La Santo Biblia- Week 35

Hola todos. Espero que todos tengan una buena semana este última semana. Estoy agradecido por todas las oraciones y pensamientos para mi.

This week we had the wonderful opportunity to hear from an area 70 as a mission, Elder Carpenter. I was also reunited with some of the people that were in my first transfer one of them being Elder Giddings and Elder Freeman because we all went to Milwaukee and it was so fun. So it's always good to see them but even better we were able to recieve lots of trainings and knowledge from Elder Carpenter and his wife along with President and Sister Murphy. They focused a lot on covenants, improving teaching skills, and obedience. I always love getting taught about obedience. Sometimes it's hard to hear because we have to change things sometimes but the Lord works through obedience so it is a sacrifice that we should all be willing to make. Salvation isn't easy and never was easy. But the more sacrifices we make in our lives to follow the will and desires of our Lord the more we are able to grow and overcome difficulties in our lives just because we are willing to sacrifice worldy things for godly things.

We were super busy with meetings and planning. But we were still able to meet with Nathanael and have a good lesson with him. We are still deciding if he is ready for baptism and are planning to make certain steps in order for him to be ready and will try to put him on baptismal date with the next 2-3 weeks. He has been watching the Book of Mormon videos (which all of you need to watch) and he has learned a lot from them and definitely enjoys them! We weren't able to meet with Gina this week but we talked to her husband and we are hoping for some progress with her and them as well. She speaks very little English, mostly Spanish but they are married and he speaks only English so that is pretty cool! Thankful families can be together forever.

Also I have learned so much here in Janesville and have definitely been blessed with the gift of tongues! It's been so cool to see the progression of my Spanish here in Janesville and I have a firm testimony that we all have certain gifts that the Lord has given us that we don't even know that we have sometimes and all we need to do is pray to know these gifts and know the things we need to and can do in order to gain these gifts. The parable of the talents is a great example of this and once we recieve gifts we need to continue finding more gifts that the Lord wants us to have. He is such a loving, caring and giving God we just need to seek for His help in all things.

I started reading the Bible this last week and there are some fun and very cool stories in the Bible. I've heard of most of the things I've read so far but it's so cool to see the progression in the stories and where everything lines up together. One of my favorite stories has always been of Abram/Abraham and how much he was willing to sacrifice because the trust and love he had for the Lord. While I was reading this story I thought how much would I sacrifice for the Lord if he asked me to? Could I sacrifice everything in my life just for the Lord and it opened my eyes of how we truly do have to love and trust God. But we see in the story of Abraham that because of his willingness to follow and do the things the Lord asks no matter how hard it is how much we can be blessed.

Genesis 22:16-18

And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore... And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

His whole life he had been promised children and a great posterity but until the Lord knew he was so converted to Him and tested his faith and found his real desires is when he bestowed this blessing upon Abraham. It's the same in our lives. When we sacrifice things to better obey and follow our Lord and Savior we are ultimately showing the Lord our conversion to Him and we will recieve the blessings that we most need and most want. Not in our timing but in the Lord's. 

I'm grateful to be a missionary. 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks 

Mi gente- Week 34

Hey friends and family, another week has flown by yet! I'm starting to understand the whole Wisconsin vocabulary which is awesome. Time flies when you're having fun! There is only 66 days until Christmas!

This week we found a place where a whole bunch of Hispanics get together and play soccer in a gym. It was soooo fun and it definitely reminded me of how much I love and enjoy soccer. Some of them were pretty surprised when I scored and that was fun too😏 maybe I'll consider coming out of retirement and going into the big leagues when I get back. 

We had a super cool lesson Gina this week which is somebody that we found last week. We testified of the Book of Mormon and of the Bible and she seemed pretty interested and also asked lots of questions to us about the Book of Mormon and also about our beliefs and stuff! So that was awesome. We are hoping to talk to her about baptism within the next 2 weeks because we are only able to see her once a week... But that's okay!

Dina and Astrid (the people we teach English) keep on having excuses of why they can't come to English class which is kinda sad because we even started teaching them a little about the Book of Mormon and even gave them one to read so we are gonna keep working with them.

This lady that we are teaching, Chris and she is dating a member, Brother Ramirez and sadly for them their refrigerator broke this last week so they called us and offered us some food because they weren't going to eat it all! So of course we took it! They gave us steak and chicken and other incredible things like that and we went home and studied and cooked and it was awesome. Also this week I made some super incredible fish, I was pretty proud of myself!

Oh also we were playing basketball last week and it was a pretty good game(my team was winning of course😉) and I went to go get a rebound and my companion was also going for the same ball and his elbow went right into my eye so I get a pretty nice cut and a little black eye which was so fun. Also in the same game my other companion basically broke his thumb haha, it was awesome!

The family of De La Rosa was out of town for this whole last week basically so some of the things we do on a weekly basis like Bible class and FHE had to be canceled because we normally do that at their house but that's okay because we just want tracting or stopped by potencials! 

