Week 28 "WE FOUND JESUS"

Week 28 

July 29, 2013

FAMILIA! 

Well, there were quite a few funny things that happened to me and Hermana Healey this past week.

I guess one of the most exciting things that happened was..... WE FOUND JESUS. Well, if you really want to get technical, his name is more like the Spanish Jesus....

Last friday night Sister Healey and I were directed to this area to go and do some work. We've been able to find Spanish there before so we decided to go and check it out. Well, first we meet this older lady sitting on her porch and talk to her a while, then her daughter comes out and starts talking to us. She had been taking the lessons years ago and she still remembers the names of the sister missionaries who taught her! It was super cool that we were able to find her again. It was an English contact so we will see if we decide to go back and do anything with it or not. I remember saying to my companion, "I wonder if the missionaries who taught her originally were praying that missionaries would find her again..." WELL then the next door we decide to knock on is a house where we have seen hispanics go in before (yeah we are pretty creepy like that) and guess what? It was that awkward-you-are-knocking-on-their-door-and-then-a-car-pulls-into-the-driveway-and-you-are-standing-on-their-porch-and-they-are-like-"whoarethosewhitegirlsstandingonmyporch?maybeifIspeakspanishtothemtheywontknowwhattodoandthentheywillleave..." Well, did we fool him! We are some white girls that speak some broken Spanish! haha But we started talking to him and he speaks English as well and his name is Jesus and he is from Mexico. After we said hi and everything he asked us what we had to teach him.  He said that he had been taught by missionaries before and that they made a big impression on him. Well, Jesus seems like a pretty golden investigator. He is looking for the truth and he knows he is missing something in his life. Man, we sure hope that we can continue to teach him and that he will be able to recognize that we were specifically sent to him again. We were teaching him again last night and he told us that he thinks a lot about the Elders who first taught him. He hopes that they are still serving God and that they are doing well raising their family... then he told us he hopes the same for us. It was really cool. Jesus is definitely prepared and I know that the Gospel is everything that he needs and is looking for in his life right now, it is just a matter of if he wants to change or not. 

Sister Healey and I have been talking a lot about the people we come in contact to. I have faith that the people we meet have been prepared in some way to receive missionaries. It has been disappointing that a lot of them are able to come to know for themselves that it is true, or that they believe it is true, but they don't want to change at all. We work with quite a few less actives who are like that too, they just don't want to change. They don't want to quite smoking. They don't want to stop working on Sunday. They aren't ready to put God first. I wonder a lot about why I was sent to this area if I'm not seeing anyone become converted and really make those steps to 

One of the things that I love about my mission call is that we meet so many people who love Jesus. The people in the South LOVE JESUS. And most Hispanics with their Catholic background LOVE JESUS. They love God, they recognize that He is the most important thing in their life and that He has done everything for them. I think that is one of the reasons I was called to "preach to the Lamanites" in the Tennessee Nashville Mission. I was supposed to learn something from these people who love God and love Jesus so much. I'm grateful for my mission because it is teaching me that we really do need to put God first in front of everything else. One of the biggest things that has brought me to my knees on my mission is making sure that I am doing what is most pleasing to God. Sometimes (a lot of the time) it feels like other missionaries are driven my numbers and they are so number oriented. I know that God counts numbers, but I also know that He is the first person I should be reporting to.

On Saturday Sister Healey and I met our first Jehovah's Witnesses. We hear a lot about them and somehow they always find the Spanish houses before we do. Not going to lie, there have been a few times where me and my companion discover some JW material on the porch of an investigators house and we sneak it into our bag... 

Back to Saturday: Well, it was kind of funny because Sister Healey and I already looked like little school girls in our skirts and blouses eating ice cream (we found the ice cream man... ) and then we saw them walking back to their car. They were the cutest little hispanic family dressed up in their 

Oh, another story I'll have to tell yall about when I get home. We were visiting our neighbor Bonnie trying to use our time effectively before 9:00 when we needed to be in. Bonnie is a super Christian and we asked her to pray for us before we left. She prayed for about 10 minutes super passionately and then went off into speaking in tongues. When Sister Healey and I got into our house we just looked at each other like... "uhhh... did that just happen? Yeah, that happened."

Another funny story to lighten the mood:

So, Hermana Healey and I were driving out to our ward mission leaders home out in the corn fields of Kentucky (soooooo pretty) and we were jamming out to your EFY 2008 Cd when.... I start quoting Nacho Libre.... you know "Git that corn outta my face!" and I look over to enjoy the beautiful Kentucky corn field scenery then almost run into a ditch.... I freak out and swerve back onto the road and my companion just sits there cracking up. It was one of those brilliant moments where the Nacho Libre quote couldn't have fit more beautifully. 

