Date
February 27, 2017
Area
Brighton, Colorado
Companion
Elder Hills
It has been a great week! We started strong right from the get go, and we were able to find a lot of new people to teach!
I am going to go on a little rant for a second. It bothers me when both missionaries and members have this attitude and mentality that rich people are prideful and won’t accept the gospel; that only people who aren't financially well off are humble and will listen. There are a LOT of missionaries and even members who have this mentality. Our ward boundries for one ward go wayyyy out east but the missionaries never go out there. I found out there are quite a few houses, but they all have land and are bigger houses. I told some Elders in my District that we were going out there and the first thing one Elder said was, "yah, who knows there might be some poor people out there." We went anyway, and we found 4 new investigators out there. They all live in very nice houses and are wealthy. Point is, we can’t assume we know who will or wont accept and we certainly can’t just refuse to talk to people because they look like they have money. Close Rant.
So, we helped a recent convert family move this past week. It was an experience. They were having to leave their place quickly, so we went and helped. We were just over there for a lesson and while we were there, they were freaking out about it so they went and rented a U Haul and we went and changed and started packing everything up. They are a super nice family, but their house was a MESS. It was bad :/ They moved to another house in the ward, and they are renting. I hope they can keep this house clean. I told Elder Hills we might have to make cleaning a new part of our lessons with them!
We are working hard to help people progress. We found out that Eric and Melanie are planning on moving in like 2 or 3 months which is sad. Maybe we can get them married in a month and baptized? Lol, that will probably not happen, but we told them we will get them in touch with the missionaries where they are moving and we will continue teaching them until they go. It will be sad for them to leave, but it is a good thing for them!
We have another family we are teaching. The husband is a non-member, and the wife is a member. Their daughter and her husband and family are also active in the ward. His name is Abe, and he has started coming to church the last couple months. Prior to that, he would never come to church. We got him to come to the Gospel Principles Sunday School class, and I have been teaching the class the last few weeks and have been tailoring the lessons around him. He just seems to be lighting up and getting more and more open. We had dinner with their family this past week, and he was super open and talkative. After dinner, I asked if we could share a lesson. The wife was about to say no (she is kind of protective of him), but he said yes. She looked at him in surprise and said, “Are you sure??” He looked at me and smiled and said "I listen to you on Sunday, I may as well listen to you now!" It was AWESOME! He is getting so close, so we are working with his family to get them on board, because we can tell now is the time for him to move forward! Hopefully good things will happen there!
One thing I am grateful for is that the Lord is in charge! He uses us exactly where and how he needs us. I am so grateful to be serving where I am right now, and I know that there are specific reasons I am here!
I want to close with sharing something from Sacrament Mtg yesterday that hit home for me. It is a story I know well, but for some reason as it was being shared, it hit me differently this time. It is the story of the Mormon Pioneer handcart company that got stuck on the plains. What was shared though, was a part of Brigham Young's call to action at the General Conference held in Salt Lake. Here is a portion of what President Brigham Young said: "Many of our brethren and sisters are on the Plains with hand-carts, and probably many are now seven hundred miles from this place. We must send assistance to them, and they must be brought here. I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. GO AND BRING IN THOSE PEOPLE, WHO ARE NOW ON THE PLAINS."
As this was read, it hit me so strongly that all of us have a similar charge. As missionaries and as members, there are people in spiritual distress. They are out there. They are close. They need OUR help. I don’t want to miss bringing a single person, who the Lord puts in my path, back into His fold. I want to assist all those the are stranded. Indeed, we must all have this attitude. I find myself often being far too casual in what I am doing and I know this is something I must repent of and strive to do better! So, my invitation to all of you, is to go and find those whom the Lord desires you to help, and BRING THEM IN!
I love you all!
Elder Steven Richards
I am going to go on a little rant for a second. It bothers me when both missionaries and members have this attitude and mentality that rich people are prideful and won’t accept the gospel; that only people who aren't financially well off are humble and will listen. There are a LOT of missionaries and even members who have this mentality. Our ward boundries for one ward go wayyyy out east but the missionaries never go out there. I found out there are quite a few houses, but they all have land and are bigger houses. I told some Elders in my District that we were going out there and the first thing one Elder said was, "yah, who knows there might be some poor people out there." We went anyway, and we found 4 new investigators out there. They all live in very nice houses and are wealthy. Point is, we can’t assume we know who will or wont accept and we certainly can’t just refuse to talk to people because they look like they have money. Close Rant.
So, we helped a recent convert family move this past week. It was an experience. They were having to leave their place quickly, so we went and helped. We were just over there for a lesson and while we were there, they were freaking out about it so they went and rented a U Haul and we went and changed and started packing everything up. They are a super nice family, but their house was a MESS. It was bad :/ They moved to another house in the ward, and they are renting. I hope they can keep this house clean. I told Elder Hills we might have to make cleaning a new part of our lessons with them!
We are working hard to help people progress. We found out that Eric and Melanie are planning on moving in like 2 or 3 months which is sad. Maybe we can get them married in a month and baptized? Lol, that will probably not happen, but we told them we will get them in touch with the missionaries where they are moving and we will continue teaching them until they go. It will be sad for them to leave, but it is a good thing for them!
We have another family we are teaching. The husband is a non-member, and the wife is a member. Their daughter and her husband and family are also active in the ward. His name is Abe, and he has started coming to church the last couple months. Prior to that, he would never come to church. We got him to come to the Gospel Principles Sunday School class, and I have been teaching the class the last few weeks and have been tailoring the lessons around him. He just seems to be lighting up and getting more and more open. We had dinner with their family this past week, and he was super open and talkative. After dinner, I asked if we could share a lesson. The wife was about to say no (she is kind of protective of him), but he said yes. She looked at him in surprise and said, “Are you sure??” He looked at me and smiled and said "I listen to you on Sunday, I may as well listen to you now!" It was AWESOME! He is getting so close, so we are working with his family to get them on board, because we can tell now is the time for him to move forward! Hopefully good things will happen there!
One thing I am grateful for is that the Lord is in charge! He uses us exactly where and how he needs us. I am so grateful to be serving where I am right now, and I know that there are specific reasons I am here!
I want to close with sharing something from Sacrament Mtg yesterday that hit home for me. It is a story I know well, but for some reason as it was being shared, it hit me differently this time. It is the story of the Mormon Pioneer handcart company that got stuck on the plains. What was shared though, was a part of Brigham Young's call to action at the General Conference held in Salt Lake. Here is a portion of what President Brigham Young said: "Many of our brethren and sisters are on the Plains with hand-carts, and probably many are now seven hundred miles from this place. We must send assistance to them, and they must be brought here. I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am now teaching you. GO AND BRING IN THOSE PEOPLE, WHO ARE NOW ON THE PLAINS."
As this was read, it hit me so strongly that all of us have a similar charge. As missionaries and as members, there are people in spiritual distress. They are out there. They are close. They need OUR help. I don’t want to miss bringing a single person, who the Lord puts in my path, back into His fold. I want to assist all those the are stranded. Indeed, we must all have this attitude. I find myself often being far too casual in what I am doing and I know this is something I must repent of and strive to do better! So, my invitation to all of you, is to go and find those whom the Lord desires you to help, and BRING THEM IN!
I love you all!
Elder Steven Richards
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