My first week and a few days!

Hello my Dear Family,

What a crazy week!! I feel like I have been here for two months!! I love the mission, the MTC  is amazing! It is so small here and just a great one on one experience and just a fantastic place. President Dyer is the most amazing person. I love him so much and look up to him like crazy. Get this dad..... President Dyer is Le Grand Richards grandson...... so I have shook

Le Grand’s hand.... haha. He is the most amazing person and example. He told us the craziest stories on Sunday. It was the most spiritual meeting i have ever been to in my whole entire life. President Dyer also told us that, he shook Leg Grand’s had, who shook his aunt nanny Longstrough that lived in Farmington Utah, that shook Joseph Smiths hand, so I have shook the hand of President who shook the hand of Le Grand who shook the hand of nanny who shook the hand of Joseph Smith!

Last Tuesday was the hardest day..... Turning around into that terminal was the weirdest, hardest, saddest thing I have done in my whole entire life (you were right James....) I love each of you every much and I know I will miss you each and every day but these next 2 years will be the best 2 years FOR my life. The plane ride was happy/sad. I miss you all dearly, but am so grateful to be here. We landed in Bogotá with ONE DIRECTION.... they flew first class with us on our plane and performed literally just down the street from us at the CCM (MTC) in a huge main stadium here in Bogotá. Bogota is amazing, the driving IS CRAZYYYYY. We had to go to immigration and get all this stuff done like fingerprints and stuff like that. Juan Carlos our driver and worker here in the MTC is so awesome. He was a crack up and just a great man. The city is awesome, we can’t walk around out the gates tell next next Saturday, but its awesome here. The buildings are sweet and the people are all so friendly. There is so much to tell you but not enough time. GOOD NEWS..... I GET TO SKYPE ON MOTHERS DAY... I TOLD MOMMY BUT I NEED A NEW ACCOUNT MADE FOR ME AND ALL OF ITS INFORMATION AND THE INFORMATION OF THE ONE YOU GUYS WILL BE USUING!!!!! :):):):)

There are only about 50 people here in the MTC and it changes every 2 weeks. The Latin Americans (natives and Spanish speakers) are only here for two weeks but the Americans are here for 6 and it just rotates. so we will get new groups of awesome funny Latinos every 2 weeks. The food here is RANDOMLY good!!! I don’t know if its an answer to my prayers hahha, but it is really good. They have a soda called "Colombiana" that is amaziiiinggg!!! we all love it. There has been ants in our food a few times.... but we have to acclimate somehow.... haha. I didn’t eat them!

They have an indoor Huge Basketball court, my get away. It is so awesome being the tallest one here by a long shot. I dunk every day in basketball and it’s a talent show haha everyone loves to watch. President Dyer played basketball and the first day I dunked which is weird cause the hoops are 10' but I think I can just jump higher on the other side of the equator... haha. So I dunked it and Hermano Gaillaigo (the gentlemen that emailed me before I left) sort of yelled at me and was like we haven’t seen anyone do that here for like 10 years.... haha. President Dyer later heard that someone dunked it and came straight to our American district and asked "who dunked in gym today?" and I was hesitant to say "me sir" cause I thought I was going to get in trouble but he said "finally.... someone I can actually play ball with!!! Its been way to long!!" Haha he is so awesome! I love him so much. We played a game of "horse" and he actually beat me and I was trying. He is pretty good for an old guy like 70-75 years old. He is awesome. We later played a game and I scored 4 3´s on him and he was like holy cow dude where did you play again!!? It was great.

I love it here. My district consists of 4 guys. They are all from Utah and are awesome. Elder Babbitt my companion is an awesome kid from Morgan Utah. He worked at Snow Basin and is a sponsored snowboarder and snowboarded for Weber State

University the other 2 are Elder Green, and Elder Wensel. They are awesome and I learn so much from them. Elder green is cousins with Anna Morgan and The Watkins that lived up the street from us in Farmington. Small world right?  It is so weird being with someone all the time but I know the reason for it. We have had so many good lessons and devotions with President Dyer, and Elder Waddell a member of the 70! I have learned so much here and have progressed so much in the gospel in just one week. Learning how to teach and THE LANGUAGE is difficult, but it is slowly but surly coming! Spanish is awesome and I can feel the spirit helping me each and every day and I know that with time it will come. We went to the temple on Wednesday and it was AMAZINGGG! It is sooo beautiful and even though it was in a different language it was soo spiritual. The temple here is huge and when I was getting my clothes I was with Pres. Dyer and she asked me what size shoe I wore and I was like "13" and she looked at pres. and was like....aaaa........... We don’t have any that big..." in Spanish of course and Pres. Dyer and I were cracking up it was awesome. I only have 8 minutes so I will keep going super fast,  but my pants at the temple were the biggest ones they had and they were 4 inches short on the bottom, super floods... haha.

My teachers here at the ccm are awesome.

I have to go but I love each and every one of you very much. I love it here and pray for you all each and every day. Gracie happy early birthday. I love you sweetie and sure miss you. Claire and Chan I love you very much. James Hannah Janelle and Cameron I love you all dearly!

Goodbye Everyone, I love you all

Elder Michael Shawn Ricks