First Week in the Field

Holy cow what a week... And I'm still alive! I have so much to tell so let's begin.

Ok so I got lost in the Mexico airport... Yeah... But this Canadian helped me kinda... Not really... But! I did give him a Mormon.org card. He asked me how many moms I had... I told him one even though I have 4 ;) so I finally found the gate which was hidden in this itty bitty corner where not even the workers at the airport knew where it was. I walked that airport 5 times. 

So I pass out on the plane because I left at 2 in the morning and just stayed up with Baldwin and Aiono. Then in Dallas I don't even know how I got to the correct gate but I took the railway to my gate and called my dad and Melissa. I choked up a little bit. It was an emotional 15 minutes. 

Then I met these missionaries who were coming home from Peru. They gave me some tips and it was really neat. I get on the plane and pass out again. I was so tired! I get to the Salt Lake City airport and the mission Presidents wife gives me this huge hug and I didn't see her face so she scared me haha. 

2 sisters were there and it was my companion and her previous one who was in the process of getting transferred. This is her last 6 weeks on her mission. The mission presidents wife gave us permission to pack and go home and sleep. So I passed out at 4:30 and didn't wake up til 6:30 the next morning. 

BEST. SLEEP. OF. MY. LIFE. 

Woke up and went to meetings for me to be trained and oriented. It was fun... I guess. So after that we moved into a members garage that they made into an apartment. 

That Wednesday I had a chance to go to the temple with Hermana Alegrìa, who is my current companion now, and a couple who was her investigators in the beginning of her mission. They were receiving their endowments. After we did all that we proceeded into the Celestial room in the temple. Hermana Alegrìa got caught up a little longer than I did so I sat on a couch by myself. 

Ok so if you are feeling down or having a bad day read this part over and over and it will make you laugh. So I am sitting on this couch and this 70 year old Mexican man comes up to me and asks if I am single. I say yes but I am serving my mission. He proceeds to tell me that his bishop told him to look for his eternal companion in the celestial room because he is recently divorced. After finishing his story he gives me a business card with his name on it and tells me "I'll wait for you". Yup... I got asked out on my mission... By a 70 year old man. Not even sure if he'll be alive when I get back. I also got to go to a temple sealing for the couple in Spanish as well. THAT WAS AWESOME!

Anyways, we have been teaching like crazy! My Spanish is terrible and I feel like an idiot out here. But I can for sure tell this is where I am suppose to be. Saturday our 6:30 appointment cancelled and so we just started walking. There came a point where we came up to a road that went right or left. Hermana Alegrìa asked which way I wanted to go and I insisted we pray. So we prayed right there on the corner and I had a feeling to go left. Not even 5 houses down was a family trying to set up a volleyball net. We stopped and helped them set it up and then played ball with them! It was so much fun and they kept making fun of me because I would say "Kill it" every time then went up to spike it. 

And guess what?! They want us to come back. One of the guys we played with wanted us to come back and teach him and his parents. He is in his 30's at least and his parents are old! I may not speak Spanish but I can ball! When we were walking away Hermana Alegrìa told me missionaries have been trying to contact that family for a while and we just walked up like that. I testify that God answers prayers and that through the Holy Ghost we can align our lives with Gods will. He knows best!

Right now it's really hard because I feel really awkward. Everyone around me speaking fluent Spanish and I probably understand 10% of it... The investigators love Hermana Alegrìa and the previous sister so they talk about her all the time. I never know when to laugh at jokes or say awe when something sad has happened. I look like a bubble brain but esta bien. Ward council was hard because I didn't know what they were saying either. I just feel so AWKWARD. 

Plus me and Hermana Alegrìa are kinda awkward with each other because we both got along so well with our previous companions and now we are both completely different people. She is really serious. Super kind and patient but serious. She talks most of the time with the small talk and I just sit there pale and awkward hahaha. We are trying me leading the lessons this week and it's going really good. I just don't say much because I don't know how to say it. I wish I knew Spanish hahaha. 

