Letter from December 26

These past two weeks we have been struggling to find new investigators with all the holidays and whatnot.  Well every Friday we have a planning session to see how we can help the investigators progress and be baptized and how we can find new investigators. Well we spent a lot of time talking and thinking about ways to find people to teach.  After awhile we came up with a great idea to excite the members to invite other people to listen to us, the missionaries.  Every week we go to the houses of members and practice with them so that they can invite their friends to church.  Well it was working out, but not as well as we hoped, so Friday we came up with the idea to show them the “Preach my Gospel” video that shows what missionaries do. Then we give them many things so that they can give them to their friends and the people they are inviting.  For example, videos of the church, Ensigns, pamphlets, and other items so that the people have something to read and are more likely to accept what the members are saying.  I think it will work out great, the members seem a lot more excited to invite others because they have presents to give them.  I’m just grateful for the guidance of the spirit that helps us to look for new ways to do things.

Other than that, the sun is shining here in Marcavalle, it’s usually raining, and its p-day! Love you all and I hope all is well!!  Enjoy the holidays!  Next time I talk to you it will 2012!! How crazy is that? This year sure flew by! Love you and take care!!

Elder Riggs

Letter from December 20

Good Morning to all!!  I am writing you a day late because yesterday we had the Christmas conference with President Ardila and his family. We traveled to La Merced, the great jungle of Perú. The conference was with the zones La Merced and the zone I’m in (Tarma).  The best part was the skits we performed.  Each zone prepared a skit and had to act it out at the conference.  Although we only practiced two times, everything went very well.  We did an imitation of the movie Madagascar. But as missionaries that were in the MTC that wanted to leave and go to the mission field.  It was pretty funny.  I played the part of Marty, the Zebra.  The funny part is after the performances, they gave an award for the best actor. I’m still not sure how, but I ended up winning.  All I did was act crazy and I also danced.  I’m pretty sure I won for my awesome dancing skills. My reward was a banner from Colombia and some candy, because President is Colombian.  It’s pretty sweet!

Now, I have some of the best news of the week and of my whole mission! Last week I told you that we were working with the family of Dina, Abraham, and their three kids.   Everything worked out great with their papers for their marriage. Friday, they were civilly married!!!!!!!!  That same day the whole family was baptized!!!!!!  With the help of the members we had a reception party too.  It was probably the biggest blessing I have witnessed in the mission.  Their testimonies have grown so much in the short time of 3 and a half weeks that we have known them.  It goes to show that when someone feels the spirit that strong, there is nothing that can get in the way.  It was a very spiritual experience because I have prayed to find families.  I know that God is listening to my prayers, and the prayers of each one of you.  Thank you so much!!  After the marriage and the baptism.  The Mother, Dina, and her two daughters, Catherine 23, and Zamira 20 stayed in the room where we had the baptismal service crying.  We weren’t sure why, but we came to find out that they were overcome by the spirit and the feeling of being completely clean! The party we had after was awesome.  With a wedding cake, snacks, and decorations, and yes, we did most of the decorating! haha so I don’t know how good it looked.  Dina and Abraham and a bunch of the members danced and celebrated.  That was the only down side, ha I couldn’t get my groove on.  That’s probably a good thing though for the sake of the members.  How cool is that though?  It shows that we need to keep working hard and the blessings that we want will come, sometimes we will have to wait, but they will come in the due time of the Lord.  It really was one of the best moments in my mission!!  I am so grateful!  What a great Christmas present.  They are already planning their trip to the temple next year to be sealed!  Enjoy the week and we will be talking soon.

Love you,
Elder Riggs

Letter from December 12

I am in Lima today.  We had a conference today with the President! It was Awesome!  I seriously learn so much and leave so motivated from the conferences and trainings.  

I would also like to tell you about the family of Abraham and Dina.  They are very excited to for their wedding and baptism this week.  We are planning it for this week as long as everything goes good today in the Municipalidad (Government Center) with their marriage papers.  We
aren´t in La Oroya, but they were planning on finishing their papers today and setting the date for this Friday!  Can you believe that? It is going to be the best Christmas present ever.  We have had some challenges with the daughter that is 23. Her and her other sister that is 20 both have piercings in their lips. After we taught them the law of chastity, one of the daughters was willing to take out her piercing, but the other said she wouldn’t do it.  We tried so hard to get her to take it out, but she wasn´t willing to do it.  We didn’t know what to do, but today we asked President Ardila what we could do.  He told us that she could be baptized with the piercing, that it doesn’t prevent her from being baptized, but the members need to help her after her baptism so that in the future she will take it out.  Can you believe that?  I thought you couldn’t be baptized with piercings.  President said that with time she will understand and take it out.  That makes things so much better.  I will keep you posted on the wedding and baptism.  We are planning on calling them right now to see how things went with their papers, because if they weren´t able to get them finished up, we will have to postpone it until next weekend.  Keep praying for them.  They are such a great family that really needs the joy the gospel brings! It would be such a great blessing to see them all enter the baptismal waters at the same time!  An unforgettable Christmas!!  That’s the news for this week. The lady who was scheduled to be baptized Saturday drank coffee, so we will be helping her out to refrain from coffee and progress toward baptism.  Well I gotta go, I love you all very much!

Elder Riggs

Letter from December 5

I have wonderful news for all of you. As I told you we are teaching a family of 5 that is progressing more than any other investigator that I have had in my entire mission, and that is not a lie.  We meet them two weeks ago, they have came to church last week, as well as yesterday, they are reading every chapter that we leave them in the Book of Mormon as a family, and they are praying together as a family.  It’s so great to see their progress!  They aren´t married, but this morning we went to the Municipalidad (government center) with them to start on their papers for their marriage.  The good news is that they can pretty much have their papers finished up by the end of next week, giving them a little time before the marriage. We have it planned for the 17th of this month!  Oh it would be the best Christmas present ever!!!! The dad´s name is Abraham, the mom´s Dina, and the three kids, Catharine 23, Samira 20, and Sebastian 7.  Now we just need to keep them excited, finish up the papers, and with the help of the members, plan a wedding party!  The members here are great, they have already offered a bunch of help for the marriage and the celebration!

Friday we had the Baptism of Luz.  She was baptized and confirmed and she shared one of the most powerful testimonies that I have ever heard from a new convert.  I was so happy to see that despite all the challenges that passed, she overcame them and stayed strong to be baptized and become a member of the true church.  She is a great example for all of us, when we have challenges in our lives, we need to continue forward, trusting in the Lord. But anyway, as I was saying about the changes, we receive them tomorrow.  It will be interesting to see how they go, as you know I have only been here for one change so it’s almost a sure thing that I will be staying here.  I could have a new companion, who knows?  Then next week we have Conference in Lima, every month we go to have conference with the president, how cool is that?  Take care!!

Elder Riggs