No bad!

Dearest Family,

Missionary activities are hilarious. When you get together people that the missionaries are teaching, plus the missionaries, you are always sure to have an abundant amount of fun and awkwardness. Our friends just are generally pretty funny and mixing them together is just, well, something unlike anything else. It's "something..." (That's what Sister Johnson says when something isn't really that great. "Well, it's something!") 

Speaking of missionary activities, we didn't actually have one this week.

Ha. Just kidding. 

On Friday night, we had a Games Night activity at the church. The elders planned the ordeal even though none of their friends ended up showing. We had F--, J-- (our new-ish investigator that cracks us up) and D--, the recent convert who has now fallen in love with one of our elders and also J--.  We think they went on a date but we're not too sure. 

I don't even know what to say about the activity apart from J-- said the F-word and told us about getting drunk (which is all right because we haven't taught him anything apart from the Restoration yet).   He took our picture to put on Facebook; D-- yelled at me but then fell in love so that was all right; A-- fist-bumped me by enveloping my hand; and then we tried to play Cranium and found out that we know nothing about British Cranium. Ah, none of those things even sound funny, but I seriously was laughing all night! It was a hoot. 

We had our fifth Sunday presentation about Missionary Work, and that went really well. The Spirit was there as we taught and testified of ways the members can invite their friends to participate in the restored gospel. We used quite a number of tips from "The Power of Everyday Missionaries" and shared personal experiences. At the end, our ward mission leader, Brother S--, stood and said, "I love these missionaries. I just dread every time moves call comes around, because I never want any of them to leave. But somehow, we keep getting better and better. But we can't get any better now, because right now we have perfection." Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard? He brought the Spirit so wonderfully to close off the meeting. Members really should be full-time finders and hopefully we inspired them to be. 

Sister Johnson got a Hepatitis A shot and I got a sticker that says, "I was brave today!" because I watched her get the jag. Haha. But right before that, we ran after this guy to get directions, he asked us about America and the church, and later in the week we had a return appointment with him where he talked about the natural state of Adam and Eve and the government when Christ comes. Interesting stuff and miraculous that we met him. We experienced so many miracles this week! 

I learned something so cool this week in my personal study. We all know that there is "opposition in all things" and that the "natural man is an enemy to God." But True to the Faith teaches us that we are all born in a state of opposition. We, each of us, have opposition within us. No wonder we have all sorts of desires that conflict. We want to live the commandments, but we also want to talk negatively about our neighbors. We want to be nice, but there is also a part of us that just really doesn't. We want to find people to teach, but we also want to just walk by. We have all sorts of opposition--at least I do--and that's totally normal! The point and test of life is to get rid of the opposition and "become a saint." You probably all knew these things, but it's something that absolutely blew my mind, and I am happy to understand these things now. No wonder I am a mosaic of desires. 

F-- is set to be baptized this week. J-- is set to be baptized two weeks following. I am grateful to have met some wonderfully prepared people at the end of my mission and have the chance to see their progression. The gospel really can change people. It has certainly changed me, and my mission has changed my outlook on life and on myself. I am so grateful that the gospel is true and that I have been able to serve the Lord for the last wee while. 

I love you all! 

Love,

Sister Ricks