Thursday, December 24, 2015

December 23, 2015 Mission Christmas devotional

This week has been a good one!  
   Thursday was a pretty good day, we did our planning, and did some service. 
   Friday we had the mission Christmas devotional it was petty cool, I played Bagpipes in it. I haven't played in a while, you can see a video of it on my blog. It went pretty well! It was also really cool to see all the missionaries in the mission.   It was a really fun time to catch up with everyone.
   Saturday was a pretty alright day, we spent the day finding. A lot of people are out of town for Christmas so we didn't run into very many people. 
   Sunday was pretty good, we had a scary experience, we were filling up the baptismal font for a family baptizing their kid, and we thought there was a dead spider in the corner so we went to clean it up, and it wasn't dead, but a different spider jumped at us, then the one we thought was dead was jumping at us too. We freaked out and got out of there. We ended up killing them and I will attach a picture of one. They were like cricket/spider hybrids it was super weird! They could jump super high. Anyways I played my pipes again that evening for a mission  devotional for the investigators. So that was fun.   Monday was a mess. Missionaries were doing really inconvenient  things that we had to sort out. So that stunk, but oh well. We got it all figured out. 
   Tuesday we did a lot of service, we spent the evening picking up mail, and tracting with a member. Nothing really to amazing happened. Today we have a zone activity so that will be cool. We are doing a white elephant gift exchange, which should be a good time! I hope you all have a great week and a merry Christmas!

Elder Richards


Cricket/spider




Friday, December 18, 2015

December 16, 2015 Its really warm to be Christmas.

This week was a good one! 
   Thursday we had to take our car to the dealership to have a tire sensor replaced, and it took a lot longer then we thought, so that sorta stunk. But after it was finally done we came home and weekly planned. Which was pretty good, that was pretty much the highlights of that day. 
   Friday we helped a family that is moving donate a ton of their stuff. We basically just hauled all of their stuff into a big truck! We then went and looked around for one of our investigators that has seemed to disappear, 
   Saturday we got to go to a baptism that happened in Elder Judd's last area. It was pretty cool! It took up the majority of the day but it was a lot of fun! We had to drive over to Poughkeepsie NY.          Sunday was pretty good as well we had the young men's Christmas program, they had a whole choir and once we arrived we got invited to be in it! Surprise! It was pretty cool though! Later that day we had a meeting with the Stake President and President Smith just coordinating missionary work in the zone. It was pretty cool to be able to see how they work and plan! Then afterwords we went to a mission prep in the Ward! 
   Monday we had district meeting, then we went home had lunch then we went and visited a less active member and then we went to sister Orhns house for dinner! 
   Yesterday we went and gave service at a rest home! It was pretty fun!, later that day we spent making member visits! This week was a pretty good one! We had a lot of good times and things are picking up,which is awesome! Me and Elder Judd are having a great time! It's been really warm here lately which is super bizarre like 50's and 60's. It's kinda nice to, I just hope it doesn't get super cold! Things are good here, I will be playing my bagpipes on Friday at the Christmas devotional. It doesn't really feel like Christmas because it's so warm!
 
Elder Judd and I with sister Ohrn

Elder Richards

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

December 9, 2015 Transfers, Meet Elder Judd

Week update. 
Hey guys! This week has been a pretty good one, things have started picking up so that's good. 
On Thursday we had MLC which was pretty good, nothing to crazy to report. 
   Friday was a pretty quiet day I went on a split with Elder Casela, he is from the Philippines. We had a good time though, we did a ton of tracting. 
   Saturday was pretty cool we got to help set up the Ward Christmas party then we had the Ward Christmas party. It was fun! It was really neat how they did it, they had made all the hallways and classrooms look like the streets of Bethlehem, and they had people wander around and it was super interactive which was cool. Anyways we got transfer calls that night and Elder Judd is coming to be my companion so I am staying in new Canaan, Elder Judd is a really cool guy! I'm looking forward to this next cycle. 
   Sunday was pretty normal. We had one of our investigators come to church so that's really cool. It was Sheryl, so hopefully she will stick around and not disappear this time. 
   Monday and Tuesday was pretty much spent going around with Elder Johnson while he said goodbyes, it was pretty good though! Anyways I hope you all have a great week! Love you! 

