May 12

Hey Family, friends, and amigos mejores!

It has been a wonderful, stirring week down here in the southern parts of the world. The weather is cool, but not unbearably so, and the people continue to be as amazing and nice as ever. I have also had the incredible pleasure of eating genuine mexican Tacos on two different occasions this last week.

Oh, and I talked with my family, which was pretty cool too.

Seeing this myriad of wonderful people after such a great expanse of time (Five months for some, ten months for others) was a fantastic experience. It was just another great reminder of why I'm out here, and whom I'm representing. Every day I look down at this little plaque of mine, and two names call my attention. First of all, my last name, and second and more importantly, the name of the Savior. Of all the people in the world, or out of it, that I do not want to let down, those two names cover the vast majority of the group.

Being a missionary certainly isn't an easy work, not now, not ever. Just this week, we received a heart breaking phone call from one of our best investigators, and great man that I've been working with for over three months now. He essentially cut off all ties with us over the space of this phone call, and it hut my like a Muy Thai kick to the stomach (My companion, who studies martial arts has demonstrated this, and it doesn't feel too great).

Needless to say, the work carries on. Like that tremendously significant vision and dream from Daniel, the rock will keep rolling on until it fills the entire earth. While these pains and these disappointments are ever present, at least during this short time on earth, things will improve and get better. When we carry on, with a smile on our face and more importantly, on our heart, we will see the greatest blessings that this life can offer.

This week, we putspecial effort into contacting people on the streets, and there was many incredible experiences that resulted. Many of these contacts were quite lame, and the people, though nice country folk, rejected us quite soundly. But always, right when our hearts were about to give in, we found that on person that just breathed a fresh new life into our work. Twice, after many sound rejections, we would stop by a person and they showed genuine interest in our message. It was a reassuring promised blessing that really made our efforts seem worth it.

Something that blew me away earlier this week occured during a mini-cambio. My companion, who knew nothing of the sector, was following my lead, when we meandered into an area that didn't have a whole lot of investigators. Our planned visit fell through, and I decided that we could try and visit an old investigator, a husband to an active member that in the past hasn't really committed to much.

Far from the normal, dull approach of sharing a scripture and leaving, I decided to just ask him questions the entire time. Before I realized it, I was asking questions I had never really pondered before to this man, and the effect they had on him was impressive. He was caught off guard, and his sensitive and sincere responses shook me. I had thought that he hadn't wanted to progress because he wasn't interested, but those inspired questions slipped beneath his defenses and revealed that he genuinely wants to. He hungers for the blessings of the gospel, which he knows is true. He just doesn't know if he can live up to the ascossiated responsabilities, and told us that he hadn't sincerely prayed for an answer. He told us that he lacked that spiritual need in his prayers to truly receive, becuase he was a bit afraid of the answer he would get.

It was a tremendous spiritual experience, and I am so grateful for the Spiritual promptings that made it so. Because of his heartfelt words, I have been inspired to examine mine own prayers, and see where I am lacking concerning spiritual hunger. Enos 1 looks to be a good read soon enough.

I love you all, and hope that you all have a fantastic week. ¡Ustedes son los mas bakànes!

With love,

Elder Richardson

May 5

Hello everybody! It is a beautiful fall/almost-winter morning here in Yungay, and I am happy to send this letter out to you. It has been a mountainous week in the mission field, but it is certainly one that I wouldn't trade for the world. The life of a missionary is one of tremendous spiritual peaks followed by deep and often times surprisingly long spiritual valleys, and it appears to be in the latter for now. BUT! This week was a joy to live, and I learned so much, its not even funny. Its really awesome really, how the Lord has chosen to help little old me to grow in this time through these specific experiences.

Regardless, I hope that for you all it has been a marvelous week of spiritual Everests, because chilling rain, appointments falling like the London Bridge, and broken commitments aren't that fun to live through, all being said.

