WEEK 25 "What Even Are You?"

Hola como esta todo? 

So this week was quite a new adventure. God knows that I love spontaneous adventures and this is why he sent us to whitewash in the crazy city of Hollywood. I bet ya'll are proud of me that we have only gotten lost 5 times in the past 5 days. However we thought these were detours but little did we know that God was just leading us to people who were yearning to learn more about the gospel.  

One night we were going to visit our friend Edgar, and we had no clue that we had the completely wrong address in our notes. It was quite comical now that I look back on this experience. We seriously walked the same circle for more than an hour trying to find his house. But of course we can't waste the Lord's time so we were talking to people the whole time, giving them our cards and sharing prayers. However, two huge miracles came out of this experience. We first talked to a man named Luis who is from Lima as he was walking to the ocean with his goggles on to go for an evening swim. He instantly saw us and told us his cousin is LDS, they used to lived next to LDS people in Texas and his dad had talked to missionaries before in Peru. He was very interested in learning more. We taught him about the Book of Mormon on the street and shared a prayer. After he told us he felt really good and happy inside. He told us how he is looking for deeper joy and invited us to come back to teach him and his dad. We went back last night and had a fabulous lesson with them.

10 minutes later as we were still walking around in circles trying to find Edgar's home we stopped another man and women going to work out at the beach. The man's name was Levi and he immediately told us how he has been wanting to know more about our church for years. He has been interested ever since his brother went down a scary road of addiction and couldn't stop. however he told us that when his brother started meeting with the missionaries everything changed. He completely did a 180 and hasn't had a problem with addiction ever since. We told him that this change that he saw in his brother only comes through coming closer to Christ and understanding his redeeming power in our lives. He came to church this past Sunday and loved it!

This week we saw this same change occur in the heart of one of our friends named Edgar. He was baptized this Saturday (after we eventually found his house and taught him the last lesson). The power that comes into ones life after they choose Christ is indescribable. Edgar has been shinning ever since and I have seen his countenance change both physically and spiritually. I know that this change of heart only comes after we accept Christ and follow His example. And in return we are promised that He will endow us with power and with the spirit. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I know that He knows us personally and loves us unconditionally.  I love Mosiah 16:8 "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

Love you all lots! have a fabulous week!

-Herman Richards

Other Highlights:

-We had a ward pic nic/ bbq on the beach (latins know how to throw a good party)

-A sweet 80 year old grandpa named Oscar from Honduras tricked us that he was a Jehovah's witness for 40 minutes and then told us he wasnt and is really interested in our messages 

-Most latins are very blunt and this week a man came up to my comp and asked her if she was latin and if so her name should be Maria. She immediately said, "No Im not latin." He then replied, "what ever are you then?" haha you dont know how many times she has gotten this question this week. Everyone in the ward thinks she is Dominican its hilarious! 

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-my new comp just finished her freshman year up at the U!!!  I went up and hugged her when found out that we were going to be comps, and she turned to me and said, "Are you Hannah?" and I lost my mind!!!! How did she know?  She is from logan but is studying design at the U. She was in my YSA ward...I knew she looked familiar!  She has the strongest testimony! She is super confident!  I love her! 

-Sooo cool how God allowed us to have so many similarities. Sometimes I get confused if we are converting people to the church or to the U. That's how much Ute pride we have, hahahah jk