Another week in Newfoundland!

Hello From Newfoundland!!

 

I love the pics that you sent me. It looks like you had fun at the soccer game! This week was good. Elder Gay was here..that was amazing! It is amazing to see how he can receive revelation for an area that he has been in for a matter of hours. He told us things that we need to be doing that was eye opening! And things that just make sense!

Daphney came to church yesterday. I am not sure if she liked it or not. We have taught her two lessons now, and we are starting to feel that she just wants the company. She lives at home, her husband passed away a few years ago, and she does not have too many friends. We taught her the plan of salvation yesterday, and I don't think she is interested in learning. She likes to argue with us about what she believes. We may have to stop teaching her. She is reading the Book of Mormon, but I don't think she will let it in her heart.

We were not able to see Rochelle this week. she was out of town, and we had a couple of days booked with meetings and such. We hope to see her soon. I think she would eat everything up!!

We are trying to work with the members of the branch..which is like 8 members!! We went and visited the Moores the other night. They are the funniest couple that I have ever met. They are in their late 60's early 70's. Sister Moores even has a facebook!! haha I am excited to get to know them more. There is a sister in the ward that is preparing to go through the temple next month! She is so excited, we meet with her every week. She is a great example to me. She has been through so much in her life and still strives to do all that she can.

I am trying to do all that I can to learn all that I can from my companion. She is an amazing missionary. Not too much is going on this week, other than teaching, and finding!!!

I have not gotten the package yet. I am sure it will be here in the next day or so! :D

I love you all so much!!! Have a great week!!!

 

LOVE LOVE LOVE
Sister Riddle

          ps. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Elder Gay has served all over Ghana! He said he was a mission president there. He said that he met Bobby's Mission president, and that he is a great guy. He told many stroies of him in Africa! It was so cool to hear his experiences there.

Short Letter....

Hello everyone!
Hey sorry, but todays email is going to be short,.......... yes, shorter than normal. Well this week we have been trying to work very hard on helping our investigator be baptized on this past Sunday. We went and saw her every single day, just trying to help her understand what
baptism means.  She told us that she knew what it means and that she wants to be baptized. But she still likes her other church because of some things they have done for her. So she ended up not getting baptized on sunday.  But we hope next week or next  2 weeks she will
be ready. Nothing much has happened but I will send you all letters this Tuesday. Mother/Father will you send me Rachele's pouch address for me? Thanks
Love you all!
Elder Riddle

I had the opportunity to email chat with Bobby this morning.  And since his letter is so short I will include some of that.

ER: Hey so the pictures you sent me... it looks like you had fun at the game! I just want to know if you knew what was going on? (I took Lori to a REAL game this weekend)
DAD: Sure we did......it is a very sloooooow moving sport.  I couldn't get over the constant beating of the drums though.  Drove me nuts!  And of course the chant...
ER: Thanks Dad I am sorry I did not write much this week. I have been kind of stressed.
DAD: Why so stressed?
ER: We put in a lot of work on Alice, but nothing happened. And transfers
were this week and I was stressed out about if I was going to get transferred. But I did not. I am still in Fiapre at least until November 7th.

DAD: Don't be stressed.......In through your nose out through your mouth.  Remember you have a very important person on your side...don't for get to pray(i know you don't forget) but remember him always....he will be there for you.  How is the training going?

ER: The training is done. He is a normal missionary now. It went good being a Senior Companion. It has helped me learn in so many ways! 

DAD: Great!.....what did you do for p-day today?

ER: We went the those water falls again, the ones that I went to at the first of my mission.

DAD: fun....how is the food treating you?

ER: Great!!! Well I have to go..... love you. Talk to you next week. Sorry I only have one min left.

A Childs Prayer.

Hello Everyone!
We did not have many lessons this week but we had some lessons with some very powerful people. First of all, we have been working with this lady named Alice. We have been working with her just over 6 weeks, and she has a baptismal date set for 23 September. It should be very good. I hope she follows thru with it because it is next Sunday. Hopefully she is ready! Oh, do you remember those children that we have been teaching, the very smart ones? Well we had a lesson with their mother Irene. She told us that she has been reading the Book of Mormon and praying about it. She thinks its true! Yesterday we had a lesson with her and we talked about baptism.... she said she would pray to know if she needed to be baptized! Yes, I know she will receive her answer that she needs to be baptized. The best part of the lesson with her, was the opening prayer. We had one of her children give it (she already knows the church is true) and she prayed for just one thing.  She said "Heavenly Father please help my mother know that the church is true in the name of Jesus Christ Amen". That is all she said. The spirit was felt so strongly right then. That is why I know that Sister Irene will one day be baptized, and also let her children be baptized. Everyone, I know that this church is very true! This small girl that prayed has taught me that. And that is why I am here. I love you all so very much, and can not wait to see you again. 
From Ghana with love 
Elder Riddle

Hurricane is over!

