Another Week - Happy Pioneer Day!!

  I don't have much time today because p.day is only 3 hours because
Thursday is Pioneer Day and we get that whole day off! Woohoo! Me and
Hermana were thinking about going to a parade in the morning, a
breakfast with our favorite sisters Bauserman and Davidson and then to
"This Is The Place". They speak Spanish too. We love them! 😄💕

  Buuuut... I just wanted to share a quick little message with you
guys. It's about the things that go on in the mind of a missionary. As
a missionary, well at least for me and Hermana Alegrìa, we wake up
thinking about the people we teach, we study about the people we
teach, we plan our day around the people we teach and then we go to
bed thinking about what could we have done better or what more can we
do for the people we teach. We pray about them, we fast for them and
I'm also fat because of them. Hahaha guys they feed me so much and
it's ALL SOOO GOOD 😐💔
  Maybe this is just me I don't know but sometimes as a missionary you
feel like the weight of the world is resting on your shoulders. We had
Ward Council yesterday and let me tell you... I can't say much but ...
the youth in our ward.. They are struggling. Our people are
struggling. The world we live in is struggling. As a missionary you
see it and for some reason feel responsible for it. Last night, I lost
it. In my personal prayer I was crying and then it was my turn to say
companionship prayer and I cried in that prayer. Then I cried after
(PS if you are planning on serving a mission you might as well get
over crying because you are so vulnerable on your mission. Everything
makes you cry...) You know the part in Hunchback of Notre Dame when
Esmeralda goes into the church and she starts singing and asking God
to help her people? She says:

"God bless the outcasts hungry from birth, show them the mercy they
don't find on earth. God help my people we look to you still, God help
them where nobody will.

I ask for nothing, I can get by but I know so many less lucky than I.
Please help my people, the poor and down trod. I thought we all were
children of God."

  Sometimes we feel like Esmeralda and feel like no matter where we
look and what we do it's not going to get better. Sometimes we feel
like we have this huge burden on our shoulders as mothers, fathers,
brothers, sisters etc. It is in these moments when we fall to our
knees and plea with our Heavenly Father to "help our people" like in
the song. I testify of the power of prayer. I testify that when we
pray, we pray to a living and loving Heavenly Father in the name of
our Savior and they are right there waiting to help us feel Their
love. They know us each personally and will help our dreams come true.
We just have to trust. The world will fall but when we are built upon
"the rock of our redeemer which is Christ The Lord, wherein if men
build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12) it won't matter what the world
does because we have the power to stand as witnesses of Christ and our
God.

  My beloved brothers and sisters, this gospel is perfect. Through
Christ we can be as He is. Our potential has no end because we are all
daughters and sons of God, a true king. I invite all people who read
this to come unto Christ. Know Him and find true happiness.

Hermana Ritter