Adventures of the foot tan: part 2 May 16, 2016

Westminster Zone

So it is starting to be summer again and my foot tan is coming back with a force. Although the last couple of days have been so cold, it makes me so sad. But we must press on!

So Monday we had zone preparation day and boy was that fun. But I left feeling like an old lady cause every single part of my body was sore. We played Toilet Paper dodge ball and boy was that fun. I am proud to say that I got lots of the Elders out many times. Even the AP's (Assistant to the President). Ha! The AP's scare me though for real... too cool for me. Just kidding, they are awesome. 

Tuesday we had service at the food bank and we actually had a lot to do. It was great fun. And I could carry a box of bananas without my brace on. I am moving up in the world. Although I am pretty sure I wasn't supposed to. I just forgot my brace... Then we did service at the retirement home painting nails. Those ladies just crack me up. They are just so sweet but at the same time so sassy, its great!! Not much else happened that day but finding and knocking our knuckles away. Oh but we did some more service. The Relief Society was having an

activity where they were cleaning up the road by the Church so we went to help out. That was really fun too cause then they had a fire and we sang songs and roasted some mallows. But then we had to get back to work...

Wednesday was awesome! We had zone meeting and let me just tell you, my zone is bomb. Oh and the AP's stole our car for the day. That was fun. But luckily the sisters in our zone don't have much else to do either so they helped us out with some rides. They are the best. But in zone meeting we talked about hope, which was awesome because that has been my topic of study this transfer. And then we talked about finding joy in the now. It was just really what I needed. I always feel so uplifted after amazing trainings and being around awesome missionaries. But then we had a pretty cool lesson with a less active family. It was really sad though cause the 13 yr old is being bullied by the girls at Church. I was so sad when I heard that. Jesus said love everyone!! Treat them kindly too! So we talked about faith and trying to keep that childlike faith that we have when we are young. But then we had to walk so fast to get to dinner. We were only 6 minutes late. That is impressive considering the length we had to walk. And let me tell you dinner was good. They are a cute family that I hadn't actually met so it was good. Then we finally got our car back so we could go and visit with my favorite Scottish less active member. Brother Andrews continues to call me Mom and it just cracks me up. I see him feel the Spirit and he is starting to read his Book of Mormon again. I just don't know how to help him get to Church! Silly man...

Thursday was a crazy day with lots of running around. We had interviews with President and Sister Mendenhall and that was really good. It has been a long time since I feel like I have been able to just sit and talk with them. Cause last time we had interviews, I was on some serious drugs.... But we had to rush cause Sister Banner had a dentist appointment. So then we had to rush to get to service for a member. That was fun. We were just moving rocks. And I could actually help this time. Then we had service at the old folks home again playing baseball. That was just so much fun. It gets to be a pretty heated competition between the teams, it's great. Then we visited with Sister Machado. She needed some good girl talk. But we also talked about the Atonement and how it can help her.

Friday was crazy too. We had to do an emergency exchange with the Brodlands sisters because one of them was sick. So I got to visit really rich crazy people. It was fun. Then we had lunch with a member where all she fed us was pastries. It was delicious. Probably not the healthiest.... but it sure did taste good. Our day was filled with finding and dinner with someone from Montgomery. She was going to make me chili but forgot. Oh well.

Saturday was a pretty good day considering we were tracting the whole day. We did have a good lesson with a less active member about the Atonement, forgiveness, and repentance. It was really good. I have never seen her so emotional before. Then we had a really fun dinner with the Cluffs. They are just great. They were shocked that I could quote so many movies too... Silly friends. But then we visited with Sister Anderson and boy, she just makes me happy. She says the funniest things. It makes my day every time. But the best was on Sunday. She was early and sat with us as the choir from the other ward was practicing. She was making fun of them so bad I couldn't help but laugh at the things she said. They were so mean though. Oh man, she is the best.

So that was my week. I am glad to hear about Stubbs. Although I can't quite support the team he is on

These are my PJ's.  Rockies shirt and Cincinati Reds pants.

 

right now.... He can still be my favorite.

Anyway I hope you have a wonderful week. Thanks for the love and support!

Much love,

Sister Richards

The Sisters!

I could not help but send this adorable little bunny!! :):)

Let us all press on May 9, 2016

Temple day!:)

Well it was good to hear from you yesterday. 45 minutes is way too short. But alas, it was still good to see you all.

This week was kind of crazy ridiculous.

Tuesday we went on exchanges and I went to Arvada and that was so much fun. I was with Sister Walker. She is so freaking cute. I just love her. And boy is she a great teacher. I was blown away by her skills. But we had some fun. It was good to get out of my area for the day. 

