Wednesday, December 30, 2015

And a Happy New Year!! 12/28/2015

This week has been so crazy! Saddest thing first: I am being transferred. :( I am so sad... I couldn't believe it when they called us..I just got here!! And I love this area. It is one of my favorite areas that I have ever served in. But I know I will love my next one just as much! I am going to Santa Maria with Hermana Hurley! There will now only be 4 Sister Training Leaders in the whole mission, so that is why they had to move me I think. Because they shut down the other STL area, and Hna Griffes has already been companions with Hna. Hurley, and Hna. Cueves has already served twice in Santa Maria. I'm sure there are other reasons too...the Lord always has a plan for us even if we can't see the big picture like he can! My new address will be

220 E. Grant St. #95
Santa Maria, CA 93454

Other than that news, this last week was great! :) 

Shout out to Shay's birthday on the 22nd - I hope it was great! :) 

On the 23rd we helped Pedro's family make Tamales! They turned out pretty good for us being white girls...we are professional tamal makers now. I will have to make you all some when I get back! 

Christmas eve we were able to spend some time at the mission home with a bunch of other missionaries. Pres. and Sis Felix had family come visit, and their grand kids performed the nativity for us! It was super cute. We also went caroling as a district on both Christmas Eve and Christmas. 

Christmas eve, Hna. Griffes and I pulled our matresses out to the living room and we read Luke 2 (and the cute little book you sent us mom!) and sang silent night and slept in front of the Christmas tree in our new fuzzy pajamas. :)  

CHRISTMAS I got to talk to you all and it was so good! but holy cow was that the fastest phone call or what?! I don't even know what we talked about. We also went and "Angel attacked" the Mission Home. We cut out a bunch of little angels and had all of the missionaries in Ventura write on them how President and Sister Felix had been angels to us. Then we had dinner with Maria and Salvador. (Maria was baptized the transfer before I came, and Salvador is going to be baptized right after I leave!) They were so fun. The power went out in the middle of the dinner, so Maria went and grabbed her oil lamp and said, "Oh now we will have a romantic dinner!") haha. :) 

Thank you everyone, for all of the cards and presents you sent! Christmas was so fun! It was so fun to be a missionary at Christmas. It is a little bit better than every other time of the year because everyone automatically is thinking about Christ. They are so much more open to us sharing a message about Christ and his birth! It was awesome to be able to focus so much on the true meaning of Christmas, and be able to share that with others. With the new year coming, try to make every day like Christmas. To remember HIM every day and the purpose of why we are here. 

Also, our ward mission leader bought the elders these super fancy ties and told us that what he bought for us hadn't come yet. We went over to their house yesterday, and he had ordered us these super cute new bags! He is the best. Seriously, I will miss the Hernandez family so much! They told me I could come back and live with them after my mission. :)

Like I said earlier, I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us, and that everything that happens - every trial we go through, every test we are given, every happy moment, it is all out of God's love for us. Christ was born so that he could come to save us. From the beginning, God's purpose is to bring about the salvation and eternal life of man. Sometimes we are given trials and times of testing to bring about the same thing - because God has a bigger plan for us. To bring us home to him. In everything that happens, try to ask God what lesson he is trying to teach you, because there is always a reason.

I love you all! I hope you have a great week! AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! I can't believe it's already going to be 2016... 

<3 Hermana Trystan Ricks


last elf on the shelf!


angel attack!


our candle lit Christmas dinner! :)

Ask dad what it means...

just kidding...THIS was the last elf on the shelf attack. :)

makin tamales

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