Elder Richards 
Me and Elder Judd

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

December 2, 2015 Thanks on Thanksgiving

Week update
This week has been a pretty good one. Nothing to crazy has happened but I will fill you in. 
   Thursday was Thanksgiving. It was a pretty good time! It was a bit of a slow day, but it was really fun as well! We went over to a family in the wards house, the Reids. They had a couple of other families from the ward come too, It was really cool! We spent a good time there, We got to know a lot of cool people in the ward also. So that was really good! We ate a ton also! 
   Friday was good, We spent the morning doing service for a lady in a neighboring ward. It was pretty fun, once we finished her yard we went and helped her neighbor do their yard as well. Later that day we went on a split with a district leader, I stayed in the area, It was a pretty good time.              Saturday was spent looking up people and trying to find people to teach, we didn't have any success but that's alright. Saturday over all was a slow day which is alright. 
   Sunday was good, none of our investigators came to church which really stunk, but oh well. The rest of the day was good, we went to a dinner with the Rosdahls, It was a good time. The Rosdahls are a really good family. 
   Monday was good we had district meeting, then we got lunch and had to drive to Ossining for Elder Johnson's exit interview. President Smith was running a couple hours late, so we were there for a while. 
   Tuesday Elder Johnson went to the Temple with all the other returning missionaries. So I was on a split with Elder Essler, So it was a good time to see him again! 
   Anyways today Elder Johnson wants to go to West port and look around. So I'm not sure exactly what happening, Transfers are next week so that is cool. It seems like as it has gotten colder things have slowed down a lot. people are a lot quieter. but whatever! I hope you are all doing well!
Anyways have a great week! 



Elder Richards 

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

November 25, 2015 Thanksgiving and service!

Week update 

This week has been pretty good. 
  Thursday was super rainy, we went on a split with the Spanish elders, and me and Elder Frongner got soaked, but it was all well. We went to Chipotle for dinner and saw one of our investigators Shawn there. So that was pretty solid. They actually saw us and came up to us which is even cooler. 
   And yes Friday we did some service for a retirement home, we would go deliver meals to seniors through the town that couldn't come to the retirement home for lunch so that was pretty good we met some nice old people. Later that day we looked up potential investigators for quite a while and Frongner made a man feel uncomfortable as we were walking around his deck freaking his dog out while we were struggling to find an address. 
   Saturday we went to a real estate house party one of our members were hosting. Which was pretty interesting it was essentially a Ward party with a new family that just moved in who aren't members, but hopefully they will be interested in learning more! 
   Sunday was good, we had church which went well, we then visited some family's and went to the wards mission prep class. 
   Monday was classic, we had district meeting, tracting, and then we visited a family in the Ward that we have helped a lot lately, and taught a FHE there. 
   Yesterday was busy, we went and gave service at the rest home visiting and serving the residents. Then we went and helped some members move a generator they are donating, then we picked up a ton of Thanksgiving meal kits and delivered them to family's in need throughout the zone, then we had to hurry back to new Canaan for a dinner appointment! It was a long day! I also hit 14 months which seems unreal! It's crazy how quick time flies! 
   Anyways today we are going golfing with a really cool priest from the Ward! Hope you all have a great thanksgiving dinner! We are going over to a members house for it! It will be good! Hope you are all doing well! 

Elder Richards

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

November 17, 2015 Loving the work!

This week has been pretty alright, nothing really exciting has happened. We had the primary program on Sunday, it went well. We had about 50 people come from the community so that was really cool. We have had some good feedback so that's really solid hopefully a couple investigators come from it.
We had zone conference this week. It went well, we talked a lot about planning and stuff of that nature it was really good though. I got some good tips. We have had a lot of meetings and service this week which has been both good and bad, nothing really exciting happened.
This week just seemed very menial and administrative. Which is just part of the job I guess. We have been spending a lot of time finding lately.  All of our investigators have been real rascals lately. None of them really have a strong desire to change which stinks. But oh well.
I think I have been getting a little sick as of late, which really stinks! But oh well. The work will go on. I got to spend some time parading around the Yorktown zone yesterday, Elder Johnson went to a returning missionary meeting, so I went on a split with honey bear
then he had to go to the doctor so he dropped me off with the zone leader so that was really cool.
Anyways not to much to report this week, hope you all are doing well.
I sure love you all. Hope you are all doing well!


Elder Richards



Zone Conference

Zone Conference

Stamford Zone

Flash back-One year ago tomorrow!

Thursday, November 12, 2015

November 11, 2015 Find your warm clothes.

