NYC week 7

Querido Friends and Familia,

Greetings from Nueva York. We were caroling on Christmas eve to some of the members in our ward and it started to snow, I was so happy! It didn't stick though, but that's okay because people in New York get frieked out when there is even a little bit of snow on the ground. One of our members asked me if they cancel school in Idaho if it snows too much. I said noooope they never cancel it. Ever. :) He was shocked!

This week not a whole lot happened, it's the holidays so a lot of people are on vacation so it has been hard to get a hold of our investigators. Sister Aguirre and I are trying to think of new ways of finding people and trying to think of ways we can teach so people will have the desire to get baptized. This is one of the things I am having a hard time with because it seems like Heavenly Father puts all these super legit people in our path and we start teaching them but then they always fade away and become uninterested. Are we doing something wrong or is this normal? I guess this just means we have to find more people! :) Something I am learning (and at times it's painful) is learning to be patient and have faith in the Lord's timing. Sometimes I get frustrated because I can't understand the members when they talk to me or I don't understand what's going on in a lesson because I have a hard time understanding the person's spanish. BUT, although these things are hard they are helping me grow. I just need to have more faith in the Lord and trust that he called me spanish speaking for a reason (and that I should be grateful that it's just spanish, and not mandarin or japanese or something) and someday I will find that reason out.

Last Friday we had a Christmas devotional with our whole mission. It was great and I met so many fun missionaries! We were also able to be reunited with our elders from the MTC! Elder Kerr and Elder Meek! They are so great! It was so fun to see them and hear their experiences of the last 7 weeks. Elder Meek has a super legit trainer and they have 7 people ready to get baptized, I need to learn his secrets ;)

Last Tuesday (the 18th) we were able to go do service at a Senior Center. It was SO great! At first I didn't know what to do and felt a little awkward but as soon as I jumped in and forgot about myself it was so fun! That is the secret to service. Forget yourself and go to work :D I keep having to remind myself of this daily. I love serving and have an awesome trainer who is the epitomy of charity and service. She never thinks about herself and is constantly reaching out to members in our ward or to investigators and helping them feel the love of Christ. I have to remind myself she has been out for 9 months and I have only out for 7 weeks. Someday I hope I can be like her! She loves her mission so much and last week when she hit her 9 month mark she was so distraught because she hates that time is passing so quickly. She is teaching me a lot about charity, selflessness, and love. She's the best!

Family I am so so happy and grateful for this opportunity to serve the Lord. It is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done. (I say that a lot but it's true!) Sister Aguirre pointed out to me yesterday that one LITERALLY give up everything to come out on a mission. Your comfort zone, food, friends, family, etc etc. I have been blessed to still have the luxury of being in the USA (I think Heavenly Father knew I couldn't handle being more than 2000 miles away from my family ;)) But you know what? With all my heart this sacrifice is worth it. To be able to talk to people about the gospel on a daily basis and bear my testimony many times a day of Jesus Christ is an experience that I will never have again. Talk to any missionary and they will tell you that their mission was their best 18-24 months of their life. We have such a huge job to do but Heavenly Father knows with His help we can do it. I can't wait to hear where my sister and brother, Missy and Willie, get called! Heavenly Father needs you out here. It's amazing to think that they are heading out with this new generation of missionaries. It's so exciting! 

In the MTC we sing "The Army of Helaman" but they changed it so the chorus reads:

We are as the Army of Helaman

We have been called in our youth

And we are now the Lord's missionaries

to bring the world His truth.

I loved singing this in the MTC and remembering it on a daily basis now that I am out in the field.

I can't wait for Missy and Willie to be able to experience the MTC, it's amazing!!!!!

Thank you all for your love and support, have a wonderful new year!!!!!

