Green Bayyyyy- Week 43

Hey everyone! I made it safe here to Green Bay. Sadly not all of my stuff did. In the process of transferring here I somehow lost my tote that had basically all of my study materials and other things like that! But I'm glad to say that it has been found and I will be receiving it soon.

It has also been one of the craziest experiences here since I've been here. As I got the call from President letting me know I'd be transfered here he told me everything I needed to know and then added on 'There is going to be a pretty big difficulty coming your way... You're not going to have a car. But I know that you'll be able to figure it out so good luck!' haha and wow that has been fun to figure out. I have a total of 5 companionships in my District and 3 of us don't have our own car. So one of the English companionships is in a car share with the Hmong companionship, the Spanish Sisters have a car, the other English Companionship has a car and my companionship does not have a car. So we either get to walk or we have to communicate to the car share Elders because the other Elders are about 30 minutes away from us! It's been joyous.

This week was my first week in a Spanish Branch! But we combined with the English ward here for the special service that we had. It was cool! They had English and Spanish narrators. We also had a Branch Christmas party that we were able to attend and meet a lot of the Branch! It was super fun. I love Spanish! It's definitely different from an English Ward.

Thankfully we recieved some bikes from some other missionaries which was an amazing blessing! We used our bikes to go to a couple lessons and tract across town! So it took about 40 minutes to bike there and we were going to tag team a lesson with the Spanish Sisters and the guy ended up now actually being home so we went caroling and met an awesome guy! It's more fun caroling in Spanish I think! I'm not sure why. But then we started our bike trek home and the bikes we had were pretty old and funny story! We got about 2 minutes away from where we were and my companion, Elder Lacey, his bike completely broke! Not even fixable. So we decided we would just start walking home and then we looked at how long it would take us and we said no way! So we called the Elders in the car share and they came to get us which was so nice! But then we were in another predicament because we could either fit the bikes in there and not us or we could fit us in there but not the bikes! So we also had to call the Spanish Sisters to come save us! That took about 30 minutes or so to figure all of that out! So we were blessed with some bikes to get to a lesson and then Satan tried to hinder the work but it didn't work because we still grinding!

We went to a lesson yesterday with a member and the Spanish Sisters and the lady we taught had such a sad situation and all she wanted to be happy. She doesn't know where to look to for peace and joy and I'm just so grateful for the knowledge that we have of our Savior Jesus Christ and for the way that my parents raised me. The Sisters are going to start teaching her so hopefully she will be able to start feeling peace through Christ!

I have been studying a lot about the Plan of Salvation this last week. Partly because I need more knowledge of it so that I can teach it better especially in Spanish, but also just because I'm so grateful for that knowledge that we do have of it. And I think my favorite part to read in Preach my Gospel is the Atonement of Jesus Christ because of Jesus Christ we are able to have the Plan of Salvation! Such a huge blessing. And as I was reading in Mateo 26 (Matthew 26) I came across a verse that caught my attention. Verses 38 and 39 dicen - "Entonces Jesús les dijo: Mi alma está muy triste, hasta la muerte; quedaos aquí y velad conmigo. Y yéndose un poco más adelante, se postró sobre su rostro, orando y diciendo: Padre mío, si es posible, pase de mí esta copa; pero no sea como yo quiero, sino como tú." And that caught my attention because in Spanish it says 'Behold Jesus said: My soul is very sad' and that even He wanted this cup to pass from Him. Yet He did the things He needed to in order for us to become like Him. And I think He says His soul is very sad because He wishes that we all didn't have to go through any pain let alone the pain He went through for us. It just shows how much our Savior loves us and I'm so grateful for the knowledge that we have of Him and how we can recieve joy and become like Him.

It is truly a small world. I met this Elder here that is in my new District and his name is Elder Szendre. He is the brother of the wife of Stephen Moses who is the son of Sherry Moses who is the sister of my dad! Connections everywhere, I love it. 

Sorry this was so long! I love you all and I want you to know how much I love our Savior Jesus Christ and also our Heavenly Father. Have an amazing week everyone. 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks 

Facebook=Hacked- Week 42

Hey everyone, I hope that all is going well. Thanks for all of your Christlike examples. I am reminded everyday of the love that our Father in Heaven and our Savior have for us.

