8-15-11

Mom,
My week was fast, but rough. I now have two weeks in my new area, but this past week I had to direct my area. This was the highlight of my week. I was getting lost, but learning my area. I had to find the investigators and where they live but with only one week in the area, it's a bit hard. My area that I am working in is small, but it has a ton of houses and all the streets look the same to me. I had three days with a missionary named Elder Rubio from Ecuador. My companion had to go to a meeting for three days in Barranquilla with all the leaders from the mission to get some training. The thing is, is that usually the new missionary that comes to this area in Monteria, Mongombo should be the leader of the district, but I didn't get called to be one and so they called my companion Elder Lopez. He has one year and six months and it's his first opportunity to be a district leader. He has shared with me the things that he wants to do with the district and told me what happened with the meeting in Barranquilla with President Gaviria and so forth. There are a few things that have changed, due to guidelines and rules. It seems to me that they are always changing and there is something new we have to implement in the work. Because President Gaviria is new, he has recognized his mistakes and now is trying to fix some things to better the mission, but it's not easy. The more time I have here the more I feel I have more responsibility to get things done and see now how really the work is going and how it should be. I like it here in Monteria, Mongambo because its filled with nothing haha. I have straight time to focus on the simple things such as writing in my journal nightly and the folder for our area, study more fervently in preach my gospel and the scriptures. In Cartegena it was difficult for me. A lot of commotion and things going on in that city. I like my ward here and seem like they could use some help, but yet I feel they do a lot more of the work of missionaries than in Pie de la Popa. I have so much on my mind with things that I need to get done this week and tomorrow, even tonight as we work for three hours. Tonight can make a big difference with one of the investigators that Elder Lopez and I have named Ena Diaz. She has a date to be baptized this coming up Saturday, but it's not a for sure. She has all the things necessary to get baptized except a few more principles, but something that my companion and I feel that she needs a little more time. Ena Diaz has to take care of her sick mom always and so it hard to get her to attend things and such or listen to us. She does have a testimony of the things we have taught her and she's read from the Book of Mormon. The thing is what will happen after her baptism and we don't know. I have only past by her house about three times with my companion so a lot of it is his decision and what he has seen in her progression and such. I know I didn't tell you about the upcoming baptism and such so I figured I should start that haha. When I arrived in my new area there was a lot needing to be done with organizing things and finding more time to get things done and do it in less time. I love the section in preach my gospel where it talks about organizing your time and that's the thing I am trying to do in the time here in Mongombo. So what I have done with my companion is we reorganized the area book and have started to use it because it wasn't getting used before and also we are practicing our lessons and how we can improve them, but share it with clarity and to the needs of the people. There is a way of teaching here in this mission, almost like a tradition about the difference of our church and other churches and it made me reflect when I my companion responded about how the difference between us and other is prophets and apostles. During a lesson in my first week this happened and this lesson wasn't bad, but I couldn't teach well. the reason was because I couldn't testify to his words and the thing I know that's the difference between us and others is that we have the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and that's the difference and will make the difference in changing the peoples lives that we serve. After the lesson I asked him if we could talk and we sat down and I explained to him in the most simple clear words with question upon what we do and how it's done. It all leads to the Gospel and that's the difference and will make the difference to changes the lives of others not that we have prophets and apostles. How clear it is to me that the gospel changes lives and that's what we need to share not that are true is restored in the same manner as Jesus Christ established here on the earth to convince people to join and then get less active because they haven't figured out how to live the Gospel. So, that was one thing that we are working on. My companion understood and told me that it was something that happens her in the mission and that it's a basic way of teach, and I feel I had gotten into that to myself when I first got here, but Elder Jorge reminded me of the true intention of why I am here and how it should be done. I was reading in the Liahona this week on the topic of the one and true living church and that how it is so true because we have the fullness of the Gospel and the power to do the work of the lord here on the earth, but the last thing that stuck out to me is how we have true testimonies. This was a talk from one of the apostles and he explain about the articles of faith and how that is the testimony of the church and the thing is the members live it not just say it and how the world today doesn't have that true burning testimony of their beliefs. Anyways I was grateful to share some things of what went on this week and to hear about your week and things with the Family. I can't believe summer is already over and how once again things are changing, but for me it's practically the same. I love you mom and tell everyone hello for me.

Elder Ridley