week 100: australia style...the final week

Gday Friends and Family,

I just wanted to say thank you for all the support that you have given me over the course of my mission.  My life has been truly blessed by your example, I am really sad to see my mission coming to an end but I am indeed grateful to my Heavenly Father for the opportunity he has given me to serve.  

I would love to share my last mission miracle with all of you that happened this past week, my companion and I went on splits with one of our ward missionaries named Bro. Faatauvaa.  Bro. Faatauvaa was in the back of the car and he felt a really strong prompting that we should go to see a member that was sick in the ward.  As we pulled up to this members house we came to the knowledge that this member had a non member cousin with them so we went in to teach her and as she read the Book of Mormon she exclaimed "I know this Book is True, when can I get baptised??"  She was baptised on my last weekend on my mission her name is Ina and she is such a great example to me.  I couldn't of thought of a better way to end my mission.  Has the day of miracles seized??  Nay!!!

I love this work and I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ, my testimony has been strengthened over the course of these two years.  I know that God lives, and I know Jesus is the Christ and that the Book of Mormon testifies of him and is the word of God,  I know that anyone who reads this book and prays to know the truth they will receive.  I know we are led by prophets, seers and revelators in this troubling time!  Thank you again for all that you have done for me, to make my mission special!  I love yous all and look forward to seeing you again soon!

Love, Elder Richins

the goodbyes have already begun.... :(

week 98: australia style

Gday mum

This week was pretty good, we started off the week with an exchange out in the bush like a 2 1/2 hour drive from Cranbourne!  I went with an Elder from Burma, he is only the 12th missionary to ever leave from Burma, he has a very inspiring story it strengthened my faith.  On our exchange we knocked doors all day, pretty much because they are trying to find a new teaching pool. We met some really cool people while we were there, but I was exhausted after. Nothing like knocking doors each day!! :)  That is what I am going to do on my last day and then I will never knock another door for the rest of my life hahahahah jokes!!  I love tracting!!!  I am keen to do it, when I get home!!!

We also had my last zone conference and I gave my last zone conference training. It was pretty sad. I love those meetings.  I trained on "leaving your best testimony at every door."  I talked about just like.. if you had the prophet over for a feed, you would give him the best food you had in your pantry at the time.  We need to leave our best testimony with everyone we meet on the street and who we tract into. It was a fun training!!  I am glad I am not scared to talk in front of people anymore, I was deathly afraid of it before I left....  Just one of the lessons I have learned on my mission.  

Hi mum!!  I am doing good. Monday was pretty sad and I also prayed and I felt so much peace and comfort.  I am going to miss him heaps and it will be really different coming home without him, but everything will be ok. He is in a much better place than we are now, probably chillin' on something soft waiting for us hahaa!!  I love that little guy!!  I am all good at the moment, just want to make the most of the time I have left and finish stronger than ever.  I love this work with all my heart and I love serving Heavenly Father.  I am so grateful for you and dad, for your strength and courage you have both had, such a great journey.  I am so proud of both of you. You are the best parents anyone could ever ask for!  I love you mum!  Have a great week!!  Cheers

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 97: australia style

one our district meetings from this week

Gday mum

This week has been alright, we have been really busy trying to sort out the new missionaries for the new transfer.  We lost allot of missionaries due to the last transfer and now it is time to adjust.  So the work was a bit slower than it was usually but a cool experience we had yesterday at church we got to teach elders quorum and we had a pretty cool lesson.  We talked  about rescue visits so we had everyone right down names of brethren they knew who weren't at class and what we  did was we called all of these brethren to tell them we love them and miss them.  Then we invited the quorum to go and rescue those lost quorum members during the week.  It was a really awesome lesson to see missionary work in action among the members of the quorum.

Mum, I am really sad to hear that news about Bentley, he was one of my best friends and I am sad to hear that he is gone.  I know Jesus Christ lives though, and although we experience sadness in this life I know and I testify that The Atonement of Jesus Christ swallows up the sadness we feel.  I am really going to miss him, I love you mum. I hope you have a great week!

