. He said he felt strongly that he should turn around and talk to them, so he did but couldn't find them. He said he found them by a gas station and pulled up and asked if they spoke spanish. (this was the Clearfield Center English Elders, so they said no..but gave him our number.) So thus we got our phone call. As we talked with them he said if we really did come at 7 then we must be of God, and if not, then oh well I guess we weren't. But we were there 7 on the dot, so he was astounded. He ate up everything we taught with the Restoration and accepted a date for baptism the 26th! So it will be fun teaching Alberto =) So yeah, we have a lot of cool things happening, and I almost don't want to go quite yet to see some baptisms happen, because I haven't had much while I've been here, but then again I do kinda want to go...so, I can be content with whatever the Lord gives me! I love my new companions though, they're super fun. We spent our p-day new years playing cards (I taught them nertz ;) and we played a few other games) and taking naps. We all get along well, teach together well, and are tearing it up in the work!

We had a zone study today, Elder Walz who goes home tomorrow taught a lot of it and gave us tons of good advice, but they did a good job teaching about goals and applying them more effectively in the work. President Hiers has a new vision for the year, for the first quarter (3 months) about changing the old mission culture, achieving great things, and improving the work a lot. I think a lot of great things are going to be coming out. A lot of the older missionaries who knew President Olsen more have a harder time adapting to the new culture, but the newer missionaries all seem to just eat it up. It makes me wonder about what cool things President Pace has rolling out and what all of us new missionaries that will hopefully be heading in soon will do. Neat stuff. And with missionary work in general with all the new missionaries and changes. It's great to be a missionary in such exciting times and with all of the amazing tools, recources, and more experienced teachers we have!

That's about all for this week. Love you guys! The Church is true, and the Gospel blesses lives. It can for members too! Always look for the small miracles/tender mercies, because they are always there, and look for answers to prayers in ways you might not expect...that's usually where they are! Ciau!

December Update

I must apologize, as I (Ryan's Dad) have not kept up with the postings lately, as we had sold our home, moved into a rental house, and are making plans to build a new home.  Ryan is still doing well in Ogden, Utah mission, patiently awaiting his visa to Spain.  Here are some of the updates from his last letter:

"It's been a pretty good week. We did have the Christmas party on the 6th, and that was pretty good.  I was glad to get the package!  I haven't opened up any of the gifts yet, but we'll see how long that goes... It's about that time when the rumors start spreading about the transfers, which are next Wednesday. People are saying that they are staying, that they are leaving, this, that, APs said this, ZLs said that, it get kind of annoying, ha ha.  The Argentine visa waiters were sent to SLC the other day to meet with some lady of the consulate, and I guess that they are like 6th in line.  I was talking to Sister Tibolla, and she said she needs to call about us Spain guys this week, but said that she thinks it may be 2-3 weeks.  I sure hope so! I am getting kinda antsy to go!  But anyways, I have no idea what will happen, if I will be transferred closer to the office to send me away, put me in a trio, keep me?? Who knows.  I guess we will see!

"The work is coming along, albiet kinda stressfully.  I'm being forced to do all of the planning and stuff "to get the ropes of controlling an area" (just one of the many stresses I have right now, ha ha).  It has been hard and stressful, but I suppose that I am learning lots,(it is just hard to tell in the middle of it all, ha, ha.).

"Thanks for keeping me posted on the house.  I hope everything goes through quickly!  Keep the faith and patience, and rely on the Lord.  That is a lesson I've been learning a lot lately...but it is a good one to learn.  I was reading in Deuteronomy the other day, and it was a chapter about how the Lord delivered the children of Israel through the mighty miracles, provided manna and water for them, and delivered them from their enemies, made it so their feet wouldn't swell up walking so much, and all the while they were complaining over this and that.  Also in President Uchdorf's talk "Grumbling over the size of their package of peanuts while soaring high in the sky, something kings would have given all that they had to try"  The Lord said he did all this to try them and for them to prove if they would love Him.  The Lord promised them that if they were faithful, and kept His statutes and commandments that He would deliver them and bless them immensely in the promised land, filled with milk, honey, fruitful lands, and be protected from enemies.  So it is with us, we have the Lord's blessing of peace, prosperity, and blessings if we prove we are willing to love him and follow His will through trials and affliction in our own wilderness, maybe 40 years, maybe for a couple of days.  The Lord's timing is always calculated to bless though =).

"Hope all is well! Have fun with all of the Christmas parties-say hi to people for me! Have a wonderful week!"