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

week 74: australia style

Gday mum!! 

This week was pretty hectic, we went on two exchanges this week!!  I went with Elder Gines from Kaysville Utah!!!  He is the man, I had heaps of fun with him he went to Davis High.  I also went with Elder Bucholz from Mesa, Arizona!!  He is also the man of the hour!  We had MLC this week, and all of the zone leaders got to watch Meet the Mormons!!  It was an awesome movie, I flippin cried I was so happy!  So Kaea and Amy's baptism got pushed back a couple of weeks, because of the mum but hopefully it will happen soon!  One of Our investigators, Cleveland overcame his fear of water this past week, so he is ready to get baptised on Saturday.  He came up to us at church yesterday, and said "I am ready."  My comp and I jumped for joy!!  But my faith has been strengthened in obedience this week, I have been thinking heaps about am I obedient just to be obedient or am I being obedient because I love Christ.  I love Jesus Christ and that is my motivation to serve.  I love it out here, want to do this forever.

Gday mum!!  You may want to go get checked by a doctor, that is not good going around in pain.  I will definitely keep you in my prayers.  I hope you recover soon, have dad give you a massage or something!  Today I am going to just take it easy, my headaches have been coming back, and I think it is because I am not taking it easy very often.  Always on the go.  So I am going to just sit back, read the scriptures maybe eat a sandwich or something.  My companion feels the same way lol!!   It was raining cats and dogs this week though, so it was good to escape from the heat haha!  But I am loving the work at the moment, I am still with Elder Cook he is the man.  I have been with him the same amount of time as Elder Richey 5 months!!  I love you so much mum!!  I hope you get better !!!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY

week 73: australia style

modeling career

Gday mum!!

This week was really good, feels like it went by pretty quick!  We had transfers this week, so on Tuesday we spent most of the day transferring luggage for the new missionaries in the zone.  We have an awesome zone!!  Two days this week were 40-42 degrees Celsius!  It was so hot, so we thought we would qualify for some blessings by tracting in it :)  It was awesome, we tracted for 2 hours and didn't see much success but the last person we talked to on the last door, they were really interested!!  It was a man named Tuli and he is from Samoa, most of his family are members but he is not.  He was really interested in the message of the Restoration, so we talked for a bit and he invited us back this week!  It is cool how the Lord grants unto us miracles AFTER the trial of our faith.  I love this Gospel!!  So this upcoming week we are baptising a girl named amy and a boy named Kaea.  They are Terawa's siblings, we baptised Terawa 2 months ago!  We are so excited for them.  This Gospel is continuing to shape me into someone that I never thought I could be, the Lord has worked miracles on me, after the trial of my faith.

Gday mum!!  I am really sorry to hear that you got food poisoning, that is not good!!  Remember when I got food poisoning a couple of weeks ago, that wasn't very fun hahahaha!  You are in my prayers. Today we have zone p day, we are going to go lazer tag!  It should be awesome!  I havent been on my mission yet.  But it is starting to get really hot outside!  But life is good, and I am loving the work!  I love you so much mum!  I hope you have a wonderful week!  Get better soon!  Cheers!

Love, Elder Richins

aka: CMONEY