November 5, 2012

Momi. This Wednesday my last transfer starts. Really I am excited about both things; to start working again with new goals and also new members of my district probably. Who knows I might get sent to do something else, but I know that it will be what the Lord wants always. I do want to stay here in Trupillos as I have fallen in love with the ward members, the area and the investigators. I never thought I would have the same feeling as I had felt about Ciudadela. I don’t know what has made a difference from the other areas, but I know that it has to do with experiences. This past week I had a ton. Skyler e-mailed this last week and told me that these last few weeks will be some of the weeks I learn the most in all the mission and its true I know it’s true and I know that the lord keeps refining us to help us progress. Skyler also told me to pray to have the Lord except all that has happened on the mission and that I can feel a one and only confirmation that comes as you only can serve one time as a young man on a mission. Really that’s been on my mind a lot, but I also feel like I procrastinate a little because I don’t feel like the mission is ending haha. One of the many experiences that I had was when my companion and I were planning for the last few weeks, knowing that our famous ward where we are working a, has a lot of less active members and so not having a lot of investigators progressing we started to focus on that a little more to pray and to fast who of the families we could help. We have five families we have come to the conclusion with the Lord that these are the families we can help. One of the families I mentioned was the one we were going to have chili with rice and share a message with them. It turned out great by the way! I bought chili in a can and so it wasn’t the same, but it was defiantly good :) I love spicy food haha. We shared a message from a seminary video out of the New Testament with the maze about how god gives us our lives and not only that but gives ways to complete it easier through the commandments. We as humans make our lives harder than it is and that we put thing in our own paths to make it complicated. God has helps us by giving us his son Jesus Christ and is gospel. Through commandments we can get through everything without hardship. Anyways the mom of the family is less active but her youth go to church since she has had past problems she hasn’t wanted to return for many years. This last week we got to see sister Francia come dressed with her Sunday best :) She came to church mom and I couldn’t have felt so happy to see someone come back from what she has gone through to reclaim her salvation. I know that it’s tuff for us because we are humans we make it that way, but afterwards I know she feels like its ok. She is going to continue coming and we are going to continue visiting to help strengthen her family. I know when it says in our purpose to invite everyone to come unto Christ it doesn’t just mean our investigators, but all those who surround us. With the choice to figure out what God whated us to do this week as well, the lord also has blessed my companion this last week in receiving new real investigators. This past week my companion and I had to pass by one of the less active members to say hi and continue working after, but we got talking and she mentioned that no one on her street had people to teach and that other missionaries have already passed by to contact all the houses. Anyways we left and I went walking down that street. My companion was walking with me, but I felt that there was someone to contact on this street and as a passed by one house my reaction made me contact it. Finds out that it’s a family of 5 and that they are not from the coast but that they are from Medellin or the inner part of Colombia. They have been living in Barranquilla for 6 months and haven’t seen the missionaries, which mean that the other missionaries didn’t have contacts with them. My companion and I began to talk a little bit and set up and appoint with them to come Sunday and we also invited them to church. They came on Sunday haha. Last night we found out that they had been talking with missionaries form Medellin and that they stopped listen because they moved to Barranquilla. We were able to get to know them more and I hope that what we shared with them last can help them in the process to find the true church of Christ. I know that I was guided by the spirit there and for that reason we found a very special family and maybe it’s for that reason I wasn’t sent to the new mission in Medellin, but that the Lord only wanted me to find this family from Medellin at that moment. I know that God has helped me at many moments through inspiration to do his work and find out that really he is the head of this work and with his help we will be able to complete it. I am so honored to have had this blessing in my life and to have my calling as a missionary. Can’t wait to be able to talk about the mission of Jesus Christ from his birth to his death I am reading Jesus the Christ right now and I am almost done. It’s been very interesting and very real. His experiences are like my experiences here and so I know we both have the same mission and that is to help others come back home to their father and to eternally be with him, happy and content forever. Mom I love you. Thanks for your message you shared with the scriptures at times I wonder where did I skip at those parts as I have read the Book of Mormon twice here haha. You have been great support. Lots of love truly Elder Ridley Ps- the plans for when I get home sound great. Yes I would like to go to the temple my first day back so on the 19th. I am taking my pills and using the medicine cream and its healing finally!