GOD EXISTS- Aug 31, 2015

Hello my friends!!!

First of all I would just like to say thank you for all the birthday wishes, I've got some great people in my life!! :) Being 20 doesn't feel any different than 19 to be completely honest, haha :)

So this week our district has been putting a big focus on finding, finding, FINDING. Finding those people who are prepared and who are ready to make a change in their lives to come closer to Jesus Christ. This week has definitely been a trial of my faith... we worked VERY hard, probably the hardest I have worked on specifically focused finding my entire mission, and I can honestly say that my whole mission I have only met about 4 people who don't believe in God, but this week there have been SO MANY. SO MANY people don't even believe in God!!! WHAT?!! Let me just tell you all, I KNOW that God exists, and that He created not only the Heavens and the earth, but everything living therein as well--and that includes US!! We are a living, breathing soul created in the same image as our own Heavenly Father. I know this for a fact. I also know that God exists because I have seen SO many miracles and cannot deny that I have seen His power and His hand in every little aspect of my life. JUST when I think that something has been going COMPLETELY wrong and I feel I might give up hope, that extra push of patience and waiting for the Lord's blessing to be fulfilled is fulfilled, and in a way that I would LEAST expect it. For those of you who may wonder where your testimony is on whether or not there is a Supreme Being, a Higher Existence, or where you relationship is with God, I encourage you to find Him. The reason I know that God IS real and that He answers my prayers and blesses me in ways I would never think of is because I look. "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matthew 7:7)  I am SO grateful for the opportunity that I have to teach this concept with every single person that I come in contact with, and to be able to testify of the truthfulness of this restored gospel and the reality of my Heavenly Father whom loves us all so much. I am grateful for the blessing we have been given to be able to communicate with Him ANYTIME, ANYDAY, ANYWHERE and He will listen! He will answer and He will give us the best guidance out of anyone we will ever speak with in our entire existence on earth and in the eternities. What a blessing, right? 

I can testify that I KNOW I have a God that loves me and watches over me in everything I do, and that He wants the best for me. I know He KNOWS what is best for me and that I can go to Him for anything--questions, concerns, comfort, knowledge, guidance, you name it. Because He is all-powerful, and I know He will lead me down the right path. This world has become SO crazy, and the more I separate myself from the things of the world and focus on the things my Heavenly Father would have me doing, the more strength I am given to be able to stand as a light and a beacon in a world that is getting darker and darker faster and more deceiving than we can comprehend. I know that the more I pull myself and my thoughts out of the things of the world I am able to see the bigger picture. I know I say that a lot but REALLY. It is so true. God has a plan and it is CRAZY how everything is so meticulously intertwined, I can't even begin to describe the magnitude of it, let alone only the small fraction of His plan that I have been able to witness firsthand!!

I know I am rambling, but I just LOVE this gospel, and I LOVE being a missionary. I love sharing what I believe because I know it is true.  It is my prayer that we all approach this next week with a greater attitude of appreciation for the restored knowledge that we have been given in this day and age, and the opportunity that we have to learn about it and that as we 'ask, seek, and knock' we can fully access the blessings that God has in store for each and every one of us.

I love you all so much and desire the best for each and every one of you!! :) Take care!!

And until next week,

Hermana Riddle <3

So we went on a Zone Blitz this past Friday and I was able to be companions for a few hours with Sister Alcantara, from Peru. She is brand new in the mission and is in the English program and is learning so well, I hope she gets switched to spanish soon and that we can be companions!!

The next one is a famous tres leches made by a member in the ward I am serving in for my birthday, looks good right? It was. :) Haha

As you probably know it was Riah's birthday this past week.  I think she was spoiled:)  She sent a bunch of video clips and pictures from her celebrations.  I posted a few of them below....

I asked Riah a little bit more about what she does as a facebook missionary because she doesn't really post anything.  This is what she said..."Yeah so our mission pres (Riggs) before strongly discouraged posting, he said we were too much of a "post happy" mission before, so we need to not post things unless it is with a certain investigator in mind.. The problem is most of our investigators don't have Facebook, or if they do it is IMPOSSIBLE to find them cuz you can't EVER find Hispanics!! Soooo.. That's why I really don't use it.. But I do use the messaging sometimes to communicate with members or investigators.."

So..I guess that Facebook is not something that she uses all that much on her mission. We tried to post some stuff to her mission FB wall on her birthday and her settings were weird and it wouldn't allow us to post anything on it:( She said that a member in her area told her that they tried to post something and it wouldn't allow it. By the time she fixed it it was too late. Oh well..she still had a happy day!