Work of the Lord- Week 95

 Hey, everyone! I hope that you all had WONDERFUL Christmas days and have had fun spending time with family this last week! You are all the very best! Thank you SO much for everyone who sent emails, letters and Christmas gifts!!! I love you all!

This week is transfer week! Some pretty exciting stuff! I will be staying in this area, and getting a new companion, Elder Hoopes! Elder Hansen is also staying here, and he is getting a new companion!!! So there is going to be 4 of us here! And it's so cool because in the YSA area, we have opened 3 areas during the course of my mission! There is now YSA A, B, C & D haha! The work of the Lord is progressing and it's amazing to be apart of it!

Christmas was so fun! I got to call and open presents with the Hansen family! They are too fun. And the day before Christmas I made a goal to read the whole ministry of Jesus Christ to His peoplenin the Americas on Christmas, so that's what I did! It was amazing to read the things that He did on His day! I was also able to finish the Book of Mormon a couple days ago & I know that it is the word of God!! 

I really am so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ and for the things He did for us! Focusing on His birth and the fact that God gave us a Savior was so amazing and to me, proves that God does exist and loves us! I've set a goal to make a list this week of a couple things I want to do better to follow Jesus Christ more and to use His Atonement, and I invite you to do the same! I love you

DO GOOD, BE GOOD 

Elder T. Ricks 

It's Christmas Time- Week 94

 Well, another week has come & gone! It's so crazy how fast it goes. Everytime I write these emails it feels like I just barely got done writing the last one. At the beginning of my mission I set a count down up on my phone counting down the days that I had until I would get home thinking that the less time I had the happier I would be about coming home, but now that it is getting so low I wish it was saying that is how long I have been on my mission! 

This week I also sent a couple missionaries home, one of those being Hermana Kono! Soo crazy, she was the only one going home that was originally called to serve in Wisconsin. I got to go on exchanges with Elder Cook, one of my past companions, and Elder Hatch, one of my last District Leaders & then a couple other super good missionaries! We were driving a lot, but thanks to technology we can find in my area in Milwaukee no matter where we are at! What a blessing that is! 

I have been on the guitar grind as much as I can recently & it is sooo fun. It's amazing how music brings the spirit so strong! Also, when you practice something you really can get better at it haha! Some day I'll get around to practicing the piano again!

We got to go all the way up to the UP. If you don't know what that is, it means the Upper Peninsula. If you still don't know what that means, it means the part of Michigan that is only connected to the rest of Michigan by a bridge and is basically it's own country haha! It was a blast. When we were taking an exchange picture of the 4 of us, Elders Hansen, Chapman, Hatch & me somebody said that was such a dad picture sooo we decided that when we are all dad's we will recreate the picture:) 

Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts. Merry Christmas:) "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." - "Que os ha nacido hoy, en la ciudad de David, un Salvador, que es Cristo el Señor." I'm so grateful for our Savior❤ 

DO GOOD, BE GOOD

Elder T. Ricks 

Feliz cumpleaños y ilumina el mundo- Week 93

 Wow!!! Time really does fly. I hope that all is going well for you! I didn't have PDay last week due to some meetings and peoples souls on the line! I hope that all of you have had an amazing couple weeks!!

Happy birthday, Carson!!!!!!! I'm so glad that we are serving missions at the same time, and I hope that you had the greatest birthday ever! Love you man, thanks for your example!

Saw a cool Wendy's sign and wanted to take a picture with it! 

This last week we had Christmas Zone Conference and it was so fun! We got to focus all on the signs of the birth of Jesus Christ and read 3 Nephi 1, Luke 2 & Matthew 2! As we were reading them we had people get up and do musical numbers and the song always correlated to where we were at in the story! It was so fun! Then my amazing family even sent a surprise package that I got to open at it, and it was so amazing! I have the best family!

I've been studying a little in the Doctrine & Covenants and in section 36 a man named Edward Partridge recieved the Holy Ghost and was commanded to share his testimony to the world. Later in the section that invitation is given to all who have recieved the Gift of the Holy Ghost. This time of year is so special as we focus on Jesus Christ it is easier than ever to follow this commandment! Learn about and use #LightTheWorld so that you can be a light to those around you this Christmas season!

No email- Week 92