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

week 6: australia style

elder richins, margot and elder afele

elder richins, bruce and elder afele

GDAY MUM!!!

This week was pretty AWESOME!  We ended up baking heaps of cookies, but we didn't end up giving them out to random people, and telling them about Jesus.  So we gave the whole lot to some members and investigators that we like haha!!  The transfer news is that I am staying in Wantirna South, and Elder Afele is leaving!  I get a new companion tomorrow!  It kinda sucks because me and Elder Afele have been rolling the past two weeks!  We have been going HAM DOE! 

One of our less active members named Rajaa came to church for the first time in 2 years!  We did heaps of service this week for her!  She owns a pizza shop and she gives us free pizza whenever we want!  Its sweet as I reckon!  She has a huge crush on me!  She is 57 and she said I am the most gorgeous missionary she has ever seen haha!  She said I have the Secret something that is going to make me successful in life haha!  She said my girlfriend is lucky to have me lol!  But we got her to church and she is a sweet as lady!  She is from Italy and she has a thick as accent!

We also had some really good progress with Veewan!  She wants to live the law of tithing!  She is golden!  Also she needs now is a baptismal interview and then she is good to be baptized this week!!!!  I am super pumped!!  So is she! 

We tracted this week a little and met a grumpy old man, and had some choice words for us!  That wasn't very nice...  He said it was unlawful for us to be knocking doors, and I yelled back at him "show me the law, that saws we cant knock sir!  We are not salespeople!"  He said we were selling an idea, and then I dropped a Book of Mormon in his mailbox after he closed the door!  I wrote inside the cover, THIS IS FREE, Love The Elders.  As you can tell I am not proud of my actions, but I am pretty fed up with tracting and being pushed around.  But I am all cool and collected now!  I have seen many miracles this week!  I am striving to be obedient to the mission rules so that I can be an effective tool!  Even if I am a gangsta....

I know that this church is true!  I know that our Father in Heaven loves us so dearly!  I know that as we are receptive to the spirit, he can work miracles through us!  I talk about miracles a ton but, that is what missionary work is!  I look for little miracles every day to keep myself motivated!  I know that as we pray sincerely with full intent, the Lord will deliver us!  Joseph Smith's story is so cool!  I know it is true!  Why would he put his life, and his families lives at risk, for a book????  He was an inspired man, and a true prophet of God!  I know these things are true, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mom!!!!  how have you been mate??  Man...  this week has been a ripper I reckon!  I am really exhausted!  I am still going though!  The Lord is carrying me right now, because it seems like I am running on fumes right about now!  We have been flat out.  But that is the way I like it, I would rather be working my hardest with no regrets, than to be going half speed.  I am so thankful to be on my mission!  I am learning so so so much, and I am really growing as a person!  An Ipod Shuffle and speakers sound sweet as mate!  Maybe some new ties or something as well!  My new scriptures get here in 3 weeks, and I will pay for them once they get here.  I got the cream doe!  I love you so much mum!!!  I am so thankful to have you in my life!  cheers.

Love, Elder Richins  aka:CMONEYLOVE

week 5: australia style

     

GDAY MUM!!!!!!!!

This week was pretty boring...  We did a bunch of finding this week, and got about 2 solid new contacts!  Haha Im pretty sick of tracting!  Me and my companion, are trying to think of some new ways to spread the gospel, because Australians get really angry when messengers of the lord knock on their door haha!  So me and my companion, and the rest of the district, are gonna bake heaps of cookies, and give them away for FREE on Wednesday!  Did I mention that along with the cookie, they get to hear about Jesus!  We are hoping we will be successful, I also hope I don't poison anyone with my terrible cooking skills!  One step at a time I reckon! 

We had a mission conference this week, so I got to see all my home dawgs from the MTC haha!  Elder Pierson, of the Seventy came to speak to us.  He stressed aligning ourselves with the Lord so that he can work miracles through us!  That made me think a little...  God has called missionaries to leave our families and friends for two years, so that other families can be together forever!  I started to think of the things that were holding me back, from being an effective tool for the lord!  I am trying so hard to think of others rather than myself, it has been so hard because Im a gangsta!  Its hard to put dat life away DOE!  Hahaha  Through the lord anything is possible I reckon!

