What A Week.

Hello Friends and fam: I am so excited that it is finally Monday. This week was TERRIBLE.  I mean, there was some great things that happened but overall, it was discouraging, slow, and just sad. ): Boo.  But i guess Missionary Work can't be perfect every week right??

 

So this week, every single day, every single appointment cancelled. GREAT.  We literally had zero appointments stick with us.  We did a lot of finding a tracting this week which is not really the greatest experience.  We also went and decided to visit some less actives and some part member families.  But funny story. They A) weren't home or B) Wouldn't let us in.  It was seriously so miserable.  Being a missionary with no one to visit or with no one to talk to is hard. I felt really discouraged on Thursday especially.  Me and Sister Pereira were almost to the point of tears. We were so discouraged, so we went to the Womens Shelter and did some service.  We pulled weeds and Sister Pereira got eaten alive.  She has so many chigger bites. Poor girl.  I didn't get any bug bites, but i am so burnt. 

 

Also this week, Sister Pereira can't seem to get better. So we went to the doctor and she has Bronchitis. Poor girl ): Then while we were there the doctor looked at a mole that could be cancerous, so we had to go back the next day to a dermatologist and she had to get a mini surgery on her arm. I feel so bad, because this week was so hard and then she had to go to the doctors twice this week! (I know...Shocker its not me this time. (;) And on top of that...my allergies are SO bad here. We are a mess here in Ozark(; ohhh..at the doctor all the equipment was Ritter Brand. YEAH!

 

Okay, there was some good stuff though, so we will end with that.

 

In the midst of all our trials Sister Pereira read a scripture. Alma 26:27.  It was so  comforting.  The scripture was meant for us.  So we did what it says.  We went out and went back to work.  We worked so hard, on Sunday we fasted for our area.  We fasted for the growth and desire in our area.  On Sunday, we had about 3 less active families come to church! Yay! Our efforts weren't wasted. 

 

I watched the womans conference, and the part that i loved the most was when President Uchtdorf said, "Heavenly Father showers blessings on us like rain, our fear and doubt is like an umbrella, we need to close the umbrella." Or something along those lines.  I really loved that, because i know its true.  I know God is continually giving us blessings, and it is us who doesn't receive them because of our actions and faith.  I am so grateful for that.  As i have been on my mission i have seen so many blessings that i never did at home.  I have seen the Lord guide me in ways i never thought possible. That quote is so true, and awesome to think about. I just need to figure out how to get rid of my umbrella now. 

 

We also got some snuggies from the Elders in our district, so that was cool! (;

 

Dad sent a giant box of snacks to us with some cute pictures of my family, so that was good and we had a super awesome planning session with our junk food piled all over the floor!!!

 

Last night, we visited the Roberts and we were playing with their kitten. We tapped on the ground so it would chase our fingers and a GIANT spider came running out from under the couch at our fingers,when we lifted our hands, it ran back under the couch. We jumped onto the back of the couch with Sister Roberts and screamed and screamed. In skirts by the way. We waited until Brother Roberts came and found it with their daughter and killed it. The bugs here are on steroids or something. They are all huge. It was the scariest thing ever, but i'm sure it was quite a sight! Actually, now it is kind of funny. 

 

Today, we decided to have a district outing and do something all together instead of just the usual things.  We went to a park and played Flour ball dodgeball, flour ball tag, and flour ball capture the flag.  It was so fun! It is really cool to just be together and be with a bunch of missionaries and hang out and relax.  My district is awesome! They are such funny people and we all have good laughs! We got covered in flour, but hey...It was so worth it!

 

Here is hoping to a better week.

Love you!

Sister Ritter

Cats, Buffalos, Lizards, Oh My!

This week was kinda hard and slow. But we definitely saw miracles.

Tuesday we had to stay in again because Sister Pereira was sick again. Poor girl ): I got a lot done though!

During those days it was really tough because when i'm not out serving i think about home, which is horrible. But what else am i gonna think about?? I thought a lot about Kayde! I really miss him, and i never imagined i would. It was really tough and i just kept thinking and wishing that we would have done more while i was home. But then when it got almost too bad, i got a letter from him! And it was awesome cause he said, Dear Sister. (I think he has called me that because he could see the future and knew i would be a missionary, so he would just break me in to the name.) hahah! But his letter was funny and cute and it made it easier!

so enough about home.....

