OCTOBER 7, 2019 - PERSONAL NOTE TO DAD AND MOM

 PERSONAL NOTE TO DAD AND MOM

October 7, 2019

So part of the reason that I've been a more lax in my emails lately is because I haven't felt like there's a lot that I can write about that's happening in our weeks right now. Things haven't been slow in my area because of bad luck or a lack of good people to be found, it's just been that we haven't been out and about. 

My companion, and I love him to death, is nearing the end of his mission: a detail that he reminds me of consistently. Missionary work is hard for him, because talking with people is hard for him. It's scary, and he doesn't feel like he would be able to do what he would need to. And for the people that we can work with, the effort just isn't there because he just feels so drained after lessons with them and he feels like they won't progress, especially if we try to work harder on them. And on top of that, he is just lacking in any desire to work or talk or plan or teach. So, do anything that missionaries do. Some days are better than other, but it has been ups and downs these past couple months. 

I'm doing ok. I have faith in Christ, and He helps me out personally. But it is frustrating to have this situation be here, especially when what I want to do is work even harder during the last moments of my mission. I'm trying to help and love my companion to the best of my ability, and that's what my Mission President has advised thus far. Just try to help him finish his mission strong. 

So because we just haven't been doing too much, even though I've wanted to, I haven't felt like there's been anything to share about in an email.  That's a little bit of an excuse, but that's been a big reason. If everyone's prayers can just be directed more to my companion and I being able to figure out how to move forward, that would help a lot. 

I am safe, I am still having fun times and trying to stay happy and do what's right, but I'm having a hard time figuring how much to help out. I'm praying and trying to seek revelation. But what would you do, Dad? Are there any experiences or impressions that might help me figure this out? I just can't figure out what I can do to help someone in the middle of a deliberate exercising of their agency.

I haven't really had a good opportunity to share about that with you and Mom. Sorry about ommitting that. There just hasn't been a great opportunity to share that in calls or messenger chats with my companion in the room. 

I love you, Dad! Keep us in your prayers, and if there's any advice you have, I'd love to hear!

Elder (Benjamin) Richardson

P.S. I'll make sure to give you a call next week!

SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 - MISSION LETTER #62

SERVICE OF GOD

September 17, 2020

Basically, God can do anything. Now, there are things that He sometimes will choose not to control, like the choices that we make, or the consequences of other people's actions. But it is amazing what He will do for those who seek to do His will. 

For example, some of the Sister Missionaries needed a couple extra hands to help this lady load and unload a few things from a small moving truck, so we volunteered to help out. Little did the Sisters or us know that we weren't helping the moving crew, but we WERE the moving crew! Not only that, but  the process was a lot more intensive than any of us had predicted. What we thought  would be maybe two hours at most ended up being a 5 and a half hour moving project, including a 10-mile drive to go and take some of these things over to a storage unit to shuffle things around  befor unloading the remainder of the truck! It was crazy!

And so, where  did the miracle come in? We had been seeking to do more service, because we felt like that would be good both for us and our area. The only problem was that no one we knew needed help with ANYTHING! Not only that, but things lined up perfectly, with everything falling through just  right, so that we could help these Sisters help this lady. The Sister apologized for so much of our day  being taken up by this one project, but there wasn't a better place where the Lord would've had us to be at that time. 

There's such a great feeling that comes from  working hard to  help someone else! It's really a special thing! It reminds me of Mosiah 2:17 in  the Book of Mormon, where a wise King and Prophet shares with his people one of the great realizations of his life, "When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, ye are only in the service of your God!"

I know that  that is true, and that as we look outside of ourselves to try and bless other's lives, we will know that we are in the service of our God!

Elder Richardson

Benjamin Richardson

California Redlands Mission/San Bernadino Mission

Feb 28, 2018 - March 3, 2020

AUGUST 20, 2019 - MISSION LETTER #61

A GOSPEL OF PEACE

August 20, 2019

Things are good over here in the great city of Indio in the California San Bernardino Mission! We have many, many things happening all the time, and so it's hard to remember what all I should share right now... 

