"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
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
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
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
Monday, November 29, 2010
(No title)
We taught this amazing lesson on Tuesday night to a mom and her two teenage girls. Come to find out during the lesson the mom, Maria is in Kidney failure and is in constant pain. She receives dialysis two times a week. As I was listening to this, looking at the pain in her girls' eyes I prayed so fervently to my Heavenly Father that I could teach to the needs of this family. The daughter Alpha began to cry as she told me that she just wants her mom better. She said if she could wish for anything it was for her mom to live. In that moment I felt like the task before me was more than I could handle. How could I express the love that Heavenly Father has for them and the wonderful plan He has set for them? I wanted to take the pain in their eyes away and calm these girls fears. I prayed that as I opened my mouth that the Lord would fill it. A scripture immediately came into my mind. Revelation 21:4 "And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." I then testified of the Plan of Salvation and how we can live with our families forever. I shared Tylers story(something I don't do often) and we left with a prayer that brought peace to my heart and hopefully to the hearts of that family. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father that in that moment He gave me the guidance I needed. My purpose there was made clear to me. I love the Lord!
Thanksgiving was......interesting. Thursdays are planning days so we planned in the morning then later that afternoon we had a Thanksgiving dinner at the Bishops house. For a woman from Mexico she did an amazing job cooking a good old American thanksgiving dinner! She is so cute! Well....we left the Bishops house and went to this area so we could contact people on the street. Not even 5 minutes later I felt this thing on my neck. I go to touch it to see what it is when a huge wasp/hornet totally stung my finger! It hurt SO bad!!! I thought I was going to die. I was literally crying on the side of the street! We rushed off to Wal-greens(the people there know my name I swear) and got me some meds. My finger was swelling up pretty bad so I took some benadryl. While doctor Hermana Stevens removed the stinger from my finger(I guess she did it a lot growing up on the farm). Needless to say my thanksgiving was spent me knocked out with a finger twice its size. HAHA! My finger is normal now ;)
Sounds like all of you had quite the adventures on black Friday! LOVE it!!
The mission right now has a goal for 500 baptisms for the year 2010. Our mission President designated the weekend of the 18th and 19th as "white weekend". Which means that every companionship is to have a baptism that weekend. Right now we have 5 people set with a baptismal date for that weekend. It is going to be tough to have someone ready but we have complete faith that we can do it! It is amazing, right now we have so many people with baptismal dates. The trouble is getting them to be ready for it and come to church! The Lord is blessing us so much. Last night we ended the week breaking my mission numbers. Heavenly Father is definitely preparing people in this area right now. :)
Oh! mom----do you know that book "You are Special" I think years ago Elder Devey shared it with our family? I want to get it as a gift for Dulce's little girls. Can you maybe find it in Spanish and send it to me? I have decided that if you all are going to buy me Christmas presents I will then just give it away to my investigators. They have nothing. SO don't worry about getting me anything :)
Well, I feel like I could write for days but time is up. LOVE YOU!!! All is well here....most of the time ;)
Sarah
Thanksgiving was......interesting. Thursdays are planning days so we planned in the morning then later that afternoon we had a Thanksgiving dinner at the Bishops house. For a woman from Mexico she did an amazing job cooking a good old American thanksgiving dinner! She is so cute! Well....we left the Bishops house and went to this area so we could contact people on the street. Not even 5 minutes later I felt this thing on my neck. I go to touch it to see what it is when a huge wasp/hornet totally stung my finger! It hurt SO bad!!! I thought I was going to die. I was literally crying on the side of the street! We rushed off to Wal-greens(the people there know my name I swear) and got me some meds. My finger was swelling up pretty bad so I took some benadryl. While doctor Hermana Stevens removed the stinger from my finger(I guess she did it a lot growing up on the farm). Needless to say my thanksgiving was spent me knocked out with a finger twice its size. HAHA! My finger is normal now ;)
Sounds like all of you had quite the adventures on black Friday! LOVE it!!
