The One where I fell on the ice for the first time

1/4/16

 

So another awesome week here in Anoka! It started with exchanges and  me taking over the area for a day. Sister Kirkby, one of our STL's  (sister training leaders) came to Anoka for the day with me and sister young went to their area and was companions with sister Jacklin. I loved exchanges! I was a little intimidated of sister Kirkby at first because she can sound pretty mean over the phone ( her nickname is Ross, the receptionist from monsters inc.) but she's an incredible missionary. We went and stopped by a seventeen year old named McKenzie that we are trying to pick back up as an investigator and were able to have a good long chat and she said the prayer at the end and mentioned
that she wanted to come to church! We were freezing by the end cause we were talking on her porch but she's so worth being cold over, I love that girl! Also while with sister Kirkby I was able to talk with her about the frustrations that this transfer has brought and she completely understood. That was a nice breath of fresh air. I was sad to see her go. We would do some pretty great things together if we were ever companions.

I also slipped on the ice and fell for the first time since in Minnesota and sister young wasn't even there to laugh at me. Oh well, my shoulder hurt for a couple days but I've been asking for it for a while. I like to run and slide on the ice whenever I can and hadn't fallen yet. Only a matter of time.

I had my own personal family history miracle this week. Okay so it wasn't so much a miracle
as I was actually able to do something remotely normal but it was super exciting for me. I was able to find and attach the parents to one of the ends of my lines and now all I have to do is resolve
duplicates and I can take that name to the temple. I have been so excited and all I want to do is get on a computer and do it! It's kinda silly I haven't been able to stop thinking about it all week.

 New Years Eve ( Thursday) was so sweet! We started teaching a really cute 8 year old girl whose mom and older sister are converts from New York and she really wants to get baptized. We set a date for January 16th. We are gonna be hard pressed to get all of the lessons in before she gets baptized, but we can make it happen. Then we were over at Pat (our friendigator) and sister B's, helping take down sister B's Christmas decorations since she just had surgery and we had no solid plans that night, it being New Year's Eve and all, and neither did the Andover elders, so we invited them over to play games on New Year's Eve and we had a blast. We played spoons and just had so much fun together. Then sister young and I ran home, grabbed all our stuff and changed, and headed over to the STL's apartment in Brooklyn Park for a zone sisters sleep over! Man that was so much fun. I got to hang out
with sister Teuscher all night whom I have missed dearly. We played tenzi and talked about weird stuff and made a video at 12 which can only be described as uncomfortable to watch. We got really weird. Then I got to sleep by sister Teuscher and we stayed up till 2:30 am talking and laughing. I'm sad she's almost done, I'm gonna miss that weirdo. So then this Sunday was also really cool. It was fast and testimony meeting and one of the less active members that we go and visit who has been coming back to church got up and bore her testimony. And one of the members, Sister Anderson, got up and she was talking about the Book of Mormon and ever since we went in and taught her family the first lesson and challenged them to read and pray about the Book of Mormon that she has started seeing a light and strength come back into her life that was missing, which all started with our
invitation to them. That was really cool to see one of our invitations change lives and see the power in invitations. And last but not least cool thing about this week is that pat has quit smoking! She finished her last pack of cigarettes that she had and isn't going to buy anymore. She's tried quitting a few times before and has never been able to stick with it but we are really hoping that this time is it.
Any prayers in her behalf would be much appreciated. So that kind of wraps up this week. Love you all! -Sister Richardson

 Spiritual though of the Week:
    "Assembled is a throng of Roman soldiers. Assembled also are natives to the land of Jerusalem. Faded into the still night, and gone forever are the militant and rowdy cries, "Crucify him, crucify him."  The hour has come. The personal earthly ministry of the Son of God moves swiftly to its dramatic conclusion. A certain loneliness is here. Nowhere to be found are the lame beggars who, because of this man, walk; the deaf who, because of this man, hear; the blind who, because of this man, see; the dead who, because of this man, live."
('Behold thy Mother' Thomas S. Monson, October, 1973, General Conference)

This brought me to tears. Here is a man who has done nothing wrong and has dedicated his entire life to the service of others. The literal son of God, and when he has endured agony and is lifted up on a cross in the ultimate act of service and love for every person who has lived or ever will live. Even those who had received and witnessed miracles by his hands deserted him. We are one of those affected by his miracles. The atonement. When Christ is attacked in our day and our belief and testimony of him are called into question may we not desert him like those who were not with him when he was crucified.