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