Ch-ch-ch-chia

Dearest Family,

I have about eight minutes to write an e-mail, so it will be fast and rushed--kind of like the rest of this week. :) He he he. 

We had some crazy stuff this week that took out a lot of proselyting time: Paisley Zone/Interview Training on Tuesday, Glasgow Zone/Interview Training on Monday, Mission Leadership Council on Thursday after taking the Stornaway sisters to the airport at 5:30 and waking up at 3:45, and the Relief Society Stake Activity on Friday night. While they took out time, they were all absolutely wonderful and spiritually uplifting experiences. I was so privileged to be there and also given the opportunity to train. We talked about prayer and how we can use it to seek inspiration and also to account to the Lord. One thing that was said that I loved was, "There are two kind of missionaries. Those who account and those who don't." The same could be said of life: "There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who account and those who don't." Are we accounting to the Lord at the end of our day, letting Him know what we have and haven't done and inviting Him to correct us and give us a chance to repent and experience His blessings? That's something to think about. 

Miracle of the week: We went out to visit a member in a faraway place that isn't actually a part of our area so we needed special permission. They were in a town called Kilburny, which is in Beith's area. Anyway, we went there for dinner and it was great and all and then we went to get the bus back. Now, because we were out so far away we'd checked bus times so we were there on time, but we didn't realize that the bus we were going to get only went to a town called Dalry and didn't make it to Irvine. Oh no! Dalry isn't in our area either, and we had no idea how to make it home.  We just stood there and thought, and a bus pulls up—a 125—and we stopped it and asked if it went to Irvine. Somehow, it did. And I tell you what, that bus driver drove like a racecar driver. He was so fast, and so we got back to Irvine in time for our appointment. We're convinced that one of the Three Nephites was looking out for us that day. :) 

Sorry this is short, but really, it was a fabulous week and I am so happy! Being a missionary is the best! Share the gospel--it'll make you feel so joyous and abundantly happy! 

:) 

Love,

Sister Amanda Ricks

xxx  

Terrible Choices

Dearest Family,

Everyone in my dreams has been making terrible choices lately. 

Sister Firth decided to give her number to a man who was wanted by the police.

Bishop Broadfoot helped that same wanted man in the blue jumper escape from the police.

I drove around the fabric store trying to catch the man and give him to the police.

Davey set a bomb in a mall and was going to blow the place up. 

I left my backpack on a double-decker in Ardrossan, and my companion told me we had to get to our appointment instead of retrieve my backpack. 

Lizzy Hiller forgot to tell me that she'd invited the Glasgow Zone Leaders swimming, and so we had loads more people to feed and Elder Van Den Bron and Elder Andrews just showed up at the church, which was also our house. 

Sister Firth went into the trees with the man who was wanted. I know she was going to get slashed but then I woke up. 

SO. Let's suffice it to say that I've not been sleeping too well! I would like it if all my dream friends would make better choices. Okay? 

It has been a crazy week. We got a new companion and lost her. We saw President and Sister Brown before 7:00 in the morning. We went on three exchanges. 

Sister Steed, my MTC companion, was serving in Ayr with Sister Pitcher. Unfortunately, Sister Pitcher was ill and had to go home. So Sister Steed went with her to the mission home and then texted us during our morning run that she would be at our flat in 15 minutes as our new companion. So she came to do that! The same day we were on exchanges with Hamilton so that still happened, and then the next day (because our Stake President is amazing) they found a mini-missionary to go with her back to Ayr. So she's back in her area and we are back as the Two Amigos. Ooft...sheer madness! But now everything's sorted and so that's nice.

Last Monday we went to Ayr to help with the sisters there before Sister Pitcher went home. That was nice, especially because we got some time on the beach before we were all together. It was seriously beautiful. Ah! Way pretty. I'll send some pictures to go along with it, because it was just gorgeous.  (Fun fact: did you know Scottish people describe food as gorgeous, beautiful, and lovely? I have yet to hear them say, "This is an adorable lasagna" but it could happen any day now.)

We got to meet our investigator, Jason, at Frankie and Benny's this week. That was yummy and he almost believes in Jesus now. 

We had a Relief Society Reach-Out Night, which was good but also funny because really that is just normal missionary work to us, so it wasn't a bit deal but it was nice to have others involved.

