June 27.2011

June 27.2011
Mom,
I got the pictures from Ryan and Brooke. They are really great and I am printing out the one with the note to me. That was really awesome I thought. It sounded like it was a few days of great events and family activities. The missionaries were very straight with me what they wanted, but for me its fine and they will be fine with the t-shirts. Ya, I want to know why you and dad are in Canada, and tell me more after you arrive back home what all happened. Yes I am with Elder Jorge and no he is not a Zone Leader, he can't be a single Zone Leader. I live with the Zone leader though and they are different missionaries now. Their names are Elder Carares and Elder Espinoza. Not all sure how to spell their names, but one is a Latino and the other is from California. I am glad to have a person I can relate to more. For the first time in 4 months I had help with cleaning the house today haha. There is just a difference of what needs to be done and how to do it with the gringo Elders (I am a gringo Elder) haha. Besides that, my companion elder Jorge is great! He has helped me a lot with things that I have struggled with and I feel like I have moved forward in a big way with the language the lessons and our area. The reason is because we have the same desires and we have humility within our companionship. I am very excited for the next few weeks and all that we have been planning to do with our ward, but it is a process. There are things that the missionaries can and cannot do. We cannot tell other leaders what to do. The leaders already know what they need to do, it is just they do not do it. That is something that bugs me here, but I am also learning here within the work of our investigators that that's all we do as missionaries is invite the people. I have invited the leaders and our investigators to complete many commitments and follow the way of the Savior, but in the end, it is the desires of the other people to make that choice in the end. I am learning how special the Gospel is in my life and how much I did not use it in my life before. That it is not something that I can just do to say I do it or like a checklist. That in the end it is truly how I have changed. The Gospel allows us to do that if we let it and follow the teaching of our Savior Jesus Christ. Doctrine in Covenants 6:1-4. I feel that a lot of people here don't fully comprehend that the Gospel is not something we can choose this day or next and then stop, but that when they decided to follow Jesus Christ it was to follow him. It is similar to your words that you shared mom about giving of ourselves to him. I view it almost like leaving behind ourselves and putting all our trust in him in all things and to become nobody to be noticed, but be separated. I feel like this at times as a missionary. I have left behind who I was my name to give of myself. I am coming to find out how I should really live my life after I return from my mission and simply just be a instrument for my Savior is my task in this life and possibly forever. That is my goal to Love the people for what they are and encourage them continually like our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ do. I want to have that kind of patience and love when they do complete things in the right way. The mission is practice for the future :) I am glad to hear from you today and I will think of the family always.
Love you

Elder Ridley