Week update
  This last week has been a pretty good one, It is starting to get really cold. But that's alright I've got some warm clothes to wear! It has been really rainy as well! Nothing too exciting has really happened. Just another week in the neighborhood. We got some referrals this week so we are hoping that they will pan out! Today I'm headed down to the temple, Elder Johnson is going to a Broadway play so Elder Holtom and I are going to cruise around and then go to the temple so it will be a pretty good day!
  Thursday we had another MLC! This one was with some of the people at the missionary department. It was pretty good. We talked a lot about how to plan. We did this one activity where we would watch one of the district videos (videos that are used to train missionaries) about nightly planning and broke it down piece by piece to see what they did and sort of did a play by play of it. It was pretty interesting, a 15 minute clip was broken up to an hour and a half long training event. It was a little long but good. 
  Friday was pretty good also, it was just a average day of looking less active people up and tracting, nothing really to report there. 
  Saturday was full of service, we started by raking leaves for one of our investigators, and she has a huge yard. But we got it done which is good.  The fall here is amazingly beautiful, but it also makes for a frick ton of leaves. Anyways after we were done raking leaves we went and helped to set up for the wards fall festival, it went pretty well. We made cotton candy for a bit and made a mess so we were relieved soon after. The fall festival was great though. 
  Sunday was good, a Russian family one of the Ward members met on a train came to church, they seem a little weirded out, they said it was very different from the Russian Orthodox Church. Which I could imagine. But they said they were going to come again! So we will see how that goes. 
  Monday was average, district meetings went well. In the evening one of the priests from the Ward texted us and asked if he could come out with us, which was awesome so we had him come and ended up teaching two lessons with him so it was a real treat. 
  Tuesday was pretty uneventful, we went and did service at the old folks home, which was pretty good. One of our favorite old lady's is sick which stinks, the rest of the day was pretty quiet. I've been practicing my bagpipes, they seems harder to blow then I remember! But all is well! I hope you all have a great week! 
  

Elder Richards


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

November 4, 2015 MLC and more...

Week update.
This week has been good. Thursday was pretty good, we spent it tracting, which was pretty good. Nothing to crazy happened. But it was good.
            Friday we had MLC or mission leadership council. It was really good. It was cool to see a ton of my good friends and to discuss the mission with president. It was a good meeting. We discussed a lot of changes that are coming in the mission, which will be helping to make the work better.
            Saturday was pretty interesting with it being Halloween, we went and did service for one of our investigators named Shawn. We moved a ton of leaves and cut down trees for her. It was nothing to exciting but a chance to give service. Afterwards we went and visited some members, we had to be in our apartments at 6:30 that night so we spent the rest of the night sort of relaxing and planning it was a really nice break.
            Sunday was great, we finally got one of our investigators to come to church, so that was pretty cool, we got to have a lesson with her afterwards which was good also. 
            Monday was exciting! We had zone meeting, which went well! Later that evening, a guy who's name I have forgotten, from the missionary department in SLC, he went on a split and the other guy he came out with went with the Aps and he wanted to watch us teach so we took him to watch us teach some lessons. We had good appointments and the lessons went well I though. It was still a little weird. He told us about the missionary department and stuff. It was fun to hear about how stuff works at HQ! We are going to see him again tomorrow at another MLC so that should be good. He is a real good guy.
            Yesterday we did a lot of service for a family in the Ward. They are struggling right now and we are going to go over again for a bit today. So that will be good. Nothing to crazy though happened. Just another normal week! The zone is doing well. Hope you all have a good one!


Elder Richards



Elder Burrell was my room mate in Inwood and my ZL when I was in the mission office.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

