:)- Week 86

 Hello, everyone!!! I sure love you all. I hope that all is going well. You have all been in my prayers because of the snow and cold weather! I hope that because it is starting so early that when I get home it won't have very long left!

 

This week went by so fast! We had virtual Zone Conferences! It was kinda nice because we didn't have to go in person, we got to do them in 4 meetings in 3 days compared to 6 meetings over the course of 2 weeks! Also it was amazing! It was centered on revelation and the tools that the Lord has given us to succeed and how to balance those tools! And we got to do lots of exchanges this week too! I went to Green Bay, a tiny city called Shawano and Stevens Point (we didn't get the big ice cream again...) but it all went so good!

 

We were able to baptize Alina on Saturday and she got confirmed yesterday!! What an awesome time! The ward is so great! We hardly even talked to her for more than a minute at church because the ward wanted to talk to her and take her to Relief Society and they were so kind! I was able to gove a talk! It was based on the scripture in D&C 58:27-28 and on our divine potential as we use our agency for good to follow Christ!

 

Elder Hansen and I still try to match all the time and so the Sisters in our ward started wanting to coordinate with us so they can match us as well!! It's so fun:)

 

And this week I have been studying a lot from Matthew 26 and 3 Nephi 18 and thinking a lot about the sacrament and why it is important! I felt the Spirit super strong yesterday as I had my eyes closed just thinking about Christ and what the sacrament means! I invite you all to read Matthew 26 or 3 Nephi 18 this week and think about what the sacrament means to you:) I love you all!

 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

 

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks 

SNOW FALL- Week 85

 Hello!!!! I hope that you are all doing incredible:) I'm so grateful for technology and for Facebook so that I can see updates in your lives! It snowed up in Green Bay & in the UP! The winter is coming!

This week has been so awesome!! We were able to go on tons of mini exchanges with companionships that went all the way up to Sturgeon Bay! It was the first time I had been up to that point of the mission and it was gorgeous! Exchanges are the best because of how much you can learn, and I learned a lot. It was fun too because I got to see lots of missionaries who I hadn't been able to talk with in a while! 

My good friend, Nick, was able to be baptized and recieve the Holy Ghost yesterday! It was amazing. While we were waiting for him to change, Elders Hansen, Uchytil(we are in a trio on Sunday mornings & at church for now) & I were able to stand and teach the Restoration! There were tons of non members there and we invited them all to be baptized! Being a missionary is the best! Also, look at his hands haha they are huuge. 

I just finished studying in Matthew 25, which talks a lot about being prepared for when Christ comes! I think it also teaches us that we always need to be prepared for every day in our lives, and we do that by ... reading the scriptures(every day), praying(every day) & going to church(every week)! The more prepared we are for whatever situation in life, the happier we can be! I invite you to study Matthew 25 this week and think of ways that you can prepare yourself for this life & day to day activities and also for after this life! I promise that as we become prepared for life we will be happier and will have a greater ability to feel the Spirit in our lives:) 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love,

Elder T. Ricks 

4 months left...- Week 84

 Hello!!! I hope that everything has been going so well for all of you! Time has been going by so so fast and we have been so busy! I love my companion. We will go home together! Same day, same airport, same everything!! And we will probably be wearing the same clothes haha!!! We have been matching a lot, we have 3 matching suits and both our moms have sent us some super cool matching ties!! Thanks mom:) i love my family!! 

We have been so so busy! We are supposed to have a baptism this week (Alina), next week (Nick), the week after (Bryan) and the week after (Roy) and we are so excited!!! The Lord has been blessing us so so much! It has been so fun too because we role play like everyday and then we are prepared for all of these people to be taught!! When we are prepared the Lord can definitely trust us to do what He wants us to do!!

This week Elder Hansen and I also basically got to train another missionary for a coupl days! It was so fun! We had Elders Hirschi (who just finished training) and Winkelman (who just barely got to the mission) with us almost all week - they will be opening a brand new area up in Germfask, Michigan which has like the smallest church building in the US or something! Elder Hirschi got to go to the temple this last week so we got to have his trainee!! It was such a blast!

It was also transfer week this last week so we were super busy but we were able to find 11 new people still!! What a blessing!! 

General Conference was also amazing!!! I learned so much and this conference just showed me how much God is aware of and loves ALL of His children!! The invitation to 'be willing to let God prevail' is such an amazing invitation from our prophet!! I'm grateful for our prophet who leads and guides us and for his example of diligently seeking the truth:) 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Love, 

Elder T. Ricks