Con Amor,

Hermana Richardson

NYC week 6

December 19, 2012

It turns out that the horrible elementary school shooting that happened over the weekend in Newton, CT -- it's in our mission and one of the Elders in my zone was just transferred there. I can't believe the evil world we live in, but the second coming is definitely closer then it's ever been :)

This week...Oh man I don't remember much that happened but I am learning so much! I have been studying about how to recognize the spirit and realized I need to put more trust in the spirit and "open my mouth" like it says in D&C 85. I have been trying to do that and it really works! I feel the spirit working in me when I take a chance and even though I'm scared the words won't come out like I want them to somehow the spirit makes up difference. Oh how I love being a missionary! I can't even tell you all the agradacimento (gratefulness in spanish, I can't think of a better english word to use) that I have for my Father in Heaven for giving me this opportunity to serve. I love striking up conversations with people on the bus and leaving them better then I found them.

Yesterday we had English class and after we had a noche de hogar (Family home evening) with whoever wanted to stay after and listen. The spirit was SOOOO strong. I loved it. Especially because I was able to bear my testimony to the members of our class about the Espiritu Santo (holy spirit). I feel my testimony getting stronger each day! I was talking to one of our investigators, Esteban, after class and he said that he heard someone else say (in reference to me) "When she first got here we could barely understand a word she said but now we can understand her a lot better" FAMILY DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS? It means I'm progressing in my spanish! It's amazing how much Heavenly Father is helping me. I am trying my best to be obedient and talk to those people that Heavenly Father is putting in my path. I am doing my best to serve my mission in a way that will make you proud. But most of all, I am doing my best to make my Heavenly Father proud because ultimately this is HIS mission, I am just lucky enough to be a part of it.

Sorry so short but we have an appointment in about 10 minutes so I gotta go! I can't wait to see you all on Christmas day when I Skype!!!!

Mucho amor!!!!!!

Hermana Richardson

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NYC week 5

Hola mi querido familia!!!!

We are seeing SO MANY MIRACLES. Let me just tell you some of them.

Last Thursday we needed a member to come with us to a lesson and we couldn't find anyone to go with us so we prayed. We went to go visit one of our members Theresa and she asked us to run to the store next door and grab a couple of things. As we were walking down the stairs we ran into this guy (named Eric (from Columbia)) who asked us if we were mormons. We said yes and he told us he was baptized a few years ago and just moved to harlem from yonkers 3 days before. He kept asking us if there was any activities at the church that night and we said no but we have an appointment you can come with us to if you want! So he did! It was great because I feel like Heavenly Father needed Eric to find friends in the church and we needed a member with lesson so it worked out perfectly for all of us! This was an example to me of being in the right place and the right time and Heavenly Father showing forth his hand to us.

Yesterday was an AMMMMMAAAAAZZZZING DAY. READY FOR THIS?

Yesterday (Tuesday) a lot of our appointments fell through (like usual). We had breakfast with a member named Rosario and then decided we were going to go back to our church to study since we didn't have any appointments. As we were walking back to the subway I remembered a lady I had contacted a few weeks ago right after Thanksgiving. She was the lady I told you about who came out of her apartment when sister lee and I set off the alarm by accident (remember?) Well I stopped in my tracks and said "Sister Aguirre we need to go visit that lady! (her name is Sonilda)" I had tried to call sonilda before but she never answered. Anyway, we walked over there and the whole time I was thinking, if she isn't home i'm going to feel dumb. But we got to her apartment and she answered and said she had been back in the domincan republic visiting her sick father and she was worried we had tried to come when she was gone! So we totally have an appointment with her on Friday! YES! I was so happy because this was a prompting from the spirit that I totally followed!

Guess what happened after that! We were walking up the street and noticed a bunch of candles on the sidewalk with a picture. a 17 year old boy had died and this guy came out of the building and talked to us about it and then let us inside so we could talk to his family. His aunt and sister opened the door and said that he had gone to a party and drowned in the swimming pool :( anyway, we weren't able to teach them because they are so busy with funeral plans but we hope we can go back and teach them soon.

