California Ventura Mission: The Holidays have begun!! 11/30/2015

What a week! So first off, I got to go to my first MLC (Mission Leadership Council) meeting this week and it was SO AMAZING!!!! Holy cow. Basically we get to be with the mission president all day and discuss the needs of the mission. And man, do we have an amazing mission president! On tuesday, Sister Felix asked me to accompany a song for the Christmas zone conference we are going to have on the 15th/17th. I said yes, and then she told me we were going to record it on December 1... so all week I have been practicing like crazy! But the cool thing is that they offered for us to come to the mission home to practice. So every day we have been able to go and hang out at the mission president's home. I told Sister Felix that I have never practiced the piano so much and that my mom would be proud. ;)

Also at the mission home! We got to eat Thanksgiving dinner with President and Sister Felix and a few other sets of missionaries! I was so glad. Sister Felix makes such good food. For the dinner, they had wrapped little paper in tin-foil and placed them inside the rolls so we could open then and answer the questions after dinner. Mine asked why I was grateful for my companion. Hermana Griffes and I get along great! She is such a patient person and so good at communicating. It makes it really easy for us to have unity and I have seen it really bless us in the lessons we teach. She is super fun too!

Basically, it feels like this week has just been filled with MLC, praciting the piano, and eating way too much food everyday. But! We did also found I think 4 new families to teach that are all solid! We found one man sitting outside and started talking to him and found out that his wife had passed away and he has three kids. We talked to him a little more and then asked if we could teach his kids a song. We had to sit outside the front door because we can't enter into a house without another woman, but the kids all gathered in the walk way and we taught them, "I Am a Child of God" and then how to pray. At the end of singing the song the little boy, Jose, just started clapping like crazy because he was really excited about the song. :) We then asked if we could come back and the dad said to the kids, "Do you want them to come back?" And the kids screamed, "YEAH!!!" So we are going back. :) All of the families we found are really awesome - we are stoked.

I also got to see Emily again! And her dad and brother. :) And it was while we were waiting for the branch president to sign a baptismal paper so we got to talk for a little while! It wasn't as weird this time, so we actually could talk like normal people rather than just hugging and saying "this is weird!" hahaha :)

Also mom! Thank you SO MUCH for the Christmas decorations and CDs!!! We have been decking out for Christmas all week. I will send pictures. You da best. If you haven't watched, "A Savior is Born" yet - WATCH IT!!! It is so powerful.

So I was reading general conference talks and I read President Monson's. It is SO GOOD!! I was too worried about him while he was giving it that I didn't really understand what he was saying, but I definitely recommend reading it. It is so good. :) And I read President Uchtdorf's about Great Aunt Rose and holy cow that one is so good too. I know that we have living prophets today, and I am so grateful for their guidance.

I love you all! Have a great week!

<3 Hermana Trystan Ricks