JUNE 26, 2018 - WEEK #17

THE TRIALS OF A BROKEN WRIST

June 26, 2018

Things that are not fun with a Broken Wrist:

- Laundry: You never think about how much you twist your wrist as you're turning socks inside out, folding shirts, etc. Hint: It's a lot. Laundry is now my least favorite activity.

- Hamburgers: Ok, so Angus McCurdy's is a legendary burger/tri tip steak place here in Yucaipa. Their "Dirty McCurdy" is literally one of the BEST things I've ever eaten. But it falls apart super easily, and drips it's sauce everywhere. I've stained my bandages too often... 

- Meditation: Elder Ford and I have been starting to do some Meditation before we plan out our day. The problem is that I can't just place my hands in my lap, because my wrist can't bend to a comfortable position that way. But I try anyways, and while Elder Ford is getting some serious zen and Chillax-ation, 

Things that are fun with a Broken Wrist:

- Service: We went and filled bags with food at a senior center, and one of the jobs was to take the super full and heavy bags and place them on a cart. I couldn't lift with both hands like every one else could, so I only had one option: "RUN FAST!" I just lifted the bags with my left hand and dashed around, weaving through all of these people super quick fast! People kept telling me to be careful with my hand, but that would require NOT DOING SERVICE, WHICH IS NOT ALLOWED!!! Just kidding, but it was a lot of fun! Because I can't use both hands, I just have to be creative or speedy. 

- The Jokes: "Hey, Elder Ford! Do you need a hand?" "Yeah." "Yeah, me too."

- The time to think: I have more time to sit and think now, because exercise and other activities are limited, about the wonderful gifts and blessings that God has blessed me with! Experiences I despised and dreaded are things that I look back on cherishing, or are the things that have prepared me for the things that I am encountering now. 

What a wonderful and merciful God! One who helps us in foreign Situations, and allows us to struggle in order to help us learn how to overcome more difficult challenges that the world will throw at us. It's incredible to think about! 

From, 

Elder Richardson

P.S. This short email is brought to you by: Poor Planning! Yeah... That's my excuse... Sorry... 

JUNE 19, 2018 - WEEK #16

TRANSFERRING..... TRANSFERRING .....

June 19, 2018

Transfers, Transfers, what a wonderful thing! Wait... I'M LEAVING!?!? 

Yeah! Transferred out! I left Elder Bearman in Fontana, and Headed to the 3rd Ward in a smaller town called Yucaipa to be with Elder Ford!

Elder Ford is Incredible! He's super Diligent and dedicated, and so when I came into our apartment, I only had enough time to drop everything on my bed so we could head to a lunch appointment. And then we kept running from there! He's also really great at Basketball, and has an awesome taste in music! I haven't been with him too long, but I'll talk more about him as we go along! 

The nice thing about this new area is that we are in a car! Which makes sense, because I'm not allowed to ride a bike with my hand. This way we can travel around with air conditioning throughout the hottest part of the summer! (By the way, I think, not sure, that normally I would have immediately been sent to an area with a car, but because I was injured so close to the normal transfer time, they just had us wait the remaining week.)

At least, I would say that, but the weather has been really weird lately. We had a couple of hot days, but for the most part we have had really cool and overcasting weather. So we have actually parked our car somewhere and walked a lot.

I kind of mentioned in the last email that I have kind of sort of become ambidextrous, or left-handed. I've been trying to use my right hand as little as possible ( it's hard anyways with a splint on), so I've had the chance to do things with my left hand that I never have before. For example, I've been writing in my journal with my left hand. It feels really weird, but one might argue that it looks better at this point then my normal handwriting with my right hand!

Being in a new area has been really fun! I get to learn new names and people, along with their stories and needs. As I was looking through the records that passed missionaries had kept, I had the thought that two of our investigators should tour our Chapel building with us. I mentioned this to Elder Ford after some of our studies, and he said that he had actually had the same thought! That was super cool for me, to see the spirit in action for both of us!

