New Companion in Catemaco

My Dear Family,

What a week it has been. This week was a little rougher than others, but still an AMAZING week! We had changes this week and it is always a huge hassle and waste of time traveling back and forth all day. It was hard to say goodbye to Elder Harmon. I hugged him in the terminal of the bus station and I ALMOST cried! I received a newbie! His name is Elder Molina and is from Merida, Mexico! It is like three hours from Cancun and I love him! He is the only member in his family and only has three years as member of the Church! He has a testimony muy grande and loves the mission and is ready to serve. We had a baptism this week and it was my gift to him, to let him baptize his first week here in the mission. The investigator who was baptized this week is named Sandra Patricia Ambros Utrera and she is amazing. In one week, she finished 1st Nephi and right now is about to finish Jacob! She has a strong testimony and was so excited to be baptized. Her sisters, Janet and Magda will be baptized the 26th because they haven´t come to church enough times but they as well both want to be baptized. Pure miracles here in Catemaco, like always! OH! Yes... I am still here in Catemaco! And yes... it is very very very hot. I am not sure what it is in Fahrenheit but in Celsius it’s like 40* and that is really warm. Naturally I sweat like a horse, from 9:30am to 10:30pm, and you know what.... I love every minute of it.

This week, emotionally it has been rough. I was kneeled down cleaning the baptismal font for our baptism this week when the thought hit me that I am almost half way done with my mission. That is not a fun feeling. I started thinking over the mission I have had. I felt a huge desire to do everything I can to not regret one single day after the mission. I haven´t been a PERFECT missionary, and of course there are things I wish I could go back and do better or in other ways, but I am ready and motivated to make this year the best yet. I have a goal to baptize five every month and since I made the goal in December, I have been able to fulfill it! Side note... Goals help so much. Every day I realize that more and more. I feel like I am emotionally, mentally and physically in the best shape of my life. We get back in the night and I am always so tired but strangely, it feels so good. I take a few moments at the end of every day when I am writing in my journal to think back over the day and ask myself if there was anything I could have done better. I have seen a lot of progression and it is amazing the changes I have made since I started this journey 10 1/2 months ago.

I will go for now because I am going to write personal letters to a few of you! Thank you for all your support and prayers! Know that I love you! Talk to you next week! I am excited to watch General Conference! We have a chapel here in Catemaco and we will watch it there! Side note... how is Japan doing? I don´t know if I have heard everything correctly but I hear there are a few problems over there right now. Let me know! Love you all!


Elder Ricks