Attacked by a Chicken!!!!

Hello everyone
How is everyone doing? Well everything is going good in Fiapre. The work is hard but its worth it. We don't really have any investigators that are close to baptism, but maybe one or two in about two weeks or so.  We as missionaries in Fiapre (the 4 of us) have a goal to focus on the members and help them become stronger in the church.This is so the church can have a stronger foundation of members. If we can bring investigators to church and the members will become friends with them, and help them in their conversion process they will stay active. Sorry, I hope that makes sense. I feel that everywhere in the world this needs to happen. The members need to know that they are also missionaries and they are the ones that will help our investigators stay in the church if the are baptized. Well I don't really have any funny, sad, or good stories to tell you. I wish I did. The only thing I can think of, is I was attacked by a chicken the other day. It started attacking my feet because I got to close to its chicks. Ii almost kicked it but then it just walked away. Most missionaries have dog stories, I have goat and chicken stories. ha. Well I have some very bad news for you all, well I guess its worse for me, but President Holmes (our mission president) has decided that packages are costing the mission to much. So he has told us no more boxes from home. Only the envelopes. But, there are thing I need that I don't know if they can fit in to an envelope. I guess we will see. 

I will need these things very soon:

toothpaste

contact solution 

shampoo 

body wash 

I don't know if you guys can fit those in an envelope or fit them in to many envelopes but let me know what you will do. 

Alex, I got you letter the other day, it was good to hear from you. Thanks for that. Oh and I was thinking the other day, do you know if the water in the fridge will ever run out? I just don't remember the last time it was filled up!  Ha  hahahahaha!  Love you Alex....

Well thats all from me this week. Sorry I dont have pictures to send you the computer is being dumb.

From Ghana With Love 

Elder Riddle

Back in Bay Roberts

HELLO!!

It sounds like everyone had a great week! How does it feel to be back in the swing of things? How is school going? Mom thats exciting that you are in scouts again..maybe Mic will get to go to scouts after all! haha

This week...I think I say that every week is crazy, But this week was very crazy!! Last monday we (Still in a trio, we went with the Elders) went to this place called Logy Bay..it is so gorgeous! We hiked around, and all over the path there are wild blueberrys growing. I did not realize how much I love blueberries. They are so good!! At the end of our prepreation day we headed to Bay Roberts. On Tuesday we got a phone call from the Elders telling us about this referal that they wanted us to follow up on. They gave us the name Peter LeDrew, and the town that he lives in Holyrood. Thats all they gave us, they said Holyrood is not that big so we should just start knocking on doors to see who knows Peter. We were at the church when the Elders called us so we decided to look up where Holyrood is. We found that it is about 30 min away, and that it is not as small as the Elders told us it was. Anyway it being Tuesday, and we are driving back to Mount Pearl on Wednesday, we thought it would make most sense to go the next day as we drive past to get to Mount Pearl. We went home for lunch, and we did what every missionary does when they make a decision, we prayed. We were told that we should go to Holyrood that night, so we finished eating and left. As we pulled into the town of Holyrood our plan was to find a pay phone, or a grocery store where we might find a phone book. Well we got there and there was nothing!! We decided to stop at a park area and start street contacting people, seeing if anyone could tell us more about peter. NO ONE KNEW HIM!!

