Craziest Week of My Mission

Baptism of Marcus Saturday - September 5, 2015

Dinner with family of 6 we will baptize in October on

 Elder Brown's last day in the mission.

Working hard

Hello my wonderful family,

DEAR RICKS FAMILY!!!!!!!!! Whats up?? Man I miss you guys and love you all SOOOOOOO much!

This week was absolutely amazing, sad, rewarding, testimony building, gratifying, blessed, stressful, crazy, happy, wonderful, and FULL of the gospel. I LOVE MY MISSION

This past week was thee very last week of my Dear companion Elder Brown's mission. I promised him that it would be one of the best weeks of his entire mission and I really think it was. We started off as strong as we could and this last Tuesday had one of thee most wonderful moments together. We were able to contact and meet a new family straight from our efforts and desires to meet a new family to teach every single day. They let us in right off the bat and we just had an AMAZING Restoration lesson with them. We just hit the nail right on the head. The spirit in that home that night as I shared the first vision and as I shared the most tender testimony that I could offer was absolutely incredible. And just might have been the strongest I have felt the spirit in one of my lessons. I ended the lesson inviting each and every one of the 6 family members to be baptized by someone who holds the Priesthood the power and authority of God. And each one with pure conviction accepted. The mom "Luz" in that moment said that when we entered her home that night she felt something that she had never felt before, she knew the WHOLE time that we were there that our message was true, and her with her 4 kids will all be baptized the first week of October. They are an absolute GOLDEN family and I know that they are a blessing of the Lord. On Sunday they were all ready to come to church but Luz`s sister got a hernia at 6 in the morning and they unfortunately couldn't make it. But on Elder Browns last day, Sunday they gave us lunch and it as just a special moment with them. I WILL SEND YOU A PIC

This last week Elder Brown and I just gave it our ALL. We extended 10 baptismal dates and we were able to have one baptism. Marcus Dussan was baptized by Elder Ricks on Saturday the 5th of September. It was one of the most special moments of my whole mission. MARCUS was a tough investigator to get baptized, he always ALWAYS just wanted to be sure in what he was doing and was just a little indecisive when it came to the Nitty gritty. So we got him to have his interview on Thursday and he PASSED. First thing CHECK hahah and then we decided that he could give us a decision on Friday, so from Thursday afternoon until Friday afternoon Elder Brown and I did one of THEE hardest fast of my whole entire life. One Heat. Two Hungry. Three THIRST. Four I had a weird heart pain. and 5 I was just fasting ahhaha but I tell you what the Lord ALWAYS blesses us for our sacrifices. On Friday we had to have exchanges with one of our District Leaders and so we planned the exchange after the lesson we had planned with Marcus to see if he wanted to be baptized. He finally showed up and told us that he had something to share with us. On Thursday night Marcus had a dream, he said that he was running through a forest with 6 giant men following him to kill him... he said that he finally got to a civilization and he finally felt safe, and right as he felt safe he went over by a huge tree to sit down and rest. Right as he sat down to rest Steven Spielberg all dressed in White said to him " you are not the creditor of your own life " and then he woke up. In Spanish it is Way better hahahah. I came to the conclusion that his dream means that our only Creditor in our lives is Jesus Christ because he paid the price of something that only HE could ever EVER do. And that Marcus wasn't able to pass up the opportunity to accept this credit He has paid for each and every one of us. I asked him in a very personal manner how he has felt in respect of all things and how he feels after having such a dream. He then looked me in my eyes and slapped the back of my leg hahah (he was sitting down) and he said "Hermanito, yo voy a hacerlo" Brother I will do it. So we planned it all out and Marcus was baptized on Saturday. It was an amazing AMAZING testimony builder once more that the law of the fast is REAL. And that the Lord will always ALWAYS bless us. I WILL SEND YOU A PIC 

