Monday, April 15, 2013

I am Ammon



No, no, no. I know. I'm not Ammon. I'm Amanda! I haven't been chopping off anybody's arms or working as a servant under the Queen of England (I wish!). But I do feel like I've seen many miracles this last week. The Lord has really blessed me. So, for the week, I am Ammon.


Flying from Provo to Scotland was quite the experience. Although we got to the airport on time (even though it took forever since there were 20 of us, 14 sisters and 6 elders), we made it. I got to chat with a few of you, and that was so much fun. It was great to hear your voices. I also got to chat with a lady while we waited for our delayed flight to Chicago. She ended up being from Scotland and had come to Utah for the skiing! She also got to see folks at conference and she loved the "vibrant atmosphere." So that was sure fun. Tender mercy.
Sister Ricks saw Pam Ipson at the airport!

When we got to Chicago, since our flight had been delayed, they rushed us over in a shuttle to get on the London plane. When we were running to the plane, they were on their walkie talkies saying, "The group of 20 is here! The group of 20 is here!" So maybe this week I am also James Bond. Haha. But really. It was pretty awesome. There was no break between our 2 ½ hour flight to Chicago and our 7 hour flight to London. So long. But I didn't have anyone sitting next to me, so Sister Ashdown came over and we chatted and slept. Tender mercy.

When we got into London, passport control was packed. The travel lady called it "absolute carnage." But then they delayed our Scotland flight so that the group of 20 could make it. Tender mercy.

We finally made it to the mission home, which was great. It is in such a pretty area. When I traveled to Scotland before, I only saw Princes Street (which they all say like Princess Street and I don't really know what to call it). Now that I've been outside, I can truly appreciate how gorgeous it is here.

Since we'd all been up for a long time without much sleep, they wanted to keep us going so that we would get on the schedule of Scotland. Since they were keeping us up, they took us to the Edinburgh Castle! I went there before with the group from London, but this time was a million times better! Some of the missionaries got so tired that they just went into the restaurant and took naps. But a few of us (probably fewer than 4) didn't fall asleep. We ran and danced and skipped and kept ourselves awake. We went inside all of the buildings. There were torture chambers (at least I think that's what they were) and birthing rooms and a Tomb to the Unknown Soldier and all sorts of cool stuff. It really was awesome, and it was fun to hang out with Sister Ashdown. I got a lot of really cool pictures, and I will have to send them when I get the chance. I can't find the cord to my camera.

They fed us dinner and then let us go to bed, which was good because I was so tired! The mission home is nice and Sister Steed and I got to share a room with a HOT SHOWER! Mmmm. It was great and nice to spend one last night with my MTC Companion. I really hope I get to work with her again. We work well together.

The next day, we all studied and I went with Sister Brown (who is probably 4 feet tall) to the doctor's to try and get me set up in the NHS. We walked over and chatted. It was nice to hear how overwhelmed she was with her calling. They've only been here for nine months, and so I get them the whole mission. I'm excited about that. She is amazing. They couldn't get me an appointment, but hopefully I will be able to get one soon.

Fun fact about Scottish people: They always say things like, "Oh, it's just across the street!" or "It's about 10 minutes away or a half mile" and then it turns out to be way further. Their perception of geography is lacking, I would say. It's just across the street......and 5 miles later you find their home. So classic.

After studying, we all hiked up Pratt's Hill. (Only missionaries call it that. I think it's called Arthur’s Seat.) We all got to the top and heard the story of Orson Pratt. He went up the hill and promised God that he would baptize 200 souls. And he did! We hiked up the hill. Sister Ashdown and I were the first sisters up the mountain! Yay! We were all supposed to make goals and tell God what we would do to meet those goals. I honestly had no idea.  But I just kept thinking the number 5. So that is my goal, and I realize that it is low. But I just hope to have 5 people be baptized and continue in faithfulness. I think a lot of work is with less-actives as well, so I wouldn't get baptisms but would get blessings. :) Joke. But I do hear that a normal mission here (after I made that goal) is between 4-6 baptisms. Yup, the work is slow. But it's moving. And times can change. And people can change.

After we made our goals, we all sang "High on the Mountain Top" which was cool and some tourists around videoed us doing it. There was a guy on the top of the hill who was going to use a homemade zip line to the other hill. Now that is crazy. And it would hurt if you fell. I wanted to watch him use his zip line, but our group left.)