We had a fun Christmas zone conference. My mission president had a great idea to invite the parents of all the missionaries to send a package and have a mini Christmas for us! My sweet mom sent a book of the progression of my amazing family and some of our fun family traditions:) I'm so grateful for my family and for the opportunity I have to live with my family again as we make covenants and keep the commandments that the Lord has given us. I love you mom!

This week is also transfers which is why I have P-DAY today on Tuesday. I will be opening up a Spanish area in the city of Green Bay with Elder Lacey! I hope the Patriots play the Packers while I am here! And Elder Lacey will have just finished his training this last transfer. I will also be going there as a District Leader with a Hmong companionship, 2 English companionships and another Spanish companionship in my district! Elder Dowdle and Elder Harrison will continue the work here in Janesville! 

We taught Gina this week and she informed us that she is going to be too busy to meet with us until about the end of January. We are all pretty confused with where Nathanael is at but he showed up to church a couple days ago. Kandy has been really sick recently and putting off the surgery she needs. Carlos and Annelise seem to be doing good as well. There have been so many tender mercies of the Lord this week and I'm grateful for the love He shows us all through small and simple ways. 

We also cover the Monroe Branch which is about an hour away from Janesville and we had the opportunity to go there thanks to the Palmers who drove us there! We were able to stop by some brand new Senior Missionaries who got there on Friday night. They are excited to be there! We stopped by all of the Hispanic members. None of them answered! But it's okay because as we were knocking on doors in their apartments/trailer parks we would hear Spanish music or hear people speaking Spanish. So we were able to talk to about 10 different Hispanic families in Monroe! It was amazing and I love having the opportunity to speak Spanish!

Deuteronomy 31:12-13

Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: And that their children, which have not known any thing, may hear, and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.

I love these scriptures because it is inviting us to gather together and learn the words and teachings of our Savior Jesus Christ. During this Christmas time especially with the special December 22nd service coming up I invite you all to invite someone to come to church and that they may hear and learn the words of Christ.

I was on exchanges with my Zone Leader in Madison and I woke up and had a notification on my phone that somebody had logged into my Facebook and changed my password and email! I was hoping to have it all fixed by yesterday and I was able to change the password and everything but Facebook makes it super hard to do anything! But everything is okay here! 

Thank you for all you do for me!

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS HERMANO- Week 41

Hey all! I hope that you all felt the love and light of our Savior this week. There are so many signs and wonders from our loving Heavenly Father every day even during the hardest times of our lives we just have to keep our eyes on the most important things and thank God for all that we have an our eyes will be opened to see all He truly does for us.

HAPPY CUMPLEAÑOS TO MI HERMANO CARSON. I've been blessed with the best younger brother in the world and I'm so grateful for his wonderful example to me all these years. Thank you for being so diligent in serving our Savior and for always being there for me. Te amo Carson. 

This week we had our nativity that we have been promoting for the last month and a half or so. It turned out pretty good I think. I was just thinking as I'm writing this that I probably could've taken some pictures for you all but I didn't do that so I'm sorry! But it was awesome. During the nativity one of the nights we had a music concert and all of the missionaries in Janesville performed a song! We sang joy to the world and I sang a solo by myself in Spanish! It was actually super fun and there were some amazing songs performed by the members!

It has been super fun to invite people to do Light the World with us and share messages with people using Light the World and talking to everyone! This weekend we had the opportunity to give service to a lady who was a Baptist that her parents started and after we gave service we shared Light the World with her and she thought that was just amazing and that she definitely wants to give service to others in her life! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of Christ on the earth today and I'm so grateful to be apart of such an amazing work.

This week we were certain that Nathanael was ready to be baptized because he called us on Thursday morning and said that he wants to be baptized so we had a lesson with him that day and went over the baptism questions and put him on baptismal date for December 14th and all seemed well. We got a call the next morning of him saying lots of negative things about the church and then a text saying he wants nothing to do with us. He has still been asking us questions and we answer them and he also showed up to church yesterday. So we are all a little confused on what is going on but I just hope that in some way we have made an impact on his life and brought him closer to Jesus Christ. I also think and hope that in the future he will end up being baptized. 

