Happy Valentine's Day

Hey everybody, I hope you all had a great Valentine's day! And no Dad I didn't get notes from the jeune fille members here, haha! It was a good day and good week though. Things are really going well here and are even picking up. We have one ami who is actually from New York. He said he wants to be baptised so we need to pick a date for him this week. It's very exciting but we still have a lot to teach him. I'm worried he doesn't quite get it, too. So if you could all pray for Jason that would be awesome. Like I said the work here is really starting to progress. We are teaching more and more and it's really exciting. Thanks again for all you prayers.

SO the Olympics have started, Crazy. Maybe they are a big deal here but I have only heard one person talk about them so I'm guessing not. Oh and Matt Harris finally got his call! Sweet! I'm super excited for him!

Well, I'm doing good. Of course there are tough times, but really the life of a missionary is blessed. If we do our best, that is all the Lord asks for and life is good when we know we are doing what God would have us do. I really do feel blessed to be a missionary. It's true it's not always easy but is so many ways it is a lot less stressfull. I love the time that I have to searve as a missionary. I have really come to love France and all the people here. I love you all! Thanks again for all you do for me. You think that I am blessing your lives by serving, but I seriously get so much strength from all of you. Really, thanks so much.
Je Vous Aime Beaucoup Beaucoup!

Elder Ritter

Oh and Mom/Grandma, I don't know how much room there is left or if it will make a difference by the time the box gets here, but I have really wanted some thermal bottoms recently. The wind in Avignon is piercing, haha. I seriously don't know how Steve did it. It's barley freezing temperatures here and I'm already cold. I also think that winter is almost over though so, you know, do what you can.

ça va

2/11/10

Hello! Thank you for your once again great emails. It sounds like life is a bit stressfull at this time. I hate when that happens. It is the busy time of the year. At least we learn a lot when that comes around. For me when Im feeling down or life feels super busy or "24 packets stressful" I like to read section 122 in the Doctrine and Covenants. It puts life back into perspective. I pray for you all. I have also felt the prayers of all of you. We have had a great week and things are on the up it feels like. We have reciently found some new people to teach and we have recieved a lot of phone numbers from people we have contacted on the street. Thank you so much for your faith and prayers.

So Dad I want to first of all say, you speak really good French. Also did you know that you left to serve a mission the same date as I did, June 3rd. I was looking at the white handbook that you gave me and the card in it states you were a missionary from June 3rd to June 3rd just like mine, haha. I thought that was cool anyway.

In other news, I don't have much other news. Life is good. I am happy and I think of you all often. It's crazy how much you come to love your family as a missionary. The really crazy thing is that if time keeps flying like it is, it will be no time unil I see you all again. I love you all so much I know that I say that everyweek but I really mean it. I feel so close and connected to all of you everyday. Thanks so much for your love and support. I hope you can feel of my love for all of you because it is there even though I am limited in the ways that I can show it.

Have a absolutely great week
Love

Elder Ritter

Some Things Are Totally the Same

2/1/10

Yeah, as if Avignon was not already cool enough; they totally have a Harley store! I had to get on one and act cool myself. I didn't even know they had Harley stores in France.

Oh and what size of shirt do you wear, Dad?

Greetings from Avignon

2/1/10

Bonjour,

Bonjour ma très chère famille. J'espère que vous allez bien cette semaine. je suis content que vous avez passé une bonne semaine avec les petits Martin's; et passé une bonne fête chez Brooke. C'est fou qu'elle a cinq ans déjà. J'ai eu une bonne semaine nous avons vu les bons choses et l'œuvre ici est en train d'exploser.

So I want to start out by answering a few questions. First, Elder Swanson has been out for about a year and a half or actually a bit longer. He is from Arizona first of all, but lived in Utah the three years before he started serving a mission. He is really cool and we have a lot of fun together and we are doing some good work. So pretty much all the Amis here were dropped because they where not progressing right before I got here, so we are in the process of building up our teaching pool. It feels a lot like my first few weeks in Pau. That being because we don't have many amis and our rendez-vous are not as numerous. When I left Pau we taught 21 lessons durning my last week. This last week in Avignon, we taught 9 lessons. It is a lot less, but it's really exciting to try to build up a city. It's also a lot of work and every time I try to put the load on my shoulders I realize how small I really am and how I can't do anything alone and that's when the Lord steps in and we see the miracles. I really love this work and it's so interesting to see how the Lord accomplishes his will through us in ways we could never expect. We have a branch here is Avignon and it is much smaller than the ward in Pau. I love the Branch here though. It is alive and kicking with great strong members. There were about 40 maybe there at church last week. Another problem is they all live an hour or so away from Avignon itself, so that makes it hard to work with members or visit them or even eat with them. Still they are making great efforts and sacrifices for us. It's a great branch. Elder Swanson and I are the only missionaries in Avignon. There are rumors that the transfer after this one, there will no longer be missionaries here in Avignon since the number of missionaries coming to Europe is declining rapidly. So the pressure is on Elder Swanson and me to keep Avignon alive. No not really it all depends on the revelation Pres. Carter receives. The work is looking up here though. I guess 9 lessons is more than usual and we have found two new Amis just this last week, so the work is progressing and it is very exciting.