I have been reading and studying through the whole Triple (Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, & Pearl of Great Price) for the last couple months and so I finally finished it all up this last week which was super awesome! I read the experience that Joseph Smith had while he was praying in the Sacred Grove and I loved how he explained the ways he was feeling.

Joseph Smith - History 1:15-17

"After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction... just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound."

He was doing all good things, he wanted to go ask to know which church is true so he could know for himself. Satan knew that but he didn't want Joseph to know the truth, or do any good. So he did all that he could in his power to stop Joseph. Satan does this to us all, he tries everything in his power to stop us from doing good, making it feel like we are bound as if we are doomed. But we need to exort all of our energy and effort in trusting the Lord. Even after we do all that we can and put in all of our effort we might still feel the presence and binding power of Satan, but continue to keep pushing forward just as Joseph Smith did and at the at very moment when you are going to sink into despair and fall into destruction, if you have been exerting all of your strength to call upon our Lord and Savior I promise that he will deliver you out of the bondage that you are in, but we have to do everything in our power. 

I love you all and I'm so thankful for all of your prayers and thoughts for me! I look up to you all and pray for you!

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks 

Asombroso- Week 33

So last week was General Conference and this week was Stake Conference! It was awesome. And on the Sunday session there was somebody who was even translating into Spanish do I got to listen to them and I loved it:) The Gift of Tongues is real and the gifts of the spirit are real! It's incredible what the Lord will do for you to farther His work! 

This week I went on another exchange! I was in Stoughton which was great. We had District Council on Wednesday which was awesome! Then we headed up to Stoughton which is about 40 minutes away from Janesville. I love seeing how other missionaries work and try to take the things I learn from them and apply it to myself in my missionary work!

We met a guy and his wife named Nahum and Rosa and they are the sweetest! We met them in Hermana De La Rosa's Salon and they invited us over to their house because they love the missionaries! So we went over there and we got there a littler early so we were gonna go knock on a couple doors before we went there but he had cameras at his house so he saw us and saw that we were going to someone else's house and he waved to us and said 'hola!!!!! Estamos aquí! Pasen!' and he was just so excited to have us there! We had a super good and long conversation and then they invited us over for a home made Mexican dinner on Tuesday! So we are super excited to eat with them and start sharing with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Also this last week I actually hit my 6 month mark in Wisconsin which is awesome! It doesn't feel like I got out that long ago and like I'm still a brand new missionary, but I guess time flies when you're working hard! 

I hope that all of your weeks are going awesome and that you all have awesome next weeks as well! I sure am grateful for all of your examples to me! 

Una cosa que me gustó de la conferencia de estaca fue estas pensamientos:

"Un vez en mi vida Dios me dijo 'gracias por tratar' cuando no me sentí que Dios me amó. Recibimos bendiciones cuando intentamos a seguir los mandamientos de nuestro Padre Celestial. No podemos ser perfectos pero podemos ser perfectos en usando la Expiación de Jesucristo y nos arrepentirnos."

Y me gustó este por qué no hay una vez en nuestras vidas que somos perfectos. Pero Dios nos dio Jesucristo a sufrir para nosotros. Y por qué tenemos este don, necesitamos a usar la Expiación de Jesucristo y nos arrepentirnos cada día y intentando en llegando a ser mejor.

Thank you all for your examples and prayers for me! I look up to you all and pray for you. 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks 

General Conference😍- Week 32

Hey! I hope General Conference went fabulous for everyone! I'm excited for the next General Conference now! There was so much good stuff and spiritual insights! It is true, Russell M. Nelson is the prophet of God! I'm so grateful that we have a prophet to lead and guide us throughout our lives and to testify and preach of our Savior Jesus Christ.

We went on 2 exchanges this last week and I stayed in Janesville for them both! It was awesome, I hope I stay here for at least until the New Year! That would be sweet! It was cool though because the first exchange I got to see my good friend Elder Freeman! Sadly I didnt get to go on the exchange with him but I got to see him for a little bit which was fun!

Fun fact, I will hit my 6 month mark being in Wisconsin on the 9th! I love being a missionary and getting to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ! It has truly brought me so much joy throughout my life.

Last week for P-Day we went mini golfing and I got a hole in one on hole 18 so I got a card for a free game! That was my second time doing that there and it was just as fun getting a hole in one this time as it was last time! 

I really enjoyed the talk by Elder Boom (I think?) this General Conference! He talked a lot about how even if we feel overwhelmed with all of the things going on in our life, through the Atonement and love of Jesus Christ we can understand His plan more fully and understand our part in His plan. By that understanding we are able to become better and also better fulfill our purposes in gathering scattered Israel and fulfill the Plan the Lord has for us. It brought so much peace and comfort to me that as we have a deeper understanding of Christ we will have a deeper understanding of who we need to become and how we are able to become like Christ.

Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts this last week! I sure am grateful for all of your examples to me and I hope everything at home is going great!

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks