Leaving Tuxtepec tomorrow!

My Dear Family,

I cannot believe that Conferencia General rolled around again! I feel like just yesterday I was talking about how it feels to hear the Prophets voice. Being a missionary has taught me to appreciate conference so much! I am so excited to watch conference together as a family! Even though, conference has really made it an amaing week, it has been so sad and hard. I will be changed tomorrow and it is not easy and not fun changing areas, when I have grown to love the members, investigators, and area so much.

On Saturday, President informed me with AMAZING news! He has assigned me to train another new missionary! It will be my fourth and I am so so so so excited to put into practice all that I have learned and help this new missionary to be an awesome tool in the hands of the Lord. I am so sad to leave Elder Gonzalez. I love him like a brother. I am sad to leave this awesome ward and all the friends I have made here. I made all the poor relief society sisters cry like little girls when I told them I would be leaving and they all fought to sign up for my "last food appointment!" Ha ha I love Tuxtepec 1 and am excited to come back and visit after the mission with all of you!

My new area is in one of the zones where I have always wanted to go in the mission! I am going to Poza Rica to the Petromex Ward! It is a beautiful part of Veracruz with so many historical sites to visit. One site is called "Tajin" and I´ll let you just look up pictures on Google of Tajin and you´ll know all about where I am going! Tajin is about 30 minutes from where I am going to be serving! I am so excited to work and concentrate in my area on my investigators. I have loved every minute of being a zone leader. I have grown so much and feel like I have been a helpful tool in the hands of the Lord. I feel so grateful to have been trusted as a zone leader and even more for this chance I have to train.... AGAIN! There are some missionaries who don´t even get to train one time and I´m going for number 4! I am excited like I said, to help a new missionary become strong and powerful and effective, in the Veracruz Mexico Mission... the best mission in the whole world!

Conference was just simply amazing. I loved every single talk and again was blessed to be able to watch it in English! Of all that I heard and learned, I feel like there is just one thing I should comment or mention. And it is for my best brothers.... Michael and Chandler. I have thought alot about the example I am putting for you two. I want you to serve missions, but someone way more important than me, also wants you to serve the Lord. And that is your Father in Heaven. I want you both to study and read the talk by W. Christopher Waddel from the Priesthood session. He talked about repentance, sacrifice and the most important, mission preparation. I loved the three points he mentioned that every missionary candidate should have, arriving at the curb of the MTC.

1) Arrive with a testimony of the Book of Mormon

-This is achieved by reading and studying DAILY and asking and praying to know of God if it is true.

2) Arrive worthy of the Holy Ghost

-This step starts way before you put on a missionary name tag. It starts even before we begin to fill in our mission papers. I know you are both amazing priesthood holders. Continue just the way you are and I promise you the guidance of the Holy Ghost. We can´t do this work without it.

3) Arrive ready to work.

-Boys...... you´ve only got 2 years to serve the Lord and all of eternity to think about it. Get ready to work your tails off and feel daily like a tool in the hand of an Almighty God.

I am so thankful for my younger brothers. They are such a good example to me. Sometimes I feel like I am Laman and Lemuel from the Book of Mormon, whose younger brother Nephi was their good example. Mike and Chandler, you are such good examples to me and I am thankful for you. I am thank you for you as well Dad. Who knows where I would be without you. Not here in the mission. I am thankful for you Mom. I can´t believe how much you love me. Hannah I am thankful for you. You are one of my closest friends. Claire and Grace, you are my motivation and the reason I walk around all day with a smile! I want to be good missionary so that you when you are older, will have a great ex-missionary as a husband! I love you all and daily thank the Lord for the blessing you are in my life. Until next week... be safe and pray that every thing goes smoothly between all the changes! Love you!

Elder James Ricks

Mom... The package still hasn´t arrived yet. I dont know where it would be. I have called the sister whose house it normally gets to and she says that they haven't seen anything. My companion is going to pass it along to me when it gets here. It shouldn´t take too much longer. As far as what I could use for the next package, like two more shirts would be perfect and maybe one pair of pants. I just keep loosing weight and they are getting a little loose! :) I actually just bought new gym shoes becasue the ones I brought were destroyed in a service project we did last year when hurricane Karl hit. I am good on medicine, clothes, shoes, and the basics. I will write the essays this week. I also have permission to log on and check out the application and work on it a little. I can´t be on it all day, but I can to get on and work on the essays. I am so excited to go there. Pray for me and that I get accepted! Love you Mom! Keep up all the good work! :)