Happy Easter

President Trevino & Elder Ricks

Baptism of Omar de Jesus

P Day Fun!

Just helping with some painting

Thoughts of Mom (She loves Elephants)

My Dear Family,

   I don't know why right now, but I am so excited! Thank you so much for all your letters and the awesome Easter pictures! It was good to hear from ya´ll! It was an amazing, blessing-filled week here in Veracruz. We had Leader Counsel on Wednesday and I learned a lot. It was my last zone conference and I gave my final testimony. They made a video of the missionaries who are going home and everyone laughed their heads off when they saw the photo of me in the suit when I was like 4! (Thanks Mom and Hannah for that photo!) It was so hard to stand up in front of all my friends, companions, and President and his wife, to bear my last testimony. I talked about how two years ago, I made a decision that saved my life. Serving as a missionary has made all the difference in my life and I am so thankful for the opportunity to have been able to serve. I feel so clean and pure and full of the spirit. I also talked about how grateful I am for the atonement in my life. I wouldn´t be able to do anything without him. Alma 26:12.

  We also baptized this week! This week, we baptized Omar de Jesus! His wife, who is a member, two weeks ago, came up to us in church and told us that her husband told her that he wanted to be sealed with her in "her" temple! She explained that there was only one obstacle to be able to do that.... He wasn´t a member yet. So we began to give him the discussions. The first visit, we taught the restoration and invited him to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. He accepted. We put a date with him, for two weeks later. That night he received a miracle. His wife had told him that to be able to be baptized, he would need to quite smoking. Since he was 13, he has smoked and the day before we got to his house, he was up to 2 packs of cigarettes a day. That night after we left his house, he quite smoking and hasn´t since. Later he told us when we asked how he was feeling, "Elders, after a life long of smoking and trying so many times to leave it behind, I have been able to do it! How do you think I feel?" He had the biggest smile on his face. It was my privilege to baptize him. I love him and his family. They have two young children, Blanca who is 4 years old and Juan Pablo, who has just like 8 months. Juan was born without ears and is a really special soul in their family. They love him so much and it reminds me of how much I love my own family.

   There is nothing better than being a missionary. It is so gratifying and satisfactory. But my companion and I were talking about something really funny about baptism. All of our countless hours, practices, and thoughts and prayers for weeks and weeks and weeks, lead up to a apparently "small" action that takes places in 10-15 seconds. From the tiny hinge of 'baptism' pivots the great and enormous door that opens up to eternal life. That is, that salvation depends on it. And it is such a sacred privilege to help people make that step. The miracles really never do end.

   I love you all so much! Thank you for your good example and for living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Every Sunday as we are kneeling down to pray at the end of ward counsel, our Bishop, Bishop Caballero says something I really love. He says, "Lets go save our brothers and sisters. Here inside we don't save. Out there we do." The gospel only blesses our lives when we put it in practice and the greatest blessing a missionary can receive and sense and physically see, is the blessings of his family back home LIVING the gospel. May He continue to bless you all. Until we talk again! See you soon! :)

Èlder James Reed Rìcks