Feed My Sheep: Hola! Yo Hablo Espanol!

Alright. I don't know how life could get any better. I'm working in
Souderton, PA and it is filled with Latin Americans. Basically I get
to speak Spanish every day and eat Latin food! My new companion's name
is Sister Ashlyn Clark and I adore her! She is so much fun to work
with and she makes really good jokes.

It was super hard to say goodbye to everyone in my last area because
they have become even more of my family that I want with me forever.
But I already love the people here and I am excited to get to know
them all. There is a recent convert, Sofia, who is 13 and we have
taught her twice already. After the first time of meeting her and her
sister and mom, I told them that I loved them. The next time we were
there Sofia asked, "why do missionaries always say they love you right
after they just met you?" I thought about that for a few minutes and
was worried that maybe I had been ingenuine. But then I realized that
a beautiful experience that happens to missionaries is that when we
meet people and just get to know them a little bit, we become filled
with God's love for them. So for the first little bit, we are just
feeling God's love for His child. Then, as we continue to serve them
and get to know them, our own love for them develops. How neat is
that! So when a missionary tells you they love you as soon as they
meet you, it is really God's love for you they are feeling!

Okay, this whole Sister Training Leader thing is weird because now I
am not only concerned with the work in my own area and with my
companion, but a new aspect has been introduced. Now I am concerned
with the other sisters and how they are doing as missionaries. I was
not excited to get the calling, but as I have prayed daily to love my
calling and love the sisters that I serve, my heart has been softened.
How beautiful that Heavenly Father can soften our heart even when we
can't. All we have to do is to be willing to ask Him for it and then
let Him change us.

Life is so good and Heavenly Father wants us to succeed and be happy
and to grow! That's why we came here to earth, to stretch and change
and be better. So why be stubborn and stay the same? That's a lesson I
am still learning every day, but I am grateful for who I have become
so far with His help. I love this work! And I love you alllllllll!

Love, Sister Amber Flower Ricks

PS my new address is 199 W Vine St. #3 Hatfield, PA 19440. :)