Do you know where Hesperia, California is?

I AM IN CALIFORNIA FINALLY!

I am in a place called Hesperia, California.  It is the straight up desert.  Like I'm not kidding, there is sand and Joshua Trees everywhere.  I keep looking for rattlesnakes, and people to rob stagecoaches.  Those Joshua Trees are not something that I would travel to see.  They are straight up ugly.  They only grow in two places in the whole world.  Hesperia California, and Jerusalem.  They are these ugly trees that have this fir stuff growing on them.  It is illegal to tear them down, kill them, or take them out of your yard.  So many people have these trees in their yards.  One thing I miss is grass.  It costs 400 dollars to water a patch of grass that is as long as my body laying down.  Crazy how lucky we are to have tons of grass at home, and now there is none around me.  My companion is Sister M.  Lets just say that she and I get along really well! Haha, we are kinda all the same which is crazy awesome.  She was born the day after me, she is the same height as me, and she loves to joke around, and she PLAYS TENNIS!!! That was a dream come true! I was so excited!!! Gah! It was wonderful! She is from Texas, and went to a semester at BYU.  I think she and I will be friends for many many years.  We will be with each other for 12 weeks. The first week was so long, but so short at the same time. 

Monday: P-day in the MTC.

Laundry, clean room, pack.

Sister C and I went a little crazy.  We had companion exchanges, cause Sister P, and Sister W were both getting their hair cut, so Sister C and I went crazy when we were companions.  We rode a "roller coaster" which was actually just laundry bins that were empty.  We would ride in them, and then when someone would be opening the door, we would jump faster then one of the Australian kangaroos.  We said goodbye to everyone that we had known at school, that was at the MTC, and then we went to bed.

Tuesday: Fly to Cali

We got up super early, (3:30 am)  met our district at 4:30 am, and on the bus at 5.  Traveled to SLC Airport.  Called HOME! <3  Flew to Ontario, Ca.  Met President H and Sister H.  He looks like Pres. Uchtdorf... Got my awesome new bike.  Slept.

Wednesday: Meet new Companion.

Met my new companion.  Then there was a ton of meetings.  We were on the road to Hesperia by 2.  Got to Hesperia by almost 3.  Went to apartment, unpacked, planned the next day. Role played the life out of me.  Went to dinner at a members home.  Biked: 2 miles.

You guys need to understand how lucky I am that I have Sister M as my companion.  She is great.  There are times when I don't think I can keep doing this crazy thing, and then Sister M will say something, and it will remind me that I am supposed to be out here.  A mission is hard.  No matter how many role plays we do in the MTC, it is 1000 times more scarier, and more intense then the MTC.  I love it here though! I wouldn't have it any other way! I know that the ward family I have here is wonderful.  Pretty sure I met everyone that is in the ward.  Our dinner calendar rarely has a blank spot on it.  The members feed us a ton, and now I understand how missionaries gain weight on their mission.  The Lord knew that I would need more then the 30 minutes of exercise a morning to work off all the food we eat from members.  We bike on average 12 miles a day.  It takes 2.2 miles to get to our area, and then most people we visit are within a 5 mile circle of each other.  We drink so much water.  Instead of being super sticky with sweat all the time, I want to just dump my water bottle on me, and then deal with my clothes looking weird, but that water in that water bottle is too precious.  I wish that I could strike a rock with another rock, and get water. Haha, that would be so COOL! Can you imagine what a faith/testimony builder that would be!?  It is amazing to me that there are people who used to be members and got married in the temple, and bam. No longer care about the church anymore.  That is definitely frustrating!  We are teaching a family now, and they were married in the temple, and then all of the sudden they are less active.   We are teaching a family, that is Less Active, and they were married in the Temple, and are now thinking about coming to church.  We have at least 4.5 months before they leave to get them reactivated.  They are so cool.  They are like 25ish, and they remind me of my own fam-bam.  They have one daughter, and she came up to me, and said, "our you my new missionary?" She is 4 or 5 I think.  It melted my heart, and created this love for their family, that I wanted to do whatever it takes to get them to come to church.  They live way out there, but it is worth the bike ride, to go bring them the lessons.  We currently have 20 investigators.  They are not all progressing.  There are only 3 I think, that are really making progress.  There is one, who is David.  He is awesome.  I thought he was maybe in his 20's.... but noooooo, he's older.  I laughed so hard when I saw that, and then had to cover it with a cough cough cough.  We are going to start teaching his sister the lessons, and she is in her 40's.  Another investigator is named Lori.   She thinks that Obama is putting chips in people. and she asked us to ask Thomas S. Monson if Obama's Police people were to try to give her a tracking chip, if she should accept.  Sister M told her that we would ask, and get back to her.  We have yet to ask him.  I would be interested in what people would have to say.

