The One Where We Ate Ice Cream in Negative 20

February 16th, 2016

 

Zone Service Project

 

 

So not a lot happened this week. We had a great time at district meeting. Elder Johnston and Ellsworth had gotten about 8 pints of ben and jerry's ice cream from one of the members and brought it all to district meeting so we got to eat ice cream while we got a training from Elder Johnston. We read a really good talk called the fourth missionary. Ya'll should check it out and read it. It was funny Elder Lowe said that the night before he was praying for some of his favorite Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor called chocolate therapy and he got it at district meeting. He was just like GOD LOVES ME! That was funny.

 

So on Tuesday we had a cool window miracle. And for all of you non missionaries who don't know what a window is (no its not something you look through). A window is a block of finding time that is super inspired and specific. You pray about where and what street you are going to tract/ contact, what side your going to start on heading which direction, when you cross the street etc. Its also a promise that you make with heavenly father that if you'll be there ON TIME and you do what you've planned and work hard that he'll lead you to someone that he's prepared to hear the gospel. So we had one planned for Tuesday night on  tiny little street we'd never been to before. We start tracting and it was terrible. It was freezing cold and everyone we talked to would almost slam the door in our faces and say not interested. We have like three houses left and knock on the next one and a couple answered the door and they let us right in. We started talking with them their names are Steve and Barb. They were a lovely couple, really funny and making fun of each other. Then we told them we were missionaries and proceeded to have like a 40 min conversation about the gospel and we shared the restoration and a bit of the plan of salvation as we answered their questions. We gave them a book of Mormon. It was so cool! That was probably the first time I've ever taught a lesson like that while tracting. Unfortunately we didn't get a return appointment but we're gonna stop by in a couple of weeks and see if they've read anything from the book of Mormon and if we can start teaching them the lessons.  

 

On Wednesday Sharon was able to come to the preach my gospel class. it was awesome! Sister Petersen (bishops wife) gave us a ride and the class went great and then afterwards we all went to chick-fil-a and got milkshakes. That was really fun and we got to know Sharon a little better which was good. 

 

I just want to tell you all to be thankful for your warm weather. We went tracting this week in -20 degrees with wind. I don't know how i still have all of my appendages.  Well more stuff happened this week but nothing too crazy and I'm tired of writing. Sorry!

 

Spiritual Thought of the Week.

This week I've reflected a lot on Joseph Smith and the Book Of Mormon and how vital having a testimony of those two is to our faith and our doubts. We've gotten asked a couple of tough questions this week that i didn't necessarily know how to answer at the time. I've been studying a lot about them and the reasons behind certain things and keep getting led back to Joseph Smith being a prophet and the Book of Mormon being the word of God and a true testament of Christ. If we have taken the time and energy to find out and gain a testimony of the restoration for ourselves we need not doubt. Almost all questions we may have about the gospel or the reason behind things comes back to that knowledge. If you don't already know if those things are true please study it out. Study and then pray with sincerity and you will receive your answer. Find out for yourselves and don't just rely on the testimony of others because if you don't know for yourself, when your faith is tested or your doubts seem to be ever growing you may crumble under the weight of it.

 

I Love You All!!!!

-Sister Richardson

The One Where We Got Grounded

Februay 8, 2016

So this week started off very eventful. On Tuesday morning we got a text that said a storm was coming in and that once it started snowing in the afternoon that all of our cars were grounded and we weren't allowed to go anywhere. We had district meeting that morning so we go up to the church and right as its ending it starts to snow. Usually when the cars are grounded they don't stay grounded all day so we all planned a bit and did some busy work but the snow and wind never stopped and it kind of became apparent that our cars weren't going to be ungrounded in time to drive home. So, after almost 12 hours at the church we called a member of the ward who was willing to pick all 6 of us up and drive us home. That was a weird/ crazy day. On Saturday we FINALLY had a lesson with Jerri! We were so excited. She randomly had Wednesday off from work so she called us and set up a lesson. I think we could've presented it better but the important thing was that the spirit was there very strong the whole time and she listened intently to what we were saying. She said she would read and pray about the Book of Mormon to find out if it was true and i asked her if she found out for herself if the things we were saying were true and if the Book of Mormon is the word of god, and this is Christ church restored to the earth if shed be baptized by the proper authority and she said YES. I was so nervous to ask her i thought i was gonna faint but i didnt. i stood strong. (Literally).

So another thing that happened this week was pain. Sister Killpack and i have started working out at nights because the other elders in our district are working out and you know we cant let them out do us. so on Monday we proceeded to do 300 calf raises each.  The next morning and afternoon we were fine not too sore, and then in the evening are calves were pretty tight. The next morning when Sister Killpack and I got up we could not straighten our legs. Our calves hurt SO BAD. They were so tight. We were walking around on our tip toes because it hurt so bad. I've never had that happen before, but dont worry it's all good, its dulled to just normal sore now. 

