March 5, 2012

Mom,
What’s new in my life and my world in Colombia or missionary life in my little area and ward I am serving in is....The ward hasn’t had baptism for a while and so a lot of people are worried. The thing is it’s not the members, but other missionaries or the mission. I am still in Ciudadela, the only that that has changed is we switched districts. I have a new district leader that I love. The last transfer I had a district leader that all he did was look at every bad thing that happened in my companionship. We had a few talks because I didn’t like the way he did things in his own way. The last transfers I was trying to good things, but he would always bring us down. That’s how I felt. I didn’t feel that any leaders had confidence in our companionship. I am excited to be in my new district now because of that. We have work to do still here and that’s why I know it’s the right thing for me to still be here in Barranquilla. I didn’t feel I needed to go for any reason and I am happy that I still have more time here. The good thing is we will have two bastimso at the end of this month :) Every week for the last month I have bedn wanting to tell you about what’s happening in Colombia, but I forget myself. At our last conference with the President he told us that the missions in Colombia are going to change and that we will now have 5 missions in Colombia at the end of summer. Mission Barranquilla, Mission Borgata norte, Mission Bogata sur, Mission Cali and now "Mission Medellin"(south part of Colombia). It’s possible that missionaries from Barranquilla and the other missions will change missions to get the new mission started. Also they will take areas from our mission to add to others and the mission boundaries will change. Where I was in Monteria will now probably be part of the Borgata mission. Ya, the church should be calling new missionaries to enter the MTC in a couple months to get the mission opened. Colombia is being truly blessed at this time and all this will make it easier for God to establish his temple her for los Barranquilleros (people from Barranquilla) in Barranquilla, puerto colombia.
The questions.....
1. The companion that had the biggest influence on me was Elder Jorge because he was the one I felt had helped me most to understand the mission.
2. The companion that I got along with has been Elder Martinez because we respected each other’s decisions. For me almost every time I try not to have bad companionships. If there is something I don’t like I learn to live with it and I don’t say anything because a lot of time it creates problems, but if it’s going to affect our companionship I say something.
3. The companionship I had the most success with in teaching was with Elder Lopez because we listened to each other more in the lessons and testified more from our experiences and testified of the principles more. Right now I don’t feel that way with my companion. It’s something that I can change, but I have tried to, but I feel my companion doesn’t listen to my suggestions.
4. To be honest this month was the first time I told my president I was grateful for what he does for the missionaries. I am trying to understand my president, but he is a boring man, straight face always and difficult to talk with I feel. He doesn’t have communication with the elders a lot within the mission personally. He has his same leaders he talks with and that’s about it. Ya, we have interviews, but the questions are repetitive and I try to talk and start a conversation, but it doesn’t get anywhere. I never had my first interview when I arrived. I waited three month afterwards to talk with him personally. I have only seen his wife and kids about five times in the whole mission. I don’t even know the names of his children. In the conferences it’s only him and not his wife. I feel the mission is repetitive and we as elders already live a repetitive life with the schedule we live and it’s a little bit boring . And so I feel the mission, mission colombia Barranquilla is boring. I had my first activity about a month ago and my fist service project at my one year mark. The mission is really spread out so it can be difficult to travel and such, but still. All in all there is more, but I don’t want to wrote more.
President Gaviria has helped me to understand a lot of information and helped me to understand, he has come to know a lot. I try to have a positive attitude about everything these days and enjoy what’s here and what’s going to come. It’s has been a huge change for me in my life. From the Liahona talk from President Thomas S. Monson (abundant life). Search for it and read it, it’s amazing! Anyway I would like to write more, but I am talking up the time of my companion. Write more next week. Love you
Elder Ridley