Semana 18

May 20, 2013

 

FAMILIA...

 

Just got transfer news and guess who is staying in Hopkinsville, KY and will be training a visa waiter? Super humbled and feeling really priveleged to be able to stay here. There is a lot of work to be done here. Not just for Spanish, but also for English retention. I'm super excited to stay, but also apprehensive and nervous, especially to take over Spanish here. I'm praying my trainee into the area and I think she will be grately needed here. Sorry this one is going to be so short! Love you all, you are amazing! I need lots of prayers here to take over Spanish and train a new missionary!

 

Love you, good luck with end of school year and start of summer!

 

Hermana Kristy Rich

Week 17 Hoptown Kentucy

May 13, 2013

 

Familia!

 

Estoy bien agradecida que yo pude hablar con ustedes ayer. Muchas gracias por su bondad y amor a mi. Era muy bien para ver que ustedes estan seguras and felices!

 

It was really awesome to be able to talk to y'all yesterday! Really good to know that you are all doing well and that you are all safe and sound. Sorry I rambled on last night, but I was really happy to see all of you... although I will admit, "No No" was probably the best looking one!

 

So I remember that I told you about how on Saturday me and my companion soft committed someone to baptism. Man, it felt so good! Hermana McNab and I (now that we are FINALLY moved into Hopkinsville) are really excited to be able to hold on to some of our investigators that we have here in Hopkinsville. Those couple of weeks in Oak Grove were very testing because we felt so purposeless down there because of so many reasons... but we did find a couple of investigators even though they were all English. The other day we were planning on how we would pass them off to the English sisters in Oak Grove and we were pretty bummed to pass them off- even though they weren't all progressing investigators, we had some really good finding experiences with them. Including this guy named James! We "accidentally" found him when we looked at the ward list for Oak Grove and decided to check someone out on the list who was marked less active. We got to the door and it turned out that the guy no longer lived there anymore, BUT we got to meet this guy named James. We left him a mormon.org card with our number and a Book of Mormon to read. He had told us that he had just moved into the area and was actually looking for a church. He had tried a couple of the churches around town and he just wasn't really feeling any of them. He was really friendly and we had a really good contact with him. He said we could come back if he was home. That was about a week ago, but we haven't been back to see him because we wanted to give him a couple of days before trying again.

 

But yesterday, HE TEXTED US. I can't even tell you how many hundreds of people we give our number out to in random contacts, whether they are on Book of Mormons or they are on mormon.org cards. It was awesome, he texted us and thanked us for the material we gave him last week. Hermana McNab and I were elated! While I was video chatting with y'all yesterday she had a really good texting conversation where 1) we have a return appointment with him 2) we discovered that he went to the mormon.org website and really enjoyed it! 3) has questions for us! We were super excited! We told him to feel free to ask his questions until we can see him again on Wednesday. To be honest, we got a little worried that some of the questions were going to be over controversial issues about the church's stance on things... you know you can imagine what some of those things would be. BUT the first question he texted us was "My main question is, how does one join the church? I've never known where to start or how the process works." ARE YOU SERIOUS?! We were super excited! That is definitely a question we can answer as missionaries. :)

 

SUCH A MIRACLE. It is just like I told y'all yesterday. During this transfer I have experienced my highest highs and lowest lows as a missionary! BUT, the lows make my highs so worth it. I feel like we are being tried everyday to be proved how faithful we will be in response to the miracles that Heavenly Father continues to have in store for us.... There are some really good things that can happen here in Hopkinsville. The Lord just needs faithful, obedient missionaries who are willing to do all they can to reap those blessings. Hermana McNab and I adjusted our weekly goals this week and we have the faith to try and set FIVE baptismal dates. Woo, that would be a perfect way to end a transfer! Next week I will be finding out about transfers, so that might be a little nerve racking if I get moved again and we only had one week in our unfurnished apartment... but I'm so excited for all of the wonderful things we have been able to experience here. Highest highs and lowest lows... I read today in Alma 26 and I feel like Ammon boasting in the strength of the Lord as a missionary. Super exciting.

 

I'll keep my head up this week and pray to be apart of the many miracles Heavenly Father has in store for his children in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Those couple of weeks living in Oak Grove were pretty rough at times, but we had to grow a lot and if anything, we found James through living in there. The catch to the story is the English sisters probably wouldn't have found James because they already had marked on their list that the ward member no longer lived at that address anymore! I guess we were supposed to stumble upon him because of our ignorance and I'm so glad we got to see him!

 

Les quiero mucho!

 

Hermana Rica

Week 16 "Getting Lucky in Kentucky"

Hey Family!

