Homeless??? Doesn't matter.... Still Came To Church- Week 15

This week was really awesome everyone. We found so many amazing people to teach but we were really able to focus in on Sebatian. He is absolutely amazing. He lives on the side walk in this like shack looking thing. He has 2 floors but it is literally made out of couches and like tarps and stuff. But we taught him outside of his "House" and it was just amazing. We taught about Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is 55 years old and has really changed his life around these last 5 years. He had a house, family and money, but lost it all because of drugs and alcohol but he really hit rock bottom and found Jesus Christ on the way back up. He is such a miracle to me that no matter how far away you are from God, there is always a way to return back to the path that leads us ALL to Eternal Salvation. 

Family and Friends, this weekend is General Conference and I encourage all of  you to go. If you don't know what it is talk to a friend that does, and if you already know what it is invite someone to go with you. Conference is such a blessing and I can testify that if you have a question about ANYTHING you will receive an answer if you sincerely/diligently look for it during Conference weekend. 

Missionary work isn't just for people with name tags that say our name and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Anyone can be a representative of Jesus Christ. Read the scriptures every day and then live those same principles

and God will put people in your life to help, teach, and love. 

I know with all of my heart that Jesus is the Christ, without Him and His Atonement we wouldn't be able to feel joy. We wouldn't be able to return and live with our Heavenly Father again in the next life. One of my favorite scriptures says "Look unto me in every thought, doubt not; fear not" As we look at Jesus Christ in every action and thought we will fill his spirit and power in our hearts. We will be happier and we will be able to make decisions that will impact our life for more than just right now in the moment. 

Continue to "Choose The Right" I have so much love in my heart for every single one of you and pray every day that you all can WANT to live in righteousness in every second..minute..hour..day..month..year..decade.. for your whole life! 

Doubt Not; Fear Not

Elder Ricks

Mercedes Benz Baby- Week 14

Monday: Basically a really really sick day! I love writing you and and I love hearing about all of your lives. After 6:00 we get to start working in the streets again so last week we had a cita around 6:30 so we went right to work! Always working really hard.

Tuesday: We had a tonnnnnnnn happening! We get to do a zone/district meeting every Tuesday so we started with that and had about 5 lessons to teach so we stayed really busy. We are able to teach English to people here in Mexico so that is always fun! 

Wednesday: We had a lot of citas today, but a lot of them fell through. So that is basically a typical day here in Mexico, about 5-8 lessons a day but we normally only give 1-3. But we are still flying into the work. We had an activity with the ward this last wednesday and that was awesome! It was based on the Mexican culture basically because it was the 15th and that is their 4th of July but just in Mexico. Really fun! 

Thursday: We had zone conference and it was awesome!! We were able to get together with a lot of different companionships and just have a conference with our mission president and the zone leaders! So much fun. And we did divisions so I was able to change my companion for the night till the next day around 1 so that was awesome!

Friday: Not much happened today. We put a lot of names in our agenda but no one was home. So that was really tough. Days like this happen but hey, it's all good because Sister Mann, our mission presidents wife said, the worst day in the mission field beats any of the best days back at home. So we are staying optimistic. 

Saturday: We did soooo much! We contacted a ton before lunch, which is at 2:00 so that is kinda sick! haha, but we were able to talk to a lot of people and that was awesome. We were able to talk with our ward mission leader and that was cool to get a better relationship with him!

Sunday: Sacrament is always really awesome because I get to renew the covenants I have made with my Heavenly Father but after that the day is sooo long! We don't usually have many citas with people because they are all out getting drunk. But hey, we try and find the people that aren't drunk and talk to them. 

That is a normal week for us here in Mexico City! Lots of lessons but so many fall through! We really have to stay as positive as we can! The work of the Savior can't be frustrated so as I put all of my might, mind, and strength in him I will find success in my day! 

Spiritual thought: This week I have been able to read in The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The New Testiment, and I have been able to really start and recognize all of my blessings. God has blessed me with so much and sometimes we are looking for crazy huge things in our lives but the small things could potentially mean a whole lot more. 

I am so grateful for my family and friends. I can really feel all of the prayers that are offered up in my behalf. I love serving the Lord and look forward to waking up everyday. God is real, and has a body of Flesh and Bones. He lives and blesses us more than we can comprehend. Keep working hard and God will bless you in your righteous desires! 

Elder Ricks

Oh yeah, and I just love seeing all of the Mercedez Benz around here in Mexico!

Mexico!! MEXIco!! MEXICO!!!- Week 13

Ohhh boy! What a week we have here! Start of my second cycle! So that is pretty sweet! Cycles are normally 6 weeks long but our president of the mission has some things going on so he moved it to 7 weeks! Pretty hyped about that because I love this area here in Valle Verde so much!  So 1 extra week will be fantastic! I was able to talk with a family that just lost their son in a motorcycle crash and it was so sad for me. Every person on this earth deserves a chance to hear the teachings of Jesus Christ and my heart just dropped for this family. But I know that this man who passed away is able to receive these same lessons that I get to teach in the other world. Also known as the Spirit World. I am so grateful for Prophets and Apostles on the earth at this time to guide and direct each and every one of us. They are special witnesses of Jesus Christ for us so that all we have to have is faith. The scriptures talk a lot about how the only thing we have to do to become apart of the Church of Christ is repent and forsake of our sins. I can testify that through a Savior, even Jesus Christ we can become so much more than our highest hopes and dreams. You guys are all my family and I am so grateful for the knowlege I have to be able to call you guys my brother and sister. 

