Last Week, Last Baptism and Last Email - Maybe!!

Well, we just got back from Lima and it was awesome!!! It was a well planned p-day and I’m pretty proud of it. We went to a museum and went to the City Center and went and bought some stuff. Well I bought a lot of stuff. I bought everything for you guys and stuff, beanies, alpaca fur, alpaca ties for the guys, coasters, Peruvian clothes for Karra and couple things for Mimi and Pop. I’m going to leave everything here and just take souvenirs.

We also had Margarit’s baptism, it was good. The Stake President came to help us out because he is form our ward, it was great. Now we have other people that are going to get baptized, we have a woman and her two kids and we still have to take to the husband and other son which will be a family of five. I won’t be here but the work goes on.

This week we have the farewell for the missionaries and President Perez and Sister Perez. It will be a nice going away party for us. Missionaries that have served in his time are going to come from all over Peru and maybe other countries so we will see how it goes.

It sounds like you guys are way busy which I’m glad, you wont be so trunky!! I feel good because I can honestly say that I have served a good mission, and that you guys are more trunky than me ha-ha.

I might write you guys next week, if not no big deal I will just see you two days after. I might call you in the airport to let you know if the flight is delayed or anything. Yes I know I’m going to get home really tired so in the airport everyone can be there that’s fine but after when we go home I would like to be with just you guys and mimi and pop in the house before I get released.

Thursday I would like to go buy cloths and see a modern mall and I would love love to see a couple of movies, I want to see three, transformers 2, batman, and 2012, as for food I just want one gallon of milk with cinnamon toast crunch.

Well I love you guys, thank you so much for the support, I will see you next week!!!!!!! love elder ridge

The Longest Week and Winding Down

Well this week was the longest week of my mission. We got rejected all week and having that happen on one of the last weeks of my mission made me a little trunky. Things got better Sunday, we has 10 people just show up to church. We had a family that want to get baptized and they are getting married this week so if everything goes good we will baptize another family the 26^th. We have 3 more people that are going to get baptized the 3rd of July. It is a momo and her two kids, the husband wasn’t way excited to do it but we will keep teaching him. Margarita is going to get baptized this Saturday, so we will have more stuff to do.

This week will really be the last whole week to work, because next week is the zone meeting farewell that we do at the end of every change and then I will have days to go visit my converts and members to say goodbye. This week will go by fast because we are going to have a baptisms and I’m also going to do a work visit with Elder Briggs on Friday so its going to go by quick.

About Mary (we got a phone call in Utah from a Mary in Inguitos ) this week, don’t worry I don’t have a little jungle girlfriend, I only gave our phone number to my converts and only some families, only a few ones that I got really close to and not crazy people, I can’t really remember but I think Mary is the mom of the girl I baptized there so its from the family of my convert. If anyone else calls just tell them this, llame en tres semanas por favor.

No, we have not moved yet, and if we do it, will be in the same zone we will just live with the missionaries that are in the zone and yes we will have a pencion. It will be for like a week nothing more.

Love Elder Ridge

Baptisms, work visits and Moving

Well this week was really good, there was a lot to do. First off we had two baptisms. Harold(the family) and Anna, they went very well and they were really excited it was a good service. I baptized Harold and my companion baptized Anna. Now we are going to have a baptisms the 19 of June, its Margarita, we had to put it one week farther because she didn’t come to church because one Sunday a month she has to take a test for school so next week she will go.

This week we are trying to find more people because the people we find will be baptized for the 26 of June, my last weekend, I really want to baptize the last weekend but if not no big deal I will keep working.

I did two work visits this week, I think in Dads time they said splits but on Wednesday I went with Elder Neilson, he is from my group, he is from las Vegas. Then Friday I went with Elder griffin, that was fun, we worked hard but it was way fun to be with him and work together. What happened was my companion kind of didn’t pay attention to the time I told him to change back so we ended up staying two nights together, it was awesome.

We also had a lot of things to do as Zone Leaders again this change. Basically what might happen is where we are living they want to reconstruct it because the assistants and office workers are going to live here for the division of the mission. So they are kicking us out and we will have to go live with other missionaries next week, so my second to last week I will have to move. That’s another thing that will make me really busy and not be trunky. The Sisters in the zone are doing good. We had one that wanted to call her family this week so we had to go to her house and talk to her and make her feel good but now she is good.

