This Week....How I am finding Me!!

Hello Everyone!                                Monday,  July 16, 2012

Things are going well! This last transfer I received a NEW companion! :-)

My new companion is E. Zajac and he is from Sandy, Utah. He's been out for just over a year. I'm excited that we're both excited about working hard and putting things into action here -- together. We're still teaching  two investigators - one named Jeff and the other one Candi. Candi is still holding off on progressing -  so in the mean time we're going through the area book to see if we can find other potential contacts and former investigators who might need help and we're planning on going and visiting them this week.

So regarding my bike....my bike chain just got replaced and the grinding sound went down some - but it's still there....it's never ending!!!!! But it's ALL GOOD! :-)

That's COOL that Bro. Ottoboni is the new bishop! He's the MAN!!!! It's also crazy to hear that the building is going to look super different when I get home.

You mentioned Alma 15 in your last email Mom....funny thing is that I just finished reading it also; but saw some things from a different view than you. I love how that works with the scriptures and thank you for the great insight.

This week has been crazy and fun all around. We had to learn to rely on the Spirit  the other day. We had to determine if someone was accountable to be baptized. It was exciting because of the big decision we had to make. We realized that with an eternal perspective you really need to depend on the Spirit and be firmly anchored with God; otherwise you may not reach your goals.

One thing that I'm noticing is that a lot of people are prideful and they let that type of outlook determine their goals and those things that they seek after in life. We need to be strong - not only on the outside (physically) but also on the inside (spiritually). We need to be teachable. Just as Alma the Elder was when Abinadi came to call his people to repentance and also like Alma, the Younger with the life changing experience he was given. They both accepted the Gospel (the Savior) into their lives. As we do that, we realize that our Spirits need to come out and be allowed to grow and be strengthened. That happens when we turn ourselves over to God and allow Him to change us.

I've learned recently that I need to accept my life, myself, my weaknesses AND my strengths. By doing that I can then move forward improving myself (with the Lord's help) and become the man He wants me to become. We must all learn to build the outer AND inner man! We will all get to the point - after this life - where we will achieve our goals; but what we do in THIS life determines our reward in the next...."this life is a time for men to prepare to meet God...." (Alma 12:24)

I am learning to accept me and I am loving this journey!

I LOVE you all and I hope that everyone enjoys their week. THANKS for the e-mails!

Elder Richards

Virginia Richmond Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter Day Saints

E. Zajac -left and E. Richards - far right.

The other night Don and I were sitting at our dining room table and Don received an e-mail over his phone. As he glanced at it (he EXCITEDLY exclaimed...It's from Virginia! - this picture showed up and the person wrote...."We had your son and his companion over for dinner tonight.....he is a WONDERFUL missionary!"

Our day had been trying and I was kind of 'down' at that moment........but I immediately began to cry tears of joy - especially to see how happy he is!

Enjoy!

P.S. Aren't those children absolutely DARLING!!!  :-)