Sister Rietz - 5 months out!!

Clearly I am a rookie missionary mom, because this day marks Amber's 5 month mark, and I only thought it had been 4.  Maybe I'm not so much a rookie, as just a bad time tracker.  At any rate, it has been 5 months since she entered the MTC and almost 5 months since she got to California.

Amber and 2 other missionaries in her area had birthdays in the same week.  Here she shows her talent at Pin the tag on the Elder Game.  (I cannot get this picture to move.  Pretend it is further down the page)

Here is a brief summary of her mission, including a few pictures.

Amber has been in Hesperia, California since she left the MTC.  The town is on the edge of the Mojave Desert, and if you are paying attention, it has occurred to you that she has been there all summer.  And yes, her only transportation, aside from a few rare exceptions, has been her trusty bike.  I believe she calls it Gideon -Moroni, or something along those lines.  She and her companion put on about 40-50 miles a week.

I haven't heard much about them lately, but Amber did not have much appreciation of the famed "Joshua Trees" which the area is known for.  We can safely assume this is not a hug of affection.

I find it ironic that she loves riding her bike so much.  (Which she does.  She feels like she can eat dessert when she puts so many miles on it each week.  :)  I tried a few times to ride with her before she left and after the 2nd ride, she was done!  I guess I was the wrong bike riding companion!

The only injury, so far, is from her bike.  It required stitches.  Sis. Moon got to put one in, which they both thought was pretty noteworthy.  Sadly, the stitches fell out early, the wound didn't heal well, and she'll have a trophy scar to show for it.  You may see at the very left of the picture another scar.  That was before her mission, but as you can see, this leg has had a hard life.  As Amber said, it was only a matter of time until she had to use the mission insurance. :)

Until a few weeks ago, Amber's companion was Sis. Moon.  She was an ideal biking companion. They have many things in common, and were a good companionship.  They worked hard, and had a lot of fun on the side.

Service is a huge part of being a missionary.  They

Our Sister Rietz loves animals, but this armoured guy full out charged her, and did not make a very good first impression!:) 

 

If she looks older in this picture, its because she is.  Our sister missionary is now a 20-year old!  How did that happen?  She was sick on her birthday, and members of the ward brought her these supplies to help her feel better and "more at home".  She had a very hard time resting while she was sick.  Her missionary zeal made it hard.

Amber is a hard-workin', rule-keepin', fun-lovin' missionary.  We are so proud of her. The growth we have seen, and her love of the gospel and the people they teach is wonderful.  She only has 13 months to go!  That is hard to believe!!!