So Avignon its self is very pretty. It is so cool to walk around in a citadel that was built well before Columbus was even born. It was build in the 11th century, I believe. The Bridge is cool also but right next to it is the Palais de Pape. It is a huge castle and cathedral that the popes would live in back in the day. It is huge and there are crazy side streets next to it. I feel like I am literally in middle earth. It is so sweet. I'll have to send some pictures. It's so awesome. I am really glad that I have the opportunity to serve here.

So Yeah that is a lot from me about me. I hope things go well and are not too busy for you all it sounds like it is a pretty busy time. I wish you all the best and Love you all a lot.

Elder Ritter

PS my address is:

46 rue Carnot. Its pretty nice and really big for a missionary apartment in France;

Sûr le pond d'avignon on y dance on y dance

11/18/10

Dear Fam and Friends,

So after about twelve hours on train today, I finally made it to my new ville. I am here on nearly the others side of the mission at Avignon with Elder Swanson. I've only been here for a couple hours now, but I can tell I'm going to like it. It is not a huge city, about the size of Pau, but it is really pretty. There is a super old castle-like wall that surrounds the whole centre ville. It is really sweet. I'm going to miss Pau a lot. I really came to realise how much I would miss it when I was giving my farewell talk to the ward. I have made some pretty awesome friends in that ward and city. I can tell it's a good thing that I left though. Changing it up a bit has already made me excited and pumped up to work harder, even though I am dead tired after all day train rides and lugging heavy suit cases everywhere. I will sleep well tonight. I'll have to send you pictures of this place soon. I have heard great things and am already impressed. Oh and Elder Swanson seems pretty dang cool. He actually was the companion of Elder Moon right before I came into the mission. So since I replaced him at Pau we have common ground to talk about. It should be a lot of fun.

Wow, Elder Gibbons called you. That is sweet! I'm glad he is doing well and it doesn't surprise me at all that he is dating a lot. It is a bit strange to think he is back home in Utah and getting back to the rest of his life. We had a lot of good times together and saw a lot of miracles. He was a great missionary and I learned a ton from him. It will be fun to hang out with him again in a couple years. I still have 2 years left right? It's so crazy how fast time flies. I have nearly been in France for six months now. So Crazy!

Hey so yeah I really enjoyed your emails this week. Thanks so much for writing to me. I love you all so much and am so glad that things seem to be going well. I can't wait to hear form you all again next week.

Love

Elder Ritter

PS. I'm glad you got my card I hope it was alright. Oh and Brooke yes I really, really liked the missionary pictures that you made for me. Thanks!

Last Week in Pau

1/11/10

Alrighty,

so this week has been a good one. Its pretty much same old same old, so yeah it's good. In a week from today though I will more than likely be emailing you from another city so you will all have to make guesses where I'll be going. That will be hard to do though, epically since you don't know all the cities that are opened for missionary work. In any case I am pretty excited see a new place, but like I said I will really miss Pau. If you came to pick me up here It would definitely be one of the stops.

Oh one cool miracle that we have had recently goes by the name of David. He is from Nigeria and therefore speaks English. We have taught him two times now and He is awesome. He is so believing in God and Christ. I even think he believes in Joseph Smith as a prophet but as he says, with so many people saying so many different things he gets confused sometimes in what to believe. We committed him to pray so he can know for himself what the truth is. It was a very powerful rendez-vous. It is also a lot of fun to teach in English. It's a bit weird actually, but seeing it's my maternal language it's quite a bit easier to explain things. We actually just came from a rendez-vous with him. So much fun. Like I said experiences like that really show me just how glad I am that I am able to serve as a full time missionary.

Well thanks again for everything, good luck with the art mythology project and yes, Amy I know the kid your talking about and yes, that is a pretty dang funny dream.

Love Ya

Elder Ritter

One of the members here plays professional Rugby, so we missionaries and Brother Portwood went and supported him (Penny) for a preperation day activity.

Loving Pau

01/06/10

Hey,

How was your week? The week was great for us here. We are having so much fun here in Pau. I am thinking that I will be leaving pretty dang soon though. The end of the transfer is the 17 of January and I have already been here for over 5 months. Crazy because I feel like I just got here and that I am still blue, or green I guess they call it in the states. I will be sad to leave Pau if that is the case. I have really come to love it and I can get around this ville like it's my home town mostly because it is not too big. I also have made some great friends here. I will also be very excited to see another part of this country though I think it's about time.

So it sounds like you are getting back into the groove of like now that the holidays are over. I wish you all luck and hope that you may have a lot of good times and success.

Well Im pretty much out of news from here..... hmmmm any questions?

Alright I hope you know I love you. Have a great week and I'll talk to you again soon.

Elder Ritter