We decide to get back in the car and drive around. We found a little INN and people where sitting out side so we decided to go see if they had a phone book....of course the Inn keeper would not be there and the people that were there, were on vacation, so they knew nothing. As we started to walk away, they mentioned that there is a little convenience store around the corner. So we went to the store. As we parked we again decided that we needed help from the Lord, so we stoped and prayed. As we walked into the store, there on the counter sat a phone book. As we looked in the phone book we soon found out that Holyrood is NOT in the phone book. We asked the store owner how we might find someone in Holyrood. He asked us who we were looking for, we told him that we were looking for Peter LeDrew. He looked at us and said "I know Peter, We grew up together" WOW!! He told us that he lived out in Killigrews, and that he owned LeDrew Lumber. So we headed to Killigrews. As we drove we looked at our map and (as we do anytime we find streets to knock) we prayed and picked two streets that we felt we should knock. Well on the way, Sister Rust all of a sudden says that we just passed "LeDrew Street" and next to that is LeDrew Lumber. So we turned around and drove down LeDrew Street. This was not any ordinary street...this was the longest street, with the most houses on this street that I have ever seen!!! As we drove we just looked at all of the houses, as we drove past this one house, I felt overcome by the spirit..I knew without a doubt that that was the house that we needed to knock on. Right as I felt this Sister Davis asked if anything was standing out to either Sister Rust or I. I said Yes, that house that we just passed, Sister Rust said that she felt the same. So we drove down to the end of the road to turn around. As we were driving away from the house, I knew we were going the wrong way, It was almost painfull to drive away from it. We pulled up again in front of this house, and prayed again. As we walked up to the door we realized that there was a sign on the door that said "The LeDrews..Paul and Ruby" we were all very schocked!! We knocked on the door and spoke with Ruby, she told us that her husband is related to Peter. She told us how to get to his house, we thanked her and started to turn around when she asked if we were looking for "big" Peter or "little" Peter, she said that Peter has a son who is also Peter. She also gave us directions to his house...yes young peter lives back in Holyrood. We went to visit "big" Peter. He was not home, but his wife talked to us. As we talked to her we knew that something was wrong. We no longer felt the spirit. She told us that she did not know how to get into contact with Peter, and that he was out of town. We gave her a card without name and number and asked her to give it to peter the next time she heard form him. As we left she said to us that if Peter does not call then that is a sign that he is not interested. At that moment, I knew that the card that we gave her was not going past her kitchen garbage can! We walked away and we all got this overwellming feeling, and we knew that Peter was home, and we needed to go find him, so we tried to remember what the other lady had told us. she told us that he lives off the main road in Holyrood, she said that him and his sister just built two house on this dirt road, right next to this old gray house. Well as we soon found out, there are many more than just one dirt road off of the main road!! We pulled over and..yes we prayed again, we knew that we could only find Peter with the direction of the spirit. As we started to drive again it began to get dark..we could no longer tell house colors. Sister Davis was driving, and instructed me to look at the left side, and Sister Rust to look at the right. After a moment or two we passed this whiteish house, and next to it was a dirt road, I said thats IT!! As we drove up the dirt road we saw two new houses, and the first house we passed had lights on and a man standing in the window. We pulled off, said a quick prayer, and got out of the car. As we walk up to the house this man walked out of the house. We introduced ourselves and told him that we were looking for Peter LeDrew.... He said "I am, Peter LeDrew"....Best moment of my life. We all wanted to jump up and down with joy. We told him that his friend had refered him, and asked if we could come teach him more. He said yes. He took our phone number, and we got his, and said we would call him after the weekend (he told us he was going to be very busy this weekend) so now we get to call him today!!! I am so excited!!

Sorry that story was so long, but it was such an amazing experience, to be led by the Spirit every step of the way, I wanted to share it with all of you. Well the rest of the week came and went. We had our Newfoundland Conference this weekend. President Leavitt came and did an amazing job speaking to all of us. He then came and visited us in Bay Roberts (oh Sister Bentley is back!! She is doing so much better, they found ot that she is alergic to animal products. crazy) Anyway, President came and "inspected" our apartment. We were in the front room talking with Sister Leavitt when we realized that President was laying on our beds. He said he makes it a point to lay on everyones bed. He then said that he was going out to buy Sister Bentley a new matress haha. He then asked for our area book. He started going through it and then he pulled out his phone and started calling all of our investigators...this made both sister Bentley and I very nervous. He set up some apoinments for us, then took us out to dinner! very nice man!!

Well that was most of my week. I am excited for this week...we are back in Bay Roberts!! Tomorrow is our first real full day of work, back in our area. We are excited to get to work!!

oh ps i have made it almost through the first transfer...transfer news goes out on saturday, and then everyone (who is getting transfered) heads out on monday. I should be staying here with sister Bentley (for one more transfer) unless there is some weird emergency.

