A last note.....

No letter today, I'm sure Elder Ritchie is busy making last minute good-byes. Here is a text message that I received this morning from a family in Leesville:

I know you will see your son very soon but I wanted to thank you for sharing him with us for a while. He always brings the spirit with him to our home and I really appreciate that! This picture was taken Saturday when he and his companion were at our house for dinner. Thanks again. Blakley family

PS. I'm not sure if anyone but my mother reads this blog, but if you do, thank you. It has been fun posting all these letters and watching my son grow so much over the past two years.

He reports his mission this Sunday, February 24th at 12:30 in the Iona Second Ward.

Y'all are invited over to our home afterward! ~ marie

Going Down Fighting!

Well, we had a good week, we went to Natchez we had some baptismal interviews to do out there then we drove to Baton Rouge for ZLC and then we had to put on a Zone training meeting Friday, so it was a busy week.  We had some good lesson with the Sapps, they were suposed to get baptized this coming Saturday but all of the bishopric is going to be out of town so they had to move it to the next Saturday. I'm pretty bummed I'm gonnna have to miss it, I knew that week they cut off my mission would come back and bite me. But it will be good because Brother Sapp is going to be able to baptize them so he is really excited about that.

Well, I think I'm geared up for my last week and ready to go down fighting. I'm trying to find some of the good roux mix to make a gumbo when I get back, I'll send a package with some when I find it it is harder to find here because it's not Cajun like my other areas.  To bad I can't afford to send home some crawfish, they are just starting to get in season. But we will have to do gumbo for my homecoming and potato salad.

Well, have a good week!

Love y'all,
Love, elder ritchie

Traveler's Itinerary

We received finalized travel itinerary for Sam's homecoming.  He arrives in Idaho Falls on February 21st at 6pm!

 

His homecoming is scheduled for February 24th at 12:30pm!!!

 

Anyone is welcome to join us for gumbo and po boys afterward!

 

~marie

 

Below is the final version of the travelers’ itinerary, please review as there is a possibility of schedule changes. Any changes made to a scheduled flight between now and departure time will result in an email stating the specific changes.

*** This is a NON-REFUNDABLE TICKET; cancelation or change fees may apply.

*** ELECTRONIC TICETS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AND ARE READY FOR TRAVEL, SEE ETKT INFORMATION BELOW. PLEASE CHECK IN WITH A GOVERNMENT ISSUED PHOTO ID TO RECEIVE YOUR BOARDING PASS.

*** CHECKED BAGGAGE FEES MAY APPLY PLEASE BE PREPARED TO PAY - Please request your bags to be checked to your final destination.

CHURCH TRAVEL CWT DATE 24JANUARY13

50 EAST NORTH TEMPLE ST AGENT VH/K3 BOOKING REF 24P834

SALT LAKE CITY UT 84150

TELEPHONE: 801 240-5111 RITCHIE/SAM ALAN 224879-R

FAX : 801-240-5115

MISSIONARY TRAVEL

LOUISIANA BATON ROUGE MISSION

SERVICE DATE FROM TO DEPART ARRIVE

_____________________ _____ ______________ ______________ _______ ______

DELTA AIR LINES 21FEB BATON ROUGE LA ATLANTA GA 825A 1057A

DL 5518 THURSDAY RYAN HARTSFIELD JAC

K ECONOMY TERMINAL S

NON SMOKING NON STOP

RESERVATION CONFIRMED 1:32 DURATION

FLIGHT OPERATED BY EXPRESSJET DBA DELTA C

AIRCRAFT OWNER: EV ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST

AIRCRAFT: CANADAIR REGIONAL JET

SEAT 03C NO SMOKING CONFIRMED

DELTA AIR LINES 21FEB ATLANTA GA SALT LAKE C UT 1200N 216P

DL 1507 THURSDAY HARTSFIELD JAC SALT LAKE CITY

K ECONOMY TERMINAL S TERMINAL 2

NON SMOKING FOOD FOR PURCHASE NON STOP

RESERVATION CONFIRMED 4:16 DURATION

AIRCRAFT: BOEING 737-800 (WINGLETS)

SEAT 21E NO SMOKING CONFIRMED

DELTA AIR LINES 21FEB SALT LAKE C UT IDAHO FALLS ID 502P 602P

DL 4542 THURSDAY SALT LAKE CITY FANNING FLD

K ECONOMY TERMINAL 2

NON SMOKING NON STOP

RESERVATION CONFIRMED 1:00 DURATION

FLIGHT OPERATED BY SKYWEST DBA DELTA CONN

AIRCRAFT OWNER: OO SKYWEST AIRLINES

AIRCRAFT: CANADAIR REGIONAL JET

SEAT 04C NO SMOKING CONFIRMED

RESERVATION NUMBER(S) DL/GSJ8RZ

RITCHIE/SAM ALAN 224879-R

ETKT:DL/006 7162888850

**IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, FLIGHT CHANGES ENROUTE

OR SIGNIFICANT DELAYS, IMMEDIATELY TELEPHONE

CHURCH TRAVEL (801-240-5111 OR 1-800-537-3537)

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CHURCH TRAVEL IS AVAILABLE 24/7

Super Sunday

Hey y'all!

