I am going back to my favorite island today! Well, its only for 3 days but I am super excited!! I am going on exchanges with an Hermana there which I think will be really good because Hermana Ruplinger needs to take over our area here soon and this will get her prepared. I am really stoked to see all my favorite people on the island and ot be riding next to the ocean on my bike.....ahhhh....good memories. AND it is totally hot here again. So I get to work hard and sweat my last month. The humidity is what kills me....and my hair.
It seems as though the crap hit the fan this last week. 2 of our part-member families that we are working with are on the verge of separation. We had a charming lesson(sarcastic) with one of them that resulted in him telling us he doesnt want us to come over and her begging us to never leave. She was in tears. It is actually kind of comical that we (Hermana Ruplinger and I), the ONLY 2 Hermanas in the mission with divorced parents are trying to help families from killing one another. interesting.......I have been praying a lot. I love these people and can ardly imagine not being here with them....even if everything is a tranny mess.
Our cute little 9 year old investigator(her dad is a less active) bought us these cute cupcakes on friday. They were like the gourmet ones like from the cupcakery. She said that we needed something sweet after a long week. I love her!
I feel like I always give you random details of my week. I guess I stop talking about lessons and contacts because I have talked a lot about it in the past. My email are full of nothingness lately. :)
One example that an Hermana in our ward yesterday used in our lesson I really liked. She talked about how we need to be like telescopes. Because they are usually on hills away from the grime and grossness of the owrld so that it wont obscure its view. that is just like us. We need to lift ourselves above and out of the world in order to really see and have a more heavenly view.
I love you bunches!!! I hope to get a good missionary tan this week on my bike in Galveston!
Hermana Richards
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Here Comes the Sun
We have been on bikes a lot these last few days which means that I totally have my watch tan back! HAHA!! It is starting to get warm again which makes me happy because it is so much harder to do missionary work in the cold, just not as many people outside to contact. I love my bike becasue I am outside with all the people and am able to contact more. It makes me feel like more of a missionary.
We had a mission conference on Thursday and will have it every Thursday for het next 3 weeks. President Saylin is trying to get us all trained on some new material recieved from the brethren of the church. They make for really long days because from 7:30-6pm we learn and then role play. It is making me a better missionary even if I feel like I want to pull my hair out sometimes. :)
Dulce and Jorge have a friend that they referred us to and he is awesome! His name is Diego. Like off the kids show- Go Diego, Go! HAHA! We are meeting with him again today but he already loves reading his Book of Mormon. I called him to make daily contact and I asked about his reading. He then proceeded to teach me over the phone for 10 mintues about the doctrine of Christ and the importance of authority in baptism. Awesome much? I fully expect that in this next little while he will get baptized.
We went over to Hermana Latorre's apartment on Wednesday to help her wash her clothes. She simply cannot do it because she is still recovering from surgery. Well, as we were finishing putting her clothes in the drier I told her we would be back in 45 minutes to take them out because we have the goal to contact 10 people everyday per missionary. I told her that we needed a few more to be caught up. She then turned to me and said "what like 9?" HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! It was so true! She is so sassy. I really think that is why I love her so much. She is just an old version of myself.
We are doing a ton of great finding! We have our solid families that we are working with but need to find more investigators so we have hit the pavement and met some really great people that I am excited to teach. I pray that they will accept our message and progress.
At the conference on Thursday Sister Saylin gave a great talk on revelation. I realzed that I needed to turn more to my Heavenly Father for help in knowing what to do to help my investigators. I found myself relying too much on my own ideas and knowledge and not being so focuesed on receiving inspiration. I regret that. This last week I have turned to the Lord a lot in prayer and there is such a difference in the work. What a blessing it is to be a missionary!
I love you bunches!!
Hermana Richards
We had a mission conference on Thursday and will have it every Thursday for het next 3 weeks. President Saylin is trying to get us all trained on some new material recieved from the brethren of the church. They make for really long days because from 7:30-6pm we learn and then role play. It is making me a better missionary even if I feel like I want to pull my hair out sometimes. :)
Dulce and Jorge have a friend that they referred us to and he is awesome! His name is Diego. Like off the kids show- Go Diego, Go! HAHA! We are meeting with him again today but he already loves reading his Book of Mormon. I called him to make daily contact and I asked about his reading. He then proceeded to teach me over the phone for 10 mintues about the doctrine of Christ and the importance of authority in baptism. Awesome much? I fully expect that in this next little while he will get baptized.
