It's not easy being a district leader and a trainer

Hey,

My companions name is Elder Gentry from Lovelock, Nevada. He's a good kid, he's really shy so I get to do all the teaching. I'm trying to slowly work him in, I had him start the lesson last night and do the soft commit and then a prayer, it went pretty good haha! It was with D. and he is getting baptized this Saturday so it was pretty straight forward cause he loves what he's hearing.

It's different being the experienced one, it's really opened my eyes to how much I've learned. I've read the Book of Mormon 3 times since I've been out and I feel like my teaching from it is doing pretty good and my teaching in general is really coming along. There are only 2 other missionaries in our district from new roads on the other side of the Mississippi and one of them is one of my favorite missionaries out here. But he and his companion aren't getting along as well as they should, so I get to talk to them about it. They just don't agree on some of the small things... and one is older but is the junior comp and only on his second transfer but he tries to run the show.

We had a baptism this Saturday, a man named W. and we have another coming up this Saturday for a man named D. and then the next week we have a family of three scheduled for baptism, so keep them in your prayers!

I gotta go, love ya, bye!

Email from the mission president

Dear Brother and Sister Ritchie,

It is my pleasure to tell you that your son, Elder Sam Alan Ritchie has been selected as a District Leader in the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission. As I have watched your son's development over the past months, I have noted the leadership skills that he has displayed. He has a good rapport with other missionaries and is a positive role model. I find him obedient, dedicated, and a hard-working missionary. His service as District Leader began on 20 July 2011. This call will continue until further notice. Your continued love and support will help Elder Ritchie in this responsible leadership calling. Thank you for your continued positive support of your son. Help him keep his mind on this spiritual opportunity.

Faithfully yours,

Jim M. Wall,
President Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission

A Baptism and guess who's a district leader & trainer

So D's. baptism went awesome! We had a member that was involved in the teaching baptize him, we thought it would help him get better fellowshiped in the ward and then my companion, Elder Robbins confirmed him and I gave him the priesthood.. It was good and he loved it. We were scared at the baptism though because he wasn't there at 7 like we had planned. We called him and he had gone to the other church on the south side because we took him there to watch a different baptism and so he went there instead. He eventually made it but it was kinda nice that he was late because our new mission president came and taught him with us and we had him do the baptismal interview and we invited him to the baptism and he said he wouldn't miss it. But the mission president, being new, put it in his GPS and it took him to the wrong Winbourne Street.. so he called right after D. finally arrived and said he was going to be late too. So they both eventually made it and then the baptism was a go!

So some other news, my companion and I have been doing pretty good here in North Baton Rouge and we got a call last week and found out that my companion got called to be a zone leader down on the West Bank! And so that means I'm getting another new companion... and when I say new, I'm talking fresh new and green... haha! So I'm going to be training. I'm kinda nervous for that, and I got called to be district leader on top of that so my hopes of going junior companion my whole mission are kinda foiled.... oh well..

So why was Josh passing out??? heat stoke or allergies or what? Maybe depression from missing his favorite crew boss?

Well it's good they liked the talk (I read some of Sam's letters as a talk in Sacrament meeting this past week). I'm sure a lot of it wasn't my writing though haha... But yeah, my ankle is doing better, I'm walking with out the brace, I still have to be careful with it but its getting a little stronger... and its back to normal color for the most part.. and i can finally fit it in the sweet loafers that I bought at a the thrift store..

A softball game and diversity

We had a good Fourth of July, we asked everyone in the ward for baseball mits and we got some bats and we went and played some soft ball. We even got a grill and had a BBQ. There were 14 of us missionaries and one that used to be a missionary here but went home and came back to sell security systems.. but it was great to play ball! I still couldn't reallly walk so I just pitched and hit and someone would run for me. It was the hottest game of soft ball I've ever played, it's so humid it's crazy! I didn't think it was possible to sweat so much, well I didn't sweat to bad cause I wasn't running at all but still its was hot... but my foot is alot better, it's turning back to its normal color and I can walk sort of normal.

We have a baptism comming up this Saturday if everything goes according to plan, he is really excited! We got him another Book of Mormon in Farsi because he lost his when he changed his store location. We started teaching a lady from Hati yesterday and we had a member that went to Canada on his mission and speaks French come so we could comunicate with her a little better. We have a teaching pool from all over the world, We have hit almost ever continent I think; Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia and we are going to teach a member's mom from Brazil this week when she gets here.... It's pretty diverse here, one big giant melting pot.. I'm not really sure why they come to Baton Rouge of all places, but hey, if they are willing to hear us teach the restored gospel, nothing's gonnna stop us!

Short and sweet

It sounds like you had a fun fourth of July. My ankle is getting a little better, still really bruised but i think it will be fine in a week or two.. We met the new president this last week, he is going to do a good job.. i dont have alot of time tho cause we couldn't email monday - the library was closed.. but everything is going good we have a baptism comming up this next saturday with D. if everything goes smooth, so keep it in your prayers that's all for now!

love ya!

A letter for ya'll

Dear family,

Hey everything is going good down here. We had a really awesome week. Oh Dad, Hapy Fahter's day a couple of weeks ago. I've been so busy on my P-days I haven't had time to write. And thanks for the birthday package, I play with that green pop thing with the face and the hair all the time. The assistants to the president were here a couple of days ago and were playing with it.

We get our new president this week then next week he is going around the mission to meet everyone. It's going to be hard to replace President Woods, but I know he will do just as good of a job.

OK, so we were driving a Mazda 3 for a while but then we talked the office elders into letting us drive one of the brand new Ford Fusions. It had 12 miles on it when we got it. We named her Leila.

But we are doing really good this week. My companion and I get along really well. So has rogueing started? Who all is doing it this year? Mom, I've gone 3 or 4 weeks without soda now (he went soda free for nearly a year and was always telling me I could never do it - I'm four months now).

I got a letter from the Cantrell/Gougon family down in Chalmettte and they sound like they are still doing great, still loving church and hanging out around missionaries. And they told me Jamie G. (that got baptized the week after I left) is doing really good as well. I think they said they awere all reading my blog so tell them I miss them and I say hello!

I hit my four month mark a few days ago, its hard to believe I've been out that long. I still can't believe Collin is in Argetina and Dillon leaves the MTC Monday. I hope he's ready for the cuture shock... I know it was weird for me and I'm still speaking Engilish (kinda), same country (kinda), and I was only in the MTC for three weeks not two months. Well, thanks for everything! I miss ya'll.

Love Elder Ritchie

PS I still don't say ya'll and I never will!