Dogs, 1. Missionaries, 1. Tied:)

We are at the NMSU library to e-mail and we stick with Elder ONeill and Elder Fenner (the other District Leader and his companion in our zone) on P-days and they do laundry at our place, because we don't have to pay like we would in a laundry mat. Anyway, this last week was really interesting....What I mean by that is that none of the people  we felt inspired to see were ever home. However, it did give us a chance to do some finding through tracting and street contacting.

Throughout the week we had dinner with Hermana Staggs and Hermano Flores, and Hermana Garcia. It was KFC on Wednesday night and I believe it was roast on Thursday night, but it was a good experience and at the first dinner with a member I shared the scripture, which was pretty scary, but I was relieved and spoke what I could in Spanish and the members truly appreciated that.

On Friday we had a lot of success and saw so many miracles. We were just walking down the street and this guy sort of limping comes out of nowhere ahead of us and normally we wouldn't run up to someone and scare them, but we felt impressed to call out to him. It turns out he was looking for some help and was walking and miserable, but was helping his brother out. His name is Richard and we have an appointment with him on Tuesday.

This street within itself is a miracle: West Ethel Street. We walked up to another house after that and knocked and a pitbull ran out and charged at us, but for some reason it quickly dashed back into the house. A younger guy came out and soon after that we figured his name was Manny and he wanted to meet with us, but not at his house. I believe that we can get a member involved with him to both fellowship him and create that support system and also have their home be a place where we can teach the lessons.

 After we left his home we went to the house one down to him on the right hand side. This house was full of barking dogs, and the gate was sealed shut and locked up tightly. We felt inspired to walk one more house down and little did we know that we had caught someone home who was never home, especially on Fridays because of sports and other things.

His name was also Manny and he had three sons who all played sports (baseball mainly) and one of them played the violin. I know that already there is a specific reason I started in this area. I played baseball and I play musical instruments. Now when we start to teach this family, Manny, Jessica, and their three kids, I will be able to relate the Gospel to them in such a way that they can apply to their coaching, sports, and instrumental experiences. Three in a row on the street on Friday....Boom Boom Boom!! It was such a miracle and now we already have eight lessons scheduled before Wednesday!

I am really excited to find more people to teach. We have focused pretty heavily on less actives and even members, because we feel like they will be a blessing to the investigators. My Spanish in lessons is finally picking up and I am able to speak it a lot more. Before, I would share a testimony and testify of a couple things here or there, but now I hope to be able to switch off every now and then with my companion.

This past week it was over 100 degrees every day. Today, it is 93 and overcast and it definitely feels so nice. District meeting on Friday morning was a blast and the role-plays were actually pretty fun. I know Grandma did not like them, but I am like Grandpa when it comes to that sort of thing. The Zone Leaders, Elder Lish and Elder Kemp, sat in on it and I role-played with Elder Kemp who has been out here for almost 10 months and it was truly awesome. Our district is made up of my companion Elder Keddington (District Leader) and I (Miranda North Area), Hermana Faddis and Hermana Nunez (Miranda South Area), Sister McShane and Sister McBride (Picacho Area), and Sister Stucki and Sister Montini (Dona Ana and University Area). I really enjoyed eating out as a zone at Cici's after the meeting.

Also on Friday, Ricardo called us to bring him a quesadilla and we made him one, but we also used that as a teaching moment and took a member, Sister Snyder from the English ward, and we taught him about the atonement and committed him to baptism. We don't have a set date yet, but he is definitely making a change in his life. He is seventy years old and when he stops smoking he can get baptized. His dog Pelluza bit my leg, but she didn't latch on, so now I can relate to Jeff already within a week, but it is awesome!

On Saturday our ward had a Father's Day Activity and I got my first real taste of home cooked Mexican food at the park. I am worried about eating menudo ( the inside of a cow's stomach), because most everyone says it is a common dish here .We played football with the youth and played games, and I was with one of the teachers in the ward (dad for the day) and I helped him have a good time. I met the members of the ward and started to see if I could help them out in any way.