We went over to Hermana Latorre's apartment on Wednesday to help her wash her clothes. She simply cannot do it because she is still recovering from surgery. Well, as we were finishing putting her clothes in the drier I told her we would be back in 45 minutes to take them out because we have the goal to contact 10 people everyday per missionary. I told her that we needed a few more to be caught up. She then turned to me and said "what like 9?" HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!! It was so true! She is so sassy. I really think that is why I love her so much. She is just an old version of myself.
We are doing a ton of great finding! We have our solid families that we are working with but need to find more investigators so we have hit the pavement and met some really great people that I am excited to teach. I pray that they will accept our message and progress.
At the conference on Thursday Sister Saylin gave a great talk on revelation. I realzed that I needed to turn more to my Heavenly Father for help in knowing what to do to help my investigators. I found myself relying too much on my own ideas and knowledge and not being so focuesed on receiving inspiration. I regret that. This last week I have turned to the Lord a lot in prayer and there is such a difference in the work. What a blessing it is to be a missionary!
I love you bunches!!
Hermana Richards
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Happy Valentines Day!!!
There is this cute little black baby playing next to me and is totally distracting me. Two minutes ago she was offering me some of her fruit snacks. LOL!! I miss playing with little kids.
Turns out Jorge is not getting baptized this week. He is still working on Sundays. I have complete faith that within these next two weeks he will get baptized. I talked with Dulce about it for a little while on Saturday night. That conversation is sacred to me. She just told me some really great things and an experience she had with the Spirit. She is just a really amazing person. I want you all to meet her.
Last night we were at our dinner appointment and while the food was finishing cooking the little girl decided she wanted to decorate my nails. So now I have a rainbow of designs on all of my fingers. I am not sure that is what the white handbook meant by having "conservative nail polish"....I will have to take it off today. :( But not before I take a picture.
I am getting really distracted today because also the Elders were showing me family pictures.....sorry. I feel like I get too antsy at the computer nowadays. I figure in a few weeks I can fill all of you in.
We went by Hermana Latorre's house because she is still recovering from surgery. She was "teaching" us how to cook. I put teaching in quotations because she is basically blind and it was more than an adventure to have her teach us. She kept telling us(insisting to us) that she is going to teach us how to cook so when we get married we fed our husbands. HAHA!! She is so crazy/awesome! Apparently I was using the wrong type of spoon when mixing and that I needed to put more strength in my arm when I stirred.
Julia gave her testimony last night at a fireside. She did such a good job! She was super nervous and even wrote it out for me to read to make sure it was ok. When she got up there she told me she just decided to follow the spirit and not use her notes. It turned out fabulous!
Our district went bowling last week for an activity and I still stink really bad. They were all trying to teach me/ show me......ya, didn't work. :)
We are having a mission conference every Thursday for the next 3 weeks to get more trainings from the brethern---which means more role-plays! :( I told my comp this morning after we role played in comp. study that I feel like my life is a role play! LOL!!!
Whelp, my mind is blank. I love you all a ton!! Remember that sacrifice brings blessings and that the greatest joy comes when we are living the gospel.
Sarbear
Turns out Jorge is not getting baptized this week. He is still working on Sundays. I have complete faith that within these next two weeks he will get baptized. I talked with Dulce about it for a little while on Saturday night. That conversation is sacred to me. She just told me some really great things and an experience she had with the Spirit. She is just a really amazing person. I want you all to meet her.
Last night we were at our dinner appointment and while the food was finishing cooking the little girl decided she wanted to decorate my nails. So now I have a rainbow of designs on all of my fingers. I am not sure that is what the white handbook meant by having "conservative nail polish"....I will have to take it off today. :( But not before I take a picture.
I am getting really distracted today because also the Elders were showing me family pictures.....sorry. I feel like I get too antsy at the computer nowadays. I figure in a few weeks I can fill all of you in.
We went by Hermana Latorre's house because she is still recovering from surgery. She was "teaching" us how to cook. I put teaching in quotations because she is basically blind and it was more than an adventure to have her teach us. She kept telling us(insisting to us) that she is going to teach us how to cook so when we get married we fed our husbands. HAHA!! She is so crazy/awesome! Apparently I was using the wrong type of spoon when mixing and that I needed to put more strength in my arm when I stirred.
Julia gave her testimony last night at a fireside. She did such a good job! She was super nervous and even wrote it out for me to read to make sure it was ok. When she got up there she told me she just decided to follow the spirit and not use her notes. It turned out fabulous!
Our district went bowling last week for an activity and I still stink really bad. They were all trying to teach me/ show me......ya, didn't work. :)
We are having a mission conference every Thursday for the next 3 weeks to get more trainings from the brethern---which means more role-plays! :( I told my comp this morning after we role played in comp. study that I feel like my life is a role play! LOL!!!
