November 26

Mom, The photos are much appreciated! Everyone looks all warm and cozy for a cold night at the game. I miss the cold. I hope that I will be able to get use to the cold again very quickly. I am going to need to. This past week I had my last conference and I was able to bear my testimony. I shared that the mission has gone by quickly, but that before the mission I always thought the mission would be go to share my testimony and that’s about it. I was wrong and how much I have had to push myself daily to be what the lord wants me to be and to change a lot. I shared my testimony on our purpose to bring the message to the hearts of the people by showing them that their heavenly father loves them and each of us. Through the gifts of the spirit I have been able to develop many and help his children feel and know the importance of our message.....It was really short my testimony. The best thing about it was president Gaviria later in conference was talking about three things that would help missionaries be better missionaries and the topic of understand the covenants of 12 tribes of Israel and the gather of Israel its important and bringing back certain keys to make the everlasting covenant, but before he shared that it was the "everlasting covenant" he asked me what covenant it was hahaha- I hadn’t been paying attention much because I was writing some things down, but I said the covenant of the lord and he come up at puts his hand on my shoulder and said no Elder Ridley the covenant of matrimony. Hahaha I got super red and all the elders and sisters started laughing. That made my day! Just like that the topic of girls comes back into my life....wasn’t prepared for that. It is my goal though. The family from Medellin is still here, but they are still in the process of knowing what they will be doing if they are going to stay here or go back to Medellin. We keep in contact and really they have their baptism date for the 15th of December, but they are going to need more time because we haven’t been able to visit them much with what’s going on in their family. Nothing bad, but just a lot of decision making. So you talked with the mission office. That’s great. Yes I know elder Vanderheyden and met him when he arrived on the mission in the mission office. He isn’t part of the mission office, but I am sure that at the time they wanted to call you all that he was the only American to speak English so they probably invited him to talk with you. I myself passed by Thanksgiving like that. I knew it was, but I was so caught up in other things that it slipped my mind really. I am excited to be able to share basically whatever for my talk haha. Do you know how much time I will be given? Also I have a question....Mccain won’t be speaking with me? When does he return and when does he speak? Right now I too have been sick with a cough and a runny nose and I hate it here, because its alot like being at home and in air conditioning....I’ve got a fan and that’s it. I hope it goes away real quick. Well about three weeks more left and I know you are all excited especially you mom. I love you. Elder Ridley Things for Christmas: the usual need like deodorant....toothpaste, toothbrush, acne free, ect. I would like an electric shaver. And a nice set of trimmers to cut my hair up at Idaho. there is probably more, but we always have to go shopping after Christmas and exchange things so go with your instinct.