 I met the Bishop and we actually ate dinner with him, his wife, and their in-laws Hermano and Hermana Hernandez. Hermano Hernandez teaches Gospel Principles and put me on the spot, but it was good for me and apparently I pronounce words really well, although, I don't speak as much as I would like to. Also in Sacrament Meeting yesterday, I saw that our ward was not even half-full, but I got up and bore my testimony in Spanish and it was a great experience!!

I am excited for this next week. We may have a baptism or two with Julissa and Jonathan Orduno and their dad is getting the priesthood on Sunday, which is exciting. My companion is an awesome trainer and is teaching me to be super organized in everything that I do. Last night, we had to take numbers for the Zone Leaders; you know that one scene in "The Best Two Years."

Thanks for everything, I hope that you all have an awesome week. Remember this verse this week: Alma 37:37! :D

Love,

Elder Richards

First email from the field:)

Hola,

I was given the opportunity to e-mail today. My trainer is Elder Keddington from Centerville Utah and he is about 6 foot 4 and blonde. He is a hard worker and loves some of the same stuff I do i.e. baseball, orchestral music, and many other things that I do. Ready for this?!? You want to know a few minor details I am sure and I am going to tell you them.

Here we go! I have seen Elder Mower, a friend from BYU-Idaho, Elder Hatch, a fellow trombonist, and I this morning I saw Sister Schieving at our transfer meeting and she is the trainer for Sister Rosa who was in the new arrivals group with me. She said to say hi to you. We are both excited for when  Elder Grant Smailee gets here!

I live in a large trailer....it is my house and I love it. I got sent South for a reason and it was about a four hour drive, but it was awesome!!!! My first area is about 40 minutes outside (North) of El Paso and South of Las Cruces and is called the Miranda North area.

My address is:

2620 El Camino Real #52

Las Cruces, NM

88007

My companion once again is the District Leader and that is so cool, he is awesome and speaks some pretty awesome Spanish. We drive a silver truck, because in our area we have to cover dirt roads, and go off-roading to get to both members houses and investigators houses and to tract.

Yesterday was pretty crazy, but awesome....Once I arrived in the airport the signs were both in Spanish and English… it was the most foreign thing to me, but I am loving this place! They lost nine pieces of luggage on the flight, but we got them all. It wasn't my luggage though. I stayed with the Assistants to the President last night and slept on the couch. At the Mission Home upon my arrival President Miller and his wife Sister Miller were very glad to have me and I will send some photos hopefully next week to you of the temple, mission home, and the experience so far!! The members here love to cook for the missionaries it is incredible and the food is so delicious! I never thought that a salad would be so tasty and then Hawaiian haystacks with so much fruit and vegetables on them that they would fall over. We already have a dinner appointment for tomorrow. I will not go hungry ever, and I will definitely send pictures of what I look like in the New Mexico land of enchantment,  haha. The water here is an amazing ally, because it reached nearly a hundred degrees in Albuquerque yesterday!

Today in my mission area, it has been anywhere from 104 degrees to 110 degrees, pretty ridiculous....but I do love it. Every person here offers water, because it is so hot. In fact, this could be a great way to break the ice for potential investigators to share a message with them!!

I have not had the chance to try the famous green chiles of Hatch yet, but I will. Yesterday I had an incredible first time tracting, the first door I knocked on was the right one, they were waiting and prepared. However, the woman was feeding her baby and did not have time for us so we decided to schedule a return appointment at 3 for Wednesday. Today we had an appointment with a mujer named Elsa who we contacted through a referral. It was incredible and the Spirit on her deck was just wonderful to feel and to hear her express her doubts and questions and then we tackled them and made sure she knew exactly what the Lord requires of each and every one of us.

She was really receptive and she invited her daughter to listen in to us and she was very knowledgable about Mutual and many things. I expressed my experiences from when I was in Mutual and she appreciated that someone knew what it was like. Elsa the mother, was so receptive that within one visit, our first visit with her we taught her four lessons in one, it was incredible! I hope and pray that her husband will be willing to listen to our message. Elsa and her daughter are coming to church on Sunday and we are either teaching their whole family on Saturday afternoon or next week sometime.