Whelp, my mind is blank. I love you all a ton!! Remember that sacrifice brings blessings and that the greatest joy comes when we are living the gospel.
Sarbear
Thursday, February 10, 2011
cold much?
Last Thursday and Friday because of the cold we were told that we could not use our cars. We were able to have members help us out a little bit and drive us around but it was difficult to find Hermanas that could and had access to a car. SO we were totally walking! I didn't mind so much walking around everywhere but it was so cold. For both days I wore 8 layers on top and I had 3 pairs of leggings and tights under my skirt. I am surprised I could even walk. LOL! It was kind of a trial. On Thursday Hermana Ruplinger made a birthday cake for one of our members....so we had to walk with the cake to her apartment in the freezing cold. She loved the cake and watching her little 1 year old get chocolate all over her face made it totally worth it!
We received transfer calls this morning. I am staying here with Hermana Ruplinger. So by the time I go home I will have had 7 months in this area. Crazy!! Well, because I know the ward and members so well it feels like home. The hard thing is that I feel as though I have taught my investigators all that I know and not sure what else to do to help them. I need to pray more to receive direction from Heavenly Father.
Jorge is getting his baptismal interview tomorrow and his baptism is scheduled for next week. I hope all things go as planned. The problem is his work. He just needs to have the faith that if he goes to church instead of work that God will provide a way. I am so happy for their family. :)
We had Stake Conference yesterday and it was fabulous! President Monson spoke via satellite and gave an amazing talk. It is amazing to me how I can basically understand anything in Spanish and how it was easy for me to follow and understand his talk in Spanish. He shared some amazing stories that made me cry. I love President Monson! Every time I hear him speak, the spirit testifies that he truly is a prophet of God. The spirit is an amazing gift that our Heavenly Father has given us. Especially to His missionaries.
Thank you for the Valentines package!!!! I gave the cute heart crafty thing to little Lupita and Ashely(Dulce's little girls). I am obsessed with them. After stake conference they saw me and came running down the aisle screaming to give me a hug! literally obsessed.
Well, another week is done. Talk to you next week! Love you bunches!!
Sarah
We received transfer calls this morning. I am staying here with Hermana Ruplinger. So by the time I go home I will have had 7 months in this area. Crazy!! Well, because I know the ward and members so well it feels like home. The hard thing is that I feel as though I have taught my investigators all that I know and not sure what else to do to help them. I need to pray more to receive direction from Heavenly Father.
Jorge is getting his baptismal interview tomorrow and his baptism is scheduled for next week. I hope all things go as planned. The problem is his work. He just needs to have the faith that if he goes to church instead of work that God will provide a way. I am so happy for their family. :)
We had Stake Conference yesterday and it was fabulous! President Monson spoke via satellite and gave an amazing talk. It is amazing to me how I can basically understand anything in Spanish and how it was easy for me to follow and understand his talk in Spanish. He shared some amazing stories that made me cry. I love President Monson! Every time I hear him speak, the spirit testifies that he truly is a prophet of God. The spirit is an amazing gift that our Heavenly Father has given us. Especially to His missionaries.
Thank you for the Valentines package!!!! I gave the cute heart crafty thing to little Lupita and Ashely(Dulce's little girls). I am obsessed with them. After stake conference they saw me and came running down the aisle screaming to give me a hug! literally obsessed.
Well, another week is done. Talk to you next week! Love you bunches!!
Sarah
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Happy Birthday Amanda!!!
Another week has gone by. Where do they go?? This week went well. We had zone conference last Wednesday and it is mission tour time so we had a member of the seventy there. It is always such a cool experience to hear from a member of the seventy. He was actually a little difficult to understand because he is from Paraguay and only has been here in the states for a few years. I would rather have had him speak Spanish. I don't know that all the English missionaries would have appreciated that. LOL!
