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
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