October 28, 2015 Stake Conference

WeekUpdate.
This week has been pretty good. Nothing really earth shattering happened. 
Thursday was a pretty quiet day. We helped a member rake up a ton of leaves, which was pretty good. It was nice to get out of the shirt and tie for a bit. Later that evening we split with the Stamford elders. So I went to the Stamford area with Elder Nagle. He is an interesting guy. Anyways the night consisted of him showing me all the pictures he has drawn on his mission. What a great time. 
The following day He took me to his area, we taught the restoration to a priest in the ward. We looked up some less actives. He took me to a really interesting Polish Deli. All in all in was an interesting day. We un-split in the evening. And it felt good to be home. 
Saturday I wasn't feeling super well. (Probably from the Polish Deli) So not much happened in the morning. Later we went to the Adult Session of Stake Conference. We had a pretty big surprise there also. Sheryl, our investigator who we have been trying to meet with for the entire cycle came to the session. Which is pretty cool! Seeing as how we have no clue how she knew about it. Saturday evening we got transfer calls. My apartment is not changing at all. But there are three missionaries training in the Zone, which is pretty cool.
Sunday we had to drive to New York to the Sunday session of Stake Conference. It was really good. The stake president wanted the meeting to be ran by the spirit so he had all the speakers not write their talks. They were asked to only bring their scriptures with them as they spoke and the only preparation they were supposed to do is pray for guidance and ponder their subject. It went really well I thought. Some people were really nervous in the beginning. But everybody including the youth speakers did a very good job. 
Anyways Monday We had district meeting. It was good nothing really to report there. That afternoon we spent doing odds and ends errands. We texted our dinner appointment to see if we were still cool for dinner and she texted back "no" so we were like that’s weird but what ever.  So on our journeys one member offers to take us out for dinner so we accept. We went to a really good pasta place. Anyways Afterword’s we check the phone and we got a ton of texted from the dinner appointment asking if we were coming so we call them and flew over to their house because they asked if we were still hungry and we decided we could be. Anyways we get there and explain the situation. Turns out that number we texted is an old number. So some rascal just texted back no instead of saying wrong number. Anyway that was a journey. 
Yesterday was a whole ton of tracting. We took a priest from the ward out with us. We saw some pit bull mixed dogs and one wanted to taste my leg and hand. It ripped my pants but my garments are still good. It punctured skin a little but not bad. As we were walking up to the door three dogs came barreling out and started barking. One nipped my hand too. But it was just a couple of scratches. As we were walking away we heard a lady’s voice from inside the house saying "watch out they bite" We replied that we found out. So that sort of stunk but it is whatever. Could have gone a lot worse. But I’m fine which is what matters. But yeah. Today we have transfer meeting this afternoon. So nothing much is happening right now. Hope you all had a great week!


Elder Richards

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

October 21, 2015 Work, Work, Work!

Week update. 
This week has been pretty good. 
   Thursday we got to go help one of our members do some yard work which was pretty good. We just packed up a ton of wood and general yard junk into a u-haul then we took it to the city dump. It was pretty alright. I thought it was weird to use a u-haul but I guess people just don't have trailers out here. 
Anyways Friday was pretty good. I spent a majority of the day tracting, nothing too much to report there. 
   Saturday we went and helped out one of our investigators, we chopped down a ton of trees and then cut them up and hauled them around. This investigators brother cut a tree down in a pond and that really stunk to pull out. We got it out though. We got really good sandwiches from it though which was really cool. It's always a highlight when you get fed. We had a good days work though from it. 
   Sunday was good. We went to church which was pretty good. Nothing too crazy really to report there. 
   Monday was pretty good, we taught a handful of lessons but in between we did a ton of tracting. We had a good dinner appointment with some retired older people in our Ward it was a really good one. 
   Tuesday was pretty good also; we got to go to a less active house that missionaries have been trying to get into forever! And it turns out they love Crosby Stills and Nash, we were fast friends. Anyways that was a good success for us. Nothing too much happened in the rest of that, a handful of appointments canceled. This stunk. This area is hopefully going to start picking up and getting a little busier. 
   It's now sweater weather so that's nice, I get to break out my sweaters which is fun. I heard that the Utah Pipe Band got to play at temple square! That sounds super rad! I'm sorta jealous! Anyways things here are good, transfers are next week. I don't think I'm going anywhere which is good!Anyways hope you all have a great week! 

 Elder Richards

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

October 14, 2015 Visit from Elder Arnold

Hello!
This week was good, but it was a bit slower than usual but it's been picking up the last couple of days. So that’s good!
Anyways last Thursday was good! We had a mission conference with Elder Arnold of the 70. It was good! He taught us a lot about using members in missionary work and all sorts of goodies. It will be good. I think our mission is going to really do well with the things he taught.
Friday I went on a split with one of our district leaders Elder Bentley, he is in the Spanish program so I didn't really know what was going on. But it was still fun.
Saturday was good, we tracted a lot, nothing to crazy happened.
Sunday was good. Church was good. One of our investigators came, but she went to the wrong ward which stinks.
Monday was good, we went and took one of the priests in our Ward tracting with us. It went well! We knocked on one door and this very energetic older woman opened the door and asked if we knew her name. We said we didn't and she then told us she was a Whitmer, so she knew the Mormons. She said that she's Episcopalian now and that her ancestor is on top of our buildings. (Moroni?)
Anyways yesterday was good we busted out some member missionary work like Elder Arnold taught and it went well! We tracted for a bit met with one of our investigators and taught some members. Nothing big is coming in this next week! So we will just be staying busy talking to people! 
            Today I'm going up to Danbury to meet up with one of my old zone leaders and friend Elder White, we are going to hit "Chic fil a" there. We are going to come back to Norwalk because one of the new missionaries and trainer wanted to play board games with us. So we will head over for that. Then later today we are ending pday early, one of the missionaries from the new Canaan Ward is getting home and he wants to go out with us before he gets released. So that will be good! It's super pretty here! I really need to start taking more pictures!


