week 94: australia style

3 hour train ride to bairnsdale

Gday mum!!

This weeks started off pretty good and that it turned pretty sour, but as I look back at it right now all I can do is laugh lol.  So you are probably wondering how things got sour?  So we were tracting a street and we knocked on this door and this really awesome lady just full on yelled at us and tells us to get lost. As we exit her property, we brushed up against her car by accident because the width of her driveway was quite small.  So we keep knockin....  2 doors down the street the lady that yelled at us came screaming down the street swearing at us and saying that we punched her car.  My comp and I were like.... what the heck is wrong with the world mama, we didn't hit your car.  But apparently her daughter was sitting in the car as we brushed past the car, she told her mum that we punched it.  So this lady keeps screaming at us, then she comes up to us and starts taking heaps of pictures of us. I felt like a male model, it was pretty awesome.  Even after we asked her not to take pictures of us, she said she didn't care.  So fast forward to that night, we get a call from a stake high councilman saying that this lady posted on the city facebook page, with our pictures and saying to beware of us, because we KICK cars. So after he told us that... again we said, what is wrong with the world mama????  So now we have received advice from our bishop, not to go into that area anymore because the people really hate us.  It's like Ammonihah really.  I always wanted an experience like we are going back there this week to find an Amulek!!!!  It's crazy though I feel so calm and peaceful now, when throughout last week both my comp and I were pretty scared about the repercussions that could happen.  I know that the Lord will work it out for our good!!  I LOVE this work!!!!!

Hey mum, sorry I don't have too much time today. The garage sale sounds like it was a success.  It was really good to see that you saw stin !!!!  Man I love that dude to bits, I cant wait to get reunited with my homies.  But for the time being, I got some more work to do!!  I love you mum!!!  I hope you have a great week, you are in my prayers!

Love, Elder Richins

Aka: CMONEY

week 93: australia style

Gday mum!!!

This week was really good, we got to go on exchanges on Tuesday and I went with an elder from Germany he is the man!!  We had a really good exchange together, I was really excited to go to another area for an exchange because we have been eating pretty unhealthy because we are in an islander ward and the place I was going was an Australian ward.  Nek Minnit the member's home we went to got us a big bucket of KFC and then we went to another home and they fed us too, they kept filling my plate back up I gained 3 kilos in one night it was pretty bad but it was so nice of the members and I am grateful for their service my stomach doesn't always agree though hahaha! 

We also went on another exchange out in the bush it was really good, we went to interview their baptismal candidates it was such a cool experience to go all the way out in the middle of nowhere and do missionary work :)  We had a miracle family come to church this week as well, they are a member referral and they really liked church they said they would for sure be there next week again.  Their fellowship said "I know they will get baptised"  I reckon they will too!!!  I am really excited to work with them!

Hi mum!!!  Today I am going to just chill. I think we have a pretty busy week of exchanges. We have to go on an unexpected exchange to an area that is 4 hours away from ours, that should be pretty fun!  I really love going on exchanges and travelling the mission. It is heaps of fun to see so many different people and work with so many different missionaries.  I officially have 1 transfer left, I want to make the most of it and work as hard as I can through it!  I love you so much mum!!!  I hope you have a great week!!!!  Cheers!  I am all good with money and everything right now thank you for the offer though, thank you again for all that you do mum!!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEYLOVE

week 92: australia style

Gday mum!!!

This week was really good we had an awesome zone meeting!!  We did another reenactment of the vision of the tree of life in 1 Nephi 8.  We stretched a rope throughout the whole chapel and we had a bunch of members come and be temptations for the missionaries!!  The one that always gets me is the food temptation, man I wish I was stronger lol!  But through the gym part of the chapel it was pitch black and we had two smoke machines going so it looked like the mists of darkness.  It was sooooooo cool!!!  After we made it to the tree of life we had a testimony meeting about how we came to know the Book of Mormon is true.  The mission focus for this month is chapter 5 from Preach my Gospel which is the Book of Mormon!  So it is only fitting we did something like this, it was so fun to go through it and then to hear the sweet testimonies of all the members of the zone it helped me grow spiritually!  I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, I know that it contains the fullness of the everlasting Gospel.  As I have read it this month I have come to the knowledge that it can indeed answer and question of the soul.  We are so lucky to have it, and I love to share it with others!!!!  

