Hello hello, my dear family, friends, and loved ones in the grand work of the Gospel. I hope and pray that you are all quite well today, and that the blessings of Heaven are upon you. Wherever you may be in the world, whether in Arizona with the sun all year 'round, or in places as far from the heat and warmth of summer as can be, I hope that the Light of the Gospel is shining on you today and all days!
This week was certainly a very interesting one. I am quickly realizing that the phrase is certainly overused, but it appears that it wouldn't be a real mission without it being the truth. Two different mini-cambios were during the center of our week, and several other days had events and happenstance that made them quite abnormal from the standard proselyting day. Monday and Sunday, usually quite devoid of the floods of lessons that fill other days due to limited schedules of labor, were powerhouses this week, with seven lessons to investigators with members present between the two of them, and several of lessons as well.
I am eternally grateful to declare that the Lord is in charge of this work. He has prepared people for us to find, and this week was no exception. Through references that we weren't quite too sure of, we were able to find a woman and a family, both very prepared to receive the Gospel in their lives. Through a series of incredible lessons with them, we have found individuals longing for the truth and the blessings that come with it, and the Spirit is in regular attendance with these occasions.
Soledad, the woman, has accepted a baptismal date and we expect her to be baptized in the next few weeks. It truly is incredible how the eagerness to share the Gospel one less-active Hermaña had, because of her love for a friend, has led to this incredible experience for everyone involved. Every lesson goes very well, and she eagerly reads and prepares questions for us to answer the next time we visit. She accepts the challenges we make, and meets them with vigor. After Sacrament Meeting, we were able to show her the baptismal font and other parts of the chapel, but best of all, she felt the Spirit. She commented on how one of the speakers had mentioned substances that are prohibited, and we had an impromptu lesson about the Word of Wisdom, which she immediately accepted to live. Soledad is ready to join the church, because she has been prepared by friends with love in their hearts.
Love really is an interesting concept. We can do so many good things in our lives, but not have love in our hearts, not have this golden attribute of Charity. It is sometimes one of the hardest things to have for people, and yet we are supposed to have it for all, especially those who lack it for us. Several times in the scriptures it is mentioned as one of the most valuable aspects that we can have in our lives. Paul goes into an incredible and profound discourse of how Charity is crucial for it all. The 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians reads:
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not a, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of a, and understand allb, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the a, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 a b long, and is c; charity d not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself a, b her own, is not easily c, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in a, but rejoiceth in the b;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
13 And now abideth a, b, c, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
How necessary it is for us to have this! As a missionary, four brands of Charity are regularly asked of us as I have found in my brief experience here. 1st is love of the Lord. 2nd is love for the people. 3rd is love for our fellow workers. 4th is our love for ourselves. We must be able to open our hearts and have the humility necessary to be charitable to all, or else we lack one of the crucial fundamentals of this Gospel.
Finally, a quote from Sister Barbara Thompson: ''If you don't love someone very much, you probably haven't served that person enough. If you serve a person, you will love them. Jesus wanted the Twelve-- and He wants each of us-- to learn that humility and service are characteristics we should seek to obtain... No one is too great to serve others. In fact, one of the things that makes us great is our willingness to serve and give of ourselves.'' -Barbara Thompson ''As I Have Loved You'' July 2011 Liahona
Zach Kircher: Hey man, I loved to get your email. Youa re spot on with the belief and service for the Lord running hand in hand. Faith without works is dead, right? He truly does love us, and wants nothing more than to help us acquire our goals and our desires, provided that they are righteous. There is a golden path with an iron rod ahead of us, and though it has mountains high and valleys low in the road, it never ends, it never falters, and we are able to make it.
I certainly hope the best for them as well. They are a wonderful family, and it has been a joy and a blessing for me to work with them.
I'm glad that you're rising up to the challenges of the next few months instead of worrying too much about your departure time. The Lord knows when He wants you to head on out. There are some people that are praying for you at this moment and at this time, and only by heading out when you do will you be able to find them.
Keep enjoying these experiences before your mission as you build up to the time to head out. Por favor, send me a copy of your farewell talk when you're finished writing it. And as for the picture, I am only partly disappointed by the lack of duck face. Looking dapper.
