One of the best weeks of my life!

Elder Ricks, Antonio Moreno Diaz, Elder Rios

Antonio Baptized July 23, 2011

Paralized from the neck down

Delicious!

Tacos purchased off the street!

My Dear Family,

Can`t believe another week has gone by! One week closer to a great big huge Ricks family hug! It was so good to hear from my best friends and hear that everyone is doing awesome! I have thought about Chandler so much this week. I have been worried and excited to know that he got home safe and sound. I love Chandler so much. Too funny to hear about the mini-bears and the freeze dried food. It was 2 weeks in his natural habitat for him! When he gets home, everyone give him a hug for me and tell him its from James!

This week the Lord blessed Elder Rios and I. As I´ve told you, our goal here in this mission, is have a baptismal service every week. That is the goal. This week is the story of a man named Antonio. He is an angel sent from heaven to teach me what I needed to learn This last Saturday, he was baptized and almost gave his life to do it.



17 years ago, Antonio was playing soccer. He loved to play soccer with his nieces and nephews. While playing, he stepped on the soccer ball, and slipped back and smacked his head on the concrete floor. From that moment on, until this very moment he has been paralyzed from his neck down. Antonio was a reference from a member here in the ward. We past by and taught him, not really expecting much. But he accepted a baptismal date from the first lesson. He cant do anything for himself. He is at the absolute disposition of his helper (he calls her his secretary! haha) whose name is Chela, his cousin. She bathes, shaves, and clothes him. She changes his diapers and cleans the cathader and massages his fragile legs and arms. Every day, Antonio gets out of bed and into a wheel chair made just for him and gets to work. All day long under the hot hot sun, Antonio askes the people in the street for money. I had seen him stopped in the street along time ago when I just had gotten here and never ever thought that I would teach, let alone baptize him. He gave up his `work` on sundays to be able to go to church two times. The second sunday he assisted was going to be his baptism, but he couldn`t because of the cold temperatures, so we postponed his date and honestly Elde Rios and I thought it would be impossible to baptize him. Too many obstacles and we weren´t sure if he really had the desire. But we set an appointment to visit him Saturdy at nine in the morning. When we got to his house, the member who is living with him, told us that he had just left for the church. We flagged down a taxi real quick and jumped in and flew to the church. When we got there, we saw Antonio, dressed in white in his wheel chair outside the church gate. He went to the church because he wanted to be baptized. I had my baptismal clothes with me and Elder Rios as well.

His baptism was so so special. We undressed him to his diaper and wrapped his body with a white sheet. My companion, another Elder, and I then lifted him in to the font. We did the ordinance the fastest we could because of his cathader. Anotonio was really worried that water was going to enter his kidneys and I was so nervous. I remember praying in the font struggling under his weight that my Father in Heaven would help us and protect him. All he wanted to do was be baptized. The rest didn´t matter for him. We performed the baptism and we did it in only one attempt! As we were carrying him out of the font, getting really tired of his weight, something really bad happened. I slipped and fell on the slippery font tile and threw myself under Antonio to catch him. While doing so, I smacked my leg, a little lower that the knee, on the edge of the stairs. It hurt so bad, but I was to occupied in making sure that Antonio was okay. We took him out of the font and layed him in his chair and started drying him off and getting ready to change his clothes. He was so worried about me. He asked me if I was alright and told me how grateful he was. I asked him how he felt after his baptism and he told me, "Amigo Ricks, Nunca he sentido mejor..." "Friend Ricks, I have never felt so good." I couldn´t stop crying. The whole baptism was such a roller coaster of emotions. Love, peace, adrenalin, and stress. I loved watching him smile so big, even though he is in so much pain. I cant believe the faith that man has. After all he has been through, not one single time I heard a negative word leave his mouth. So thankful to God, so thankful to me and my companion. Elder Rios and I love to sing hymns in our lessons to really bring the spirit and every time we would sing a hymn with him, he would follow along to the song, without knowing the words, making up his own version and following the tune. I love Antonio Moreno Diaz. I feel that God has sent him to my life, to my mission, to learn so much. I don´t like to admit it but sometimes I complain a little too much. I´ve got NOTHING to complain about. I have 7 people living in San Antonio, Texas (well... 6 in Texas, one in Florida! :) who would give their lives for mine. 7 peope who love me and who are a part of my eternal family. Antonio was rejected by his family and they don´t help him at all. I have so many blessings and that is what my friend Antonio has taught me.