And so we got to work trying to organize this Chapel building tour for Mike and Wendy, and oh boy was it work! Neither of us had ever given a chapel tour before, and so we had to figure that out all the while. 

It went really well! We got everything organized, and made it happen. The Spirit was there as we showed them the Chapel, and described how important the Sacrament was. We finished the tour at the Baptismal Font, and there we Bore our testimonies of how after we are baptized, we can recieve the Gift of the Holy Ghost, so we can always have The Spirit with us. I know the Spirit was present in that room! It was one of the sweetest experiences.

We stopped by someone who had previously met with missionaries, and he opened his door and invited us in. We talked with him for a bit, and when it came time for us to leave he said, "Wait! Take this with you!"

Turns out, he's an avid Hunter. He sent us on our way with probably 10 lb of elk and deer meat! I've never tried any meat beyond the stuff you'll find in a Walmart, so I'm both excited and terrified to try it! One of the other Elders in the Zone is apparently a really good cook, so he should be able to make it really well!

It's been sad and weird leaving the area that I started out in, but it's been fun getting to meet new people and learn new names and faces! At the same time, I keep looking for my helmet and bike whenever we head out. It will take time to adjust, but the Spirit and the Gospel is the same wherever we go!

Awkwardly on the keyboard,

Elder Richardson

1) Flowers in Yucaipa!!!

2) Another Flower!

3) One of the people we are working with has a lot of super cool things! Here's an authentic Nodachi! It was super heavy, so I'm struggling to hold it up with just my left hand!

4) And finally, we visited this family who apparently love challenging the 

missionaries with different things. At one point, it was spicy peppers. This time, it was spicy gummy worms. They were actually pretty good! Weird, but good!

Flowers in Yucaipa

Flowers in Yucaipa

Benjamin Richardson

California Redlands Mission

Feb 28, 2018 - March 3, 2020

 

JUNE 12, 2018 - WEEK #15

SO, HERE'S THE THING .... .

June 12, 2018

So, first things first, I'm ok!

I can't decide if that is more or less comforting... I don't know, is anyone panicking? That's probably the greatest indicator of how comforting something would be. 

Ok, so I was riding my bike, and I crashed into Elder Bearman because I turned to quickly or something. Somehow, Elder Bearman stayed up, and I took a tumble. I landed on my right hand and, as we would later learn, I fractured my Ulna's Styloid. Or rather, the bumpy bit below your wrist on the pinky side of the arm. Or rather, I hurt my wrist, and that's probably all that I needed to say. Oh well. 

Which also threw some of our plans out the window! After calling the Mission Nurse, we, much to Elder Bearman's dismay, were banned from Biking. And so we got to work!

We couldn't bike, so either we walked to those that were near us, or we asked other people to drive us places. For the rest of the time, we called and texted like CRAZY! Contacting as many people as we could, and trying to set up times to meet. 

Also, remember how I've been talking about wanting to do better at responding to the Spirit when it prompts me to do something? Well, I was able to do that! We went with a member from our Bishopric and visited a man that we'd never met before. As we talked with him, I got the impression to ask if we could come and study the Bible with him and his kids, and I asked him at the next opportunity. He said that that sounded like a great idea, and we are working to figure out a time to do that! 

That's basically it. No, really. We tried contacting as many people as possible through texts and phone calls, and then we go into transfers from there. But that will be dealt with NEXT TIME: on Elder Richardson's Emails! Tune in next time for... Literally more of me rambling about my week. Yep.

More Ambidextrous than he thought,

Elder Richardson

P.S. A disclaimer: the "week" time frame only kind of exists when it comes to me writing these Emails, especially when it is late... But this roughly covers from the 4th to the 11th of June.

1) We played another Board Game! This one was a resource managing game called Pixie Queen! It was fun, but that's probably only if "Resource Managing" sounds fun to you.

2) Also, for some reason, My roomates bought me 5 boxes of Mike and Ikes. I like Mike and Ikes, but 5 boxes might've been a tad bit excessive... But it was nice of them! And I took a picture, so... Here you go.

