week 13: australia style

oh boy!

 Gday Mum!!

Well this week was super cool!!  The miracles were flowing in Tasmania!!  We set two dates this week!!  One is with a guy named Robert, who is 19 years old and we street contacted him a week ago, and he said he really wanted to learn more about Jesus Christ!  Me and my companion prayed, and felt like December 6th would be a very good date for him!  He accepted, and we are seeing him again this week!  Miracles!  The other date was set in the district leader's area, me and the district leader went on exchange with eachother because he wasnt getting along with his companion.  We set a date with a lady from Africa named Mika, she accepted and her date is on the 7th of December!  Miracles!

So far in my area, we have 4 baptismal dates, and 3 of them are progressing I am seriously so stoked for them!  This week me and Elder Blackman tracted heaps!!  We are just expanding our teaching pool right now, and we managed to find some pretty solid new contacts!  Going on exchange with the district leader Elder Guilain helped me out heaps!!  He taught me how to find people more effectively and I could see myself improving with my finding skills throughout the week!  I am seriously so stoked to be a missionary, it is so fun!  Me and my companion play games when we tract, like we pick a really big word before we go to the door like "supercallafragalous" pretty sure I spelled that wrong but anyways, we have to say that word somewhere in the conversation with the person that opens the door!  It's heaps of fun!  Hahah it's weird but for some reason I love street contacting, and tracting because you get to talk to so many interesting people hahah!

I am so thanful to my Father in Heaven this week for letting us see some miracles here in Tasmania!  I am so thankful to be on a mission!  It's really weird being on a mission talking to so many different people, I see how much our Father and Heaven loves each of his children the same as I speak to more and more people.  It is sweet as matey!  I know this work is truly inspired, and I know that this church is true without a shadow of a doubt! 

Mum!!!!!!!!!  Wasssssssssssupppppppppp!!??  I got to talk on the phone with Elder Bisby today, and he said the package has arrived to the mission office!  I wont get it for a while though!  The mission president and his wife come down to Tasmania on the 11th of December for a Christmas party, so I will get it there!  But Tasmania is still freaking beautiful!  It rained dogs and cats everyday this week though, so that kind of blew!  I heard that a huge cyclone hit the phillipines, do you know if Jake is ok?  Have you talked to heather lately?  I have been really worried!  I hope he is ok.  Dad sounds like he is loving life about to get a new dog!  Hahah I hope this dog doesnt eat me when I come home hahha!  I will definatley be skyping home on Christmas I have had 3 families down here offer me their computers to skype!  So I am pretty excited to see errybody!!  Man!  It feels like November is zooming past!  It's almost thanksgiving matey!  Save me some Turkey hah!!  Well mom I love you!  I hope all is well back in the 801!!  cheers.

Love, Elder Richins

aka:Cmoneylicious

week 12: australia style

Gday Mum!!!

Tasmania is pretty stinkin beautiful!!  The area I am in is called Rosny!  It is a hugggeeeee area!!  We cover most of southern Tasmania!  I am right next to the beach, so it is really beautiful.  We take a bike trail every day along the beach to our appointments, it is sweet as!!!  We have bikes...  Hahah so far bikes and Tasmania do not mix, the hills here are steep as!  I sometimes feel like I am peddling up 90 degree angle hills, ya its pretty bad!!  Hahha I haven't been this sore in a long time!! 

My companion's name is Elder Blackman, and he is pretty cool, he is on his last transfer. I am not training anymore due to an emergency transfer up on the mainland, so I got Elder Blackman!  But hopefully I get to train next transfer!!  But Elder Blackman is from England, and he is into film and photography!  We have been turning this area around as of late, we have done heaps of tracting, and the members here are pretty good missionaries.  The missionary that was in this area before me had a really bad relationship with the members, so we have seen heaps of families this week, trying to build those bridges back up!  We received 5 referrals this week, and taught two of them in a members home!  That never happened in Wantirna South, its awesome!!!

We have 3 baptismal dates for November 30th, and we are hoping to set 2 more dates, this upcoming week!!  The members feed us a little bit, but I mostly eat rolled oats, which are pretty dang good!  We have quite a few dinners this week though, so we will see how we go!! 

