Spanish Town-19

This past week was stellar. We've been blessed with a very full pool of investigators that we've been able to see fairly consistently.

We've been working a lot lately with an investigator named Roger. It's been a really humbling experience to have been working with Roger. We first met Roger a couple weeks ago on the street as we were walking home. We were in a more 'ghetto' and poor area and  we saw Roger standing on the side of the road. We talk to everyone, and we had the time, so we stopped to talk to Roger for a bit. Roger is slower, very poor, doesn't have phone we can call, etc. I wasn't very interested in getting a return appointment. I quickly just invited him to church and we started back on our way. Elder Wilson asked why I didn't even get a return appointment, and I didn't want to say "because I don't see any potential" so we went back and reluctantly got a return appointment with Roger. The next day I had no desire to go find him for the lesson. I've had so many poor lessons with 'similar' (as I thought) investigators. Luckily, Elder Wilson listens more to the Spirit than judging Roger's outward appearance (like I did), so he insisted we find Roger. I reluctantly agreed and we finally found Roger.

Roger my not be a very sharp guy, but Roger is an amazing man who is very prepared and eager for the Restored Gospel. It's really humbled me to see that if it weren't for my more 'in-tune' companion, Roger would have likely never had this opportunity to be taught and soon baptized. We're working with him to overcome some Word of Wisdom issues, but he's making progress!

Likkle more,

Elder Ritchie

pics 1/5 - Chopping some weed in Jamaica (not ganja)

pics 2/3/4 - We were walking to the church for a baptism on Saturday morning, when the dry river we cross wasn't so dry. We didn't have enough time to go back for our bicycles and ride around, so we took off our socks and shoes and got there on time. Ha!

Spanish Town-18

This past week went well. I don't have too much time but I do want to write a few cool things I learned as I was studying for last week's district meeting. Our district is doing well lately. We are baptizing and teaching. Our weak point right now is retention. As I was studying how we can improve it I thought of Alma 23:6 which says that the Sons of Mosiah had 100% retention. At first I thought, "well yeah, it's the Sons of Mosiah," but as I reread Alma 17-23 I saw something really cool.

Alma 19: 12-13, 29-31, 33-36  20: 1, 28  21:19-23  22: 23-27  23: 1-5

The reason these recent converts were retained is because they testified and brought others unto Christ. President Hinckley said that every new member must be "nourished by the good word of God." These recent converts were 'nourished' by 'nourishing' others. That is what is going to improve our retention. That is what is going to help us see more baptisms. We've committed, as a district, to have plans to teach a friend(s) of all our recent converts by the end of this week. It's really going to help the work here explode.

Also, Bro. Green (Afat), our recent convert, was just called as the Gospel Principles teacher and taught for the first time yesterday and did a great job.

Had a funny experience on a trade-off this past Thursday when we were eating dinner at the Harrison's. The elder I brought in my are doesn't know the Harrisons very well and wasn't talking that much. After a while, while Bro./Sis. Harrison were finishing cooking, Sis. Harrison looks at him and said "Why ya nuh talk? True, mi nuh like di quiet missionaries. Mi think him gon fi plot to take us back in slavery." Hahah! We all started laughing and then Bro. Harrison said in his great white-slave-owner voice "Mmmmmm the food smells nice. I think I may whip them back into bondage." Hahaha! The Harrisons are great!

pics - Elder Bischoff and I on a trade-off mixing cement and making a nice ramp for George to get to church easier

Spanish Town-17

Veron was baptized this past Saturday! It was great weekend for her. She has a really cool story of how/why she started investigating the church. A couple months ago the BLVD Kingston Sisters approached Veron and asked if they could carry her bags for her. She thought it was all a scam at first, but then she let them carry her bags and they talked as they walked to the bus stop. As Veron entered the bus they invited her to church. She attended that Sunday and for the next few Sundays in Kinston and was taught by the BLVD Sisters. After a few weeks she was sent as a referral to us because she lives in our area. We've been teaching her and she's been attending church here in Spanish Town for the last 5-6 weeks until her baptism. President Brown gave the 'okay' for the BLVD Sisters to attend Veron's baptism and it was really bittersweet for Veron and the Sisters.

After Veron's baptism she shared her powerful testimony. She was so grateful for the way the Sisters contacted her. At the time she met the Sisters, she "couldn't bother with church people," but she's so happy that "the Almighty works in many different ways." If they had approached her and immediately began talking 'church stuff' Veron would've been turned off, but her hear was softened at the Sisters' willingness to serve.

Walking into church early this past week was great. I've had the blessing and opportunity to work closely with 3 of the first people who were in the chapel Sunday morning. Veron was early and excited for her confirmation. Bro. Green (Afat - our recent convert of ~2 months) comes ~60 minutes early every Sunday. And we walked to church with Roger, one of our new investigators.

There's so much more that I'd love to share, but I'm pretty limited with only 60 minutes.

nuff love,

Elder Ritchie

pics 1/2 - Veron's baptism with the visiting BLVD Sisters and Zara (a child of record baptism happening that same day)
pics 3/4 - We cooked for the Harrisons this week..... Chili burgers #MERICA

Spanish Town-16

Elder Wilson and I were stuck inside to start off the week. He had been feeling sick since the week before, then it all seemed to get worse as last week started. Luckily, by Wednesday evening the Lord had blessed Elder Wilson with sufficient strength to proselyte.

We had a stellar, Spirit-filled lesson with Bro. Anderson this past week. Something Elder Wilson and I were working on that day was allowing our investigators to finish speaking before we jump in. Jamaicans love talking. Often times they'll just talk and talk and seem to go nowhere; but often times, if we just let them talk, we can learn a lot from them and they seem to learn a lot as well. Bro. Anderson is a quiet, slow-speaking man who tends to stretch out simple points into long statements. As we practiced just letting him finish his point we were able to learn a big concern of his. His whole life he's felt some guilt for past sins and doesn't know if he can be forgiven. We asked Bro. Anderson - an 80/something year old man - to kneel down and ask for forgiveness and assurance. We knelt down and gave a heart-felt sincere prayer and asked for forgiveness. The whole time I had been praying he'd feel the Spirit. As he got up he said, "Some prayers don't seem to 'make it' to the Almighty...... (we waited)..... but this one did. He heard this one." The Spirit was so strong. He went in to Conference with the question of if he should be baptized. He attended 3 sessions and we're seeing him soon to follow up.

Veron is also doing great. She really enjoyed Conference and is ready for baptism this weekend.

I'm so grateful for a living prophet and the strength the Lord has provided him to do His work. I'm grateful for his counselors, Apostles, Seventies, etc. whose inspired words uplifted us this past weekend. I'm thankful for the Savior and his lead in the Church. I know that it is Him who leads the Church. And I sustain Him and His servants.

likkle more,

Elder Ritchie

pic 1 - I made ackee and bacon

pic 2 - Angia's 7th birthday party

         

pic 3 - Another scene on our walk to church

 

pic 4 - Dinner last night at the Moodie's - chicken, rice and peas, and fried plantain