When we went down the mountain and ate, I had my interview with President Brown. I cannot tell you what an inspired man he is. We talked for a long time. I told him why I'd decided to come on a mission. He testified to me that I was sent both to the specific mission AND to him. He has a real testimony of mission presidents helping out their missionaries. We are going to get along wonderfully, and I have a zone conference this weekend and will be able to see him again. He is really incredible. And he does have the Elder Eyring disease, but I like it.

Sister Ricks with President and Sister Brown.

We had some trainings after we had all been interviewed and President Brown was deciding who went where. We did role plays and other things. In my first role play, I was with Sister Nicoll and realized that she was awesome. She told me how nervous she'd been to come on a mission and we just chatted and it was nice. Luckily I got Sister Nicoll as my first companion.

Now, some words about Sister Nicoll. She is awesome, she really is. She's from Arizona and has an older brother, Chris, and an older sister, Amanda. She misses her nephew a whole lot (join the club) and loves her family (join another club). That is great. She has sort of a funky sense of humor.  She's awesome and I've learned a ton from her because she's a great missionary. 

Sister Ricks and Sister Nicoll

Sister Ricks and Sister Nicoll. (Taken from Sister Nicoll's blog.)
Okay, anyway. Once I got my companion we headed out by train. It was really hard to say good-bye to Sister Ashdown.

We got to the train station and realized there was a giant staircase that we had to go up, over the bridge, and down another set of stairs with our huge suitcases. Luckily, we both thought it was the funniest thing ever and laughed up and down. Also, it doesn't hurt that my biceps are the size of small mountains. But you know, it's whatever.

When we got to the other side, Elder Howie (our district leader) and Elder Compain-Shaw met us and took our suitcases to the car. We had a member, Sister Johnson, who drove us to our flat. We waited for a bit though, because our branch president had gone to meet us at the wrong train station. President Patterson and his wife were so sweet. And there was another member and her daughter, Kelly and Lauren. They were all at the train station, just to meet us.

When we got to our flat and told them how excited we were and how grateful for the support, President Patterson told us that he had tried to get a bagpiper to welcome us to the area. How crazy would that have been? He told us he'd get it before we left. That is how welcoming they were. The owner of our flat showed us around and then left. President Patterson dedicated our flat for us, since it's the first time missionaries have been there. He told us he has been praying for sister missionaries in their branch, since they haven't had them in 19 years, and that we were an answer to prayer. That is pretty overwhelming, but we want to work hard and live up to his expectations. Sister Johnson bought us a bunch of stuff to keep in our apartment because we didn't have anything. She gave us cereal, milk, potatoes, pasta, tomato basil sauce, salad, chicken, waters, toilet paper, and some facial wipes. How nice is that? She was seriously awesome. They all were.

We were able to go to bed after unpacking, and it was 11:15. It had taken a long time for everybody to leave and planning took awhile since I had no idea what we were doing.

I was so nervous my first day in the field. I wrote in my journal: "I am so nervous. These are real people, real people who need the gospel and whose salvation is in my hands! Ah! I'm scared to talk to people and I'm scared to be here! I know the Lord can bless me and that He will, I'm just nervous that I can't do it!" I was really nervous. Luckily, it was okay. We had weekly planning in the morning and then I made us lunch. We went to try to find a map and got hopelessly lost. Our zone leaders were going bring material (Book of Mormons, cards, pamphlets) to our flat and we were going to miss them! Luckily they just happened to drive right by us while we were lost and so we hopped in with Elder Nelson and Elder Smithson. We went and got out district leaders as well.

Elder Howie and Elder Compain-Shaw walked us to our first appointment because theirs was just across the street (and it actually was) so we got to meet Sister McN--. She hates sister missionaries because one of them was really pushy towards her husband and it made her mad. So we got there and said, "Where are the two horrors? They know I don't like sister missionaries!" We didn't really say much and just let her talk for a long time. Her son is a drug addict. Her husband has passed away. She is less active, I think maybe just to get attention. We just listened to her and didn't push. She even gave us Iron-Brew, which is perhaps one of the best drinks I've ever had. It's like cream soda to the max and sort of is liquid bubble gum. Delicious! Anyway, she was really nice and when we left, she said she was convinced that she wouldn't like us but that we had changed her mind. And then she gave us hugs! She also told me that I was beautiful and that my eyes were beautiful and looked like her husband's. Then she said, "I was never pretty. But it doesn't matter whether you're beautiful or plain, it's what's inside that counts." True that, Sister McN--, True That.

After our appointment, we had to do our first finding. Finding is funny. I sort of hate it in a lot of ways. Anybody that we talk to is super friendly until you mention God or Jesus. That's okay, though. When we were finding, I knocked one door and said, "We are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--" and the lady didn't say anything and just smacked the door. How funny is that? I remember when Adam said, "When someone slams a door in your face, just remember, ‘I was told that was going to happen to me and it just did!’ How funny is that?" Love it.