After that we were really close to an investigators apt so we decided to leave a couple sticky notes on his door just as a friendly reminder that we care and that reading the BOM is important (this is the guy that has the baptism date but he never comes to church or anything so bye bye baptism date. Whatevs) As we were in the elevator going up to his apartment we started talking to this black girl (i am not racist) who was pregnant. She's super young, had to drop out of high school. First we told her what a cute pregnant girl she was and she was super flattered and then I testified that motherhood is the most sacred responsibility we have. She sounded like she wanted to learn more so we might get to teach her. yay :)

After that. Yep there's more. After that we were going to try to go back to the church to study but heavenly father had different plans. Sister aguirre started talking to this guy walking his dog. We started talking about the book of mormon and stuff and talked for about 5 minutes. Then he started laughing and said he was a member. So we laughed because he was a really good actor and it was good practice for us. Then he said he has friends that want to learn about the gospel! so he is giving us referrals! Yes!!!!!!

That's not even the end of it. Ready? After that we were really determined to go study. But...I started talking to another lady who said she had heard of the church back in the Domincan where she is from. We have an appt with her next week sometime.

Then we finally went to the library to study. At the end of our long crazy day we sat down to plan and rosario (the member we ate breakfast with) called us with a reference! She knows a family that wants to be taught the gospel! FAMILY SISTER AGUIRRE AND I COULD NOT CONTAIN OUR JOY!!!!!! Seriously, it all started with a prompting I had to visit Sonilda and then Heavenly Father was like "Yep I can trust you" so all of a sudden he put all of these people in our way! I can't even tell you how much I love being a missionary!!!! THE MISSION IS THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Something else that happened this week was when another appt fell through on monday we were walking back to our apartment to study (heavenly father has better things for us to do than study, that is what I am learning) and we ran into a girl that had her back turned to us and she was crying. Sister aguirre went up to her and asked "are you okay?" and the girl said "yes I'm fine" but then she told us that her husband had just threatened her with suicide. It kinda sounds like he was just being dramatic (they are newly weds and have parents living with them and other family plus financial problems=lots of stress) so we took her back to our apartment and gave her apple cider and talked to her. She said she has a friend who is LDS and respects what we believe. She is jewish (only because her husband is jewish) but we shared our beliefs with her and had her read some verses from the BOM. She also said that she had ran into missionaries before. After she left I realized that she would not have been as open to recieve what we talked about had it not been for the situation she was in. It's crazy how the lord works!

We also had an investigator come to church on Sunday, which is a first! His name is Dino and we met his mom Dorita on Thanksgiving when we were street contacting. Dorita is a little crazy and thinks she knows everything but Dino (he's 41 and still lives with his mom) seems to be interested. He's flaked out on the last two appts though so maybe not. Anyway, he came to the last 15 minutes of sacrament meeting and sunday school. I got up to lead the closing song in sunday school and after Dino started clapping. haha but I didn't laugh because obviously he didn't know any better. :D

I was going through my journal from the MTC and here in the field and realized how much I have learned and how much I have grown. And I still have 15 months left! I can't even begin to imagine how much I still have to learn, but I am so excited!!!

Anyway, that's my week!! Love you all!!! don't forget to tell me when you write me what time you can skype on Christmas Day!!!

Con amor,

Hermana Richardson

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NYC week 4

December 3, 2012

Dear family -- We had a wonderful week here in NYC! Here are some things I remember:

A guy stopped us on the sidewalk to tell me I had a beautiful smile. Then he said "And you don't even remember me do you? (We'd never met him in our lives).  Crazy stuff happens like this all the time because we are in New York City AND we have the light of Christ and we glow, and people really do notice!! I love it.