Hi mum!!!  It was awesome to see you last week, I cant believe that stin comes home in a week basically!!  This week was a really good week, today we spent like 2 hours cleaning the flat because it needed it...  It didn't get cleaned last week because we had an early appt.  But it is spik and span now, mum I learned how to clean on my mission I hate when it is a mess........  I like to clean........  BET YOU NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SAY THAT lol!!!!!  Thank you for always trying to teach me, it was probably like beating a dead horse but I confess I like to clean!!!  I still dont like dusting though it hurts my back...  I love you so much mum, I am so grateful for your love and your patience with me!  I hope you have a great week!!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEYLOVE

week 90: australia style

pictures after zone meeting this week. it was grouse!!!!!

Gday mum!!!

This week was really good, so I found out that I am staying in the Gippsland zone for another 6 weeks!!  Which means I will probably finish my mission here!  I am keen as a bean, I love it here.  We had a really good zone meeting this past week, and my comp and I trained on developing the hope to find families.  We had a few members from our ward come share their families' conversion story with us and the spirit was so strong.  Since the meeting we are seeing so many miracles in the zone and everybody is striving to find families!  

We got a random text from a member this week and he was asking us if we could come and teach his wife who is not a member.  They had recently moved to Cranbourne ward and they got a hold of our number somehow but we went over on Saturday and his wife is keen as a bean.  She is a bit nervous though, she feels like she needs to know everything before she is baptised but once she reads the Book of Mormon with prayer she will get baptised in no time!!!  That was a really cool miracle this week and they came to church too!  I know the Lord works miracles in our lives as we strive to do what is right.  I am so grateful to be able to have the opportunity to change my behavior on my mission, I still have ages to go but I am closer than when I first started my mission.  I love it! 

Gday mum!!!!  HAPPPPYYYYYYY ANNNNIVVVERSAARRRYYYY!!!  That is awesome 23 years!!  I am so grateful for both of you, you have been the best parents that anyone could ask for.  Although there has been struggles along the way I am so very grateful for both of you to be able to help us overcome these challenges. Without you I wouldn't be here today. You have both changed my life and raised me in truth and I am so very grateful and humbled because of that.  I love you so much mum!!  I hope you have a great week!  Cheers!!  I will call this week ps :)

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 89: australia style

 

Gday mum!!

This week was really weird!!  So on Friday night Glen had his baptismal interview and he was all ready for the next day for his baptism and the morning of his baptism he calls us and tells us that he wasn't ready to get baptised yet.  We were like "wha......"  But it strengthened my testimony that the Lord has his timing in all things...  We cannot understand.  This week we have done quite a bit of finding and we had a miracle we received a referral from our Ward Mission Leader and her name is Mandy.  We contacted her this week and she lives way out in the boonies and we walked up onto here huge as property and we saw a man cutting wood.  Once the man saw us he was really excited, we got talking to him and he told us that him and his family had been looking for a church to join....  But none of them seemed right.  We talked about our church and he said whenever he drives past it he feels drawn to it but he never went in because he thought it was just a Samoan church.  He was so excited to get his family there to try it out they are coming this week to church we are so excited!!  This week has been really good and it is strengthening my testimony of endurance the work over on this side of the city is a bit slower to what I am used to but with the Lord's help I have been able to develop greater patience for the zone and our area!  I love it here! 