3) Here's my district from this transfer! Wonderful people, each one! 

NOTE TO DAD AND MOM ABOUT HIS BIKE ACCIDENT:

Soooooo... I was doing something unintelligent on my bike, and I thought I had sprained my wrist. But then the Mission nurse was worried that I might've broken something. So Thursday we went to Urgent Care, and they took an X-Ray. Turns out I have a minor Fracture on my Ulna's Styloid (fancy way of saying the bumpy bit next to the wrist, pinky side). 

It's enough that they won't let me bike, but I'm usually pretty okay, as long as I don't do anything too crazy with my right hand. In the meantime, text-to-speech is pretty awesome!

Also seems like a Tender Mercy, because we are reaching what is likely the hottest part of the year, and I am "forced to be in a car!" And, hopefully, I will be fully healed within 6 to 8 weeks.

Just wanted to make sure you knew! I'm doing alright, and I'll let you know any new developments as they come!

I got Daniel's letter! Tell him that I love him and that he should read Moroni 8:3. I'm thinking about and praying for him! And I know that if we start our days praying to Heavenly Father for help, and then we read in the Scriptures, we will receive the strength to resist temptation and to change for the better!

Have to work on my weekly! Love you!

Elder Richardson

P.S. One of our members in baseline Ward asked for my home address, and said that she was going to send something. I have no idea what it is but let me know when you receive something from Fontana.

Benjamin Richardson

California Redlands Mission

Feb 28, 2018 - March 3, 2020

JUNE 5, 2018 - WEEK #14

CAUGHT UP AT LAST

June 5, 2018

We had made a couple stops that night, and we sat on a street corner, trying to decide who to visit next. This girl walks by, earbuds in ears, wearing a bright orange Reese's Hoodie. We smile and say hello, and she asks if we're out "witnessing." We say yes, and tell her about what it is we do as missionaries. She stops walking and listens to us. We ask her about what she believes, and she talked about her church, and how she hasn't liked the way that it's been going. In that moment, I felt the distinct impression to invite her to attend our church. I acknowledged that impression, and decided that I'd ask her, eventually.

Big mistake.

Seconds later, a man pulled up in a car, and told her to go home. She said it was her dad, and she left. I have no idea what could've happened had I asked. She seemed genuinely interested in what we were talking about, but because I never asked, I'll never know. 

God speaks to us in many ways, but he primarily speaks through the Spirit. And so, when we listen to the Spirit, and act on the promptings that we're given, we show God that we are wanting to hear more from Him! But when we ignore the things that He tells us, we show the opposite. 

The lesson that we learned that day was that we need to act immediately on those promptings! After all, it's God speaking to us! I need to work harder at that! Because the best way to do Missionary work is side-by-side with the Spirit, and to show God that we will act when He speaks!

Another story about that same thing starts with us telling a Member that we would help him move a couch through his house (Missionaries love doing service, BTW! If you need help with a bit of yardwork or moving something a bit heavier, contact your local Missionaries. Also, we love talking to people and Cookies. Generally Speaking, that is. Just Sayin'). However, we got busy with something else and totally spaced. That night, he called, a little bit miffed, asking where we had been. We felt awful, and rescheduled for the next day.

About an hour before, I kept watching the clock, because I didn't want to be late. But then Elder Bearman felt like we needed to visit someone on the other side of our area. If we went, though, we would be at least 10 minutes late. But, we went. And we had a really good visit with that person! And then we Biked like CRAZY all the way back! As soon as we arrived, our Member pulled up, 10 minutes late as well. We made it just in time.

As we listen to the Spirit, and act immediately on those Promptings, God will provide a way for us to do those things that He has told us to do.

See you! 

Elder Richardson

P.S. Shorter letter, wanted to get it done! Love you all! Pray for something you're thankful for! :D

Benjamin Richardson

California Redlands Mission

Feb 28, 2018 - March 3, 2020