GOD SQUAD

Can you believe I have been out for 2 months already? That is 1/9 of my mission! If we were in the Hunger Games, and if the players were Daniel, Andrea, Heather, Platte, Adam, Kristina, Whitney, and Ben, and me--then Boomey would already be a dead man! Get it? One out of nine would be gone. Ha. Ha. Ha. He'd probably have been eaten by a giant dog or something. Or maybe Daniel would try to kick him, Daniel would miss and kick a tree, and the tree would come down and sting Boomey with all of the tracker-jackers.

Anyway, that has nothing to do with anything. Back on track.

It's been a great week. On our way here, Sister Nicoll and I were trying to remember what we have actually done this week. Luckily I still keep a journal, otherwise I would have no idea.

We went to the Falkirk Wheel! That was awesome. It's always good to look at other people having fun when you can't actually get on the boat yourself. Stinking missionary handbook. Just kidding, it really was a good time being there. I loved it.

Elder Sewell is the new district leader. It was weird for a bit not having Elder Howie calling, but it's crazy how fast I get used to things here. I was thinking about how fast I took to missionary life today. I feel like it was a part of me. I know that is a blessing from the Lord, that when things change it isn't something to get chuffed about. God blesses us to roll with the punches. Like I always say: Roll with the punches.

Funny Stories:

We went by one of my favorite people that I've ever met, Sister I.P.  She swears like a sailor. I've never met anyone whose vocabulary is so bad, but the weird thing is that it is absolutely hilarious! She has the biggest heart of anyone that I've ever met. I told her that I liked these two statues that she had, just like I'd told her I liked everything in her house because it was all awesome, and she told me she's wrap them up and have them for me next time. Ah! She's so awesome. She doesn't come to church because her husband isn't too keen on it, but she is brilliant and is a really great lady. She's also diabetic. Sister Nicoll says I bond with everybody, mostly because of diabetes. So true. Mission calls are inspired, I guess. ;)

We went to visit with Sister Symon, and her grandson is in our mission, serving in Ireland right now. She was saying that he sends a "thingme" out to the family that she gets. Thingme meant e-mail. She also told us that people do things on their little "thingme phones" which meant cell phones. I love the word "thingme." It doesn't really mean anything, but it also means everything. I love it! Sister Symon is hilarious and when she and Sister McFeat get together for Sunday meals like we had last night, we never want to leave. Especially because they feed us so much that we can't really move.  

When we were chapping around, this lady was talking to us but wasn't interested and then started talking to a guy behind us. She asked why he hadn't come up to her doorstep and he said, "Well, I would have, but you were busy talking to the God Squad!" Ha. I'd never heard that nickname for us, but I am proud to be on the God Squad! Sister Nicoll and I want to make shirts. Not sure how, but it would be fun.

 Good Stuff:

We are doing exchanges both this week and next (We have a set of sisters now in Livingston, yay for more sisters!) and so this transfer is going to fly by. We were talking about that and Sister Nicoll said, "I'm going to miss you! I know I tease you and stuff, but you really are one of the greatest." That made me feel so good. I love Sister Nicoll and we get along wonderfully. She is a really good mix of being funny and being focused on the work. We work well together and I would be perfectly happy to stay with her for my whole mission. I do love her a lot. :)

This is the story I shared with my mission president this week: "My favorite event of this week was with a who-what-when-where investigator. I had felt the Spirit when I said we were going to find a young mother. As we walked along the road, we saw a young mother and her son. We talked to them for a minute and got her number and address. I was thrilled! I was on cloud nine! The church was true and missions were amazing! Then, when we got home, we couldn't find her address anywhere on a map and her number was disconnected. I was disappointed. I couldn't believe that she had given us a fake address. Then Sister Nicoll and I went on Mormon.org and looked her up and found her address. We went to her home and although she wasn't home, her mother was and told us we could come back. What a miracle! It was an emotional roller coaster, but I was so grateful that the Lord doesn't make this work easy. If the work were easy, we wouldn't find those who are ready to not only be baptized, but be converted to the gospel. I am so grateful to be a part of this work. I am so grateful to the Lord for allowing me opportunities to grow."

L-- told us that her paint is okay without a second coat, so we didn't have to paint or spill in her dentures and she fed us dinner! SCORE!

Church was good even though nobody that told us they would come was there. But then in Relief Society, T-- showed up! She brought S-- who was in Primary, and A--, who was standing outside! I can't tell you how lovely it was to see them. They are going on holiday this week, so it will be awhile before they are back, but the branch was so excited to see them and I do think they are going to be coming back to church. That makes me happy!

I think I'm going to be in Falkirk for a wee while. I just have a feeling. Six months I'm thinking. But also maybe I will be transferred. Who knows?

Did I tell you we have an official name for our proselyting area? Bonnybridge! No longer are we Falkirk 2. We are Bonnybridge, this place we found on our map that is in our area. We need to visit it so that we can officially be in our little town.

We saw a street called "Baptie Lane" and it looked so much like "Baptize Lane" that we chapped it! We met a nice girl named Rachel who gave us her number and didn't text us back when she found out we were the missionaries. Oh well.

K--: My favorite investigator! I love her girls and I love going to teach her. This week, we had about 5 minutes where her girls weren't in the lesson. That never happens, basically, and so we jumped on the opportunity and committed her to be baptized. Haha! She didn't end up getting to come to church because her husband wasn't in or something, but she does want to come and we love teaching her. That is exciting. She is a testimony of going and doing the things you don't want to, since we found her on that miserably rainy day when we got hot chocolate. Ah! Love K--.

R-- prayed with us this week and she said she was grateful for the strength that we bring her. That was really sweet. When people pray with us, it brings the Spirit in like crazy.

Ending Spiritual Thought:

 The more I study the Plan of Salvation, the more wonderful it is. This morning, I studied about Agency. Quentin L. Cook is this last conference said that Agency brings about love, sacrifice, and experience. Because we have agency, we love. Love isn't just something in a movie or a feeling we get. It's a choice. Learning from our experiences is not something that will just happen. We have to choose to learn from them. We have to choose to grow from them. We have to choose to let God mold us into what He knows we can become. It's all about our choices. So choose to be good! Choose to be faithful. Choose to be happy!! Because life is a beautiful thing and we have so much to be happy about. (And pretend I made that up instead of Marilyn Monroe, who actually said it.)

Love,

Sister Ricks