10-31-2011

Hola mis Amigos y Familia!!!

    

          Happy Halloween!!!! I wish I could be there to celebrate with all of you, but I will just enjoy myself here in Maipú. It is strange, but there dont even celebrate Halloween here. Crazy how something so big for all of us is just another day in other parts of the world.  It is a little disappointing just because I love this holiday so much. 

          This last Saturday we had the Baptism of Joel Pavon.  Everyone  always has there story about how the font was super cold the day of there baptism.  I wanted to make sure Joel didn´t have this same experience.  Unfortunately, I made the water a little to hot... Oops. ha ha We were all laughing so hard as Joel slowly got into the water saying.... Yikes about every two seconds... I wish I could have recorded it. I am sure the for ever the word will talk about the Sister Missionary that instead of baptizing little childred likes to cook them.  Ha ha I will make sure that never happens again. 

          I am also very happy that this Saturday we will be having the Baptism of Matias Pizarro. I have been working with him for a very long time, and he is finally ready. He still has his little doubts, but have the faith that with a little more time he will understand everything better. It never ceases to amaze me the great faith that some of these wonderful children of god have.  I don´t thing they realize how much the are helping me in the process of there conversion.

          I love the work with all my heart.  I am so grateful for  my wonderful companion and all the work that we get done together.  I can´t believe how quickly the time is passing us by.  I will do my very best to show all the love of our Savior in the next week, and hope you all can do the same.  Have a wonderful week.  

                       Ciao,

                            Hermana Marlene Ricks

10-24-2011

Hola Mis Amigos y Familia,

          This week was another really interesting and fun time like always.... Hermana Haskell and I made some really great progress with some of our harder investigators, and almost all of them has baptismal dates. Actually at the moment almost all of our investigators have parents that are members, but there children just haven´t accepted the gospel yet in there lives.  Its is so crazy to me how they can see how much the gospel blesses there parents lifes, and still not really want to be involved.  I guess there is always a little fear in change, and this can often stop us from experiencing a better life. Well I have a lot of faith that we will be seeing some great progress with all of them in the next little while. Please remember to keep the missionaries in your prayers.... every little bit helps. :)

          Poor Hermana Haskell.  There was so much that I had forgotten that I went through as an adjustment to the new life style here in Argentina.... There are many things that just don´t gross me out any more, but she is experiencing the all for the first time.... a few days ago I pulled a off of the shelf getting ready to make us some dinner (Hna. Haskell has not cook once since we have been together... ha ha I don´t mind at all. I rather enjoy cooking... anyway... we really are like a husband and wife.  I do the cooking and she cleans the dishes... its a lot of fun) well right on the top of plate a cockroach and recently shead its skeleton... ha ha she immediately started to mildly dry heave.... ha ha ha the mission is wonderful. I will never forget the memories that I am making here, and it will be a lot of fun to look back on them for the rest of my life.

          Well I have to go. I love you all so much and pray that you have a wonderful week. Be safe and enjoy all the many blessings that the Lord gives us. :)

                       Ciao,

                           Hermana Ricks

10-17-2011

10-17-2011

Hola Mis Amigos y Familia,

          It has truly been an amazing week.  We had the Baptism of Sebastian Noto.  Finally, I have been teaching him for the last five months.  I can´t believe that I have been in Maipú for five months now.  The time really is flying by.  There are definately times that I wish I could take hold of it and just slow it down a little, but I have not proven to be very successful. With every passing day it seems to continue to speed up.  

          I am really excited for the time that Hna. Haskell and I still have together.  We are working on some projects that I feel are going to be very successful for the work.  We are hoping to start this week (however, it may take till next) a ward FHE every Friday in which one family of the word with give a short lesson and then there will be games, mate (a tea drink that everyone drinks at least 3 times a day), and maybe a church film depending on the time. Our goal is that the members will invite a friend to come with them, and we will be able to teach in a light hearted friendly environment.  Plus it will be great that they will be making friends with other members of the word right off the bat. Wish us luck, and keep us in your prayers.... I know that this can be great!  