The end of the transfer is next week, so I could be kicked to a whole different area!  But most likely I will stay in Wantirna South!  I love it here!  I might get a new companion too!  Or I might be training someone from the new intake of missionaries!  Its all up in the air!  Elder Sharp's (my mtc companion) visa haven't processed yet, so that's a bummer, I miss that dude!  \

I miss my friends soooooo much and I miss chilling with them, and I am hoping and praying that they are enjoying their missions, I love hearing their experiences. I love them!!!!!!!

I know that the Lord can work miracles through each and every one of us if we are willing to give ourselves to him.  I have seen so many miracles since I have been out in the field.  I love Joseph Smith, and I know that he was and is a prophet of God who helped restore the gospel to the earth!!  It amazes me how diligent he was, even after being tarred and feathered and persecuted for his beliefs, he was truly inspired!   I know that God knows what we are going through, and he wants to help, we need to humble ourselves before him, and he will bless us!!  I know this church is true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mom how are you???  YOur letters crack me up!  People look at me weird at the library because I am laughing out loud!  I am doing alright with money, I need to get some new scriptures, my other set is falling apart!  But everything else is great!  I need a haircut too I look like a wild ape right now haha!!  How are things back home?? Haha Van B sent me those pics as well haha pretty scary!!  I love you so much mum!  Everything is going sweet as over here, everything  is awesome!!!  LOve you MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Cheers
 Love, Elder Richins aka:COOPDAWGYDAWG

          

week 4: australia style

GDAY MOM!!!!

     Daggum!!  This week was so weird!  Haha I got the cops called on me twice!  Haha Me and my companion were GQing at a bus station, and we talked to heaps of people!  One bloke, that we didn't even talk to called the cops on us, because he was offended because we were talking to other people!  So yeah...  he followed me and my companion around the bus station, for about an hour, and ended up taking our pictures on his phone, and asking what our authority was.  I said "our authority is with God, sir"  and he said "I don't give a damn about your God" haha then he called the cops!!  The cops were super nice to us, and asked us very nicely to move along, they realized the bloke that called the cops belongs in the loony bin.   The second time we got the cops called on us was the very next day, with the Wantirna Elders, because we went on exchange this week.  Someone told on us again!  People in Aussie are busy bodies I reckon!

    We met with Veewan again this week, and she went to church yesterday for the first time!!!  Her baptismal date is on the 28th and she is progressing towards that date at about 85%.  Its sweet as, I reckon!  Veewan also accepted to live the word of wisdom!  MIRACLES I RECKON!  We have had a feed every night this week!  The members love us in this ward!  They actually buy groceries for us sometimes, so we can save our money for cool stuff like footballs, rugby balls, and golf hahahahahahahha!!!  P days are a hoot mate! 

     This week we did heaps of finding, we had almost no appointments this week!  I have gotten really good at tracting!  We found 8 solid new contacts this week, after hours of tracting! 

      This week has also been really hard for me!  I have hit the "one month wall."  That's what people call when you get super homesick.  I have felt super alone this week, because me and my companion don't talk much anymore.  I have had to rely on my heavenly father every day this week, and I feel like he carried me through this week, this was definitely the hardest week of my mission. 

      I know that my redeemer lives!  It has been solitified to me this week.  He really wants all of his children to be happy.  Even though I had a tough week this week, I grew so much stronger.  That's what trials are for!  Why would God send us here, if life was a walk in the park?  We came to earth to grow, because our Heavenly Father knows what we can become!!!!!!!!!!!!  I know that this church is true, I have received answers through prayer and the scriptures!  God is knocking at the door open it!  God isn't going to shake us to prove a point, he wants us to answer the call!  Man I love this work!!!!

