Two Years in Oklahoma: The Blessing- Week 71

It was a wonderfully chaotic week and I am short on time so I apologize if this is a little scrambled or poorly said but I hope you get the Spirit of it.
Progressive Blessing(s)-->Miracle(s)

Matt is now out of the hospital and doing well so we are happy to report that! But we have gone back several times since we gave Rebekah the blessing on Thanksgiving and she is doing much, much better than she was which we are happy and excited about. Each time we go back we get to pray with her and often her two sons that have been with her every moment they possibly can (Jacob is 25 and Daniel is 17 I believe) Jacob hasn't left the hospital in the last 12 days to stay there with his mom and they only time Daniel hasn't been there is when he has been at school. We went again this last Saturday to visit them and we had such a spiritual and powerful lesson as we read from the scriptures and talked about eternal truths of the Plan of Salvation. It was such a testimony builder for me because none of these three are members of the Church and haven't been to church in a long time but it was so powerful each time they stated "Well, they never taught us this in church but I believe..." or whenever they said "I really think that..." everything they said aligned with the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith but they had never read it in the scriptures or been taught it in a Sunday school class, they had simply been taught by the Holy Ghost who helped them remember their identity and the plan of our Heavenly Father for our happiness and salvation. It was so powerful and when we left you could feel and see the fire in their eyes and an excitement to read the Book of Mormon and the Bible and to learn more and to become more like God.
I'm so grateful for the Spirit. What a precious and marvelous gift from God, our Eternal Father. I've been able to feel His presence many times throughout my life but particularly on my mission and especially the last couple weeks. I love this time of the year where there are so many who go out of their way to serve and to love and to focus on Christ and His teachings. It is simply beautiful to see and to feel. I love you and hope you enjoy this Christmas season Lighting the World and witnessing God's hand work miracles through you.

May God's grace and mercy and peace be with you this week I hope and pray.

Keep the faith,

Elder Ricks

Top Golf

Teaching our dear little friend Xander!

#LIGHTtheWORLD #Day1 #DayOfService

We started off December (Elder Dean's Birthday, and the day of service in the Light the World initiative) helping our investigators move and the Sisters in our ward came to help out! (Sister Garner is from Rexburg!!) "By small and simple means are great things brought to pass" was so true in packing this little truck...

Elder Ricks, Sister Trotter, Sister Garner

Rondolus, Elder Ricks, Elder Dean

Last night we were driving from dinner and the First Presidency Christmas Devotional at our stake president's house (he lives in our ward and feeds us several times a month) to drop off the Sisters in our ward and then to try some people before the end of the night and we saw a vehicle pulled over in the road with their hazards on so we pulled over and ran to them and offered to help so we pushed this single mother and her two kids to an off street. She happened to have an empty gas can in her car so Elder Dean and I went to the gas station and filled it up with the Sisters stayed back with Mooney and her kids Dwayne and Cali. After we got back and put the gas in the car wouldn't start so we waited there with her while the kids dad came to help and as we waited I got a little carried away playing with the kidos and we played all sorts of games: rock paper scissors, tag, basketball, vampire/lion-scaring each other, and more but by the end I ended up being "Jungle Boy" as Cali said and they beat me up after I swung around on the tree. We had a good time and while I messed around, Elder Dean talked with Mooney and we have a return appointment to teach her on Friday!