Grains and Graduation - 6/29/19

English graduations

Planting rice

Stopping by Victory Monument on the way home from our communist meeting

Hey Everyone!

I know it's only been a little bit since my last email, but it's pday again and I thought I might as well send an email today.

This past week has been a little bit busy. We have had some really cool experiences though. On Tuesday we were able to meet with the leaders of the Lao Communist Party because the Elders here will start teaching English for them in August. Words cannot describe how jealous I am. Hahaha we literally have worked way hard to get this agreement through so I'm glad that some people will finally get to teach there now. I'm a little disappointed I won't be able to teach there though because they have the best rooms and facilities I've seen in Laos. They even get way cool communist teaching assistants who speak English fluently.

The meeting was for the signing of the agreement and it was crazy because there were so many communist leaders there. I got to get some of their business cards, so that a bonus. 

We also had two of our English class graduations this week! It was kinda sad cause I'll miss all of my students, but a bunch want to go to the airport to say goodbye and I'm sure they'll be commenting on my Facebook for years to come, so it's all good.

We also got to go up North and visit some members for the last time. We got to plant rice with them and then eat their food, so it was a pretty great trip. I'll miss them all!

I've gained such a huge respect for the people out here. They have been an amazing example of humility and love. While we are planting rice for them all they say is how beautiful our rows look and how good we are at it even though we are terrible and our rows are completely crooked. While I may not have grown a whole lot in my rice planting skills, I definitely feel like I've grown so much in the past few years that I've been out here. I have seen so many different struggles and have experienced some of my own, and I feel so blessed for every moment. These people are so unlike any other people I've met, and I'm so glad I've been able to learn from them. 

I love you all!

Elder Ridd

The Last Zone Conference - 6/24/19

The last zone conference

Baptism

Eating with students

Presents

Hi! 

This past week has been great! We had two baptisms last week and it was awesome. They were siblings of the two Hmong girls that were baptized last month. They were really excited and this past Sunday they were confirmed. 

I went to my last zone conference on Saturday. It was crazy. It doesn't feel like it's time for me to go home, but at the same time I feel like I've lived in Laos for 3 years haha. I got to bear my testimony to all the missionaries and that was a pretty cool experience.

When we came back, we brought the two new guys with us! It's kinda weird having your replacements with you, but they're pretty cool guys. Their names are Elder Coomes and Elder Holm. Elder Coomes has about 10 months left on his mission and Elder Holm has about 9, so I guess there may not be another missionary staying for over a year like me for awhile.

We also had dinner with probably my favorite two English students. They are sisters and I haven't seen either of them for a little while. They had us over to eat with their family and gave Elder Phasay and I some farewell gifts as well. 

I hope you all have good weeks! Keep being awesome.

<3

Elder Ridd