Ether 12:27 - And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

I have been using this scripture a lot recently because I have so many weaknesses that I need to overcome. This scripture brings so much peace because it is saying as we humble ourselves to our Savior, ask Him to help us, and have faith that He can create us into the person that He wants us to be. I have seen this over and over in my life that as I seek my Saviors help He helps me through all of my weaknesses and shapes me to be the person I need to become.

Christmas is only 16 days away!! Transfers are only 9 days away!! Next Monday is only 7 days away!! My next P-day will actually be on Tuesday, not Monday just so you all know. I love you all and you are all in my thoughts and prayers and I am very grateful for all of the thoughts and prayers sent my way. Thank you for everything you all do for me! Also, thank you for everybody who sent me a letter and an ornament for the tree! It brought me to tears and I was and am so grateful for it! 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks 

Hope through Christ- Week 40

Hey everyone, I hope that all is going well through the holiday season. I am definitely thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and for the hope that comes through Him and His Atonement for us.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Hansen family and all that were involved with the tragedy this past week. I can't even imagine what the families are going through and I'm so saddened thinking about how hard it must be, but one thing I have come to know during the course of my mission is that Christ surely does know all the things that we are going through. As we look to and keep our focus in Christ for love peace and comfort throughout our lives and especially through the difficulties and challenges in life. I have such a strong testimony and know that the Plan of Salvation is real and true and as we live the commandments and follow the example of Christ we will be able to live with our families and loved ones again.

Nathanael has continued to come to church and continued to meet with us. We are still trying to address his concerns and teach him of the truthfulness of the message that we share. 

We had a thing called combined district council this last week which is basically a zone conference just without the mission president and assistants to the president and we had some good discussions on how we can use Light the World and how to better use our time in the night as it gets dark at 4 these days. It makes it pretty hard to contact people from the hours of 4-9! But we keep on trying to contact as many people as we can.

Light the World is also a super amazing and fun program that helps us as members and all others in the world to unite together in making the world a better place and sharing the light of Christ to all people. As we act in faith and share the light we have with others we will become more happy and see the goodness in others, in the world, and in ourselves. I'm grateful for all of the amazing programs and ways that we as a church can share this love and light of Christ to all people!

I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane to know me and you and to know all of our struggles. I'm grateful for His sacrifice and for the knowledge that we have of Him thanks to the Book of Mormon and the Bible. I know that as we search the scriptures and learn of Jesus Christ we will be able to become more like Him as I have seen that in my own life. I have seen first hand the blessings that come from acting on our faith, reading our scriptures everyday, praying to know and understand our Heavenly Father with sincere questions and councils with Him. I'm grateful for all that we have because of Jesus Christ.

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks 

Feliz cumpleaños a Braeden y Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias a todos- Week 39

Hey everyone! Can't believe that it is already Thanksgiving week! I hope that you enjoy all of the holidays coming up! Also, Happy Birthday to Braeden! He has always been such a good example to me and I hope you have an awesome day bro! Wish I could be there celebrating your day of birth!

This week has been a super good one! Just like every other week;) life as a missionary is a pretty good one! It's also hasn't been that cold here lately! I was surprised. Yesterday I walked outside in my suit and it was like 40 degrees and it felt super good! So I hope that the weather has been awesome for you all as well! 

We had Zone Conference in Madison this week, went to zone sports in Madison on P-Day last week and had District Council and interviews with President Murphy in Stoughton this week. So it was a very inspiring and uplifting week. I'm grateful for all of the opportunities that I have here on the mission to change the lives of so many people by sharing the things I believe in.

We sadly weren't able to meet with Nathanael this week. But we were able to meet with Gina and we are a lot more confident where she is at! She said that IF she finds the things that we say are true and the words from the Book of Mormon are true than she would be baptized! We have also been progressing with Carlos and Annelise. We were able to visit and see Chris a couple times this week too! And we are trying to start teaching a lady named Kandy!

"The Standard of Truth is about to be erected no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage mobs may combine armies may assemble calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly nobly and independent till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." - José Smith

I love this! I'm grateful to be apart of this wonderful work and I'm grateful for all of your examples at home in the work you all do for the Lord as well!

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks