BYU Fireside and a Baptism Challenge

The work is going good down here! We just got a engaged couple committed for baptism on the same day and they aren't going to live with each other till they are married. It is incredible what the gospel had done in their lives in the past week. He used to be abusive and they were never happy and now when you talk to them they just glow and he is just trying to give up smoking. They are doing really well, they have one girl together she's 6 and she loves going to church and then another that's 13 and she is starting to come around, she likes it but says she isn't ready to give up her religion (7th Day Adventists - a weird church) but I think she is warming up to us because she came to church yesterday and she was the only one in young womens. I talked to her after and she liked it a lot, so hopefully the whole family will decide to be part of the church together.

The people here are so awesome though you get a few crazy Catholics that shun you at the door but most are very nice and we get to talk about BYU a lot. There are a few catholic BYU fans we ran into haha it was kind of funny. We had a fire side because BYU was down here for the NCAA tournament and we got to hear from one of the players father and how he baptized Jimmer Ferrdets dad. There was a former Eagles tight end that went to three pro bowls and he talked about his wife which had a great impact on our investigators because they were all single ladies around 30 that had never heard of men treating girls like he did. He also talked about how he kept his testimony strong even though he played Sundays, he did it by getting together with the other Mormon players, there were 5 on the team and their coach Andy Reid, and they would have a sacrament meeting at his house approved by the bishop. It was a really awesome fireside!

Church here is so different because it is so diverse and so many different people. Usually half the congregation is visitors in New Orleans for business. But the members are so awesome especially with our investigators it kinda makes Idaho and Utah wards look bad because of how loving and accepting these people are and how committed they are to the gospel.

Well everything is going good down here and will continue to as long as the gospel stays true (which it will). I finished the Book of Mormon a couple of days ago for my first time while I've been out and I got so much more out of it because I'm on a mission. I decided my favorite book is the book of Enos, or maybe Alma, well its to hard to decide.

But oh yeah the weather it's getting warmer staying around 83 in the days which isn't to bad the humidity hasn't been horrible because it still hasn't rained which is good, but its coming. Everyone down here keeps telling me to get ready. Well I'm having a good time down here and mom, your missing out on some of the coolest trees, but the grass down here sucks, its not real grass. I'll try take some pictures and send them soon.
Love,
Elder Ritchie

p.s. mom will you forward this to these emails for me and anyone else you want

Hey, I made it!

Hey, I made it safe and sound! I'm down here in the swamp now and I saw my first gator! It was awesome! We were out tracking and we climbed up a levee and out onto a bridge and saw a big old gator sitting on some plants floating in the water right below us. I didn't wrestle him because they don't like that down here, it's a federal crime to even touch them. It's already getting up to 80 plus degrees down here and everything is green, a big change from Idaho.

It is pretty run down here in Challmete since Katrina hit. There are still markings on the outside of our apartment where they went and inspected it looking for bodies. There are also empty lots where houses used to be and old run down buildings that just sit vacant after everything flooded.

People here say the spirt of the town has changed as well. Challmete was one of the worsed that hit since it sits 20 plus feet below sea level. People here say everyone is in a demoralized state ever since the storm. Only half the people came back to live. So the field is white and ready for harvest. People want happiness in their lives again and and we are here to show them how to have that.

Well, missionarry work is going good, at our first door we knocked on we committed a lady to baptism and she is already seeing how the gospel can bless families. She came to church and loved it. We just have to get her married before we can get her baptised or she will have to move out since she lives with her boyfriend.

I like my companion, he is the former AP so he's keeping me on a tight schedule. But he is and awesome missionary and can talk to anyone about anything and is really showing me the ropes. Well im not fat yet, probably cause there are hardly any members in the area we have. I've actually lost weight since I gained like 4 lbs in the MTC and I've lost almost 10 since I arrived down here. We have a car and hardly ever bike. The food is good I've had a couple poboys, one was shrimp and it was so good! People here are really nice for the most part. There is alot of classic southern hospitality.

Well, I look forward to everyone writing me, I can't email friends so I'm just gonna have this forwarded out or something.. so write!
My address is:

3701 Golden Street #3
Chalmette, LA 70128

And everyone going out on a mission, you may not love the MTC a whole lot, but it's not to bad. You will love getting out your comfort zone its different but I have grown already since I got down here.

Love Elder Ritchie

I'm Going to New Orleans!

We received a letter from Sam's mission president, President Woods. His first assignment is:

Area: New Orleans Zone, Chalmette Area
Zone Leaders: Elder Heredia & Elder Woodings
Companion: Elder Tyrell Scot Cranney
Address: 3701 Golden Street #C, Chalmette, LA 70043

Here is what he wrote on his "I've Arrived" letter:

I'm going to New Orleans! My companion is from Utah and it is his last transfer. We are going into the area shere Katrian hit hard but they are rebuilding. We are actually starting a new district there for the first time since Katrina. I'm looking forward to it! I'm not even mad you had your "semi-annual shrimp fest" without me because I think I'll make up for it a few times over.

I love my mission president, he is an awesome guy, very straight forward and alot of fun. It is way different down here....HUMID. And it's not even that hot yet! But I'll get used to it. Oh, and it's green here already and there is swamp everywhere, so that's cool. It is like Idaho's opposite; wet, low, and flat. Right now I'm in Baton Rouge just down the road from LSU. It's awesome. Oh, tell Pete I saw Cowboy Stadium shen I landed in Dallas, it looks like the hill behind our house except it's a building and it's way flat so that is all you can see. Well tell everyone to pray for no hurricanes this coming summer.

Love, Elder Ritchie

Sam and the President Woods and his wife.

In my in-box this morning

This is just a quick note to tell you that your son arrived safely in Louisiana yesterday.

His mailing address will be:

3701 Golden Street #3
Chalmette, LA 70128

He will get letters much faster if you mail them to this address (his apartment) rather than the mission office. We will be mailing more information to you in the near future.

Could you please respond to this note so that we know we have the correct e-mail address?

Thank You,

Sister Schroeder

Mission secretary

Watch out NOLA, here he comes!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Today, Sam called us at about 5 a.m. from the Salt Lake airport. He had been up since 2 to get ready to go. He was able to get each of his bags under 50lbs - that's a miracle! He is anxious to get to Louisiana and start working. He said the MTC was good, but it's not fun studying 16 hours a day. The food in the cafeteria was rather bland. He was going to be traveling with his district of about 16 missionaries, two of which were Spanish speaking. He was supposed to pack everything he needed for night in his carry-on which was just his backpack. Although we kept asking what we needed to send, he said he had everything he needed and not to worry. We talked for about 15 minutes then he said he needed to board his plane. He sounded great. We miss him but are so excited!

Last MTC letter

its going good i dont need anything before i leave but i do need some more p day shirts but ill just pick them up in louisiana.. my companion went home so now im in a threesome ones from utah and ones from canada so i make fun of him alot hes a cool elder tho.. well i dont have alot of time im doing laundry right now i need to write you but i haven't had time they keep you so busy in this place its hard to find to to do anything like sleep.. well ill probably call you between 10 and 12 cause we have a 2 hour lay over in dallas so ill find a phone.. but dont worry bout me i got this! ........ and tell dad and luke happy birthday. well i gotta go