Wheesht

Dearest Family,

I can't think of anything creative or clever to start this e-mail, so here's what we did this week! 

On Monday, we went to Anstruther for the best chippie in the UK, and it was delicious. Then we headed to St. Andrews and took a look around the lovely place where Kate and William found love. :) So cute! We went into a cafe where they probably ate together all the time, but it was expensive-ish so we walked in and walked back out. It was lovely. We also saw the Chariots of Fire beach in St. Andrews. I've never seen Chariots of Fire, but now I want to. Hahaha. 

Other highlights of the week were Sunday, where everything was funny for no reason, and I probably should have six-pack abs from all the laughing I did. Seriously, it was hilarious. 

On one day, we went a home different way that I've never gone before because we felt prompted to. As we did, we crossed over the street to talk to a woman and she was so sweet. She'd seen "Meet the Mormons" (a show they had play over here where it was just a negative view of missionaries crying and missing home and made us look like weirdos) and as we talked to her, we set up a return appointment to teach our lessons to her. We were prompted in several specific ways to help her accept a return appointment. Sadly, when we went to our appointment, she neither was there nor responded to our texts or calls. It's really sad and frustrating when people's agency gets in the way. :( I just am so sad that people make choices that pull them away from the Savior. 

F-- continues to progress well. I seriously believe he was sent to us so that we would stay encouraged while a bunch of other prepared people don't keep their appointments. He is doing so well. We taught the Word of Wisdom and he is doing pretty well. He is still looking for a job, and we're praying that he'll get one! He is just absolutely brilliant and is one of my favorite people that I've ever taught on my mission. I love him to bits. 

Yesterday was Zone Development and it was ridiculous how tired I was getting! How did I used to play an hour and a half of football and not get tired? I would sprint for like thirty seconds and need a break before I could do that again--I felt like I was 60 years old. Eek! 

Apart from these things, the work is progressing, steadily but surely. :) Sure and steady wins the race, I guess, eh?

I really just wanted to focus on my testimony this week. It's been so interesting that throughout my mission, I have come to realize how much I don't know about the gospel. I thought I knew about the Plan of Salvation. I thought I knew what prayer was for and why we had faith. To be honest, I am now wondering if I ever knew the answers to these questions. I don't truly know what faith is and I don't know why we pray. I don't know why most of our rules are there. But the things that I do know--the doctrines of the church--have blessed my life when I have applied them. And to me, that is enough to convince me that my membership in this Church, and the opportunity to serve the Lord on a mission, have been a good and beneficial thing in my life. I still have questions. I still don't understand everything. But I understand enough for now. And I will keep looking. 

I love you all! 

Sister Ricks

Aye, I Ken, Like

Dearest Family, 

This week was pretty exhausting but also pretty good. 

On Monday, we didn’t have P-day since it was Moves Week, so we cleaned and such and then did some great other missionary stuff. I think we chapped, but I can't remember and I forgot my old planner. 

Wednesday was Moves Day and we got to go to Edinburgh! It was just peachy and we got a lot of good things done. Every year, they have this HUGE festival called the Fringe and loads of performers (theatre, singing, dancing, comedy, improv, etc.) perform at hundreds of venues in Edinburgh. We just walked down Princes Street and got handed loads of flyers. We didn't go to anything, but a few of the acts were performing on the street, and we were able to see those. That was dead brilliant! I absolutely loved it and was quite chuffed we went. (The only bad part was that we really wanted to go to the Edinburgh Zoo and see the pandas, and I guess the panda is possibly pregnant so you can't see her. Oh and also that a bee attacked my hot dog. Lame!!!) 

Other than that, this week has just been pretty normal. I've been studying a lot about working through the members because I honestly don't think members church-wide know their missionary responsibilities. If they did, our church would be growing at a far faster pace. Why do General Authorities speak about missionary work all the time? Because we're not doing it. Anyway, I've been reading "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" which is, I think, the best book written about the HOW to do member missionary work and how not-scary it can be. I'd invite everybody to read it! 