Love Elder Richins

week 96: australia style

gday mum!!!!

This week was pretty good, it was the last week of the transfer!  So I am staying in Cranbourne for 1 more and I will die here in the Gippsland zone!!!  I leave in the middle of this transfer so it is pretty weird.  Elder Orrego is staying with me too!!!!!  

I have a funny story to tell though, so we were supposed to have a baptism yesterday for our investigator Shane.  He was so excited and we had everything planned out perfectly and we filled up the font he got into his white clothing and so did my comp and we started the program.  After singing the opening hymn and saying a prayer I got back up to conduct the baptism and Shane gapped it out the door and went to the bathroom, he opened up the font door and was about to get into the water and I told him he could get in until after we had a talk by the member of the bishopric.  After I said it he cracked it, he started screaming and he went back into the bathroom and changed back to his street clothes and then he screamed at his mum "I am never getting baptised!"  It was a pretty weird experience, but I know right now it is not his time the Lord has other plans.  The other lesson I learned is that when someone wants to get baptised just baptise em hahahaha!!  

Gday mum!!  How are you??  This week has been really busy we had a couple of exchanges and one of them was way out in the bush.  I am excited to stay another transfer, I thought I was going to leave but the Lord has different plans for me.  I am bearing my testimony at the transfer meeting tomorrow for all of the departing missionaries it is pretty weird but I still have heaps of time left!  Hahaha 
 I love you so much mum, if you have any Q's I will be on for another 10 mins or so!  Cheers!

week 95: australia style

pday

we had a mean as zone meeting

gday mum!!!

Bit of a short one this week, we had a public holiday this week and today we have heaps of appts!  But this past week we had a zone meeting and it was awesome!!  My companion and I trained on setting expectations with our investigators and the question that we revolved our training around was "Do our investigators know they are investigating." After the zone meeting Elder Orrego and I felt super pumped and so did the rest of the zone, this past week we had as a zone had been the best one since I have been in the zone so that was really good.  Shane one of our investigators is getting baptised this Sunday so we are stoked as for that, everything is going really well I am loving it out here!!  I love you so much, I hope you have a great week!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: Cmoney

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

week 85: australia style

strawberry cake farewell to werribee

Gday mum!!

I have been transferred to the Cranbourne area in the Gippsland zone!!!!  Man it is really good!!  It is another Samoan ward, so I will continue to get really fat hahahaahahah!  I am with Elder Orrego he is from Canada.  He is the manskis!!  This week has been really good we went on exchanges with one of the district leaders and interviewed one of their baptismal candidates.  We took a 30 minute drive to a place called Pakenam and then took a 2 and a half hour train ride to their area it is called Sale.  Guess what that isn't even the furthest area it is ridonculous!!  This is the biggest zone in the mission, so I guess we are gonna get used to heaps of driving and training lol!!  The exchange went really good though, we tracted the entire day and we found a guy named Jacob and we set a baptismal date with him for April 25th he is keen as a bean.  It just goes to show that when we put in the effort and do what the Lord asks he will always bless us.  I know the blessing is not always someone to baptise but the Lord with help us grow in our conversion to the Gospel how cool is that!?!?!?!  I am loving it in Gippsland it is the bomb.com!  

Today I was able to study outside in a park because our car needed to be serviced pretty early so we went to a nearby park and studied the scriptures.  I was overwhelmed with the spirit as I pondered God's creation, how lucky are we to live here on this planet.  I cannot deny the existence of God whatsoever his hand is in everything it was a really cool experience this morning!

Hi mum!!  The computers here are lame sauce and I don't have a library card yet so I only get to email for 30 minutes instead of an hour pretty lame!!  Just want you to know that I love you and that I am really happy in my new area I am going to finish my mission here I think pretty crazy to think about!  I hope you have a great week!! love you! Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 84: australia style

Gday mum!!