 

I hope this email finds you all happy and well. I am so grateful for y'all in my life. The mission has taught me a lot of things, especially in my last three weeks here in Oak Grove. I think it has been the hardest three weeks of the mission, but I have definitely learned the most duing this time.

 

SO we STILL HAVENT GOTTEN OUR APARTMENT IN HOPTOWN. That means that even if we get into this apartment by the end of this week, I will have spent one week in Manchester, over half of my time in Oak Grove and maybe a week and a half in my actual area? haha. Crazy transfer....

 

I have loved living with the English sisters in Oak Grove though, even though Hermana McNab and I are still on the floor living out of our suitcases. I have learned a lot from them and I know that there were lessons I think we were all supposed to learn from each other.

 

This last week I was able to go on splits with Sister Escobar. She is in my Zone and grew up speaking Spanish, but was called English speaking on her mission. It was her first time doing splits in Spanish and it was my first time doing splits at all. "Hermana Escobar" as I like to call her, is an AMAZING missionary though. I learned so much from her in the day and a half we were together than I think we could have imagined. Together we found quite a few new investigators in Hopkinsville and she taught me a lot about how you can be a very obedient missionary and still have a lot of fun. She is almost to her last transfer as a missionary and I can tell that she has had so much fun on her mission, but she has also been a successful missionary because she is so obedient. I loved doing splits with her and I think it was exactly what I needed. She taught me a lot about being bold and confident in our message with people. I have already started to put to practice what she has taught me and I am excited to see how I can grow even more.

 

The other day Hermana McNab and I were driving up to Hoptown from Oak Grove and the drive was beautiful! I will always have a special place for Manchester, but that drive started to convince me that Kentucky is a pretty spectacular place too. I can't remember if I told you this, but my first day when we got to KY we met the Bishop in our ward and he told us that "we were on the right side of the state line. There is Zion... and then Tennessee." It was funny. I really love TN a lot, but I get the feeling I might be in KY for a couple of transfers to build up the Spanish group here in Hoptown, so we'll see how I feel in a couple of more weeks.

 

The work has been split between Hopkinsville and Oak Grove. This last week we got 9 new investigators, taught 18 other lessons and taught a total of 28 lessons! It was a miracle. Most of that was because we were doing out work in Hopkinsville where there is quite a bit of less active and potentials to check out on the Spanish list. It was amazing though! I don't think me and Hermana Smith ever had numbers like that when we were in Manchester. It felt sure good to see the numbers to reflect our hard work this last week. The mission teaches you in our lowest lows, and your highest highs. Roller coaster of emotions everyday!

 

Hopefully Hermana McNab and I will be getting into our aparments this next week! But who knows, we might still have more lessons to learn from the English sisters we are living with. I'm not sure how I will call you next week because I don't know if we will be in Hoptown or in Oak Grove... I know if I am at a members house we can probably try a gmail chat if one of the members has one? It might be cool to see Nolan on chat and to see how big he has been getting.

 

I remember that last transfer I did a couple of funny things I had seen around TN email, so here are a few things I have experienced since I've been in KY:

 

- Never in my life have I seen so many ghetto cars. There are these 70 looking cars with giant tires all around here in Oak Grove. Hermana McNab and I were tracting the other day and this ghetto car blasting music passed us FOUR TIMES within one mile. It was really entertaining

-Never in my life have I seen horse and buggie signs on a freeway, then actually see horse and buggies crossing the freeway..

-Never in my life have I seen so many cop cars as I do in Oak Grove, KY. and never in my life have I had them come up to us and talk to us about not being out too late preaching

-Not nearly as many people say y'all out here in KY, at least out here where I am. It is sad... but I'm trying to hold on to my Southern accent :)

-As I hate to admit it, all Walmarts are still considered equal, whether you are in Utah, TN or KY

 

Well, I will continue to grow my list about the funny things I see out here in the Bluegrass state. Love you all. Can't wait to talk to you soon next week!

 

Con Amor,

 

Hermana Rich

Week 15

April 29, 2013

 

I think I am going to keep this one short. It has been crazy out here in Kentucky!

 

We are still living in Oak Grove, KY with the English sisters, and it sounds like there isn't any promising news about when we will be able to get into an apartment :( haha. It has definitely been fun living with three other missionaries though!

 

On Saturday it was the first day that I drove since coming on my mission and the rain WAS CRAZY!!! I have never been in anything like that in my life! We tried to visit a couple of places for a while, but ended up making contacts at the Walmart... that was fun though. We invited a lot of people to attend the Nashville Tribute Band concert though. By the time we were getting ready to come home there were flash flood warnings all around and Tornado warnings. It was nuts but definitely a story!

 

Also, I MET THE NASHVILLE TRIBUTE BAND!! It was awesome! I know that at home I have "The Work" Cd and I am excited to eventually collect more of their cds especially considering I feel like I have a more personal relationship with the songs and the singers.

