Date
March 21, 2016
Area
Parker Colorado
Companion
Elder Layton
Well another week has come and gone. It feels like just yesterday I was sitting here in the library writing a letter.. But it was actually a week ago.
Its been an interesting week. It has been very difficult for us to find more people to teach. Everyone is either a member, or already knows about the church. Not many people seem to eager to meet with us. We have had some luck setting up return appointments with people.. And then they don't answer the door.. It gets slightly frustrating, but at the same time it doesn't bother me very much. On the one hand, it is good that we don't waste our time with someone who isn't ready to hear our message, and on the other hand some people just take a little bit longer. Either way there is no need to be frustrated.
This week I participated in my first exchange. I was in an area next to ours with one of our Zone Leaders Elder Sinden. I decided I hate exchanges. I started feeling this amazing love for the people that we met and taught and I realized that I can't continue to teach them, which is slightly depressing. That day we also went to visit a member in an apartment building who wasn't home, so as we were walking back to our car I stopped a man who turned out to be the maintenance man of the apartment complex. We talked with him for about 30 minutes, and then I asked him if we could come back later the next day to talk more. It was tough knowing that I wouldn't be the one who was able to come back. But the Elders had an amazing lesson with him. He and his wife will be in church this week. His name is Ronnie and I am planning on hopping in their meeting for a few minutes to see him again (they meet in the same building as our ward).
I really don't actually hate exchanges, it’s just tough to realize I won’t be able to continue to meet with the people.
This week was my first Zone Conference. For anyone who doesn't know, it is when half of the mission gets together and our Mission Leaders teach and counsel us. I was able to see several missionaries from the MTC, but it was also just an amazing experience getting to learn from President and Sister Mendenhall. It is sad knowing I will have to wait another 3 months for the next Zone Conference, but I can’t wait!
As many know, I celebrated my birthday this week on Friday. Someone must have thought I was homesick and they sent snow. It made me feel right at home. I actually forgot that it was my birthday until about lunch time and then I remembered. It was nice not really thinking about it. I had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate by getting screamed at on this guys porch. He yelled at us to leave the second he saw us. He starting counting down from 5. We said we were sorry we had upset him and told him to have a nice day. He kept counting. It was very hard for me to wait until I turned around before I started laughing. I didn't want to be rude, but I found it absolutely hilarious. Then we went and had a wonderful conversation with his neighbor.
Like I said, it has been tough to find people to teach, but we have been trying to reach out to as many less actives as we can. We also have quite a few recent converts and people who have just recently become active again. We have been having some awesome lessons with them. It is crazy the things that I have been learning. We had a conversation with a member the other day about how we know when the Spirit is teaching us things. I shared how when the Spirit teaches me things, I have a feeling of perfect clarity and peace. It is an unmistakable feeling of warmth and knowledge. It was cool to get to share that with him.
We also have a lot of 7 year olds preparing for baptism. So we go and teach them the simplified missionary discussions. Last night we taught this amazing kid named Elias Nelson. He had such a good understanding already, and his questions that he asked were amazing. I told him I was seriously impressed with what he already knew, and I was proud of him. What was even cooler, was that Brother Nelson, his father, served his mission where my companion was from, and that his younger brother served in Wisconsin and specifically in Appleton. His wife’s brother and his family just moved away from Appleton a few months ago, so there was some crazy cool things going on.
I want to close with one of the things I learned recently. As I have mentioned, I have really been seeking to build my faith recently in certain areas where it is lacking. I came across this quote:
"Faith is a GIFT of God bestowed as a REWARD for personal righteousness. It is always GIVEN when righteousness is present, and the greater the measure or the obedience to God's laws, the greater will be the endowment of faith."
This was such a reminder to me that faith is not something I can merely work harder to develop, but rather as I strive to be more exactly obedient, the faith I seek will be bestowed upon me. I am so grateful for that! How amazing of a gift is faith!?
