WEEK 71 "Dont dodge challenges, face them with the Armor of God" -President Nelson

yesss! we have officially hit raining season but it is also mango and coco season sooo we have nothing to complain about over here. The members always hook us up with fresh mango juice and cocos more than we can carry home. 

This week we have been laser-focused on the members and getting them involved in ministering to all. We have been trying to serve them as much as possible cookies, notes, random calls and texts, and putting on baptismal services for their 8-year-old kids. Last week we also did singing time with the primary children and then this week we woke up at 5am to make the seminary students breakfast for their last class before summer. Life immediately changes for the better when you serve others with all your heart. 

We have the best youth, they always come out knocking with us even if it is pouring. Another way that we have been incorporating the members is through reading the Book of Mormon over Whats App to help our friends find a love for the scriptures. It has been a miracle worker in lots of lives including mine. This ward has my whole heart and I hope and pray that God lets me stay for my last transfer. We will find out soon.

This week I went on exchanges with Sister Smith and she is from Bekahs mission I need to find out more details but we had a blast! We taught Jhossue the cutest mom from Venezuela... I think she is more interested in learning English than the gospel but we will see where the Lord takes us. Then we went out tracking and saw this man in a run-down car shop. Ernie greeted us very kindly but he told us how he had lost all faith after his 20-year-old son died. He said that one day he will come back but for now he was mad at God and needed "time to heal his wounds." We shared a short but powerful passage from the Book of Mormon and told him that life will get a lot better the quicker he returns. It turns out that his wife used to be a member. He promised us he would read the pamphlet on the plan of salvation and before we left  he said, "I want you both to know that you are making your parents proud, and you have touched my life." We walked away feeling like we were uplifted and inspired. I don't know why bad things happen to good people but I know that God needed his son back and that if we hold out faithful we will be reunited with our loved ones again. After we taught the cute lady at the fruit stand.

One of my favorite parts of the week was trenching through knee-deep puddles, being drenched from head to toe, and literally looking not the slightest bit presentable but still knocking because we love the Lord. Everyone just looks at us like we are crazy and when we knock on their door they open up because they feel bad for us so usually they let us in... I'm telling yall it is prime finding time here in Florida jaja. We found and taught Dani and Lazaro and tried not to leave too many puddles in their house. they couldn't get enough of the Book of Mormon and wanted to know how they could get their own copy. Then right as we walked out of their house and hopped over a few more lakes (it had been raining so much by then they weren't puddles) we found our friend Willy. We immediately hit it off with talking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the next thing we knew he invited us onto his back patio to sing a couple of Spanish hymns together.  And wow was that just the straight highlight of my whole week. He was very talented on the guitar and had even written a few songs himself that may or may not have left me crying. Moments like these are what make jumping through lakes of water worth it. At that moment I knew that Christ was with us. And even though it was hard to be grateful for the rain that was making all our books and cards wet I had to remind myself that sunshine always comes after the rain. I knew if we just kept our faith high we would see a miracle. If we would have given up and slackened our strength at that moment we would have never found our cool new friends. we cannot miss out on a second of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. each one of us that have entered into a baptismal covenant is now a disciple and we need to do as president Russell M Nelson advised us last night at a fireside he gave to all of Florida, "Don't dodge challenges face them with the Amor of God." He also Challenged us to, "Walk confidently on the covenant path and Rely on Jesus Christ because he gives us the strength to do so." 

I love that We don't ever have to walk alone. We are all on our different paths; we all have our unique setbacks, trials and also victories. But the one thing that we all have in common is that we share the same Savior. He is as grand and vast as the universe extends but as intimate and personal as the human cells of the body function. I love Him and I know that He lives because I feel Him daily. I know what the prophet said last night was so true, "The gathering of Israel is the most important work and we have the power of the priesthood on the earth to perform it. Everyone has a role in this battalion." I challenge you all to put on the armor of God and fight for the cause of Christ by fortifying your homes into sanctuaries of faith, repent and help others to do so as well and to lift a hanging head. The prophet promised that as we do so we will feel a sense of purpose. 

I love you all and I hope you find ways to lift those heads that hang down this week!

xo 

 Hermana Richards