Gday mum!!  It is really rainy over here too, I saw the picture of dad in the tux I bet it was a grouse concert I wish I was there!  Mac e-mailed me and told me he has to cut his hair for his camp and I laughed pretty hard hahah!  I am really glad everyone is doing well.  The brown sugar and the chocolate is 10x better here than America. The chocolate over here is to die for, literally. They will like it!  I am happy for them!  I love you so much mum, thank you so much for your support I get to call home in 2 weeks that will be heaps cool!!  I hope you have a great week!!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 88: australia style

this elder was in van b's stake in the Philippines!!

Gday mum!!!

This week has been really good, full of miracles!!  We had a mission fast this week, with the purpose to find those who are ready to be baptised in the month of April!  My companion and I had a great experience, the day after the fast...  A former investigator sent us a voicemail during our zone conference and we listened to it during lunch and he was asking us if he could be baptised that night!!  He hadn't been taught in a couple of months but he had taken himself to much study and prayer during that time period.  We set up an appt that night to meet with him, and we went through the baptismal interview questions and man..... HE IS PREPARED!!!!  We set a date for this upcoming Saturday, unfortunately not that night hahahahah!!  His name is Glen and he is the manskis!

We also met another man as product from the fast named Jean Paul he is from Merucias.  He said every time he drives past the chapel he feels drawn to it.  We went and taught him and it was POWERFUL!  We set a baptismal date with him for May 9th!  He said our closing prayer and he started to cry and he paused during his prayer and exclaimed.... "Im getting baptised!!!!!!"  He came to church yesterday and he loved it!  He said he wants to come every Sunday till the day he dies!!  I know and I testify that the Lord's hand is everywhere.  He is preparing his children day by day to receive his word!  What a miracle filled week!

Hi mum!  Today we have zone p day we are going to a trampoline park and then we are having a zone olympics with lemon eating competitions and so forth it should be really fun!  I am really glad to hear your story about getting the missionaries shakes it brought tears to my eyes.  I am grateful for you mum and the charity that you have in your heart.  I wish I was more like that, that is an essential Christlike attribute.  Thank you for sharing that with me.  I love you so much mum, and I so excited about the work right now.  I hope you have an awesome week!!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 87: australia style

Gday mum!!

 

This week has been really quite good!  We had a zone meeting this week and my companion and I trained on receiving personal revelation.  The highlight of the training was we had every missionary bring their patriarchal blessing and we all broke up in companionships and went and read our patriarchal blessings and wrote down things we needed to sacrifice in order to help someone to be baptised in the month of April.  I felt an impression that as well as my companion that every single companionship in the zone would baptise on the 25th of April if everyone would wake up in the morning at 6:30 and be on time to studies.  We wrote that date on the board after everyone had come together and we testified that everyone would be able to baptise this month according to our overall obedience especially in the morning.  Since that zone meeting we have gone from 2 baptismal dates in the zone to 12 at the end of this week.  This has been a zone that has struggled pretty bad in the past, but it is amazing what the Lord can help us do when we are obedient to his commandments. 

I feel like my faith is erupting at the end of this week, it has been so awesome to see each of the companionships in the zone experience miracles as we all strived to be obedient!  General conference was so awesome as well, every talk really hit home with me it was so great!  I really liked Elder Pearson's talk about staying next to the tree!  This Gospel is so true, it confirms my testimony when I hear the servants of the Lord address us at conference.

Hi mum!!!  Sorry I didn't email much last week, the libraries are really lame here they only let you be online for 30 min.  All goods though!  It has been a really good week though, I am sorry to hear that you hurt your feet that is no good I hope all goes well with your appt this week!!  At the moment I am doing all good with everything, I am starting to get used to my new area I love it heaps here!!  I love being around all these awesome missionaries it makes me happy.  The friendships that I have developed on my mission will truly last a lifetime!  Thank you for all of your encouragement and support, I love you so much mum!!!  Thank you for your prayers and all that you do for me, I look forward to seeing you in 96 days!!  Love you!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY