Date
May 2, 2016
Area
Arvada Colorado
Companion
Elder Laney
Where to begin?
It has been an interesting week, certainly a week of much growth, in all sorts of ways. Elder Laney and I don't necessarily fight, but we certainly don't connect that well. It has been a bit of a struggle because we need to be in unison to really be effective and we just can’t quite seem to get there. On Friday, we did have a very effective open and honest companion inventory, (where we discuss strengths, weakness and issues between us and work on goals to improve) which I think will really help us get along in the ways that we need. I am continuing to overlook little things that don't matter and upset me for silly reasons, so I have learned to love doing dishes and cleaning up little things. I am glad that I am able to overlook those things, because truly, they really don't matter and getting upset does no one any good.
Anthony continues to be so close to baptism! Ugh I love this kid so much! He is seriously just so nice and genuine. We shared the Mormon message "The Hope of God’s Light" with him and it really touched him. He said it was his favorite one yet and he really felt the Spirit. I think he is nervous about his family knowing about him joining the church. His mother is VERY religious and does NOT like the church. We are hoping this week we will be able to have some good lessons with him.
On Saturday, we were on exchanges and Elder Coleman was with me in our ward. We played basketball with Anthony and first, it was the best basketball I have played since I have been out, but we had an awesome conversation after and talked about the real problems with him joining the church and the issues with doctrine that are holding him back. I brought up when he was going to have to make a decision with Stephanie if he never felt he received an answer. I told him he couldn't dance around the decision forever. That may seem bold, but I have really built a relationship with him, and he is fine opening up with those tough conversations. I am grateful for the way I believe The Lord is using him. Stephanie told me that all of the missionaries who have taught him have been awesome but none have connected with his personality like I have. It is cool to see that happening.
Speaking of Elder Coleman... Man do I love this guy!! Seriously! This guys is one of the absolute nicest people I have ever met! I met him at my first Zone Conference last month and I found out he was trained by Elder Neeley…as in Austin Neeley. So that was a crazy funny thing! He and I just hit it off right away, so we were excited to be in the same district. So when we got to go on exchanges we were happy. He has been struggling lately with some things and didn't know if he should be out here. That is actually why he came on exchanges with me, so that I could help out. We had some amazing conversations and we both really learned a lot from each other, even though it was only one day. I really hope that he and I can be companions in the future. We also had our most successful day this week! So that was cool too! We might have stayed up till almost 3am talking... and then got up at 5:30 to play basketball.... Don't ask me how we weren't dying the next day, but somehow we were just fine!
So Saturday we had a cool experience. We were trying to stop by a less-active member’s house and they weren't home. We saw a huge dumpster in a driveway and people in the garage smoking up the road so we went to offer help. They said they were fine, but we started talking to them anyway. We talked about family and I shared pictures of my family (literally the best tool ever). It turns out he had six kids himself. His wife and mother were also in the garage. We started talking about religion and Christ and what Christ has done for us. They were religious themselves. I shared the Easter video with them and again expressed our desire to help them with the projects that they were working on. We talked about prayer and the mother told us we were sent by God and an answer to their prayers. They said they would probably use our help sometime, and we closed with a prayer. I said the prayer and really felt guided during the prayer and felt the Spirit bring the words to me. The mother was crying after, and when I tried to shake her hand she just gave me a big hug. I am not going to lie... I hugged her back. I didn't even feel bad about it. It was a super cool experience, and I am excited for when we go back to their house.
The members here are awesome and I am really growing closer to them. Elder Laney made the comment that "They are really just eating you up." I try my best to be personable and build a strong bond with all the members. We really can’t do this work without them. I have met 3 people from Wisconsin in our ward, and it is hilarious to see how happy they get when I tell them I know exactly where they lived and I talk about places where they were. They all moved away long ago, so I can tell they enjoy the little blast from the past I help bring them :)
I want to close by sharing one short experience from yesterday. One of the most common questions I hear people ask is “how can I tell the difference between my own voice, and the Spirit. I hear that asked every single time that a General Authority holds a Q&A. I have found that I stopped thinking about it. I listen to the voice in my head, and as long as I am focusing on doing Christ's work, and if I am truly devoting my desires for God's, I don't need to worry. I am always led to what I should do. The perfect evidence of that is what happened yesterday.
We were low on gas and didn't want to fill up on Sunday, so we parked our car, and made a list of 6 names we were going to walk to and stop by. We were walking by a house, and suddenly I just stopped. I looked back at the house we had just passed for a couple of seconds and said “lets knock that house.” I didn't necessarily feel the spirit telling me to, I just went and did it. No one answered the first 3 knocks. My companion started to walk away and I said not yet. I didn't feel like we should leave. Again I didn't really think it was the Spirit, I just wanted to knock one more time. A woman came to the door. We talked a little bit, and then her husband walked up. The woman turned and said “they are here for you.” I started to explain that we were not there for anyone in particular. Then she told us that her husband was a member. He had been less-active and his name was not in the records of our ward. We set up a time to come back in a week, because he will be gone for the next week for a funeral. I know that even though I did not feel super strong spiritual promptings, it was the Spirit that spoke to me through simple, indistinguishable thoughts to go back. How grateful I am for the guidance of the Spirit in this most important work!!
It truly is amazing getting to take part in this work of the Lord. I know some people wonder why we are out here trying to talk to people. It’s because we love these people. Because God loves them. We aren't trying to baptize people, we are offering them salvation through God's love and His grace. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity.
Remember that I love you all. I pray for you every night. I know and feel of your prayers in my behalf.
