I honestly don't even know where to start except the fact that my companion and I have been so tired because of how hard we are working! It has definitely been pretty hard not knowing anything in the area or any of the people but it is awesome getting to know people and having an excuse to go visit literally everyone because we are new to the area and are just introducing ourselves to everyone. Missionary work is probably one of the most satisfying things and I am grateful that I get to be here on in Wisconsin for my mission!
Janesville is pretty similar to Idaho Falls about 15 years ago. So it is fun to be here haha! Also I changed my phone settings from English to Spanish and I feel pretty cool haha, not gonna lie! But sometimes I have to look up words before I click on a button so I don't mess up my phone😂
Elder Freeman, my companion burnt his thumb while cooking on Saturday so we went to the ER haha, and that was pretty funny but anyway. He asked for some ibuprofen on Sunday morning and I told him sure but that he should get it and help himself because I was studying haha and he could only use one hand so when he opened the ibuprofen he somehow dropped the lid of it and it fell right into the toilet. It was pretty funny haha, we work hard together but also have good times!
Also the 4th of July I felt like a loser because we had to be home by 9... But we got to go to a fun BBQ for dinner haha. We had an awesome lesson with this guy named Bob. He has been taught since last August, but we have been super bold in inviting him to baptism. But our lesson on the 4th was super cool because he had always just said no to baptism because he has prayed but hasn't received an answer, but we are helping him see that his answer is the happiness and peace that he feels when he comes to church! We think that he is really starting to see that in his life. And I think that is very important in all of our lives including mine. Sometimes we pray for or want certain things and we think we aren't receiving an answer, but the Lord could be answering and probably is in very simple ways, we just need to be aware of those things and then act according to that:) it was definitely something that I needed to be taught at this time. We gave Bob a date of July 27th! We are excited.
There is also this girl in the Janesville ward that is leaving on her mission today and she and her family forgot that yesterday was fast Sunday or something haha so she gave her farewell talk as a testimony haha, it was pretty funny. But we have to translate for the Hispanic members here which is pretty cool, except that it is pretty hard to translate haha. Thankfully I haven't had to do that yet, but all the Hispanics in the ward tell me I need to do it next week because it will help me even though they know that I am pretty bad at communicating haha. So they members here are awesome! We also get to teach a Bible study class to the Hispanics every Thursday and teach English as a 2nd language every Saturday that nobody has shown up to since we have been here haha, but it would be pretty cool if people would show up!
Also, there is an apostolic promise from one of the apostles or something about being able to understand and speak a language better if you read all the way through the Book of Mormon, and I feel like there is some truth to that, but I think that from about the Book of Alma to the Book of Moroni is just waaaay easier to understand than the beginning parts of the Book of Mormon haha! It is so fun reading the Book of Mormon though and you should all make sure to read from it every day! If that is what an invitation we extend to the people to be baptized than I think we as members should all be doing that too:) and as we do read the Book of Mormon and make that sacrifice we will receive so many blessings!
Alma 5:45-46
And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold I tesitfy unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? Behold I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.
I know that the Lord will reveal the truth unto us as we search diligently for the truth, pray and even fast! I invite you all to write a question that you might need answered in your life and search diligently to find an answer to it in the Book of Mormon starting with a prayer to either know where to search for or for remembrance in a scripture that you might need that will be able to help answer your question!(if you need help searching diligently you could always email me your question and I'll do my best to help find a scripture for you too!) I have seen many mighty miracles in my life coming from the Book of Mormon and I know that as we show faith in reading that beautiful book of scripture we will receive many blessings in our lives!
I have one more quote haha!
'Pure obedience and silent endurance are not enough. There must be a burning desire, a reaching out, a seeking, in short, an exhaustive exercise of our combined spiritual, intellectual, and emotional energies, all focused on obtaining these divine gifts.'
- Tad R. Callister (The Infinite Atonement)
I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to represent Jesus Christ and as we are baptized we all take upon ourselves the name of Christ and so we all have the same responsibility! I am thankful for all of your examples to me and for your prayers and thoughts! I love you all so much.
DO GOOD, BE GOOD
Love,
Elder T. Ricks
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