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