SO.... after that lesson on Friday we had our exchange and I was in my area. We had some awesome lessons and a great time together. In almost our last lesson I felt my chest going crazy vibrating... hahah I was missing calls off the ying yang... after we ended the lesson I looked down and I had 4 missed calls from President Baquerizo and 2 from the AP`s. AHHHH  OHHH. I called President right back and what had happened wayyyyy summerized is that a missionary in my Zone had abandoned his companion. So I went straight to his District Leader ( Take care of your flock ) and tried and tried to call him. To be honest about 35 times. NOTHING...... and I couldn't allow an obedient missionary who called me from the street on a pay phone all alone stay alone...... so I told the him exactly where to go and I went there too. I called the other missionary who was doing ALL the wrong and I told him to come where I was IMMEDIATELY and so he did. As I was there I figured out why Elder Salas the AP had been calling me, we had emergency transfers... hahah so I called him back and right as he answered the disobedient missionary showed up and he went right to yelling at his companion so I held him off shaking my hand back and forth and I patted the ground next to me hahah to have him sit by me and to calm down a little. I then talked with the AP about the changes we have in the zone and we had an AMAZING missionary go to Letica the AMAZONE part of our mission. It was crazy, finally the District Leader showed up to his home and he said when I hung up from the phone, BRO what happened, and I said "Elder I don't know exactly what happened, but this elder has abandoned his companion. I would like you Elder to interview the two of them and find a solution. I would like you to report me afterwards and if they don't want to sleep with each other tonight... You go with the disobedient one and have your comp stay with the good one. Thanks for being an awesome Leader" (This whole time I was alone, better yet Elder Brown was still on his exchange and he knew nothing hahah that was going on) he was actually with the Elder who was leaving to Leticia. So after I got it ALLLLL worked out I told Elder Muellar (the Elder I was on exchanges with) that I was going to end the exchange so that he could spend the last night with his companion. So we went back to his house and we talked a little while and then Elder Brown and I could finally go home at about 11 P.M..... IT was crazy!!!!!

Sunday was Elder Browns last day and we had a great time at church. It was fast and testimony meeting and I shared it ALLL about him. It was a tender spirit that day. Like I said we had lunch with that awesome family and then we had to go home so Elder Brown could finish packing. We finished and as we left to the terminal to send him off in a bus. I offered a prayer before leaving (as we did when I left....) and it was one of the most sincere prayers of my life. We both got off our knees crying and we just gave a totally bro hug. Elder Brown crying said to me "Thank you Elder Ricks for being such an amazing Missionary, I will Never forget you" and I replied " NO thank you Elder for finally helping me realize my role as a Missionary. I will never forget you either" We went on to the terminal and it was pretty sad to send him off, not only because he won't by my comp anymore but because his mission is done...... and I do, but I really don't want to be where he was right then! It was a bitter sweet moment. The mission truly is flying by. 

I went with Elder Gerber and Elder Stewart, two AWESOME missionaries to be with them and then Sunday night I got the exchanges for our whole zone, all alone it was weird. I will be training a new Zone Leader................ and he is another GRINGO!!!!!!!!!!!! I am actually pretty excited. Nervous but excited. I had to buy about 4 travels today for the missionaries that are leaving, get them to the terminal, and send them all off. That is why I couldn't write earlier today. hahah What a slammed WEEEEEKKKK But man I tell you what Ricks Family - THIS CHURCH IS TRUE!!!!! I finally realized what my blessing says when "The experiences and things that happen to me will be of direct preparation for the things yet to come"  All of these awesome, stressful, blessed, hard, extra special times I have here will only BLESS me in the times to come. With my amazing 3 sisters and my most valiant 2 brothers. To follow the BEST two parents I could ever ask for, and to bless my sweet niece that is on the way. Not only you guys either but also my future family, in my future callings and to all those around me. I know more than ever that Christ lives and that He hears and answers my prayers even though I could pray wayyyy better. And even though I don't pray at all times He answers my thoughts. This church is true and I know it. And I love my family more than ever!!!!!

WE are the RICKS

Your son, Your brother (in law), Your missionary

Elder Michael Shawn Ricks