There is also this guy who thinks and is convinced that he was a general authority... 

One of the days that we were biking, we were out there, and we went to visit an investigator, and he wasn't home.  We see this Hispanic family outside their house, we bike over, and start talking to them. They tell us they were members!!! WHATTTTTTTTTT! But wait, it gets better.  Out walks this 13ish year old boy, he is introduced as Angel Moroni... I know my jaw dropped.  They all laughed, so I thought they were kidding, but nope, they were for reals serious!  We are going to give them to the Spanish Elders, cause it was super hard to communicate with them.  Sorry this email is a jumble of thoughts.  I had it all written in a list what I was going to say, and then knowing me, I left the list at the apartment...

Weird moment... Spilled water all over myself at dinner last night.  It was at a members house, but oh well.  That just makes me a memorable missionary right?? (Mom, don't worry, they are like Aunt Dawn and Uncle Mike.  Well actually like Dawn, but whatever.)  They just laughed really hard, and said no worries, it happens all the time.  I said really, and they said no... They are really nice though so that makes it better!!!

I love you all so much.

The church is true people.  You can never deny the Spirit that you feel, and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  I know that it will be hard, but that is one of the wonderful aspects of the Atonement.  It helps all of us in different ways.  The only way anyone could ever deny the church is if they went over, around, under the Book of Mormon, and the truthfulness that it holds. 

I am going to start reading the Doctrine and Covenants.  Everyday I will be reading one chapter or section from it.  You all are welcome to join me if you want, but I will be including the things that I have been learning from that wonderful thing! Love Love Love you all!

XOXOXO

Love, Sister Rietz

 The Picture of me pointing to 105 is the classroom I spent 10+ hours in with my district.

With Sister C at the Provo Temple

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Fun with Sister C

Maybe no one will see us!!

Riding the MTC roller coaster

My MTC home away from home

Sister M and me

Awkward Struggle Bus

Awkward Struggle Bus.

The MTC is getting old.  I seriously feel so bad for those that are stuck here for longer than me.  There is only so much you can handle in a classroom for 10+ hours.  This week was exciting! We got one of our investigators to commit to baptism! She is getting baptized in 3 weeks! Well at least that is the plan.  Our last p-day has been so BUSY! We went to the temple today, and I LOVE the Temple.  So much peace was there today! Oh, and LAUNDRY! I wanted to make sure all of my laundry was done before I left for California. Speaking of California, I leave tomorrow from the MTC at 4:30 am, so family expect me to call you at like 6:15ish your time.  I bought a calling card, cause it is easier.  

The thing I am most excited about leaving, is helping people receive ETERNAL LIFE! That is the greatest thing that I will be able to do.  I also am so excited to be able to wear the name of Jesus Christ on my name tag.  I am most worried about saying the wrong thing.  Oh, and that my bum is gonna be SOOOOOOOOO sore from riding my bike.  I can't wait to be mobbing the streets of Rancho on my awesome bike.  Everyone will want to bike in a skirt after seeing me.  I love all of my clothes.  Mine are all unique, because I didn't really buy any of them from all these stores where everyone and their mom shopped for their mission clothes.  I love the yellow and the blue skirt.  They literally go with all my clothes.

The cheap shoes from Taiwan are actually really super-duper comfy.  They are also super easy to match with.  I do wish that I had a red skirt, but that could be a Christmas present or a nice surprise.  I can't wait to get to Rancho and meet the person that I am going to be with 24/7 for at least 6 weeks.  I think that I get my bike that first day.

Awkward Story of the Week:

I was being obedient, and it was time to turn off the lights.  Well my bed is closest to the light switch, so I always turn it off.  I turned off the light, and it was pitch black.  This caused me to trip on my suitcase, and I ALMOST peed myself, I was laughing so hard.  Everyone else was laughing super hard too.  Another story: I was making myself clean in the shower, and knew that Sister C was in the shower next to me.  We had been talking, and then we stopped.  Well I decided to pick up the conversation again, and there was no response.  Well that didn't regester in my head.  I KEPT TALKING!! so that was weird cause there were like 10 other girls in the bathroom.  Well I said outloud: This is so awkward, I talk to myself." I then heard sister C laughing and knew that she was there the whole time.  Another story: I spilled something on EVERY ONE OF MY SKIRTS! I have no idea how.  I am just a klutz.  The blus skirt now has a stain, as does my tan one. Buahaha, oh well it happens to the best of us. Another story: Sister C is as awkward as me.  Like no joke.  We both laugh so hard that we can't breathe, walk, eat or do anything that a normal person can do. We now have two buses that we are both the drivers and the passengers of.  The Struggle Bus lives on, and the Awkward bus has pulled up to the bus stop.  We offer VIP passes to all those having awkward struggle bus moments.

