Wenatchee....And then some!

My cool apron from the primary kids back home!

Hey Mom and Den,
So first things first, sorry i didn't e- mail 'til today because we had a meeting yesterday with Elder Christensen from the 70's and so continues the story of our week.  We didn't end up getting to go to the temple because the group that was going got too big.  So since we are the only English missionaries  we didn't get to go. So maybe we can go in the next couple weeks but i don't think we'll get to. Other than those lets see, we don't have too much going on in our teaching pool just the same rebuild that I've been in a lot, which is kind of a bummer but I guess I probably wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't in a situation like this one. So yeah, but Wenatchee is great!  I think I told you about the Lewis'.  They are awesome! Elder Card is pretty cool.  We are still getting along.  Oh so we helped a local HOA build a park that was pretty cool.  We were going to help a member with his yard and then we saw all of these people building a park so we just asked if we could help.  We are gonna go back next week and lay sod, but it was pretty cool to be able to do that and help more people see just how good the church is when it comes to helping out. Well I love you guys.  I loved the back to school pictures, Hunter needs to fix his unibrow a little bit (haha just teasin) Let me know how the vacation went. I love you guys and miss ya tons.  Did ya'll get my pictures? Please tell me you did, cause it feels like I sent them forever ago. Anyways love ya!

Elder Lance Ririe

Hey Hey!

Hey Hey!

Well the trip to Wenatchee was forever long, but I really like it out here.  My companion is Elder Card and he's from Orem.  He's a really good guy and we get along real well, which is great because we are the only English speaking missionaries in the district and 1 of like 3 in the zone.  Not sure why but there's always a weird rift between the Spaniards and the English missionaries.  But, anyways, not a whole lot of work out here at the moment.  We have a few potentials, but we have set a really high goal this month of being able to baptize 5 people...we just have to go and find them.

I got your letter that you sent and am working on sending some out to the kids (just need envelopes).

Wenatchee is pretty cool.  Well, it's really HOT but is a neat place...the third largest city in the mission just behind Cd'A.  And the work out here is just exploding!  The stake has almost doubled it's baptisms for the year and it's only August.  So we're stoked about that!  Umm...oh, the family we live with is super awesome!  The Lewis'.  They have 5 boys and one is on a mission right now another is in the military and then the rest are at home.  It's like having three little bro's..haha...but I love mine more!

Well, I think that's it for this week.  Hope it was enough info.  Oh...wait!  Going to the temple tomorrow (Tues) so maybe I'll get to see some people in Spokane on the trip there or something, but I don't know.

I love you guys!

Love, Elder Lance Ririe

Separation Anxiety!!!

Hi Mom and Den,
Well, it finally happened...I'm being transferred out of Spokane.  I'm going to Wenatchee.  It's on the far west border of the mission, so that will be something new and exciting.  But even more exciting than that was we had a conference with Elder Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy.  It was a special conference for recent converts and the best part of the whole thing was I got to see just about everyone I've known for the last 14 months there!  It was great!!!  I can't even describe how awesome it was to see one person after the next.  I don't think I've been that happy in a long time.  So that was the highlight of my week, but I don't know anything else about who I'm going to be with or what else Wenatchee is like other than flat, hot, dry, and farms.  So I guess I get to go play farmer this next transfer and probably learn some Spanish.  (All the Spanish speaking missionaries are out there.)  So that's what's new on this end.  I'll be sending some pictures this week!!!  Look for em!! 
Well, I love you guys!!!

Love, Elder Lance Ririe

Thanks Mom!!!

Hey Mom and Den,

Thanks a bunch Mom!!!  The G's helped out great.  A little big...but I guess that's okay.  So I got the letter and the packages on Saturday.  They were awesome!  I was kinda shocked to hear about Nicki getting busted!  I don't think I'd do something like that though.  My stupid ideas usually involve more fireworks and less police.  haha  But...anyways....things are ok.  I called the mission office and they are going to try to get us out of the Butter's A.S.A.P.  but with our bishop out of town it may not be for a little bit.  It's weird staying there.  I've never stayed with anyone who wanted nothing to do with the missionaries.  Anyways, as for our dinners, I had a small council with a few of the "mission moms" in our ward (especially Sis. Flink) and they are still going to feed us some of the time.  They were appalled to hear about no member dinners, so as soon as the bishop gets back they are going to talk to him.  So, yes, there are some awesome families out here making sure I'm being taken care of. 