On thursday and friday i went on an exchange to Mountain Grove and i was companions with Sister Stout. She is such a cutie and definitely super dedicated to the work! We taught a lot of lessons which was good since i hadn't taught all week. We also went to sonic and got a shake. She is so brave. She OTMed the sonic lady! I can't even do that to a random on the street that i will never see agian! It was awesome! Also on splits i met a real life cat lady. There were so many cats and they crawled all over us. We also saw some random buffalo in a field. (The things you see in Missouri!) It was kind of hard though, because i wasn't used to the area or the people. Her companion came here to Ozark and did service with Sister Pereira. We had great fun though. (:

Then we did bread delivery again with Sister Worley. We visited tons of less actives. It is good to visit them, but they never schedule a return appointment. Boo. We went to visit the Clowards and we were visiting with them and i kept hearing this weird noise by my feet, but there was only these rock things in a clear box. I picked them up and they said, "Oh those are jumping beans. There is worms in them so they move." It was creepy. But we took them out of the box and they jumped like crazy. I was afraid of them at first, cause weird...but they are the coolest little things. Sister Pereira made fun of me because when it jumped i did, then when hers did she jumped really high!

Also another funny moment... We walked up to a porch and Sister Pereira jumped off the porch and ran and i was thinking, "What is going on???" Then she pointed to this stuffed giant lizard on the porch. She said, "Is that thing real? Does it freeze like that before it attacks?" She then stomped next to it and she was really afraid of it. She wouldn't go near it, so i had to walk past it first. We finally knocked, but we were laughing so hard we couldn't talk. It wasn't a great contact. But it was memorable! Can you imagine two missionaries stomping and running from a fake lizard on a porch?? It was hilarious...Good thing in Missouri, the closest neighbors are miles away!(:

Then sunday came and this is where we saw our miracle. The Clowards came to church!!! Hallelujah! That was one of the happiest times i have had on my mission so far! It is so nice to see someone coming back to church. I was so happy, my heart was smiling!(:

Also this week i read Alma 5 twice! I think everyone who gets and reads this email should read it, ponder it, and record your thoughts on it. Alma asks tons of questions and is calling the people to repentance. As i read it, i marked every single question he asks. As i read, i realized that he is asking questions of worthiness. At the top of the chapter i wrote, "How worthy am I?" It is awesome to see where in life you can improve and what you are doing great at! Then in verse 60, it promises the blessings we will and can recieve if we are worthy and if we live the gospel. It was so inspiring to me. I learned so much and set goals to help myself improve. I felt like that chapter was for me. I also know that Heavenly Father doesn't expect us to be perfect and be able to answer each question with 100%, but that if we make a conscience effort, he will be the difference. If we turn to him and repent and do all we can to follow the standards. If we utilize the Atonement in our lives, we will be saved and we will return to live with God again. It was such a great experience and i hope you can all have the same revelation come to you. If you do, id love to hear about it!(: I know He will be with us every step of the way, and i know that He knows our plans, wants and desires better then we do. I love this gospel and i love being a missionary!

Until next week,

Hugs and Kisses!

Sister Ritter

Some photos of Missouri:

Rain Brings Rainbows

Hello Fam:

So this week was kind of tough! But Oh well(:

 

This week we had a meeting called Train the Trainer with the President. So it was in a building about 30 minutes away, because that is where the closest LDS church is (i know! Crazy!) And we got a ride and got dropped off. Our ride doesn't have a cell phone and she drives off.  We tried every single door and none were unlocked and there were only a few cars.  We called the Zone leaders and they said it was in the other Springfield building which is about 40 min away from that building. We were really stressed because we had no ride and no one close to get us there. We called everyone and finally the Senior Missionaries came and picked us up and drove us.  We went to about 30 minutes of the whole entire meeting.  It was really sad, because i really wanted to be there, but Hey. Accidents happen. 

 

Then this week i got really sick on Wednesday and Sister Pereira got really sick Thursday.  Then i got sick again friday and Sister Pereira was sick too. Then today Sister Pereira was really sick, so we stayed home and she layed in bed to rest and get better.  It has been tough. But we made it!

 

Quick side note. For everyone asking, you say my companions name like this. Sister Pu-Day-Duh. (:

 

This week we also went to a birthday party for the Jones' little girl! We went and we were visitng and getting to know everyone.We had a good discussion with Brother Jones' younger brother.  He isn't ready for the gospel, but he was very knowledgable about religion. We tossed the football back and forth and as we were doing that Sister Pereira could hear all of them making fun of us. As we were leaving, Brother Jones says, "My entire family HATES mormons. " And we were freaking out. We left and didn't think much of it.  Then later that night, he called us and said, "My mom just called me and said, you were some of the nicest missionaries,and she liked you guys. She would love to visit again." WHAT??? We were so excited!!! We are having dinner with her tonight! I can't believe it. It was so cool!