Elder Layton: I love the power of your testimony of the Savior and His ability to make out of us far greater things than we can. It is a stirring thing to read, and I loved your analogy. If I will, I would like to share one I heard recently as well:
Pretend you are a house. You're not perfect, and there are in fact quite a few things wrong with you. The best you can do never seems to be enough, and you never quite fit into your vision of a perfect little house. But then you invite the Savior in to fix things up. At first, He does things that you appreciate and that you expect, such as cleaning the gutters and fixing the holes here and there. But then He starts to knock you around in ways you did not expect, and sometimes hurt quite a bit. New walls get raised over here, and a new tower is build over there. Gradually, you realize that the changes have created something entirely new, and entirely better. You had in mind a little house, but He has in mind a Palace.
Enjoy your week, Elder Layton. Love you, bro!
Mom: I am so glad that you're enjoying life up there in the States. It sounds like everything is calm and tranquil and enjoyable right now. I am happy to hear that the family continues to do well, and that everyone is glad at this special time of the year. I hope McKayla enjoys the desert, because Antofagasta is home to one of the driest in the world. Chile truly is an incredible country, and one of the few in the world with every type of climate. She will love it! It is crazy to think that Ben is arriving home so soon. He has been such an inspiration to me with his great service in Mexico City. I am so excited to hear from him again soon.
That story of the missionaries is absolutely crazy. I had the opportunity to watch some video logs from a missionary that was in Chile not to far from me now during the big earthquake in Concepcion. It was a stirring reminder of what can happen to change our lives. It was also really interesting, and I was reminded that the Lord protects His anointed. As for the last days, I love the scriptural predictions about these times, especially in 2nd Nephi. In Chapter 28 he talks about this stuff, but finished with a loving declaration:
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, a upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learnb; for unto him that c I will give d; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
31 Cursed is he that putteth his a in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the b of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
32 a be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and b unto me; for mine c is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.
Super interesting!
As for temple news, there really isn't much. The lot right now is still a lot of dirt and weeds, but we received word that the Ground Breaking will be happening in the next few months. We have been advised to do a lot more to prepare the people for the incredible blessings they will be able to receive in the Temple. Your message was spot on, and I really appreciate it.
As for Christmas, music de Navidad can be heard on regular stations ever since before Halloween. It is a huge holiday, and we have seen one or two Christmas trees up. I am really excited, as Chilenos love fiestas and are always ready to welcome strangers or cough cough Missionaries into their homes during this time. As for the first aid, I don't really need anything right now. Some of those zinc tablets would be great for the future if necessary. I have access to Nutella and Peanut Butter down here, even if they are a bit more expensive. Don't worry about those.
I took the liberty of making two small Christmas lists. The first has 1 Soccer Jersey and matching shorts (For Chile, Germany, USA, Manchester United, Borrusia Dortmund, or Galatasaray) 2 Candy (The more the merrier) 3 Cinnamon rolls or cookies (I really don't care if they are old. They are delicious) 4 Larger and better music player (Doesn't have to be the best in the world, but I would like a little bit more than what I have currently. Not neccessary though) 5 Socks (I could always use more of these. Whites aren't neccessary) 6 Ties (Of both the plain or ugly varieties. Like candy, the more the merrier) 7 A Calender (With nerdy things or family pictures, or possible a combination of both?) 8 More family and friend pictures (I like these people. I would also like pictures of them as well) 9 A List of Birthdays and special events for family and friends (Can be in Calender or not. Can be sent later after I obtain a calender and I can put them in manually) 10 Email addresses of family and friends (I know you share this letter with everyone you can, and I appreciate it greatly. I do feel bad however that many of my friends have gone without contact from me in... years. I need to repent in that area).
The second Christmas list is: Nothing. Just throw some money on the card and give me an idea of how much is on there so I can go into Concepcion and purchase any of these things in the stores there.
A third, and I believe the best option is: A combination of the two. I also wanted to know what I can do to send the family a Christmas from Chile. I would really appreciate some suggestions in next week's letter, since I am terrible with gift ideas.
Thank you for everything, Mom. I really do appreciate these letters more than you can imagine! They are the best in the world. I love you so so much. Thank you again for everything.
Thank you everyone for another stellar week, and for the daily outpourings of love and joy I get from you all. I look forward to the many letters and emails you will all send me in the up and coming days and weeks (Hint, hint). You're all the very best!
With love,
Elder Richardson
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