We also had 14 people in attendance at our Spanish FHE this week! Which was awesome because our "Mission Mom" (Sister Andersen) was there in attendance. The Spanish speaking members are really starting to pick things up. At the end of the FHE they were like "So who is bringing the treats next week? "Who is teaching the lesson next week?" It was really awesome. I think one of the most rewarding things is when MEMBERS take the lead in teaching situations. Missionary work goes so much more smoothly when members are leading. I hope that I can apply that when I get home from my mission. I hope I can always be a missionary when I get released. The Lord is really hastening and we get to see so much more of that when we are out on the Lord's errand. 

Well, I should probably peace out soon. I love you. I hope you are all doing well. Good luck with all of life's endeavors and remember the lessons that I have learned from the people here in the South to just keep putting the Lord first and everything else will fall into place. 

Con Amor,

Hermana Rich

"Let Jesus in your boat, he will calm your troubled waters"

"You can't alter the past so leave the past at the alter"

"The best ability is dependability"

"Believe in Jesus. Just do it."

Semana 32

Semana 32

26 de Agosto, 2013

FAMILIA!

Nuevas noticias de la Hermana Rich!

La Hermana Healey recibe su visa!

Sister Healey got her visa! We found out Friday evening and then Saturday afternoon we found out I would be leaving the area to serve with a sister in McMinnville, TN. It is the Spanish Branch right next to where I was serving before in Manchester, TN. I remember when I left Manchester I thought that I was going to come back. And I guess I did in a way.... maybe I have more to do in the area. 

Entonces, this morning Sister Healey and I drove our car down to Nasvhille and I'm already in McMinnville with Hermana Jensen. She was also serving with a sister who got her visa to Argentina. She's only been in the are two weeks, so lots of good things await the two of us for the next four weeks of this transfer. We've got lots of new people to meet and relationships to build. I'm excited that we will both be getting to know the area together because we will both have to depend on each other. 

Our last week in Hopkinsville was full of lots of miracles! Jesus and his friend came to church and we feel like we were having so much success with the recent converts and returning members that we were working.

Funny thing that our first Spanish investigators at church was my last Sunday in the transfer. The ward is excited to take over Spanish for us even though we won't be there anymore.

The Lord keeps the work progressing even without the missionaries. That's a beautiful thing. The Lord could do the work without the missionaries, but he still uses to do fulfill a purpose. 

I did hear today that they will be sending a Spanish senior couple next week! THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS AREA NEEDS. 

The Lord is in the details. 

I was sad when I found out that I was leaving Hopkinsville, but I know I had a purpose there and I know that I fulfilled it. There was an Elder talking to us who I feel like helped put it into perspective: the Lord knew the work that we were going to do in Hopkinsville and that is why He sent us there. He didn't send us there to fail, but rather the Lord is in the details of our life and in the details of our investigators and our mission. 

I feel like I'm ready for the change and I know that I grow the most when I get transferred. I'm ready to grow more and to become more of the person that my Heavenly Father would have me be. I prayed and fasted last week that I would become what He wanted me to become, I made a lot of new goals for myself, too. I think this is exactly what I needed. 

I'm excited to serve with Sister Jensen! She is from Cedar City, Utah and is also a 20 year old missionary. 

Hasta la semana que viene!

Con Amor

Hermana Rich

Week 27

Week 27

July 22,2013

Familia!

I don't have much time, so I will make it quick!

That picture of Rae Dell really struck a cord with me. I hope she is doing well. I love her so much and I will be heartbroken if I am not able to say goodbye to her. I know my personal testimony of the Plan of Salvation will increase so much more though. It really is the Plan of Happiness, isn't it?

We are working hard and are teach about 25 lessons to investigators a week (which is a lot considering we came from nothing in this area).

Kentucky skies are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life. 

The bugs love Hermana Healey's legs, but I've been able to get through it pretty well. 

Our investigators love having us come over, but a lot of them aren't keeping commitments. We have also run into a lot of them falling back into their Catholic beleifs, so it has been a challenge overcoming...

 Our Spanish is getting better though and we are able to better communicate ourselves. So that is definitely a blessing! 

I just finished the whole Book of Mormon again. I am so grateful for it and I hope I study it for the rest of my life and that I continue to have copies and copies of it for different theme studies that I'm doing.

