Last week of the transfer
'So we had interviews with the new president yesterday and he is the best!! Haha he is so funny and I'm glad he's our president. Nothing much has changed, I am not sure where I'm headed next week but I surely can't be staying in this same area again. Any guesses? We are getting a new Spanish elder! Should be awesome. I heard he's from Utah. I know great things are ahead and that the Lord has a plan for us all. Spanish is the best. Life here is the best. Not really much to send this week but I hope you are all doing great!!!!! I'm really sorry for this short email but I'm doing great. Thanks for all your support. Read those scriptures! Those need to be your greatest friend! Love, your east coast missionary, Elder Richins'
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Another one...
'It feels like it was PDAY just yesterday... I'm not even sure what to talk about. We had a surprise funeral this week a poor mothers son got in an accident. It's crazy because 9 weeks ago I was in the same house as that boy giving his friend a blessing. It was a sad weekend but with the knowledge we have it makes things easier. Knowing that he is happy and now looking over his mother as she devotes her time to the Lord. We got some more cake from a less active family... 8 boxes of $5 cake... I don't know why they give us so much, we don't even eat it. I'd feel bad if he wasn't getting it for free. The days are all blending together and it's actually really hard to keep track of what is going on without keeping a journal... I'm trying to catch up. I'm behind by 30 days. We found a dollar store that sells pretty nice ties! I don't know where they come from but we found a Gucci tie hahaha it was pretty funny. Elder Wasilchen is trying to get to 100 ties... Well... There really isn't much going on that is new. I got new shorts... That's cool I guess. Yeah... Working hard everyday! Really trying to find new people to teach but we are finding so many interesting people. I have so many stories already. Crazy ones! I love you all and hope all is well. Keep safe and keep building your testimony. And if you don't think you have one... You do, just find it. You can do that by reading, praying, and church attendance. Thank you all for your support and your love. Keep on keeping on. Love, Elder Richins' Todavía puedo SK8 'Heeyyyy this week went by so fast! I'm just having the time of my life! I love my companion! He is so much fun. We are having so much success finding people too. God has put so many people in our path and put us in just the right places to find people. We may not be baptizing a lot of people but we are growing and helping others do the same. Plus just because people say this isn't a baptizing mission doesn't mean it can't change... It will change. So nothing much is new other than I stepped back onto a skateboard for the first time in about 9 months and although it didn't have grip tape I was still able to do it luckily I haven't lost it! I'm too afraid to be doing backflips for fear of going home but I can still skate! Wow I'm having so much fun! I'll include a video. I also started growing a plant... So that's awesome. You'll have to wait to see what it looks like in 18 months when I fly home with it in my carry on hahahaha. My companion is from Port Orchard Washington and is the coolest guy ever. He loves McDonalds, Skateboarding, SpongeBob and the color pink. He's different but he's got the biggest testimony and the coolest and funniest personality! He gets things done too! My testimony skyrocketed this past week. I get small spiritual confirmations everytime I testify in a lesson. Last night we visited a less active members house and they are so nice to us always. They work all the time but they look forward to having us over every Saturday and Sunday and every week they give us 6 boxes of cake and we never finish it barely finish 1, not sure if they think we eat it all but it's nice of them because he works there and gets it for free. It looked like we were buying things on the sabbath walking home with our hands full of cake, but during that lesson I testified out of love to them hoping that the spirit would touch their hearts and they would understand just how important the Gospel of Jesus Christ is! It is everything to me and it is my life and it is the purpose of every living soul here on earth. It is our simple instructions from our loving Heavenly Father of how we can return home to him along with those we love. The most important thing that I have learned in the past couple of months is how important it is to love everyone. It breaks my heart to see people using their agency to turn away from the blessings God has promised. If I could force it on people I might... But I know that's not the plan we have and I am grateful for agency but it is hard knowing that you hold all the answers in a small blue book and no one wants them. It's like the story of Moses and the serpent on the rod, all they had to do was look at it to be healed but they wouldn't look because it seemed to simple... The answers to happiness and eternal life are right there in front of us in the Book of Mormon, all we need to do is read it and talk with God to receive those blessings and answers. It's simple and important, as is my testimony, that I know through the atonement of Jesus Christ when he suffered there in the garden, each and every one of us received a Savior, to provide a way to return home to our Father. That heavenly home is our goal. I know that every person that was born on this earth knew and accepted the plan given to us and had the desire to return to our real home. I know that through daily scripture study and prayer we may receive personal revelation and answers and happiness in our lives. I know that Jesus lives and loves me, and that he loves you too. These things I say in the name of my king Jesus Christ, amen. Love you all tons. Keep on keeping on. Love, your east coast missionary, Elder Richins' 'My Plant'
Happy 4th of July!!!
'Turns out although no one in this city knows why we celebrate the 4th of July they looooveee to party so the streets are full of fireworks and parties but it's nothing like the parties and fireworks in Utah. There's pretty much no rules here haha. This last week has been crazy. Full of miracles and crazy experiences. We met this man that wanted to change his life and after one lesson he came to church and now it is an every Friday thing! He is so funny and strange and we are going to give him a baptismal date! For this month. I bought some new pants because they were on sale and I wanted some but my brown belt broke so I'm stuck wearing my black shoes until I find a brown belt to buy hahaha I love serving! I'm having a blast! Even though we walked like 8 miles to get to the grocery store this morning I'm having so much fun and I'm so happy. I don't have much time to email so I am going to make this short. A good scripture describing member meals this past week is Ezekiel 3:2... We found these people playing ping pong in their driveway. It was a party with about 40 people and they asked us to play and so Elder Wasilchen played against the guy and almost beat him haha it was the coolest thing. Everyone was cheering and it was way intense!! Someone was yelling something like "the power of Christ is manifest within him!!!!" Sooo we are making plans to go knock on that house soon now that they know we are awesome missionaries. Thank you for all your love and support. I can feel your love and feel your prayers everyday. I love the Lord and this gospel and my testimony grows so much every single day! Love, your east coast missionary, Elder Richins' |