I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a really good week! Things are moving forward on Galveston island:) Remember my old investigator Jay? He got baptized yesterday! And his daughters are preparing for baptism too. Please keep them in your prayers. 

This week, I learned a little more about the Spirit. We have this amazing investigator right now named Jose. For a couple months we have been trying to get him to attend church, but he always had work and wouldn't ask for it off. 

The other day we told him by the Spirit he would receive answers, to which he replied "what do you mean when you say the Spirit?"... rookie mistake Hermana Ries. You haven't explained the Spirit? 

Anyway, we began the lesson and taught about the Spirit, or Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead which testifies of all truth. We read Alma 5: 46 which reads: 

 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the 

Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do 

know of myself that they are true;for the Lord God hath made 

them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the 

spirit of revelation which is in me.

Afterwards, he said he realized if he had doubts, he needed to act to feel the Spirit. I learned along with him, that the Spirit comes, as we SEEK to feel it. Yesterday Jose, along with many other of our sweet friends came to church, and sought to feel the Spirit. 

The gospel is about action. If we want answers; if we want to know if something works or if it is true, we must ACT! 

This sweet girl is B. She is getting baptized in just a couple of weeks! Please pray for her. This week as we taught about tithing, she turned to her dad and said "You gotta pay that! We need blessings!" She is such a good example of acting. 

One of the things I love about my companion is that she always goes for it. It doesn't matter if she understands what is going on in the lesson or what to say, she just acts and trusts that Heavenly Father will help her. It is amazing! 

I know that the Spirit gives us answers as we act. 

I hope and pray to have the faith to act and experiment upon the words of Christ. I know that He lives. I believe in Him. 

-Hermana Ries