Wednesday was so awesome because we got to go to the Temple. It has been way too long. But I had a really cool experience in the Temple too. We were in the Celestial room and I was praying really hard for an answer to a question I have been asking for about 2 months now. So I was just looking out at everyone and at the chandelier and then randomly a sister, that I don't really know, came up to me and said something to me that really touched me. I looked back at everyone and I really felt like we were all in the Celestial Kingdom together. I felt God's presence there very strongly at that moment too. There was just so much power in that room with all the missionaries. And then I just was overcome. I had gotten my answer. This has been really hard for me as of late but I would not have the relationship with God that I have now if I had never been through the things I have been through. So it was just a really good

Yes, we are adorable

experience. I just now must press on and keep finding strength in Him. But the rest of the day was spent at home because my companion had to get a tooth pulled and so she was not in a good position to go out teaching. But I had fun cleaning up the area book and working on things. Organizing is my favorite. :)

Thursday we District Meeting. That was actually really good. We did some role plays about teaching certain lessons and for once in my life I didn't feel like a complete idiot when teaching. I don't know why but it was good. I learned a lot. Oh and since it was Cinco de Mayo, we all got tacos from the head bee aka Elder Burt, our District Leader. He is funny. Not much else happened that day. We got to do service for the old folks playing bean bag baseball. It's so fun. They just love to tease each other, it's great. Then we had a lesson with the Machados about faith. Faith is everything, let me just tell you. We had some crazy interactions with trying to talk to less active members too. One was going off about how we are a cult and for once in my life I felt like my testimony was not shaken. Nothing he said would make me believe otherwise. I was just really glad that I do have the testimony I have, no matter how small it may be. And then we talked to another less active member that I'm pretty sure was going to kill us if we didn't leave his porch immediately. That one shook me up. Luckily his wife was super friendly. Oh the life of a missionary.

Friday was kind of a crazy messed up day. Everything was out of wack. But we did get to see one of our

less active members who is really struggling right now. So we just read about the Atonement with her. My

Again

 

favorite scripture as of late is 1 Nephi 21:16. I have probably already shared that with you but it is just my favorite. We are in His hands. Any way the rest of the day was a lot of rejection....   

Saturday was pretty much the same rejection all day! It was rough. But we got to have dinner with this cute family with a kid that has the chubbiest cheeks I have ever seen. It was great.

But that was basically my week. Lots of roller-coaster emotions and experiences but they have been some good ones.

Again it was so good to see you! I hope you have a wonderful week! Love you!! Thanks for all you do for me!!

Much love,

Sister Richards

 

Sister Piutau, one of my Sister Training Leaders. She is so funny!

Sister Walker

All the lovely Sisters

 

Chickens are of the devil May 2, 2016

Sister Richards and Sister Hollingsworth

Ok first off, OWEN IS SO CUTE!!!!! I just want to snuggle him up and squish him!!! Also I just love that name!! He's just so cute! And he totally looks like Ben hands down.

And second of all, there is a less active member that thinks chickens are of the devil because of their black eyes and 3 toes. It was quite hilarious. 

Third of all I have no idea what time I will be able to Skype with you guys on Sunday yet. No one has signed up for dinner and we aren't quite sure what to do about that so hopefully I will just be able to catch you... It will be sometime after 2 my time...And it is like we just talked. Oh well. But we won't talk again for another 8 months. And then I will be home one month after that. Crazy. I don't like to think about that...

Anyway this week was way awesome!! Lots of miracles here!

Tuesday we found 2 new investigators. They are a couple and they are super cool. The husband has a little more potential I think but we will see what happens. 

Wednesday was a crazy day. We had to get our tire fixed cause there was a nail in ours... Then we went to the mission office to say goodbye to one of the office workers, the Hollingsworths. She is the one that went with me to court. She is just the best. I will miss her tons. But then we had our hand-off lesson with Mike. I don't know if I told you that he was going to be taught by Elders now but he is. Just a better situation for him and us. We also got to see Brother Andrews again. He is so funny. It was a really powerful lesson though. We were talking about the Atonement and man, Brother Andrews is definitely loved by God. I could just feel it so strongly.

Thursday we had District Meeting. Nothing super special there. But then we found another investigator. Her name is Adrianna and she is 14. And she is on baptism date! Ballin'!! We are excited for her. I just hope she continues to progress. Then we saw the Machados. They are the sweetest family. They bought me weights for my wrist exercises! They are just the best. We had the coolest dinner too that day. It was this Indian fry bread stuffed with breakfast yummies like eggs and bacon. It was so good. But then we had a really awesome lesson with Sister Post, the less active member that thinks chickens are of the devil. We just read Helaman 16 with her. There are so many wonderful gems in that chapter. It was awesome. Read it, love it, live it.

Absolutely nothing happened on Friday, except it snowed all day and lots of finding!!! I really hate that it is snowing right now. I am about to have some PTSD from my grounds days. 

Saturday was more finding

Sunday was a good day. No particular reason why but it was just a good day! 

I can't wait to see you on Sunday!! I hope you will be able to talk when I call. Sorry I don't have a time or anything.

But the God's work keeps moving. I hope to make a difference in it. 

Love you!!

Sister Richards

This is kind of hard to tell but I am using a can of chili as my weight for my exercises!! :)