¿Que tal?

Hello loved ones.

First off, I’d just like everyone to know how much my patience is going to be improved upon, only using this internet here in Echarati. My goodness. Anyways. This week was good, but PHEW. Tiring. We worked our tails off, seriously. But, it paid off… more or less. I’ll explain. J

So, basically, this week we worked a TON with less actives. We had 16 lessons with less actives this week, which was pretty impressive I think. But, it paid off. This week in Sacrament Meeting, we saw a lot of them come to church, some of them with more than a year of inactivity. It was awesome. I felt like we’ve really had the  Spirit with us, and they are starting to really open up to us, and we have been able to tie in Gospel Principles to help them with their problems. It’s actually really awesome, that they can say some trial or something that they have, and immediately, the way the gospel can bless them in their time of struggle pops into my head. I know that it’s the Spirit helping guide our lessons. It’s just really cool.

We did work with some of our investigators this week. We did the service project for Edgar and his family, and they were really grateful. Before they went to Cusco for the operation for his daughter, we came, offered a prayer in their home, and gave their daughter a blessing. They were both sobbing, and were super grateful. They’ll be coming home this week, hopefully with a healty daughter, and we are going to start working with them hard, because right now, I feel like they are prepared. We saw Yhoseli a few times, but this week we are going to have a pretty hardcore, “Marry yourself and get baptized” talk, because they know these things are true.

But, yeah. This week, we worked a lot with the family of our pensh. That family is chock full of crazy problems, so we’re working on that. But, something we started doing this week, is having family scripture study with them every night after dinner. I’ll tell you what, after we’ve been working all day, and then after I have some warm food and matte in my tummy, it’s a struggle, but it’s been super good. Ma, the other day, told us with tears in her eyes, “Elders, I read my books today for the first time in 8 months. Thank you.” I almost started crying too! It was super happy. J We also bought Ma a flower this week. Just a rose. It was pretty funny.

Umm… ah. I’m about ready to flip one with the leaders of the branch in Quillabamba that we pertain to here. Seriously. Please fulfill your callings, cuz if you don’t, so many people suffer. That’s all I have to say. Blah.

So, something Elder Rojas and I have done this week was talk a bit about people here who could accept responsablities or callings here. We made sort of a commission with 3 of the more active young men this week. Edine, Miguel, and David. They are super cool haha, but basically, we’re using them to help us strengthen the young men here. Yesterday, Edine and Miguel came with us all day to visit people, and it was really cool. But, we walked like, halfway to QUillabamba. Okay, not really, but it was far. I was tired. Haha. But yeah, we’re gonna keep asking people specifically to help us out here, because people want to have a responsablitiy. I feel like this will help us to help the group here advance.

Ummm…. I got a haircut this week. I was/am not impressed. Sigh. Oh well. It’ll grow back.

Oh, church was awesome yesterday. We had a bunch of members come, inactives, and then the school here had homework to visit another church, so like, 10 youth came for that. So, we taught a super good lesson on The Restoration, and like, 3 or 4 seemed pretty interested. But, it was good.

In other wonderful news, I’m wearing my jeans today. I almost had to put on a belt cuz they were falling down! The same pair of jeans that in the start of my mission, I had to suck in a big breath before I could button my pants. Needless to say, pretty stoked about that.

Um. Yeah. The work is moving forward here, albeit slowly! It’s cool. I’m so grateful to be here, and I feel like I have really started feeling the love of Christ for these people this week. Which, is almost a little frustrating, because it seriously is the worst when they don’t come to church or progress, but that’s why we have agency. But, when they do progress, and fulfill with their covenants… the joy that you can feel, really is something special. The mission rocks. I’m not here just cuz. I have a sincere desire to help these people come to Christ, and realize the blessings they have available. I know that this gospel blesses people. I have seen it in my life, and I can see it in the lives of the people here. I love this gospel so much, and I am so, so blessed. I love and miss you all, but… I’d rather be here… Sorry! Just kidding, but seriously, I am so happy to be where I am, doing what I am doing. J Til next week!

Elder Richman