Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Hello!

I am so happy I could talk with you all this week! It was so great to see your beautiful faces! I am doing so good!

Well, We had an awesome Christmas! The Sisters slept with us on Christmas Eve and we got them PJ's to open up as well! It was so fun! After we changed into our jammies we ate ice cream and read Luke 2. It was the perfect way to end our Beautiful day! A few members invited us over for dinner and lunch on the Noche Buena! I can officially add Manta Ray and Lamb to the list of weird things that I have eaten on my mission!

On Christmas morning, we woke up and Santa had come! :) We all sat around and opened up presents! The Sisters and I loved what we got! Then I made Crepes while everyone got ready for the day! We finished the day off talking to our families and going to Antonio's baptism interview! He passed! We were so happy!

We went into planning mode for the baptism and everything turned out great! He is so ready to be a member of the church. He was so nervous before his baptism, we even found him in the trees praying. After he left the water he said he felt nuevo (new), he wouldn't stop smiling and neither could we!

The next day at church Antonio showed up walked in and sat down with some members that he already knew. He hardly said anything to us! It made us so happy that he felt so welcome in the Branch! He got confirmed and then we headed out to our classes. The District President came to our branch and he talked about a lot of things that we as a branch need to work on. It was so good!

In the morning, I had watched 'On the Lord's Errand' and I made a goal that like President Monson I was going to follow each and every one of the promptings that I had received. While President Valencia was talking about how we all need to share 'He is the Gift' I had an impression to ask if Antonio and Cristian (a convert from the other sisters) could go up in front and share how that one video changed their lives. I was so scared to go up in front of everyone and ask the President, but I knew I needed to do it! Antonio and Cristian so bravely got up and they shared their testimonies. It put everyone into tears. You could feel the spirit so strong! They invited everyone to hand out the pass a long cards to all their friends and to do it enthusiastically. I could not believe it.

President Valencia then asked them if they wanted to serve missions and in front of everyone they said yes! I can't even tell you how we felt as missionaries. It was the best feeling ever! They then got interviewed to receive the priesthood and got assigned home teachers and everything! I LOVE THE GOSPEL! It is so cool! and I know that the lives of these boys are changing! I can see it working in them!

I know this church is true! I know that Heavenly Father loves us and that he knows what we are going through! I know more than anything that he wants us to grow closer to him! I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and I know that through him anything is possible!

I love you all! and I invite each and everyone one of you to think about him this new year as you are making your resolutions!

Hermana Riedelbach 

Tender Mercies!

Hello! How are you all?? I am doing so good! I have a bunch of stories to tell you all!

This week started out slow like the past couple of weeks, but Hermana Wonnacott and I are over the moon about how the week ended!

So, we contacted a lady like two weeks ago, and she gave us her address to go to her house.  We were so excited, but she lived SO far away. We had an appointment to go see her on Tuesday. So we start walking and walking and walking, and we were exhausted. We thought about going and seeing someone else because even though we had been walking forever, the lady was still so far away, but something told us that we needed to go and find her.

We finally get all the way to her house and guess what...it was a fake address. We were so bummed! As we turn around to go home a lady asked us if we were lost,  I was so surprised. We seized the opportunity to contact her. She said that she would love to see us in her house and pointed it right out to us! We were smiling so BIG after that. What a miracle, seriously! We made an appointment to go by and visit her the next day, and oh my, they are so prepared! On Saturday, we challenged them to be baptized and they accepted. They just have to get married now! haha, but they are the best! They have even invited us over to dinner two days this week! They have two little kids that are so cute as well!

Then, on Friday we had 30 minutes to kill before we needed to go get Kanzi for the Branch Christmas activity. So we decided to go see a lady that we contacted on the street. I wasn't all that excited to go because she didn't show much interest, but we went anyway. Guess what? She wasn't home, BUT! her son was. We once again seized the opportunity to contact him. I had an impression to share the He is the Gift video with him. So, we sat down and started teaching him. We challenged him to be baptized right then and there, and he said YES! We invited him to the activity and he showed up. HOORAY!

It was unbelievable, we met him and in 30 minutes- he agreed to be baptized,  and to go to the activity! I almost cried. He showed up and bonded right away with an investigator from the other sisters in the Branch. We had a blast, and then we went back and saw him on Saturday. We taught him the Restoration and challenged him to be baptized on the 27th of December, and....HE ACCEPTED!

We gave him a Book of Mormon and asked him to read 3 Nephi 11. Then we invited him to church the next day! He went to church and afterward we were able to read 3 Nephi 11 and pray with him. It was so wonderful! He seriously remembered everything he read and everything we have taught him! I don't think I have met somebody so prepared my whole mission. When we asked if he had any questions about the lesson. He said, "Well, I have one question....What time do I need to be here on Saturday for my baptism?" :)  I think we just laughed out of pure JOY. He is so ready to become a member of this Church.