We had another lesson with Sharon this week which went so good. We had dinner with them and then taught about the godhead. We really needed to go back to the fundamentals cause she didn't have any religious background. So we talked about each member of the godhead (God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost) who they are and what their purpose Is. She's really starting to come out of her shell and is asking questions so she's making good progress :) Also went to the YSA ward this Sunday, is planning on going to FHE, and came to the baptism on Sunday.

So this past Sunday Olivia got baptized! It was so great! She's the 8 year old that we've been teaching. It was so great I love seeing the people you love and teach make this step and choice that is so important in their life :) 

Spiritual Thought of the Week:

So no fancy scripture or video to watch this week, just a little something from the inner workings of Sister Richardson's brain. So this week as I was studying and preparing to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ lesson to one of our active members I had a cool thought. I was also preparing to teach the plan of salvation and as I was looking at both of them I realized that the gospel of Jesus Christ (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Endure to the End) is basically the mini plan of salvation specifically here for earth life. While the plan of salvation spells out the grand scheme of things and the end goal we want to achieve in life and how we get there, the gospel of Jesus Christ is heavenly fathers plan and way for us to live good lives and to do everything that we need to to be able to reach that ultimate end goal of living with him and Jesus Christ again.

Love, Sister Richardson 

 

The One with Two Scoops

February 1, 2016

Hello my dear family and friends. How goes it in the land of eternal P-Days? We'll this week in Anoka was a very busy and eventful one. We had like all the teaching appointments this week. Which is awesome but i was really stressed out. But don't worry everything went very smoothly for the most part.

We had a fun lesson with a young family in our ward named the smiths. They have three kids under the age of 10. I love teaching kids. The cool part about it though was that i am finally starting to get the hang of teaching! I was not worried at all about what i was going to say and what the next point was. super cool. I thought it would never happen haha. Then (this one's for you dad) i heard the song Budapest while getting gas this week. It reminded me so much of you and made me so happy! man i love that song. I do miss regular music, but that's okay, ill just have a ton of great music to listen to when i get home.

On Wednesday we had one of the coolest experiences on my mission. We were stopping by one of our kind of investigators McKenzie. She's 17 and we weren't quite sure what to share with her at first then really felt like we needed to share the Mormon message ""Hope ya know, I had a hard time". It went so well! The spirit was REALLY strong while we were speaking. We were all tearing up and i was bearing my testimony and it was just really great. I love that girl so much. We are so similar.
Then another really cool experience we had was when we taught Dick and Kathy Anderson the restoration. They are active members and the lesson again went really well and the spirit was very strong. Sister Anderson already knows who she wants to invite to take the lessons. We are so excited!

Now for something funny and kind of sketchy. So we were trying to go and find some one who is a lost sheep. A.K.A a member of the church who doesn't have their current address on their records and no one really knows where they are. We thought we found the right house but no one answered but there was a sign on the door saying to deliver packages to the back so we thought we would just drop off a book of Mormon ;) we go to the back and there are people smoking and as soon as they see us they got up and left. Then we knocked and a guy who didn't look like he was all there answered. It was just a comical situation, DRUG BUST!

And another funny thing that happened this week. We went and visited this CUTE old less active lady. Like she's 80 something her name is sister roads. And of course (i feel like i say this about everyone) we adore her. Usually we spend most of our time together talking about cats :). So she needed help taking a mixer out of the box so we do that and she has a fryer that she wanted to put inside the box but she didn't think that it would fit. Sister Killpack grabs it and it slides right in perfectly and she just goes hehehehehe HOT DOG! we about lost it, it was so funny. ohhh man, that lady, she's the best.

So I've happened upon a glorious and troublesome discovery here in Anoka. There is a store called 2 scoops. This store is an Ice Cream store. And this Ice Cream just happens to have some of the best Ice Cream i think I've ever eaten. That is all you need to know about this discovery. If anyone reading this email happens to come to Anoka, Minnesota please take the extra time, money, and extra fat and go.

We also found the cutest park in Anoka. and had to stop and take pictures. And last but not least we had two investigators to church yesterday! It was awesome we had Gladys and Sharon. Gladys surprised us and was just there. She's a very cool investigator from Liberia. Well that's about it from the land of wind and snow. OH! The weather here has been so nice! its been 40 degrees the past couple of days!!! You can actually see grass outside! I've forgotten what that looks like! Alright I'm done.

Love, Sister Richardson

Spiritual Thought of the Week:
Go ad Sin No More (Life of Christ Bible Video)
Matthew 5:22 and 7:1
This video and scriptures really stood out to me today. I know that I need to work on not getting angry or annoyed with people easily or for no reason. Sometimes it's really difficult because there are those days were you just hate the world and everyone in it and if anyone speaks you get annoyed with them. (Not that i would know ;) ) On those days we need to remember Christ and his words to the accusers of the woman who was caught in adultery. "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone." No one is perfect so we should not judge others simply because they are struggling in a different area of perfection than we are.