 

Well, please keep up your prayers for me! I could really use them a lot while I'm out here. I will have to tell you all about it when we talk in a couple of weeks. Lots of crazy things!

 

Love you all so much!

 

Hermana Rich

Week 14 Kentucky

April 22, 2013

Hey familia!

 

So I'm writing yall from Oak Grove, Kentucky. Since they sent me and my new companion, Hermana McNab, out to KY during the suprise mini-transfer last week they didn't have anywhere for us to stay out in Hopkinsville so we are crashing with some English sisters in Oak Grove, which is on the TN, KY border.

It has been a roller coaster ride of emotions the past week because there is no area book, we don't live in our area, we don't have a car, and we don't know any members! It is a repeat of what we experienced in Manchester, but we are hit with ten times more oppostion. We just got news that we will be getting an apartment next week though! So that is exciting, even though it will be in the middle of the transfer. I guess I have a fear that I will get transfered again at the end of this transfer and will never actually see the fruits of my labors! But I have definitely learned a lot about how Heavenly Father is choosing to test me and try me. It has been amazing though. Every time that me and my companion are brought down low, we are brought up even higher than before. We have already experienced so many miracles out here! We know that the work will be stifled for a bit, but we can tell that the possibility of setting up a Spanish group out here in Hopkinsville is definitely there! There are already some really strong Spanish families in the ward and we know that we will be able to accomplish hopefully an FHE group by the end of this transfer! I'm really excited to work with the Hispanic members because they are already so excited to know that we have Spanish speaking missionaries! One sister is from Peru and the other family is from Mexico!

 

Pray for me and my companion out here! Hermana McNab and I get along FANTASTICALLY though. I can really tell that we can really work well together. We have already been a really good support system to each other while we've been frusturated. I'm really excited to work with her and she is awesome to pick up and finish my training. So far all of my companions have also gone to BYU and Hermana McNab is from Auburn, Washington. I'm excited to work more with her!

 

This is going to have to be short, but hopefully I will have loads of miracles to tell yall about next week. This is day 14 of my 40 day fast where I'm not writing any friends and fasting from other things that might be distracting.  

 

And please enjoy the first picture I took here in Kentucky! I'll have to tell you the story about next week!

 

Con Amor,

Hermana Rich

Week 13 Transfers

ABORT ABORT

So official transfers were last week and Hermana Smith and I were really surprised and relieved that we weren't affected at all. BUT We just got a call from President McKee about two hours ago (soon after I just barely emailed yall) and I am being transferred to go open up a Spanish area in Hopkinsville, KY. I'm really sad to be leaving Manchester, but I guess the Lord has another part of the vineyard for me to open. Hermana Smith is going to take a visa waiter and me and another sister who has been out two transfers are going to open Hopkinsville completely new! She'll finish training me. That means trying to get an apartment, having a brand new area book, and tracting out Hispanics all over again... wish me luck! Love you all family! 

I guess we might have to change that blog to "KristyinKentucky" haha. I just wanted to keep you updated, hope yall are doing great and Kentucky, here I come!

P.S. Can Cougar get a hold of my good friend Mary Evans through Facebook and tell her I'm going to her homeland!

Thinking about yall especially more during the Boston bombings. I'm grateful for the gospel in our lives to know that we are a forever family!

Week 11

April 1, 2013

(yup, sorry I don't have any good April fools jokes to throw out to yall....)

 

Hey Fam!

 

(Sorry if this email is random and jumbled, but I hope yall can decipher though it...)

This week I have especially learned that there are no small decision and there are no small miracles.

 

Here is a story to really illustrate my testimony about that....

 

I don't know if I have mentioned this before but my companion is a Facebook Proselyting Missionary which means that she gets on Facebook/posts on a mission approved blog about three times a week. We go to the library to get on the computer and I usually sit and study or write in my journal during that time. I try to always have a Book of Mormon showing when I sit and make sure that my hair is never covering my name badge or anything. I try to be recognized as a missionary. Last Tuesday we went to the library like normal but someone was sitting in my normal seat. That was kind of funny so I went and sat in another table and after I had been sitting down for only a couple of minutes a lady came up to me and called me "Sister." I had never met her before, nor had I recognized her from church as a member, but it was obvious that she knew who we were as missionaries. We got talking a little bit and she told us that her daughter was a member of our church and that they moved to Manchester in October but didn't know where the church was (here's the thing, there is no church in Manchester, only in Tullahoma, so they never would have been able to see it just by driving around). Long story short-- She was excited to see us and get her daughter involved in the Young women program again. She said that they had seen us a few times at the library, but her daughter had been too shy to say anything before then. What do you know?! A hidden member in Manchester! I got to talking to the 17 year old daughter a bit. We exchanged numbers, got her address and told her that we would get back to her about finding a ride to church.

