Service, Service, and WAY MORE SERVICE
Date
August 8, 2016
Area
Parker Colorado
Companion
Elder Heiner
Service, Service, and WAY MORE SERVICE
This week was a little bit crazy.... More like a lot but it was soon good!
Wednesday and thursday were FULL of service! It seemed like everyone needed our help with something, both members and non members.
Thursday might have been the craziest day since I have been in Colorado. We were up early helping this less active lady get out of her house. She is in a wheel chair and can't stand up, so lately when she has had to go to the doctor, we have come over and carried her down her stairs and when she gets home we carry her up the stairs.
Then we were helping a family move (It was like the 4th time we went over there to help.) They are a great family but one with a LOT of needs. We were finishing loading everything into their moving truck. I told them they only had a little room left so pack what they NEEDED and I would get it in.
So after cramming everything in and finally getting the door shut, we went to help this man that Elder McBride and I ran into and taught on the street about a month ago. After we helped him we taught him and picked him up as a new investigator.
Then we ran back and helped someone else out and then quickly changed back into shirt and tie and went and contacted a girl named Caroline and we taught her and picked her up as a new investigator! #miracle
Then it was back to the service clothes to help another guy do some work in his back yard, then back to the shirt and tie to do some more finding.
In total for the day, we only did 2 hours and 20 minutes of proselyting, and the rest of the day was service. But in that time, we taught 4 lessons and found 2 New Investigators.. Not too bad of a day at all! #miracle
Also I forgot to tell how last P-day I rolled my ankle BAD. Of course I kept playing on it, because thats what I do... But after dinner I could not walk at ALL. It was awful. We had service the next morning first thing with this non member Roger so at night I prayed and asked if I could have it feel better so I wouldn't be bothered by it. I woke up and still couldn't walk. During morning studies I iced it and by the time we needed to leave, I couldn't even notice the pain at all. #MIRACLESSTILLHAPPEN!
I have come to a realization this week. Every time I have been transferred, it has been tough, but when I leave Ponderosa, it is going to be really hard. I have begun to look at this ward, not as the location of where I am currently serving, but much more then that. It feels like home to me. I have grown so close with everyone here that I really hope I can stay. This past week most of the people we are teaching, both investigators and less actives, commented on how much they love me and I better not leave, which made me angry because that is always when The Lord decides to move us! The cool thing I have seen though is through my ability to connect and make relationships with people, there are people now feeling the spirit and growing in their testimonies who for years weren't interested. That is what we as missionaries do. We create an environment where people are comfortable and open, and that is when the spirit can testify and make the real change.
And that brings me to the biggest miracle of the week. I mentioned the lady before that we have been helping up and down the stairs. We have started teaching her every time we go over to help, and the last time we helped I asked if we could come by and share a conference talk with her. We talked about one from this last conference by Bishop Waddell. He talks about learning of Christ and Walking in meekness with Christ which leads us through gethsemane, calgary, and the garden tomb. He talks about finding peace amidst our trials. As we talked about this, Woody, her nonmember husband, sat in the whole time. Towards the end, the spirit told me to invite woody to take the lessons. I turned to him and asked if when his wife had met with the missionaries years ago, if he had been there for any of the lessons. He said no. I told him what the lessons where and asked him if he would like us to come and share the lessons with him and he said YES!!! When he left the room his wife said he has NEVER been willing to meet with the missionaries! And it has been YEARS! Who knows what will happen with Woody, but we are praying everyday that the Lord will guide our words and actions to help Woody feel the Spirit bear witness to his spirit of the truthfulness of what we share.
I have a testimony that there is NO CONFUSION in The Lords plan or His timing. He knows what we need, and he knows how we need it. I have a testimony that Woody has been prepared little by little for years for that time we would ask him to learn more. Every visit the Bishop or the home teachers or visiting teachers have made to Cindy has prepared him a little more and a little more. I am excited to be one of the missionaries who begin teaching Woody and would love to see him progress, but I know that he is in The Lords hands.