          Hello family!!

Sounds like a fun weekend! I wish I could have been there for Steph's shower. Good to hear that you got a good turn out for it! This week has been good. On tuesday we were suppose to go over to St John's for a zone training, but it was canceled due to the Hurricane. We were told to stay inside until it was over.  The power was out for a few hours, but it came back on before it was dark out. We were told that we needed to boil or water for a few days. There was some kind of contamination or something. But we have been cleared to drink the water again. We found two new investigators this week. Daphney whom we found in our area book (when sis Bentley was here) We were going through our area book and I felt like we should call her...she was a potential that the elders had found like two years ago. We taught her last week and she said we could teach her again this friday! She sounds like she is really interested. She lives over an hour away and is driving down to Bay Roberts to meet with us. Not very often do people come to you to be taught! Our other new investigator is Karen. We found her while we were out knocking. We taught her at her doorstep, and she invited us back to teach her this Tuesday! It looks like things are picking up here! We also met this lady Rochelle. She is so nice! We talked to her for about twenty minuets. She said that she is very interested and would love for us to come teach her more. She also sounded like she would love to come to church with us!! I can see amazing things happening with her! Well not much else is going on. This week Elder Gay from the seventy is touring the mission. He will be in Newfoundland on wednesday so we will have meetings with him all day. He will also be interviewing a few of us. How neat would that be to be interviewed by a general Authority? nerve recking for sure!!

I got Candace's wedding announcement in the mail the other day. It was very cute! I am happy for her! I cant wait to see Steph's!

Dad I am so glad that work is going well.. is the back shop swamped? Do they wish they had my help? I wish I could be there to help!....NOT!!! Glad that things are going well, but I am glad I am not there :D haha

Mom thanks for sending the package!! I cant wait to get it! You should see if you can get a pic of steph's ring and send it to me!

Alex...Hows school? Have you been on anymore dates latley? Love you!

Mickey...How are you? How is school going? Do you have a lot of homework? Do you get to see kaylee a lot? Give her a hug and a kiss for me!!

Amanda and Nick...How is everything going? Amanda are you feeling any better? I am still so excited!! Hows the job hunt? Any new and exciting storys from work?

Kaylee...Are you excited to be a big sister?! I am so excited for you! Do you think it is going to be a boy or a girl? I love you lots!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!

Thanks for always being there for me and supporting me!!

Have a great week!

Love Sister Riddle

Scripture for the week: D&C 101:38

Telling Sister Bentley and
Elder Hardy
Goodbye at the airport

Can you tell what the flavor is? Whole bag
was in French.

Sister Davis and Sister Riddle

Sisters Ott, Riddle, Rust, and Davis

Elders Marks, Hornner, Sister Riddle,
Elders Unger and Sutter

Just chatting on the phone!!

New York...Where Rachele's heart lies

Service

Hello Everyone

Well this week has gone by very fast!  We did not go out for 3 days, one day because we had a mission tour and guess who came to that...guess.....guess now ,,,,, keep guessing.... Elder Curtis from the 70 and his wife. It was really good. We had a meeting with them and and they gave talks and such. Elder Curtis just sat down with us and talked to us about our favorite scriptures in the book of mormon. It was sweet to have someone from the 70 come and talk to us, and just sit down and talk. The spirit was felt very strongly in that meeting. His wife also talked to us.  She talked to us about Jesus Christ and how he is an example to us and then she talked to us about being Christ like and having Christ like attributes and how we are all examples of Christ.  Then she told us something that I really liked.  She said "you missionaries are modern day stripling warriors" I dont know why, but I really love that. It was a very good meeting.  Day 2- I was not able to go out  because we did a service project for one of Elder Larsen and Elder Sarpongs investigators (pictures included).  We built the roof in his room. It was very hard to do but it was good and fun. Day 3 - I was not able to go out because when I was taking my contacts out the night before, I scratched my eye and was not able to open it that night nor the next day till around 6 pm. It hurt bad. Anyway, thats all the things that happened to me this week. The high light of my week was.... you guessed it.... getting my eye scratched and laying in bed all day NOT... JUST KIDDING  it was the mission tour. The spirit was very strong in that meeting and Elder and Sister Curtis are very good people. I love them.