Well I am leaving Werribee after 7 months!!!  It is crazy to be leaving I thought I was going to end my mission here.  So my guesses for my new area, are the Melbourne city zone and the Tasmania zone!!  It will probably be somewhere else because the Lord likes to keep us on our toes hahaha!!  This week has been great though, we found this Iranian family this week Marzehe, Amir, and Hadis.  They have been in Australia for 7 months, and they are formerly from the Islam faith but they converted to the Presbyterian church.  They love Jesus Christ, it was so inspiring to see the love and devotion they have towards the Savior of the world.  I gave this family the Book of Mormon and the next day we went over they had already read half of it and they wanted to get baptised as Mormons!!  What a miracle!  They will be baptised on April 18th, I am so excited for them to take this step!!  

It is amazing how the Lord puts us in the right place at the right time to serve his children it is truly inspiring to know that the Lord trusts 18-26 year olds to share his Gospel with the whole world.  We are just instruments, the spirit is the true teacher, I love being an instrument in the Lord's hands this work is the greatest!!!

Hi mum!!  I forgot to take a pic in my new suit, I will take one tomorrow at transfer meeting hahahhaha!!  It looks super snazzy!  This week has been really hard having to say good bye to people that I came to love over the past 7 months of my mission, I am probably going to my last area on my mission and it feels really weird hahahaha!  I love you so much mum, you are an inspiration to me thank you for all that you do!  I hope you have a great week!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 83: australia style

blueberry cake with blueberry frosting and
blueberry cream and blueberry sauce
 with extra blueberries our RC made us this creation!!!

Gday mum!!!!

This week has been really good!!  I went on 2 exchanges this week with Elder Thompson from Duschene county utah and Elder Kaanapu from Provo Utah!!!  They are both great Elders, me and my companion have a new obsession and it is kebabs!!!!!  So every exchange we went on this week we took them to a kebab shop to get them hooked!!  After emails we are getting some kebabs, we have a shop we go to and the owner loves us, he gives us extra meat and extra chips what a great guy!! 

We saw a miracle yesterday with our investigator Sam, he told us a few weeks ago that he didn't want to get baptised until May and we were like "that's a long time" So we kept seeing him and inviting him to read the BOM, the bad thing was he couldn't fully understand the english version of the Book of Mormon, and it was causing him to stop reading.  So yesterday we brought with us a Samoan Book of Mormon and he started reading in front of us and he told us "ok, I am ready to get baptised."  It is so amazing that when we understand the Doctrine of Christ it enables us to change our behaviors!  He is getting baptised in 2 weeks, I am really excited for him!!  My testimony of the convincing power of the Book of Mormon was strengthened this week, I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and we can get nearer to God by reading it and obeying the teachings in it!  I love it!!

Hi mum!!!!!  For my birthday I finally made a decision, I got myself some new leather bound scriptures because my old ones are falling apart, the pages and that keep coming out lol!!  I also found a really cheap light gray suit!!  It looks pretty snazzy, I will take a picture and send it to you.  I haven't sent a picture to Eila yet, because I keep forgetting to write down their address when I email.  But I will do it today for sure.  Sorry for not taking too much time in emails the past couple of weeks, just a bunch of crazy stuff we have had to do.  Today the only plans we have for p day is cleaning the flat and we are going to play volleyball with a bunch of Samoan people at the chapel!!!!   They are so good at volleyball, I get scared when they spike the ball hahaha!  But I am doing all good, we have transfers in two weeks so by next email I should know if I am going or staying.  I love you so much mum!!!  I hope you have a wonderful week!  I am bummed to hear mac broke his arm that is a bummer!!  Hopefully he likes his cast :) love you!!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: Cmoneylove

week 82: australia style

Gday mum!!

