August 31, 2009

Dear family,

Hey how ya doing? Im getting transferred again this week. haha you know how we do transfers here so i dont know where im going or who my companion will be.. But no matter what its where the Lord needs me. This will Probably be a short email. Sorry i want to get better at writing not so long of emails. Just want to keep them quick, i fear the longer i write the more i think about things back home, i wanna stay focused so im going to keep my emails shorter from now on. I need to stay focused this work is too important. This last week was really great we almost had a baptism, but it just didnt work out. We almsot baptized debi! And we almost did it at Zone conference with President and a ton of missionaries there. It was cause we were going to do it saturday but she found a job, and had started working and she had to work when we were gong to do the baptismal interview, so i was with one of the Zone leaders because he was going to interview her. So we couldnt interview when we wanted to and we had Zone conference friday, so we went over on friday morning at like 7 before zone conference and we made them breakfast, pancakes and bacon and it all. haha Then we did the interview and while they did the interview i was washing dishes mopping the floor, and cleaning all around the house. haha The Zone leader had challenged her to get baptized right then! She accepted and we were going to go down to where we were going to have zone conference and do it then, but she had to start work and ten and the interview took alittle bit of time. And so did breakfast. So it didnt work out, and we were going to do it right then because she was busy the rest of the week. But in the end it was better that it didnt happen so that when we do baptize her ward members can be ther and we can have a nice program, but it wouldve been cool to baptize at zone conference. Also i got to give a talk in church yesterday. My topic was antyhign i wanted about missionary work. So i started wher it al starts out, that is with our own personal testimonies cause we will not do anything if we dont have a testimony. It was also kinda like my goodbye talk even though i had been here for one transfer. ahah But i had made alot of close relationships here though. I gave probably one of the best talks i had ever given i think i was so comfortable up ther and it just flowed and went so well. I used the joke i used at my farewell about the hand over the ear. haha I had gotten alot of compliments for my talk and people said i was a very good public speaker. haha i dont know maybe. The Lord has blessed me to be more outgoing and to go out of my comfort zone, or just not even have a comfort zone, just talk to everybody. But it went well i love speaking of gospel truths and bearing my testimony, it is something that has grwon very strongly. Because i have been honest with the Lord and have been willing to be teachable and the Lord has changed me and formed me. Making me into what he wants me to be. Zone conference went really well. Debi will be baptized this next saturday, i will not be ther but its okay. The work has really piked up here in this area, we had alot of hispanics at church ysterday. It was really great its only because we trluly have sacrificeed and put our shoulder to the will and work. The lord truly can drive us to do great things. I have no doubt about it. I know that this church is true and that the Lord lives, he loves us so very much. He wants us to be happy that is why he has given us so many opportunties, we just have to share them. I know that we have a prophet today who leads and guides us. He speaks with our father in heaven and the savior face to face. If we live faithfully, we too can have the opportunity to behold his face, it talks about that in the scriptures. We need to be strong through each trial, and look to the lord in all things. I love yall so much. I absolutely love my mission, and enjoy each day so very much. Its just sad i have two years to do this full time, But the whole life we are missionaries. Take care. Love yall so much.

Love always,
Elder Riding

P.S. next week ill let ya know my new area.