From Ghana with love 

Elder Riddle

Sister Curtis, Elder Riddle, Elder Curtis, Danial
(Elder Curtis is a member of the 70)

Elder Riddle, ???, Elder Larson

Elder Riddle, Elder Larson

Elder Riddle (human Scaffolding)

Good thing he took that construction
class before he left on his mission

Elder Larson, ???

Out Two Months!!

Hello again from Newfoundland!!!

Sounds like you all had a very exciting week! Oh my gosh congrats Amanda and Nick that is so exciting!!!!!!! Mom happy birthday this past week...sorry I meant to say it in my last email, but forgot....well you should be getting a little something in the next week or so..I HOPE! Sounds like you got a great Bday gift...AGAIN! I am so excited! I wish I was going to be there!

I can not believe that another week has gone by...I have been out two months now!!! and into my second transfers CRAZY! It feels like only yesterday that you drooped me off at the MTC. Well I told you about transfers last week. Sister Bentley left last Thursday night, and I stayed with the Mount Pearl sisters until my new companion came in...she also got to take the 15 hour ferry. Well they all got here on Saturday afternoon. We went back to Bay Roberts that night. I showed her around a little then we had planning and stuff that I had to do. On Sunday, we were asked to speak. I spoke on faith. It was one of the easiest talks I have ever given...there were only about 8 people there.

Last night we drove down to Mount Pearl again...Elder Holland was speaking at the CES fireside so we got to go listen to that. It was held in St George...Ps is Stephanie and Craig down there? I think I saw them while we were watching the fireside!! You will have to find out if they were there..and tell them that I saw them.

Well the 8 of us (missionaries) are all going to Logy Bay again today...the new Newfoundland missionaries have never been over there before. After Preparation day Sister Ott and I will be headed back to Bay Roberts.

Tomorrow we have to drive back down, we have Zone Training tomorrow.

Oh, so have you been watching the Hurricane? It should be passing through Newfoundland tomorrow! I am kind of excited...haha maybe I should not be, but I have never been in a hurricane before!

So like I said...Sister Ott is my new companion...she is great. she is from Oregon. She is 26 and a teacher. We are excited to start "really" working in Bay Roberts. Tonight after we get back into town we have a lesson with a young man, Quinton. We met him last night..we knocked on his door, he is not sure if he believes in God...he says there is not enough evidence. I am really excited/really nervous to start working!!

Not a lot is going on other than that.

Alex...I just had this feeling that you got an iphone!!! You butt! I am really jealous!!!

Kaylee...I am excited to get your pictures...I will try not to get anywhere close to the ice..and If i see a penguin i will send you a picture of it!!

Michaela...How is school going? I can not believe that you wanted to keep the news of the new baby a secret from me!! How Rude!!

Dad...I love hearing you talk about your mission...I second Bobby..um i mean Elder Riddles request to hear more stories!!

Mom...I hope you had a great Birthday!! I think that is the hardest part about not being home is missing all of the big events.

Amanda and Nick...CONGRATS!!!!! I am so excited! So Happy!!!! Like I said to mom...I wish I could be home for all of that kind of stuff!!!!!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!

Have a great week!!!

Love Sister Riddle

Oh ps yes I did like the fish...it was really good!!

New Companion!!!

           Hello from Newfoundland!!

Well another crazy week here!! I have come to the conclusion that my mission changes every week..starting at the MTC. haha Well we got transfer news on Saturday. Sister Bentley and I were supposed to be safe (because I am being trained) but the Lord will send his servants where he needs them to be. Sister Bentley is being transferred to Halifax. Sister Ott, whom I have not met yet will be my new trainer. This will take place on Thursday. I told President Leavitt that I guess I just need the extra help..this will be my 3rd trainer...I was in the trio for about a week so I count Sister Davis as one of my trainers. It will be good for Sister Bentley to be in Halifax, she started getting sick again this week. I don't think it is just the animal products that she is eating that is making her sick. But there is a doctor in Nova Scotia that she can go to down there. They are re-opening an area in Newfoundland. It is St John's Central. So we will be getting a new set of Elders in our district. One of the zone leaders is being transferred (Elder Hardy) So his companion (Elder Unger) will be training. I am excited to meet all of the new missionaries that are coming out to Newfoundland. President also told us that in the near future he plans on opening up an area in Central Newfoundland!! Exciting!

