Amazing-Week 57

Hey everyone, I hope you are all staying safe and healthy and not getting too bored.

It's been pretty crazy to think that almost everyone in the world is trying to stay in their houses. There are some amazing people in the world though. No matter how hard life feels sometimes it is always amazing to feel the love the Lord has for me or others through tender mercies usually through His children. There is a quote from President Hinkley that i really like, 'It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. It all works out. Dont worry... If you do your best, it'll all work out. Put your trusty in God and move forward in faith.' No matter the situation you're in look for the good and push forward in faith and it will all work out. Heleman had some similar teachings. 'Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God.' 

I was able to listen to my cousin Paxton report on the things he learned and took away from his mission! He is a spiritual beast and definitely a good example to me. Also one of my other cousins, Cayden got engaged this last week and will be getting married soon so congratulations to him! I'm blessed to be in such an amazing family with such great examples like them.

Sadly I don't know the ward I am in too well due to certain circumstances, but they have definitely showed a lot of charity towards me as I have been here. They are always calling to make sure we are all taken care of and have food and the essentials of living (so is my amazing mom, she ordered Dairy Queen for me on a random day! So sweet). One day the Arnett family sent us a text asking us to send them a list of groceries and we didn't want to ask for too much and they came over that night with a whole trunk full of food and things for us. Sister Arnett had posted on Facebook to all of her friends to donate money for her local missionaries and they ended up getting $500 donated for the missionaries serving in our ward. What an amazing people we have here in Wisconsin. 

We were able to find 2 new people this week. Finding has definitely been weird the past couple weeks but I guess we are figuring it out! Its also been pretty awesome to see how my zone is continually working as hard as we can. Despite loosing 2 whole companionships because of their health situations and already being one of the smaller zones in the mission we led the mission in a lot of thr key indicators! Pretty amazing. We also recieved 2 awesome Sisters in my zone who were supposed to be in the MTC for 9 weeks but were only there for 3 and were assigned to Finland speaking Finnish but got reassigned to the Wisconsin Milwaukee mission! We started doing all of our meetings via technology:) it's pretty amazing the resources we have to be able to keep doing missionary work! 

I'm so glad that my brother, Elder C. Ricks, arrived home safe yesterday and got to see our family as he awaits his new assignment to somewhere in the United States - hopefully the Wisconsin Milwaukee mission. I'll be waiting for you here man!! I love you

Well.. this next week is General Conference! So we have been thinking a lot about President Nelson's invitation to focus ourselves and to prepare ourselves by reminding ourselves about Joseph Smith's experiences in the Sacred Grove. 'I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head above the brightness of the sun which descended gradually until it fell upon me... when the light rested upon me I saw two personages whose brightness and glory defy all description. Standing above me in the air one of them spake unto me calling me by name and said pointing to the other, This is my Beloved Son, Hear Him.' 'Vi una columna de luz, más brillante que el sol, directamente arriba de mi cabeza y esta luz gradualmente descendió hasta descansar sobre mí… Al reposar sobre mí la luz, vi en el aire arriba de mí a dos Personajes, cuyo fulgor y gloria no admiten descripción. Uno de ellos me habló, llamándome por mi nombre, y dijo, señalando al otro. Este es mi Hijo Amado, Escúchalo.' I invite you to continue to reflect on how this event and how the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has affected and changed your life. Re read the first account visions. Read the Book of Mormon every day. Pray every day. Partake of the sacrament every week that is possible. Seek God in your everyday life. As you do so you will be filled with joy. 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks 

My week- Week 56

Hey, so it's been a pretty wild week probably just like yours! Really the only thing that has affected me though is that I haven't really been able to leave my apartment unless I'm getting food or gas or District Councils. My companion will hit his 21 month mark before this next transfer so he will be going home and there are about 40 missionaries in my mission that are getting sent home either today or tomorrow because of pre existing heart, lung or throat conditions. Pretty crazy times. 

Shout out to Wendys breakfast though.

It's been interesting for sure to try to figure out what we as missionaries should do because we can't go into people's houses and stuff or talk to anyone so we've been making lists of people from our area Book that we either want to text or send letters to their homes and just let them know that we have messages of hope, peace and comfort! 

Im glad that through this time we have that peace from Christ and that we can share the light of Christ with everyone in the world through technology. 

I've been thinking a lot of 1 Nephi 3:15 - "But behold I said unto them that: As the Lord liveth, and as we live, we will not go down unto our father in the wilderness until we have accomplished the thing which the Lord hath commanded us." The Lord knows what is best for every single one of us, so we should follow the example of Nephi and be willing to do and follow what the Lord commands us and to make the most of it! I love the Book of Mormon. I love my Savior. 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD 

Love,

Elder T. Ricks

Wow- Week 55

Well hello everyone. I know you all already know. I think my week has probably been just as weird as yours. It has definitely been the weirdest time of my mission and probably life but I'm grateful for the peace that I've had thanks to the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Last P-Day I got to tour Lambeau field before I left Green Bay which was super cool! Got lots of pictures! 

I arrived in Kenosha safely & I love my companion Elder McConkie. He is related to Bruce R. McConkie. He was one of my first Zone Leaders so it's super cool to work with him! I love my new Zone and District down here. Elder Lacey one of my last companions is in the District so thats been fun to serve around him again.

Congrats to Braeden and Shay! I can't wait to be un uncle to their daughter! How exciting, I love family! 

