June 12, 2013
Hola!
How is everyone? So much to talk about, and I have so insanely little time do so! So I'll talk fast.
So, this week has been so slow... and so fast. It's absolutely insane
to think I've already been here for a full week, but at the same time,
the days can be so slow. They've started to get considerably faster, but
the first day was honestly the longest day of my entire life. By the
end of the day, that morning had felt like close to weeks ago. People
are right when they say time is not normal in el CCM.
So. I got her Wednesday,
and was immediately warmly welcomed by the entire CCM. So that was
cool. Met Elder Brown, and the rest of my district. I absolutely love
them, but I'll talk more about that later! Anyways, day 1 was all in
Spanish, and I was a little stressed because the rest of my class is
pretty good with the language, and I was just like, "What?!" So it was
kinda weird. Fortunately, Elder Brown is really good with the language
and has been helping me a lot. It's absolutely incredible the learning
that takes place in the CCM. I am 100% positive that on my own, I could
never learn as much as I have the last week. The Spirit helps you so
much. So. Day one.
Day two. The Spanish was a little easier. Ran into some
people I knew, like Hermana Hansen, Hermana Frischknect, Elder Johnson,
Elder Crump... its awesome to see so many people I know here preparing
the serve the Lord. On that day, we started learning a lot about
preparing to do lessons. We have focused a lot on teaching people, not
lessons. They want us to focus specifically on how to help each
investigator, rather than just reciting a lesson. So we had a
presentation learning how to learn about people from just a quick
interaction with them, and then how we need to not judge people. It was
eye opening.
SO! Day 3, and we get thrown in with our first lesson
with Maria Jose. It was.. interesting. My Spanish was not coming, and
Elder Brown and I were just stumbling. It went all right though. Um..
nothing incredible to report from that day. Basically our days consist
of waking up, getting ready, going to class, studying, eating, studying,
eating, speaking spanish, eating, sleeping. Not that incredible, but
the Spirit is strong and the learning is incredible.
Next day, we had our next lesson with Maria. MUCH
better. We felt the Spirit, and we challenged her to read the Book of
Mormon and pray about it. If she learned they were true, we challenged
her to baptism. She accepted, so that was good! Oh, we have gym time
occasionally as well on some of our days, so that's fun. When we get the
field time, we usually go over to the field and play soccer. I'm slow
and fat at it, but it's fun.
And the food here. It's decent. It's better than school lunch (thank
heavens), pero it's nothing compared to home cooked meal. I've been
eating a decent amount, and the Dr. Pepper withdrawals haven't been too
bad yet.. Just kidding, I've been fine. Anyways, so Elder Brown and I were pretty excited about our lesson.
The next day was Sunday! Everyone kept telling us "Just make it til Sunday.. make it til Sunday..."
Yup. Wow. Sundays are AWESOME. It's pretty relaxing, but powerful.
Sacrament meeting is all in Spanish, so that was really cool. The Sunday
School President of the church came and talked with us one on one in
our class, in Spanish. So that was really cool! I't so weird to see that
these people are regular people just like you and me haha. And I sang
in the choir, which was amazing considering there's over a thousand
missionaries in it. Pretty poderoso. Um. We watched Elder Bednar's talk
that night entitled Characters of Christ. Honestly, going on a mission
is worth it JUST to see that talk. It was absolutely incredible. I can't
even describe it. I'm still chewing on what we learned from it. We also
had a great devotional from the administrator here, Brother...
Heaton..? He did really good.
Monday,
we got back in the groove... Taught Maria again. It was decent, and she
had read a bit. We taught what we needed to, and got to know her a bit
more, so that was good. Got my first contact from home so that was
awesome. Haha.
Okay! Tuesday was the GOOD stuff!
So, the morning was normal... studied (tried to study. Our minds wander
sometimes.), and had a normal day. Taught Maria, and I learned about
being humble. I went in with a fairly confident attitude, and
immediately when we went in the room, my lesson plan and Spanish went
out the door. I said a little prayer in my head while Elder Brown was
recovering from my floundering, and just apologized for thinking that it
is through my power I could do this. Almost immediately, the Spirit
came back, and I was able to teach, and I even was using words in
Spanish I didn't know I knew. Pretty cool. Well, anyways, later that
day we had to go to choir practice, so we had to leave from class early.
So, during our short lesson, Hermano Hale, our teacher, wanted to give
us a lesson on unity. He decided to speak in English so we all got his
point, and we talked about pride. We were talking about it, and I
expressed how I had felt inadequate with the language, and I was too
prideful to practice in class much because I didn't want to embarass
myself. We all started talking about how we all could be better. Hermano
Hale told us that he had been praying for a district who could really
come together and change the MTC. I started feeling the Spirit SO
strongly. I knew that we had been brought together for some reason, and I
just started choking up and bawling. I think Hermano Hale thought I was
having a breakdown, so he called a break, and was like, "Elder Richman,
are you okay?!" But I just kinda laughed, and waited til everyone got
back and just bore my testimony of how grateful I was of how kind and
accomodating everyone had been, and how I loved everyone in that room,
and they loved me, even though it's only been a few days. I just bore
testimony that I know how important this work is, and how grateful I was
to be doing it with these people. Then, everyone started bearing
testimony, and opening up, and we all just were bawling, and we gave
embrazos (hugs) after... it was crazy, but amazing. I feel so close with
my district, and I feel so blessed to have them.
And my companion, Seriously, my companion rocks. Anyways, that night we
practiced for the event we are singing for on the 23rd, which you all
should watch, and had an awesome devotional. Ah. Times running short.
I'll hurry. The pictures I'm sending are of our district, and me and my
companion, and stuff. Good stuff.
Oh! I saw Brother Bingham and Allen at the temple today. That was cool.
Yo
se que esta iglesia es verdad, y el Libro de Mormon tambien. Yo se que
el don de lenguas es un real don, y es muy (useful?) durante un mison.
Estoy agredicido por la oportunidad para servir un mision, especialmente
durante este tiempo, y con mi distrito. Estoy animado por mas
experiencias en el CMM para sentir el Espiritu Santo.
Sorry, time got away from me and all of a sudden it's
gone. In summary, I'm doing great. Loving the work, loving my companion,
investigators, district, zone, and especially the gospel. I'll try to
streamline my letter next week though. Before I sign off... send me
mail!
You all should have my address, and if not, mom, send it out, and post
it on Facebook. But send letters, cuz I get those every day, but I'd
love to get emails too... but times just very tight haha. Love and miss
all of you, but I'm having a good time being a missionary. Until next
week!
Elder Richman
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