WEEK 40 "Halloween and Halfway babyyy"
Hello fam and friends!
As I look back on the past 9 months It feels like I have been here for an eternity but then it also feels like I have only been here for a month. Time is so weird on the mission. Although some days may be harder than others I love having one focus... Helping others come unto Christ. I am convinced this is the best work anyone could ever invest in. I will try to describe just a few things that I have learned over the past 9 months.
The Book of Mormon is the true source of conversion.
I have grown to love the Book of Mormon with all my heart. Every morning before studies I ask God what he needs me to study to prepare to help others. One morning I felt impressed to study compassion and love. That day we came across a lady that told us she wanted to learn how she could be more compassionate. As I had previously read 3 Nephi 17 that morning I knew God needed me to share that with her. When we read this chapter about Christ having perfect compassion for
those who were sick and afflicted she broke into tears. I will never forget the spirit that we felt together that day as we helped one of our sisters come closer to Christ by reading from His experience in the Ancient Americas. The Book of Mormon has such a special place in my heart, I know it is true. I know that as we read it every day we will gain unbreakable spiritual strength that will help us endure to the end with joy. Once you begin a serious study of the Book of Mormon it will change your life forever. I have seen it time and time again.
The power of the priesthood is real and is restored on the earth again.
We all know that I am a struggle bus when it comes to health. And we all know that the only reason that I am out here on a mission is because God is lending me strength from day to day. Every time that I have received a blessing for my health I have seen an obvious difference in my pain level. I am forever grateful that because of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, through the prophet Joseph Smith we have the priesthood power on the earth again. The same power that Christ had to perform miracles, and effectuate ordinances is on the earth again. I know that Christ leads this church today and we have the fullness of the gospel on the earth again.
Temples truly connect the earth to the heavens.
This week our mission president has been encouraging us hard to study the Abraham covenant and the gathering of Israel. Right before I went through the temple for the first time I studied this topic in depth. However, I have seen different themes come to light now as a full-time missionary. I love the faith that Joseph Smith and Emma needed to have as well as Abraham and Sarah. I cannot even imagine the hardship that these couples had to endure. But I know that through the promises that God made with Abraham and through the knowledge of the restoration of the temples that was given to Joseph Smith we can now gather scattered Israel. Temples are absolutely essential to return to live in Gods presence and I am so grateful for the joy that comes from doing the sacred work for our ancestors.
Every act of obedience brings a specific blessing.
I love that every time we happily obey Gods commands we are immediately endowed with spiritual power. And this is because the spirit works a change in us. Every good thought, word, and action adds to our spiritual power. Over time we grow more and more like him in appearance and spirituality. I love the perfect plan that God has for each one of us. The more I study the scriptures, the more I grow to love my Savior and my Heavenly Father. I am trying hard each day to love them even more by using the power of repentance each day. I am so humbled to be a part of this beautiful work that is orchestrated by our all-loving, all-powerful, perfect Father in Heaven. The only thing that describes how I feel is in the song, "I stand all amazed." My testimony really has grown a lot this week as I reflected on all that I have accomplished in the past 9 months and all that I want to accomplish with the 9 months that I have left.
Thank you for all your support and love! Les quiero mucho
Hermana Richards
Highlights:
- teaching lily every day in the hospital and listening to her crazy stories about how she traveled all the way from Peru to cross the border. She is also a cancer survivor and is the sweetest person I have ever met. Her smile gives me life. She wants to be baptized in December so pray hard that the doctors will know how to help her pain.
- we found the best Nicaraguan restaurant and ate the best carne asada
- people are so funny on the streets and there isn't a day that goes by that there isn't protesters or preachers with big speakers set up. There's never a dull moment in Miami
Lowlights:
-stake conference was this week and the power went out! Talk about a bad first impression for all of our friends that came to church. It was so hot and very humorous.