We've been working with a woman who has been going through a lot of trials ever since she started meeting with missionaries. We've always felt like these trials might be a barrier that would prevent her from progressing until some future point, so we've felt kind of stuck. On Friday, though, we had a lesson over video chat, where we were able to focus on the Book of Mormon and it's role in bring us closer to Christ. 

She wasn't sure about it, but when the Missionaries in the past first taught her about the Book of Mormon, she read some of it and felt like the parts she had read were good and consistent with what she had felt about God. We were able to help her connect her good, positive, peaceful feeling that she felt when reading to Book of Mormon to how Joseph Smith was a prophet. It all made sense to her, but we made sure that she knew not to take our word for it, but to ask her Heavenly Father herself in prayer whether the things we had shared with her were true. 

After she prayed, this great peace washed over us all. We asked her how she was feeling, and amidst all the chaos and stress that always seemed to plague her, she said that she felt happy and peaceful. 

I know that as we draw nearer to God, and seek him out, he changes us. Over the past few days, I've seen this wonderful soul begin to emerge from the dark recesses that she felt were inescapable. This Gospel brings peace. And I only know that because of the peace I've felt and seen enter the lives of others. 

Thank you all for your patience with me. I really do need to write and share more of my adventures and experiences. I will continue to strive to do better!

Elder Richardson

Benjamin Richardson

California Redlands Mission

Feb 28, 2018 - March 3, 2020

AUGUST 2019 - MISSION LETTER #60

BECAUSE THIS IS CLEARLY NOT A WEEKLY THING

August 2019

So, many of you may have noticed, but this whole "weekly email" thing hasn't really worked all that well, seeing as the last time I wrote was literally just over 2 months ago. So, while I will still put forth a great (though not entirely visible) effort to write every week, I am going to change the titling of these letters, mostly for my conscience's sake. The numbers also no longer signify weeks, because that just keeps ticking upwards and scaring me with how fast time is flying...

But oh man! What an update! Here we go!

For a while, I was serving in the city of Rialto with Elder Lewis-Hopper. And we had some great times there! I learned so much from my companion! I'm sad that I had to leave when tranfers came, but it's alright! 

I  got transferred out to Indio, in the A Ward (Santa Rosa)! It's really HOT out here! Like,  you know the feeling that comes  when you open the oven door, and hot air just washes over you? That's what happens when you walk in the door. You just feel like you are baking! And, because Elder Brown (my new companion) and I are the most resiliant Missionaries out here in the Desert, we are also the only ones on Bikes in the Desert! It's pretty awesome! We have so many nice people who give us water bottles and everything, so that helps with the heat! And we have an awesome ward out here, too! Miracles are happening all around here!

Speaking of the Ward, my first Sunday, we had a missionary who was leaving from the ward. And so, the program involved one of the youth speaking, this new missionary, and Elder Brown Speaking. Well, the Teenager spoke for about 2 minutes, which was to be expected. But then this new missionary, who everyone  expected to speak for about 15 minutes of the hour long Sacrament meeting, only spoke for 5-10, leaving Elder Brown with almost half of the hour to speak! And so, before Elder Brown starts speaking, he has an exchange with a member of the Bishopric, and they whisper back and forth for a second, and Elder Brown starts speaking. As I looked at the member of the  Bishopric, he looks at me and smiles. It was a smile that said, "Guess who is speaking after him?" And so I just smiled and  gave a double thumbs up! 

It all worked out well, though! I just shared my testimony for about 5 minutes before the closing hymn, because Elder Brown did a very good job improv-ing! It was awesome!

We went over to a family's home last night, hoping to start teaching one of their friends! We really prayed about what we should share, and we finally settled on a lesson plan. When we went and shared the message, and the friend clearly expressed that she thought what we were sharing  was interesting, but she was not interested in learning more. But during that lesson? The Spirit was powerfully present. The father of this family, a wonderful goofball of a man, bore a sweet, sincere, and yet powerfully simple testimony of how the Gospel has changed  his life, and how he knew that every blessing  that he had was from God, through applying the Gospel and keeping the commandments in his life. As he was giving us a ride home after, he shared that the message that we had prayed about and prepared was meant to help him and remind him of some things. I'm so grateful for the Spirit's guiding influence in this work that we do, and in our lives as a whole.