I hope you can feel and sense the love I have for him. For the work and for my companion. Today as I was cleaning the house, I just got thinking and it really hit me how much I love being a missionary. I have never been so happy. I love what I do and cant wait to tell you all the stories I have to share! Honestly, the highlight for me this week in the letters you wrote me, is to hear the words of excitement from my little brother Mike, ready and excited to serve a mission. It will be the BEST TWO YEARS OF YOUR LIFE. I promise you it, your dad promises it and the Lord promises it. You motivated me so much Michael to keep setting a good example and work my hardest here in the mission field. I can´t thank you enough! Oh and p.s. Michael. STOP GROWING! I dont want to come back and have you taller than me! haha

Ricks family.. I love you all so much! Thank you so much for your support and love and letters! Know that Elder Ricks is doing great and misses you all! :)

Elder James Ricks

P.S: My leg is doing better know. It was way swollen saturday and sunday but I took ibuprofen and tylonol (oh my gosh I cant spell that now...) and the swelling has gone down alot. Another thing real quick.. I am great on money! Dont worry about anything! Did I hear a few emails ago that there is a package on the way? Let me know so I can warn the secretary of the ward! Thanks! Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pure Rain!

Painted for me!

Thinking of my family!

Elder Ricks, Estefania, Christina & Elder Rios

My Dear Family,

Another week has passed by and I am here again at the computer writting my best friends! I cant believe how fast the time is flying. It is crazy to think that in 9 months I will be home again, doing the things we do as a family, and starting the next chapter of my life. But for right now... I am here and I am focused and having alot of success. Elder Rios and I were blessed with two baptisms this week! Their names are Estefania and Cristina and they are sisters! The oldest is 11 and the younger is 9 and they remind me so much of Claire and Grace! They are so smart and love reading the Book of Mormon. Their baptismal service was a little interesting... Elder Rios and I were cleaning out the font and filling it up again and the water ran out half way! We didnt know what to do! We didnt have time to get more water or change church buildings so we did the baptism with the font half full! It was hillarious trying to get them all the way under the water! But after a few attempts we mastered it! They were so happy after the baptism. We are teacing their parents right now who are also interested in being baptized, but need to be married first. We will help them be an eternal family. I have told you all before that every time I help a family come closer to Christ, I think of mine. I love my family so much. I know that we will be together forever!

I have never seen so much rain in my whole life. EVERY single day it has rained hard core and every thing floods. It is nice though because it lowers the temperature so its not so hot. I have gotten wet head to toe like six thousand times now and every time it happens I have to dry my clothes and shoes! I put my shoes behind the fridge and they dry super fast over night! Genious idea right?! Ha ha Apart from all the rain, I feel like all I have done this past week is traveled in bus. We went to Veracruz two times this last week, once the week before, and we are going to Veracruz this Wednesday. Lots of meetings and leadership trainings, so its all worth it. This last Thursday, we had a Zone Leader counsel with Pdte. Trevino and it was so amazing! We were 20 missionaries, the assistants and President and we all got to know him and we talked about the mission and set goals for the next semester. Our goal as a mission is 1,800 baptisms from the month of July to December and we are so excited to accomplish it! Our goal from January to June was 1,500 and we baptized 1,515 in those six months! We are excited to explode as a mission and I am personally excited because our zone is exploding as well! When I got here, the zone was very very low, but we have lifted it up so much! The Lord always blesses his servants who deserve his chosen elect. I liked what Trevor said alot in his letter. It is not about the numbers, its about the people. Every one of those 1,515 people are souls---sons and daughters of God---who were baptized and welcomed into his kingdom. Missionary work is such a blessing. A roller coaster as Elder Miller said, of happiness, sadness, stress, dissapointment, miracles, spiritual experiences, friends made, life lessons learned, and goals accomplished, all packed into the shortest 24 months of your life.