Not much happened this week, my birthday was really good, the zone threw a birthday party for my companion and I.  It was really special and it was good to be with all the missionaries in the zone.  We had MLC this week for my birthday so we were at the mission home all day, but the good thing is that they made homemade café rio!!!!!  It was grouse!!  This week we set a few baptismal dates with a girl named Michelle, another guy named Allan and also Bailey.  Michelle was a miracle I met her at the train station and she is a really strong 7th day Adventist.  She came to church yesterday and we had a chance to teach her after.  We taught her the Restoration and bore testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.  She accepted a date and she was really willing to read the Book of Mormon. 

Hey mum!!  I don't have too much time today we are in a place called Geelong and it is a public holiday over here so we only have limitied time.  My birthday was awesome!!  I haven't bought anything yet, it has been super flat out this week, but maybe I will get something today :).  I love you so much mum!!  Thank you for the birthday wishes, have a great week!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMUNZ

week 81: australia style

muscle gods

found my first koala

happy birthday this week to the most kind, selfless, giving,
sensitive, hilarious, charismatic, perfect
baby boy in the world.
i never thought i could love another human being so much.
you are an example to everyone around you.
thank you for your sacrifices...everyday!
you make our lives better.
happy 20th birthday baby...
your mom and dad love you so so much.
i will see you at the escalator in 138 days!!!

Gday mum!!!

This week has been so busy!!  We only spend like 2 days in our area this week due to a bunch of things that came up!!  We went on exchange in Warrnambool and I went with Elder Higham he is from Maryland!  He is cool as, we did a bunch of finding we found all day actually it was so fun!!  We just went up and down the city center and talked to everyone we could, we got some pizza afterwards and it was awesome.  We found a lady named Kirileen that had us back that same day and I wasnt able to attend but they were and she was solid as, what a miracle!!!  

We had Elder Bednar come to our mission, and I got to shake his hand, me and my companion and 2 other Elders were the only ones that got to shake his hand it was so cool!!!  He is so inspired.  He talked about how we are agents to act and not to be acted upon, and that we need to use our agency to make and keep sacred covenants and perform ordinances by the power of the Priesthood.  I was really inspired to baptise all of MELBOURNE after, I still am... Lets go to work!!!

Gday mum!  Thank you for the birthday wishes and for all of your patience with me throughouot the years.  I am really grateful the way that you and dad raised me, you are the best parents out there and I am so blessed to be your son!!  I love you so much mum!!  Have an awesome week!  I dont have much time we have zone p day today!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 80: australia style

Gday mum!!

 

This week has been pretty good, we basically dropped all of our investigators and went finding all day erryday!!  We also had the chance to go on a couple exchanges this week, the first one I went on was with Elder Swenson from West Point Utah!  He has been on his mission for about 7 weeks so he is fairly new, it was heaps of fun to serve together for the day.  We taught one of our investigators that we didnt drop named Sam, Sam is a walking miracle.  We taught him about the Restoration and accepted everything and he is actively reading the Book of Mormon as well and praying, he is going really well.  He is getting baptised next month :) 

I also had the chance to go on an exchange with Elder Suan from Burma, he is the man.  He has such a great story, he and his 2 brothers are the only members in his family and his father is a baptist minister.  His parents didnt support him being out here, but he did it anyway.  He is a great inspiration to me.  We tracted all day long in 36 degree Celsius heat, we got to teach a man in his home that let us in.  His name is Amad, he accepted a baptismal date, what a miracle!  We both felt really good about the day! 

I really do know that this is the one true Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know without a doubt that Christ leads this church.  I know it was Restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that the Book of Mormon is the absolute word of God.  I have felt the Holy Spirit whisper to me the truthfulness of this book numerous times.  This is the best!!!  I love it!!  I am also super excited because Elder Bednar is coming to our mission this Saturday to speak to us.  I am keen as a bean! 

Hey mum!!  I cant believe I am almost 20 my companions birthday is on the 5th of March so we are going to celebrate our birthdays on the 4th hahhaha!  I actually went to the airport today to drop off an Elder that is going to tazzy, it felt so weird to be there, I didnt like it haha.  So right now I am with Elder Cook and his companion in his area because we are waiting for another Elder to come through the airport haha.  I love you so much mum!  I hope you have a great week!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONTY

week 79: australia style

Gday mum!!!

