July 11, 2016

Hello Everyone!

Kim here.  So along with all of the amazing missionary work that took place this week,  all of the sisters in the zone got permission to do a little sight seeing so they went to Maldanado and had a great time!  Pictures at the end!  Hope you all have a great week and thanks for checking the blog!

Kim

Hello Fam!!

This week has been so great!! A week full of miracles, adventures, and rain haha. But overall a fantastic week!   

The biggest miracle of the week is that ANTONIO CAME TO CHURCH!! The first thing he ever told us was that he would never go to church and then this week after a lot of work he committed to come! In the end he told us he absolutely loved it and is coming back next week! After a month the man finally came and it was nothing like he thought! I didn't know whether tro smile, cry or sing for joy!! The Lord is so amazing and defintiely does his part out here! 

This week we also found two new investigators! They are both getting over drug addiction and have such strong desires to change their lives! 

We have also had a lot of rain in the last few days and I didn't think I would ever see dry land again, honestly. But the Lord pulled through and it was actually an amzing day out yesterday!! To celebrate we made a confetti cake from the states. We were all so excited we didn't wait to frost it and just ate the frosting with our cake from a spoon. Haha the life of missionaries... it's great! 

This week I have been thinking alot about Alma 26:12. I love this scripture so much. It relates to my mission sooo much. I am far from perect. I am not the perfect missionary, member, daughter or person. But yet, the Lord has allowed me to be an instrument in his hands and as a result I have had a front row seat to the miracles that the Lord is performing. The Lord is so aware of us and what we need in our lives. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows us each personally and loves us. He knows exactly what we need to learn and grow. He will never give us a challenge that we cannot overcome. That is one thing I have learned on the mission. My mission has not been the easiest thing in the world but I have learned sooo much and I wouldn''t trade it for anything in the world. I know I am not perfect but the Lord is helping me develop the attributes I need to be able to do his work his way. I love you all so much and I hope you have a great week! 

Love always,

Hermana Rich

Hermana Rich & Harpole in Maldanado

Uruguay Montivideo Mission

 

July 4th, 2016

Hi fam!! 

This week was really good...and A LOT of rain!! But as always we were always going around with a smile!! 

Our  investigators are still progressing really well!! Our investigator, Jorge, called us and shared the most awesome experience!! He told us he had been praying and asking for forgiveness for the things he had done wrong in his life and at the end he felt the most amazing peace in his life that he couldn't really explain! He had been praying and asking for this forgiveness since we met him! It was sooo amazing!!  

This week we had soo much rain that my rain boots were filled with water!! I have never seen rain like this before!! Then with the humidity, nothing is drying!! It is always an adventure in the mission that is for sure!!  

This week I started a Preach My Gospel activity where we have to read certain chapters in the Book of Mormon and we have to write down every title of Jesus Christ and all of his actions and attributes. It has been soo amazing. We are always telling people that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and I always knew it. But now I really can see how much the Book of Mormon is talking about our Savior. As I am writing about all of his attributes or his acciones I feel myself growing closer to my Savior. I invite you all to do the same! You will be amazed to see your relationship grow! 

I love you all and I hope you have a great week!!  

Love, 

Hermana Rich

 

Yay!  Another package!

Hermana Rich & Mesa with President & Sister Cooke

New washer...too bad it's leaking!

She means A LOT of rain!!! This is after walking outside!

Hermana Rich & Mesa

 

Testing out the new scarf and skirt!

Hermana Rich & Harpole

Hermana Rich trying to pet the sheep

Hermana Rich running away from the sheep that started chasing her!

 

June 27th, 2016

Hello everyone!!  

This week has been really great! I went and picked up my hija on Wednesday with Hermana Harpole and it was SO fun!! My companion is Hermana Mesa de Columbia! (Yes we are aware we played against each other in the America Cup (I think that is how you say that in English) and we just don't talk about it haha) She is so amazing! She seriously has no fear to talk with the people at all and just puts herself out there! It is so fun training! I realize now how much I have learned in these last six months!!  

