Two Months-November 11

Hello my wonderful friends and family!

Oh how much I've missed my home this week. Especially when I had a hamburger on sunday! So awesome. But that was not the highlight of my week. 

 I really want to tell you all about our people. Everyone here that I love! Our investigators are pretty awesome, not gonna lie. Luis we taught my first night in the mission. He is 42 and is so sweet. I'm not sure how much he understands, because I can barely understand him. Hermana Vera said it is hard for her to understand him, so, yeah. It's fun to teach him. He is very receptive and readily agrees to do everything we ask. On Saturday night he was supposed to go to a party, but we advised him it was a bad idea as there would be temptations awaiting there. So, he asked if he could come and teach with us. Of course! It was awesome. He bought us ice cream, and helped us contact and teach a lesson. His baptism is this Saturday, so please pray for him that everything will go well! I am so excited for him, especially because I have been there with him every step of the way. 

 Then Maty, who I spoke about in my last letter. He couldn't come to church this week because he worked really late the night before, but from what I have asked from Nico his brother, he's still wanting to be baptzied. He's just awesome.

Patricia, who we call patchy, is Nico's (Maty's brother) girlfriend. One day we asked Nico why he hadn't ever invited his girlfriend of 8 months to talk to us. He wasn't sure why not, so we set up an appointment. She's a little doubtful, and said she only felt peace when she prayed. That's the spirit! We jumped into Galatians to explain that yes, that is an answer! She's been coming to church and we've had a few lessons so far, so things are going really well. I really just hope that she feels confident in her answer and that God really loves her and is looking out for her. 

We had a cool experience with María a less active. She hasn't been to church in a while because she has been really sick and feels weak. We talked further and she said that she feels as though God has abandoned her somewhat. As they were talking and I was sitting trying to understand as usual, I felt impressed to speak up. I'm not sure where it came from, but I explained out of no where that when God seems far away or we feel abandoned by God, it is not because he abandons us, it is because we move ourselves away from him. God will NEVER abandon us. She seemed a little shocked because I said it a little forcefully. Not too much, I didn't mean to, but it came out that way. But, it must have been what she needed, as to our wonderful surprise, she has come to church two weeks in a row! Oh I just love the spirit! It is so powerful and knows exactly what everyone needs. 

We have others as well that we teach, especially less actives. It is a big problem in Chile for people to be baptized, and then stop coming for whatever reason. Our ward list is HUGE! but only about ten or twenty percent attend. But I love our ward! Los Pimientos with our 50 or so members. They are adorable and I love them. There are some huge apartment buildings being built in our sector, so we're hoping that when they're finished, a ton more people will be in our limits which are rather small, and we'll have more people to teach! Because almost everyone we come in contact with has talked to or been taught by the missionaries. Literaly everyone, it's kinda crazy. So we're hoping for some new families to strengthen our ward, because I'm afraid we're going to lose some members in the coming years as everyone is fairly old. But let's hope not. 

But everything is good! I'm finally getting over my cold so hopefully I can start running again and have more energy during the day to stop sleeping during lessons. Here's hoping! I love the gospel, it is just WOW! The gospel is amazing I can't even put my thoughts into words about how much I love it. I am so excited to live it forever and ever and ever! Love you all!

Hermana Richardson

Saludos

¡Saludos!

This week was really amazing. We had intercambios on Wednesday, where I went and spent a day with Hermana Lefevre in Maray. She is from Delta, Utah. It was so wonderful to just talk and not have to think about what I had to say. In lessons, yes, but just walking around, I got to have some real conversations which was so nice. Then in the morning, I did training on my own, because we had a lesson planned during my training time. I was studying in Finding People in Preach My Gospel, and read the last bullet point, No Effort is Wasted. I had been really struggling with this lately, because the past week a lot of people had flat out rejected us. I was having a hard time finding the point for all my hard work. As I read, it related that when we do missionary work, we are planting seeds. Little smiles, hellos, prayers, and lessons, are all seeds of light that we are planting in others. These seeds can grow, slowly, but eventually bloom and be harvested many years later from other misisonaries or members. My effort is never wasted! This gave me a whole new perspective on my service. The next day I excitedly reported my findings to Hermana Vera. She told me a story of how when she was a baby, her grandmother had allowed two sister missionaries to come in her home, sing a hymn, and pray. Many years later, two elders asked to help her husband, hermana Vera's grandfather, to sweep his yard. Her grandmother and mother remembered the sisters from about 10 years back, and accepted the elder's invitation, and now Hermana Vera is on a mission helping others. How AMAZING! God is just awesome. So awesome. So all knowing. He knows exactly what he's doing. 

Luis was baptized on Saturday! He arrived home from work around 7. Perfect! We grabbed some empenadas to eat as we walked him over to the chapel. It started around 9 and we had a lovely little group there to support him. His hermanador (friendshipper) Herminio baptized him and he was confirmed on sunday by the bishop. We had a lot of opportunities after to teach him and talk to him. He is just so happy and I am so excited for him. 