Well, I’m pretty excited to get home in three weeks but I don’t think it has hit me yet. I don’t know if that’s bad or good.

Well I love you guys so much, I cant wait to see you, thanks for the support,

love elder ridge

Strong to the finish!!

Well this week was a very good week. We have found a few good people to teach. First of all we have Harold and his two children this weekend that we are going to baptize. A little bit about Harold. He is 29 and he was once married and had his two kids then he got divorced later on in time he got to know a girl that is a member of the church and they started dating and stuff but fell in the lay of chastity and the she got pregnant, I think she is like 20, what Harold did is he accepted it like a man he stayed with her, they got married so he can support his new family. Now he wants to repent and get baptized and get sealed with his wife and his 2 soon to be 3 kids. His wife is nine months pregnant, Harold is a great guy and he already looks like a member.

There are a lot of guys here that get the girls pregnant and leave them, I have seen it so much!!!! In the jungle its worse, I have seen 14 year olds pregnant, but I’m glad Harold accepted what he did and now wants a better life, this Saturday is going to be his baptism.

This Saturday we also will have a girl named Anna, she is 25 and all her family are members, she just never wanted to get baptized until when we showed up and taught her, she is a nice girl.

Then we were knocking doors one day and found this family that has been inactive for 20 years, they have two kids, Margarita who is 15 and Alex who is 10, Margarita is getting baptized this Saturday, she is really smart, and she is way cool, her family came to church this Sunday all dressed up and everything and they said that it felt good to be back, they are an awesome family.

This week we will find more people to teach. The zone is getting better, Elder Griffin is my district leader, he is doing good, Elder Briggs is in my zone too, its good to be back with them, Briggs too is working good.

Last week we had to do all the changes in the zone and everything and we had the interviews with President, everything went well, I gave a thirty minute training and how to teach more effectively and to challenge someone to baptisms, it was pretty good, my interview was pretty good with president, we talked about the zone he also asked how I felt to be finishing the mission, I told him that I really feel good for the work that I have done and that I have worked pretty good my whole mission, we talked about some things about the division of the mission, it was good.

Well my schedule seems way awesome and easy, I thought I was going to have to take English and Math and all that stuff but that will be next semester. The Peruvian teacher is fine, I would like to talk to her it might be a little easier for me if a talk about Peru with her. I’m not worried at all about my pronunciation, just a little about my grammar but not too much, I’m actually more worried about the English I speak ha-ha. My companion is doing good too we get along and we work good. I’m just happy I’m finishing this change.

It’s Winter here so when I get back I’m going to be sweating, I also have a runny nose I hope that when I get back it will go away. In a couple of weeks we are going to go to the center of Lima and I will buy some stuff for you guys. Last week we did eat lunch with the old pension it was fun, we told stories and everything.

The mall here has Burger King and Pizza Hut and KFC and McDonalds and China Wok. We went last p-day and bought something from Pizza Hut, six soles for a pizza roll and a drink. In our room we just use the owners fridge.

Well thank you for the support, I love you guys so much

love elder ridge

Seeing Familiar Faces

Well this week was a busy week!!! First of all we had the changes so I went to my new(old room) it was cool it kind of felt weird but I’m enjoying it here.

Wednesday day all the zone leaders from the jungle and from barranca stayed the night for the zone leaders meeting Thursday, we stayed up until like 1:30 at night talking. I was hanging out with Elder Layton the whole time. So we got up and went to the zone leaders meeting and it was good. it’s a long meeting, it was from 8 in the morning to 5 at night, it’s all day but it was way good. Then all the missionaries flew back to the jungle but Elder Layton stayed with us again so he could go to the CCM for the meeting with Elder Jay Jensen, from the Seventy, Friday morning. So I was with Elder Layton for like 2 days it was fun.

Elder Jensen gave a great talk about the music and he spoke in Spanish too. I also saw Marc jay, he is doing good, then I saw a kid that was on the youth council with me I think he is from Highland 27th Ward. I said hi to him and talked to him on Friday. He finishes in August. If you can find his name that would be great?

