December 10

Mom, I sent you all the photos to start buying for the upcoming meals very soon. Its probably very similar to the food Ryan ate in the Philippines. It’s Fish, Rice and a little salad. If you have question you will probably have to wait till I get home. I think this is the last time I will be writing I don’t know if I will be able to have time next Monday. I called the office last night to figure out what’s all going on because they don’t give any information what so ever. I don’t know why?? This is my official last week. I am working well and learning a lot with my companion. He too is becoming more a more in tune with the whole mission thing. I received the e-mail form Elder Kennedy and he sounds great and exited for the University and being my roommate. It’s been a great last week and really all the mission experiences are popping in my head and I am pondering a lot and I feel good about it all. It’s a good feeling. I imagine what’s all going to take place in the future, but it’s still going to take faith and goals and effort. I imagine that it the same as the mission, but with more responsibility and the ability to prove my ability to choose by my agency what I want. I still feel attached to the guidance of you and dad though. Dad wrote me and told me that he would like to have one on one time to talk about my future and I would like that a lot. Really I have many questions for you and dad and I know I will always seek your guidance along with the spirit. I love you and dad. I am more grateful for that than anything even the mission. You’re my parents. Can’t wait to see you all very soon. Elder Ridley

December 3

Mom, Last of three e-mails! Getting down to the end. It’s great to have heard from a lot of people today. I didn’t receive an e-mail form Skyler today. I did receive an invitation from Ashley to here Christmas party on the first haha. The e-mail from Elder Kennedy didn’t get sent correctly, it’s not there. I am glad that everything is all settled for school and that I will be up there with McCain. I did receive an e-mail form my trainer (Benjamin Barazoto). He is wanting to talk with me on Facebook haha. He told me he doesn’t know if I am back home or really close to finishing the mission, but he wants to talk so I am excited to get all caught up with many people in the next few weeks, but I know I am going to be busy. A different kind of busy haha. So McCain gets home this week. How exciting! AJ too!? So much great news. I am so excited really to be able to see everyone and to be able to talk in Spanish with Mccain and and Aj. I know that these last two weeks are very important weeks. The pace has been the same for me....I am working and studying and still passing by the scheduled plans. My companion and I have planned a few more activities these last few weeks to keep us focused and to also find some new investigators and give our investigators opportunities to get to know the members more. I will get the pictures sent by next week so that you have a the last little photos of the mission. I have 10 Gb full of pictures! I hope the pictures I sent that you have on the computer come our good because some I don’t have and some my old companions have. I will be finding them on Facebook to be able to get those pictures that I don’t have on my camera when I get back. I truly feel blessed for all that has happened on the mission and for my experiences. The other day I taught him about the gifts of the spirit because he had a question. We spent a good while in the studies talking about those and how they have helped me and how I know that they will help him and I invited him to seek those gifts that he feels will help others come unto Christ. I told him that I have been able to develop the gift of tongues and the gift of interpretation of tongues and the gift of a testimony and to share the gospel and to discern. The gift of the gospel is such a blessing in our lives and without it we are really nothing. My only fears are that my weaknesses don’t allow me to help the people that the lord has planted in my life to help. It’s time to push forward and start some new things. I am feeling more ready every day. I love you lots. speak next week. Elder Ridley Ps- I had talked with my president about a recommend for the temple because mine had expired, and he told me he would get that done for me, but I am sure it won’t. So before we go to the temple I would probably need to get a new one. Next week I will send the last bit of photos and I would like you to by some food to be able to cook some Colombian food when I get back so I will be sending list of food, like coco rice and fish :) and avocado salad.