Other than that I am really good. Just sad because I am missing my Elders and Hermanas from the CCM. Really home sick too but that'll be over soon now that the first week is over. It's super cold here and I'm freezing. The district is super chill. 

We have a baptism this week with a single mom in her late 20's with 5 kids. Her oldest is 8 and he's getting baptized too. Her husband is in jail for drugs but he his friend set him up. The moms name is Soccorro and she still know nothing about what happened to her husband.

Anyways that's all to report. I love you all so very much.

Con todo mi corazon y mi amor,
Hermana Ritter

PS... You can find Madi's mission Facebook page by searching on Hermana Madison Ritter. Sadly, she cannot add you if you are from home but you can follow her by peeking in from time to time.
https://www.facebook.com/hermana.ritter

Last P-day at the CCM (MTC)

I cannot believe my time in the CCM is almost up. Our district is like family and we are all sooo sad to be leaving each other. We have all grown so close as we learn how to teach God's children. 

There really isn't anything to report this week. The spanish is coming along good.. Kinda. I am so nervous to go into the field but I know that I have our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ on my side. 

I got really sick this week. The food is making both me and my companion really sick. We had to stay home and I felt so bad because you are told that this is the Lord's time. Work work work is the motto! Today we had a district picnic and made peanut butter and nutela sandwiches! It was so much fun.

I am so grateful to be representing my Savior and His work. This is truly God's work and church. I can testify to you all that God and His Son Jesus Christ lives and loves us all. I know that through the Atonement of Christ all can find peace in this life and the life after. I know families are forever and that we can all live together with God again. 

Thanks for everyone who has supported me in walking this path. Next Prep Day I will be in the states and working in the field. Can't wait to harvest!

Todo mi amor y mi corazon!

Hermana Ritter

Week 4 at the MTC

Can you believe that I only have 2 more weeks before I get out into the field? Everyone is freaking out in our district because we know no Spanish! Thank goodness for the Gift of Tongues and the Holy Ghost during our lessons!

I hope and pray that everyone got a chance to watch Conference this weekend because it was totally AWESOME! I learned so much. As a missionary you are not only listening for yourself but for your investigators, your family and anything with a soul that you can teach the gospel to. It was exhausting but so much fun! Everything can be applied into our lives! I loved when they prayed for the missionaries! It was a confirmation to me that ALL missionaries were called and set apart by the power of God to teach this gospel. Such an amazing feeling to feel the support of the church. The one thing that really stood out to me was how urgent all the talks were. Whether it was strengthen your testimony, build your foundation on the Savior, spread the Gospel, or declare your beliefs they urge you to do it NOW. Do not procrastinate. The world is not going to get better so you need to do it now. Also to love our fellow men no matter the sin. I LOVED CONFERENCE. Oh and I also watched the General Women's Broadcast! I cried when the sang "Teach Me To Walk In the Light" since that's what I would sing to Lilly when she cried or sang to Brookie. I cried like a baby. You are just so vulnerable on your mission. I hate it. Hahaha. All the messages were so amazing but my favorite was Elder Neil L. Anderson's talk. So crazy good! If you haven't already, go and watch General Conference on lds.org.

Our investigator's are going really well. We have 3 that are committed to baptism. One of our investigators name is Maria. Her husband drinks a lot, she has 2 sons and works to provide because her husband is unemployed. Every time we would ask her to pray she wouldn't and it was because she thought God was mad at her :( In my personal study, prayer and through personal revelation I have come to know that we have a loving Heavenly Father. He is not a punishing God, He just withholds blessings when we makes choices that lead us away from Him. All commandments are there for the purpose of bringing us closer to God by putting us in the place to feel His love and Spirit in our lives. Maria told us that she had tried to abort a baby back when she was younger because she didn't have a husband and that it didn't work. She then put it up for adoption because she knew she wasn't ready. Immediately after she had finished telling her story me and Hermana Baldwin looked at each other and it was like we knew exactly what each other was thinking. We taught the Plan of Salvation and focused on Christ's Atonement. The Spirit was so strong. It is instances like this where I am honored to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! God and these people trust us with their salvation. I love being a missionary.