My new comp is a good guy, he is from Porto Viejo Ecuador, he is 13 months in the mission, we work good together. Well, I got here and there was nothing in the area, the missionary here last change finished and was trunked out so we are working pretty hard, first of all there was a man that came to church and wants to get baptized with his two kids, his wife is a member and active the husband just never wanted to get baptized until now, so my last change

I’m going to baptize a family and complete the family. I’m way excited, it is such a blessing, finish the mission with a family, and we also had a girl come to church, her whole family are members but her, even here daughter is a member so we went and taught her and she wants to get baptized June 5th, man this change is going to be good but way fast, so I have to enjoy it.

In the zone there are 18 missionaries, its the second biggest zone in the mission, I must be doing something right ha-ha. The members where really happy to see me, my converts have all moved away but one is still here, its Suria, she’s the one from Puno and she is here visiting. I walked in and she was there, she is way active and even has a calling, she ran over to me so happy, it was way good to see her. I then went and saw my old pencion from Columbia and she freaked out, she was so happy.

Wait I just got a phone call from the assistants there are going to put another compañiship of sisters in our zone tomorrow, that means that in the zone there are going to be 20 missionaries y 8 sisters. This Friday we are going to have the interviews with President and then after that things will be a lot calmer.

I got a letter from Bishop Wright and he mentioned that he wanted me to do a fireside thing with the youth when I get back. He wants me to prepare a power point with pictures and stories and with spiritual experiences, im looking forward to it.

Well I love you guys so much and thank you for the support,

love elder ridge

Changes and going back to the Start!!

Well the changes are here and I’m not staying here but I’m not going to the jungle either!

I’m going to go to Tahauntisuyo, yes I’m going to the same area where I started. I’m way excited I’m going to the exact same area. When I was there it was a junior comp senior comp area but since then it has changed to a zone leaders area so I will go back to the same members and see them again and the converts. I’m way excited.

There is hot water but there isn’t a pencion so I will come home nice and skinny I hope. My new companion is Elder Alonzo from Ecuador. He has I think a year in the mission but he has had a lot of success. He seems like a good missionary and he will help me not be trunky ha-ha.

It’s kind of cool, I lucked out and have had a lot of companions form different countries, from Canada, the states, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile its pretty sweet. I would really like to work with South America and Central America later on in life.

Well this week as for the work was good, we found a lot more people to teach and some people with dates to get baptized but we are both leaving the area so we are leaving the area better than when we found it like a eagle scout would do ha-ha. I’m kind of sad leaving my companion he was way fun and the zone is doing really good. We are planned to finish the month with 50 baptisms but now I’m going to go to another zone and see if we can lift it up.

Lets see for my birthday ya I think I will wait to get home to celebrate it. Sunday in the afternoon we were walking like at 4 in the afternoon and I look at my comp and go hey, today is my birthday, he goes oh that’s right, hey happy birthday, I said thanks and we just keep walking and working and that was the only thing that we did, I will just wait to be with you guys to celebrate it.

Just so you know I did get my package and I loved it, it was way good especially the beef jerky, I have the box ready and everything I just have to send it, I will next Monday, its because there isn’t a mail store here but where I am going to be there is one so it will be easier.

This coming up week is going to be crazy, we have the changes Wednesday then all day Thursday we have the zone leaders meeting and then Friday we are going to go the CCM to have a meeting with a couple setentas (70’s) wow this week is going to go by fast, well guys I love you and thanks for the support, enjoy the photos, its me and elder Pug with Marco Antonio and his family in Pucallpa.

love elder ridge

Mother's Day Call

Sunday May 9^th (Mother’s Day)

The family was able to talk with Elder Ridge on Sunday. He sounds great and we can definitely tell he has been speaking Spanish for two years. He was struggling a little with his English.

He has had some good success in his current area and told us about a baptism he had on Saturday. The zone that he is in is doing great and he has a couple of missionaries he started with (Elder Hyde and Elder Morton) and they are working hard and having good success and a good time.

Currently, Elder Ridge does not have a pension to cook his meals so he and his companion eat breakfast and dinner in their room. They purchase food at a local market. They have milk(warm in a box), cereal, fruit and hotdogs. They eat lunch with member of the ward and branch they are serving.

