Monday, April 7, 2014

SISTER RICHARDSON WEEKLY LETTER #32 -- FEB 18, 2014

SISTER RICHARDSON
FEBRUARY 18, 2014


Well to describe this week in one word: bipolar.
 
The days right before sister Sullivan went home were really hard. I
likened it to labor sympathy pains...when your companion is broken emotionally
and physically, it gets to you too, because of sympathy and care. We
weren't able to go and work much. It was hard for her to say goodbye
to people and pack up her stuff. It was weird dropping her off at the
mission home and leaving with her. But I have felt a physical and
emotional burden lifted as she has gone home. Because she is now no
longer miserable every day and has her family right there to support
her and help her get better. She wants to come back out when they get
her medical stuff figured out.
 
The week just has gone up from there and has been a great last few days!
 
Some highlights of the week were having a fhe lesson and dinner with
recent convert family at the home of a great member family. We are
trying to help the recent converts make more friends in the ward. And
guess what! This member family, the Sonneys, Sister Sonney was in the
first work and the glory movie! She was a bar maid. And is actually on
the movie poster down in the palmyra scene on it. Pretty cool!
 
Brother and Sister Fewkes from the war gave us cute iPad styluses to
use with our new iPads. Mine is pink with polka dots!
 
On mutual night, we had a missionary training for all the youth that
are now ward mission leaders. Our ward mission leader who is
incredible talked about the power of one. He showed us how one persons
conversion or reactivation can start a chain that in just a few
generations can lead to a stake of church members in numbers. Pretty
cool! A good lesson to remember about the worth of every soul.
 
So I spent a lot of time this week going through records of former
investigators and typing them into our iPads...I've still got a long
way to go. We are supposed to have it all done by next week....we'll
see how it goes.
 
The weather here has been perfect the last few days. Sunny and 70 with
a nice ocean breeze. Makes me more thankful to have been called on a
mission to Florida :) Last night the moon was huge and orange! Maybe
it was an eclipse?
 
So the rest of these week with the other wards sister missionaries has
been really fun! Honestly it has just felt like a fun sleepover for
me. It's so fun to work a little in their area and a little in mine.
It's been a nice "break". But it does feel weird going tracting with
three people.
 
Last night, the family we ate dinner with turned on the Olympics. I
heard the music and saw the ice skaters on the screen and it was sooo
had not to watch it! I love the Olympics!
 
Another highlight of the week was a lesson we had with our
investigator Stephanie. She is friends with one of the young women. I
felt strongly about teachings her the plan of salvation (lesson 2)
first. It was one of the best spirit filled lessons I've ever been in!
The spirit taught and the young woman and her parents testified
strongly.  It was a good reminder that us missionaries are such a
minor role in this conversion process. It really happens by the spirit
and the members.
 
Yesterday we visited a less active sister who said that our little
lesson was a diret answer to her prayer and that our visit gave her
hope to go on. Love those moments :) People teach me so much here!
 
So it is transfers tomorrow! I am getting a new companion. I know
nothing besides her name and that apparently she knows some sign
language. I think I may be in st. Augustine for the rest of my mission
because so few people in the mission know sign language and it's such
a her need!
 
On Saturday we had a fun activity for the deaf members. We had waffles
and played volleyball! They were all such great missionaries and
brought their non member and less active friends. It was such a great
turnout! It was a little stressful putting it together, but it all
miraculously came together at the end.
 
Had a hilarious cooking disaster this week. So I was trying to make
muddie buddies for the volleyball activity. I put the chocolate,
peanut butter, and butter in a bowl and stuck it in the
microwave...apparently 3 minutes is way too long. I took the bowl out
(it was plastic) and the sludge started pouring out the bottom. It had
burned a whole in the bottom of the bowl and smelled of nasty burned
chocolate. It was great.
 
The fewkes family took us to a great beach restaurant called mango
mango this week. I got some delicious fried shrimp. Then they took us
out the beach and the full moon was so bright shining on the water and
the waves were so big and loud. Someday I'll come back and actually go
to the beach and swim :)
 
I am doing well and am excited for a fresh start with this transfer. I
can feel my faith grow with every month and trial on my mission. God
is good!
 
Sister Richardson

 


 

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