The mission right now has a goal for 500 baptisms for the year 2010. Our mission President designated the weekend of the 18th and 19th as "white weekend". Which means that every companionship is to have a baptism that weekend. Right now we have 5 people set with a baptismal date for that weekend. It is going to be tough to have someone ready but we have complete faith that we can do it! It is amazing, right now we have so many people with baptismal dates. The trouble is getting them to be ready for it and come to church! The Lord is blessing us so much. Last night we ended the week breaking my mission numbers. Heavenly Father is definitely preparing people in this area right now. :)
Oh! mom----do you know that book "You are Special" I think years ago Elder Devey shared it with our family? I want to get it as a gift for Dulce's little girls. Can you maybe find it in Spanish and send it to me? I have decided that if you all are going to buy me Christmas presents I will then just give it away to my investigators. They have nothing. SO don't worry about getting me anything :)
Well, I feel like I could write for days but time is up. LOVE YOU!!! All is well here....most of the time ;)
Sarah
Thanksgiving
"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is grenerous and noble, but to live with gratitide ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."
---President Thomas S. Monson
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for so many things.I decided to make a list of a few thigns I am thankful for.
-being a missionary-greatest experience of my life!
-family
-mail-you dont even know how much it helps me
-little kids-their pureness and love
-singing--when I am frustrated or annoyed, I sing :)
-the spirit-the constant love I can feel from my Heavenly Father
-my Savior
-chocolate during 3 hour planning sessions
-my leggings that keep my legs warm under my skirt
-new sister missionary rules that allow me to paint my nails and not feel ugly
-when my companion will kick(lightly)the cats so they dont come near me(they know how much I hate animals)
-magic(that one's for you denise)
-the gift of tongues----who ever knew I could actually speak Spanish?!
-my hair-a lady in the ward has cancer and has lost all her hair and where would I put my pen so it couldn't be more handy than in my hair?
-flowers :)
Dulce and Jorge=BOMB! Dulce came to church for the 3rd time. We for sure set her baptism for Dec. 8th. I am SO excited! I have never taught someone so ready. On Tuesday she asked us "What can I do to better prepare myself for my baptism?". She is so amazing! Well, she already reads her Book of Mormon for at least 2 hours everyday and I taught her how to use the references on the bottom of the Book of Mormon in her studies. She will soon know more about the Book of Mormon than me! HAHA! Jorge wants to get baptized too but has to work on Sundays. He said he will get days off in December and on his 3rd Sunday at church he wants to get baptized. Jorge described the spirit so amazingly the other day, he said "it feels like we are the only ones in the world and that nothing else matters. I feel warmth all over and love. My heart is beating so fast that I feel like I need to catch my breath." Dulce then agreed that she felt the exact same way.Their cute little girl Ashley came up to me during the lesson and handed me this drawing she made for me. It was of Hermana Stevens and me. Maybe she made Hermana Stevens 2 times as big as me, maybe she didn't. HAHA!! Made me laugh. Hermana is pretty tall. I had a third eye and Hermana Stevens arms are coming out of her head. I put it up on my wall so I could look at it while studying. :) OBSESSED!
Hermana Stevens has been sick all weekend. She barely had a voice. Made for a fun time trying to get all of our 70 OYM's or contacts. She would start the contact by saying "Hola!" then I would finish it. Each week each missionary needs to get 70 contacts-like with people on the street, knocking doors, etc. I made it a goal a long time ago that I would ALWAYS get my 70. SO by Sunday night I barely had a voice from doing the contacts for both of us and teaching all the lessons. Haha....little bit of man voice today-that's for sure.
About 3 months ago this little girl gave me one of those plastic bracelets that is in shapes of things. She gave me one with a Princess. For some reason I always wear it and when I would put my watch on in the morning I would always put on this pink little bracelet. Well, the other day I was having a hard time(to say the least) and we visited this investigator. Her cute little 5 year old daughter was talking to me and I showed her my Princess bracelet. She then said "its a princess...to tell you that you are a daughter of God". She is SO cute! OK.....almost bawled my eyes out right then. What a tender mercy from Heavenly Father in that moment. To be reminded that I am a daughter of a King- which makes me a Princess. Definitely helped me make it through that rough patch.