But I keep thinking about that. Do we realize that all the things that we have seen in our lives, and all blessing that have come  into our lives are gifts from our Heavenly Father? And when we do, does that change anything? I feel like we know this is true, but do we really understand? I feel like as better we understand this principle, our prayers change. Our thoughts change. Our Attitude and behaviours change. It's wonderful. Wonderful the change that can come into our hearts  through the Gospel plan of Faith, repentance, making and keeping covenants,  and Enduring to the End! I have felt of that  very real effect in my life, and that makes life and everything so much sweeter and more beautiful!

Love you all!

Elder Richardson

P.S. Happy Early Fourth of July!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

JULY 2019 - WEEK #58 & 59

"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

APRIL 9, 2019 - WEEKS 53, 54, 55, 56, & 57

FAR, FAR TOO LONG .....

April 9, 2019

Oops... There goes a month. Woah. Elder Robinson and I worked like crazy this last month in Rialto, because it was his last month as a missionary, and so we had a great, exhausting time running around! 

Unfortunately, we'd always end up being busy on our Preparation days, and I'd lose track of time, and now I'm catching up after 5 weeks of not writing a weekly email. Huzzah.

But these past few weeks have been great! I've learned a lot, grown a lot, and have lots of opportunities to help others to do the same. My new companion is Elder Hopper, and he is just one of my most favorite people already! We both love history and sharing the gospel, so we're getting along great and are just loving all of the extra opportunities to serve the missionaries and people around us! 

We've really been working with this one man named Jesus over the past several weeks, and, pause for effect, HE IS GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY!!!! This man, in about a month, has read through most of the Book of Mormon (4 Nephi!!!), and has really grown in his love for God and his Faith in Jesus Christ as he has diligently studied it and prayed to know if it was true. He is such an inspiration to me! 

I love what we most recently learned from a Prophet of God about repentance. Repentance can be about making big changes in our lives to bring them into harmony with God's Commandments. But it can also mean bringing little things, like being more patient when in line or loving when in traffic, everyday parts of our life in closer harmony with God's desires for us. Daily Repentance brings Purity before God, and Purity brings power to overcome our challenges and to do God's will!

I love you all! I've got to go... 

Elder Richardson

MARCH 2019 - WEEKS 51 & 52

NEW FACES, NEW FRIENDS; NEXT YEAR, SAME WORK!

March 2019

Welp... there goes the first full year of my Mission. I guess that happened. Yay? 

I moved to this new area, the Bloomington Ward! It's crazy, because I started on the West side of the mission, and I've been moving east, basically as far as I could, and now I'm back on the West side! I'm so close to my Fontana home!

I'm also with my new Companion, Elder Robinson! Elder Robinson is awesome! I've seen him around at various Mission gatherings, and it's been a pleasure to work with him! He's from Utah, and everyone keeps getting Robinson and Richardson confused, so that's fun! He's always super happy and optimistic, and he loves talking to people! He always knows what to say to help people understand who we are and what we do! He's also on his last transfer, so I'm going to be sending him home, unfortunately. But we're going to have blast doing the work down here in Bloomington and Rialto!

I'm making lots of new friends here in Bloomington! We were biking around my first day, and this stray dog just starts chasing us on our bikes! He disappeared soon after we got off of our bikes to talk to some people, but when we hopped back on the road, there he was again! We called him our Missionary Dog, Patrick. We lost him, but one of these days we are going to track down Patrick again! 

We've met so many cool kids, too! Two of them, brothers, are Roland and Jamel! They are just young kids, but they joined the church about a year ago and are the only members of their family! Luckily, missionaries and the Ward have been keeping up with them! 

Things have been super fun and crazy busy, and so I'm kind of sad that I haven't had as much contact as of late. But I know that all of this business has been in doing the Lord's work! I've had lots of awesome experiences and I'm so glad to be here on my Mission, and to have another year to keep working!

Much Love,

Elder Richardson

1) Here's Elder Robinson and I! We spent, like, 3 hours in the rain, and we had to take a low quality Selfie!

2) And here's Elder Robinson holding my worst enemy: Snake the Snake! 

Benjamin Richardson

California Redlands Mission

Feb 28, 2018 - March 3, 2020