I'm Having A Baby!!

I have so much excitement for this transfer it's ridiculous! I'm just so happy because I'm having a baby! I get to train this transfer and I'm so excited that President has given me a second chance to be a leader and example!!! Her name is Hermana Mena and she comes from North Carolina! I can hardly stand it, I can't wait for her to get her!

There is one thing that I have learned from this transfer and that's what kind of missionary I want to be. I knew what kind of missionary I wanted to before but I didn't how I guess? Hermana Sosa showed me what kind of missionary I don't want be (no hard feelings or nothin) and Hermana Alegrìa showed me the way I can be the best missionary I can be. I am so excited for the future now. I just have so much enthusiasm for the work and I know it's going to be such a challenge but I know Heavenly Father will help me to train this missionary. I have so much to do and so much to work on but I'm so excited!

Also, yesterday we went to go work with some English wards to plan a neighborhood party to get their neighbors out of their houses so we can find new people to teach! We received like 6 referrals just by going to the English Ward councils! Imagine how many we are going to get by this neighborhood party! I just know that Heavenly Father is blessing our area because I've been trying my best with the area. Sometimes I felt overwhelmed because Hermana Sosa doesn't have an iPad and so I do all the planning and calling and confirming and updating and weekly planning and lessons and.. She really TRUNKY and she... Just is such a sweet spirit and I was so lucky to have had her as a companion because I learned SO MUCH from her 😜👍

My dear friends and family, I testify that God knows every single one of us. I thought that if my companion wasn't doing what she was suppose to, the area would suffer. It's not like that at all. This week I worked so hard and tried my best. I know that we are starting to see the ball roll from all our hard work! He knows that I've been doing it all by my self and He has carried me through this week! I love my Savior Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father. They watch over us with Their angels. I hope you all have a great week and don't be shy to write me back!

Hermana Ritter

That awkward moment when it's cold outside 

and you find your companion warming up with her lunch. :-)

A few selfies with the Elders :-)

I Was in the Principal's Office

Hola hola hola mis amados amigos y familia! Cómo están? Espero qué todo esta bien y Dios les bendiga

I have so much to write about this week but I don't even know where to start.. A mission has its way of exploiting your flaws... But in a good way. If that makes sense? So I'm going to tell you all about my experience that I have had this week and how my mission is constantly changing me to become more like my Savior so that you can take from it what you need and learn from my experience.!

So this past week has been pretty good actually! We have been having a lot of meetings and stuff to where we are not teaching as much and we are things get to know the ward a little better so that they want to come out with us. Over all our numbers are not very good but we are trying to work as hard as we can. So that part of the mission is going pretty good. It can always be better but sometimes areas pass through a time where it slows down a little and you have to look for new people. That's where we are.

Now what was really interesting is what actually happened in the companionship this week. So I got got chastened by my mission president really bad... Hahaha. This week I've been trying my hardest to get right up at 6:25 and go out running in our could-sack because I always feel great after I run and exercise... Who knew that God actually gave me mission rules to feel better 😜 so anyways I'm not perfect and I didn't always go running sometimes you're so tired you crawl out of bed and fall asleep while doing push-ups.. Poco a poco... Hahaha it's something I am constantly repenting for. But... I kept having the prompting that I should be really careful with my companion about the phone and her iPad. I kept thinking nah... You just heard some things and you're not even giving her a chance. You're not perfect or follow the rules to exactness you'll be a hypocrite. Finally, Saturday night I told my district leader all that was happening with my companion and well.. Him and the Sister Training Leaders decided to tell President. Sunday morning comes around and we get a call from president and he comes and finds us. I was the first one he wanted to talk to. Oh my goodness... Best interview of my life! And let me tell you why..

I got chastised so bad. He made me tell him all that was happening and then he told me that next time I shouldn't act like a high schooler thinking that I'd be a snitch for telling on her. Then he told me he was disappointed because he gave me this companion to be a leader and that I was acting, literally he said, I was acting like a wimp. Hahaha. He reminds me so much of grandpa and dad. It made me think of all those times I wanted to give up or be lazy or complain. Dad or mom would always say "You're not a wimp are ya?" or "Ritters aren't wimps!" He told me he knows that I have so much more. One other thing he said was that my personality can be so dangerous if I am not on the Lord's side. It's ok to be confident and stubborn as long as we are doing it in the Lords way hahaha. I love my mission president so much!

I learned that we cannot help one another if we do not say anything and stand there in silence. There is no way. Hermana Sosa has decided to end her mission a little earlier than planned... I can't help but think that if I would've said something that I was promoted to maybe it would've have changed her mind. When we are bold and loving and listen to e spirit we can't go wrong and I forgot that. I forgot that I have and always will be a leader. Heavenly Father has always put me in those situations and given me those opportunities. Sometimes we just forget who we are and it's through these kind of experiences, like the one I had, that Heavenly Father calls it to our remembrance.

Guys, nobody is perfect and we are all here to learn. There is this video on Mormon.org that is called The Will of God. Watch it. I put it in is email below. It talks about how God chastens us because He loves us and wants us to grow. He knows what is best for us and how we can achieve it. By constantly striving for the corrections of Heavenly Father we can become like Him and His Son Jesus Christ. There is a scripture in Proverbs that says:

11 My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction:
12 For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
Proverbs 3:11-13

I am so grateful for my mission and the opportunity I have to grow from it. I testify of correction. It is the only way we can become like our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. I testify that through trials and chastening we not only come to know God and His Son but the plan he has for us. I am so grateful They have given me the opportunity to repent and move forward everyday. They live and there is not a doubt in my heart that this is true. This is their church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on the earth once again restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I am learning so much about life, the gospel and myself. For anyone who is debating whether or not to go on a mission... GO! But allow it to change you. I love you all and hope that you have a fantastic week!

