Miracles x 100- Week 19

I am so blessed to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Two years is a long time but I just can't believe that time has flown by as fast as it has. I am done with my training and have been in the mission field for 13 weeks! I really just can't believe it at all. We have changes today and my companion is leaving this area and I get to stay here! So that will be really cool to continue to teach here in the Ayotla Ward! I will miss Elder Belnap so much though!

We had sooo many miracles this week but I want to focus on just 2 of them. We were able to have 2 different baptisms this weekend and that was a miracle. One of them was Sabatian and he is just such an amazing dude. I love him so much and he has set such an amazing example to me. The miracle with him was that we had intercambios with other missionaries so that we could have his baptismal interview on Friday. When it was time to stop by and do the interview he wasn't there. We looked around everywhere for him. He wasn't at the house or at the church and we didn't know what to do. So we said a prayer and kept going on with the night. We taught English classes and decided to end classes a little early so that we could try and see if he was at his house. And to our surprise he was there!! Such a miracle we were able to find him. He was baptized Saturday morning. :) 

The second miracle was that we were supposed to have 2 baptisms on Saturday but one of them just didn't show up. So we called her and just made sure that everything was okay. She said no, that there was a problem and so Elder Belnap and I were like, we gotta figure this out. Because she was so ready for baptism and everything so we had to figure it out. We fixed the problem and were able to baptize her Sunday morning before church :) 

We had so many more miracles this week but what huge miracles we had with these 2 individuals. Children of God. I know that as we put forth our faith in Jesus Christ he will provide the miracles in our lives. 

I am just so grateful and blessed to be apart of this amazing work and I really look forward to serving the Lord for the rest of my time here in Ayotla and throughout my mission. Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are here to provide a way for us to return and live with them in eternity. I know that we have the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today and without it we ALL would be lost and wouldn't be able to find a way back home. 

I love you all so much and love hearing from you. We are a chosen people and are meant to be different from the world. We are meant to stand out and be a light. I encourage all of you to find 1 way to be just a little different than everyone else this week by standing out by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You will find miracles just as I did this week as you do this. Keep working hard :)

Love, 

Elder Ricks

Doubt Not, Fear Not

Heavenly Father - Jesus Christ - The Holy Ghost- Week 18

Well everyone, time flies when you are sleeping...... Today we got up, read some scriptures, went to the computers, then went to lunch and got pizza for the rest of the week ;) then I took a major nap. Pretty weird taking a nap during the day. But whooo I feel refreshed! Now we are back on the computers! 

This week was amazing. We were able to go to the Temple as a mission on Wednesday and I loved it. I just wanna say, our Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost really are all working with one purpose in heart. Trying to bring all of us back into the presence of our Heavenly Father again. I love that as I strive to live in accordance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ I seriously find more joy in my life.

Story of the week :))))) Since Elder Belnap and I have been together we have just talked with basically everyone in the streets, people that are close to our house and that are just always working in the same spot. One of these people has a food restaurant and it is open from about 8-12 PM and we usually always stop by and just talk about basically anything. But last night was different. We talked and they didn't have any customers so they just started asking about why we are here. And they couldn't believe that we pay for everything to be here in Mexico for 2 years and that the church doesn't pay us anything. But I loved talking about this because it made me reflect on what is really important. I was able to tell them that to me salvation is more important than any amount of money a mission costs. And that is exactly what every single missionary throughout the world is doing. Bringing others unto Christ by giving them their own exaulation. I love that I get to be apart of such a wonderful service to so many people in Mexico. 

Thank you all for everything that you do for me. I really just appreciate the small and simple acts you all do. The scriptures say, "By Small and Simple Things, Are Great Things Brought to Pass" I know that as you all strive to put Jesus Christ in the center of your lives you will find more joy and happiness all around you. Jesus Christ is the ONLY way for us to return and be completely happy. So put Him first and you will find that joy. 

I love you all so much! Keek up the amazing work! 

Elder Ricks

Service = Happiness- Week 17

Good afternoon family and friends! 

I had a wonderful week here in Valle Verde! We continue to find more people choosen by God to teach every week. Mexico really just needs a little bit more love and they would turn to God so easily. You never know when someone needs a hello, or a smile, or any type of service. Being a missionary I have been able to recognize that a simple wave to someone is a service. Just smiling to someone is a service. I know with all my heart that each and everyone of us can wave or smile just a few more times each day to someone that we don't even know. 

The scriptures say that when we are in the service of our fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God. As you strive to be just a little bit more Christ like every day, you will fill the power of Jesus Christ in your life more abundantly. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church on the earth that allows us to make covenants with our Father in Heaven that lets us return and live in his presence one day in the future. 

Read your scriptures, pray, and have love in your heart constantly for those around you. A promise I can give to you all right now is that as you do this things, right now in this very moment it is a sacrafice, but as you do it for a week, maybe a month, or possibly a whole year, you will start to have a change of desire in your heart and it won't be a sacrafice anymore. It will be a want, a need and a desire. 

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always there waiting for you to turn to them. We just need the faith to do it. 

I love all of you so much and pray for your success. Keep working hard. Thanks for all that you do for me. 

Elder Ricks

"Look Unto Me In Every Thought, Doubt Not; Fear Not" - Jesus Christ 

Sorry dad... They don't have a Wendy's here. Only McDonalds.. 

Jesucristo es la luz del mundo- Week 16

Brothers and Sisters!!!! What a fantastic week it has been, I love you all so much and hope you all are doing EXCELLENT. My Heavenly Father is blessing me like crazy here in Mexico City and I hope you all can feel the blessings He is giving you as well. General Conference was so amazing this weekend and I just really love listening to our leaders of the church, who receive revelation for YOU and for ME!!! 

We were able to get about 3 people to come to general conference this weekend which is AMAZING! I am so happy and proud of all of these people, Sebatian was able to got o 3 out of the 4 sessions and I just love watching him grow spiritually unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just like in many of those conference talks we heard this last conference, as we put Jesus Christ first in our lives, we will actually find joy, happiness, and we will be more successful and children of a loving Heavenly Father. 

Well, our sink broke in our house downstairs so we are trying to get that fixed! hahaha I should take a picture of it cause it is hilarous. But I cooked some Idahoan potatoes this week and mmmm mmmm that was so delicious. People just can't make potatoes like Idaho can. Sorry to everywhere else in the world because I was raised in the best state on the planet. 

I loved General Conference, if you didn't get to watch it,  go do it. I know life is busy, but there is nothing better than to just put a small amount of our time in the hands of the Lord to bless and strengthen us. God lives and I love Him. He sent his only begotten son Jesus Christ to suffer and die for me so that I can feel relief and happy EVERY SINGLE DAY. I know that with all of my heart. We do have a prophet who leads and directs the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and through him we can feel the love our Father in Heaven has for us as well. I love you guys all so much and am grateful for the things you all have taught me to prepare me for this moment to be a missionary for the Lord. Keep trying and working hard, through your efforts, God will bless you. 

Doubt Not; Fear Not

Elder Ricks