Another fun thing that happened this week is our ward mission leader called 10 ward missionaries!! We have sooo many people to help us now and they are all so excited to help us! We are working really hard on gaining back the trust of the members this change! Little by little I really think we can do it. Without their help we cannot do the work that we have been called to do and with the new ward missionaries it is so possible!!  

Also, this week I have officially overdosed on empeñadas! We had a ward activity this week and everyone had to bring empeñadas. Well at the end they gave us all the left over empeñadas!! Don't get me wrong they are really good...but sooo many!!  

We currently have 2 investigators with a baptismal date and they are progressing really well! I love seeing them progress and now with my companion as well!!  

I know that this gospel is true and that our Heavenly Father loves us!! I hope you have a great week and I love you all!

 

Love,

Hermana Rich

 

Hermana Rich & Harpole with their new companions

Hermana Rich & Mesa

Hermana Rich & Mesa

 

June 21st, 216

Hi everyone!! This week has seriously been a week of miracles! One thing I love about the mission is the fact that I get to watch the atonement of Christ and the gospel change peoples lives every single day! 

So one of our investigators, Jorge, has really been progressing this week! He accepted a baptismal date and everything! But something that I love about teaching him is watching how the gospel is bringing him so much comfort and joy to his life. His mom passed away not too long ago and he never knew his dad. So, he feels like he really doesn't feel like he has a family. But every time we talk about eternal families he just lights up with the biggest smile on  his face. It is such a testimony builder to me. I feel like sometimes as members born into the church we sometimes take the knowledge we have for granted! But watching the way it is changing Jorge's life just goes to show how precious it really is! 

Probably the biggest miracle of this week is with our investigator, Antonio. When we first met him he told us he would listen to us but he was never going to go to church or change his ways. Well this past week he accepted a baptismal date as well! When we place a date we give them a folleto (Idon't remember the word in english...Kim here, I think it's pamphlet) That shows all the topics they need to be familiar with before baptism. Well the next day we went by and he was really upset because he saw tithing, the word of wisdom, and the law of chastity. HE said he was not in agreement with these topics but he would hear what we had to say. Well we brought members with us to our charlas(lessons) and he had a COMPLETE change of heart. At the end of our last charla he even said he hopes one day he can call himself one of us (referring to us members!!) I cannot begin to explain the impact our testimonies have on others. 100% Antonio had a change of heart because of the testimonies of the members we brought with us! When in doubt bear your testimony. But we can do it in so many ways!! We can do it by forgiving others, smiling at someone, or sharing a little bit of what we know to be true!!  

In John 21 is when Christ is telling the apostle Paul to feed his sheep and it really struck me. What is feeding his sheep exactly? Then I decided it is when we dive head first into service. The scripture doesn't say watch my sheep, but feed them. For example, I am sure we have all heard a prayer somewhere along the lines of please bless those that couldn't come to church today that they can come next week. But is that really feeding his sheep? NO! Instead we need to pray for the guidance to know how to help them come to church next week and then act! Missionary work is for everyone! Whether it be sharing what we know in how we live or receiving the service of someone else. So this week I have planned to find better ways to feed his sheep and invite you all to do the same! 

On another note, I found out yesterday that I will be training!! That means that my next companion will be a brand new missionary!! I am really excited and of course a little nervous. But I trust in the Lord and what He has in store!! I won't find out anything about my new companion until I go to get her tomorrow morning! 

But I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week! 

Love, 

Hermana Rich

 

 

June 13, 2016

Hola familia!! 

This week was really good! The work is really progressing in our area!  

We have four main investigators that we are working with! Jorge y Angel. They are 20 and 18 and both are coming to church and reading their scriptures and doing the things they need too. They are really awesome!! We also have Salvador! He is very interesting. The missionaries visited him 7 years ago and not once was he sober. Well we went and visited him and he still was not sober. But he came to the baptism last week..still drunk and then church the next day. I mean he doesn't remember being at church but hey! This week when we went to visit him he was sober!!! It was so amazing to see the progress that he is making after such a long time! Then we have Antonio. He is in his fifties and is really amazing but refuses to go to church!!! Well we planned an activity at the church to watch the restoration and he came!! Miracle!! It is so amazing to see the Lord working in the lives of the people here!!  

