week 50: australia style

Gday mum!!

This week was way good!!!  The district saw so many miracles this week it is crazy!  My companion and I were blessed to set 3 baptismal dates this week.  There names are Julianne, Malueth, and Maboot.  We have been so blessed, we have really been focusing on just working hard day in and day out and we are seeing results come from it. 

We experienced a huge miracle, we got a call on Friday from a guy named bro Brown.  He asked us if we could come to a place called Footscray to give a blessing to a non member that lived in our area.  This non member's wife is a long time less active member of the church, and she said a prayer because she was worried about if her husband would survive, and she received the answer to invite people to give her partner a blessing.  Her partner had a fall at work, and went into a coma and while in the coma they found out that he had a brain tumor.  So we went to the hospital and we waited for ages, and it was time for our cerfew so we just left...  The day after the 2 brothers that stayed gave the blessing and said in the blessing that this man would be fully restored to health.  One of the men that gave the blessing grabbed the arm of the less active woman and said after the blessing was over "don't you forget this miracle that is about to happen..."  As of last night the man that received the blessing woke up from his coma, and has a clean bill of health!  If that is not a miracle I don't know what is!!!  We are going to teach them both this week, and I am so very excited!!  I love this work!

Gday mum!!!!  How are you going???  Man I really like my new area, it has been a blast getting out to all of the new members!!  I am loving being a district leader as well, I have such an awesome district that is working so hard right now!!  As for the family trip I will go anywhere!!!  But I would like to go to Hawaii or costa rica!  Mum, I love being a missionary it has been such a blessing to me in my life...  My companion is really cool still, we love playing b ball together and that is what we are up to today!!  I cant wait!  Lets just say though, I have never ever ever ever ever seen so much food in my life.  I am in the danger zone mate!!  Hahahahahha!!!  I love you so much mum!!!  Thank you for all that you do for me!  have an awesome week!  Cheeers!

Love, Elder Richins

week 49: australia style

Gday mum!!

Well I have been transferred to a place called Hillside in the Deer Park zone.  Haha it is an islander area, so if I was worried about gaining weight before I should be heaps more terrified hahaha!!  It is good as though, I am serving as district leader so that has been pretty good!  My companion is the man, his name is Elder Parsons he is from New Zealand.  He is a very humble man, and I have really enjoyed serving with him the past couple of days.

The work this week went very well, my companion and I worked heaps with former investigators and were able to set 2 dates with a man named Riiny and also another man named Domingo.  They are both very keen, to learn more about the Gospel.  We also worked with a less active named Brother Williams, and we shared a message with him and he came to church for the first time in like 10 years.  He was so happy to get back, and it really strengthened my testimony that people can change, and that through Jesus Christ we can change.  I really love my new area, and the ward is great they are always looking to serve the missionaries I am excited to see the work progress here and also in the district.  My life is being blessed from the people that I am meeting!

Gday mum!!  How are you going??  I am going to have to apologize that I cant put any pictures up on the computer because I forgot my adapter.  It sounds like yous have had an awesome week with everything.  That story that you told me about the man that paid for your food was awesome as!  I am in an islander area right now, and lets just say I have never seen so much food in my entire life......  I am running wind sprints every morning to keep off the weight, and I am fasting during the day so I don't die at dinner time.  Haha I will send a picture of the feeds we get, it is awesome!!!  I am loving my new companion he has been out for 3 months and he is the man.  He loves basketball so we get along really well.  The district is pretty good as well, I have one of the Elders from my intake in it named Elder Noble.  I am excited to serve.  I love you so much mum!!!  Have an awesome week!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: Coopdawgggg

week 48: australia style

lava cakes

Gday mum!!

This week was pretty productive, we were able to teach quite a few lessons.  First off Navid, one of our progressing investigators came to church for the first time and he loved it, he really enjoyed the piano and the songs we sang.  His English is not the best, and he didnt understand a lot of the things said but you could tell he felt the spirit.  Another miracle we had this week was, we went to a funeral home and put our names down as clergy for people in distress and we got to talk to two very nice people working at the funeral home.  One of them had been to the states and had seen the Book of Mormon theatrical play and he was interested in learning more about the church.  So we set an appointment to see him on Sat!  It is crazy how the Lord prepares his children to learn about the Gospel.  

