One Final companion :)

Elder Mathias and Elder Ricks

Elder Realivasquez & Elder Ricks saying Goodbye

Elder Ricks & Yunue

Inside the Chapel in Camino Real

  

Outside of the Church

My Dear Family,

 I can't believe that another week has gone by! The time is flying and I am loving every single minute that I have to serve the Lord. This week, there has been a lot of changes. Elder Realivazquez left, and my new companion is Elder Mathias from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is everything I could ever ask for in a last companion. I will talk more about that later. We had a great day in church this last week, with 8 in church and 5 with a baptismal date for this Saturday! I AM SO EXCITED! I LOVE BAPTIZING! AND I AM WRITING IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE IF YOU COULD HEAR MY VOICE RIGHT NOW I WOULD BE SCREAMING! Everything is just perfect! The weirdest part is that I don't feel that I have stopped progressing. Even though I have like 22 months, I feel that I am still learning and applying new things! This week, is going to be a huge week. We will have a visit of 70! Elder De Hoyos will be coming to our mission this Saturday and we will hear from him. He was the 70 that bought me a sandwich in the Mexico City Airport when I had visa problems! That same Saturday, THIS COMING SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, I will taking the Charmin Family to the temple to be sealed for eternity! I am so excited I cant even tell you all.

   My companion is so amazing. He is everything I would have asked for in a companion. He is 100% obedient, just like me! He is American, so he understands my sense of humor! :) He has a huge family! They are 11 kids! He is so humble and so focused on the work. Together, we will have so much success. I have already learned so much from him. He has four months and I am his second companion. I am helping him with his Spanish, but he is progressing super fast! He says to tell you hi! We have so much in common. He loves Owl City, Be still my Soul, and he plays the piano! WHAT ELSE DO I NEED? :) I love him. He reminds me a lot of Cole Young! :) Not sure why really. We have so many people in teaching and we are really working hard to find the people that our Heavenly Father is preparing to find the true church. Today we had a big long talk about how lucky we are to be members of the church that we are. But we have such a big responsibility to share it with the whole ward. It motivates me so much, to know that you all are being missionaries and sharing the gospel through word, and example! 

   I really don't know why I am so happy and excited right now. I just feel good. Even though it is hard to realize that my time is quickly running out, I am excited and motivated as ever. Millions of thoughts and emotions pass through my mind. I just love being a missionary and sharing what I have with everyone I meet. Something funny and special happened yesterday night. I had a leadership training with the zone leaders from 7 to 9 pm and walking out the church door after the meeting, a man came up to us and asked us when the services were of the church. We told him, and began to ask him questions. He said that he has a lot of problems right now in his life, and wants to be closer to God! We shared our testimonies about the truthfulness of the church and invited him next Sunday. We wrote down his number and we are going to pass by to share the Restoration with him and his family! It was an awesome experience and I am so happy to have my name-tag.

   I could go on and on about the blessings and miracles, trials and struggles, that I have had. I feel like I have grown, and still am growing everyday! I cannot possibly imagine that in less than two months, we will be together again. But like you have all told me, before then, there is lots still to do! Love you all so much! Have a great, successful, blessing-filled week! :)

Elder James Ricks

Mom, 

  It would be awesome to have the choir at the homecoming. :) Darn song makes me cry like a niña. :) Oh p.s. I have a goal to not speeka da eenglish when I get back. :) jk. I will arrive in the San Antonio Airport at about 2 or 3 in the afternoon, on May 3rd, 2012. I am assuming that that night will be my relevo. How do you say releasement???? I cant talka da eenglish anymore. hahaha I loved the photos and videos. They always bring tears to my eyes. I cant believe that Grace wrote that. Man.. that made me feel so good. Isn`t it just awesome that our WHOLE family has the same goal: to be an eternal family! I love being a RICKS! Love you! 

 The rash is like 99.99912354634% gone. I continue to bathe myself with soya and put on the various creams and lotions, like Nacho. Love you! ENJOY THE PHOTOS!