Anyways...Faith is still on date for August 14th and life is just chugging along.  I've referred to Elder Wirthlin's talk, "Come What May, and Love It", so that's been a source of help. 

I love you guys!
Elder Lance Ririe

Hey Hey Hey!

Hey Mom and Den,

Well, it's been a rough week.  Things are good numbers wise; we are finding and teaching but our ward mission leader just canceled all of our dinner appointments for the month because he said that its ineffective.  So that's frustrating, as well as Bro. Butters has been getting worse about everything; complaining about everything that we do and he's been withholding our mail.  So I'm very frustrated as of late and not having zone leaders that care is rough too.  I did FINALLY get the package last week though.  It was awesome!  You guys are great!  Helen, our recent convert as of about a month ago is now having us teach her granddaughter and she should be baptized here pretty soon.  And Dean received the priesthood yesterday.  Its so cool to see all these little blessings that happen around us all the time.  So its things like that that help me realize why I'm here and that I can be a part of something so great.  I love the people out here and just how great they are.  Lots of great things going on.  Have you guys talked to Futi at all?  Just been thinking about them lately.  I think I'll always reflect on how I met them and how much they helped me in gaining a love for the gospel because I applied it so differently with them than I ever had before.

Well, I hope things back home are going awesome.  I'll write back to the kids when I can.  And there should be a little sum'n sum'n for the Nerm in the mail.  Nothin much, just a little sum'n.

Love you guys tons!

Love,
Elder Lance Ririe

Whoo!

Hi Guys!

Well, Kathleen was baptized Saturday and it was awesome!  Really good baptism.  Her brother, who is pretty anti, ended up coming and he like it so that was good.  Still coming along with Elder Sorenson.  He still doesn't talk much and if I do something that bugs him he completely shuts down, so I've tried talking to him about it but it stays quiet most of the time....which makes this transfer feel a lot longer.  But our district leader is pretty good about things so we'll be going on exchanges for a day this week to help break the silence. 

Umm, as for other people we are teaching, we found a great little family, the Turnidges.  They have four little kids who are amazing.  And the dad, Doug, he's a less active member who wants to come back to church.  His fiancee, Amanda, is amazing.  She soaks up the gospel like a sponge.  The only hiccup is they aren't getting married until August of next year so she can't be baptized until they are married, which is a bummer.  But they're great!

Umm, so that's really it for what's been going on here.  Just keep me posted on how everybody is doing and such. 

Thanks a bunch!  Love you guys tons!
Love, Elder Lance Ririe

Happy Late 4th!

Hey Mom and Den,
Yours is the first one I'm responding to today so that you can have a big long email!!!  Well, our 4th wasn't anything special - just out and about trying to find more people to teach.  And it's been super hot lately - ugh!!!  Not fun for me - I'd much rather it be 65 or less all the time, but hey, when I rule the world one day!  I'll change that then! 

But, anyways, other than it being really hot and having a nonexistent 4th things have been good.  Kathleen is great.  Her baptism is gonna be Saturday at 4 and we're super stoked for her!  I love hearing her talk about how she knows that the church is true and that she loves the feelings that she gets when she reads and prays.  It's just awesome! 

Elder Sorenson is still pretty quiet.  He doesn't talk much or help much in lessons, which gets frustrating, but he's a really good kid.  I' glad to serve with him.

There are some things that I could really use ....some new G's.  Mine area falling apart - lots of wear and tear....mostly tear.  Otherwise, maybe a new pair of basketball shorts.   But that's really all I need.  I got a letter from Uncle Shane so I'm starting to write him back.  Hopefully I get to finishing it before too long here.  Other than that, that's just what I'm up to.

Well, I love you guys tons and I miss ya'll even more!

Love, Elder Lance Ririe