We were tracting on Thursday night and we got a call from the AP's telling us that my comp., Sis Aguirre and I had to go to a “training” meeting the next day with President Morgan. When I told Sis Aguirre that's what they said she said "Wait, your going to TRAIN next cycle? (meaning on the next transfer I  would be a trainer for a greenie – I’m still a greenie myself -- I’ve barely been out a month!) I wasn't sure, so we started freaking out. But no, it was just a meeting for all the new missionaries. Let me tell you just how amazing this meeting was . . .

President Morgan is changing the direction of the mission entirely because in the next 120 days our mission will go from 150 to well over 200 missionaries (and still continue growing from there). In case that doesn't sound like a lot to you that's a TOOOOON! By April, President said that all of us will either be training or being trained. 60% being trained and 40% training. If you do the math that means that some trainers will be training more than one new missionary – in this mission they usually train only once. It's insane. Plus President pointed out that if enough missionary applications come in then English speaking missionaries will receive NO TIME in the MTC. They'll come straight out to the mission. Yep you read that right. That means....we are going to be the MTC for these English speaking missionaries!!!! It's amazing! And in all missions a 12-week training program was implemented last year, which is what Sis Aguirre and I are doing right now. Do you think this is a coincidence? The Lord knew that these English speaking missionaries would need MTC training out in the field. Heavenly Father truly does know the end from the beginning :)

Anyway, the meeting with President was awesome! He said we have to be prepared for this new surge of missionaries. He invited us all to be obedient and said there is absolutely no room for disobedience. He literally said that if you want to be disobedient, then go home. He has a way of saying these things though that still lets you know that he loves you and makes you want to be a better missionary. President Morgan is so awesome!!!!! 

We received an email last Wednesday saying that Paul V. Johnson from the seventy would be doing a mission tour here. We had a zone conference yesterday and it was SO AMAZING!!!!!!! Seriously. President called Sis Aguirre and I on Monday and said that Elder Johnson wanted to interview just me and her. So we kinda freaked out. But I think he just wanted to get a feel for how the mission is. We had our interview and he asked about our families and stuff, no biggie. President also asked me if I could play the organ for this meeting, so I said yes even though I don't even know how to work an organ anymore. But  Heavenly Father loves me and when I went to practice the organ yesterday (this organ had actual pipes) the stops were already set. I was relieved and happy :) I played the organ and after I was done President came up and gave me a hug and expressed his gratitude and told me he thinks I am wonderful. I just wish I could impress on you the wonderfullness of this man and tell you how great he is! I know that part of the reason I was called to this mission was because of the things I am learning from the Morgan's. President Morgan makes no decision about the mission without first consulting the Lord. I can't tell you how much peace this gives to my heart knowing that my mission president will always make the right decision because it is the Lord's decision.

Elder Johnson talked about a lot of things, but one of the things he talked about was Ether 12:27 (my favorite scripture!). When he started talking I was like woah. Thank you for listening to the Spirit. It was EXACTLY what I needed to hear because I have been really down this week (my knees hurt really bad from all the walking we do, and I've been a little discouraged and worried about where I fit in here) but I know that the words that Elder Johnson talked about were for me. Heavenly Father really does love me and I know he is proud of me for the decision I made to serve a mission, even though sometimes it's hard.

I don't have a lot more time but we went and did service again for hurricane victims on Saturday. We knocked out a lot of walls in peoples basements because they were flooded and were starting to mold. The people were again so gracious and nice. After being able to do this service I know I will never be the same again because of the things I have experienced, the people I have met and have been able to serve. I love being a missionary!!!! :) :) This mission is hard, but it's pushing me to the limits and refining me into the woman Heavenly Father wants me to become. I am SO GRATEFUL for this experience and wouldn't trade it for the world!!!!

I can't wait for Missy and Willie to get their mission calls, they better be to NYC!!!!! ;)

Les Quiero MUCHO!!!!!!!

Hermana Richardson

NYC week 3

Hola Familia!!!!

Como fue sus dia de gracias??? I hope you had lots of good food and fun! 