Remember that I love you all. I appreciate so much the prayers and support that I feel from you. You bring me strength when I need it, and for that I am lucky.
Elder Richards
Its been an interesting week. It has been very difficult for us to find more people to teach. Everyone is either a member, or already knows about the church. Not many people seem to eager to meet with us. We have had some luck setting up return appointments with people.. And then they don't answer the door.. It gets slightly frustrating, but at the same time it doesn't bother me very much. On the one hand, it is good that we don't waste our time with someone who isn't ready to hear our message, and on the other hand some people just take a little bit longer. Either way there is no need to be frustrated.
This week I participated in my first exchange. I was in an area next to ours with one of our Zone Leaders Elder Sinden. I decided I hate exchanges. I started feeling this amazing love for the people that we met and taught and I realized that I can't continue to teach them, which is slightly depressing. That day we also went to visit a member in an apartment building who wasn't home, so as we were walking back to our car I stopped a man who turned out to be the maintenance man of the apartment complex. We talked with him for about 30 minutes, and then I asked him if we could come back later the next day to talk more. It was tough knowing that I wouldn't be the one who was able to come back. But the Elders had an amazing lesson with him. He and his wife will be in church this week. His name is Ronnie and I am planning on hopping in their meeting for a few minutes to see him again (they meet in the same building as our ward).
I really don't actually hate exchanges, it’s just tough to realize I won’t be able to continue to meet with the people.
This week was my first Zone Conference. For anyone who doesn't know, it is when half of the mission gets together and our Mission Leaders teach and counsel us. I was able to see several missionaries from the MTC, but it was also just an amazing experience getting to learn from President and Sister Mendenhall. It is sad knowing I will have to wait another 3 months for the next Zone Conference, but I can’t wait!
As many know, I celebrated my birthday this week on Friday. Someone must have thought I was homesick and they sent snow. It made me feel right at home. I actually forgot that it was my birthday until about lunch time and then I remembered. It was nice not really thinking about it. I had the wonderful opportunity to celebrate by getting screamed at on this guys porch. He yelled at us to leave the second he saw us. He starting counting down from 5. We said we were sorry we had upset him and told him to have a nice day. He kept counting. It was very hard for me to wait until I turned around before I started laughing. I didn't want to be rude, but I found it absolutely hilarious. Then we went and had a wonderful conversation with his neighbor.
Like I said, it has been tough to find people to teach, but we have been trying to reach out to as many less actives as we can. We also have quite a few recent converts and people who have just recently become active again. We have been having some awesome lessons with them. It is crazy the things that I have been learning. We had a conversation with a member the other day about how we know when the Spirit is teaching us things. I shared how when the Spirit teaches me things, I have a feeling of perfect clarity and peace. It is an unmistakable feeling of warmth and knowledge. It was cool to get to share that with him.
We also have a lot of 7 year olds preparing for baptism. So we go and teach them the simplified missionary discussions. Last night we taught this amazing kid named Elias Nelson. He had such a good understanding already, and his questions that he asked were amazing. I told him I was seriously impressed with what he already knew, and I was proud of him. What was even cooler, was that Brother Nelson, his father, served his mission where my companion was from, and that his younger brother served in Wisconsin and specifically in Appleton. His wife’s brother and his family just moved away from Appleton a few months ago, so there was some crazy cool things going on.
I want to close with one of the things I learned recently. As I have mentioned, I have really been seeking to build my faith recently in certain areas where it is lacking. I came across this quote:
"Faith is a GIFT of God bestowed as a REWARD for personal righteousness. It is always GIVEN when righteousness is present, and the greater the measure or the obedience to God's laws, the greater will be the endowment of faith."
This was such a reminder to me that faith is not something I can merely work harder to develop, but rather as I strive to be more exactly obedient, the faith I seek will be bestowed upon me. I am so grateful for that! How amazing of a gift is faith!?
Remember that I love you all. I appreciate so much the prayers and support that I feel from you. You bring me strength when I need it, and for that I am lucky.
Elder Richards
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