We set a new date for Maty, and he is so ready as well. He came to church on sunday, and we had an awesome lesson with him on saturday. His brother is a big help as he is a member. We're hoping he will be able to baptize him next saturdaythe 30th. We also had an activity where some of the youth from the missionary prep class and some of the elders from our district, came to visit less actives from our ward and contact their street. We got so many referalls and everyone had a really great experience. I went with Claudia, who is leaving for the CCM to serve a mission in Mexico. So exciting! Everyone was so excited afterward and couldn't wait to tell us the people they met and what they taught others. Missionary work can be so fun and so exciting! But, I best be going. Please pray for missionary work, especially here in Los Pimientos! We need all the divine help we can get. I love you all!

Herman Richardson 

Bienvenidos a Chile!

Hello Beautiful family and friends! I am so excited to announce that I am safe and sound in Chile! What an awesome feeling. I am finally doing what I have been preparing for, for almost a year now. However, I could have never expected what I have just experienced this past week. I don't even know how to describe it.

Everything is different. The houses and shops are made for midgets, there are dogs everywhere, everyone kisses and hugs you all the time, everyone whistles at me because of my blonde hair, just the way things are done, it's all new. It's so hard to get accustomed to everything. Even the spanish is different. It's crazy fast and they drop endings off of words and add po to other words. I have no idea why.  But Hermana Vera is helping me. She is from Santiago, is 26, studying nursing, and is the best trainer I could ask for. She is so patient and loving, and doesn't mind when I get upset or frustrated, mostly from when I can't speak the language, or I get tired of people yelling at me that they love me or to marry them. I never want attention from men ever again. She is awesome, and everyone we come in contact with loves her. All the time people wave at her from all over the place and she can't remember who they are because she talks to so many people. However, she doesn't speak English, and I obviously don't speak Spanish, so we have an interesting time. It's fun. Most of the time I have not a clue what is happening. God has seemed to bless me with the gift of tongues, which is amazing, but I seem to be lacking in the gift of interpretation of tongues. I can't understand anybody ever. I can't even understand myself. It's a weird feeling. I'll just keep praying and hoping and trying and hopefully sometime soon someone will say something, I'll understand, and I'll fist pump and do a happy dance to myself. It'll be a great day.I just have to be patient, which is hard, but good, I'm learning. 

I really love teaching. I thought it would be awkward and weird, but I've come to find that the times that I am most tired are when I'm not teaching. When I talk to others about the gospel I get exhilerated and happy and want to tell them all about it and tell them to come be happy like me. Then when it's over and we're back outside walking the long dusty roads my legs start to hurt, the sun burns, and I feel exausted. So, I guess I just need to find more, teach more, and I'll be happy more! I still am tired, I've almost fallen asleep a few times while talking to people, but I'm working on it. I'll have awesome stamina soon. It'll be great. 

One lesson we had this week was with three men we met. One was a contact and we went to find him and teach him, and the other two were standing near us, and we invited them to come and listen. We taught in a member's house about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because I don't understand anything and can't help the lesson, I always give the baptismal challenge by memory when Hermana Vera looks at me a certain way. So, she looked at me and I challenged, looking especialy at Carlos, one of the men who had been looking intently at the picture of Christ and had not said much. The other two went on about how they were already baptized (a common response), But she specifically asked Carlos after all of that "Do you want to follow the way of the Lord and be baptized?" He said "yes, I think so yes" He looked so touched. The way his eyes brightened and his face was just a little softer, I could see that the spirit had reached him. He truley wanted forgiveness and direction in his life. He came with us to chruch yesterday and we have another lesson with him early this week. I am so excited for his progress! I am extactic that he wants to change his life and make it better. 

I can't wait to teach more people and find more people. Everyone we come in contact with we talk to, and it is so fun. I did my first bus contact today on the way to the market, and I actually understood a little of what he said! I think he was talking slower though to help me out. Everything is great. I'm learning, loving, and overall changing myself to be more like the Lord, or trying to. It's hard to allign your will with the Lord's when all you want to do is sleep or dream of your mansions above. If any one has any advice it would be gladly appreciated. But, I love this work, I love the savior, who gives me strength to carry on each day, and I love the Lord who loves all of his children so  very much. I've already seen a tiny glimpse of his love, and I hope I will be faithful enough to be able to see more. The gospel is true, it is real. In the words of Hermana Vera "don't worry, be happy"

Con Amor,

Hermana Richardson

ps. please excuse my many mistakes, the computer says all of my english words are wrong. Or maybe I just don't remember english any more. It could be that as well. 

Chile!

After a very long two plane rides, a bus ride into Antofagasta, and another 7 hour ride into Copiapó, I am here! In Antofagasta I received my trainer Hermana Vera from Santiago. She is super nice and we are helping each other learn each other's languages. She is really good at contacting. Just today we have made about 5 contacts (maybe that's normal, I don't know) But everyone loves her and everyone keeps whistling at me. Super fun. But I'm excited to be here. I'm safe, I'm happy, and I'll write more on Monday. Love you all!

love,

Hermana Richardson

Our soccer group

Our last day as companions.

Hermano Brown's awesome mexican sombrero and poncho.