zone. It was a fun relaxer. Then toward the evening we had some
lessons. Mom sent us two amazing and inspired filled things both
sister Okerlund and I needed to hear. She as a missionary herself gave
us some service opportunities with cute little things to give to
people. My mom rocks and she knows me so well to know what to send me!
Her Christ like service to me shows her talent of being intune with
the spirit.
Tuesday was an awesome day! We had sister training meeting where we
got to hear from the sister training leaders, our zone leaders and the
traveling AP's. It was all things I needed to hear and it was just a
meeting jammed pack with the spirit. It got me pumped to do better and
become better as a missionary. I believe we all are missionaries and
me personally thinking back I thought it was for the intelligent and
hard core Mormons, but honestly it is so easy when we turn to Christ
and reflect his love and charity towards his children. Charity is
something I believe to be one of the most important things we need to
strive for on this life. Without it, there really is no point in
breathing because it keeps our soul alive.
Wednesday it rained all day. It was fun to have it finally raining. We
got a call form president Taylor. Sister Okerlund and I were scared to
answer it because getting a call from Presidnet is like getting a call
from the prophet. 90%chance it's bad and the other 10% could maybe be
good haha. Well luckily for us it was that 10%. He asked if we could
be in a trio because a sister is going home. We said," for sure!" We
went and met a new investigator names Alfredo. He was Mexican but
spoke good English and we took a sister from our ward who spoke
Spanish so we thought we would be set. We were not set or prepared for
the language mumbling haha I could not understand anything he was
trying to say. I was trying to hard to listen and feel the spirit so I
could know where to take this lesson, but all I got out of it was a
big headache, frustration because I felt like I didn't do my job as a
missionary and a grumpy attitude. We went and saw Betty and McDonald's
because her motel is out of our area. She is struggling and it broke
my heart and this didn't put me in a better mood and to top it all off
I got some immature boys whistling at me as I went to the restroom.
Needless to say I wanted to punch them, but instead I said a prayer in
the bathroom and just crossed my fingers they were not out
there....and guess what they weren't. Then right before we left the
lady that took our order asked what ward we were in. We were like whoa
are your Mormon? She said yes, but wasn't active. She asked if we
could come over because her boyfriend was interested in our church.
She has three boys and one of them is baptized. The only problem was
that she isn't in our area but we referred her to the elders that
were. I can't wait to hear what comes of it. I see refers as assists
in sports. They are just as important as scoring the goal (finding
your own investigator and getting them baptized). We are all on the
same team working together and of we can help others make goals then
that's god's team winning! I was in a better mood the rest of the day,
I repented and thanked God for showing me that if I put my trust in
him and try my hardest he will bless us.
Thursday was zone conference and the day we got our other companion.
She is so cute and funny. She is 22 and is the oldest of 7 kids. She
lives in Utah somewhere and is going to be an awesome addition to our
team. Her name is sister Peterson (I already looked at our fan
chart....I repeat she is not related to me or any of the Richards
family haha just so you know). Our day was AWESOME! Started out strong
with getting a lot of OYM's and contacting some referrals. We stopped
by our new investigator names Mari's home but she wasn't there....we
talked to some people and then went over to a new convert named
Edwina's home. We are trying to connect the dots for her on how the
doctrine and principles of Christ and our gospel bless families and
help with motherhood if she applies them to her family. We know how
much it can help her and how important it is for her to start teaching
her kids and doing the little things like FHE, family prayer and
family scripture study. We wanted her to watch the two talks given in
this general conference by holland and Nelson that talked about the
power in motherhood and women. We what to go over her proclamation to
the world, but we don't have a lot of experience in this field so mom
or anyone we would LOVE your advice or input! After her lesson we went
to dinner with the Myers family and had an awesome experience with our
dinner thought. The people of our ward are just amazing! We went back
over to Mari's house just praying she would be there. She lived in a
sketchy area with not a lot of lights so we were standing out in the
dark determined to talk to her. As I knocked for the third time I just
broke...and then she answered! Ah and she let us in. She said she
usually doesn't answer the door at night because she can't see who is
out there. We had an awesome lesson with her and we are excited to
teach her more, we have high hopes for her. We were walking back to
our car when we saw this cute old lady. I stopped and started talking
to her. Her name is darlene and she was headed to a small market
behind us. I asked if there was anything we do to help her and she
told us we could help her walk and buy the things she needed. We
helped her buy beer and cigarettes ha so we were very effective. She
was honking my arm as we walked her home and she told me she was drunk
and that she lived alone. I told her we would to come back and talk to
her and help her. She started crying and hugging us. We set up a time
for Saturday so we will see if she ever remembers us when we come over
then. We ran to our last meeting at the Adams, a less active family.
We taught them the repentance steps because brother Adam is so hard on
himself. We showed the go and sin no more video and then gave him time
to quietly ponder and the spirit just slammed is all with emotions. He
was trying not to cry and told us we can't ever leave because we know
what to say and how to help him. I was in awe because brother Adams
never really talks and he just opened up to us that night.
Friday was a weird day because we planned all morning but then our
sister training leaders called us to see if we could do splits because
sister Kainer was sick. I was in charge of sitting in the apartment
while sister Peterson and the other sister training leader went out to
visit someone. Then sister Okerlund and a girl from our ward named
lata who is getting ready to serve a mission were staying in our area.
I was trying not to be frustrated that they didn't let me go out but I
was able to catch up on my journal and scripture reading. Always look
at the blessing and positive things you have around you that make you
grateful. The rest of the day was normal.