November 26

Mom, The photos are much appreciated! Everyone looks all warm and cozy for a cold night at the game. I miss the cold. I hope that I will be able to get use to the cold again very quickly. I am going to need to. This past week I had my last conference and I was able to bear my testimony. I shared that the mission has gone by quickly, but that before the mission I always thought the mission would be go to share my testimony and that’s about it. I was wrong and how much I have had to push myself daily to be what the lord wants me to be and to change a lot. I shared my testimony on our purpose to bring the message to the hearts of the people by showing them that their heavenly father loves them and each of us. Through the gifts of the spirit I have been able to develop many and help his children feel and know the importance of our message.....It was really short my testimony. The best thing about it was president Gaviria later in conference was talking about three things that would help missionaries be better missionaries and the topic of understand the covenants of 12 tribes of Israel and the gather of Israel its important and bringing back certain keys to make the everlasting covenant, but before he shared that it was the "everlasting covenant" he asked me what covenant it was hahaha- I hadn’t been paying attention much because I was writing some things down, but I said the covenant of the lord and he come up at puts his hand on my shoulder and said no Elder Ridley the covenant of matrimony. Hahaha I got super red and all the elders and sisters started laughing. That made my day! Just like that the topic of girls comes back into my life....wasn’t prepared for that. It is my goal though. The family from Medellin is still here, but they are still in the process of knowing what they will be doing if they are going to stay here or go back to Medellin. We keep in contact and really they have their baptism date for the 15th of December, but they are going to need more time because we haven’t been able to visit them much with what’s going on in their family. Nothing bad, but just a lot of decision making. So you talked with the mission office. That’s great. Yes I know elder Vanderheyden and met him when he arrived on the mission in the mission office. He isn’t part of the mission office, but I am sure that at the time they wanted to call you all that he was the only American to speak English so they probably invited him to talk with you. I myself passed by Thanksgiving like that. I knew it was, but I was so caught up in other things that it slipped my mind really. I am excited to be able to share basically whatever for my talk haha. Do you know how much time I will be given? Also I have a question....Mccain won’t be speaking with me? When does he return and when does he speak? Right now I too have been sick with a cough and a runny nose and I hate it here, because its alot like being at home and in air conditioning....I’ve got a fan and that’s it. I hope it goes away real quick. Well about three weeks more left and I know you are all excited especially you mom. I love you. Elder Ridley Things for Christmas: the usual need like deodorant....toothpaste, toothbrush, acne free, ect. I would like an electric shaver. And a nice set of trimmers to cut my hair up at Idaho. there is probably more, but we always have to go shopping after Christmas and exchange things so go with your instinct.