I hope Chandler is doing great! I know he is loving what he is doing! The wild boy is in his natural habitat--the WILD! Ha ha I will pray for Grandpa. How crazy and cool story about the nation-wide prayer phone call. I am going to share that experience with my investigators. Prayer is such a special experience that often we take for granted. I will pray for Grandpa as well. I know everything will be okay!

I will get going for this week! Thank you for your prayers, love and support! Nine months, 10 days and counting till the biggest, longest Ricks family group hug in world history! :) I love you all.


Elder James Ricks

P.S:

I wish so bad I could email Trevor and Robb and Jonas, but with our mission email, we are only allowed to talk with direct family. This past week I thought of a great idea! I wrote them hand-written letters and took a picture and I am going to send the pictures so that you can print them out and mail them to them! That way, they get hand-written letters from me! Or if you want, you can forward the photo to Brad and send them to him! Thanks Mom! One other thing... I could use another set of those razor blades. Gillete Fusion. They dont sell a single razor blade in all of mexico that fits the razor I bought in Taylorsivlle, Utah! Thanks! There is no big rush on that! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Zone has exploded!

Elder Rios, Tito & Elder Ricks
(Tito owns the Internet Cafe' where we email home)

My Dear Family,

How is everyone doing? It of course, has been another amazing, awesome week. The blessings dont seem to stop for Elder Rios and I and I feel so humbled and blessed here in the mission field. This week we had three baptisms! We baptized the Grandmother and her grand-daughter on Monday like I commented last week and we baptized Tito this Saturday! Every time I help someone enter the baptismal font I experience such a strange mix of emotions. It is the same everytime with every investigator. It is a mix between the love I have for them and a sense of gratitude coming from God for the work I have done. Before the mission I dont think I ever thought back on my baptism and how I felt that day. But being here in the mission has helped me to remember that day with exactness. Baptism is something so sacred and yet so so very simple. I find it so interesting that being sinless, the Son of God, humbled himself to our level and was baptized, not to clean himself from sin, but to lay the example for us. I also know that the most important ingredient of a baptism is the authority. Many churches may baptize at the age of responsibility, and many churches may even baptize by summersion, but only one church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has the AUTHORITY to act in the name of God Almighty. Before the mission I did not understand that. Do we really understand the blessing and responsibility that it is to be able to claim God the Father's authority?

In last conference Pdte. Uchkdorf talked about a man who saved up money all his life to go on a 5 star cruise. He took suitcases full of food because he didn't have money to eat all the fancy elegant food aboard. The last day, a hostess asked him which goodbye party he wanted to attend and it was in that moment that he realized that he had wasted his whole week and alot of money. The food, entertainment and activities were free. (The Ricks family knows that! :) Pdte. Uchkdorf said that that man had lived far below his priveledges and applied it to us as priesthood holders. But it applies to all of us. Every time I see a child of God dressed in white, I realize the huge responsibility I have as a missionary of the Lord Jesus Christ. Elder Rios and I are the ONLY two people in this city of thousands, worthy and authorized to preach the gospel and baptize. Not even the bishop and church leaders here in the ward are allowed. What a great responsibility and what a PRIVELDGE I have to do so.

This week was a week to test our faith and to see how devoted we really are. We worked our tails off all week and didnt see much success. But Sunday after church, we left excited and commited to forgetting ourselves in the work and the Lord blessed us. We passed by the house of a contact we did and found four new investigators and put four baptismal dates for the 30th. Four precious souls who have been waiting to be baptized. The miracles and blessings never end. Life is good as a missionary. One of my favorite things to do lately is mix up what I eat in the morning and at night. I get sick of cereal so I bought cream cheese and made heavenly quesadillas. I put cream cheese on the tortilla and then ham and warm it up on the piece of garbage electric stove we have! And they are... delicious! I love being a missionary. There is only one bad thing about serving a mission and that is that we are only allowed to serve for two years. I wish the time would never end. I love you all so much and thank you for your prayers and support and the photos! I about wet my pants when I saw the morph suits. I need one of those. I can't believe how big everyone is getting! Love you all!