To my brother and sister preparing to serve a mission in the spring,  I know that so many people will be blessed for your decision to serve, it's a hard decision to make but really, it's sooooo worth it. It's really hard, I'm not going to lie but I see the benefits every day. I LOOOOOOOOOOVE sharing the gospel with people. It's the most satisfying feeling in the world to walk up to somebody on the street and share my testimony with them. I'm getting better and better because at the beginning I was TERRIFIED to just strike up a conversation on the subway but just this past week it's been getting easier and easier. All I have to do is explain I'm from Utah and that I am learning spanish and then all of a sudden they ask why I'm here. Bingo. Great intro to sharing the gospel. :)

This week in the mission:

Wednesday (11/21) we went downtown to go shopping but didn't get anything because we're poor :( But it was a good experience and being in the crazy city made me miss Idaho! haha! After that we went to Lenox Lounge (Restaurant, supposedly it's famous. We have a member (michael lopez) who is a chef there so he gave us a free meal.) It was SOOOO good. I can't even tell you. We both had a salad (plain salad with only lettuce and chicken but it. was. divine.) then he gave us cornbread (also heavenly) and then....drumroll...BREAD PUDDING :) Yep. But guess what? The stuff he gave us is not the same stuff that grandma and grandpa riddle gave us. :(:( The bread pudding at lenox lounge was way fancy and delish. He brought it out and the plate was glazed in frosting. fancyyyy. Yeah be jealous, I am serving a mission in NYC and get to eat for free at fancy restaurants. After that we went to the church because we were going to give a tour to an investigator but he cancelled :( :( so we were with a member named Edward (who is great, he's only been a member for a year!) and he is dominican so sister aguirre said I was going to practice giving the tour in all spanish. It was soooo great! I love being in the church anyway because the streets of harlem are yucky and inside the church is so peaceful. I gave the tour and it was just a great way to end the day. Plus it helped my spanish alot.

Thursday (Thanksgiving!) I was really homesick but guess what? Heavenly Father is smart and gave me a comp who likes to work hard. Let me just tell you that the best remedy for worry or homesickness is WORK. Just like it says in PMG. We street contacted (literally just walked up to people in the street and started talking about the gospel) and ran into this lady that was kinda crazy...at the end of our conversation she asked us if she should get incense and holy water to sprinkle it all over her apartment to get rid of the bad spirits. I said "No se..." (I don't know) then we talked to another guy who seemed pretty interested and during the time we were talking to him I totes had the gift of tongues! Best feeling ever to be able to explain what I want to say! When we got done street contacting we got back on the bus and I saw a guy and my first response was to start talking to him in spanish. So I did. Then my comp took over cuz I stopped understanding (fast spanish!) but when we got off the bus she said he kept going on and on about how nice it was that I started talking to him! It made me feel really good! :) After that we went to thanksgiving dinner at mama Daisy's (the lady with the mormon message, did you watch it???) and she makes really good food so about 8-10 missionaries were there and we had a good time. We also had a lunch appointment with a member who is from mexico, he made us green enchiladas and they were yummy! He also made horchata which is a mexican drink (like rice milk but it has cinnamon in it).

Friday: We had an APF today in our area(where a whole bunch of missionaries get together and attack one area to find lots of people to teach) and we went on splits. I was with Sister Lee who is from Taiwan. She is an english speaker so I was all alone on the spanish. I was wayyy scared because I doubted my abilities to be able to speak without having sister aguirre to help me. But, the Lord didn't let me down! Everyone we ran into that was spanish speaking understood me and I semi-understood them! Funny story: We were in an apartment complex contacting floor by floor. I didn't know that in every apartment complex in New York there is an alarm that sounds if someone tries to go up to the roof. So, we're just going floor by floor and when we got to the fifth floor we finished and then tried to go on to the sixth. But there was no sixth. As soon as we tried to climb the stairs for the "sixth" floor (roof) this way scary/creepy/loud/burglar alarm went off! Sister Lee and I thought we were going to die!! So we hurried and ran downstairs but because of this a lady opened her door to see what was going on! And she only spoke spanish! She was even interested and gave me her phone number so we can return! The Lord works in mysterious ways I tell you. Sometimes he has to set off a burglar alarm to get peoples attention. I don't care though, I'll take it!

