Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Wise Men Shall Seek Him

"When we find Him, will we be prepared as were the wise men of old, to provide gifts from our many treasures? They presented gold, frakincense, and myrrh. However these are not the gifts Jesus asks of us. From the treasure of our hearts Jesus asks that we give of ourselves. 'behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.'"
-President Monson

I seriously LOVE Christmas! I love sharing messages about the birth of our Savior and of this season. This time of year can be some much more enjoyable if we would forget ourselves and help others. It is then that we are really happy. And we can say that when He shall appear that "we shall be like Him". (Moroni 7:48)

Ok...first off. I for some reason feel sick so it is hard to type. Sorry if this email is short.

Hermana Stevens hurt her foot last p-day so it was a rough week. She couldn't walk for too long. Which totally hinders missionary work. Hopefully this week we will be back to normal.

Dulce and Jorge are going to the Mexican consulate on Wed. with the Bishop to get her ID so they can get a marriage licence to get married. She will be baptized as soon as that all comes through. It is SO tough to get non-citizens married. We are hoping that either this Sunday or Christmas she will be baptized.

Julia officially has a date for Jan. 2nd but is praying to see if she should get baptized the 26th. She even already asked Hermano Osorto to baptize her. I am super excited!

I saw Jhon Wilches....my favorite convert on Sunday. He may or may not have run after me in the church to see me. HAHA! He is awesome.

I am excited to talk to you all next week! I included the phone number on an email so you can call me. Calls are in the afternoon this time at 4pm(my time). I am SO excited to talk to you!!!

Have a wonderful week!!!!
Hermana Richards

There Can Be Miracles

I want to recount to you my day yesterday but to fully understand I need to start back almost a year ago.

While in my first area I received this really cute skirt from someone. I immediately fell in love with it but it didn't fit me. But in that moment I thought to myself, "who knows maybe I will lose weight on my mission." Ever since then every time I was transferred and packing my bags I saw the skirt and thought to myself "Why am I keeping it?? It is just more stuff to cart around." But something inside of me said "just keep it".

Yesterday was a crazy day. We had to get everyone to church in order for them to be baptized on the 19th(weekend in white-mission goal). We had a ton of people scheduled to come and I felt like I hadn't tried harder to get people to church. A few of our investigators showed up but Jenny and Juan-an amazing family that we are working with were not there. It wasn't 12 hours that we had left their house from an amazing lesson with the Bishop where they said they were for sure coming. As the sacrament started, I cried. I think it was more of the stress and pressure but I was SO sad that they didn't come.

Right after church and meetings we went to their house to see what happened. Jenny then proceeds to tell me that she felt embarrassed because she didn't have the money to buy a skirt. She said if she was going to church she wanted to give a good first impression to the people. The Christmas Devotional was that night and Jenny expressed her want to listen to the prophet but needed a skirt. It was Sunday, I couldn't go buy her one. But my thoughts immediately went to the skirt packed tightly away in my suitcase where it was been for a year. We ran back to the apartment to grab it and then I prayed the entire way to her house that it would fit. I thought it would be too small. She put the skirt on and it looked like it was made for her!!!! It was so amazing to see the smile on her face. She looked beautiful. It was a small miracle for me yesterday. They came to the devotional and the baptism of another family right before. The spirit was so strong. I leaned over to Juan and said that one day he will be the one baptizing his little son Steven. He then smiled back and said "It would be an honor for me." The night before I asked Juan how he felt when we were in his home. He then said that he felt protected and safe. Like there are angels in my sight." This is the same Juan that had never prayed and didn't even know what faith was when we first visited him.

Another family we are working with(Dulce and Jorge) I hadn't been able to get a hold of at all yesterday. But finally she called us at 5:45 and said she wanted to go to the devotional but didn't have a ride. I then proceeded to call EVERY Hermana in my phone to see if they could give her a ride. I finally called Hermana Nolasco and she told me that she wants to but because of economic troubles they cannot afford the gas to go to the church again. She said she wouldn't have the gas money to get to work the next day. I then told her that no one else could do it. She agreed that she would do it even though she didn't have a clue how she was going to get to work. She came to the devotional with Dulce and her girls and as they were leaving I handed her $10 but she refused to take it from me. REFUSED! I had tears in my eyes as she said, " I know that the Lord will provide a way." This Hermana has been a member less than a year. When was the last time I had that much faith? I pray that the Lord pours blessing upon blessing to her family.

A scripture comes to my mind. "Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Matt 16:25. I have found more of myself here in this work then doing anything else. As I have stressed and cried and suffered, but I have found the real Sarah Richards. The Lord breaks us down into little pieces only to build us up stronger and more whole(maygen 2007). I know that the Lord can do more with us than we can do for ourselves. Miracles can happen. I saw it manifested yesterday as I saw Jenny in that skirt and as I looked into Hermana Nolasco's eyes. Any sacrifice I have ever made, any trial, every tear---HAS BEEN WORTH IT! I found myself Saturday in a lesson saying to myself that I would sacrifice ANYTHING for the Lord and the gospel. It is THAT worth it. And great has been my joy to see that same love and peace in the eyes and faces of my investigators and the many members who sacrifice everything. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know He is the Son of God. He is my Savior and my Redeemer. He lives! Shout it from the rooftops....He lives.

I love you!
Hermana Richards