Tazmania is such an awesome place!  I definatley would not mind living here!!  That would be sweet as I reckon!  The people here are way nice!  One of the families we see is way into the NBA, and I told him I was a die hard Laker fan, and he is a Rockets fan (poor guy).  I heard the Lakers took out the Clippers, what????  Thats cray cray!!

I have had to rely on the Lord so much this week, it has been really tough trying to learn a new area!  I am so thankful that I got through this first week in one piece!  I miss Wantirna South heaps, but the mission is all about change!  I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven to let me serve in one of the most beatiful places on planet earth!!  I can see why I am here in Rosny, I know there is someone here that I need to specifically help, and I am going to tear down this place trying to find that person!  I know that my redeemer lives, and loves me too!!  Missionary work is the bees knees!

Mommmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  How are you going?!?!  I am doing sweet as matey!  Just doing some hard yakka 24/7!  I am really bummed I missed Halloween, and yes I got those pictures, it looks like you guys had heaps of fun!  They barely celebrate Halloween here, only a few people hand out treats!  The kid's costumes are pretty lame too, they just put lipstick all over themselves, and call that a done deal!  I miss out on Thanksgiving too so that is pretty rubbish!  haha

 God bless Merica!  My companion cant cook, so it looks like it's another transfer of rolled oats erryday!! Hahaha!!  I couldnt be bothered I like that stuff hahah!!  I am glad the dogs got a new bed, they deserve it hahah!  They like to sleep...  I cant wait to get my package!  I keep in contact with all of my friends, poor Stin cant get a break!  I am praying for him!!  It will be cool to get a slice of home, because I miss it heaps!!  I hope everything back home is running smoothly!  I love you mom!!  Youre the best!  cheers.

Love, Elder Richins

aka:Coopdawgydawg

week 11: australia style / off to tasmania

Gday Mom!!

Well....  I am off to Tasmania!!  I got a call on Saturday night from the zone leaders, and they said pack a 30 kilo bag you are going to TAZZYY!!  President then told me on Sunday that he only sends people he trusts to Tazzy because it is so far away from everyone/everything.  I will be training a new missionary which will be a cool experience.  Elder Bisby said that Tasmania is by far his favorite area he has ever served in, so hopefully it will be sweet as.  I am gonna miss Elder Bisby heaps though, me and him have really grown to be really good friends, he said he is going to beg President to let him finish his mission down there with me. 

I am so happy I am leaving...  Wantirna South kinda turned into a hole this past week, Veewan locked the gate to her house, and wont answer calls, and the rest of our investigators were not progressing!!  But I did have to say goodbye to some people that I have grown to love, the Greens, Margot and Bruce, and Raja.  I have so much love for these people, they have made my first area as a missionary an awesome one.  Tazzy is going to be awesome, I don't quite know where in Tazzy I will be serving yet but all the area are next to a beach.  So I reckon it will be pretty as.  Not much happened this week, it has been rainy as, and pretty miserable.  But Tazzy is going to be a new chapter and I cant wait for it.  My plane leaves tomorrow after transfer meeting.  I still have to pack though, so that is what my P-Day will consist of today hahah!! 

I am so grateful to be a missionary, the people I have met on my mission so far, have changed my life for the better.  I have found that everyone has the light of Christ within them, it might be brighter in some people than others, but still its there.  I was watching a Mormon Message called "mountains to climb" by Henry B. Eyring.  It talked about how everyone goes through trials, some are worse than others, but they can all be swallowed up in the love of Christ.  "Christ's love is just simply there."  I know that the Lord's love is an unfailing love, and it is there to anyone who needs it.  I know this is true!

MOMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!  I am so jealous I am not a part of this dog extravaganza!!  Haha I am so excited to get my package!!  I will wait to open it till Christmas though!  I am doing pretty good, this week has been extremely hard, but its over now so I am ok.  Mom I got hugged by a 17 year old girl...  It was like a sneak attack, there are heaps of girls here that think I am a hunk.  Olivia Green is one of those.  To tell you the truth I am super scared to pack up and leave this area, I haven't done it before, and it really freaks me out.  I am still losing weight, the trick is a healthy breakfast, I have wheat bix, and sliced bananas every morning, it is the best.  I hope everything is still gangsta back at home!!  I love you so much mom!!!  I hope you have a good week!! cheers.

