Aug. 8, 2011

Family,
I am well and excited to be working in my new area. I did get transferred to a new part of Colombia and it is called Monteria. It's the farthest I could possibly go away from the mission office haha and also the hottest in all the mission. I go from a really popular place in Cartegena, with lots of Americans that travel and a lot of things to visit, to a place they call a pueblo (a group of people). The best thing they have here is a big river, but it's completely brown water. I love it here! It's really calm and the people are really friendly and receptive. I feel it's a great place for me to be at this time in this mission.
I have a new companion named Elder Lopez from Chile. That's a little bit about my changes haha. I am senior companion yes, but my companion is the District leader. He has a year and 6 months in the mission and it's his first position as a leader "leader". All of us are leaders in this work and he understands that, and has asked me to help him with all that I can do. He has only three years in the church. He gotbaptized a year or so in the church before his mission. Our first lesson we had together was amazing and this week we invited 6 people to get baptized on the third of September.
I don't know what has changed in me this transfer this week, but the lessons just were so fluent. I do like your e-mails a lot to get to know what all is happening. I really at times I do live a spiritual life all the time and study not just during my study time, but every day. I am learning something new every day in reality and that include in Spanish and with people and with the work of the Lord. At times I do just like to read instead of try to teach and explain all the time. I feel like there is a lot changes every week with all you. This week changes a lot now that Ashley is having a new baby. When she has the baby, I will have a year and six month in the mission. During all that time, a lot will change even more. I feel like my life is changing but in a way that I never thought I would need to do or how I am experiencing it ( in a little city in Colombia). Like I have said before I love the word such as a mission and what it does for a young man. It has changed everything that I thought I could be, but even greater. I am working really hard to get back where I was at in my other area, back to square one and I took the things that I have learned from one area and I am applying more and more as I progress in this great work. I encourage you to do the same and find those things that will put you a step ahead of where you were at last year or even last week. The thing that has changed in me from where I was with a lot of fear has changed a lot and I have more trust in the things I can do with the Lord. I know this isn't all what you wanted to hear from me today, but I was doing other things all day like "cleaning the house" almost all day and my "clothes". I need to get other things done first so I can prepare for the next week. So, I didn't have all the time I needed to write only thirty minutes. I haven't forgotten to write more next week of what's been happening, but I will explain more next week with more time. I love you all! Have a great rest of the week and enjoy all the new things that will be coming up ahead and the things that you could experience. Speak soon.
Elder Ridley