Week 37: Sweetwater, TX

May 6, 2013

Transfer news!!

Buenos dias familia!!

Surprisingly, Elder Cosman and I are both staying here in Sweetwater for another six weeks! I was ready for a new area, but I don't mind some more time here. It works out great because we just found a family to teach!! We felt inspired to walk around instead of bike a couple of days this last week. As we were walking in for dinner on Thursday, we heard someone yelling for us asking what we were selling. This guy was on his front porch with a case of beer just having a horrible day, as he described it. He was drinking his problems away which we all know does no good. We introduced ourselves and started chatting with him. He said he wanted to give me a book to read and I told him I'd trade him books, his book for my Book of Mormon. I promised him I'd read the first three chapters of his Christian book if he read the first three chapters of the Book of Mormon, fair deal right? Haha. We returned the next day to teach the first lesson and it went great! He and his wife committed to work towards baptism! Now, I saw this guy on his porch drinking and I've had my fair share of experiences with drunk people so I wasn't planning on stopping to talk to him. I guess the Lord didn't agree with that! In our mission we are supposed to contact at least ten people a day. This includes handing out pass-along cards, church invitations, gospel conversations, etc. So the average per week for our zone is about 50/companionship. Well, Elder Cosman and I lead the zone last week with 82 contacts! Most of the week was just cold, hard finding/tracting. We've continued to work with less-active members, too. I stopped at a gas station for a drink and the cashier asked me why we haven't visited her in such a long time. I didn't know who she was but turns out she hadn't been to church in over a year---she came yesterday. We have to strengthen this branch somehow and I believe it's going to come from bringing less-active members back. Also, I hear that soon the mission force of the world will be one third sister missionaries. That's so great because the sister missionaries seem to always be successful. Can't wait until we get more in our mission! I'm so grateful to be out here in Texas serving God. This part of my life is a huge blessing to me and anyone who is a part of this journey. I'm truly having a blast and creating special memories. I'm sad that it's going by so fast but it's because I've learned to lose myself in the work. Someone wrote that quote in my journal and I came across it last week, good timing. Haha. Sad day today... I found out I will miss my brother getting married!!! What the heck!!! Brenda, you better wait until I get home. Congratulations to my big brother and his fiancée! So exciting!Much love y'all. Make this week great. Peace out. 

--Elder Ricardo Rios

Address for next six weeks:1729 Hailey St #E53Sweetwater, Tx 79556