Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Transfers!

Well, my lovely companion Sister Hyatt has left me for Vineland, New Jersey. She gets to do exchanges in both of my last areas, so that is super cool!

On Tuesday I went and picked up my new companion, Sister Kelli Bettilyon, who is from Salt Lake City, UT. She is so great! We are having a lot of fun together and I feel like I hardly know my area still, so we are trying to figure things out together. I love working here so much! There is always a new adventure happening and I feel so blessed to be a part of it. Who knew that one person (me) could love other people so deeply?! It really amazes me how that love continues to grow. I can't even slightly imagine how much Heavenly Father loves each one of us individually!

Some highlights from this week:
-The first day I had my new companion, we were driving down the street and she said to me, "Sister Ricks, you have to pull over NOW." So I pull over just in time for her to whip the door open and her insides became her outsides. I knew right then that we could be friends :) Things like that just bond you, ya know?
-We spent about an hour going over the two verses Alma 7:11-12 with a less active we are working with. If you haven't done it, try it out! Make sure you have a dictionary!

I love you all so much! I hope things are going well and that you are recognizing God's hand in your life every day. Love deeply!

Love, Sister Ricks
Amber visiting from Jersey!

Fenwick! He just left on his mission to Hong Kong. I love him!

Two Sister Ricks'

Sister McNutt. She's basically Nanny McFee

Street Preacher

A sweet mural. They're EVERYWHERE!

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

News

I've got good news and bad news. The bad news is that Sister Hyatt is
being transferred tomorrow :/ The good news is that I ate plantain
fufu his week. It is an African meal that is kind of like play doh,
but you eat it. Advice: if you are trying fufu for the first time,
take a dime sized piece instead of a softball sized piece.

Sister Hyatt forgot her name tag yesterday so I let her wear mine
while I wore the pocket kind. Ya know the kind that elders wear on
their suit coat jackets? Yes, it did look weird. She and I both tried
to keep our hair in front of our name tags all day.
#missionaryproblems

We visited this week with a less active member who is an older woman.
She was telling us that she was so grateful for her fish being alive
after her fish tank fell off the table a few days before... Well, the
first thing we had noticed when we had come in was a pretty rancid
smell and then we saw three very dead fish floating at the top of a
fish tank of murky water... There was no way that we were going to be
the ones to tell her the news! That's what home and visiting teachers
are for, right?

Anyway, it's been a fabulous week and I'm excited for whatever
adventures are ahead. I love you allllllllll!

Love, Sister Ricks

P.s. Other lessons from this week:
-If a Jehovah's Witness asks if you believe in Timothy in the Bible, say yes
-Damian fruit smells bad but tastes good
-Giving a pogo stick to an eight year old boy is probably the fastest
way to his heart
-Prayer works! Even if you pray about something that seems small but
matters to you
-Don't tell the elders if you suspect you have bed bugs. They might
tell the assistants to the president who will call and make fun of you
(we don't have them).

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Block Parties and The Gospel Lights

Family and friends!

Isn't life beautiful? :) It is such a blessing to be alive and to experience whatever is thrown our way.

I serve over two wards, one is a family ward and the other is a young single adult ward. I love both of them so much! I have come to learn more than ever that missionary work is not about having great baptismal numbers- it is about helping God's children come closer to Christ, no matter who they are. 

In the family ward, we work primarily with less active members because there are 600 or so. In the young single adult ward, we have a few great investigators, but we also work to just strengthen the members because they are in such a transitional and delicate time of life. I absolutely love this work!

Sister Hyatt and I are working on compiling a list of "Philadelphia culture." It is unlike anything I have ever known. I will give you a sneak peak of just some of the things on this list:

-If you want water to fill your swimming pool with, you just use the water from the fire hydrant on your street
-Bags and trash billowing in the wind is pretty normal
-"Block parties" happen every weekend. It consists of blockading your street with cars and having the whole neighborhood out for a party. I'll include a picture of an example
-Murals are painted walls on nearly every block
-Sometimes members will invite you over to listen to their old music groups performing gospel music. I was privileged to hear "The Gospel Lights" band. Pictures included.
-Potholes. Everywhere.
-Children bike gangs, who can pop a one wheeler down the street

If you want to know more, let me know! :D
 
I loooooooooooooooooooooove this gospel and Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon! And you!

Love, Sister Amber Flower Ricks

Block Party Bounce House

The gospel lights

The Gospel Cowgirl with her cute husband

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Living in China Now!

Hi everyone! I love you alll soooooooooo much! Sorry I have hardly any time to write this week with all of the errands that we had to run.
 
This week was fabulous though! We went to lunch in China Town with an investigator and ate chicken feet and other legitimate chinese food. We feel so cultured! Sister Hyatt and I were basically the only white people there, which we felt good about :D
 
Also, the cutest ever little African girls came up and played with my hair and asked, "Is this your real hair? Were you born with it?" Bah! I love them!
 
I love this work. I love being able to just love people. God is so good. His plan for us is absolutely perfect. It is just up to us to learn and live so that we can live in true happiness for eternity with our loved ones.
 
Hope to hear from you all soon! (wink, wink)
 

Love, Sister Ricks

Eating Chicken Feet!

Weird Graffiti Gorilla

Right before getting our hur did (hair cut)