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