We are learning a lot about patience with our investigator Jasmin right now. She is so hard to catch at home, but everytime we see her she is so happy and takes things in so well. She is so prepared and I know that if anything, Hopkinsville was reopened to Spanish work for her. All of the struggles and disappointments that I have experienced on my mission opening up new areas will all be worth it for Jasmin. She is a 17 year old girl though and is really busy all the time. So please pray for her!

Well, I should go! Love you all! Grateful for Heavenly Father's plan that will keep us all together!

Con Amor,

Hermana Rich

Week 25

Querido Familia!

July 8, 2013

How was the good ole Fourth of July? Sister Healey spent dinner at a member's house and then had to be in our apartment by 7:00. After planning we built a fort and watched "17 Miracles." Let's just say there was a consistent flow of tears. But it was really fun. That makes for two fourth of julys down and one more to go before our whole family is together. Just think, the last one where we were all together (2011) was Pre-Nolan time. Who will be the next addition to the family (cough, cough, Katie & Nick?) (cough, cough KC?) (cough, cough or will it be me who brings someone else in? haha). Hope it was grand!

And can I please take some time to bear my testimony about how powerful 17 Miracles is. Yall should watch it. It is beautiful. After I watched it I couldn't do anything but be grateful for the pioneers who took their trek to Zion. I don't know if I have told yall this, but there are a couple of members here in our ward who are really big into Kentucky history with the church. There is a lady in the ward who bought me a book that was published all about Kentucky and church history. Charles and Sarah are in it. Did you know that Charles is the only Kentucky-born apostle? Pretty cool, eh?

This week: Well, we didn't have any investigators at church this week, that was a bummer. Jasmin still hasn't been to church, so that means we are pushing her date back, again. I really hope it happens with her and I hope that she is able to be baptized before school starts for her.

We have several investigators who are progressing though, including an older gentleman that we have been teaching who lives in an old folks apartment complex. We will probably have to pass him off to the English Elders soon, but he is a hoot.He is so sincere, we just love Larry.

There have been a lot of TMI stories that have happened to us this week, but Sister Healey and I are staying strong together. Sorry I don't have as much to say this week. I forgot my camera card as well so I don't have any pictures to send yet. 

So last night Hermana Healey and I went to go and visit an investigator who we had only met with once before. We got there and then I noticed a snake on the AC box on the outside of their house! GROSS. Just then, the husband was pulling into the driveway and we were able to get his attention to it before IT SLITHERED INTO THEIR HOUSE. Ah, we tried to come in and have a lesson with Erika, but then all she could think of was her husband in the other room who was moving furniture, doing something with a hammer and vaccuum and walking back and forth between the room and outside.... In other words, Sister Healey and I liked to call this event: the Garden of Erika. The snake was such a distraction! And it was definitely a distraction from Satan. We were only able to share a quick scripture with her, but hopefully we can come back soon. 

Love you! Hope you are enjoying your summer! Send me lots of pics, sorry I can't respond back individually! 

Con Amor,

Hermana Rich

Week24

Querido Familia

July 1, 2013

We had our first investigator come to church! It was our neighbor Tina. She speaks English, but it was still pretty exciting to see her there and to go around with her. 

TRANSFER NEWS: Hermana Healey and I are staying in the area! It wasn't too much of a suprise because she is still in training. I also feel like we have such a strong connection with so many of our investigators and some of the less actives, or recent converts that we are working with that it just wasn't quite time for us to leave yet. If we stay together for another week she will be the longest I have had a companion on my mission (My longest is only 7 weeks... I guess that is longer than I've even had a boyfriend... oh wait, haha) 

I have had some great laughs and some good times with Hermana Healey. We are thinking she will probably get her visa sometime this transfer... so hopefully we can have a baptism before then! 

We set a baptismal date with Jasmin! But then she couldn't come to church :/ So that will set us back a little bit. She is such a sweetheart. The cutest 17 year old, awkward teenage girl from, braceface from Mexico! Pray for her and our other investigators. I would really appreciate that. 

We are getting a new mission president this week! I'm kind of nervous, but it will be a good time and I think we have all come to terms that it is time for the McKees to come home. They have given so much to us in their service. They are an incredible family and have made such a difference in the Tennessee Nashville area. 

Love you family so much! Hope you are enjoying life and summer. Soak up the summer sun for me! I've never been this white in my life! 

Stay safe and send me some pictures of fourth of july. Sad I am missing another one, and will miss next year's too. I'll be thinking of you. 

Love you!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Rich

"Let Jesus be your rock so you can be on his roll"

"Does God seem far away? Who moved?"

"Christian is our trademark, not a question mark."

"Get in touch with God through KNEE-Mail."