As always I am so grateful for all of you and your influences on me as well as your prayers and support! I am so grateful for that! And I am grateful for the privilege it is to serve the Lord!
Elder Richards
Wednesday and thursday were FULL of service! It seemed like everyone needed our help with something, both members and non members.
Thursday might have been the craziest day since I have been in Colorado. We were up early helping this less active lady get out of her house. She is in a wheel chair and can't stand up, so lately when she has had to go to the doctor, we have come over and carried her down her stairs and when she gets home we carry her up the stairs.
Then we were helping a family move (It was like the 4th time we went over there to help.) They are a great family but one with a LOT of needs. We were finishing loading everything into their moving truck. I told them they only had a little room left so pack what they NEEDED and I would get it in.
So after cramming everything in and finally getting the door shut, we went to help this man that Elder McBride and I ran into and taught on the street about a month ago. After we helped him we taught him and picked him up as a new investigator.
Then we ran back and helped someone else out and then quickly changed back into shirt and tie and went and contacted a girl named Caroline and we taught her and picked her up as a new investigator! #miracle
Then it was back to the service clothes to help another guy do some work in his back yard, then back to the shirt and tie to do some more finding.
In total for the day, we only did 2 hours and 20 minutes of proselyting, and the rest of the day was service. But in that time, we taught 4 lessons and found 2 New Investigators.. Not too bad of a day at all! #miracle
Also I forgot to tell how last P-day I rolled my ankle BAD. Of course I kept playing on it, because thats what I do... But after dinner I could not walk at ALL. It was awful. We had service the next morning first thing with this non member Roger so at night I prayed and asked if I could have it feel better so I wouldn't be bothered by it. I woke up and still couldn't walk. During morning studies I iced it and by the time we needed to leave, I couldn't even notice the pain at all. #MIRACLESSTILLHAPPEN!
I have come to a realization this week. Every time I have been transferred, it has been tough, but when I leave Ponderosa, it is going to be really hard. I have begun to look at this ward, not as the location of where I am currently serving, but much more then that. It feels like home to me. I have grown so close with everyone here that I really hope I can stay. This past week most of the people we are teaching, both investigators and less actives, commented on how much they love me and I better not leave, which made me angry because that is always when The Lord decides to move us! The cool thing I have seen though is through my ability to connect and make relationships with people, there are people now feeling the spirit and growing in their testimonies who for years weren't interested. That is what we as missionaries do. We create an environment where people are comfortable and open, and that is when the spirit can testify and make the real change.
And that brings me to the biggest miracle of the week. I mentioned the lady before that we have been helping up and down the stairs. We have started teaching her every time we go over to help, and the last time we helped I asked if we could come by and share a conference talk with her. We talked about one from this last conference by Bishop Waddell. He talks about learning of Christ and Walking in meekness with Christ which leads us through gethsemane, calgary, and the garden tomb. He talks about finding peace amidst our trials. As we talked about this, Woody, her nonmember husband, sat in the whole time. Towards the end, the spirit told me to invite woody to take the lessons. I turned to him and asked if when his wife had met with the missionaries years ago, if he had been there for any of the lessons. He said no. I told him what the lessons where and asked him if he would like us to come and share the lessons with him and he said YES!!! When he left the room his wife said he has NEVER been willing to meet with the missionaries! And it has been YEARS! Who knows what will happen with Woody, but we are praying everyday that the Lord will guide our words and actions to help Woody feel the Spirit bear witness to his spirit of the truthfulness of what we share.
I have a testimony that there is NO CONFUSION in The Lords plan or His timing. He knows what we need, and he knows how we need it. I have a testimony that Woody has been prepared little by little for years for that time we would ask him to learn more. Every visit the Bishop or the home teachers or visiting teachers have made to Cindy has prepared him a little more and a little more. I am excited to be one of the missionaries who begin teaching Woody and would love to see him progress, but I know that he is in The Lords hands.
As always I am so grateful for all of you and your influences on me as well as your prayers and support! I am so grateful for that! And I am grateful for the privilege it is to serve the Lord!
Elder Richards
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