Love, Elder Richins

aka:Cmoneylove

week 10: australia style

GDay Mum!!!!!!!

This week was pretty frustrating!  Veewan's Bap date got moved back AGAIN!!  She said she was "too busy" to get baptized on Saturday which was incredibly frustrating!  She isn't quite ready to be baptized yet, because she wont make time for it.  We will continue to work with her, we told her to pray about a day that she could be baptized, so we will check up on her tomorrow.  Man...  missionary work is crook as, its a ton harder than I thought it would be.  I have such a love for the people that I teach, and it breaks my heart to see them

 struggle like this!  But this is what I wanted, I didn't want my mission to be a walk in the park, I want it to be something that is really difficult so that I can learn and grow from it.

The miracle that I had been praying for this week came yesterday, we contacted a referral from some Chinese Elders in our zone named Twinswon.  He is from Malaysia, and yesterday we taught him the Restoration, and the spirit was strong as!!  We tried to commit him to baptism, but he said he wanted to pray about it first!  YESSS!!!  GOLDEN!!!  I am so excited for him!  We are seeing him again tomorrow!  He is a very genuine, awesome guy!  Hopefully I stay in this 

area so I can keep teaching him, 

because transfers are next week!!! 

We had interviews with President Maxwell this week!!  He is a very inspired, genuine man.  I loved speaking with him!  He asked me what I thought my best quality was, and I said I don't like to critique myself, but I told him that Raja told me that I knew how to love the people, so I told him that.  He said that is one of the greatest leadership quality a person can have.  That was very nice of him to say.  I am just so grateful to be on a mission, I can already tell that these two years will be the defining moment of my life, even if I still have THUG running through my veins.

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most,

you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints,

is when I carried you."

Mary Stevenson This is such a powerful poem, and looking back at the hard times of my life, the Saviour did carry me.  I testify that my Saviour lives, and he is there carrying us whenever we need him.  I love my Saviour so much, words cannot explain my appreciation for his sacrifice.  In the name of Jesus Christ amen. You are getting a dog?!?!? Far out!!  My vote for the name is Olive.  Haha I think new is gonna get a little jealous hahaha!  That is so awesome.  German Shepherds are fetching sick!!  For Christmas hahah I am not quite sure,  just some paisleys except red paisley those are whack.  Haha some chinos, all different colors haha.  some pop tarts.  speakers and an ipod with some church approved music would be cool.  Hahha I am all in for the surprise, I want Veewan to be baptized as my Christmas gift ahahha!  But anyways how are you??  Australia is starting to get blazing mate, its pretty dang hot.  But I love it!  Me and Elder Bisby get along really well.  Sometimes we go to random parks on our lunch breaks, and go down slides and swing on swings.  Today we are going to this huge as slide in Wantirna's area, it is so huge!!  It is prolly like 30 yards long and its super fun!  I cant wait it will be awesome!  I will take some pics!!  Well I love you mum!!  It is always good to hear from you, and I am glad that everything is going well back home!  Love you!  cheers. Love, Elder Richins Aka: C$<3

week 9: australia style

Gday Mum!!!!

This week has been really rewarding!  Me and Elder Bisby's goal for the week was to get Veewan a new bap date, and to help her live the word of wisdom.  We bought Veewan 5 packages of organic tea, and she loves it, she says she likes it heaps more than the tea she was drinking.  After she said that I just wanted to cry, because we have been trying sooooo hard to help her stop drinking bad tea, and we finally did it!!!!!  We committed her to live the word of wisdom and she said yes!!  She said she wants to do all of the things that God wants her to do.  That's not even the best part.  We rescheduled her baptismal date to next Saturday!!!!!!!!!!  She is very excited, and so am I!!!  I am so glad I have been a part of her journey to make important covenants with God!!!  She is a very special woman. 