November 12

Momi. This Wednesday my last transfer starts. Really I am excited about both things to start working again with new goals and also new members of my district probably. Who know I might get sent to do something else, but I know that it will be what the Lords wants always. I do want to stay here inTtrupillos. I have fallen in love with the ward members , the area and the investigadors. I never thought I would have the same feeling as I had felt about Ciudadela. I don’t know what has made a difference from the other areas, but I know that its has to do with experiences. This past week I had a ton. Skyler e-mailed this last week and told me that these last few weeks will be some of the weeks I learn the most in all the mission and its true I know it’s true and I know that the lord keeps refining us to help us progress. Skyler also told me to pray to have the Lord except all that has happened on the mission and that I can feel a one and only confirmation that comes as you only can serve one time as a young man on a mission. Really that’s been on my mind a lot, but I also feel like I procrastinating a little because I don’t feel like the mission is ending haha. One of the many experiences that I had was that my companion and I had been planning for the last few weeks knowing that our famous word where we are working at has a lot of less active members and so not having a lot of investigadors progressing we started t focus on that a little more to pray and to fast who of the families we can help. We have five families we have come to the conclusion with the Lord that these family we can help. One of the families I mentioned we were going to have chili and rice and share a message with them is one of them. It turned out great by the way! I bought chili in a can and so it wasn’t the same, but it was defiantly good :) I love spicy food haha. We shared a message from a video (seminary new testiments)/(a maze) about how god gives us our lives and not only that but gives ways to complete more easier. And those are the commandments and we as humans make our lives harder than it is and that we put thing in our own paths to make it complicated. God has helps us by giving us his son Jesus Christ and is gospel through commandments we can get through everything without hardship. Anyways the mom of the family is less active, but here youth go to church, but because she has had past problems she hasn’t wanted to return for many years. This last week we got to see sister Francia come dress with her Sunday best :) She came to church mom and couldn’t have felt so happy to see someone come back from what she has gone through to reclaim her salvation. I know that it’s a tuff for us because we are humans we make it that way, but afterwards I know she feels like its ok. She is going to continue coming and we are going to continue visiting to help strengthen her family. I know when it says in our purpose to invite everyone to come unto Christ it doesn’t just mean our investigadores, but all those who surround us. With that choice to figure out what god wants us to do the lord also has blessed my companion this last week in receiving new real investigadores. This past week also My companion and i had past by one of the less active members so say hi and continue working after, but we got talking and she mentioned a that no one on her street has people to teach and that other missionaries have already passed by to contact all the houses. Anyways we left and I went walking down that street. My companion was walking wiht mi, but I felt that there wa someone to contact on this street and as a passed my reaction towards one house I saw made me contact it. Finds out that it’s a family of 5 and that they are not form the coast and that they are from Medellin from the inner part of Colombia. They have been living in Barranquilla for 6 months and haven’t seen the missionaries, which meant that the other missionaries didn’t have contacts with them. My companion and I began to talk a little bit and set up and appoint with them to come Sunday and we also invited them to church. They went the Sunday haha. Last night we found out that they had been talking with the missionaries from Medellin and that they stopped listen because they moved to Barranquilla. We were able to get to know them more and I hope that what we shared with them last can help them in the process to find the true church of Christ. I know that I was guided by the spirit there and for that reason we found a very special family and maybe it’s for that reason I wasn’t sent to the new mission in Medellin, but that the Lord only wanted me to find this family from Medellin at that moment. I know that God has helped me at many moments through inspiration to do his work and find out that really he is ahead of this work and with his help we will be able to complete it. I am so honored to have had this blessing in my life and to have my calling as a missionary. Can’t wait to be able to talk about the mission of Jesus Christ from his birth to his death I am reading Jesus the Christ right now and I am almost done. It’s been very interesting and very real his experiences like my experiences here and so I know we both have the same mission and that is to help others come back home to their father and to eternally with him happy and content forever. Mom I love you thanks for your message you shared with the scriptures at times I wonder where did I skip at those parts as I have read the book of Mormon twice here haha. You have been great support. Lots of love truly Elder Ridley Ps- the plans for when I get home sound great. Yes, I would like to go to the temple my first day back so on the 19th. I am taking my pills and using the medicine cream and its healing finally!

