SISTER MELISSA RICHARDSON WEEKLY LETTER
JANUARY 8, 2014
Well I changed planners for this new transfer...and I forgot to bring my old one with me. So I don't remember what happened this last week! But I'll do my best in remembering the highlights.
We had a great week! We got some new investigators and have been able to do the most teaching this past week than we have since we got here! Hooray! Most of them have been member referrals! We are teaching some great people and are hopeful that they will be able to progress towards baptism. One of our new investigators is a 17 year old girl who is a friend with a girl in the ward. She has such a desire to have a relationship with God, it's great!
Wow I really can't remember what happened this past week without that planner!
But anyway transfers are tomorrow, and Sister Sullivan and I are both staying here in St. Augustine! I am so so glad! We are just getting rolling here.
A highlight of the week was testimony meeting at church this past Sunday. One of the deaf members got up and bore his testimony about how it was such a great experience when us sister missionaries came over and taught their friends a lesson and had dinner with them. 3/4ths of the people that bore their testimony were part of our little deaf community in the ward. It made us feel good about the work we are doing! They are really getting enthused about missionary work now that they can communicate with both of the missionaries in a companionship.
Sister Sullivan has daily chronic headaches...and she has had this same headache for about 2 weeks now. So when it gets to a severe pain level, we have to stay in. And we've stayed in a lot this past week. Which is different, but hopefully things get better soon! We're working on it!
This ward is so great, we get dinner appointments 5-6 days of the week. Everyone is so giving and aware of others and their needs.
It has gotten COLD here! The coldest that it's been in 4 years apparently! It's so funny with everyone complaining about it! And it is cold...just not Utah cold. It's gotten down below freezing a few times...and that is just BIZARRE for people here. They have even cancelled school in a few areas of Florida just because of the cold! Kind of like Arkansas and how every one freaks out with a couple inches of snow. I love it :)
My two catch phrases for the week:
-Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. (Pres. Monson)
-People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.
My testimony is continually strengthened. God gives us experiences to learn lessons. You can learn a lesson from everything that happens to you in your life, good or bad.
All of the answers to ANY situation are in the scriptures and in the words of our Latter-Day prophets!
We have access to so much power and support through relying on Jesus Christ and His atonement. We don't take advantage of it enough! It's there and the price has already been paid, so use it!
God has a plan for each one of our lives. Trust in His will, and you will be happy and everything will work out. I know these things to be true!
Love you all,
Sister Richardson
Weekly Letter January 13, 2014
In order to have good weeks, you have to have bad weeks, right? Just
kidding, it wasn't that bad of a week. Just one of those trial of your
faith ones. Sister Sullivan has had this horrible headache/migraine for
about 3 weeks. And it puts her out cold, so we have stayed in a lot.
I definitely appreciate my companion more now, it's hard to do
missionary work on your own! But we got her some medicine finally this
past week. So hopefully we will be able to work hard this week and
teach some lessons!
The highlight of our missionary work is our great ward.
They are all so helpful. We get fed every night, every week. And
people always make a delicious feast for us when we come...going to work
hard to not gain weight! The deaf members continue to welcome us into
their circle. They gave us sign names this week. Mine is the letter
"R" on my cheek...because of my dimples...I didn't make it up but that's
what I was given.
I started a blog! it's songofsisterrichardson.blogspot.com. There's not too much on it yet, but I will be adding more to it this next week.
We have had a lot of less-active reactivations these
past few weeks, with the start of the new year! The ward mission leader
and us missionaries are very excited about that. And hopefully they
will continue to come.
A lesson I have learned this week is that God knows
what we need and want...but He won't do anything about it until we ASK.
Then He will speedily answer our prayers. Sometimes we bemoan a lack of
blessings our knowledge, but then realize we never actually
specifically prayed and asked for help. Joseph Smith didn't receive
answer to his prayers and the first vision until he made it a point to
kneel down and ask God for knowledge.
My favorite concept to teach people, members or not,
is the parable in Alma 32--specifically the part about how we must
constantly nourish the tree. Just like we need physical nourishment
every day, we need spiritual nourishment every day. Even if you eat a
huge thanksgiving feast one day or have a super awesome experience at
sacrament meeting...that doesn't mean you'll be sustained for the next
day, or the rest of the week. Constantly nourish! Kind of the same
concept as Hyrum's phrase of Add oil! Don't let your testimony tree get
withered. It is the most important thing you possess, than can never be
taken away from you! Value it by nourishing it constantly, every day!
I am not perfect! But I am working hard and
becoming more and more aware of how much I need the help of the Lord
every day. I truly need Him every hour!
Love you all!
Sister Richardson
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