Una Noche Blanca "White Night"

Cleaning the church for the Una Noche Blanca

 

Font filled and ready

 

Elder Roldan taking a break

We set up all the chairs

 

Church selfie

 

Mission Bikes Rock

 

Let's Roll

 

Elder Piper's from Australia - love him!

 

All ready for the baptism

  

The Trujillo Family Elder Roldan and I baptized

 

Noche Blanca - 10 baptisms tonight

President came and visited!

 

 

 

 
  

 

 

We celebrated with pizza and Fanta...again

 

We found these jerseys for $10 and my companion likes

my middle name a lot so he put it on his jersey. Haha

 

My new jersey

 

Go carting today - I took 1st :)

 

My wonderful family!!! Sorry I don't have any time, but next week will be much better!!! Man I am just a busy missionary!!!

This week was wonderful!! Man did it bring out my real character and I am just learning so much from these experiences. I had the opportunity this week to have 5 Baptized!!!! We had a " White Night " /   una " Noche Blanca " with our zone.... as a zone we baptized 10 people and 5 where from my companionship!!! What an awesome day to see the Trujillo family enter the font. Our mission President flew to our area and assisted the white night!!! What an experience!!!

 

Mom-

 

Thanks for your kind words mommy!!!! I have tried and  I am still trying to be just the best person I can. Thank you for all you have taught me to be. I am trying to be a valiant, courageous missionary. It is hard sometimes, I'll be honest, but in these moments I learn and it really shows me who I am. I am grateful for all the people I have to look up to and their examples that I have to follow. ( like you and my wonderful dad ) I know that these 2 years will make the best out of me and shape the whole rest of my life so I won't waste a single minute of it. I know that what ever I do WITH THE LORD AND MY FATHER IN HEAVEN all is possible. I do this for them, for the people back at home that are looking up to me, for the youth in the wards here that are looking up to me, for you mommy and for my dad, and most of all for me. I know that first and foremost as I help these people I will be the first and biggest convert I have. 

 

Dad -

I am trying to be like you daddy!!! This week was a little tough my comp has been having some problems with President and man it's hard to be an example to someone with 24 months in the mission, but I'm trying hard!!!! It is teaching me so much on how to be a leader and I am so grateful for these wonderful experiences. I wrote President today and told him a lot, and I am really proud and I know you would be too!! Thank you so much for all you and mom have taught me about how to talk to adults, to my leaders and how to express my feelings and to be a leader!! Someone to look up to and someone to make the missionaries around me better. I am still doing your homework and will email you all about it the next week! Daddy I love you so much and I am so grateful for your example. Thank you for working so hard for me and the family alone there in Texas!!!

 

Family, I love the mission so much and am so so grateful for it. I love each of you so very much and I am so grateful for your love and support you show to me. As I was telling James, man I thought I love my family before the mission, but holy cow did that change in the mission!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO SO MUCH!!!!!! My love for you increases every single day and I can only imagine the day when we all reunite again and I get to see all your faces!!!!

Conference week is coming up fast and I will have 6 months in the mission!!! Time is just flying by, 1/4 of my mission is almost over and all I think is " am I really doing all I can to help and serve my Lord here in Colombia?"

 

My family I love you so so much and i am sorry for this short email but photos are on the way and I will send you a real letter next week!!!

I love you all so so much!!!! Mom, Dad, James and Janelle, Hannah and Cameron, Chan Man, Claire Bear, and Gracie Girl. I love you!!!! We are the RICKS Family!!!!

Your Son, Your Bro,

Elder Michael Ricks