Hm...what else. Seriously nothing is jumping to mind! We've cleaned our flat a lot this week and organized, and then a repairman came and fixed our windows because they wouldn't close. So that was fun! I finally sent some pictures of my flat this week so that should hopefully be good. 

We have a great Relief Society President, Sister S--, who seriously just gets how to do the work. She's the best and I am so grateful that she's in the ward. 

President and Sister Brown came to K'caldy Ward this week, and they are always the best people ever to see. They carry the Spirit so fully with them, and it's so easy to feel when you're speaking with them. They were saying that one of the new sisters who came in this week is great at singing and playing the piano, and so they will have someone to replace me, which is something they were worried about. That is happy for them but is a bit of a sad thought at the same time. 

Also I officially have a granddaughter! Sister Jacques is training. She will be wonderful. 

I mostly just love being a missionary. It really has been the best 18 months, and I am so grateful to have another wee while to go out strong and killin' it! :) Hurrah for Israel! 

Love,

Sister Ricks    

The Last Hurrah

Dearest Family,

Well. There you have it. My last area is set. I know where and with whom I will die. I will die in Kirkcaldy with Sister Johnson. I cannot tell you the weird feelings associated with this--of course, I am excited to come home and especially to do things when and how I want to--but I also have so much trepidation inside of me: six weeks from today will be my last day in the mission field doing missionary work. 

Enough about that: 

This week was great! F-- is amazing and continues to be taught. We love him so much! We taught him the Restoration lesson and then the Plan of Salvation this week. As we got there to teach him the Plan of Salvation (nine days after we'd met him) he showed us where he'd gotten to in his Book of Mormon reading---ALMA!!! What? We just looked at each other with gleeful eyes. We couldn't believe it! He is so prepared. Extending a baptismal invitation on Saturday evening was one of the most natural things ever, and he told us he'd been expecting us to ask and thought we might even do it tomorrow. We told him we had a few things to teach him before then (he smokes) but that 4 September would be a great day for him. Ach, he is just amazing and fits so well in the ward. He asked us if we used our wings to fly to church. He's the cutest. 

Other best thing about his lesson: before we started teaching, he told us that he gets why his wife kicked him out after 30 years of marriage. He said that God had her kick him out so he could come to Kirckaldy and meet us. He is seriously incredible. I can't believe he realized that after one lesson. That is amazing!!!

On Monday we went to Dunfermline for a District P-day. That was fun. We also saw Robert the Bruce's sarcophagus. 

Tuesday was district meeting. We talked about using PMG. I love PMG! So good. I'm so excited to show you all the things that I've done with it. It's a wonderful book that I've loved studying and learning from. 

The rest of our week was mostly failed return appointments. We should have had about eight new investigators this week, but none of them kept their appointments besides F--. It's easy to get down when that happens, but then we teach F-- and we feel better. Still, I'd love for some new friends to teach. 

K-- told us this week that she knows that the Book of Mormon and Jesus are true. She is so sweet! 

We also accidentally looked like we were on a double-date with the elders. Everybody always goes to eat the night before moves call (it's called MANOK--Moves Anticipation Night of Kebabs) but we went and got Indian food instead because this guy haggled with Sister Johnson and I, and we got a great deal. But then we realized that he thought something was going on when he lit a candle to make it "more romantic"--his words, not mine--and the whole experience was just hilarious because when they asked us if we wanted to take food home I asked Sister Johnson, "Do you want to?" Similarly, the elders were talking; I imagine the waiter was awfully confused! It was funny though.

I am so happy to stay on my mission in Scotland. I seriously love Scotland and would be so homesick for it here if I left. It is the best mission in the world, without a doubt, and I'm privileged to serve in it!

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-07-006-the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng

New Mormon Message--so good!

“Missionary work isn’t the only thing we need to do in this big, wide, wonderful Church. But almost everything else we need to do depends on people first hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and coming into the faith. … With all that there is to do along the path to eternal life, we need a lot more missionaries opening that gate and helping people through it” (Elder Holland).

Love you all,

Sister Ricks

Robert the Bruce's burial place in Dunfermline Abbey

I think this picture of Sister Johnson is so funny. She was running away from the self-timer.