We have been working a lot with our new investigator and he received the sacerdocio or priesthood on Sunday! He comes proselyting with us and he has such a strong testimony!!  

We also had intercambios(exchanges) this week with our zone and I didn't get lost! That in and of itself is a miracle ladies and gentlemen. But it gave me the confidence that IN about a week I can take care of my area!!  

Anyways, I love you all and I hope you have a great week! I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and wants the best for us. I know this gospel is true! 

love you all! 

Love, 

Hermana Rich

Hermana Rich and Aquino on exchanges!

Hermana Rich & Davila preparing for Class

Hermana Rich

 

June 6, 2016

 

Hi family! 

This week we were able to work a little bit more so that is exciting. We also had our baptism!! Marcelo was sooo excited and happy! It is so fun and amazing to see the Lord's hand in the work we are doing here. We really didn't teach him anything he was prepared to receive the gospel from the beginning.   

We didn't get to work all week but when we did we worked hard and as a result we have 4 new investigators and had three investigators in the church on Sunday! I know that what Elder Holland said in his talk about how we get credit for trying really is true. This week is an example of that! 

I was reading in Helaman this week, I finally finished Alma in the Book of Mormon and verses 18-19 really struck me. The Nephites weren't paying attention and doing what they were supposed to and as a result they didn't see the Lamanite army coming. It is the same with us. If we aren't watching out and doing the things we are supposed to like reading our scriptures and praying that is when Satan is going to sneak up and attack us. Life isn't easy and Heavenly Father gave us these tools to help make it easier, but we have to use them. 

I know that Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us and is aware of what we are going through. I know that the Book of Mormon is evidence of that love and we can feel his love when we read it. I know that families can be eternal all depending on how we use this time on

Earth. I love you all and pray for you everyday! Have a great week! 

Love, 

Hermana Rich

Stay warm Hermana Rich!

Marcelo's Baptism!!!!

Snack Time!

 

 

 

May 30th, 2016

Hola Familia!! 

 

This week has been interesting to say the least! Between my sinus infection and my companion being sick we didn't work. So a lot of down time! But I did get to go on some splits with some members! It was way fun!  

 

Our investigator, Marcelo, is now a member of the ward choir! He is so awesome and his baptism is this Saturday!! We taught him the plan of salvation this week and he didn't know that we lived with Heavenly Father before we came to this earth. He was sooo excited and so happy. It really makes me so happy to see others find joy in the gospel. It made me think about how much joy I receive from the gospel! 

 

This week I learned a very important lesson. This week our dear friend and comforter died, our water heater! Don't worry they got us a new one but it just is not the same. We have about two minutes of hot water and then nothing else. It is almost a game to see how much you can get done before the hot water is gone haha.

 

So this week I had one day where it was just really tough. I was super stressed out and I did not feel good at all. I was on the verge of tears and I just felt like I couldn't do it. So I said a prayer asking for help to be able to do what I needed to. As soon as I said my prayer I felt a little bit better and the words, Kenzie, Kenzie, Kenzie came into my mind. Just like Grandpa would do on the sidelines of my soccer games. 

 

I know the mission isn't always going to be easy and neither is life. But we have someone watching over us at all times who loves us and wants the best for us. All we have to do is ask for his help and he will do it! I know that Heavenly Father is aware of every single one of us and what we need. I know the Jesus Christ can understand everything feeling we have and through him we can find comfort and forgiveness. I know the Book of Mormon is true and we can find strength and answers there as well. I love you all and this gospel. Have a great week and take a hot shower for me!! 

 

Love,

Hermana Rich

Just a little throw back with Hermana Mortensen

Hermana Rich trying to get over being sick!

Hermana Rich trying to stay warm during scripture study!