      Mom you are the best!!  I look forward to your letter every week!!  It sounds like everything back home sounds super dope!  New is a dingleberry haha!  I hope you and dad get to take a holliday soon!  YOu guys work soo hard!!  I am so thankful for your example to me!!  Love you tons Momma!!!!! 

    Love, Elder Richins aka:COOPDAWGYDAWG

week 3: australia style

G'DAY MUM!!!!!!!!!!

     This week has been pretty cool!  We had zone conference this week, it was 6 hours of role playing and eating Subway!  Role playing is prolly the worst thing ever, it is so weird and awkward!  But its something you gotta do I guess!  We also had a golden review, on Thursday so I got to see all of my District 67 thugs from the MTC!!!  That was really fun!  We talked about how the people in Utah are much more accepting of the gospel hahahahaah!!  Whenever I tell investigators or members where I am from, they say "of course!  I swear all you damn blokes come from there"  hahahahahaaha!!!!!  I can feel the love....  

     We got to see Cassandra again this week, and she sent us a text saying that, she loves us so much, and that she was so grateful of our example to her!  She also said that her heart was slowly changing, and she was really considering coming back to church!  If she comes to church that would be THE best I will cry!!!!!!!!!!!!  

     We have a new investigator!!!  Her name is Stephanie, and she was a referral from an 18 year old girl in our ward named Chelsea Carthew!!  She is a gun!!!  Chelsea is always referring her friends to us, she is a dang good missionary I reckon.  Anyways, Stephanie is agnostic on the verge of being an atheist.  She said she loves the idea of having a God, but she just has a hard time believing!  We had an awesome lesson on how God is Our Loving Heavenly Father!  It was such a powerful lesson!  I swear every time I bare my testimony I start blubbering like a baby!  Its sad I reckon!  We committed her to pray and ask if what me and my companion said was true!  I cant wait to follow up with her! 

     Finding people to teach in Australia is hard I reckon, religion is such a sensitive subject here!  I will keep working though!  I reckon we will find heaps of people this week!  I cant wait to get back to work!

    As for me, I am doing so good!  The food here isn't that bad!  It just has no flavor, and it is soooooooo expensive!  I went to Mackers this week (mickey d's) and got a 20 piece chicken nugget, it was only 17 dollars!!  In Merica, I could have gotten it for 5, I reckon that's a rip off mate!!  On P Days, I hanggg with my British homie, Elder Beechey. He is 26, really funny and I love him!  I cant understand what he says because he is British.  I tell him to speak American all the time!  Today for P day, we are having a BBQ at Elder Beechey and Elder Lao's flat.  Then we are going to play touch rugby with the zone, and maybe some footy!  Man life is good right now!  I miss Elder Sharp though, we sang beautiful music together!  My companion doesn't sing because he thinks its unapproved.  I sing anyways, and it sounds beautiful!  This girl is on FIRE!!! 

     I know that God gives his toughest tests to his toughest soldiers!  I know that he knows each of us by name and loves us so dearly!  Its crazy to see how much I have changed in a year!  Last year I would have never even thought about going on a mission, I thought it would be a waste of my time.  The lord has molded me into something great, and now I have the opportunity to teach, and testify to people that need a little faith in their lives!  I have seen some pretty rotten circumstances, and I know that this gospel can change anyone, if first they are willing to change.  I know my redeemer lives, and he is cheering each and every one of us on! 

      MUM, I miss you so much!!  Im glad Bentley has a new friend, I was actually thinking about how life was for Bentley and Baxter yesterday!  I miss my homies!  That story about Maguire made me pee my pants. I was laughing so hard haha!! Dang I miss hangin with my mum in the holla hood Doe!!  YOure dope!!  I am always thinking about you!!!  YOu are such an amazing example to me!!!~  YOu raised me right!!  Im loving life right now, but I get really homesick too!  I cant wait to call on Christmas to see mah peeps!!!  I love you so much mom!!!!

         

                                            Love, Elder Richins aka: COOPDAWGYDAWG

It's good to see my buddy hasn't changed

Coop and his companion Elder Afele

Coop with his Mission President.
President Maxwell and Sister Maxwell