Hermana Ritter

The Will of God
God uses love-inspired correction to guide us to a future we do not or cannot now envision but which He knows is the better way for us.

So we totally had dinner with some Americans and well... They asked us

what we wanted for dinner and mentioned a Dutch oven... Ahhh! Made me

miss Nana and Poppy and camping! They made peach and berry cobbler!

This is Marlene Amaya! One of the craziest people and funniest people

I have ever met! She's really kind and was inactive for a really time.

She served a mission too! Yesterday she final,y got her temple

recommend after 10 years! She was so happy! I love her...

That awkward moment when your district leader calls for numbers and

you're already in your PJs so you put on coat because you're too lazy

to change hahaha. And it's the middle of summer so you're not fooling

anyone...

Lucia is finally baptized! Yayyy! Love this family soooo much!

Interesting Week

Hola Amigos! How is everyone doing? I hope everyone is doing good!

  Well... This week has been nothing but eventful... I guess I'll off
Friday so you'll get the whole picture. Last Friday, we had exchanges
the sister training leaders and I found 2 more people to teach which
is really awesome. Then Saturday morning we go to have lesson and the
lady ended up not being there so we headed back to our apartment. Not
even kidding, with in 10 feet of their house the Sister Training
Leader got a flat tire and then within another 10 feet my bike
received a flat tire. So we call the Cotners, they drop off my bike to
get it fixed at the bike shop because my tire needed to be trued, then
took Hermana Sosa's bike to their house to fix it and gave us new
bikes to use Saturday and Sunday because mine wouldn't be ready til
Monday. With all that we go on our way and we contact this referral
and we are talking to her on her porch trying to get to know her. All
of the sudden you hear this BOOM! It literally sounded like someone
got shot. So thinking that a gun went off the Lady says we can come in
to get some juice. We end up having a really good lesson and go to
leave only to find that it was Hermana Sosa's bike tire that had
exploded. Soooo ridiculous. So we leave the bikes there and end up
walking anyways until Monday. We got to play volleyball for p.day
again. It feels so great! I miss it...

  So we get our bikes Monday and we have a great FHE and then the next
day we have an 11 o'clock lesson with Claudia and Raul and we are
actually going there to tell them that we are dropping them. Well on
our way there I go to get in front of Hermana Sosa so she can follow
me because she's still new to the area but... I miss judge how high
the curb was. I completely eat it. I flew over my handle bars and got
my chin, hands and knees pretty good. Lucky I crashed in front of a
physical therapy place so one guy helps me in, they patch me up and I
get on my bike to go to the appointment we are currently late for. We
get to their house and they're sleeping. Won't answer. Well my head
started hurt really bad and there was no way I could get back up the
hill so I call my District Leader and he happened to be with a member
getting pizza in a truck. They take our bikes and the Zone Leader he
was with knew an English speaking sister that could help. So she
patches me up even more and the Elders gave me a blessing. The sister
took us home and told me to take a nap so I could feel better.Can I
just say how much I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost? We get
home and I go to lay down but I had a feeling that I shouldn't and I
needed to call Sister Swain. By his time my head and jaw are hurting
really bad. So I call her, she calls a senior couple and they take me
to the Clinic. Long story short I was in the hospital because of a
concussion. It was so embarrassing! Hahaha..

   But the reason that I wanted to share this story was not to worry
my mom and all of you guys but to testify. In the blessing given by
the Elders, I clearly remember him saying "These next few moments of
this challenge are going to be hard but this experience was given to
humble you to know that God is very close and He loves you." I knew
this transfer was going to be SO hard. I knew it the moment we
started. By no means did I know that it was going to be this hard. I
know God lives and loves me personally. He was there those night when
I couldn't even shower without crying, those mornings when my head
felt like it was going to explode or those afternoons where I wanted
to go out and teach but I couldn't because of the Doctor's orders. I
learned how to use the atonement in a completely new light this week.
I grew closer to my Savior and Heavenly Father just through a stupid
bike accident. Yeah, I'm not going to have every single transfer be
like the ones with Hermana Alegrìa or have the relationship we did.
I'm not going to always have a companion that's focused on the work.
I'm not perfect and sometimes will fall.. Literally and spiritually
hahaha 😜👍 but I know that when I try MY best in all that I do that
Heavenly  Father will bless the area. I know it's going to all work
out.

  I love this gospel so much and in every way, shape and form it is
perfect. WE WILL HAVE TRIALS. I can promise you that but what makes
the difference is our confidence in our Savior and His sacrifice He
gave for every single one of us. I love you all and hope to hear from
you! The church is true!

Hermana Ritter

Quick Letter

  So this week has been the most stressful horrifying week of my
life... Not true but it was horrible emotionally. I am such a wreck.
It's hard when your companion was so experienced and obedient and was
so loved. Now it's me who barely knows the area and my comp is really
struggling. She is TRUNKY! Hahaha.

  It was pouring rain Monday and Tuesday while we were trying to find.
Then it was exchanges on Friday and I stayed. Exchanges were really
fun! Then the next Morning both me and Hermana Bauserman got flat
tires so we took our bikes to the bike shop and replaced them with
other ones til Monday. But! Wait for it... While we were teaching a
lesson at the door we heard a noise like someone got shot. So the lady
let us in and when we went to get on our bikes we had a pleasant
surprise that her bike tire exploded.

  I'm a little out of my comfort zone right now and I feel like I'm
learning but only learning through failure hahaha. I am so very
grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow from my mission. Yes,
we all go through a little rough patches in our lives but with the
Saviors help we can get through anything. I know my letter is really
short but I am running out of time. We had a lot of stuff to do today.
I love you all and an sending my love a prayers your way!

Hermana Ritter