"OH, MAY MY SOUL COMMUNE WITH THEE"
July 2019
The Past two weeks have been very interesting! We had a miracle happen! Elder Hopper (my companion, which I can't remember if I mentioned...) taught a lady named Martha and her friend when he was in Fontana about a year ago, and she was doing really well! Martha had gained a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and she was excited to set a date to be baptized, and... That was when Elder Hopper got transferred. From what he had heard, things had kind of fallen apart and the missionaries lost contact with Martha and her friend.
Come forward a year or so, and Elder Hopper finds out that Martha's friend moved from Fontana over to the part of Rialto that we cover! This last week, everything lined up just perfectly where Elder Hopper and his old Companion from Fontana were able to meet with Martha and her friend again, and we were able to start teaching Martha! And, she's preparing to be baptized on June 18th, which is super awesome! We'll be meeting with them tonight, and it is really exciting!
Our buddy Sergio is doing fantastic! He is a member of the Church, but he hadn't been coming to church for a while. He was meeting with the missionaries for a bit, but he was having a hard time and we stopped meeting with him before I got here. About a month ago, we get a call from Sergio, and he's back and better than ever! We've been meeting with him, and he's been coming back to church and everything! Yesterday, before church, we showed him how to pass the Sacrament, and he did such a good job passing for the first time! We were so proud of him!
I've been learning so much lately! I think one of the biggest lessons I've learned is about just how much help and direction Our Heavenly Father wants to give us! He just wants us not only to humble ourselves and ask for help, but to take the time to ponder and ask. One of the Sisters in the district says that she always takes some time, before she finishes her prayer, to ask God if He has anything that He would like to say to her, and then she just listens. She tells us that she has grown so much closer and developed a much closer relationship with her Heavenly Father by doing so.
I've learned so much as I've done this, too! I decided to give that a try, and I learned so much about how I could do things differently, that I had to take more time in my prayer just to listen, and then more time after to record the thoughts and ideas that came to me. I'm learning that I can't just "pray real quick" before I go to bed, start my day, etc. I need to approach that time with a much less casual and convenient attitude, but rather like an appointment with God where I can speak to Him and He can truly speak to my soul.
I'd like to invite you all to try that out! Take the time when you next pray on your own to ask God what He'd like you to know. And then Listen!!! Listen to the thoughts and feelings that come to your mind and heart, and you will be amazed at what you'll learn and feel the Holy Ghost teach you!
Love you all!
Elder Richardson
Benjamin Richardson
California Redlands Mission
Feb 28, 2018 - March 3, 2020
