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

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