This week was heaps grouse!!  My new companion is named Elder Newell he is from Alpine Utah!  Half of our zone is from Utah it is pretty funny!!  He is a great missionary, I am really excited to work with him.  We saw quite a few miracles this week but the one I want to share happened yesterday.  So we saw our investigator Sam this week and taught him and invited him to be baptised he had no interest.  So we invited him to come to church and to come with the question "should I get baptised?"  So he came to church and after sacrament he came to our Gospel Principle class, and a question was asked by the teacher "how has baptism effected your life."  One of my RC, Pue got up and shared a powerful as testimony with her experience at baptism.  Sam came up to us after the class and told us that Pue's testimony touched his heart.  He asked us if he could get baptised!  My comp. and I were keen as a bean!!!!!!!!!!!! :) 

I know that testimonies are one of the greatest resources we have to share the Gospel with others.  I am grateful for the humble testimony I have, and the strength it gives me.  It was really cool to see Pue put her testimony in action! MIRACLES!!!!!

Hey mum!!  This week was really good, I am really happy right now.  Before I came to Werribee I never ate lunch so that I could do more work, and Elder Cook really liked to eat.  But Elder Newell hates eating lunch too so we don't eat lunch anymore and we are seeing so many miracles every day!  And I am losing some weight ;)  Elder Newell is the man, we get along really well, it was really sad to see Elder Cook go.  We became good friends.  I reckon for the b day money is usually good, but it is up to you :)  I have had 11 baptisms on my mission, I have been too blessed.  I love this work mum, I want to spread the Gospel to the whole world with and only with the Lord's help!  I love you so much mum!!!  Have an awesome week!  Headaches are doing good now:)  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 78 : australia style

Gday mum!!

This week was grouse!!  We had a miracle this week my companion and I planned out, 3 hours of tracting.  So we were going hard for 3 hours going from door to door, and we didn't see much success.  Then on our way back to the car after our 3 hours of knocking we knew that the Lord would put someone in our path to teach.  So we kept walkin and we came across this family moving into a new home.  So we ran over and picked up some of their furniture and put it in the house, they were appreciative for the service and we told them we were missionaries and they were really interested in learning about the message.  We taught them about prophets and how as they follow the prophet the Lord will bless them.  They were really excited and they accepted baptismal dates!  That just goes to show, that when we do our best to put ourselves in a position to serve the Lord will do the rest!  That was a great experience!  I am staying another transfer in Werribee and Elder Cook is going we were both pretty surprised but I am excited to say in the Bee!!!!  I love it here, and I love the Wyndham zone!!

Gday mum!!  Sounds like mac's b day was a hoot!  I wish I was there, man he is getting big and his hair is getting really long lol!  He looks like a hippy with his headband hahahaha.  I cant believe he can start driving that is weird as, we will have to drag race when I get back lol!  Today is gonna be a bit boring just watch my comp pack, maybe play some b ball we will see!  Excited to see what happens this next transfer!  I love you so much mum!!!  I am all good with everything right now, just trying to lose some weight lol!  My donut modelling prolly wont be helping me too much in the weight factor lol!  I hope you have a great week!  I love you!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 77: australia style

Gday mum!!

This week was pretty good!  Got to go to the temple this week, which was really good!  Seemed like it had been ages since I last went.  I also had the chance to go on 2 exchanges this week, the first one was with an Elder Named Elder Wahlquist he is from Springvale Utah.  He has an awesome story, he is an older missionary but his conversion story is amazing.  He taught me allot on the exchange about teaching with love even if someone is getting on your nerves.  He has only been out for 4 weeks.  But we had an awesome exchange!