Elder Richards
It has been an interesting week, certainly a week of much growth, in all sorts of ways. Elder Laney and I don't necessarily fight, but we certainly don't connect that well. It has been a bit of a struggle because we need to be in unison to really be effective and we just can’t quite seem to get there. On Friday, we did have a very effective open and honest companion inventory, (where we discuss strengths, weakness and issues between us and work on goals to improve) which I think will really help us get along in the ways that we need. I am continuing to overlook little things that don't matter and upset me for silly reasons, so I have learned to love doing dishes and cleaning up little things. I am glad that I am able to overlook those things, because truly, they really don't matter and getting upset does no one any good.
Anthony continues to be so close to baptism! Ugh I love this kid so much! He is seriously just so nice and genuine. We shared the Mormon message "The Hope of God’s Light" with him and it really touched him. He said it was his favorite one yet and he really felt the Spirit. I think he is nervous about his family knowing about him joining the church. His mother is VERY religious and does NOT like the church. We are hoping this week we will be able to have some good lessons with him.
On Saturday, we were on exchanges and Elder Coleman was with me in our ward. We played basketball with Anthony and first, it was the best basketball I have played since I have been out, but we had an awesome conversation after and talked about the real problems with him joining the church and the issues with doctrine that are holding him back. I brought up when he was going to have to make a decision with Stephanie if he never felt he received an answer. I told him he couldn't dance around the decision forever. That may seem bold, but I have really built a relationship with him, and he is fine opening up with those tough conversations. I am grateful for the way I believe The Lord is using him. Stephanie told me that all of the missionaries who have taught him have been awesome but none have connected with his personality like I have. It is cool to see that happening.
Speaking of Elder Coleman... Man do I love this guy!! Seriously! This guys is one of the absolute nicest people I have ever met! I met him at my first Zone Conference last month and I found out he was trained by Elder Neeley…as in Austin Neeley. So that was a crazy funny thing! He and I just hit it off right away, so we were excited to be in the same district. So when we got to go on exchanges we were happy. He has been struggling lately with some things and didn't know if he should be out here. That is actually why he came on exchanges with me, so that I could help out. We had some amazing conversations and we both really learned a lot from each other, even though it was only one day. I really hope that he and I can be companions in the future. We also had our most successful day this week! So that was cool too! We might have stayed up till almost 3am talking... and then got up at 5:30 to play basketball.... Don't ask me how we weren't dying the next day, but somehow we were just fine!
So Saturday we had a cool experience. We were trying to stop by a less-active member’s house and they weren't home. We saw a huge dumpster in a driveway and people in the garage smoking up the road so we went to offer help. They said they were fine, but we started talking to them anyway. We talked about family and I shared pictures of my family (literally the best tool ever). It turns out he had six kids himself. His wife and mother were also in the garage. We started talking about religion and Christ and what Christ has done for us. They were religious themselves. I shared the Easter video with them and again expressed our desire to help them with the projects that they were working on. We talked about prayer and the mother told us we were sent by God and an answer to their prayers. They said they would probably use our help sometime, and we closed with a prayer. I said the prayer and really felt guided during the prayer and felt the Spirit bring the words to me. The mother was crying after, and when I tried to shake her hand she just gave me a big hug. I am not going to lie... I hugged her back. I didn't even feel bad about it. It was a super cool experience, and I am excited for when we go back to their house.
The members here are awesome and I am really growing closer to them. Elder Laney made the comment that "They are really just eating you up." I try my best to be personable and build a strong bond with all the members. We really can’t do this work without them. I have met 3 people from Wisconsin in our ward, and it is hilarious to see how happy they get when I tell them I know exactly where they lived and I talk about places where they were. They all moved away long ago, so I can tell they enjoy the little blast from the past I help bring them :)
I want to close by sharing one short experience from yesterday. One of the most common questions I hear people ask is “how can I tell the difference between my own voice, and the Spirit. I hear that asked every single time that a General Authority holds a Q&A. I have found that I stopped thinking about it. I listen to the voice in my head, and as long as I am focusing on doing Christ's work, and if I am truly devoting my desires for God's, I don't need to worry. I am always led to what I should do. The perfect evidence of that is what happened yesterday.
We were low on gas and didn't want to fill up on Sunday, so we parked our car, and made a list of 6 names we were going to walk to and stop by. We were walking by a house, and suddenly I just stopped. I looked back at the house we had just passed for a couple of seconds and said “lets knock that house.” I didn't necessarily feel the spirit telling me to, I just went and did it. No one answered the first 3 knocks. My companion started to walk away and I said not yet. I didn't feel like we should leave. Again I didn't really think it was the Spirit, I just wanted to knock one more time. A woman came to the door. We talked a little bit, and then her husband walked up. The woman turned and said “they are here for you.” I started to explain that we were not there for anyone in particular. Then she told us that her husband was a member. He had been less-active and his name was not in the records of our ward. We set up a time to come back in a week, because he will be gone for the next week for a funeral. I know that even though I did not feel super strong spiritual promptings, it was the Spirit that spoke to me through simple, indistinguishable thoughts to go back. How grateful I am for the guidance of the Spirit in this most important work!!
It truly is amazing getting to take part in this work of the Lord. I know some people wonder why we are out here trying to talk to people. It’s because we love these people. Because God loves them. We aren't trying to baptize people, we are offering them salvation through God's love and His grace. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity.
Remember that I love you all. I pray for you every night. I know and feel of your prayers in my behalf.
Elder Richards
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