Saturday: Today we got to go to Brooklyn to do hurricane cleanup service! What a day! It was SOOOO cold. And I didn't have very much warm stuff because I thought it would be warmer. But whatevs! I was warmed by the spirit of the Lord! :D We went to a neighborhood right on the beach and the first couple we helped had a flooded basement. We met the wife and as soon as I asked her her name she started to cry and gave me a hug and told me how grateful she was for us. We had to clean out her basement and throw everything away. It took us about an hour and a half, which wasn't too bad. Carol (the wife) and her husband Ken were so nice. They were so grateful for our help!!!! Now I know why they say you will never be the same after your mission, because it definitely changes your life to see people in such need and then being able to help them. I love it:) we then cleaned out a couple more basements. Lots of houses were fallen and flooded, it was way sad. I took pictures so when I get my camera cord I will send them to you! We are going back again this Saturday!

Sunday: Nothing much happened, just church and teaching people. Oh wait I just remembered...we hold English classes every T/F/S so today we had a meeting with President Morgan, members of the stake, and the bishop to discuss ways in which we could better the classes. It was the first time I had seen President since I got here and it was fun to see him again.

Monday: Alot of our appointments fell through but it was perfect because we had another APF, this time down by the temple! The temple is right across from Julliard in a place they call Lincoln Square. There was a festival monday night for the "lighting of the tree" in Lincoln Square so President Morgan asked a couple zones to go down there and hand out free hot chocolate, books of mormon, pamphlets, and Joy to the World DVD's. It was AWESOME!!! I can't believe I get to serve in the City during Christmas time! It's simply the best! Sister Aguirre and I worked the 2-5 shift and then again from 7-9. Nothing like handing out free hot chocolate and singing christmas carols to really get the spirit of Christmas going! Our table was set up right outside the temple, it was so wonderful!

Tuesday: Alot of our appointments fell through again (I'm starting to understand why serving mission is so hard :P) so we tried visiting a guy that we contacted on the bus on Sunday. Wrong phone number. We had his address so we walked up to his apartment to find that he actually gave us the wrong apartment...BUT there is actually a really cute family that lives there! And they are Dominican so they speak both spanish and english! The mom told us to leave our information and we took hers down so we are hoping we can go back and teach. The kids were so cute! Cute little black kids!!! :D As were leaving they kept waving and said "Hope you have a good time!" haha they were wayyyy cute. After that we went to english class and after english class we had a Noche de Hogar (FHE) and found some people that are interested in the gospel! It was great! Then we got free mascara from a member that works at a really expensive makeup store! It pays to be a missionary!! :D

Today we got to go do a session in the Manhattan temple! It was sooooo wonderful and so needed. It literally was like a haven from the lone and dreary world. As soon as you open the doors and walk in it's absolutely silent. The contrast is so big because the streets of NYC are so loud!

We just got an email from President saying that Elder Paul V. Johnson from the Seventy is coming to our mission next week so we will have a zone conference and get to hear from him.

It's time for me to go. Todo es bien in Nueva York y me encanta la cuidad. Me encanta ser una misionera, me encanta la obra, y yo quiero Jesucristo. La iglesia es verdadera, y tambien el Libro De Mormon. Gracias por su apoyar y por sus oraciones, yo les necesito! Estoy aprendiendo MAS cada dia y aprendiendo mi proposita en este vida. Este mision es no sobre yo, pero sobre las personas yo ensenar y Jesucristo.

I hope I remembered everything.
I love you all THISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS MUCH! :)   

Con amor,

Hermana Richardson