Date
June 13, 2016
Area
Parker Colorado
Companion
Elder McBride
Well one more week is in the books. To start off the week we had Zone Conference on Tuesday. The Assistants to the President called me last Monday and asked me if I could conduct the meeting which was kind of weird but I enjoyed the opportunity to serve and sitting on the stand for the entire meeting definitely helped me pay close attention to everything and I got more out of it then if I had been sitting in the congregation. I think President thought I would be nervous or something cause he was kind of cracking some jokes with me about it but conduction a meeting where Elder Packer (President Packers son) was presiding was a lot more nerve racking so this didn't really phase me at all.
Zone Conference really was amazing and I learned so much! I really love those meetings and the opportunity we have to learn from our leaders. I think the thing that stuck out the most to me was how I am using my time. It is so easy as missionaries to take the easy route and just try to stay busy all day. We can get caught up trying to be busy as opposed to being productive. I thought about the bottom of the tithing slips and how it says when we pay our tithing, the money now belongs to the Church and they can use it whatever way they want. It is the exact same as my time. I have given these two years to the Church and to the Lord. It is no longer my time. I should seek to do only the things that the Lord wants me to do. I definitely left the meeting feeling rejuvenated and committed to serving with my whole heart.
Then on Wednesday we had an interesting experience. We scheduled an appointment to visit a family in the ward and when we knocked on the door the son answered and he was the only one at home. We were a little early so we went in and sat down and talked with him for like 20 minutes. He tried calling his parents and they didn't answer so we finally said we would leave and come back. After we left, I started thinking. I said to my companion, Elder... I think we were in the wrong house. Sure enough we had gone into the wrong house. So that was pretty hilarious. We went back and apologized and had a laugh with the kid and went into the neighbors house... the correct house. We found out that the family we stopped by knows many members so we are planning to go back soon and see if we can begin teaching them.
Overall, this has been a crazy tough week. It has been super hard to find people to teach. We taught several lessons as we found people but no one wanted to learn more. We are working hard but trying to continue to work harder to find people. We had one guy that we taught that seemed somewhat interested and we are trying to go back this week.
The coolest thing about this week was Parker Days. It is the big summer event in Parker that lasts all weekend They have vendors and rides and food and all the good stuff. We had a booth where we talked about family history. That was super fun getting to talk to everyone. The highlight came Friday night after we closed up the booth. Elder McBride and I, along with two other missionaries, walked around the grounds for a little while longer. As we were walking around several people gave us weird looks and then two girls came up to us and asked why we were wearing ties. It was pretty apparent that they only came up to us because we were 4 young well dressed guys. We explained that we were missionaries and we talked with people about Jesus Christ. We continued to give a full 45 minute discussion right there on the fair grounds with people walking all around us and staring and some were even taking pictures. One of the girls had wonderful questions and sincere desire to receive an answer from God. We left them a chapter in the Book of Mormon to read and our number. They text us the next day to tell us they had planned to hang out today and would read the chapter we gave them. So hopefully we will hear from them later today! We are hoping that their interest is sincere which it seems to be. They Lord definitely works in mysterious ways!
Elder McBride and I have come up with a set of lessons that we will begin teaching the members to help get them more engaged and active in missionary efforts. We know that the secret to success, especially in this area, will be working with the members. The only problem is most of the members think that the people here in Parker are too prideful because they are very well off and comfortable. Well that may be true, it would be wrong to assume there are not people prepared here. ready and waiting for the gospel.
I want to leave something that has been on my mind. Some members shared with us a license plate that they saw.
"Psalms 18:2" Which reads;"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."
The sister mentioned to me that she loved seeing that because it was this person letting everyone know what she believed in, what was important. I started to think about the fact that those two girls came up to us because what we were wearing. We had set ourselves apart from everyone else who was walking around because we had on a white shirt and tie and we were wearing Christs name on our chest. It is wonderful to be able to dress in a way that sets us apart as representatives of Jesus Christ but there will come a day when I will be asked to take off the name tag and I will again enjoy wearing jeans and a t-shirt. What will it be the sets me apart as a disciple of Jesus Christ? I have made a covenant to stand as a witness of Him at ALL times, in ALL things, and in ALL places. They only way to truly set ourselves apart is the way with which we choose to live our lives. I pray that long after the experience of serving a full time mission for my Savior, I will be able to be easily recognized as a disciple of Christ.