Fun story this week: sooo the 15th was the independance day for Mexico! And these guys really go so hard! I can't believe it. They are allowed to drink alcohol and stuff like that at age 18 and it really just makes me sad because they have so much more to their life than drinking and being out with friends. Families are so important and I just love my mom and dad so much and look up to them a lot! But because it was the independance day we had to be home early last night. It was pretty lit cause I was just able to read the scriptures and write in my journal and stuff! If you haven't written in a journal I would highly recommend it because it just is awesome to look back at your life. But for the fun part of the story, they had so many fireworks going off last night and like it was crazy!! I woke up at like 3 in the morning and still heard fireworks going off.. they DON'T sleep here I swear! But yeah. I went back to bed and didn't think anything of it. But at about 8 this morning I just walked outside our front door. ( They have like a garage here in the front of their house but it isn't covered by a roof. But they have an outside gate to get to the car and then the house door to get inside the house.) And there was a firework right where the cars normally park so that was pretty hilarious! Someone lit it on fire and got shot up in the air and landed in our yard! Like What??? hahahah! Anyways! I love it here in Mexico and I am really starting to get the hang of it. 

I love you all so much and know that this life is only a preporatory stage for our life in the eternities. God loves each and everyone of you and wants you to repent and come unto him. I know that the scriptures (Old Testiment, New Testiment, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price) are all testimonies of Jesus Christ and that he lives. So just read them! 

Thanks for all that you guys do for me! I love you and look forward to hearing from you all again in a week! 

Elder Ricks

Doubt not; Fear Not 

Eggs/Flour=Lots of Fun- Week 12

Well everyone! Another week down! ANDDDD I got through my first Cycle!! (Every 6 weeks is a Cycle) so that is kinda cool! We had so much fun this week but it was so sad! Because it was our 6th week and we have changes. In the church in my area we have 2 sets of companions. And the other companionship had changes so that will be weird and crazy to get someone new in the area! Because I have been the new guy for 6 weeks now! Excited for a change! 

Because one of the missionaries was leaving the area we kinda had a goodbye party for him! So here in Mexico they take empty egg shells and put flower in them and then put like wax paper on top. And we literally just have a huge war! Everyone against everyone. It was really fun! I am sorry.... I plugged my camera in and then 5 minutes later it died sooo pictures next week!! But it was a ton of fun and I hope we get to play it when I leave this area too! 

This week I have really been able to read the Book of Mormon. Another Testiment of Jesus Christ. The stories that are in there are seriously for us in this day! The people who are wicked are willingly choosing to disobey Gods simple commandments. And why do we have commandments one might ask... Because God can see the whole picture. We only see a sliver. These commandments aren't from men! They are literally from the Mouth of God. And I know that as we listen to and try to live in accordance with the commandments everysingle day. You will be blessed with the whole picture, and not just a sliver. 

I love you all so much and enjoy serving the people here in Mexico so much. Keep working hard and don't forget that God wants to help. We just have to ask. 

Elder Ricks

Doubt Not; Fear Not

Mission Titles ...Futbol...Futbol...Futbol...- Week 11

Hey everyone!!! This week actually flew by like non other!! Everything was going crazy fast and then Sunday came around and it was just like a dead stop.. We didn't get that many people to church this week and we didn't have many citas with people so we just walked around and talked to people for 4 1/2 hours before we had to go home for the night. So that was kind of fun! My legs better be getting huge because we are always walking. We got to have a baptismal service this last weekend! My first one so that was kind of a cool experience for me! I love seeing the change in peoples lives when they choose to follow Jesus Christ. We are always working really really hard but people just don't come to church??? Quite a different life style here in Mexico than in the United States. 

I don't really have a crazy story of the week because it went by so quick.. Just kidding. We always try and teach everyone we can but for some reason people really really like to get drunk here. They just go and exchange their huge bottles of beer for a new one at the tienda on the corner of like every street. So we kinda avoid people that have alcohol in their hands but it is usually when people are drunk that they actually want to talk to us. So kind of a weird thing.. I don't really understand... but on a better note! We stop by someone who sells tamales and he is pretty cool! We go and buy candy and ask him to put the candy in a tamale. So this week I got Caramel M&M's and I would say it was one of the best tamales I have ever had! They sure do know how to Americanize Mexican food! hahaha! 

But I just want to say that I know that there is a Prophet and there are Apostles on the earth today. They do receive revelation from our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ. Because of Joseph Smith so many people are able to come unto Christ in a way that brightens and uplifts their lives. They couldn't receive this light any other way. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and for the scriptures we have to study. I would encourage all of you to read for only 10 minutes every single day from the Book of Mormon. Read in 3rd Nephi if you always just start from the beginning. I love you guys so much and look forward to hear from all of you again in 1 week!!! 

Love, 

Elder Ricks

Doubt Not; Fear Not

I hope that you all can see these pictures! Especially the one of the Tamale! Soooo lit! I love you guys!