Spanish Town - 24

My last week in Spanish Town was a great one. It was a busy week full of trade-offs, transfer calls, and great lessons.

President Brown came to a lesson with Elder Wilson and I this past week. I've expressed our concerns with our investigator, Bro. Anderson in my emails to President Brown. Bro. Anderson has been coming to church every week now, but is extremely hesitant towards baptism and completely shuts down whenever he hears the 'b' word. President Brown asked if he could come to a lesson to try to identify his concerns. Wow! I wish we had President Brown in all lessons! He asked some great soul-searching questions, and we were able to identify his concerns that he's been holding back for months (and years actually). We now have a better approach on how to teach Bro. Anderson. Makes teaching from now on much more effective.

We received our transfer calls Saturday morning, and after 4 transfers (~6 months) in Spanish Town, I'll be transferred. I've been called to serve in Montego Bay as the Northcoast Zone Leader with Elder Jones. Montego Bay is the 'picture perfect tourist' Jamaica that you see in all the pictures. Our Zone covers all the tourist locations on the island, and is the furthest away from Kingston you can get. I'll be swapping my bicycle for a truck, so everyone pray that I don't get fat and can learn to drive on the left side of the road!

Spanish Town has been great for me. I've loved my time here and the people and I've been able to associate with. I'm excited to continue the work in Montego Bay!

Likkle more,

Elder Ritchie

pic 1 - Sunday dinner with the Moodies. My last Sunday dinner in Spanish Town.
pic 2- 3 generation picture with my trainer and trainee (father and son)

Spanish Town - 23

Don't have much time at all right now! Our internet has been weak today and has made it difficult to write a letter, but, the past week was great. Elder Wilson and I had 6 investigators at church (2 of them were late though). We've had 4+ investigators at church for the past 4 weeks! It's been GREAT serving here in Spanish Town. I'm finishing up my 4th transfer in Spanish Town real soon, and it's likely that I'll be leaving this great place.

Elder Ritchie

Spanish Town - 22

This past week was great! We had 4 investigators at church, but 2 of them came after the sacrament. Shawn Ross is a new investigator who attended church with us. Shawn is a 25 year old data analyst for the St. Catherine Parish Council. He's a smart, quirky man. Very great, sincere man. We had our first lesson with him earlier this week. After getting to know each other and introducing the message briefly, we intended to start teaching the message of the Restoration. The first section in the pamphlet is "God is Your Loving Heavenly Father." As we were going over this, Elder Wilson asked the inspired question, "Shawn, who is God to you?" Shawn began to give some generic answer and then went quiet, ".... I don't know how to answer that." From that we knew that we needed for him to have and recognize a spiritual experience.

We began to teach about the Holy Ghost, specifically how to recognize the Spirit. He's been attending a Pentacostal church his whole life, so when we asked if he's ever felt the Spirit he said 'no.' It's always been awkward for him when everyone around him starts speaking in 'tongues' and he just doesn't 'get it.' We went over Galatians 5 and D&C 6 with him to describe the Spirit, and that it will more often than not, come in the form of peace, rather than speaking in tongues. We also introduced the Book of Mormon to him and committed him to read it. At the end of the lesson we invited him to be baptized, and he responded, "I have already been baptized in my other church... (we kept silent).... but yes I'll be baptized." Shawn loved church. He was taking notes the whole time in Gospel Principles and Elders Quorum. He said church was a very "enlightening experience" and that he wanted to read as much as the Book of Mormon before we came by again. We're very excited to continue to work with him. As I said earlier, we also had 3 others at church, and many others that are doing well. The work is working here in Spanish Town!

Veron (our convert of ~6 weeks) is doing GREAT! She lives wayyyy up in the bush of our area in Windsor Heights, but yet we see at the church fairly often for Relief Society or Self-Reliance activities. She is really embracing herself in "the Mormon." When at a Self-Reliance meeting at the church, she approached us quickly, "Elders, Elders! See that man? He's not a member, go talk to him!" "Elders! That man doesn't go to church. Go talk to him!" She is also the lifeblood of our Gospel Principles class answering every question and making it a very welcoming atmosphere for investigators.

Earlier this week I had the privilege of interviewing another man for baptism. After the interview I asked him to give the closing prayer, and he said some of the greatest things I've heard.

"Heavenly Father, today is Brother Ritchie day. Likkle does he know, that I am just as good as he is. Maybe more. But not less....."

Hahaha! He's a great man! He's in his 70s and has been attending church consistently for 2-3 years. It appears that everyone thought he was a member until about a month ago, so he was taught the lessons by his missionaries and  was baptized yesterday!

Likkle more,

Elder Ritchie

pics 1/4 - more pics from last week's PDay caving in Linstead

pics 2/3 - way up in the bush of our area - Sligoville

Spanish Town - 21

"No love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child" ~ Jeffrey R. Holland

I've been blessed to have an amazing mother who fits exactly to this quote. It was a blessing to have had the privilege of Skyping my mother and fambily yesterday afternoon. I've been blessed with the best!

Alma 56:47-48

Elder Ritchie

pics 1/3- P-Day last week.... Capture the flag. Spanish Town Zone vs. Kingston Zone @ Port Royal (Pirates of the Caribbean)

pic 2 - Mother's Day Skype with the fambily

pic 4- P-Day a few hours ago..... The Zone Leaders drove Elder Wilson and I to the caves in Linstead (my old area) where we went caving with some of the Linstead District
pic 5- P-Day 2 weeks ago.... Bowling in Kingston!

Spanish Town-20

It was definitely an eventful past week for Elder Wilson and I. A couple weeks ago an older man came to church that we had never seen and we talked to him. Bro. Henlon is an 86 year old Jamaican man who has lived most of his life in Brooklyn. Years ago he was baptized in NY and was active for years. He held callings and had been through the temple, until he fell victim to the great Jamaican plague of getting offended and leaving the church. He hasn't attended for years. He moved back to Jamaica a couple of years ago and decided to go to church a couple of weeks ago. He lives in our area and Elder Wilson and I visited him twice this past week. Bro. Henlon is an amazing man. He loves the missionaries and insists on feeding us. He's had us call him when we get home so he knows that we're in safe. We're excited to help reactivate him and teach his fambily.

I learned some really cool things from Bro. Henlon as he said the closing prayer one night. He prayed very specifically for many people. "Please bless the President of the United States and his family..... Please comfort all those who have lost a loved one..... etc.... etc... and please bless your missionaries with safety and success...." It's always great to hear that from anyone. Bro. Henlon is a great man and we're excited to help him receive some blessings that he's missing out on.

More to come next week!

Elder Ritchie