An Instant Primary

Well, to start off we had an awesome church this Sunday, we got someone that lives across the street from the house we have the group meeting to come to church and she brought the 8 kids she was watching, 2 were her own.  We had a full house and all 8 of the kids were under 7 so it was a party haha!  I asked Sister Campbell if she was ready for primary and she kinda gave me an odd look and then we told her about the 8 kids that were supposed to be there and she kinda just went into shock, so did  I a little! It didn't really hit me, 8 kids, until they got there. And they were all under 7 haha!  We were in for a treat!  Then Sister Campbell asked if there was anything she needed help with and we said, well they live kiddie-corner to you, so we might could help her get them all here. So we went with her and took the first wave of 5 kids, we got to shepherd them to the church. It was awesome!  They were really good kids, they all held hands and walked with us to the house.  Then Terize (the lady we are teaching) showed up with the rest of them. They all were very good in church and the bishop even came down for the first time to the group meeting.

The three of us missionaries got to talk. I talked on hope and how the world misuses the term hope and how its a little different in the gospel context, that it is more of a firm belief and yearning for blessings. I used Alma 34:22 with it and then brought it back to Moroni 7:41 and that all hope comes through the atonement, and then to 2 Nephi 31:20 that we must have a perfect brightness of hope and we shall have eternal life, it went well. 

Terize, the 22 year old watching all those kids, really liked church we had a lesson with her this last week and she ate up everything we were teaching her.  I've never seen someones eyes light up so much from the thought of a prophet and how the book of Mormon came about through a prophet.  She had some questions about where we go after life here so we had her read Alma 40:11-13 and she was like, oh that's a relief!  Ha ha! She loved it, so that was an awesome miracle!

How we ran into her was awesome too.  We were out with a member and a lesson fell through so we went to see if we could see some other investigators but noone was available. So, we were like oh, we will have to try another time and the member we were with was like "I went on a mission and I know how it can be especially tough when you have members come it makes it harder a lot of the time".  So, we decided to call it a night but as we were driving back to the apartment I thought, "Hey, lets go stop by this house," and it just so happened that Terize was home and her kids and boyfriend were gone so we had a quiet lesson and we had a male member with us so we were actually able to go inside and have a lesson. It was an awesome miracle. The circumstances were to perfect to be coincidence and she really felt the spirit. She had been having a terrible day, her dog got stolen and she had to track the guys that stole it down and they made her pay for her dog because when she said she was going to get the police involved they said they would just shoot the dog, (people are in love with their pit bulls here they are the most popular dog) anyways, it was awesome that we were able to help provide the spirit to help her have a better day.

  

My new companion is having some struggles.  Then next few weeks will be interesting.  He really wants to be on a mission, but he is having some problems interacting with people and studying to be a missionary. 

 

The work is  going good, and my other companion leaves for home this week so that's good.  He was able to make it after all the struggles he has had on his mission. We get along well, especially when we are doing the work, not so much when we are just around the apartment but we do alright.

 

I'm sending a package home with some presents for Christmas, you and dad can open yours when you get it cause it can be used for Christmas and it probably comes close to the present I got you last year, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to top getting my mission call.  Every one else can wait to open theirs. I'm sending a picture that I got when I was in Challmete that an investigator, well now  a new member, got me. This is the one that was baptized two weeks after I left.  I don't know if I said this already but I think 10 or 12 people have come into the church because of her example. Mom,  will you get on my Facebook and say hi to Tammy  and Chelsie. Just tell them I miss them or something, just send them a message, don't have to write on their wall or what ever you kids are calling it these days.

 

Anyways, love ya

 

love elder ritchie