Funny story for the week is that, my companion and I were trying to bike to this place called Rowville to tract.  I chose a bike trail to take instead of taking main roads.  It was pouring down rain, and this bike trail that we took led us on a mud road, we kept going and going until we hit a dead end, I chose the wrong bike trail, so as I am peddling in anger, Elder Bisby tells me that my back is muddy, and I said "What?!?"  Then he said "your back is muddy."  I looked back and my butt, and all of the back of my white shirt was covered in mud.  I was so mad!!!!  The same thing happened to Bisby!  Its because our bikes dont have mud guards.....  So after that we went to go take pictures with horses, and feed them grapes, then we peddled home in shame.....  It was the worst!  Good news!  The stains came out of my shirt, and pants!  Hooray!!

This week I have been thinking heaps about Joseph Smith.  I watched "testimony of the Book of Mormon" (Elder Holland's Mormon message) it is probably the most powerful video I have ever seen, and I invite all to watch it on mormonchannel.org.  I fetchin love Joseph Smith, and the sacrifice he made to help restore the gospel to the earth.  "Brother I'll Follow" has been the song of the week for me, it just talks about the trials Joseph, and Hyrum Smith went through, on their journey to build up the church, it is so powerful. "into a hail storm of an angry town, with words like jagged knifes.  Every stone was meant to bring you down, something you've known all your life, but brother I'll follow you."  I relate this to missionary work, because especially for me I have felt words like jagged knifes, and they hurt so bad, and makes me step back and think why I am actually on a mission.  Tracting is always such a humbling experience for me, some people just are not ready to receive the gospel yet, it is very sad to see these people, but it is even sadder walking away from their homes, thinking about all that they are missing out on.  The joy that I have felt from this gospel is immeasurable, it has comforted me through all of my trials in life.  I know it is true period.  I have felt the love that God has for me, and all of his children.  I know this to be true, in the name of our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.

Mum!!!!!  How have you been?!  I have not been giving clothes away, I have just been acquiring new gear hahaha!!  Elder Afele gave me heaps of stuff, and I have bought some new ties as well.  I also bought two pairs of chinos because I am losing weight, and my regular clothes are starting to become rather large.  It finally started to heat up this week, which is awesome!!  It feels good to feel the sun again!  It was hiding!  But today it is raining heaps, as usual, which is pretty sad.  I am pretty sick of the rain hahaha!!  I am so glad that you guys had a rockin time in Cali!!  I am glad so many things were named after my honour!!  I love Cramen, Randrew, and Mcsmelly!!  I guess im kind of a big deal.  I hope everything back home is in fine working order!  Did you get to watch conference??  I watched it yesterday, and it was sweet as.  Lots of good talks!!  I love you so much mom!!!  My favourite kind of ties, are paisley ties!  I also like chinos, they really show the definition of my calf muscles!  Love you momma!!  cheers.

Love, Elder Richins

aka:CMONEYLOVE

week 8: australia style

his spider killing weapon

Gday Mum!!!!

This week was soooooooooooooooooooo lonnnnnnnngggggggggggg!!!!  My companion Elder Bisby, busted his ankle, skipping down our street.  He went to the doctor, and the doctor said to elevate for the rest of the week, this was on Tuesday!!!  We spent all day erryyyday, at the flat.  Raja, the pizza lady would always call and ask us what pizza we wanted, then she delivered it to our flat.  Haha she is the best I reckon. 

GOOD NEWS!  On Monday we set a bap date with a lady from Naga City!  Her name is Christina, and she works for Raja.  She loves Jesus Christ, and she called Elder Bisby and I angels.  Haha she is GOLD!!!!  Her date is for the 19th of October! 

Anyways this week, our mission president dropped by our flat, and he brought us some finger skateboards, and church movies!  He felt really bad for us, haha he is the best!  Bisby and I made some spider killing videos, we found 3 hugggggee spiders this week!  2 Huntsman spiders, and 1 Red Back spider (Most poisonous spider in Australia).  We filmed us spraying the spiders with silly string and then poking it with a weapon that I made for killing spiders!!!  We were so bored mate!  Far out!!! 