I love you all so much!!! I am so happy here, and cant wait to get back to work here in Bay Roberts!! Have a wonderful week!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU TONS!!!!

Love Sister Riddle

Bay Roberts??......Mount Pearl??

HELLO!!

I am so glad you all had a good time up camping! sounds way fun. This week has been...interesting! Last Monday right after we got done emailing, we got a phone call from President Leavitte..He told us that Sister Bentley would be leaving on Thursday morning to go to Halifax for some doctor appointments. as a result, I would be working in a trio with the Sisters in Mount Pearl. My second trio and I have only been out for a month and a half! I am companions with Sister Rust again...never thought we would b able to be companions so soon. And sister Davis..she is from American Fork. I love them both and we get a long so well.

It has been hard adjusting to new companions and a new are all over again. I was just finally getting the hang of things in Bay Roberts when i was taken away and put in this new area. I am not sure how long I will be here..President hopes that if they figure things out then sister Bentley will be back this coming Thursday. I have learned so much this week. I have taught more lessons this week, then I did while I was in Bay Roberts. We are working both of our areas this week. We are headed back to BR today around 5, then we will head back here on Wednesday. Today we are going hiking with the Elders (Elder Hardy and Elder Unger) Elder Hardy went to Timp High School. We should have lots of fun!!

This week is going to be a crazy one! (i guess it wont be anymore crazy than last week) We are having our Newfoundland Conference this weekend (its like stake conference) president will be in town on Friday, and we have a zone meeting that morning, on Saturday we have conference, and a talent show, on Sunday we have conference and a pot luck. The Elders out in Cornerbrook will also be driving down!

Thank you for sending me a camera cord!! I have not gotten it yet, I have not been in Bay Roberts to check my mail, but sister Davis has one I can use today!! :) I cant think of anything else that I need other than my quilt and my jackets/coat?

Mic and Alex!! How was your first day of school?! Do you like your teachers? how is everything going? Alex you still need to tell me what you got for your birthday!!

I still have not eaten any sea food!! (Thank Goodness) I am nervous for my first meal.

I love it here!! I am learning and growing so much!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

have a great week! 

Love Sister Riddle 

MTC District at Provo Temple

MTC District

Rachele in Halifax

Halifax

Sister Riddle & Sister Rust in Halifax

Sister Missionaries sure have it nice

Local Landscape

Sister Bentley & Sister Riddle

Starfish

Local Landscape

Sister Rust, Sister Riddle & Sister Davis

Landscape

Sister Riddle

Sister Davis & Sister Riddle

Rachele in I asume Bay Roberts

Adjusting to Training

Well hello everyone!
Wow I can't believe your summer is over already! hahahahaha!!! well that sucks, but I am still enjoying the heat and the sun here in Sunny Sunyani. Everything is going good this week. I have been able to adjust to my new comp very easily. He is a great kid. He is from Nigeria. He is some how very short! (I will send a picture) but everything is going good. I am just a little scared about the training because I feel like I cant do it.  But I know that who the lord calls he qualifies, so I am just going to do whatever I need to do and just put my trust in the Lord. Everything is going good this week. It has been a little hectic because of transfers. I have been trying to get to know my new investigators and its going good so far. This week we had our all Africa service project, I forgot my camera that day but there are some pictures on the Thayne's blog, sorry. We also had a corn party this week before everyone left for transfers. (pictures also on the Thayne's blog).  The picture of me and Elder Belnap holding the kid upside down, I can explain. His name is Ignasious and he is a very trouble-some kid and that was his punishment for being trouble-some.