Elder Ridge comes home on June 30^th, so his mother loved the fact that she could tell him, she will see him next month. He loves his mission and all the wonderful experiences, and he says he is continuing to work hard. However, he is looking forward to coming home and see family and friends.

Here is Elder Ridge’s short email.

Well it was good to talk to you guys, everyone sounded good. I cant wait to see you guys. Next week I will write you about the changes. Like I said I’m pretty sure I will stay here. I also need photos of me before the mission to put on my farewell video that the mission does, if you can scan them on the computer, I would like one when I was a little kid, maybe a baby picture, just send pictures of me before the mission, playing sports and stuff like, send a couple of funny ones too, I need these pictures before June, well thank you so much for everything, I love you guys, elder ridge

Working hard and keeping mom on her toes!!!

Well this week was a little bit harder for in the work. We had a couple of people getting prepared for baptism but they didn’t go to church so we went to go visit them and they don’t really want to get baptized. So we are only going to have a baptism this Saturday for Zenon, he is a good guy and way excited to get baptized.

Other than that we are really looking but we are getting rejected a lot, even the members reject us, we will go to their houses to visit them and share something with them and they won’t have time or have to go somewhere. We have had like three days with absolutely nothing. I feel like im in the states ha-ha.

Everything is good, we are still happy and working hard. My companion is the best, he works real hard, and teaches good, we get along really well. This week we dropped the pensionista, now we eat fruit at night. My companion wants to loose weight before he goes home and he goes home right after me.

The zone is doing good, we have 35 people with a date for baptisms for this month.

Just so you know I will call either Thursday or Friday or Saturday to set up a time, it will be the short call to set everything up. I don’t know when I will call but it will be one of those days. It will be a surprise, I know mom will walk around with the phone all those days ha-ha.

well that’s it for now, thank you so much for the support, I love you guys and talk to you in a couple of days!!!

love elder ridge

Short but we will be talking soon!!

Well this week was much better!!! We have found a lot more people to teach. We have a few baptisms planned out for May 8th and May 15^th. A man named Zenon, he is like 65 years and he is from Cuzco. Our recent convert Susy referred her friend Laydi and a couple more people that we are teaching this week. We are going to challenge them to baptism.

Mothers day is in 2 weeks, that’s crazy!!! well that’s it for this week sorry its short but we will talk in like 2 weeks, I just need to know about what time is everyone going to be there at the house for mothers day so we can plan it, well I love you guys, thank you so much for the support.

love elder ridge

Baptism in shallow water.

Well this week was a good week. We had the baptism of Susy and her confirmation on Sunday. Her baptismal service was kind of funny, I baptized her and what happened is that Elder Morton and his companion had a service before us so they left and we came in and so I was thinking that the baptismal font would be filled. So we start the service do everything and I go to the font with her and I walk in and I realize that the water was up to my knees. I’m like oh great, there is barely any water, literally, it was up to my knees. I look at her and I tell her “you have to help me out when you go under, you completely have to go under but there isn’t any water so you have to make sure that everything goes in”, she goes ya ok I can do it. I say the pray and say amen and I look and she was already going down without me, she just through herself back so she could help me but she did it so fast, she basically baptized herself ha-ha, I just had to help her up. It was kind of funny but everything turned out good. She has a lot of friends in the church already. She is a good girl.

Now we are really trying to look for people to baptize. We don’t really have that many people right now. We kind of got rejected this whole week. I still miss Ventanilla, it is a little bit harder here but we are making the best of it.

I am in the wards San Carlos and the branch is Trapiche and the stake is called San Felipe. Yes I got the package. I loved the candy. My companion and I ate everything in 2 days, but the pop tarts I ate for breakfast. Man it was good. Our house is really small, it has two rooms, and a bathroom, one room has tile and the other has wooded floors. We have a balcony so its kind of nice but its way small. We live a block from the church on a street called San Mateo in front of a clinic. If you want to look it up on goole earth. The chapel here is huge, its two story and it had an elevator and they take good care of it.

So I read dads letter, thanks dad for writing it, don’t worry I am going to finish strong. My goal is to baptize my last weekend in the mission but if not I will still be diligent until the end.

I love you guys and thank you so much for the support

love elder ridge

p.s. I’m in Lima but in a district called Carabyllo