January 11, 2009

Hey y'all!
how you guys doing? IM DOING GREAT!We had quite the week, first off my new companion is Elder Taylor, he is from bicknell, Utah. A real small town up there. He is an English elder so he doesn't speak any spanish. But he is a great missionary. I have already learned alot from him. We did have our baptism, most of our week was devoted to it. Because she is about 300-400 pounds, and in a wheel chair, we had to make everything really safe for her baptism. We got more grip for the font floor, and even wore aquasocks in the font too to make more traction too, it took all four of us elder's to do the baptism. It's a pretty cool picture of all 4 of us dressed in white. Im definitely going to send a picture! she was probably one of my most solid converts. She just bears her testmony each time we are there, and tells us she loves us so much, and how grateful she is that we found her and how much her life has changed. She is awesome, she is my black grandma! she is already sharing the gospel too, she brings about 2 or 3 people to church with her each week from her family so we hope that we can get to teach them soon as well. Also this saturday we have another baptism, a sister named Mildred Tucker, we knocked into her house as well, she is awesome, she is a real humble funny black lady. So things are going really well, and i know its going good only because sometimes we may not get to focus on our own area as much as we would like but we dedicate ourselves to the zone, and so the Lord is blessing us with great people to teach. Man it was a cool baptism though four of us in the font and lowering her down into it. As i was saying the baptismal prayer she was saying it along with me, almost like making sure i said it right. haha then as she was going under she said," oh thank you Lord this is my new beginning!" She is a sweetheart. But our Zone is doing real good we got some real good elders here this transfer im excited. My companion is dedicated and wants to do his best, we will have a good time together. He is humble and does what needs to be done. He is my kind of guy. Man im excited to be out on my mission right now. To be fully centered in the Lord's work. Man a missionary for the Lord what more can you ask? Does it get any better?? Serving others, blessing there lives. Man the lessons we taught with Mrs. Helen Busch the one that got baptized, were some of the most spiritual lesson's of my whole mission, it's true when they say you must teach the gospel from heart to heart. Cause it will open there's and penetrate it. I love this gospel. It changes lives, it has changed me and gives me so much strength and drive to go on and be better. I love the Book of Mormon i know it truly brings us closer to Christ. It heals our starving souls. This gospel is a miracle, Joseph smith saw God the Father and the Son, he was a prophet! We have one today. I am so grateful for this. I love you all so much, and would do anything for you. I pray for you always. Take care and know i love you. Les amo.

Love,
Elder Riding