Se que mi Salvador vive y por medio Su Expiacion pudemos volve vivir con Su y nuestro Padre Celestial. Se que JesuCristo viviendo para nos y ame nos. Se que Jose Smith fue llamamiendo de Dios y restuarado Dios Iglesia en la tierra en los ultimos dias. Amo mi Salvador y mi Dios con todo mi corazon. Dizo las palabras en el nombre de JesuCristo, amen.

Todo mi corazon y mi amor, Hermana Ritter

Half Way Done... Well, with the MTC anyway

Hello friends and family,

This week has been an eventful week and I am having so much fun! I cannot believe that I am already half way done with the MTC. Through out the week I always say that I have to write my family that but I always end up forgetting when the time actually comes!

The language is coming along pretty well and I am very surprised! I have learned more in these 3 weeks than I did taking 3 years of Spanish. It amazes me how much the Spirit can teach and help you remember. Universities have stayed at the CCM and studied the process and none have managed to duplicate the process. That's just another testimony of the role the spirit has in learning the gospel and how Heavenly Father helps His servants.

My companion and I are getting along great... A little too good sometimes because it's hard for us to focus. The district is so close and we all really enjoy each other's company! On Monday's we have district volleyball for gym and seriously I sweat more from laughing than I do playing! Most of the guys are more musical than athletic so it's fun to watch them get excited when they actually get it over the net. I am truly blessed!

This week was really hard because for a couple days after P.Day I was really homesick. I missed Jackson and Lilly so much I could hardly stand it. I felt like I completely bombed at Spanish and I hadn't felt the spirit with our investigator yet. I felt like the worst missionary in the world. Hermana Baldwin would tell me after "The spirit was so strong" and I wouldn't feel a thing. We are teaching this man Kevin who thinks his life is perfect, he doesn't need the gospel and just let us in because he wants his member friend off his back. He likes to go to fiestas and partake of life.. A lot! Hahaha! All the others who were teaching him before us (he is our teacher but we treat him like a real investigator) would come in the room after teaching him and be in emotional pieces. They told us before hand that they didn't like him and that he was "difficult". Me and Hermana Baldwin made a decision that we weren't going to assume and just teach him like we didn't hear all of what the others said. I am so glad we decided that before hand. He was for sure not as bad as everyone said he was. He was just a normal guy who hadn't known any better. Most of my district are mainstream Mormons and so I think they had a rude awakening. We taught an amazing lesson but I still didn't feel anything. On Monday we taught Kevin again and I was an emotional wreck on the inside. I was just really sad. The spirit was so strong and I think was because I taught in humility. Kevin told us that he believed God didn't love sinners and I testified with power I didn't know I had that God loved him despite of his sins. I told him that God loves all His children and invites them all to change to live through the gospel of Jesus Christ to find happiness in this life. Hermana Baldwin and I went into an empty classroom and broke down. We are so grateful and humble to be here!

Oh how I love this gospel and praying to my Heavenly Father. I pray for so much and I can feel in my heart that He is listening. I know with every fever of my body that this gospel is true and blesses families. It is the one true way to have complete and pure happiness. I know that my Redeemer lives, that He loves each and everyone of us and that only through Him can we return to live with our Father in Heaven. 

All my love! Hermana Ritter

PS as a side note (this is Nikki speaking) I'd like to share what a small world it is with you. Madi's companion, Hermana Baldwin, is the daughter of a boy I went to school with from K-3 and 5-7 grades. Does it get any more amazing than that? I asked Madi to see if her companion knew anyone in her family named Cade Baldwin who lived in Riverside, Id when he was little. "That's my DAD!!!!!' She replied. Pretty fun coincidence! :)