Saturday was an awesome day. We started out by going to the members
home that fed us on Thursday and doing service. We dusted sister Myers
house and all the little nicknaks around her living space. It was fun
to talk to her and bond with her. She is in a motorized wheelchair and
is restricted to a lot of things, but she is incredible at writing
poetry. Then we knocked on a couple doors and headed to Darlene's in
high hopes that she would remember us ha because she was a bit tipsy
the previous night. "Third knock is the charm" is a thing because it
took that many times to have her come to the door. I refused to give
up on the fact that she wasn't home. My stubbornness and determination
kept us standing on that porch until she answered. She lost her
husband and misses him so much, she told us many stories and how she
is so lonely and dosent want to do a lot or can't do a lot so she
drinks away her misery and pain. She dosent make anything better, just
worse. My heart broke for her. All three of us felt the deepest love
for this daughter of God that sister Okerlund was crying and I was
almost in tears. I will never forget that feeling I got when the
spirit testified of how much God loved Darlene. I want to help her SO
badly and just be her friend and let her know she isn't EVER alone. We
all are never alone. We told her we would come back because she said
she has tired everything from A to Z on how to quite her drinking and
I was like well you haven't tried us! Ha it was awesome. I really feel
like I am connecting to these children of God. We are going back over
to play uno with her and help her. Then we went to a new investigator
named Julie. She is awesome and so funny. She was way sick but she
stood outside and talked to us for a bit. Then we met and investigator
named Kap. He is from Burma and loves the bible. When I called him
(because he was a referral) he wanted to come out and preach with us,
telling us we need to be on the same team haha it was so funny. We
told him to meet us at our church and we would talk to him and share
our beliefs with him first. After we went out tracking and in a trio
we all take turns starting the talking and introducing ourselves. I
guess I have just a Spanish connection to all the Spanish speaking
people in Oregon because I/we got another referral for the Spanish
speaking missionaries. I am grateful for the little spanish I know
thanks dad and grandma. This week was stake conference for us and we
had Elder Daniel L. Johnson of the 70 come speak to us. He was an
amazing speaker and had a lot of things I needed to hear.
On Sunday we had an investigator come to church. I was so flustered
with the disruptive atmosphere around us. I challenge all who reads
this to ponder in your hearts why we make sure we are reverent on
Sunday's, especially during the sacrament. Why? Is it for people to
focus and listen so that they may grow in their faith and come closer
to our creator? Is it to invite and keep the spirit in the room so it
can reveal to us what we should do or become? Is it out of respect to
our savior because it is his house? Is it to allow investigators to
feel of gods love for them and to feel of the spirit testifying the
truth of all things that happen in this sacred building? I get that we
all have little ones that we cannot control their behavior and how
they are going to act, but I can testify that if we go the extra mile
and work on the things we can control....we will be blessed. I'm in no
please to give counsel to the families of children because I don't
have a family, but please teach by example. Show to all how important
it is to be reverent. Resist bringing noisy toys and rappers
containing food. Go the extra mile and make that effort to bring
reverence to the meetings. If you don't have a family of your own it's
so important to show by example. Don't be on your phones. Learn why we
are quite before we even enter the building. Make goals as a family
and set a reward. Keeping the sabbath day holy has been the topic and
theme of the year in the church. I am starting to get a better
understanding of the reason God has given this instruction to our
prophet and his counselors along with the 12 apostles. I plead with
everyone to individually take the time to study and really gain a
testimony on the importance of keeping the sabbath day holy and then
go out and apply that knowledge you gain and be an example to those
around you.
I cannot testify enough on the urgency we need to have on sharing the
gospel to everyone around us. We are all his children which means we
are all his disciples and missionaries. Whether you have or haven't
been on a mission God is still preparing the hearts of his children
around you to hear of his word. Don't miss that opportunity. On your
return to your maker don't be filled with guilt in his presence
because you missed those opportunities he presented to you to help his
children because he trusted in you. I know that if we strive to know
the Holy Ghost better we will be able to be directed by him in all
things and we can be trusted to do the lords work. This gospel can
bless everyone and I know from these experiences I am having out here
that it can bless people in the good times and bad. God sees all of us
as the people we will become and our potential. I know that if we
start looking at people as gods sees them he will help us and we will
in return we will be able to help them. I know that God wants us all
to be happy and I know that to be an everlasting true fact. This is
why he gave us families, prayer, the scriptures, the commandments, the
gospel, our savior and a plan to return and live with him again. Life
is meant for us to learn and grow, but most importantly to find joy in
the journey and to become like Jesus Christ. When we strive to become,
we and the world will be a more joyful place. We are all family and we
all knew each other and our God in the pre-mortal life. We all need to
do our part to reach our father again. One of those ways is helping
his children remember him and help them reconnect with what they once
knew in his presence. That knowledge is still within everyone, just
sitting there waiting for someone to connect the dots. I love this
part of my job. It is such a humbling experience when I really see the
people I teach as God would see them and as my brothers and sisters.
They aren't just a number or a box to check, they are so much more. I
love this gospel with all my heart. And I love sharing it and
re-connecting them to the truth they knew and can know again. I the
name of Jesus Christ amen.
❤️ Sister Richards
$5 fresh flowers on the street... sister Okerlund was freakin out!
My Zone!!
This house is already infected haha Halloween spirit in Oregon!
"Recreational marijuana sold here..."