 

I didn't really think much about it until my companion joined back up with me and pointed out how amazing that really was. Miracle, right? When we got back into the car we had an EFY song on. The lyrics talked about how no matter where you are the Lord will always find you. I love that! We looked at each other in amazement! Such a testimony that we are numbered and that Heavenly Father knows where each and everyone of us are. I felt like he was putting us in their path and I am so grateful that we could be recognized as missionaries! I can't even imagine what it will be like when I have to take off my name badge by the end of these 18 months because there is so much power in being a missionary. I have learned that there are no small miracles, but they are all apart of Heavenly Father's big plan for us.

 

It has been really neat to have been able to work with this family a little this past week. I am excited to see Mariah (the 17 year old daughter) get involved in the Young Women program and feel the love and support of a ward family. There are a couple of things that are pretty complicated with the Mom, but I think we will be able to warm her up to us and eventually see her back at church, too.

 

It was really great that we were able to take Mariah to watch the Young Women General Broadcast at a members house. I loved being able to watch it so much! Can you believe that I was in the choir 6 years ago? I know that I will always cherish the broadcast so much because I was able to be apart of it before. There was a talk by Sister Dalton that really got me. I hope yall can look it up if you have the chance. In it she talked about how THERE ARE NO SMALL DECISIONS. I can't even describe to you how much I have learned that. As I look back at my years as a young woman, I made a lot of small decisions that had SUCH A BIG IMPACT on me and where I am today. I realized that most of these decisions have helped bring me here as a missionary and some probably hindered my development. I am so glad to be here as a missionary today though. I know that this was no small decision and I am so grateful that I made the decision to serve.

 

So this week we were also able to bring a member in the ward who spoke Spanish. It was our first member present lesson and let me tell you, it was awesome! I think it was also our first full lesson where we felt like we were able to hit a lot of the doctrine of the first lesson about the Restoration. It was amazing! Our member was also a champ! He is an RM of about 2 years and he served in the Guatemala, Guatemala City mission. There was so much power when he taught and I felt like it was great for the investigators to be able to connect with him.

 

There is such a power in member missionary work. The next day we also went over to a members house in the ward to do an FHE with them. One of the teenage daughters was there with a guy she was dating. The church was brought up and we explained a little about our beliefs and then the members/family backed up what we had to say with other doctrine. There was such a powerful spirit as the conversation shifted to talking about the gospel. From this experience I have gained a much greater insight into the power of member missionary work. It is so much more successful than missionary work alone. I know that member missionary work is crucial to progressing the work! I hope yall know that I am so proud of you for having Mom's student take the discussions in our house! I bragged a little about the family to my district at district meeting. I hope yall know that I can feel the blessings of your effort. I know that missionaries who you have welcomed into our home are probably extremely grateful for yall as well!

 

Looks like I'll have to go pretty soon, but I'm really excited for Manchester. There is so much potential in this town. I can really feel it. Everyday here on the mission I am humbled, though. I wonder if I am the missionary to do the job out here. I just keep telling myself that if this is what the Lord wants for me, He will qualify me to that and I keep trying to work hard to be molded into what the Lord wants for me. Next week we find out about transfers so look forward to that!

 

I hope yall enjoyed Easter! (Although it sounds like the family was kind of split up with mom and dad being in NY) But like I mentioned last week Easter has meant so much more to me as I have been a missionary. I have so many thoughts and feelings about the power and beauty of the Atonement. If I had more time I would write it all out, but I think my time is about to expire.

 

Thank you family for all of your love and support. I hope yall are doing well. I will  pray for you. Enjoy General Conference and remember how amazing it is that we have living prophets on the earth today!

 

KC-- good luck with finals and with graduation and with your facial hair? haha

Cougar-- good luck with being a teenage and surviving middle school. Stay in school and make good decisions!

Dad-- good luck with BYU and the Singles Ward. Thank you for being so supportive of me on a mission and thank you for all of your emails.

Mom-- good luck with school. I know that the kids at Provo are so lucky to have you as their counselor. You are amazing Mom and I look up to you so much!

Katie-- good luck with work and all that you do. You are a supermom! I really look up to you a lot!

Nick-- I haven't heard much about what is going on with you, but good luck with school and work!

Nolan-- good luck with all the ladies. I'm sure they are trying to get you all the time, but tell them no way! Because you don't need to be distracted by them because you are going to go on a mission in 18 years and you don't need their. Happy 6 months old tomorrow! Keep working on crawling and talking!

 

Con Amor,

 

Hermana Kristy Rich