There is always something that I forget to tell you when we get home after emailing... a few that I wrote down form last week are...

Mom, Yes will you please order me some contacts...I don't know if it will be easier to have them send it to my address (if you go through 1800contacts.)

Dad, I got the camera cord!! Thank you!! I will attach some more pictures....I ate cod this week...not only did I eat it, but I cooked it myself!! :D

I have been told that there are several things you have to see to get the full Newfoundland experience....Moose, Puffins, Seals, Whales and Icebergs. well when I was in Mount Pearl I saw not one, or two, but I saw THREE moose!! Two were just walking down the road..like when we get deer..only these are like seeing a giant horse walking through neighborhoods. and then I saw one on the drive back to Bay Roberts. So I guess I can check that off the list!!

Well we got a new investigator this week her name is Jessie Smith. We met her while we were out knocking the other day. We taught her a brief lesson about the restoration, and she said that she was busy right then, but we could come back this week. so we set up a time and we plan on meeting with her on Wednesday.

We were going through our area book one night. we came across a potential that the Elders found like three years ago..it was marked as follow up later so we decided to give her a call. her name is Daphney. She was excited to hear from us and we set up a time to go see her. when we were getting ready drive out to see her (Sister Bentley got really sick) we realized that she lives over an hour and a half away..well we only have so many Kilometers.. I mean Miles.. that we are aloud to drive a month. so we had to call and cancel. we decided to see if the Romenys (the senior couple) would go visit her. well Elder Romeny called her and set up a meeting with her. She said she would drive down to us...not very many investigators will go out of there way to drive an hour to be taught!! We will meet with her on the 12th.

As for Peter LeDrew...we called to set up a time to go and see him and he was very excited. He said we could call him the next day and set up a time to see him that night. Well we called back, and we could not get a hold of him. We tried a couple more times and his wife answered the phone and said they had had a talk about it, and they were not interested. And to not call back.

AHH broke my heart. He was so ready to hear this. I know that he will get another opportunity to hear it again...this wont be his last chance, but it was just so sad!

So Alex, I heard you went on your first date this weekend!! How was it? You know you are 16...it is now ok for you to date!!! GO HAVE FUN :D

Mickey!! How are you! I miss you too! I am so glad that you like school! What is your teachers name? Who are your friends at school? I love you!!

Well I guess that kinda sums up my week. 

LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU TONS!!

Love Sister Riddle

PS so sad to hear Bobby..umm I mean Elder Riddle can not get packages anymore!!! :(  

Cod....big step for Rachele

Dinner......Yes, I made Fish!

Wish you could see the moon
the way I did last night!

Logy Bay

Logy Bay

Logy Bay

Sisters Riddle, Davis, Rust

E. Hardy, S. Riddle, S. Rust, E. Unger

Sister Riddle, Elder Hardy

Sister Davis, Sister Riddle

High School Rivals
S. Davis (AF), S. Riddle(PG),
E. Hardy(LP)

Waterfall

The Trio

The Trio

Bay while storming

Mt. Pearl. Bright Colored Houses
Everywhere!

Full Rainbow

Drunk Man at Testimony Meeting!

Dear Family 

Hello form Sunyani. How is everything going? I hope its going well. This week has been a little boring. I got the envelope you sent me. Thank you for that. Who was the one that picked out the candy? It is very good! We had one very interesting thing happen to us this week, it was yesterday (sunday). Well it was coming to the end of our Fast and Testimony meeting when this man walks in and he is just black out drunk. He comes in and sits down on the front row of chairs. About 2 min later (he must  think it is open mic night or something)  he gets up and tries to talk in to the mic, but he ends up just mumbling stuff. And then walks away. He then starts talking to people so we had to take him out side and talk to him we told him he had to go home and sleep it off. He leaves but 5 min later and then comes walking back in and starts talking to people again. So this time we take him out and tell him again that he has to go home he can not come to church like this. That is the last we heard from him. That was my first experiance with a drunk man coming to church and sharing his "testimony". All 4 of us missionaries did not know what to do when he went up to the mic, so we just let it happen. Good thing he was only up there for about 30 seconds. Man was it funny. Well thats all I have from Sunyani. I hope that story makes sense. I find myself speaking broken English over here. 

From Ghana With love 

Elder Riddle

Picture of Sunyani from a hill 

Freaking huge tree 

Fufu with light soup and chicken
 oh my goodness so good!

No more fufu  :(

Our front yard in our compound.