¡Bueno! This week had a strong theme of a gospel principle that is absolutely crucial to every single part of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ. I am talking about faith in the Savior Jesus Christ, which has been, is, and will always be the abiding principle of the true church. Absolutely, it has to be at the center of what we do and who we are. It was difficult for me to find specific taks and sections that speak on faith, because it is such a vital part of every single other gospel principle. This eternal trust in things that are not seen but are true  spurs us on to obedience, gives us hope, and enlightens our minds with purpose.

We must develop this faith, or else we have nothing. In other words, if we have faith centered on the Rock of our Redeemer, there is no thing that can't be done, and no storm that can't be weathered. Despair, confusion, and iniquity in general are antithesis to faith, and many times in the scripture are the words ``Do not fear,``  ``Doubt not,`` ```Be not afraid,`` ``Have faith, doubting nothing``. and so on and so forth. This faith is to be nurtured in times of plenty and times of need, but if we have it, we shall never walk alone or in fear or in the many other negative states that are so common in the world.

If we have faith in Christ, it supplements every other part of our lives. Our scripture reading becomes incredibly potent, and we receive the exact truths that we and others we know and love need to here. Our prayers become sincere, our communication with our Father in Heaven becomes something wonderful to behold. Everyday living becomes something miraculous.

In no way does having faith mean that we won't have problems. But like Job of old, with faith, we can say that whatever thing passes our way, I will rejoice in the Lord. I KNOW, that my Redeemer liveth. We don't gain miraculous liberation from every problem, though the faithful will certainly receive blessings of that sort, but we do gain the kind of trust and hope in the Lord that we need to pass through and overcome with our testimonies unshaken and our lives unimaginably blessed.

One of my greatest heroes now is the Brother of Jared from the Book of Mormon. I want, more than many other things I have ever wanted, to have a faith as rock solid as his. The faith he possessed was unprecedented, and in return he received miracles and blessings that were equally incredible. The first part of Ether chapter 3 really expresses the magnificent trust and confidence he displayed in the Lord. By sheer faith alone, and Jeffrey R Holland describes the experience far better than I in his book ´Christ and the New Covenant,´ the Brother of Jared had an experience of seeing the premortal Savior in a way that had never before come to pass. Wow.

Like Indiana Jones, we must be willing to take that leap of faith, and if we do, our faith will definitely be rewarded.

Yungay has many problems right now, and the work is very difficult, but carrying on in faith is the only answer. We are experiencing trials and challenges, but I know, that persevering will bring incredibly blessings.

This week, I had the pleasure to have a long lesson with Hermano Luis Salazar, the great man that was baptized in March. He is an inspiring figure for me, his faith especially. This is a man, that despite only having two months in the church, wants more than anything to go to the Temple and be sealed with his family for time and all eternity. This is a man, that when we teach a lesson on forgiveness and forgiving others, immediately applies it in his life, despite the painful blow to the pride it must have taken. He is a giant, spiritually speaking, since not many Chileans are that big literally. He has the faith, and I know tremendous blessings are in store for him. Nothing will stand in the way of this great man as he moves forward in faith for himself and his family. He is also quite funny.

I would like to close with the lyrics of a hymn that I heard right as I began my studies this morning.

1. 1. Lead, kindly Light, amid th'encircling gloom;
   Lead thou me on!
   The night is dark, and I am far from home;
   Lead thou me on!
   Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
   The distant scene--one step enough for me.
2. 2. I was not ever thus, nor pray'd that thou
   Shouldst lead me on.
   I loved to choose and see my path; but now,
   Lead thou me on!
   I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
   Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years.
3. 3. So long thy pow'r hath blest me, sure it still
   Will lead me on
   O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
   The night is gone.
   And with the morn those angel faces smile,
   Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

I love you all, and hope this new week proves to be a faith building, faith sustaining, and faith rewarding week for you all!

Sincerely,

Elder Richardson