Hey everyone!
So, the week went by fast,
again! No surprise there, really. So, just want to clarify. Our
investigators are NOT real investigators. They are teachers here at the
MTC, but we practice with them, and it's impressive how much we really
learn.
So, we had a good lesson with Yessenia last week! Our
secret: Bring Hermanas. Seriously. So, Yessenia can't read very well, so
we got a picture book to compliment her Book of Mormon, so she can
read, and see those. So we taught her how to read a bit easier, and a
bit more about the Plan of Salvation. She really liked the idea of being
with our families for eternity, and the knowledge that before this
life, we lived with our Heavenly Father. We sang Families Can Be
Together Forever (in Spanish) and the Hermanas bore testimony and
invited her to come to church and stuff. The Hermanas were being members
of the ward, and they also invited her to come over after dinner for a
meal. It was a really good idea, and she was eager to work. Elder Brown
and I are really hitting our stride as a companionship, so that's good.
We had a lot of good experiences like that this week.
We also prepped an awesome lesson for Walter, twice...
both times, Hermano Hale wasn't here! We were heartbroken haha. But, we
have started teaching the other companionships in our district to
practice more. Our new investigators, Isabel, and Esperanza, are good.
Esperanza has no church background, and Isabel has been diagnosed with
some illness and is going to die in 2 years (Yeah, I know. It's like,
the most awful scenario ever, but I guess it's good practice.) Our
lesson with them was pretty decent as well I thought. Still lots to
improve, but it's getting better.
We had TRC again yesterday. So, TRC is just with members, being members, and basically we have gospel discussions. It's pretty awesome. I like it. But yesterday,
we taught a Sister named Lisa, and her dad, who is a stake president in
California. It was a good lesson, but I had an epiphany during the
lesson. We were like, 15 minutes in, and all of a sudden, I was like,
"WHOA!" I realized I wasn't like, actively translating the discussion,
but I just was understanding like it was English. It was really cool,
and showed me that the language is coming. (Oh, by the way dad, she
served in Salta. She was stoked when she found out you had served there
too.)
So, this week we had a Zone Talent Show that some of
the Hermanas in our district put on. It was interesting haha. Just a lot
of silly and good stuff, but it was good to have something different.
Also, we've been watching a lot of Mormon Messages lately. Straight up, I
am such a little girl. I cry all the time in the MTC. I just get hit
with the Spirit a lot haha. But I love it. And also... it's like a billion degrees in here. Oh my gosh. Walking outside is horrible haha. Especially in suits. Esta bien.
So this morning,
we got to clean the temple. It was a pretty cool experience! We got to
go into the Bride's room (which is gorgeous) and then clean in there. It
was a cool experience. Our service leader's name was Gale. She was
kinda crazy... but the good kind. She was really old, but super funny.
She was great. It was a really fun time, and a great experience to
participate. Kinda weird that I may not go to the temple for 2 whole
years, so that may be the last time for the duration of my mission!
So, like 2 weeks ago, Elder Christiansen and Renshaw
were made Zone Leaders, and then last week, Elder Rempel was made
District Leader. So, Elder Brown and I were joking around later about
how we stayed below the radar. Ha. Sunday,
we were called as Zone Leaders. Let me also clarify, our zone is going
to be containing, like, record missionaries, because instead of
recieiving a district every 2 weeks, we get one every 1 week. So...
yeah. We're responsible for like, 60 people. It's fun though! I love our
zone, and they're all great. We've had to deal with a couple problems
already, and I got to give my first blessing the other day, but it's
good. I love it, and my Heavenly Father wants to help me grow. So, yeah!
But it's kinda lame sometimes, because I really don't have any free
time at nights now, because we spend all of it teaching our zone a
spiritual thought. We got together with our Sister Training Leaders and
set a few goals for our zone, to be more Unified, and to be "Real"
missionaries.
Oh! So Elder Lee and Mann, our original zone leaders,
got their visas to Peru! They already went to Wisconsin, but they were
only there for 6 days! So, they are giving them out! Maybe I'll get it
in time, maybe not. It's all good either way.
I'll explain the "real missionaries". So, we had two
rocking devotionals this week. Sunday was really good, and I learned a
lot . But the devotional last night was killer. It was Brother Richardson. He is the second counselor in the Sunday
School Presidency. He talked about an experience he had here at the MTC
in which a little girl saw him and his companion, and asked her
grandma, "Grandma, are those REAL missionaries?" When he grandmother
responded in the affirmative, he said the little girl broke into a fit
of the giggles like she was meeting a celebrity. He then talked about
how this one experience paved the way for his entire misson, and his
life. He wanted to be a REAL missionary. He also talked a bunch about
"What e'er thou art, act well thy part." Pretty powerful. But a few
things I took away from it. Heavenly Father has an expectation of me. I
may not know exactly what my purpose is yet, but that's my purpose, and I
have a DUTY to do that to the best of my ability. But, I do know, that
He wants me to be a missionary. I am a missionary of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I wear Christ's name on my chest. And I
want to be a REAL missionary. I want to be the missionary that the
little kids in Peru, can look at in awe, and think "Wow! Is that a real
missionary?" I want to be able to reach down, shake their hand, and tell
them that I have a message for them. A message of hope, and love, and a
message which can improve their lives. I have a big duty, and I have
big shoes to fill. But I know that with Heavenly Father at my side, as
long as I am doing my best, He will provide the rest. What a wonderful
time to be doing this work. I love this church, and cannot believe I'm
already a month into my mission. That's 1/24 of my mission. And
seriously, that makes me a little sad. It's already flying by, but I'm
not sure I want it to sometimes.
Yo se que esta Iglesia es verdadera. Yo se que la obra
misional es muy importante, y que yo necesito estar haciendolo. Yo se
que con el poder and amor de Dios, yo puedo hacer todas las cosas. Yo se
que nuestro Padre Celestial me ama, y nos ama! Mucho! El es nuestro
literalmente padre, en los cielos. Es muy poderoso, y le amo. Esta obra,
algun a veces, es dificil. Algun noches, yo voy a mi cama, muy cansado,
y frustrado. Pero, cuando yo oro a mi Padre Celestial, y yo pido por su
ayuda, siempre, yo recibolo. Yo amo esta obra, mucho. Yo amo el CCM
mucho tambien, y el Espiritu que es aqui es muy bonito. Necesito tener
el Espiritu conmigo, todo el tiempo, y es muy importante en nuestros
ensenanzas. Yo se que con mi llamamiento nuevo de el lidir de la zona,
yo necesito la ayuda y el Espiritu mucho, pero yo se que recibirelo.
Yo amo este Evangelio, mucho. Yo se que el Evangelio puede bendicir
vidas, de todas las personas en el mundo! Estoy animado para ensenarlo
a el gente de Peru! (O en los Estados Unidos... Yo sabre la semana
proxima jaja) Lo siento si mi español es un poco malo, pero, yo estoy
aprendiendo.
The pictures are of Elder Lee and Mann, who went to the
Lima Peru North mission, before the left, and then last P-Day, Elder
Brown and I realized our outfits were clashing. We are awesome. Haha.
I'm gonna take a picture of my scriptures sometime and send it home,
because the Book of Mormon Project deserves to be shown to the world.
Oh, also, congrats to Rob on his call! Thanks for all your love, thoughts, and prayers. Please write! I love hearing from you, and I feel really cool when I get letters. Like, for real. Highlight of my day.
Hope I covered everything, almost every week, I walk out of my email
time, and remember something, and just shake my head in shame.
Con Amor,
Elder Richman
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