Elder James Ricks

Hello President and Sister Trevino

Elder Rios, Sergio and Elder Ricks


Elder Rios and Sergio


Maria de los Angeles and Grecia her granddaughter
with family.



Elder Rios tore his pants!


My Dear Family,



WOW! What an amazing week it has been. Every week seems like an amazing week. I love every single minute that I have as a missionary. This week the zone and our area have exploded and Elder Rios and I are having so much success! We'll start with us.... This last Saturday we baptized a young man named Sergio. He was a contact that Elder Rios and I did and he excepted a baptismal date from the first discussion. Today he hung around with us all day today as we did our shopping and washing the clothes! He is 30 years old and doesn't have work. He is very special and a huge friend I have made. Sunday, two of our investigators who were going to be baptized this Saturday on the 9th, told me that they wanted to be baptized sooner because they had family coming into town, so today, ON P-DAY we baptized them... Maria de los Angeles and Grecia, her grand-daughter! They are true converts and have testimonies amazingly strong! We also have a baptism this Saturday at 5pm for Tito! His is finally going to get baptized and has completely dropped smoking! We are actually in the Internet cafe that he owns right now! He is so excited to be baptized. The Lord is blessing me so much and I know it is because I have been obedient. I love what I do. Mike and Chandler... there is nothing better in the whole world.
Now... talking about the zone. Sunday night, as we talked with every district leader in the zone and reported the numbers for the week, we found a miracle. Something that Elder Rios and I have been working for since the start of the change. It is called... a bautizona. A bautizona is when every companionship in the whole zone (we are 9 companionship's) baptizes in the same week. It is hard to accomplish and rarely happens. Elder Rios and I this week discovered that every companionship in our zone, has a at least one baptism for the week of the 9th. We will have a bautizona. But the cool part is that it will be the first time in this zones history that a bautizona has been achieved. We are so excited to explode here in Foraneos. When I passed the numbers to the assistants, one of my best friends Elder Schilhabel from California who is the assistant for the south of the mission, screamed out loud with excitement. We are so blessed.
It was really really hard to say goodbye to Pdte. Hansen. They night he left it hit me hard that he wasn't here anymore. He had become a great friend and always will be. I called him the night before I left to personally thank him for all that he has done for me. He told me that he was so proud of me and that I have a great future ahead of me in my mission and in my service in the church. I love him! Pdte Trevino is now here and excited to get to work! I called him his second night here and welcomed him to the mission and Elder Rios and I presented ourselves with him! He sounds so young! I asked if he knew Omar Rodriguez from Texas and he said that he was a great friend of his! I cant wait to get to meet Pdte Trevino this Thursday. We are going up as a zone to Veracruz to meet him as a zone!
Before I forget!.. I got the package Sunday night! Can I just say that the cookies made me cry. They were so delicious. I haven't eaten something so delicious in 14 months. :) The shorts were an AMAZING idea and of course fit me like a hand made glove! I loved the binder and the letter from Robb. He hasn't changed one bit his sense of humor. I am decided that I want to go to BYU. It will be so fun rooming with Trevor and Robb! ( And Hannah!) :) Well my Texans... there aint nothin better than tha mission. Every day is a blessing and I couldnt be happier. If I could just see my family daily, have my ipod and go to Taco Cabana every morning, I would be a missionary all of my life! Know that I love you all so much! Enjoy the photos I am going to send! We have been baptizing like crazy so there will be like 5 photos! Love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elder James Ricks
P.S: The ward all pitched in and bought me new shoes!!!!! They all love me so much! I also had another pair of shoes repaired because with the extreme heat here they completely fell apart. I had a member fix them up and he didn't charge me anything! Life is good as a missionary!!!! Love you all!