May 3, 2010

Hey everyone,
I hope all is going well today. I know I have had quite a day, ha-ha. Oh preparation day we work for three hours in the morning and then the rest of the day we get ready for the rest of the week. This morning while we were working, the weather could not make up its mind. It started out sunny so naturally we didn’t bring umbrella's, but it turns out we could have used them. We got caught out in the rain. We were soaking! Then it cleared up for about a half hour then it dumped even harder.It even started hailing. Luckily, that only lasted for about 10 minutes and even more luckily we found some cover for that ten minutes, ha-ha. It has been a note worthy day and the best part is there is still more great things planned for today, namely Chinese food with our ward mission leader. It should be fun!

This last week the work has been going great. We have seen so many miracles. We have truly been blessed. For example, there is a woman that we taught for the first time in over three years. We taught her Saturday. During that Rendez-vous I cannot even begin to tell you how strong the spirit was. We recited the first vision after which, we asked if she would like to be baptized. Her response was, "Bien sur!" (of course). She came to church yesterday where she decided she wants to be baptized as fast as possible. She picked the May 30th as her baptismal date. God can work miracles whenever he feels fit. I am so grateful for the times that I can participate in the miracles that he accomplishes. I love this work. It truly is the work of God! If you can, please keep Christina in your prayers. There is always opposition; I have faith that she will make it through though.

All right, well cool. I am excited to talk to you on Mother's Day and I hope that all is well in Orem. I also hope it warms up a bit. I love you all so very much, Thank you so much for your testimonies and for all your love.

I love you tons,

Elder Ritter

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?

April 5, 2010

Dear Family,
I’m glad that you all had a great conference weekend. I know I did! Wow it was just a great conference, right? I learned so much and the spirit definitely bore witness of what these great leaders spoke. It almost is a taste of home when I watch conference even all the way over here in France. I was able to watch most of the conference in English. Its just better to hear their actual voices, but I did watch one session in French and that was cool. I still learned a lot and it's crazy that I can actually understand this language for the most part. It reminds me of Pres. Uchdorf said in his talk during priesthood about how we must be patience. Learning another language has helped me learn more about patience. The gift of tongues is a gift earned. Only after laboring diligent does a missionary receive the gift of tongues and that work needs to have patience to go along with it. I’m definitely going to work more on patience after hearing this conference.

It sounds like things are going well! From the photos you sent, I see that you at least ate well. I could go for some twice-baked potatoes myself. I guess I'll just have to be patient though. I’m glad that most of the family could be together. Its too bad Steve had work, though. I hope it was a great Easter anyway! Easter here in France is yes celebrated. It doesn’t seem quite as commercialized though. It is a two-day thing though. The big meal in France is Monday after Easter at noon. This one seemed to slip under the radar though maybe it was because of conference. Either way it was a great Easter weekend for us. Otherwise. here in Avignon there is not too much news. The end of the transfer is this weekend already so next time you hear from me I could be in a new area. Who knows though only time will tell.

Well that is about all, but I do want to express one more time my great love for each and every one of you. I seem to keep hearing about the importance of the family and the home throughout the entire conference. How greatful I was and am for a great and loving family. I truly am blessed.

I love you all

Elder Ritter

March 22, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a great week for me, although, there have been a good amount of ups and downs. The most dramatic resulted on Saturday. We had 4 rendez-vous scheduled from 2 until 5, one hour each, which would make for a very nice day. Unfortunately, one after the other fell through either being cancelled or blown off. I like to think of myself as a pretty positive guy, but after that I was a bit down. When we learned that our final rendez-vous wasn't going to work, we took a look at our back up plan and hopped on a bus to down town to do some porting (tracting). When we got to the road we planned to visit, we rang at the first door we came to. We gave a quick intro, which was followed by a slam. No one was home at the next door. We got to the third door and Elder Swanson rang the door bell. Remember though, in France you are never right at the door. Houses always have fences around them and the bell is at the fence gate. This gate was a bit taller so Elder Swanson could not see over. SO after ringing the bell he says "You'll have to talk since I can't see in". It's funny because right as he was saying that, I got a glimpse into the house and saw the guy. I looked over to Elder Swanson and said, "He's big!" And sure enough he was big, very, very big. But the miracle we experienced was even bigger that he was. He is actually from the Ivory Coast and his dad is a member of our church in the Ivory Coast. We asked him if he would be interested in a copy of The Book of Mormon and to learn more about it. He said, "Yes." He also said thanks to the Holy Ghost, we came to his door because every time he talks to his dad on the phone his dad talks to him about the Book of Mormon and the Church. We taught him for the first time yesterday and he is amazing. He committed to read and pray about our message and the Book of Mormon. He seems so sincere that I have no doubt he will have a positive response. It's amazing how much God really cares about his children. I feel so dumb for ever complaining even if nothing happens with this Ivory Coast man, I gained a testimony that I need to never doubt! God knows much more than we do. Somewhere in Mark 5 it says something like "Do not fear, only believe." What great council. JUST BELIEVE!

I love you all so much,

Elder Ritter

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?