We had quite a few lessons fall through again this week which was a bit frustrating, but we managed to find some solid new contacts to follow up with in the coming weeks.  Elder Garcia Kempf is starting to lead in teaching, and man....  He is doing a great job.  Although he still speaks broken English, I could feel the spirit so strong when he taught.  I have really enjoyed my time with him these 6 weeks.  I am being transferred along with my companion.  It was a huge surprise to us both, mostly because the area is going really well at the moment.  But the Lord has a plan, and I will follow where he tells me to go.  But it is a little bit sad, to see this area go, because I felt like there are still people here for me to help.  The Lord needs me somewhere else.  I love this Gospel with all my heart, and although times may not be easy, as we rely on Jesus Christ and his Atonement all is possible.  

Gday mum how are you going???  Sounds like it has been a bit of a full on week.  I am sad to hear that Mac is struggling with his health a little bit, I am definatley keepin him in my prayers daily.  Man....  I am pretty suprised that I am leaving hey....  Kinda bummed out too.  But everything will work out.  This week has been pretty beautiful weather wise, there has been quite a bit of sunshine goin so that is really good.  I am really excited to see where I end up, to see who I can help next.  Today I need to pack, and then we are playiing basketball with the district and some members of Eltham ward so that will be heaps of fun.  I hate packing lol.  No folding required just chuck all my clothes in a bag a call it a bewdy mate hahahahah!  I love you so much mum!!  Thank you for all you do for me.   Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY 

week 47: australia style

sparklers!!

spreading the gospel with an elderly man at the library

Croike dingo!!!

This week was pretty good, although we had quite a few appointments with our progressing investigators fall through.  We were able to do quite a bit of finding this week, and we found some solid people to follow up with this week.  We are seeing some massive miracles as we continue to use members as our focus for spreading the Gospel.  We were able to teach one member referral this week named Bianca, and she was really interested in prophets and how the Gospel was restored through a living prophet.  We have been leaving specific commitments for the members each week we see them, and this week's commitment was to invite one person to church or to learn about the Gospel in two weeks.  This got the members pretty excited and we are seeing some solid referrals in the making as we have done this.

I am loving being in Eltham, there are people being prepared here and my companion and I are doing all that we can to find them.  We are seeing blessings and miracles come as we are exactly obedient to the mission rules.  I feel my testimony growing so much in the past couple of weeks, specifically my testimony of Joseph Smith.  I have been basing allot of my studies lately on Joseph Smith, and because of that I really do know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.  I know that I have been called by a prophet of God to come to Melbourne at this time, and although I am very imperfect I know that I can do all things through Jesus Christ someone that suffered and died for all of my imperfections and heartache.  I love this Gospel so much and it is so real.

Croike dingo mum, how are you going??  Sounds like you have had a pretty full on week, with mac...  This week was really good.  I did get a chance to celebrate the 4th a little bit, we went over to an American couple's home in the ward and they had a big barby and rootbeer!!!  I hadnt seen rootbeer in ages!  Been like a year lol.  They also had jolly ranchers and a bunch of American lollies, they went all out they are awesome!  They also gave us a pack of sparklers, so Elder Garcia Kempf and I that night after planning went outside in the freezing cold and did sparklers!!  It was sweet!  We have done quite a bit of finding this week like I said earlier, and I am excited to follow up with the contacts that we found.  Although there is not much to report on, we still had a really productive week, and we are working as hard as we can.  I wish I was there when yous sang in Sacrament, I bet yous did great!  I love you so much mum, and I am thankful for all you do for me, I looked at my watch today and it said July 7th, and I was like "woah" I thought it was june still.  It is flying by I reckon!!!  Have a good week!!  Cheers

Love, Elder RIchins

aka:C$<3