She lives in a trailer, but she works somewhere where she was wearing scrubs. I do not know where that it is, but she is the the true light of what missionary work is and inviting others to come unto Christ is through His restored Gospel and all of the blessings which proceed out of it. My companion and I are so excited to be companions and to relate on so many levels, the most important one being the Gospel of Jesus Christ restored on this Earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith and our Father in Heaven's glorious and majestic works of light, love, happiness, and families.

My Spanish comprehension, retention and understanding when people speak, and picking up on the actual speaking of this amazing language is really becoming a huge miracle and blessing to me. My companion and I are unified and we are excited to be serving over this area.

  

Con Mucho Ama por todos personas!!

-Elder Sterling G. Richards

More MTC Pics!

gained a little weight!

before haircuts

hosting arriving missionaries

In the tunnels

Service Friday

Wall of cans

with Elder Akagi

My district

with Elder Whetten

More district

with Elder Mortensen

Last P-Day in the MTC!

WOOHOO!! Last week in the MTC and then I am officially a missionary out in the New Mexico, Albuquerque Spanish speaking mission!!!! I am so excited and I have been having so much fun and learning a lot. I am finally getting the conjugations in Spanish working well and French is not standing in the way as much anymore. :) I have learned so much and I got my travel plans last Friday!! Okay, so here is the deal....I do not know exactly when I will be calling from the airport or how long I will have before I board my plane, but I will make my best effort to call. What I might do is use some quarters and call first to make sure you will pick up and then use the calling card for the official phone call....I cannot wait!! They give very specific instructions on how to pack for each airline. I am flying out on Delta at 9:50 I believe it is. I will probably be boarding about 9:20. Anyway, I will be calling for sure, because I have to be in the travel office between 5:50 and 5:59 A.M. on Monday morning! That is actually getting to sleep in for me now....well, almost anyway! I will land in my mission before noon on Monday, crazy huh?!?

I got Hayley's note and I really appreciated it!! My goodness, her handwriting is really good, and she responded to my letter in its entirety. I never did see Boston, but I have seen Sister Barton every single day!!!! In fact, she is sitting three chairs away from me in the laundry room and we have the same meal times, and gym times in which we play basketball and volleyball together! How awesome!! I bet Isaac's baptismal service was so amazing! I wish I could have been there and I wish I could be at Hayley's, but I am really excited to see the pictures....Hint Hint! That is crazy that the Walch family has so many missionaries going out, but there is not a better time than the present!!!! I hope that I will get the package right on Friday. 

Okay, official update continued....

Last week was pretty good, except Friday I was sick all day!! I recovered by Saturday, and even when you are sick as a missionary you still study and work hard and speak mucho Espanol, even if it is from your bed in your residence! My companion took the term be bold a little bit too seriously this week and almost got thrown out of our investigator's house!! It was bad....you really should remember before you share a scripture that instills the fear of God in somebody. We were not thinking....but, we still got our point across. I have been learning so many skills and building habits while here for a month and a half. Time flies and I always find joy in the work and effort and building of the kingdom of God I am contributing toward on a daily basis! The MTC President's wife Sister Kay Nally is the sister of my Mission President's wife so this week we get to go to her office and take a picture with her and kind of get a step up ahead of the other missionaries in the New Mexico, Albuquerque mission. There are only 4 of us going to the Spanish speaking mission!! There are 26 of us in my travel group for Monday.

There is so much inspiration and help I have received while in the MTC it is insane! You should really buy a copy of Preach My Gospel and read it, it is not just for us missionaries in the field it is for EVERYONE. "Every member a missionary!" That rings true for me, especially after hearing so many talks about families, genealogy, and enduring to the end! I am a host tomorrow so I will definitely look for Bristine, I mean Sister Bennion. :) I just cannot wait to see what experiences I will have in literally "another country"; the foreign land to me at least....of New Mexico!!!!

Next P-Day you will hear from me from Alba quer Q....Haha!

I appreciate all of the packages, treats, letters, and all of the love and support. 

This Gospel is truly progressing forward in such a rapid manner, it is wonderful!

Con Mucho Amor

-Elder Sterling Grant Richards