Hello everyone!! happy memorial day! I have so many things to share
with you from this week. Hopefully I will have time to type all of
them.
So on Tuesday,
Hermana Green and I went to try and contact a few people in a
neighborhood before we went to go do service. A lot of little things
happened to put us right in the path of a lady named Ramona! She was
walking her dog. We started talking to her, and soon found out that she
had talked to missionaries before and had a Book of Mormon at home. She
expressed that she was Catholic but had recently stopped going to church
because she just didn't agree with some things, and she felt really
frustrated about religion. We explained what the Book of Mormon was that
she had, and how the true church of Jesus Christ had been restored in
it's fullness! We testified to her that she could pray to Heavenly
Father about these things, and promised her that he would answer her
prayers. She said, "Oh! You're making me all emotional! I was just going
on a walk and thinking about all of these things, and then I met you
two!" Hermana Green then told her how whenever she feels emotional, or a
rush of hope come through her, or a feeling of peace, or something that
makes her want to cry, she knows that it is the spirit testifying that
something is true. Romona is from San Fransisco, but she gave us her
address and number and said the missionaries could come visit her. :) It
was such a miracle! Then right as she walked away, Hermana Green told
me that she was praying in her head and said, "Okay Heavenly Father, I
really want to talk to Ivan (guy we met a few weeks ago that we were
trying to contact, but he was awkwardly sitting in his car) so if he
walks out of his car in 5 seconds we will go and talk to him." So she
counted to 5 in her head, and then of course - out walks Ivan!
Wednesday was also pretty crazy, but for a much different reason. The other Hermana's car had broken down Tuesday night, so Wednesday
morning we were driving them to and from the mechanic and the towing
company and everything like that. Then we went to the library so that I
could do My Plan, and as we went to leave I had the weirdest feeling
that someone had stolen something from me! I checked in my bag and I had
my wallet and everything there, so I thought. Hmm. Weird. I must be
making something up. Well. We got out to the car, and Hna Green was
backing me up (cause we have weird missionary rules where we can't back
up without a backer upper) and I went to grab my lemonade and saw that
it wasn't in the cup holder. So I looked up, and it was all dumped into
the glove box! I thought,"Pues. Hermana Green definitely did not do
that." Then I realized that everything was shuffled through and thrown
around, and some hooligan had tried to rob stuff from our car! I hope
they took of Book of Mormon. But the incredible part is that they didn't
even see the credit card we have in the glove box for gas, or Hermana
Griffes GPS that she is letting me borrow that was sitting on the
dash... There must have been some ninja angels in there!
Fast forward to Friday.
We were out walking in the morning, and right before we got back to our
apartment we heard this man yelling, "HELP! HELP!! I'VE LOST MY WAY!"
We thought, oh no...a drunk person." But we looked up and saw this cute
little Chinese man way down the road in a panic! So we went over to him,
and he told us in very broken English that he was visiting from china
and he had gone for a morning walk and gotten lost! He said, "I was
hoping you could give me a lift! I thought I would know the way but then
I lost my way - what a pity!" hahahah it was so cute. He knew his
address, which happened to be right down the road from the church. So we
told him we could walk back with him. He was SO grateful for us and
kept telling us how kind we were. He asked us if we could bring him a
picture because he wanted to remember us for forever. So of course we
took him a Chinese Book of Mormon that has been kicking around in our
trunk ever since Hna Green was here last time. Coincidence? No. He was
really excited about that too and said he would start reading it that
night. :) He also gave us his address in China so that we can write him
when he goes back! :) Most productive exercises of my mission. For
sure.
Saturday
Efren, Hernan, and Ursula all had their baptismal interviews! (Surprise
- his name is Efren - not Efrain. We've all been calling him the wrong
name for the next month...awkward.) They totally passed. They are so
genius. We were teaching them Friday
night, and they all remember all of the 10 commandments, the name of
the prophet, and basically everything. And they've only been learning
for a month.
Yesterday we had branch
conference. After church, the Obispo family had invited Efren and his
kids, and us over for lunch. We were planning on teaching them about
what they will be doing after they are baptized, and I had felt like we
should invite the stake president to the lesson with us to help explain
the priesthood to Efren and Hernan. But then I quickly decided that I
didn't want to invite someone else to a member's house, because they
were feeding us, and thought that the Hermano Obispo can just explain
it! So, we went to lunch, ate a TON, and then right as we were about to
finish up eating, guess. what. The stake president knocks on the door!
Hna Obispo answered and was so excited and surprised to see him! They
invited him right in, gave him, and asked if he wanted a taco. He said,
"Sure! Just one." So they gave him three! Then I asked him, "How did you
know to come?" He said, "I just came!" We invited him to help us teach
our lesson about the priesthood. He only had five minutes, so he
explained his part, and after he left Efren said," Wow. He explains
things really well!" I am still so amazed by it. Heavenly Father really
does love us individually, and he sends people to bless us individually!
I am so glad that President Houston was so intune with the spirit to
make up for a lack of following that prompting! I found out later that
Hna Green had felt like we should invite him to and did the same thing I
did.
Heavenly Father loves us all and has a plan!
I love you all too. Have a great week!
<3 Hermana Trystan Ricks
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| Man from China |
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| Efren Ursula and Hernan |
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