Well not much has happened in Fiapre this week, but I think we are going to farm this week on Saturday for the family that we have been teaching. They have small children that are very smart, it should be fun.  I will take my camera with me, I promise. Well, how is Sister Riddle doing up in the freezing cold? How was Alex's birthday? Mic how is school? Are you excited? Well i think that's all I have for you this week. Sorry its short once again, but, I love you all thank you for everything.

from Ghana with love 

Elder Riddle

African Mask

Bob's Calendar

In the "Bush"

Elder Riddle & Elder Belnap

Elder Mensah & Elder Riddle

Elder Riddle & Elder Udo

Fiapre

Local School

Elder Riddle, Trouble-Some, Elder Belnap

First Baptism and called to be a Trainer

Well hello from Sunayni 

Man this week has gone fast! Some very interesting things have happened, first of all on Thursday we had our Zone Conference so President came and talked to us. After the meeting he pulled me aside and asked me if i would do something for him, I said yes and then he asked me if I would train next transfer ( which starts this Wednesday ) I told him yes I would. So I am now a sr. comp.  But this transfer President shook up everything. He is taking both Elder Belnap and Elder Mensah out of Fiapre and I am going to finish training Elder Udo . (elder mensah started training elder udo) but the news does not stop there, I guess all of the Kumasi mission has been mixed up no one is going to be in the same place they are now. Even I am still in Fiapre but I am taking over Elder Mensahs area book. Its sad because I have to give my area book to some one else and that means I am losing investigators, but this week ended on a happy note. With my first baptism man... it was a good day the spirit was felt so strongly its been a good week. Sorry I dont write long emails but I will write long letters

love you all thanks for everything 

Elder Riddle

I had the chance to "email talk" to Bobby this morning.  He is doing really great. Elder Belnap is going to Kumasi to be a District Leader. He is very excited to be a Senior Companion.  Pictures below are of the Baptism he had this past weekend.  The second picture is of a family they are currently teaching. The mother won't let the kids get baptized, so they are currently teaching the Mother.

Maybe its Kaplan Fish??

Hello from Newfoundland!!

Sounds like you have all had a very exciting week!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!! I can not believe that you are 16, crazy!! How was your birthday? What did you get? Mickey how was lagoon...Mom said you had fun with Preston and Kade. I can't believe you start school so soon! The summer has gone by so fast. Second grade for you Mic, right? and High School Alex...holy crap!

This week went by so fast...Sister Bentley was sick all week. We did not get out to work much. However we did get to teach Ellie. She is so nice. We talked to her about the Book of Mormon and how reading it can bless her life. She said she would read it, and said we could come back and talk to her some more. Her son lives across the street from her, he does not sound very interested, but he sounds like he has just given up on religion. He sounds very discouraged about finding truth. He is so nice, and we hope that by seeing him when we teach Ellie that it will spike interest. It would be so cool to teach him too.

Well because Sister Bentley has been sick, I spent most of my week in the apartment, reading the Book of Mormon, studying, and watching all of the movies (church movies) in the apartment...including 4 general conferences from years past. haha

It was good to get out of the apartment yesterday to go to church. I hope we can find out what is going on. But she seems to be doing better today, so that's good.

Ok, so mom I talked to Sister Bentley and she said that when ever her family sends her a package they write "unsolicited gift" on it. That is the instruction that she was given when she first got here. She has never had to pay to get a package. I have not heard anything else about it.

I have not been able to try any sea food yet. The Elders that were here before us got a lot of kapline (not sure how to spell it) I guess it is a fish that (during the warm months i think) jump up onto the shore, so everyone just goes and gathers them up as they jump up. So Sister Bentley wants to make that sometime, but I have been told it is one of the fishiest fish ever. So I am not looking forward to that haha

The work is getting easier...I still need more practice (which I did not get much of this week) but I know that as I study and practice and rely on the Lord, that He will help me!

I love it here.. it is beautiful..even when it is raining, which is quite a bit. (they say they are in a drought...not sure how...it rains at least 3 or 4 times a week.)

I will look again for my camera cord...I cant even think of where it might be. so weird. I want you to see pictures so bad!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU TONS!!

Love Sister Riddle

P.S. Alex I tried to get something in the mail for you last Monday, but it was some weird Canadian holiday..we are going to the post office after we email, so I hope you get it soon!!

LOVE YOU!! Have a great week!! :D

Seal Fin...and Moose Stew

Family!!!!