Have a fabulous Thanksgiving!! I love you all and will be thinking of you on Thursday. Eat lots of turkey and pie for me, ok?
Sarbear ;)
---President Thomas S. Monson
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for so many things.I decided to make a list of a few thigns I am thankful for.
-being a missionary-greatest experience of my life!
-family
-mail-you dont even know how much it helps me
-little kids-their pureness and love
-singing--when I am frustrated or annoyed, I sing :)
-the spirit-the constant love I can feel from my Heavenly Father
-my Savior
-chocolate during 3 hour planning sessions
-my leggings that keep my legs warm under my skirt
-new sister missionary rules that allow me to paint my nails and not feel ugly
-when my companion will kick(lightly)the cats so they dont come near me(they know how much I hate animals)
-magic(that one's for you denise)
-the gift of tongues----who ever knew I could actually speak Spanish?!
-my hair-a lady in the ward has cancer and has lost all her hair and where would I put my pen so it couldn't be more handy than in my hair?
-flowers :)
Dulce and Jorge=BOMB! Dulce came to church for the 3rd time. We for sure set her baptism for Dec. 8th. I am SO excited! I have never taught someone so ready. On Tuesday she asked us "What can I do to better prepare myself for my baptism?". She is so amazing! Well, she already reads her Book of Mormon for at least 2 hours everyday and I taught her how to use the references on the bottom of the Book of Mormon in her studies. She will soon know more about the Book of Mormon than me! HAHA! Jorge wants to get baptized too but has to work on Sundays. He said he will get days off in December and on his 3rd Sunday at church he wants to get baptized. Jorge described the spirit so amazingly the other day, he said "it feels like we are the only ones in the world and that nothing else matters. I feel warmth all over and love. My heart is beating so fast that I feel like I need to catch my breath." Dulce then agreed that she felt the exact same way.Their cute little girl Ashley came up to me during the lesson and handed me this drawing she made for me. It was of Hermana Stevens and me. Maybe she made Hermana Stevens 2 times as big as me, maybe she didn't. HAHA!! Made me laugh. Hermana is pretty tall. I had a third eye and Hermana Stevens arms are coming out of her head. I put it up on my wall so I could look at it while studying. :) OBSESSED!
Hermana Stevens has been sick all weekend. She barely had a voice. Made for a fun time trying to get all of our 70 OYM's or contacts. She would start the contact by saying "Hola!" then I would finish it. Each week each missionary needs to get 70 contacts-like with people on the street, knocking doors, etc. I made it a goal a long time ago that I would ALWAYS get my 70. SO by Sunday night I barely had a voice from doing the contacts for both of us and teaching all the lessons. Haha....little bit of man voice today-that's for sure.
About 3 months ago this little girl gave me one of those plastic bracelets that is in shapes of things. She gave me one with a Princess. For some reason I always wear it and when I would put my watch on in the morning I would always put on this pink little bracelet. Well, the other day I was having a hard time(to say the least) and we visited this investigator. Her cute little 5 year old daughter was talking to me and I showed her my Princess bracelet. She then said "its a princess...to tell you that you are a daughter of God". She is SO cute! OK.....almost bawled my eyes out right then. What a tender mercy from Heavenly Father in that moment. To be reminded that I am a daughter of a King- which makes me a Princess. Definitely helped me make it through that rough patch.
Have a fabulous Thanksgiving!! I love you all and will be thinking of you on Thursday. Eat lots of turkey and pie for me, ok?
Sarbear ;)
Monday, November 15, 2010
Spaghetti Mess!
President Saylin has recently written a talk in our mission newsletter about the Sacrament. I have realized that recently I haven't been as focused on the Sacrament as I could be. I am so worried about investigators, if they have a good experience, if members sit by them, not to mention playing the piano---that I have taken my mind off of the importance of the Sacrament. I tried really hard yesterday to be reverent and partake of the sacrament in a manner that is respectful. It was such a spiritual experience for me. I have been missing out these last few months. President Saylin said, "May we not forget in our hearts-even always remembering-what He has done for us and for those we love. With such remembrance, none of us would ever do anything contrary to His will or decline opportunity to repay the debt owed to Him." Remember what President Packer said, "Reverence invites revelation."