I love you all and pray for you! How great the blessing of having this gospel! May we always cherish it!
Elder Richards
Zone Conference really was amazing and I learned so much! I really love those meetings and the opportunity we have to learn from our leaders. I think the thing that stuck out the most to me was how I am using my time. It is so easy as missionaries to take the easy route and just try to stay busy all day. We can get caught up trying to be busy as opposed to being productive. I thought about the bottom of the tithing slips and how it says when we pay our tithing, the money now belongs to the Church and they can use it whatever way they want. It is the exact same as my time. I have given these two years to the Church and to the Lord. It is no longer my time. I should seek to do only the things that the Lord wants me to do. I definitely left the meeting feeling rejuvenated and committed to serving with my whole heart.
Then on Wednesday we had an interesting experience. We scheduled an appointment to visit a family in the ward and when we knocked on the door the son answered and he was the only one at home. We were a little early so we went in and sat down and talked with him for like 20 minutes. He tried calling his parents and they didn't answer so we finally said we would leave and come back. After we left, I started thinking. I said to my companion, Elder... I think we were in the wrong house. Sure enough we had gone into the wrong house. So that was pretty hilarious. We went back and apologized and had a laugh with the kid and went into the neighbors house... the correct house. We found out that the family we stopped by knows many members so we are planning to go back soon and see if we can begin teaching them.
Overall, this has been a crazy tough week. It has been super hard to find people to teach. We taught several lessons as we found people but no one wanted to learn more. We are working hard but trying to continue to work harder to find people. We had one guy that we taught that seemed somewhat interested and we are trying to go back this week.
The coolest thing about this week was Parker Days. It is the big summer event in Parker that lasts all weekend They have vendors and rides and food and all the good stuff. We had a booth where we talked about family history. That was super fun getting to talk to everyone. The highlight came Friday night after we closed up the booth. Elder McBride and I, along with two other missionaries, walked around the grounds for a little while longer. As we were walking around several people gave us weird looks and then two girls came up to us and asked why we were wearing ties. It was pretty apparent that they only came up to us because we were 4 young well dressed guys. We explained that we were missionaries and we talked with people about Jesus Christ. We continued to give a full 45 minute discussion right there on the fair grounds with people walking all around us and staring and some were even taking pictures. One of the girls had wonderful questions and sincere desire to receive an answer from God. We left them a chapter in the Book of Mormon to read and our number. They text us the next day to tell us they had planned to hang out today and would read the chapter we gave them. So hopefully we will hear from them later today! We are hoping that their interest is sincere which it seems to be. They Lord definitely works in mysterious ways!
Elder McBride and I have come up with a set of lessons that we will begin teaching the members to help get them more engaged and active in missionary efforts. We know that the secret to success, especially in this area, will be working with the members. The only problem is most of the members think that the people here in Parker are too prideful because they are very well off and comfortable. Well that may be true, it would be wrong to assume there are not people prepared here. ready and waiting for the gospel.
I want to leave something that has been on my mind. Some members shared with us a license plate that they saw.
"Psalms 18:2" Which reads;"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower."
The sister mentioned to me that she loved seeing that because it was this person letting everyone know what she believed in, what was important. I started to think about the fact that those two girls came up to us because what we were wearing. We had set ourselves apart from everyone else who was walking around because we had on a white shirt and tie and we were wearing Christs name on our chest. It is wonderful to be able to dress in a way that sets us apart as representatives of Jesus Christ but there will come a day when I will be asked to take off the name tag and I will again enjoy wearing jeans and a t-shirt. What will it be the sets me apart as a disciple of Jesus Christ? I have made a covenant to stand as a witness of Him at ALL times, in ALL things, and in ALL places. They only way to truly set ourselves apart is the way with which we choose to live our lives. I pray that long after the experience of serving a full time mission for my Savior, I will be able to be easily recognized as a disciple of Christ.
I love you all and pray for you! How great the blessing of having this gospel! May we always cherish it!
Elder Richards
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