Hey Everyone!!
First off I'm being transferred to Burkville, VA. I don't know my new address yet but I'll let you all know next week. It's a country area with about 5000 people in the boundaries. It's gonna be fun. I actually knew I was going to be transferred on Saturday. We had President interviews on Saturday and he asked if I were to be transferred would I be okay with that. I told him that I would miss Bennetts Creek but I'd go. It's normal for people to miss a really good area they were in but the Lord needs me somewhere else. I'm excited to go!! It's gonna be a new experience for me and it will be a good stretch.
In my president's interview he talked to me about spiritual plateaus that we all come to. Right when he told me that I was like, yeah I hit that. I have hit it because I wasn't making that much spiritual progress for the past little bit. He then told me that I'm being transferred and that I was going to get a call from one of the assistants. It's pretty cool.
Any way, this past week has been good. I can't remember most of it but I remember that it was really fun. I'm doing better after my interview with President Perry. I truly love that man. He has such a great knowledge of the scriptures and knows how best to help the missionaries. He told me he knows I'm a missionary with a great capacity to become better and that this upcoming transfer is going to help. I'm so excited!
You know, being out here has helped me to see things in a different light. I now see how much strength and understanding comes from reading the scriptures everyday. I now see how much power the Book of Mormon has changing someone as it has changed me. I now see the importance of not just reading, but pondering the scriptures also. In 1 Nephi 10:1, Nephi was pondering the things his father told him, and while he was pondering he saw a vision and learned about more than just the things his father taught him. We can follow the commandments of the Lord and follow the example of Nephi and ponder the things we learn. We may not see a grand and glorious vision, but our understanding will grow. I promise you that.
I love you all and wish you well. Keep praying, studying the scriptures, and ponder them. If we don't act and let the Spirit do what it does, we don't learn and we don't grow.
Let the Spirit of God teach you what your Father in Heaven wants for you.
You all are awesome and I love you lots. Hold off on any letters or packages until I can tell you my new address.
I love you the mostest!!
-Elder Ricky-dude
I forgot to tell you about an experience I had yesterday.
We were with one of our investigators, Brian, and we called up President Pedaway who is the Branch President of the Newport News 3rd Branch and put in on speaker so that we all could here. President Pedaway was one of the first black males to receive the Priesthood. Brian wanted to talk to him about the issue of blacks and the priesthood and man was that a trip! President Pedaway laid it down and told Brian, because someone who has freedom didn't have it before, you would go and give up your freedom because of that? He told Brian that because men were so racist they wouldn't help blacks receive the Priesthood. So when Spencer W. Kimball got up and announced that ALL worthy males could hold the Priesthood that made it final because it was from God. President Pedaway told Brian he's an elect man who God chose to be able to hold the Priesthood in this life and that he shouldn't pass up the blessings that God wants to give to him because of something that happened in the past. At the end of the phone call President Pedaway told Brian to call him up when he's going to get baptized because he wants to be there. After Brian hung up he basically told us, yeah I don't have any concerns now.
Because of that experience and what I learned from President Pedaway is truly going to help me help others who are concerned with that issue.
Anyway, I wanted to share that with you because it truly helped me and I hope it will help you somehow.
Love ya lots,
-Elder Ricky-dude
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