          I love you all so much, and am grateful for your prayers.  The work it wonderful, and there are so many people that are just waiting to hear our message. The challange is finding them. Please always keep the missionaries in your prayers, and if you have any extra time give your stake missionaries a call, and see if there is anything that you could help them with. Let us all do are very best to move the work along.  We have so much to do!  I love you all so very much, and I hope you have a wonderful week. I will talk to you again soon.

                   Ciao,

                       Hermana Ricks

10-10-2011

10-10-2011

Hola Mis Amigos y Familia!!!!

         I will start with the funny story this week, and move into the spiritual :)... the other day we were just walking through the streets when we saw this little boy out in his front yard just peeing on a tree. Hermana Haskell was a little shocked not because he was peeing, but because he was doing it right next to a more busy road where all could see. Ha Ha I told her that was the first time I had ever seen that is Argentina. Then not even 10 minutes later we were in the Plaza and we were just walking down one of the main sidewalks.  I was looking down at my planner so I wasn´t really watching were I was going when all of the sudden my companion gasps and pulls me to an immediate stop. I looked at her confused and then looked to were her eyes were locked.  About an inch from my leg there was a constant stream of pee coming through the air from a little boy that was standing in the door way of the clothing store. ha ha CLOSE CALL!!!! An older man right behind us bursts out in Jolly Laughter.  Once we got over the shock we too were able to enjoy the humor of the situation for the rest of the evening. Well I love my little Hna. Haskell.  She and I are becoming very very fast friends.  I am excited to see all the other experiences we have together.   

         This week was amazing filled with many miracles.  I think there are so many times in our lives that the Lord is constantly blessing us, but because we have so many other things going on we don´t see all that he truly does.  With the responsibilities of Senior Companion I have had a lot of fears also, but the Lord just helps me more and more every day. I can´t believe all that he is doing for me. Yesterday was Fast Sunday.  I was really excited to take this time to think about our investigators, and the ones I care about back home. I can´t count all the miracles I saw because of our fast.  We ended up having 8 people in church, and a bunch of less active families that we have been working with. I feel so blessed to be a part of this work right now.  I feel like my life is the one that is truly receiving all the blessings. I am definately always changing for the better the more I serve out here.  I love you all, and hope you have a wonderful week. The work is going wonderfully, but all the missionaries can always use the extra prayers. LOVES

                      Ciao,

                           Hermana Ricks

10-3-2011

10-3-2011

Hola Mis Amigos!

          Wow this week was absolutely crazy! I absolutely love my new companion Hermana Haskell from Tooele Utah.  She is so much fun, and we have already found so many things that we have in common.  I was terrified to say the least that I would be all on my own this week, but I have literally seen miracles. Not just with myself, but with some of our investigators as well. As far as the Language goes the Lord without a doubt has been working through me the last few days.  I have been able to speak with the fluency that I had no idea I possesed.  I know that this is only because of the help the Lord has given me through answered prayers. 

          We had a few appointments with some of our investigator that we have been working with for awhile (like 4 months).  I had been getting a little disappointed with them lately, but this week we expressed the urgency they should feel for baptism. Both of them had had previous date for baptism that fell through because they didn´t feel ready. Anyway, after conference they both expressed their understanding and desire to be baptized. We have one scheduled for the following Saturday, and the other for the week after that. Truly the work of the Lord is amazing, and I am awed every day as we see the hand of the Lord in all of our lives.

          I absolutely loved conference, and am always a little sad when it is over.  I feel as though I have finished a good book.  Unfortunately with conference I can go back and read the last few chapters at least 10 more times. :) There were so many wonderful messages, but one that I particularly enjoyed was to, ¨Always look up.¨ We will always have trials and decisions that we need to be making in our lives.  Lets never forget to keep the Lord involved in every aspect of our lives.  I love you all so much.  I miss you, but whenever I am having the hard days I will just remember to, Älways look up.¨ I hope you have a wonderful week, and figure out how you can apply the sweet messages of conference into your lives.

                         Ciao,

                            Hermana Ricks