 

We also taught the Sheltons again! I LOVE THEM! They are so great! They have awesome input and great questions, which makes the lesson easier.  They have a great desire to learn and they are all very engaged.  We taught the Plan of Salvation and after the Father said, "Wow. That really answered some questions i had. That was comforting to hear." Its comments like that that make you realize how much someone is progressing. I know they feel the spirit and they want to learn! I can't wait to teach them again this week!

 

Yesterday we helped Sister Thomasson move all day! It was hard work ,but i was happy to help her because she is such a sweet lady and she has her hands full with all of her little kids.

 

Also, I HIT MY ONE MONTH MARK. And Sister Pereira hit her 11 month mark! I can't believe it! Time is seriously flying.  I love being a missionary.

 

This week i read Alma 31:31. I love that scripture, because if we go through our trials with patience and understanding, Heavenly Father will bless us and help us through it.

 

I love this Gospel so much.  I know this is the true church. I know that we can witness miracles every single day if we have faith and look for them . I know that as we are faithful we will see so many blessings in our lives.  I know Heavenly Father loves us.  I know he guides and directs us every step of our lives.  I know that He will help us through any trial.  I know that Heavenly Father wants us to return to live with him and will give us chance after chance to return.  I love serving the Lord with all my heart and i know i am in the exact place i need to be. 

ONE MONTH DOWN!(:

Ozark

Hello Friends and Fam:

 

This week was pretty slow.  We didn't have a whole lot of appointments and didn't get very many lessons. Still a good week though!

 

We went with Sister Worley on Friday and Saturday and we delivered bread to less actives and some non members.  We deliver bread so we can get to know them and so we can also hopefully give them a good message that will bring the spirit back into their lives. 

 

I had a few cool experiences this week that i'll tell ya about!

 

1) So first. We taught the Shelton Family this week.  They are friends with the Martins, and their whole lives revolve around soccer. (Sound familiar) They are incredibly friendly and are interested to learn the gospel.  They are super busy though, so it is hard to catch them.  We retaught them the restoration and they committed to be baptised WHEN they knew it was true.  It was such a cool experience.  That is the first time i have ever been there for the first lesson and baptism committment.  The spirit was so strong during that lesson, and they ask a lot of great questions.  They are very receptive to the spirit and have such a great spirit about them.  After the lesson the father came up to me and said, "I am so glad that you decided to come on a mission."  It was very comforting to me to hear that if anything i touched ONE person. 

 

2) We met these amazing people named Ray and Vona. They live SO far away from us.  They are non members, but might as well be members.  They have a hard time seeing that their is only one church. But they have strong belief and faith.  They watch general conference and read the Book of Mormon.  When we got there the first question they asked is if we played the piano.  Sis Pereira said yes and played Nearer my God to Thee.  She finished and Ray said "play it again, and i am going to sing." It was so cool to see that this cute old man got up and sang that song with so much power and spirit.  He then told us that he yodeled. So he yodeled for us and also sang/yodeled a song he wrote about Jesus.  It was actually really cool.  He was so friendly and his wife Vona was such a sweetheart.

 

3) I got a blessing at church from the Bishop.  In it, he said something that President Thurgood said when i was set apart, my MTC teacher told me in a personal interview, and a line in my patriarchal blessing says word for word.  All 4 of those times it was said word for word.  That was such a testimony builder to me that Heavenly Father knows what i need and he is making it very clear to me my answer. I know that Heavenly Father knows me better than i know myself. I know he will help me with anything, and i KNOW he will answer prayers when asked in Faith.

 

4) We went to visit Brother Shanks and he has the cutest dog in the world. I was petting it the entire time we were there. It makes me miss my Tracker dog, but at least dogs exist here so i can at least pet them(: Also he gave us fudgesicles and they were so good. He was so sweet and was so nice to visit with. 

 

5) Multiple times this week after or during a lesson, someone would say, "You are a great missionary for only being out a week." Or something similiar.  It was so good to hear that multiple times this week because i have really been struggling that i am not a good teacher or i don't know what to say.  I learned that is doesn't matter though.  I am a translator for Heavenly Father. It doesn't matter what i say or how i say it. It is what the spirit says, and how i bring the spirit to their home.  It was comforting to know i was getting that success that i want in bringing the spirit.

