SISTER RICHARDSON WEEKLY LETTER #20: NOV 26, 2013

SISTER RICHARDSON

NOVEMBER 26, 2013

Being transferred to St. Augustine, Florida! To be an ASL missionary! Yay sign language! There is a big school for the deaf and blind there, so lots of deaf people in the ward and in the area.  I will have a new companion, Sister Sullivan who I will meet tomorrow.  I'm excited for the new opportunities and challenges! Excited to have an hour of language study in the mornings! And excited to spend the winter on the Florida coast. 

We found out last Monday night that Sister Spendlove would be training a new Sister and that I would be leaving.  We had interviews with President Craig the next day and he told me where I would be transferred to and that I would be signing...which usually never happens.  So I knew a week in advance!  I have heard that ASL missionaries there is an answer to many prayers of people in that area...I guess I'll find out what that means when I get there!

We are working with some really great families here in St. Marys.  3 of them! They could all definitely be baptized in December.  I wish that I could stay here to see it out! But it will be good for Sister Spendlove to have them to work with and teach this next month while she is finding her way through training.

We've also been able to do some good community service this week. We helped cook and serve food to the homeless. We also helped put together food bags for Thanksgiving with a youth leadership group in the area. We will be helping to feed the homeless again at Thanksgiving (Sister Spendlove and her trainee will do so at least!)
We had a great experience with a new investigator where we were doing service tracting and went to help her with yard work. She asked some incredible questions and we taught her a lot that day as we were raking leaves and pulling weeds.

I have felt myself become really comfortable with teaching about the gospel principles...especially the restoration.  I feel like I am able to explain them really simply.  But I still learn more and more about them whenever I study them in Preach My Gospel.  It's great!

I'm going to miss the people here.  A lot. 

An investigater family

Sister Angel -- my life inspiration!

Rachel ... one of the craziest and inspirational people I have ever met.And she is 70!

Byrd and Sister Cook

Brother Adams...our ward mission leader...I don't know why I look sad in this picture...I am happy, i promise!

Lena...another one of my life inspirations. One of the most holy women I've ever met.  And she's a psychologist.

We had a fun experience eating dinner with a pentecostal preacher and his worship/praise band this week.  They put me on the piano to play the chords and even made me sing at one point.  It was fun/funny.

Food adventures of the week: went to another local seafood restaurant with an investigator...had yummy oysters and crackers, STING RAY, tilapia, shrimp, hush puppies, fried okra, fried mushrooms, fried butterfly shrimp, fried green tomatoes, clam...lots of food.  Then today, we had TWO lunch appointments...it's hard to say no to people.  We had one at 12 at a mexican restaurant, and one at 12:30 at this lady's house.  Both were DELICIOUS, but I was so stuffed and haven't eaten the rest of the day and probably won't. 

There is this family that is basically Mormon, they just don't know it yet.  They believe all of the same things as us, but we are still trying to help them understand the concept of prophets and priesthood authority.  But we went to their monday night family devotion last night that they do every week where they sing, have a lesson, pray, and have a treat.  Hello family home evening and perfect convert family! They'll be great.

Last week we kept getting storm alert texts about Tropical Storm Melissa, hooray! But it never got past the Azares islands...wherever they are.

Had my last district meeting with my district here...I'll miss them a lot! Elder Craynor had me bear my testimony since I was leaving.  We had interviews before the meeting in the morning so Sister Spendlove and I organized a lunch for everyone.  I used a pink table cloth and had pink plates and napkins, just to bug the Elders, it was great. 

I hope that you all have a GREAT!!! thanksgiving! I get to call home in ONE MONTH! It will go by in no time.  I have no idea what I'll be doing on Thanksgiving...but it'll be an adventure.  The gospel is restored and we are all so loved by God and others! Don't forget to look up!! If Nephi can be grateful for the raw meat he had to eat in the wilderness..then we should be able to be grateful for EVERYTHING.  Have a happy week!

Sister Richardson

Also, my new address is
420 Villa San Marco #201

St. Augustine, FL

I don't know the zip code...you'll have to look it up.