Sacrament this week was also one to remember. I hope you all had really cool experiences this week with that. I definitely felt the Spirit and realized how much I need and want the sacrament every week to remind myself of Jesus Christ and the things He has done for me personally and for every individual I have ever known or met. It reminded me about Christ ministry in 3 Nephi. I invite you all to read that specifically chapter 18 and think of all the things you are grateful for because of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love,

Elder T. Ricks 

Tu vida puede cambiar- Week 54

Hello friends and family! I hope all is going well. Its been a crazy couple transfers!!! This last one went by super fast. I guess that this is how the rest of the mission is going to go and the rest of life? Pretty exciting! Life is good. 

As you all know I have been serving in Green Bay for the last couple months. I've watched it change so much! When I got we were opening up the area so our area book had nobody in it, didn't know any of the members or even any missionaries, no lessons scheduled, no potentials no nothing. For the last 11 weeks(1 week short of 2 transfers which is how long I've been in Green Bay) we have been able to find so many people and set so many return appointments that we almost never had any down time and we were always busy! It has definitely been so amazing to see how hard work can produce so much success. I've learned a lot here but I'll now be going down to Kenosha where I will be companions with Elder McConkie who was one of my first Zone Leaders in the mission! I'll be serving in an English area but basically my whole zone is full with Spanish missionaries so I'm super excited for that! 

We were almost able to set a guy named Luis on baptismal date too! Pretty amazing. We invited him to be baptized after only meeting him for about 20 minutes and invited him to pray about the date of April 18th. 

Since I have been here in Green Bay I have really wanted to learn this little instrument called the guitar but I couldn't find one anywhere! Buuuuuut... I finally found one this week! So, every morning and every night I've been playing it and I love it! It really hurts my fingers but it makes my soul glad. I've already learned some pretty easy songs too! It's amazing that if you put your mind to something you can really get good at/improve yourself really quickly! 

I was reading all of the quotes in the back of Chapter 1 of Preach My Gospel from the prophets about missionary work and it was so awesome and made me want to do more missionary work! 

-President David O. McKay (1951–1970)

“Every member … a missionary!” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1959, 122).

“True Christianity is love in action. There is no better way to manifest love for God than to show an unselfish love for your fellow men. This is the spirit of missionary work” (Gospel Ideals [1954], 129).

-President Howard W. Hunter (1994–1995)

“What does the Atonement [of Jesus Christ] have to do with missionary work? Any time we experience the blessings of [the Savior’s] Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of [others]. … A great indicator of one’s personal conversion is the desire to share the gospel with others” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Howard W. Hunter [2015], 127–28).

-President Thomas S. Monson (2008–2018)

“Remember that this work is not yours and mine alone. It is the Lord’s work, and when we are on the Lord’s errand, we are entitled to the Lord’s help. Remember that the Lord will shape the back to bear the burden placed upon it” (“To Learn, to Do, to Be,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 62).

-President Russell M. Nelson (2018–present)

“The Lord’s message is for everyone. This is a global work. … The message is to invite all God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior and enjoy the blessings of the temple, have enduring joy, and qualify for eternal life. And that will bring hope, help, and lift to all people” (“President Nelson Bolsters Faith from London, First Stop on Global Tour,” Church News, Apr. 13, 2018, lds.org/church/news/president-nelson-bolsters-faith-from-london-first-stop-on-global-tour).

Here is a couple of my favorite quotes. I love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and the opportunity we ALL have to share this beautiful message of our Savior Jesus Christ. Always strive to be Christlike examples for those in your life. Seek and pray for opportunities to share the Gospel with everyone! Thanks for your great examples.

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks 

Viajé a St. George- Week 53

Hey everyone, we've had a pretty busy week here and it has gone by fast again. I hope you've all had great weeks.

I traveled to St. George (see pictures below). Sadly I didn't find the Ranson family there.. but thats okay, maybe next time I'll get to say hello!

We have just been working as hard as we can to find new people and to get people to attend church. It paid off! We were able to start teaching a couple people this last week and also we finally had somebody come to church. We went to his, Jesse, apartment to invite him and he unded up being at work so we went to visit him at work and he said he would be willing to come so we called a member and he said he could take him so he came to church! It was a pretty great feeling to have invited everyone we came in contact with and had 1 person show up! God truly blesses us and provides miracles as we seek to do His will. Jesse said he would love to keep coming to church! 

Other than that we have just been grinding trying to do all we can to serve the people here. It's also starting to get warmer which is awesome because now i don't have to like be in pain. It's been funny though because I've basically just been sweating as we walk from appointment to appointment in the 30-40 degree weather. 

To get better at Spanish, right when i wake up in the mornings I start listening to talks in Spanish. It has been so fun to go back and listen to talks that were given in the past because they still apply today and they still apply to me. One of my favorites was one of Joseph B Wirthlin's last talks. It is titled 'the great commandment' and in it he talks about simple acts of kindness often times show the greatest amounts of love and during this time he was getting pretty old but I also think he just loved this topic so much and felt the spirit so strong he was shaking. Elder (at the time) Russell M. Nelson got up to be there for Elder Wirthlin and make sure he doesn't fall. What a simple thing to show so much love to another child of God. I invite you all to have charity in your life, follow the invitation and promise found in Moroni 7:47 and find some way in your day to day life to share the love of God with others in your life. As you do you will have true joy in your life.

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love,

Elder T. Ricks