August 3, 2009

Hey y'all! Its me again, Elder Riding. Your favorite Missionary. haha Well thanks all yalls for the letters! As always ill try to answer some questions, Jr the Ward missionaries alot go out to visit recent converts and go on splits with the missionaries, also to visit less actives i believe, so wherever they can help they do. Oh and yes it is a ward that is in english so we do have to translate, but usually a member does it i guess. But yestrerday he didnt show up till pretty late so i did it until he came. It was fun, haha i would sing all the hymns in spanish into the headset and so the hispanics could hear it in spanish. haha When the member came to translate and when i sat down the spanish people were like... Why did you stop? we liked listening to you the other gys doesnt sing. You sing good! haha so i got a nice little confidence boost. haha Yeah and my companion and i try to speak one hundred percent spanish between one another. Yeah we are like 45 minutes from the mission home i believe as well. My spanish is doing better though i have been working real hard at studying it and it has really been paying off.

Also there is a member in the ward that has like a little pond behing his house and he catches turtles in there, and he caught one that was a crocodile snapper turtle, it was like 35 pounds it was huge! he gave it to us and there is a hispanic member that cooked it for us and we ate it!!!! YUmm haha it was real good. It was so big though it was crazy.

We had an AMAZING week though. Last week we had some cars problems and so we had to take our car to the shop, and all spanish missionaries areas are huge, because we cover basically the whole stake.. So we have investigators in all different sides, so we had to sacrifice big time. We were on bikes ALL week, and it is all hills here! so it was tough but we pushed way way hard. We never gave up. I was soaked everyday because of sweat because its SOOO humid here but like they say Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. Its so true we worked hard at getting to every appointment on bikes even if it was hard, we sacrificed dinner appointments, and we got members to come with us. And we went from haveing nobody at church last week to having 7 there this week! and they all had very spiitual experiences, We had a family of abourt 7 there. Two parents there sister in law and then four kids. They speak good english too so they could communicate with the other members good too. But they loved it and said they wanna come each week. So ill keep ya posted there also our other investigator Juan Valdivia is his name, he has a baptismal date for the 12 of august. He works nights on the weekends and sleeps durng the day usually on saturday then works almost all night. And also the guys he lives with drink alot and make alot of noise so he cant sleep very good. But we prayed and prayed, then we went and saw him saturday and he said they didnt make any noise and he slept like a baby! So we were truly blessed by the lord because we sacrificed alot, it was amazing. I have a very strong testimony of sacrifice cause truly we show the Lord we are willing to follow him when we sacrifice, Then he will bless us will all things. Even a perfect knowledge of him.

Also if you guys wanna read a great chapter read Doctrine and Covennants 76. It is amazing i was reading it a little this morning it is so beautiful. Talks about the father and the son. I also bore my testimony yesterday at church of just how much the gospel truly blesses people and completely changes people as well. It can turn a drunk drug addicted person into a true humble follower of christ, Christ didnt come to save the Righteous but to call the sinners to repentance. To help them know of him and come unto him and learn of him. That is my job to go help others come unto him, We as missionaries are his disciples like he said unto Peter "come and i will make you fishers of men" We are hear to change people lives, i bore testimony of this the power of the gospel, the power of conversion there is. How the gospel is for everyone, and how everyone needs it. I love this gospel so very much, and i love my Savior so very much. He i always with me pushing me along, he truly has helped me do things i know i could not have done alone, given me strength when i was weak, help me love when i thought i couldnt. He lives! I know he does. I love him so very dearly.

I know the harder i labor the more you guys will be blessed as well. Its amazing how the Savior can make our hearts swell and feel love for everyone as well. Take care yall, another great week is ahead, " The horizon is as Bright as our Faith!"
-President Monson
Love always always,

Elder Michael Riding