Then on Sunday night we went to an appointment and nobody was home. So we walked a little and then paused to figure out what we were doing and we hear "HEY!" So we look up and this lady says "Who are you? What do you do?" Once again we seized the opportunity to share the He is the Gift video and they invited us in their house. They told us they had been waiting to get baptized, but they haven't found their church yet. UM? What? They said that's why they stopped us in the street. They are legally married, (a huge surprise) and they have twins that are 16 years old. They asked us when we could come back again, we set up an appointment with all of them. We also challenged them to get baptized and they accepted!

These are all of the Tender Mercies that we have experienced this past week! We know that it is because of all the work we have done with He is the Gift. We have been working so hard, I mean like working harder than I ever have in my whole life, and honestly were a little down because we weren't seeing any fruits of our labors. I think Heavenly Father knew that we needed to work on our patience. I have to say I am so grateful for all of the blessings we have received this week, it was so worth it!

I love you all so much! Have a wonderful Christmas!

Hermana Riedelbach

The Most AWKWARD Lunch and The BIGGEST decision of My Mission!

WELL, this week was kind of a slump week for us. Our baptism dates fell and nobody was home.

BUT, Saturday and Sunday saved our spirits! We had District Conference (Like stake conference...but we are just branches so they call it a District)!! The Temple President came, a seventy came, the mission Presidency and the District President. We heard some awesome talks and learned a lot and it was PACKED. These members have some real faith. The whole time I was praying for an answer to a prayer, and nothing. I was a little disappointed.

UNTIL... my companion hasn't been feeling well and she asked for a blessing from the Pres then he offered to give me one too. I heard a lot of things I needed to hear and definitely got the answer to my prayer. Actually, I got the biggest spiritual confirmation that...Ok, I wanted to save this for Christmas, but I feel impressed to write it now.

I have been praying to know if I should extend my mission. Our President has given us all the opportunity to extend if we would like. I have been praying for awhile and I just haven't received an answer. SO, during the blessing I got the biggest spiritual confirmation that this is where I am supposed to be, and that I need to give it all I have for as long as I can. I know that I have more to do here and that there is more that I can do.

Which means that my new return date is scheduled for June 2015.

I don't think I have ever received a clearer answer from my Heavenly Father. I know that he answers our prayers in His time and he knows what's best for us.

Well, now to explain the awkward lunch. After the blessings, the President offered to give us a ride home, we live a little over an hour away from where the conference was. But, he told us that he had to eat first, and then invited us to eat with him, his family, the Temple Presidency, the Seventy, the District Presidency, the Mission Councilor, and his family. We walked into the room and it went dead silent and everyone stared at us and the other two sisters from Palenque. I don't think I have used such good manners during my whole mission. Really, it was so awkward, but they sat us at the kiddie table which helped a little bit. :)

Then we got to ride to Palenque with the President and his family and Elder Reyes of the Seventy. I brought some Laffy Taffy's (thanks, mom!) and they were a real ice breaker. Those jokes never get old! :)

I hope you all have a fantastic week! I love you all!

Hermana Riedelbach

P.S. I am sorry I don't have any pictures, I didn't take one picture this week!  Crazy!

Phew! What a Week!

Hello! 

It's been quite the week! I am so exhausted! We talked to more people in one week than I can even count....ok that's a lie because I did count!

I am proud to say that Hermana Wonnacott and I talked to 89 people and made 37 return visits. The most out of all of the Sisters in our zone!! We are so excited! We worked so hard. We didn't meet our goals, but we feel really accomplished. We came home every night  completely exhausted and had sore throats.

One night we even had a Christmas He is the Gift activity. 2 of the Elders were inside running the show, Hermana Wonnacott and I were singing Christmas songs on the street corner, 2 sisters and 2 other elders were contacting everyone that walked by! Needless to say, my voice is shot!

We also found 7 new investigators. Not the 20 we had hoped for...but they are all so good and 2 of them already have baptismal dates! We are excited and have faith that their baptismal dates will hold!

Today we got to go be tourists in good old Palenque land of the Nephites and Lamanites. Seriously, it's just another testimony that the Book of Mormon is true! We got to see what we think is the tower of King Benjamin! How stellar is that? It blew my mind!

(That is King Benjamin's tower behind us!)

(I am sitting on a Mayan toilet, they aren't very comfortable)  :)

We are continuing to work harder than ever! Thank you for all your love and support! have a great week!

Love,

Hermana Riedelbach

P.S. Here's our attempt to #sharethegift  I hope you are all sharing the gift as well!

What a Week!

This week has been CRAZY! I feel Like Hermana Wonnacott and I have been
friends for forever! We just work so naturally together, it's awesome!

This week is also going to be so crazy! We are buckling down and working hard,
our goal is 20 new investigators this week! We have to talk with more and
more people than we ever have in our whole missions. It's going to be
awesome and it's all because of this...

http://www.mormon.org/christmas

Go check it out! We are so excited! It's in times square as well. When we saw
the pictures we cried. I felt the spirit so strong, confirming that the
hastening of the work is HERE, and we are all a part of it! Our
responsibility is HUGE! I can't even begin to tell you all. I know that our
Savior lives, and that it is his time.

I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week! 
I hope that you can all share the gospel during this month of
December!

Hermana Riedelbach

P.S. I promise next weeks letter will be longer and in more detail, and with pictures.  I forgot my camera cord today.  :(