Hopefully this week, we will be able to do some work, because I have felt like a caveman for the past week!!  I know that my Saviour lives, I know that he died on the cross, and atoned for all of our sins.  I love my saviour, and I am so grateful for his example of obedience.  Because of his obedience he lived a perfect life, but it is impossible for us to be perfect, we will always fall short.  That is why there needed to be an infinite atonement.  We can strive for perfection by doing the little things, read, pray, and go to church.  By small and simple things are great things come to pass.  I love this work, and I am having heaps of fun, this work is truly hastening, and I am so happy to be serving along side my brothers!!

Mommmmmmm!!!!!  It sounds like you guys are having heaps of fun!  I wish I was in Cali with you guys!!  Australia weather is pretty miserable right now, it is either cold as, or raining!!  I cant wait for summer mate!  Me and my companion are getting along really well, we like to joke around heaps, as you could prolly tell haha!  It is always good to hear from you mum!  Enjoy your holiday, and keep having heaps of fun relaxing!!  Love you heaps!!!!!!  cheers.

Love Elder Richins

aka: CoopDawgyDawg

week 7: australia style

Gday Mum!!

This week has been busy as!!!  It was transfers this week, and my homie Elder Afele, left to Mooralbark!  He is still in my zone still so that's good!  I learned so much from him, and I shared my testimony with him in the car, and I told him how grateful I was to have a good trainer.  We were both crying!  Im gonna miss my Samoan friend!  But my new companion is sweet as!  His name is Elder Bisby, he is from Alaska!  We are on bikes!  He named his bike Roxanne, and lets just say Roxanne doesn't like Elder Bisby!  Her back tire popped and the front wheel is crook.  My bike Lafaundah runs like a dream though, no complaints whatsoever!  So we had to take the bus today which was pretty cool! 

Bad news....  Veewan is relapsing on alcohol!  We just popped by her house and her and her sister were both drinking cocktails, and they were both pretty hammered!!  No Veewan!!!!!!!!!!  Its alright we will continue to work with her, but her bap date has been pushed back at this stage. 

Raja the pizza lady came to church again!!!!  We have been working heaps with our less actives!  But that is two weeks in a row for Raja!!  We are pretty stoked as!  She kept telling people at church to call me Elder Handsome, and she calls Elder Bisby, Elder Kitchen because he is good at cleaning.  She is funny lady I reckon!  She wants me to marry her daughter in Queensland, I had to graciously decline though! 

But this week has been pretty slow, we had like 12 Tazzy elders stay at our flat the night before transfers, and they trashed my beautiful flat.  I am still picking up after them hahahah!!!  Its all good though!!!  Us Melbourne Elders like to parrrtttttyyyyyyyyyyyyy  MAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNN!  Im totally joking we are just really messy...  My party days are behind me.....  I think...  I love this work so much though and I am seriously learning so much!  I am working my butt off as well, it is good to go to bed at night satisfied!  Me and Elder Bisby are gonna baptize all of Wantirna South this transfer!!  I am excited for the future!

I have been thinking tons about my saviour Jesus Christ this week!  Its been really tough, because I am now Senior Companion, of this area and I was pretty worried that I would make everything crook in this area.  I have relied on prayer to help me through my trials this week!  I know that all of our prayers are answered!  I thought I was going to come on a mission to relieve a debt to my Saviour for everything he has done for me.  But since being on my mission I feel like I am in more debt than ever!  He has carried me through this week, and throughout parts of my mission!  As we are obedient we will see miracles I promise!!!  I love this work!

Mum!!!  How are you!?  This week has been pretty flat out!  It is good to hear that you and padre are going on a getaway for a little bit!!  I hope you enjoy yourselves!  We got payed today!  We don't have to pay for groceries so I think I might go get some pretty socks.  hahahahahhah!  I am on a bike now and my butt is tight as ever!  I don't feel bad now that I eat something bad for me, because "I will bike it off"  hahahahha!!!  I love you soooooo much mom!!!  You are the bomb diggity wiggity doe!!!  Much love!!!!  cheers.

Love, Elder Richins

aka:CMONEYLOVE