On Saturday, we got to do a Skype Lesson! That was really fun. Our really good friend, Lorna, has a friend in Arizona. He wants to be taught the lessons, and I guess there was some kind of problem with the missionaries there and they won't return his calls. And so we are teaching him! It was cool to Skype.  A few kinks we'll need to sort out, but it was really nice to be able to teach the Restoration through such a cool medium. It's amazing how technology really allows us to share the gospel more effectively. I'm still waiting for Skype-GQing, but I guess we'll have our milk before our meat. 

Cool quote: "When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more. He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit." Think about that when you receive your next trial/blessing. It's just good for ya! 

I can't believe that I've been out for nearly a year. In so many ways, it feels like I was wearing my yellow jumper and leaving for the MTC just yesterday. In other ways, though, it feels like I have been on a mission for a very long time. This is life now. I don't know what life would be like without finding and teaching others. In so many ways, it scares me how long I've been out because I don't have long to go. I want to use every second to its fullest—to allow others to experience, and myself to experience, the Lord's blessings for us. I know the Lord blesses us as a direct result of our obedience to His commandments, and as I continue to strive for exact obedience, I can receive blessings with exactness. How grateful I am to be a missionary! I am grateful for each of you and for your support and prayers. I love you all dearly! 

Have a great week! Share the gospel—I dare you! Triple double dog dare you! 

Love,

Sister Ricks xxx

“It Smells like a Farm. That’s what Irvine Always Smells Like.”

Dear Family,

The quote for this week's e-mail title came from Sister Allen. She came on exchanges with me from Glasgow, and she's only been on her mission for about four months.  She has been out of her area only twice. Glasgow has a really distinct smell that I love (sort of like toast and drugs mixed) and so she thought Irvine smelled so funny when we got off the train. She thinks it smells like a farm, and she remembered that from her last exchange here. I thought that was so funny, and it's also pretty true. 

I am doing fairly well. I am still loving Irvine and the work and I absolutely love Sister Jones. I love our sisters, and I love our friends here, especially Davey and Thomas. I love being a missionary and it's still the best job in the world. And the best part? The gospel is still true and so it's fun to share it with other people. 

This week had a unique challenge to it. (Side note: I keep thinking how applicable mission challenges are to life challenges. So many things that we struggle with or do here are the same things that we need to learn to overcome in life. I don't think I realized that would be the case. But anyway.) The Paisley ZLs, the District Leaders, and Sister Jones and I had come up with the challenge to give away 201 copies of the Book of Mormon in the Paisley Zone in a week. We had done this previously with 200 copies of the Book of Mormon, and it was one of the most successful weeks in our zone. So we did it again, and the success was just not coming. Our teams weren't handing out books and the whole idea of the exercise—creating excitement in the zone and gaining new investigators—seemed like it had completely failed. We were a bit discouraged and tried to figure out where we had failed. In the end, we just had to explain to the teams what we were doing and why we were doing it, and the situation improved. People started handing out more books. We all wondered, though, why it didn't go the same way that it had before, with the success being so overwhelming and rapid. Well, our friend Brother Gillardi told us that it didn't go the same because life experiences don't go the same. Even if we do the exact same thing, things need to change so that we can grow and learn. What would be the point if we always did the same thing and got the same results? There really wouldn't be any. So we should be grateful that life changes and that we change with it. :) 

Currently, we are working on increasing our progressing investigator pool. Our progressing investigators just became recent converts, and so we're going through and trying to figure out the most effective way to use our time. That is my transfer goal: to work on managing my time more effectively.  Right now we have nine or ten investigators and two progressing. We're working on helping them progress and enter the waters of baptism, but most of these people are a bit slower in their progress and so patience is required—as it so often is. 

Davey buys us groceries every week (which we always tell him he shouldn't, but he always does). So he always asks us if we are cooking, since he buys us mince and chicken and steak and things. And we tell him that we are! We have made chicken twice which is good and my cooking skills are still less-than-average. But what do you do? Have I ever told you about Scottish lasagna? It is the best stuff in the world. 

Our recent convert, Michael, who was baptized when I was in Irvine for the first time, taught us the Restoration Lesson this week. Because he is preparing for a mission, we thought it would be a good idea for him to get ready and teach us. He did such a good job, and I was so proud of him. It also strengthened my faith that people are prepared and ready to receive the gospel. Often they just don't know where to find it. And it's our job to find them and help them find the gospel so that they can find a place in the Celestial Kingdom with our Father in Heaven. 

We realized this week that we are going to be quite busy for the rest of the transfer. 