 

Everything is still going well down, it's been really nice weather it feels like summer down here. It got up to 80 a couple days ago and yesterday it stayed in the mid 70s and was sunny. I think I might have got a little tan.  So I hear there was a power outage at the super bowl haha! That's so typical of New Orleans.  But, go Ravens!  I wore a purple tie yesterday just cause I knew y'all were probably going for the 49ers haha! But it was Ray Lewis's last sesson, gotta go for him and the older brother head coach too.. he let his brother come back a little towards the end from the sound of it.

 

But it has been a good week, we have still been working with the Sapp family especially Haylee and Hayden they are planning on getting baptized on the 16th so I'm pumped, I'll still get to be here for that.  Then we have another 10 year-old that is going to get baptized the 2nd of March. So the work is going well down here, maybe the Lord's peparing me to be a primary teacher of something. I started the Book of Mormon 2 weeks ago for my last transfer, I've had to read super fast cause they cut me a week short but I'm on the last chapter of Alma so I'm looking golden to finish in time.

 

So how did Pete break his collar bone this time? Was he doing something cool or did he just fall??

 

We had a 41 year old lady die in our ward this week she wasn't very active, the family got offended and doesn't come very often but it was a very sad day at church because there are a lot of her relatives in our ward and surrounding wards. I got to see a bunch of people from the Alexandria ward that were related to her. Her funeral is at 4 today so we are gonna go to that.

 

Well, I best be going, but have a great week.

Having fun doing the Work

Hey Dad, no more financial clerk!  Thats good, that seems like it would be a rough job because you don't get to be involves in church a whole lot, always worrying about numbers and reports and stuff. Nothing beats being a missionary though,  you get involved in a little bit of it all. It will be weird to go home and not have as much responsibility. Tell the bishop he will have to give me a calling when I get back so I can keep busy. It's good to hear grandpa is doing well, hopefully that's all behind him.

Well, things are doing really great down here, there are a lot of great people we are working with and we are having fun doing it. That's one thing our mission president emphasises is that we have fun with the work. We are teaching a couple nine year olds so we are making a worksheet that they can fill out when they watch the restoration dvd and we tied one of them up with a tie a little while a go to represent spiritutal bondage and then we taught him how to be set free through the atonement.

Well I better get going, have a great week!
love elder ritchie

January cold snap - Louisiana style

Its been cold here.  It was 35 all day yesterday! It's not quite as cold today. Thanks for picking up the package, just leave it somwhere safe. It's just random stuff that was heavy so I sent it home when I had the chance.

Well, I was gone from Leesville from Monday to Saturday night this last week, we went to Baton Rouge to see Elder Packer Tuesday and Wednsday and then Thursday we had to do an emergency exchange in Pineville and then Friday I just went to Alexandria with a new missionary and go to see some of the people in my old area.  We had stake conference Saturday and Sunday was the regional broadcast. Elder Cook gave a shout out to our mission! On Tuesday night me and my companion stayed in the mission home just the two of us with the mission president and Elder Packer and their wives. We got to eat breakfast with them in the morning before the meeting and talk with them, it was pretty cool, he is a really smart guy.

Well, transfers are this week and I'm staying here with Elder Lee for my last transfer to finish in Leesville it looks like.  I heard Carly is going to Paraguay, she sent me a letter the other day. Haha that would be funny if Nolan proposed haha! it wouldnt really surprise me though. I thought she was leaving on Valentines day was what her letter said? But maybe that changed. That would be sweet to see her before she heads out though. I started doing a little p90x last week and I've been trying to do a 100 push ups a day so I'm slowly getting back into shape so when I get home and am able to be active again, I'll kill yall in a biggest loser competion!

Well things are crazy busy down here we have to go down to Baton Rouge this week again because the president wants the zone leaders there for the transfer meeting. I was kinda hoping to get released as a zone leader for my last transfer to focus a little more on the work but it will still be good, I like Leesville alot so far. Well, I love y'all, have a good week.

love elder ritchie

Starting the new year with a baptism

Hello,

 

We had a good weekend, the baptism went really well! There were alot of members there to support Reda and she was welcomed with open arms at church too. The bishop gave a really good welcome to the ward talk at the baptism and Reda was front and center soaking it all up and even started tearing up and she even got up and bore her testimony Sunday. It was a solid testimony of the Book of Mormon and the church, she finished the Book of Mormon not to long ago and has been in the doctrine and covenants and really likes that too. Oh, I sent my package home with the Densons so it should be up there soon.

 

We have our meeting with Elder Packer this week down in Baton Rouge so I'm going to try and stop by Darius the Iranian's place and say hi. Hpefully I'll be able to see him, it's been like a year and a half since I've seen him, my president has been keeping me updated on him a little because they go to the same gym in Baton Rouge.

 

 Anyways, that all I've got this week, talk to you later.

 

love elder ritchie