Let me tell you something right now and I am going to be completely honest. I was so disappointed when I read that to my family. I actually almost said out loud that I didn't want to read it. All of my friends were being called to all these cool places like Italy, New Zealand and Brazil. How come I got stuck with Salt Lake City Utah?! What, am I going to tell Mormons how to be more Mormon? That is super lame! My dad is going to spend all this money to send me to Utah? Seriously? The next night was my ward trunk or treat and everybody who asked me where I got my mission call started out super excited but as soon as I said Salt Lake City Utah I got a "Ohhh.. Well that will be fun." or "Oh well how nice."I haven't prayed to my Heavenly Father like that in years. That prayer was at least 15 minutes of letting my frustration out, crying my eye balls out and being angry with God. I was furious, I was hurt and I was disappointed. Nobody wants to serve a mission in Utah! I laid in bed for what felt like hours thinking and listening. I hardly slept that night. But the Spirit of comfort that I felt was beyond description. Now I am a very blunt person so when I get answers they are straight to the point. Usually when I write them down I bullet point or number them. This is straight out of my journal when I had written the following Tuesday:
1. Madison bringing souls salvation and teaching them about their God and Savior is not lame. No matter where you serve I am not lame. I would never call you somewhere that I won't need you. Trust me.
2. You know I will make this worth your time. Although you may be teaching others you also learn so much that you can't learn anywhere else.
3. Jeff Ritter, your dad, was called to Denver, Colorado on his mission. That's not Italy or Brazil. He did not turn out lame. Boy, is he such an amazing example isn't he?
4. I called you where my prophet and apostles are. So not lame.
5. This is said a lot and I know you have heard it over and over but it is true. It does not matter where you serve but who you serve. My sheep are everywhere. My children are in Salt Lake City and they need the gospel too. They are not lame.
I have been thinking about these answers for the past 2 weeks and I came to one conclusion. I didn't sign up for this because I wanted to go somewhere foreign and cool. I didn't sign up for this to impress people with where my mission call was. I'm not in it for any of those worldly things. I am here because of my journey, the answers to my prayers and the fact that I love this gospel. No matter where I was called I have the most important job. I submitted my papers because I want those who don't know my Savior to learn about Him and love Him just as much as I do. I want them to know that they are a child of God and that they can be with their families forever. Most importantly I want them to feel the love that their Heavenly Father and their Savior Jesus Christ feel for them. I know that my mission call is where God needs me the most. He has never let me down in the past and there is no way He would let me down now. Watch out Salt Lake City! Hermana Ritter is coming your way!
XOXO, Madison