November 5, 2012

Momi. This Wednesday my last transfer starts. Really I am excited about both things; to start working again with new goals and also new members of my district probably. Who knows I might get sent to do something else, but I know that it will be what the Lord wants always. I do want to stay here in Trupillos as I have fallen in love with the ward members, the area and the investigators. I never thought I would have the same feeling as I had felt about Ciudadela. I don’t know what has made a difference from the other areas, but I know that it has to do with experiences. This past week I had a ton. Skyler e-mailed this last week and told me that these last few weeks will be some of the weeks I learn the most in all the mission and its true I know it’s true and I know that the lord keeps refining us to help us progress. Skyler also told me to pray to have the Lord except all that has happened on the mission and that I can feel a one and only confirmation that comes as you only can serve one time as a young man on a mission. Really that’s been on my mind a lot, but I also feel like I procrastinate a little because I don’t feel like the mission is ending haha. One of the many experiences that I had was when my companion and I were planning for the last few weeks, knowing that our famous ward where we are working a, has a lot of less active members and so not having a lot of investigators progressing we started to focus on that a little more to pray and to fast who of the families we could help. We have five families we have come to the conclusion with the Lord that these are the families we can help. One of the families I mentioned was the one we were going to have chili with rice and share a message with them. It turned out great by the way! I bought chili in a can and so it wasn’t the same, but it was defiantly good :) I love spicy food haha. We shared a message from a seminary video out of the New Testament with the maze about how god gives us our lives and not only that but gives ways to complete it easier through the commandments. We as humans make our lives harder than it is and that we put thing in our own paths to make it complicated. God has helps us by giving us his son Jesus Christ and is gospel. Through commandments we can get through everything without hardship. Anyways the mom of the family is less active but her youth go to church since she has had past problems she hasn’t wanted to return for many years. This last week we got to see sister Francia come dressed with her Sunday best :) She came to church mom and I couldn’t have felt so happy to see someone come back from what she has gone through to reclaim her salvation. I know that it’s tuff for us because we are humans we make it that way, but afterwards I know she feels like its ok. She is going to continue coming and we are going to continue visiting to help strengthen her family. I know when it says in our purpose to invite everyone to come unto Christ it doesn’t just mean our investigators, but all those who surround us. With the choice to figure out what God whated us to do this week as well, the lord also has blessed my companion this last week in receiving new real investigators. This past week my companion and I had to pass by one of the less active members to say hi and continue working after, but we got talking and she mentioned that no one on her street had people to teach and that other missionaries have already passed by to contact all the houses. Anyways we left and I went walking down that street. My companion was walking with me, but I felt that there was someone to contact on this street and as a passed by one house my reaction made me contact it. Finds out that it’s a family of 5 and that they are not from the coast but that they are from Medellin or the inner part of Colombia. They have been living in Barranquilla for 6 months and haven’t seen the missionaries, which mean that the other missionaries didn’t have contacts with them. My companion and I began to talk a little bit and set up and appoint with them to come Sunday and we also invited them to church. They came on Sunday haha. Last night we found out that they had been talking with missionaries form Medellin and that they stopped listen because they moved to Barranquilla. We were able to get to know them more and I hope that what we shared with them last can help them in the process to find the true church of Christ. I know that I was guided by the spirit there and for that reason we found a very special family and maybe it’s for that reason I wasn’t sent to the new mission in Medellin, but that the Lord only wanted me to find this family from Medellin at that moment. I know that God has helped me at many moments through inspiration to do his work and find out that really he is the head of this work and with his help we will be able to complete it. I am so honored to have had this blessing in my life and to have my calling as a missionary. Can’t wait to be able to talk about the mission of Jesus Christ from his birth to his death I am reading Jesus the Christ right now and I am almost done. It’s been very interesting and very real. His experiences are like my experiences here and so I know we both have the same mission and that is to help others come back home to their father and to eternally be with him, happy and content forever. Mom I love you. Thanks for your message you shared with the scriptures at times I wonder where did I skip at those parts as I have read the Book of Mormon twice here haha. You have been great support. Lots of love truly Elder Ridley Ps- the plans for when I get home sound great. Yes I would like to go to the temple my first day back so on the 19th. I am taking my pills and using the medicine cream and its healing finally!

Oct. 29, 2012

Hey Mom, Yes, this past week I went to the doctors again to find out if I can take other stuff for the fungus. I have like four types of creams and I am taking pills too. The thing is I think it’s what you said that it just the climate that’s affecting it really, I thinks it won’t heal from the humidity....at least the cream won’t help it only makes it worse. It’s gotten a little better this past week so I will continue using what I have because it can get worse haha. Yah I wanted to talk to about the appointments and all sometime down the road, but thanks for setting all that up for me. My companion and I planned to have a family night on the night of Halloween with two families that are less active. Here they celebrate Halloween, but it’s super dangerous because they rob the kids and all. I told them that in my house we have a tradition to have chili and rice that day and so we are going to make that with them and then share a message with them. I am really excited. I will take pictures and everything for you all to see. Really the work was super slow this past week. My companion and I don’t really see a whole lot of desires from the people to learn our message and a lot of our investigators this week were out of town or sick so we weren’t able to teach a lot. I feel like I am focused a lot in the work, but I still feel like there is something that we need to apply to have success. I know that everyone has their ability to choose to except our message or not, but I feel like from the mission and leaders there are no reason to not have baptisms. Once again this month of November we won’t have a baptism because we need a miracle to have someone ready this week to be ready to receive the message. More than anything I just want to be a good missionary and finish the mission well. I am super excited to come and talk Spanish with McCain and talk about the experiences that have happened. In one more week we have transfers. It will be my last transfer, my last agenda, and my last six weeks. I know it will go by fast, faster than the whole mission has gone by. You said I will be flying to San Diego, but Skyler has his last bowl game there? How is all that going to work out? Tell everyone to enjoy Halloween and that I am thinking of them. Elder Ridley

Over his back

Time to come home......