October 28th Letter..Rough Week!

Dear Mom and all loved ones, 

I don't know where to start with this week, because it was very difficult and miraculous at the same time! The week started off just fine last Monday and about 3 am Tuesday I encountered a nasty case of food poisoning because I did not heed to the promptings of the Holy Ghost with enough care! I drank some water the night before....who knew how long it had been sitting out and I wanted something to drink and grabbed the first thing in my path... water! I felt a prompting to stop drinking the water and I wish I would've! Anyway, my stomach did not like that water very much and I fell very ill. I had never experienced an illness anything like this before, however I knew that Heavenly Father would help me through this but small moment and he did! Through much prayer and puking I got over it. This week was one of the best, because I truly learned the divine power of the Atonement and everything fell into place the way the Lord wanted it. This small lack to recognize the voice of warning from the Holy Ghost caused much pain and misery. 

I recovered after three days and then my companion fell ill so you could say that our companionship was sick the entire week. As I told my Mission President this week: The work still goes on even when we are in a state where what we feel like is the absolute bottom! I have come out of this illness stronger than ever. As I was attempting to recover from this trial I prayed for guidance to know what to do, because even though I couldn't go out and teach I could prepare myself to do so when I got better. I thought of what it truly means to be a builder of the Kingdom of God and I went to the index to see if I could find any scriptures to make sense of a definition. I came to the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants  64:33: "Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." I felt nothing but the Savior's love and the same our Heavenly Father's grand love for all of us His children. He takes the weak and makes them strong builders; for Jesus the Christ is the Master Builder of all. I really love President Monson's address- "The Bridge Builder" from the October 2003 conference and I would encourage you to read it and liken it unto your own lives this week! It is powerful, especially where he relates obedience to a foundation. The work goes on and continues to hasten, because there are many souls who need to be brought unto this Gospel of happiness and joy and love! I am so happy that I have been blessed with this capacity to serve in this tremendous area at this time and I know that it is by divine revelation that I was sent here! The people here are incredible: In fact Mom....Yesterday at dinner with the Arias Family we got talking about our genealogy and it somehow came up and I was wondering if we are related to Constantine through your side of the family or are part- Turkish, because Constantinople originates from Constantine. Also, do you know if we are actually Native Americans, because that would be cool as well to know. 

When my companion and I were both feeling better we went out and worked and it was the greatest feeling! I followed the promptings to go visit a less-active family and sure enough they were there and it was truly incredible to understand the importance of obedience and that we are all instruments in some shape or form in the Lord's work as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am excited to work even harder this week and to see what will happen!! I would like to end with my testimony that if we are dedicated and consistently building more and more on the "rock of our Redeemer", we cannot be consumed by adversity or the tempter and his snare. Obedience is key; no matter what time of our lives we are in!

 I cannot believe that on Friday I will have been out six months! I am so excited to continue to serve and I want to hear an update! I pray for all of the family each and every day and I pray that Liv will prepare to be a missionary, because she would be an incredible one! I love you all and I hope that you have a wonderful week.

Much love,

Elder Sterling Grant Richards