Onto my 15th month as a missionary!

Howdy! 

       Midland, Texas is so prepared for the Restored Gospel. We have been very successful on our bikes finding new people to teach. During our weekly planning session on Friday, we accounted for six new investigators! About half of them came to church yesterday. Elder Hoskin and I are the dynamic duo!! We're pretty much the same person.. Everyone loves that we're talkative and social, so we connect well. On Wednesday we had the opportunity to teach the young men how to knock doors. It went really well! We got to show them how easy it is to relate to the people and discern their interests or needs. They also got to ask us questions about mission life. I told them how easy it is to focus on the work when all else is taken care of. No rent, no phone bills, no school, no paying for gas, no car payments, etc. They seemed pretty excited to serve after that! Haha We had a multi-zone conference on Thursday where President Augustin and the assistants instructed on organizing lesson plans and the roles of members in a lesson. It's always a sight to see a large group of missionaries. There are now rumors of a mission split soon! All is going well, I see my testimony grow each day and my legs continue to get ripped from all the biking ;) Haha Make this week great!! 

Love,

Elder Ricky Rios

3601 Andrews Hwy #405

Midland, Texas 79703

Pictures

It gets dark at 5pm...

November 11, 2013

Howdy!!

 

We are pressing forward on our bikes. Elder Hoskin and I have seen the fruits of our labors from being where the Lord wants us to be. It may be super cold outside, or very hot, but when we're out there just riding around talking to people, we are showing everyone that we are messengers of God. Most conversations start with them asking us if we're crazy for riding bikes in the cold, dark nights. I think it shows dedication! I absolutely love Midland, it's a great place to be spreading the good news of Christ. The families in our ward are motivated in their missionary work and love sharing their experiences with sharing the gospel. It's crazy to think about my mission winding down. I'm running out of time! Each morning during companion study, we set a goal to make the day memorable. We try to do something each day to make it more than just knocking doors, or teaching a lesson. We look for uplifting, spiritual experiences. We look for miracles. I love this because it gives each day meaning, even if it's a slow day. I challenge all of you to do the same! That's my report for the week. :)

 

Love,

Elder Rios

 

Texas Lubbock Mission!!

November 4, 2013

Howdy!!

Fantastic week here in Midland, Texas. On Halloween day we were blessed with the opportunity to attend the Lubbock Temple with our zone. It was a much needed spiritual refuel! It was the highlight of the week. Elder Hoskin and I are staying busy with the people we are teaching. Jorge requested a missionary visit from the internet and was interested in learning more about the Book of Mormon. We delivered him a copy and taught the message of the Restoration and he was very receptive! Robert is a guy we met on the street whom we had a discussion about reasons behind so many different churches and religions. He was surprised to hear that we claim to be the only true church and has accepted our challenge of learning more. J.R. recently lost his wife and has been seeking answers regarding her salvation. He signed up on the internet for a missionary visit and was glad to meet with us. These are the most legit people we are currently teaching. We had a guy named Edwin show up to church after being invited by a friend. He stayed all three hours and enjoyed the Spirit he felt there. We have an appointment to meet with him this week! 

Yesterday was fast & testimony meeting and I've been shooting to bear my testimony each month of my mission. Haven't missed one yet! Brother Flournoy, an elderly man mentioned in his testimony that if anybody had questions or doubts about the church, to go talk to him. He said this in a humorous way. Haha So when I went up I backed him up and said the same thing which got the whole congregation to chuckle. :) I know this is where we're all supposed to be. We're all on the right path and it is our job to help others find this path. The church is true. Jesus Christ is our savior. Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Ricky Rios

Week 14 in Midland, Texas

October 28, 2013

Hello!

 

After a couple of transfers of getting to know the area, ward, and people, and having some successful baptisms, the work here continues! Elder Hoskin and I racked up some referrals last week, with a couple being from the church website. The Lord is blessing us with new investigators. This success comes from a little sacrifice. Our car was moved to a different zone where it is temporarily needed, so we are back to the traditional missionary bikes! Yay.. Our area covers up to 35 miles out of town and it's been difficult getting out to see some people we were teaching. On the positive perspective, this has allowed us to use our members for rides and get them out teaching with us. It's been a great biking experience so far. This upcoming Thursday (Halloween), we will be making our zone temple trip to Lubbock!! We are so excited to be in the House of the Lord again. Things are going great as the year winds down. Hope y'all have a great week! Send me some Halloween candy... Thanks!! :)

 

Love,

Elder Rios

Staying in Midland!!

October 21, 2013

Howdy!

The weather here is finally cooling down as we roll into Fall. This October season is exciting because our mission president announced that we will all get to go through the Lubbock temple this month! Transfer calls were a success. I'm staying in Midland with Elder Hoskin for another six weeks! I love this guy! We get up every morning and workout at the stadium, doing various football and field drills. We actually found some people to teach by doing this! We are working hard, hitting the pavement every day to find new people to listen to our message. I know the Lord will put receptive people in our path. Currently, we're helping Marie (Larry's wife) prepare for baptism this Saturday. It feels great to know that our ward recognizes our labors and are willing to support us in any way. We received a plenitude of referrals last week after "training" our members in missionary skills. Elder Hoskin and I had the chance to attend mission prep class with some youth in the stake and it was a great opportunity to emphasize the importance of PREP. They asked us questions about mission life and what things were the hardest to get used to. It was hard seeing some kids acting bored in there. I wanted to knock some sense into them! But I know they will get hit by the Spirit soon. That's my report for this week y'all. Much love from Texas!! 

Love,
Elder Rios

Transfer 9: Midland, Texas

October 14, 2013

Howdy!!

Congratulations to Fernando and his brand new wife!!! Wish I could've been there guys! Good week here in the TLM. I have a new companion, at least until next week-- Elder Hoskin. He's from West Jordan, UT. Crazy cuz we both played QB in high school and we both love football. We play catch everyday. We have been getting along just great. We have been doing lots of finding and street contacting. In fact, we spent literally six hours on our bikes on Thursday just riding around the city talking to people. We have another baptism planned for Oct 26th! Our mission president announced that we will all have an opportunity to attend the temple at least once during our missions. Super exciting! Tomorrow I hit 14 months into my mission. It's the home stretch and I feel like great things are coming. Our area is seeing a lot of success through our members' increased desire to share the gospel. Conference really pumped everyone up! We visit families and as soon as we walk in it's "well Elders we are working with this family and this family and inviting this family over for dinner and a church movie.."etc. Awesome! Hope all is well in Menifee, CA! Peace & blessings,

Love,

Elder Rios