I love you all. Remember that the Church is true.  The Book of Mormon is true.  Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet.  I love the Gospel.  Love you all! I will be in California when I write next!

Love Sister Rietz!

Sister Rietz with her first investigator, Kelly.

Sister Rietz with her MTC District

Sister P, Sister Rietz, Elder Dance and his companion.  Sister Rietz and Elder Dance share a nephew named Carter.  Elder Dance left last week for Florida.

MTC Life

Root Beer Floats. Orange Juice. Ice Cream. That is the favorites here in the MTC. Oh, and the white chocolate cranberry cookies. mmmmmmmmm. :)

Man oh man, where to start? First off, I love it here! I haven't even broken down crying yet. haha. I'm not really feeling that overwhelmed at all, in all honesty. People keep saying it's okay to cry and have break downs but there are no tears escaping my eye balls. Yes, it's alot of work but nothing I can't handle. The only thing I need more of is sleep. I always feel tired, but when wasn't I tired at home right? I dread when the alarm clock goes off, and  feel like a zombie in the morning and don't look far from it with the bun on top of my head, and my make up looking classy as ever. Classes are amazing and I love our teachers. They help us so much and I can tell that they really care for each and everyone of us.  The one teacher, Brother R, reminds me of Ryan, but then he gets all serious, and bam, resemblance is GONE! (sorry Ryan.) There are 14 of us headed to Rancho Cucamonga on the 3rd and a lot of them are in my district. Actually, every single person in my district is going to Rancho Cucamonga.  People ask all the time where we are going, and we tell them, but leave out the California part, and they all get so jealous, and then they hear its just Southern Cali. I also really like our zone. Everyone got a bad first impression, cause they were all SUPER LATE, like an hour late, but once we got to know them they were really cool. A couple of them are going to Winnipeg and instead of having cars they have snowmobiles in the winter.  The others are going to Philly. We are going to the complete opposite. Apparently this is going to be a really hot summer in RC so I'm trying to enjoy the AC blasting on me while I can. 

Classes are going really good.  If you would say that sitting in the same room, with the same people for 10.5 hours is good. We do lots of role plays but I've learned to love and appreciate them. Teaching is definitely something that you learn by making mistakes and lots of practice. I never knew how hard it was to explain the gospel simply so that everyone can understand. It's so easy to just fire hose info at them and expect them to get it all. Our teachers are our pretend continuing investigators, so everyday they get into the role and we have to go teach them. We get our first semi-real investigator tonight so I'm crossing my fingers that it goes well. Her name is Kelly, and she is from China. I'd say the hardest thing about the MTC is keeping the fire going. It's so easy when you're tired to just wonder off into your own little world, especially when you're in the classroom for so many hours a day. I've definitely had to challenge myself to do the best I can everyday. It feels like I'll be here forever but I know one day I'll have to go out and do it fa reals. Sometimes I just get stuck on what to study or say.

I gotta go, but I love you all! Remember the CHURCH IS TRUE!!! I know it with all my heart! I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't believe it! Wish I had more time to write, but sadly I must go.

2 Nephi 31:14

Love, Sister Rietz

Touching Base

Family! I get two minutes to email you all and let you know that I am surviving it here in the MTC! There is so much I want to tell you, we just got assigned our first investigator, and her name is Kelly! She is from China! Crazy! I run into Elder Dance ALL THE TIME! It was so great seeing him. 

I have to go, but my P-days are on Monday.  I will email you longer later. Love you all so much! The Church is TRUE! everyday the Spirit testifies of that! Keep being awesome, and know that I am praying for you everyday.  I also got assigned to be the Senior Comp, so that has been nerve racking, but a blessing at the same time.

Love, Sister Rietz

California here she comes...(by way of Provo, Utah)

Sister Rietz's adventures have begun!!  She left Lewiston yesterday to fly to Salt Lake City.  Allison (her sister) picked her up and they were able to spend the rest of the day together.  She enters the MTC in about an hour as I type.  (I, by the way, am Michele, Amber's mom, who has been granted responsibility for this blog while Amber is serving her mission.  I am excited to have the job!)  I thought I would just post a few pictures from yesterday.  Kristin and Trevor stayed home from school, we went to breakfast, of which I'm pretty sure Amber only ate a few bites :) and then we took her to the airport and sent her off with hugs, kisses and a few tears. 

She has gotten advice from people (don't drink the orange juice at the MTC:), prepared herself well, and is ready to begin her life as a representative of Jesus Christ. She has had so much support from family and friends.  As her mom, I am grateful to you all.  I know she will be prayed for, thought of, and sent happy thoughts throughout her mission.  Thank you!

So off she goes.  It all begins today...

One last selfie with her mom and younger siblings

A classic pose for these three!

With mom and dad after a wonderful day at the Spokane Temple.