First off, I am not getting transferred. Hermana Stevens and I are staying together another transfer. When I told Dulce yesterday that there was a chance I was leaving she started to cry! LOL! I am OBSESSED with her. Her and I are best friends. She is so cute-at Church yesterday she was taking notes and marking her scriptures. She and her husband went to the Thanksgiving activity last Friday with their girls and I guess they stayed till 11pm and danced(ya, I didn't know ward parties went that late...but then again I am in a Spanish ward. LOL). She is probably the most prepared person I have ever taught. Its really awesome to be a part of.
I was on exchanges 2 different times this last week. It was a good experience but on Tuesday we had a bunch of problems and I ended up having to take a sister missionary to the mission office to go home. LONG story. But a little stressful to say the least. I think I am done with exchanges at least for a little while. I feel like I have lived out of my suitcase.
One of our investigators wanted to learn how to make spaghetti so on Friday I made her and her family their first spaghetti ever! It tasted pretty delicious if I do say so myself. The funny thing was that Hispanics do not use forks....like ever. Most of the members only have forks for when the missionaries come over to eat. SO we ate with spoons. Well, cute little 4 year old Fanny(Stefany-short) couldn't do it so she ended up eating it with her hands. It was SO fun to watch the cute kids eat Spaghetti for the first time, with their hands! It was a mess that's for sure! And the hug from Fanny on the way out with her sauce covered face and hands was even funnier. Yes I am washing that skirt today. LOL!!
I ate menudo(cow stomach) and cow hoof on Thursday. I wanted to kill myself. I went to go wash the bowl and throw the rest away when Hermana stopped me and told me that I have to cut the fatty looking stuff off and eat it. "Es bien rica y tiene vitaminas!" NO it is NOT delicious and how does fat have any vitamins??? Torture...no wonder most missionaries gain weight on their mission.
It was hot one day-sweating.....freezing the next. Ok houston.....make up your mind. Have a good week! LOVES!
Sarah
First off, I am not getting transferred. Hermana Stevens and I are staying together another transfer. When I told Dulce yesterday that there was a chance I was leaving she started to cry! LOL! I am OBSESSED with her. Her and I are best friends. She is so cute-at Church yesterday she was taking notes and marking her scriptures. She and her husband went to the Thanksgiving activity last Friday with their girls and I guess they stayed till 11pm and danced(ya, I didn't know ward parties went that late...but then again I am in a Spanish ward. LOL). She is probably the most prepared person I have ever taught. Its really awesome to be a part of.
I was on exchanges 2 different times this last week. It was a good experience but on Tuesday we had a bunch of problems and I ended up having to take a sister missionary to the mission office to go home. LONG story. But a little stressful to say the least. I think I am done with exchanges at least for a little while. I feel like I have lived out of my suitcase.
One of our investigators wanted to learn how to make spaghetti so on Friday I made her and her family their first spaghetti ever! It tasted pretty delicious if I do say so myself. The funny thing was that Hispanics do not use forks....like ever. Most of the members only have forks for when the missionaries come over to eat. SO we ate with spoons. Well, cute little 4 year old Fanny(Stefany-short) couldn't do it so she ended up eating it with her hands. It was SO fun to watch the cute kids eat Spaghetti for the first time, with their hands! It was a mess that's for sure! And the hug from Fanny on the way out with her sauce covered face and hands was even funnier. Yes I am washing that skirt today. LOL!!
I ate menudo(cow stomach) and cow hoof on Thursday. I wanted to kill myself. I went to go wash the bowl and throw the rest away when Hermana stopped me and told me that I have to cut the fatty looking stuff off and eat it. "Es bien rica y tiene vitaminas!" NO it is NOT delicious and how does fat have any vitamins??? Torture...no wonder most missionaries gain weight on their mission.
It was hot one day-sweating.....freezing the next. Ok houston.....make up your mind. Have a good week! LOVES!
Sarah
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