April 30, 2012

Good Afternoon!!!!! I am excited to be able to write what I can today. You’re welcome for the photos and I should be sending more in the near future. I had a good time on my birthday so don’t worry. I haven’t received anything in the mail. The mission office usually gives me a call or gives me an email if I receive anything. The cake is nothing like you all are used to because here they have other sweets that they like and it’s called arequipe. Entonces, it was a cake of arequipe with chocolate. I know I have much to share let you know about the changes and all. Really it’s so difficult to try to give you all the details, but my companions name is Elder Balderrama from Argentina. about 3 hours away form the capital in Buenos Aires. The new area is great and the ward, we are working on trying to work with the members and get them involved with the work, but it also means we need a complete and full mission plan. I don’t know what it is about the leaders, but they seem to not understand the importance of the ward mission plan and to work with the plans that we make and complete them, but I am learning patients :) and doing what I can to help fulfill my responsibilities as a full time missionary. its seems to me that every new area I go to seems to not have had baptisms for a while and so I am always starting out trying to find new people to teach and try to help them progress and tell them there value and what god has planned for them and what we can do to help them fulfill their purpose here in life and for the eternities, but some people can’t comprehend all that at this moment so we go step by step. I have come to find out why I am here in the ward modelo. do you remember my training Elder Barazoto? Well he too was here in almost over two years ago. Also do you remember the Gutierrez family in Cartagena? Well his brother and his family live here in our ward and he is our ward mission leader and so I get to visit him and his family a lot to help them fulfill their callings and members of the ward. The family Gutierrez told me that they are going to come and visit me while I am here in the ward. They tell me that I was a very special missionary in their home when I was in Cartagena Pie la Popa and so I was glad to have heard that. I can’t believe all the changes that have been happening. It seems like there is something new every week and it’s not just one thing it’s five things! Shayna looks beautiful as always. I at time get choked up when I think of the family. two thing when I think of the family....one that always pops in my head is the first time I went through the temple in San Diego and all the family was waiting for me in the celestial room. I think that was one of the biggest moments in my life that I remember and that’s why it always is in my head and the other is in the future when I get of the plain ha-ha. anyway I do really try to stay focused and that’s why I too don’t talk about it much, but see I love you mom and the family and miss you all. Elder Ridley Ps- I know I should be thinking about school and such I have been already thinking about it, but I usually try to focus on what I am doing at the moment, but I know it will all come soon.....I will start praying and pondering more. Ya I have ideas about some new things in my life so I will share them in the next few months.