Since we were concerned that we couldn't find our flat, we went to Burger King for dinner. We ended up meeting JW there, who was a member and is 16. He has a learning disability he said, but just said a lot of funny and a few innappropriate things. He was kind of crazy. We told him that we couldn't read the comic he was showing us, so he just read it to us. He showed us where our next appointment, Sister M---, was. She wasn't there so we went chapping. One of the men we found, J--, only spoke Polish and didn't really know what we were saying. We are going back with some Polish materials. We did have a little lesson with him, though, but when we asked if we could pray to wish him well he told us that he had to go to the bathroom! Ha! That was hilarious.

The next day, our appointment fell through and so we were finding ALL DAY. My feet were so tired by the end of the day. We had a few cool moments though. Because our appointment was cancelled, Sister Nicoll said we should go and drop a note by Sister McN---'s to tell her we were thinking about her. I thought that was weird but we did it anyway. On the way, I stopped and talked to a man who was named G--. Turns out he's a less active for 30 years whose sister lives in Utah! He's totally been baptized but now he smokes and drinks. He was way funny and told us we could come back. We walked him to his door and I carried in his groceries (not realizing they were alcohol and cigarettes, oops). He was really cool and said he hopes he sees us again. We will make sure that happens.

Now, this is my favorite moment from the week, so get excited. After we met G--, we were walking and lost again and we stopped a man who helped us with directions. (Side note: At the training, we all committed to ask someone to be baptized by Sunday. This was Saturday night, and I hadn't done it yet. I just couldn't figure out how!) After we'd walked away from him, I decided to go back and talk to him. I think I was prompted, because the fruit suggests that. I walked with him and he told me all about himself. He is so lonely and said that he doesn't have any friends. He was so sweet. He is a TYPE 1 DIABETIC! Connection made. And I worked baptism into the conversation and asked him if he'd be baptized. He told me he doesn't swim. But still. It was so awesome! And God helped me keep the promise I had made. He also gave us his number and said we could stop by. So we will take another sister and do that. Anyway, it was really special. He needs the gospel so bad. He needs the friends and the knowledge.

We had church on Sunday and the branch members are awesome. They were very welcoming and all. I bore my testimony. I talked to a lot of different people, and most of the time when you get somebody here talking they never stop. So that's funny. We had a little meeting with the President after and that was nice. He is really incredible. He wants two baptisms by the end of the month. We will work hard to do that. Our zone fast was trying to get four baptisms and have each companionship with a baptismal date investigator. Whew!

I talked to Sister W---, J---'s mom, at church this week. She is a Type-2 diabetic and I told her I'm diabetic and she said, "Yeah, but you got it cuz of genetics. I got it cuz I stuffed myself until I got it!" Haha. But the really funny part was that J--- came to church and she said, "We haven't been able to get him for weeks and he's had interviews with all sorts of people. Then the sister missionaries meet him, and on Sunday Morning he's in a suit ready to go to church!" Haha. Anyway. I just thought that was funny. 

We had a dinner appointment with Sister McFeet and Sister Simon. They fed us carrot and coriander soup, breaded chicken and pasta, and these cheese crisps that were amazing. They also gave us little lollies/popsicles to go. They were so sweet. They are both widows and they were brought together through the church, basically. They've been friends for so long, and they really should just be on a TV show together.

We met with the elders and divided up our zone, since we are in the same branch. It's exciting now to have papers of people, since we are whitewashing the area. Now hopefully we can visit people on our own without the elders having to make appointments for us. We are excited about the work! I really do want people to know the gospel, because it's true!

I am still very nervous and scared to talk to people. But then I hate it when I don't say the right thing or when I don't talk to them, because I think, "That person needs the gospel, and I was too scared to talk to them! I'm such a baby!" but then I do the exact same thing the next time. Ugh. I frustrate myself, but I do have quite awhile to work on it.

I'm sad I missed Hazel's blessing, but everybody said that it was lovely! I'm glad you are all happy and healthy. I'm glad we all have the gospel. I'm so grateful to be with you all for forever. I couldn't be here if I didn't know that were true. I have a testimony of the gospel and I know of its power. We are so privileged to be Latter-day Saints, and I am so honored and humbled to be a missionary.

And sorry the e-mail was so long. "I just have a lot of feelings." Name the movie, anyone?

Love you all!
Sister Amanda Ann Ricks

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