I had a really powerful exchange with an Elder from Logan Utah, haha heaps of factory boys.  He had been struggling in the past, but I prayed all the day long of the exchange that I would be able to discern what he needed.  We talked about some of the things he was struggling with and how he could overcome them.  I told him that I knew he could do it, since then it's been a couple of days.  He has made a massive change, and he saw some fruit from his labors they set 2 dates yesterday, in an area that has been dry since nam.  But that was a really cool experience, I am really grateful that Heavenly Father would trust me with helping the missionaries in the zone.  That was definitely a cool experience.

Gday mum!!  This is the last week of the transfer, I am pretty sure I am going to leave.  I have been here for 6 months now, and President told me that he was probably going to move me to another zone in the mission.  But whatever happens, happens. I am excited to see what happens.  But today I think we are going to play golf, so we will see how that goes I am pretty excited right now.  But after I might want to go tin cup.  hahahahaha!!  I stink at golf!  Sorry no pics this week I forgot my camera cord!  I love you so much mum!  Thank you for your prayers and support!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka:CMUNZ

week 76: australia style

Gday mum!!!

This week has been really good!  I got to go on a few exchanges this week, one of them I went with an Elder from Brisbane named Elder Faatau.  That was an awesome exchange.  We had an awesome experience together, we were walking all day and didn't eat much and by the end of the day we were dead.  So we kept tracting up the street from the flat.  It was 8:58 and me and Elder Faatau looked at eachother and we said "lets run" because 9:00 is our curfew, so we started sprinting and I thought I was going to collapse due to lack of food and water.  But with each stride I felt like someone was helping me run that distance to be obedient.  So we made it back to the flat on time.  It really strengthened my testimony that God will always prepare a way for his children to obey the commandments.  That was a tender mercy of the Lord. 

I also got to go on exchange with another Elder from Brisbane named Elder Waith, and that exchange was powerful as.  We set a date together with a man named Anthony, and then later that night we cast an evil spirit out of a man.  It was probably the scariest thing that I have experienced but it strengthens my faith to know that God trusts me with a sliver of his power to exercise for the service of others.  Definitely an experience I will never forget!  I will tell you the story when I get home, it is too long to type lol!!

HEY MUM!!  I am sorry I don't have much time but today is Australia day, and we have a shorter time to email due to the public holiday.  I am happy, safe and loving this work.  I love you so much have a great week!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 75: australia style

Gday mum!!

This week was really good!  We had Elder Pearson of the seventy come on a mission tour this week!  First off he came to our MLC, it was funny because he pretty much tore all of the zone leaders and the assistants apart piece by piece and then he built us up again piece by piece.  He told us that "good just isn't good enough."  That really inspired me to be better, I think sometimes we can become content with the way things are going... especially when things are going well.  Wyndham zone is doing really really well.  But it is not good enough, there is more work to do and more people to find.  So after the 4 hour chastisement, we went home and we were thinking about what we could do...  We decided to go around to each of the Elder's flats and talk to  them about their vision for their area....  We left with them commitments and suggestions on how they could improve.  After those visits we saw the urgency come up by a mile.  We then had the chance to hear from Elder Pearson as a zone, at zone conference and this time it was a 6 hour chastisement but I felt even stronger.  After both of those meetings it felt like I had angels on my left and right, and I was wielding a huge sword.  I still feel that way, I want to do all that I can to help.

Cleveland's baptism went really well, it was grouse!  We also had another baptism for a woman named Evelyn!  It was such an amazing weekend!  I am really loving the work, and I know that no matter what we have done we can seek forgiveness from the Savior.  Elder Pearson said that after this takes place we need to "let it go."  The Lord tells us that if we repent he will "remember them no more."  We shouldn't let past mistakes hold us back from being better.  I love it!

Gday mum!!  I am glad you had a good week though, this week was really good, the headaches are still bothering me.  I am not too sure why they keep coming back.  I am drinking plenty of water and such.  But I will keep praying for strength, thank you for your prayers!  We have a couple more baptisms coming up this week, which should be pretty grouse!!  We also have interviews with President this week, I cant wait to see him!  He is so awesome, I love just chatting with him.  I hope you have an awesome week mum!  I love you so much!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY