Dearest Family,

The last few weeks have been sheer madness, and I am gutted that I've not sent a proper e-mail in a good wee while. Hopefully today's will make up for it a bit, but I am genuinely sorry that I have been horrible in recent communications. 

The holiday season is a bit tricky as a missionary. You are confined by quite a few rules and times that you either can't leave the flat or need to be with a member. That was a bit tricky but what do you do? The best part was that I got to watch Tangled twice (that was the only Disney movie I really wanted to see) and we also watched the Emma Smith movie. Pretty good stuff! It's funny how much I love churchy stuff on my mission. It is just the best ever! It cracks me up when an EFY song comes on or one from mormon.org and every missionary knows the words or the annoying parts and whatnot. So funny. 

This was a wonderful week! We got to exchange with the Stornaway sisters (serving on the Isle of Lewis), and they never get to do exchanges or see other missionaries. They even Skype into district meetings because it costs loads of money to get them out here. So because it was Zone/Interview Training, they got to fly in and we had a couple of days to exchange with them. It's always good to get another missionary's perspective, and I learn so much from exchanges! It really strengthens my testimony and resolve to be a better missionary. I was with Sister Firth, and she is just lovely. She's super cute and it was a lot of fun. Plus we learned from each other so it was all around good. 

We also got to train at Zone/Interview Training. Sister Kline and I had an hour of instruction four times this week because the zones receive training in halves to minimize wasted time. Friday was Paisley Zone and Saturday was Glasgow Zone. I was nervous because standing in front of other missionaries can be quite scary, but then I was comfortable quite quickly and remembered that is the kind of thing I love to do! I love to teach groups of people, and it just felt like I was teaching Sunday School again. Hooray! It was a lot of fun and went well. Hopefully people learned, but if they didn't then I learned a lot from instructing. So it was a plus for sure.  

Another plus is that we had a baptism a wee while ago!! She was so prepared and basically ready to go when I got here, but we had to teach her all the lessons and get her all ready. She's been coming to church for ten years, but she could never get permission from her parents to get baptized, and so they finally said yes, we taught her, and she got baptized! She's super good friends with this member family, the Pedens, and so they planned everything and our job was easy--just teaching! That is the way missionary work would be ideally all the time, and it was just wonderful. She is beautiful! I'll send a picture today. 

It was pretty funny when we had our interview with President (I just realized I said "we" and "our" even though I meant "I had my interview," but I feel like I always need plural pronouns these days) because we just chatted and I love President! He told me my release date--September 24. Mark that on your calendars, and the reason it's not the same is because there's a five-week transfer once a year somewhere. So there you go! Then I went to have my planner checked by the APs (one of which is Elder Tinsley.  Do you remember my saying I knew someone in this mission from Viewmont? It's him) and they sent me on a secret mission to get them lunch because they were starving. So Sister Kline and I went and got them some Subway. It was pretty funny. 

The coolest moment of the week was yesterday. We were committed by the Paisley Zone Leaders to prepare for a companionship study role play every day. We were to decide who we would role play teaching, the context it would be in, and the skill we would practice. Saturday night, we decided to role play some casual dinner conversation at a dinner appointment we had Sunday, because the member's non-member mother who comes to church and has for about two years would be there. We wanted to practice leading casual conversation into knowing her religious background and inviting her to receive the missionary lessons and be baptized. We role-played on Monday morning, and I pretended to be her although I knew nothing about her. I said my husband had died and a whole bunch of other things. Then we got to the dinner appointment and it went exactly as we had role-played. Her husband had died. She had been coming to church but had never received the missionary lessons. We invited her to receive them and she said she would. We will now be teaching her twice a week. How amazing is that!!!! I felt like I was coming straight out of Preach My Gospel and would have to say it was one of the happiest moments on my mission. It was also cool because we already had the appointment set up when our stake president gave us a list of people to go by (part-member families, etc.) and she was on it. So we followed his referral that we were so grateful for and it went perfectly. We were so, so happy! 

I feel that I have changed so much this transfer. Suddenly I feel like I understand the work we do much more. I want everyone to accept this message, and I have a huge belief that it can bless everyone. I know obedience is a quest and I know that living the rules is a huge blessing in my life. I know that we are sent to specific people and areas for a reason, and I know that coming to Irvine has been a tremendous blessing already. I adore Sister Kline and I am learning from her daily. She's only 19 but has the wisdom of a 35-year old. She's so sweet and I love her! 

Quote of the day: "The Savior's perfect and infinite arms of love give us strength to endure heartache and hardship, the power to resist temptation, and the courage to keep the commandments even as we are being mocked and scorned." 

The Church is Wonderful! And best of all--it's true! 

I love each of you very much! 

Love,

Sister Amanda Ann Ricks