April 21, 2010

Hello again,
So, it’s already been a week since I was transfered to Bayonne. I'm liking it quite a bit. It is a great city and really quite pretty. I was going to send pictures but the computers here don’t accept the camera cards either so I need to get my cord. I'll bring it next week though, because I have a few cool photos that I need to send to you. The weather here has been great. The last week it was a bit hot at some points of the day, but not too bad. It is starting to make me realize that I am not too excite for the summer heat of southern France, but it will be good. Elders Sellers is from Oregon. He has five weeks left as a missionary and I will be finishing him off just like I finished off Elder Gibbons. He is still really focused as a missionary and we definitely work hard. He is a cool guy. We have many similar interests and we get along well. I was able to meet the Bayonne ward yesterday. They are very welcoming and very awesome people. It should be fun getting to know them better. Our DMP, (the member in our ward who is in charge of coordinating between the missionaries and the ward) is Great! He is actually from London, England. Même and he were baptized just three years ago. He only speaks a little bit of French, but he helps us teach lessons a lot and he is so nice to us missionaries. He and his wife seriously are so generous. It's funny because he married his wife about 3 years ago. He is about 60 years old and his wife is French. She only speaks a little bit of English. Somehow they make it work and they are great. It has made the transition a lot more smooth with this family, Brother and Sister Miller. Really though you just have to meet him. He is the funniest guy ever in the sense that he isn’t trying to be. Its cool!

I am doing well. Not a whole lot is new. Mission life continues as usual. I've been realizing lately just how lucky I am to be a missionary and how greatful I am to have such great experiences. I can't wait to tell you them all ha-ha. No, I know how much people hate it when return missionaries go off telling their stories. I'll try and refrain. I'll also try and send a few on tape. I am really bad at sending stuff. Sorry. Oh one cool thing. I just learned yesterday that one guy that I started teaching when I was at Pau, was baptized. I had no Idea he was baptized. I was very excited to find out that he made it. Because when I was there he was the fiancé of a member in Pau. We would teach him from time to time just when we taught the family, but he didn't take his first official missionary lesson until the day after I left Pau. I always wondered what happened and now I know. It’s amazing how much joy that brings me even though I wasn't there for the biggest part of his conversion. I truly do love this great experience that I have to be a missionary. There are so many great lessons to learn and wonderful miracles to be apart of. Thank you so much for your support! It really does play a huge roll. Every blessing I see, every person I try and help, every act of service I give, you’re apart of it because without a supportive family, I don’t know if I could do the work I do. Thanks!

I love you all so much I know you love me and more importantly I know that our Heavenly Father loves us. He sent his Son so we can return to his presence. How grateful for that knowledge. I pray that we all can find missionary experiences to help other feel of this joy and in turn feel of the joy that comes when helping others come unto Christ. Once again I love you all!

Elder Ritter

Ps When is Mothers day the first Sunday of the moth of May right?