 

6) I pants myself at a dinner appointment. ha!!!! It was hilarious. Me and Sis Pereira were laughing so hard!!!! But hey, typical Kena right?? Just cause i am a missionary now, doesn't mean i don't have my clutziness! I just laughed it off and it was good! Great memory!(:

 

I am loving my time here in Ozark!

Until Next week!

LOVE XOXO

Sister Ritter

She Made It!!!

Hello Friends and Fam:

 

I am here!! I am finally in the mission field! I love it so much!

I left the MTC at 2:30 am on Wednesday morning and we had a layover in Denver and i was at the mission home in Tulsa at 10:30 am. At the Airport and i got to call my family and talk to them! It was nice to hear their voices and talk to them, but next time i go on a mission....i am NOT calling.  It was too hard, and i just cried for a minute to get over it after.  Good idea, not a good execution.

 

I got to the mission home and got the biggest, best hug from Sister Shumway and a nice solid handshake from President Shumway! I felt like i knew them forever, and i instantlly felt loved! They are my parents away from home. We had a dinner there and they said they wanted to give us a dinner that was Oklahoma Famous. We had Briskett and "The worlds greatest baked beans." Yeah...sounds like i wouldn't eat any of it at home right? Well, thats all there was, and i was starving. so i ate it. Turns out....i actually really liked it. (I know, I know, dad and chris.... "You can't say you don't like things before you try them." Then i had an interview and a driving test thing, and i got my tiwi card! (That means i can drive!) Then finally the time came to find out where i would be serving. The president read it like a mission call.

 

"Sister Ritter, your companion will be Sister Pereira. The biggest trial you will have with her is saying her name. You will be serving in the Ozark Mountains in Ozark Missouri." I was so happy!!! It brought so much peace to me! I love Missouri! Here they call it, "Miisery." Because it is so stinkin hot here! But not as bad as everyone made it out to me.

 

The people in Ozark are so incredible. They are all so nice, and will always listen to a message even if they aren't interested, They are all very humble and i love these people so much! I have a mission grandma named Sister Worley. She is the best. She bakes 20 loaves of bread a week and we take it to less actives and non members and visit them. She might as well have a missionary badge, because that is all she thinks, talks, and lives for. She is so incredible and she reminds me of Grandma T, so i love her to death. Obviously.  Last week we got 21 lessons from Thursday to Saturday.  So you could say we are pro. (; I am just kidding..we totally aren't."

 

My companions name is Sis Pereira, and i love her to death. She is so nice and hilarious and we are both really fun loving! She is adorable. She is from Orem and has been out 10 months. Seriously so blessed to have her! She is a great trainer and has such a strong spirit and testimony! I definitely lucked out. I live with the Flores Family! Frank pretends to hate us, but we all know he loves us, because he would bend over backwards for us. He took us shopping on monday and bought us scarves. I know, he totally hates us. (: His wife Celeste is amazing. She is like my mom. We tell her everything and she is so caring and nice. She made our bed, cleaned our basement, and buys us tons of treats. She even tells everyone, "These are my girls, i am a missionary mom." I love her! I have been blessed with an incredible "family" and p.s i have a queen size bed. yeah...mission life..... (;

 

I have taught 22 lessons since i have been here! They made me get up in sacrament and bare my testimony, these chapels though...they are the size of the primary room. So weird!!

 

Me and Sis Pereira decided we needed to be better at praying. I feel like i am not very sincere, but i really want to be better about it and feel more confident when i pray, so we decided we would work on it together. We said a prayer together that we would get better at praying and learn more about it and how to be more sincere. It was weird to pray about praying, but...one of the things we teach is that you can pray about anything. No joke. that night..That EXACT night, the Zone leaders called us and said, "Tomorrow at zone teaching we would like you two to teach on the power of prayer." Holy. prayer instantly answered. That sounds hard and freaky, but what better way to improve, then to learn for yourself? Then we got to the zone teaching and flipped right to the hymn "Did you think to Pray?" and that is the song we sang. Heavenly Father really needs us to be better at prayers.

 

I know that Heavenly Father loves us. I know that he knows us better than we would ever think to know ourselves. I know that if we follow him and live worthy of the spirit, that we will be directed and guided to those places we need to be.  I know Heavenly Father knows me and my potential.  I know he is with me every step of the way on my mission, and i know that He has my life in His hands. 

I love being a missionary. I love Missouri with all my heart, and most importantly, i love the Lord with all my heart. I know i am where i am supposed to be.

Thank you for all the love and support from everyone!

XOXO

Sister Ritter

 

P.s. No pictures...i forgot my camera ):