This last week one of my favorite members had a surgery. She(Hna. Latorre) is pretty old and just struggles. She is basically blind as well. We usually go over to her apartment once a week to give her some company. Because she lives alone we decided to go over there more this last week because of her surgery. On Saturday while we were out proselyting I felt an impression to go visit her. Hermana Latorre had felt super sick all morning and thought she needed to go to the hospital. She immediately called her son to come get her and take her to the hospital but he lives 30 minutes away. She didn't know how she was going to make it that long. Right after she got off the phone with him she prayed, and asked Heavenly Father to send the missionaries to come help her. Hermana Ruplinger and I knocked on the door 2 minutes later. Then proceeded to be one of the most scary and stressful 30 minutes of my life. I was about to call an ambulance. At one point I was holding her and rocking her as she cried. I sat there and prayed to my Heavenly Father that it would all work out. As I was picking up the phone to call 911 her son knocked on the door and took her to he hospital. I really don't know if she would have been able to do it if we had not been there. I know that God hears and answers prayers. God knew hat she was in need and sent us there. Not two minutes after her prayer did we knock on the door! That is not just coincidence. I love the quote by Abraham Lincoln "I have been driven to my knees with the conviction that there was no where else to go." Hermana Latorre is now in the hospital. The incision from her surgery had opened and she was internally bleeding. The doctors don't know if she will live for very long. Hurts my soul. She is one of my favorites.
Last night there was a baptism for 3 people in the ward and because there were a lot of nonmembers Hermana Ruplinger and I gave a Restoration message while everyone was changing. There was TONS of people there and I was nervous because Hermana Ruplinger doesn't speak much Spanish and it was in front of such a huge crowd. We had role played the whole thing earlier that day but I really just wanted the people to feel the spirit as we taught. We got up there to teach in front of probably 100 people and my heart was pounding. Who knows why???......I have only taught the Restoration a million times. But it turned out SO well!! As I was saying the 1st vision I just felt the truthfulness of the message I was sharing. I felt the Spanish just flow out of my mouth so easily, almost too easily. I knew at that moment I had divine help. I have never had an easier time teaching and the spirit was strong. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for that tender mercy that He gave me in that moment. Even Hermana Ruplinger did great!!
Transfers are next week. My last transfer. It is really weird to think about. I really hope I can stay and finish my mission in this area because of the good relationship I have with the ward and investigators. It would be hard to leave for my last transfer. I am praying to stay ;)
I hope all is well with everyone!!! Go Steelers!! HAHA!
I love you! and I hope Amanda has a wonderful Birthday!
Hermana Richards
This last week one of my favorite members had a surgery. She(Hna. Latorre) is pretty old and just struggles. She is basically blind as well. We usually go over to her apartment once a week to give her some company. Because she lives alone we decided to go over there more this last week because of her surgery. On Saturday while we were out proselyting I felt an impression to go visit her. Hermana Latorre had felt super sick all morning and thought she needed to go to the hospital. She immediately called her son to come get her and take her to the hospital but he lives 30 minutes away. She didn't know how she was going to make it that long. Right after she got off the phone with him she prayed, and asked Heavenly Father to send the missionaries to come help her. Hermana Ruplinger and I knocked on the door 2 minutes later. Then proceeded to be one of the most scary and stressful 30 minutes of my life. I was about to call an ambulance. At one point I was holding her and rocking her as she cried. I sat there and prayed to my Heavenly Father that it would all work out. As I was picking up the phone to call 911 her son knocked on the door and took her to he hospital. I really don't know if she would have been able to do it if we had not been there. I know that God hears and answers prayers. God knew hat she was in need and sent us there. Not two minutes after her prayer did we knock on the door! That is not just coincidence. I love the quote by Abraham Lincoln "I have been driven to my knees with the conviction that there was no where else to go." Hermana Latorre is now in the hospital. The incision from her surgery had opened and she was internally bleeding. The doctors don't know if she will live for very long. Hurts my soul. She is one of my favorites.
Last night there was a baptism for 3 people in the ward and because there were a lot of nonmembers Hermana Ruplinger and I gave a Restoration message while everyone was changing. There was TONS of people there and I was nervous because Hermana Ruplinger doesn't speak much Spanish and it was in front of such a huge crowd. We had role played the whole thing earlier that day but I really just wanted the people to feel the spirit as we taught. We got up there to teach in front of probably 100 people and my heart was pounding. Who knows why???......I have only taught the Restoration a million times. But it turned out SO well!! As I was saying the 1st vision I just felt the truthfulness of the message I was sharing. I felt the Spanish just flow out of my mouth so easily, almost too easily. I knew at that moment I had divine help. I have never had an easier time teaching and the spirit was strong. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father for that tender mercy that He gave me in that moment. Even Hermana Ruplinger did great!!
Transfers are next week. My last transfer. It is really weird to think about. I really hope I can stay and finish my mission in this area because of the good relationship I have with the ward and investigators. It would be hard to leave for my last transfer. I am praying to stay ;)
I hope all is well with everyone!!! Go Steelers!! HAHA!
I love you! and I hope Amanda has a wonderful Birthday!
Hermana Richards
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