This week:

·      Exchange with Ayr on Monday to Tuesday night.

·      Exchange with East Kilbride on Wednesday morning to Thursday morning.

·      Exchange with Hamilton on Friday to Saturday.

·      Splits with Ruth and Sheryl on Saturday afternoon.

·      Sunday is church and being together.

·      Monday P-day.

·      Next Tuesday and Wednesday are Paisley and Glasgow zone and interview training.

·      Friday is Mission Leadership Council.

·      Monday is the practice in Edinburgh for the Easter Concert.

·      Wednesday we need to turn in our Eye of Faith.

·      That weekend is General Conference.

·      The next week is the Easter Concert, and the end of the week is moves call. 

I am so grateful to be busy. I am grateful for the experiences that I'm being blessed with to learn valuable life skills but also to further the work here in Irvine. 

But sometimes I get a bit stressed. And I've been a bit stress-sick lately.  Last night we had to go to Lorna's and lay on the ground because I had such an upset stomach and just needed to throw up. So luckily we were by Lorna and she took care of me! She is really the best and we are so lucky to know her. 

I found this quote this week and I just love it. It's really given me cause to ponder. 

“For it God is a socially conscious political being whose views invariably correspond to ur own prejudices on every essential point of doctrine, he demands of us no more than our politics require.  Besides, if God is finite, progressive, and Pure Love, we may as well skip church next Sunday and go to the movies.  For if we have nothing to fear from this all-loving, all-forbearing, all-forgiving God, how would our worship of him constitute more than self-congratulation for our own moral standards?  As an atheist, I like this God.  It is good to see him every morning while I am shaving” (Eugene D. Genovese, “Pilgrim’s Progress,” The New Republic, 11 May 1992, page 38; emphasis added).

Really interesting. 

Anyway. I love you all so very much! Use are the best ever! (That was me making fun of the Scottish spelling. They say You with an S on the end to make it plural, like saying you guys. But then they sometimes spell it use. I just think that's hilarious!) 

Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Ricks

Dead Good

Dearest Family, 

What a great week! Sister Kline moved off to Dublin, I got a great new companion named Sister Jones, Thomas got baptized, we went into Edinburgh for New Mission Leadership Training, we got a few new sisters—it was just carazy! 

Introduction of Sister Jones: She is dead brilliant. She's from Minnesota. She is studying at BYU (lived at Sparks 2) and is majoring in Neuroscience. She's super smart and super on the ball. She likes to run. She likes to sing. She is easy to get along with. Consequence: We're going to have a great transfer!

Thomas got baptized: I keep writing "Thomas had a baptism" or something that eradicates the need for an apostrophe. I don’t remember how to make Thomas possessive. I also don't remember how to spell possessive. But anyway.  [Mom’s note:  Thomas’s baptism] 

The baptism was great! His family came (his sister, brother-in-law, and brother) and they loved it as well. I sang "When I am Baptized" for him. It wasn't the best thing ever, but the spirit was there, and I love Thomas a lot. A few members of the ward came, and our investigator, Jackie, came.  So did Davey. It was altogether a wonderful service. He bore his testimony after his baptism and at church after his confirmation. I cannot believe that he went from a drunk man whom we taught the Restoration to to someone who is now ready for a calling and the Priesthood. Amazing! 

Other updates: Did I already tell you that Sheryl, our other recent convert, is going on a mission? And Michael, the one that I was here when he was baptized in October, is going as well? He got his long, red hair cut this week. And he got a calling!  He's now an Elder, along with another man who was baptized in May, Jon Kilkoyne. So amazing. The work is really moving forward because Heavenly Father wants to hasten His work! 

Random Fact: Irvine Ward loves to sing random songs. That is all fine and dandy but can be a bit awkward sometimes when you're the ward pianist and you flip to a hymn and don't have a clue what it sounds like. It's also awkward when you play and nobody sings because they don't know it either. :) He he he!

Sister Kline and I had a chippy on the beach in Ardrossan before she left. That was one of the cooler things I've done, and most Scottish-y. I loved that, and it was delicious. I think fish tastes better by the seashore. And covered in batter. Haha. 

Well, I canny think of anything else to share! Besides Happy Birthday to Platte and hope the day went very well! I hope that you all have the best week ever!

Love, 

Sister Amanda Ricks

P.S. President Brown is famous! He's on a church video that just went onto LDS.org called "Hastening the Work in Europe." He is the thoughtful one who is wearing our mission tie. So cool!