This week was a great week! We went tracting or "knocking" for most of the week. We found three new investigators...Ellie who is a sweet old lady who loves reading her bible, we are going to see her on wednesday..Lloyd who is so nice. I guess he has met with the Elders here before, but they droped him right before we came. Anyway he seems interested and plan on teaching him more this week sometime...and Selena who asked us to come back, but the past couple of times we have stoped by she has not been home. So we are hoping we can get in contact with her this week. On wednesday we walked in that parade haha that was not what I was expecting to do as a missionary! Then Saturday we had the Family Fun Day Carnival Sister Bentley and I got to blow up balloons...ALL DAY LONG!! haha The Elders from St John's and the Sisters from Mt Pearl came down to help with that. Sunday we went to church, and came home and let Sister Bentley sleep. She has been so sick. I wish there was something I could do for her. She slept most of the day yesterday, and we plan on staying in resting today as well. Mission President called and told her to "hang in there" I guess he thinks its stress related, He will be calling again in a couple of days to see how she is. I thought he was going to have her go back to Halifax, but I guess he changed his mind. We tried to email yesterday, but the internet was not working.

The food here...well its pretty much the same. Except for the part where the branch President wants to make us Seal Fin...and Moose Stew. haha yes, there is a Mcdonalds up the street from my house, and there is a Subway, and A&W, and KFC. Everything is just much more expensive here.

I cant believe that Steph is engaged!! That is so exciting!!! and Spencer is going to China!

Oh, I still can not seem to find my camera cord....will you look around the house and see if I left it there? I will see if I can print off some pics and send them to you next monday, but I am hoping to find that cord...I thought I packed it!! 

So exciting that Elder Riddle has a baptism this weekend!! And two more on date!! That is so neat! He sounds like he is doing well.

Well Sister Benteley just informed me that after I am done being trained, I will most likely end up training one of the new sisters that will be comming in at that time....what??? I am scared out of my mind to train someone!! I have no experience to train anyone else!!

Not a lot going on this week...just rest and hope that Sis Bentley gets feeling better!!

What do you think about me getting my scriptures fitted with seal skin? I guess its tradition for all of the missonaries serving in Bay Roberts, the only thing is they cost like $60. Well I will worry about that when it comes closer!

Well I hope you all had a great week!! I cant wait to email again on Monday!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU TONS!!!

Oh PS... I have been out a month!! Can you believe it? I sure cant! It feels like only yesterday that I walked into the MTC. Crazy! Well I better be going! Love you and hope you all have a great day!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Sister Riddle

The work moves forth!

Well, hello everyone!

How is everyone doing? I am doing Great! Really! This week has been jammed pack full of spiritual lessons. There are 2 men that  we are teaching. Stephan and Justice. Stephan is being baptized this Saturday he is very excited, he cant wait. Justice is one of Stephan's friends he is a very smart man. we just taught him about the restoration and during the lesson all he would say was "wow that makes sense" I have very high hopes for him but he is traveling north and he will be gone for about 2 weeks and by then I might get a new comp. Transferees are in two weeks. We will find out who is going next Saturday, I think. So, the other day we went to a small village just 5 min away from Fiapre. It is part of our area, but no one has ever gone there. So we went house to house. Man it was a good time. People are interested there. They wanted to have the lessons, it was good. Well we have 3 people with baptismal dates. Ma Bertha she is talking to her husband to get permission from him first but we are planning on Sep.1 for her. Richard he is a young man and we are planning the end of august or first of September for him. And then we have Stephan this Saturday. Man the work is starting to pick up. Its good. Oh and I found out the Mission address for you, 

Ghana Kumasi Mission 

PMB KS 16333 

Kumasi Ghana 

I hope that's it. I got it from the Thayne's on Sunday. Well I hope everything is going good back home. Tell Spencer I am excited for him. I cant wait to come home and not speak the same language to my friend. I will be speaking Twi and he Cantonese. 

Well I love you all! 

From Ghana With love 

Elder Riddle 

PS oh ya did you get my letters yet?