Hope all is well! Love ya!


Elder Richards


Zone meeting with Elder Arnold
Did someone say food

Pictures from mission blogs


Wednesday, October 7, 2015

October 7, 2015 General Conference was great!

Week update,

General conference was a great time! I really enjoyed it! I thoroughly enjoyed it. I really liked the one southern sisters talk I can't remember her name. They were both really good. It was a great conference. Easily the high light of my week. The neighborhood we live in is pretty good it's pretty quiet. We live more towards the business part of town. It's pretty good though. I can't complain. This week had a considerable amount of tracting. We knocked some huge houses, the people were all very kind, but not interested. Our main investigator Darlene has gone AWOL, so hopefully we can hunt her down soon. We ran into a new less active at general conference, so that was good. Don't know too much about him yet. We went to a senior center this week to give service, it was an enjoyable time!  They were cracking jokes and all in all were quite lively and entertaining. All in all it’s been a quiet week. We really just tracted a lot. Friday we had a MLC meeting which took up most of the day. We are having a 70 visit the mission tomorrow. So it talked a lot about this meeting. I think it should be a good visit tomorrow. It's been getting pretty cold out here recently which is both good and bad. It's nice to have a car. General conference was a good one though. I took lots of good notes and figured out some ways to apply what I learned, which is the best part! Anyways hope you all are doing well! 



Elder Richards 

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

September 30, 2015 Go, go, go!

Week update.

            This week was pretty good! Thursday was interviews with president! And my year mark! For every interview our president runs with the zone leaders in the morning. So that was fun, he has done a handful of iron man races so it was fun keeping up with him. Afterwards we came home and all used the showers then he took us to breakfast and then we hit interviews. It was all pretty good!
            Friday we helped a family move stuff into their house all is well. But I am yet to help somebody move as a missionary and some elder doesn't break or put a hole in anything. Over all it was a good move.
            Saturday we got our car repaired which is nice the tire kept going flat and it needed a safety inspection. So we had to drive to New York to get it taken care of.   
            Sunday was good. We spent the day tracting / looking up people. Everybody was really nice. But none were really interested. But that's all right. 
            Monday was district meeting / car inspections. It was a good time. It was fun to see the office senior couples again! Later that day we went and nicked some doors.     
            Yesterday we went and gave service at a rest home. I got to play word games with old people it was a good time!  Afterwards we went and tracted some more houses. We had a bit more success but no one was super interested. Nothing really crazy or anything happened. So that's all right! I hope you all had a good week! Love ya!

Elder Richards


Look ma no hands!



The Stamford Zone got rewarded with Dunkin Donuts for having exceptionally clean cars.  Thank you Elder and Sister Gardner for managing the automobiles and encouraging our missionaries.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

September 23, 2015 New area and New companion Elder Johnson from Morgan Utah!

Week update.
This week has been a good one!
Friday was a sort of quiet day. We tracted a bit and New Canaan has some big houses! I tracted a literal castle. I will attach pictures at the end of the email. This is definitely a unique experience! We tract a lot of mansions! The people aren’t super receptive, but their maids are very polite to us!
Saturday was pretty good. We taught a few lessons which is always a good thing. We have a pretty small area, and it is very wealthy. But there is a pretty big ward here so most people in the town know the Mormons or they have a friend who is a member. So we can usually start a conversation that way.
Sunday was good. It was cool to meet a lot of the ward members. Sunday evening we had to get a ton of the district leader’s numbers and organize them all which sort of stank but it’s whatever!
Monday was good. We had district meeting which was pretty good then we tracted some more!
Tuesday was good too! We taught a few lessons! I met our most solid investigator Darlene! It was cool because she randomly started talking about how much she is grateful for the change the gospel has brought in her life. It is really cool to see people like that! Tuesday I dropped my iPad while tracting and cracked the screen a bit! It’s the worst! But it’s still functioning and the cracks don’t really interfere with anything so that’s a blessing! It’s crazy to think I have almost been out for a year! Time flies! All in all a good week! It’s been cooling off a ton and the leaves are starting to change which is exciting!
Elder Johnson far left, Elder Richards far right.
A few thoughts from this transfer are,
1- This transfer had a lot of unexpected changes! President Smith is changing a lot of the leadership! We are expecting a new AP this next one! Elder Reid goes home to Hawaii! Every zone leader companionship changed this cycle! So that pretty crazy!
Elder Richards, Elder Reid the assistant, Elder Hill and Elder Rains
2- So the schedule isn’t too bad! I don’t have as many small tasks as the district leaders do. I have to supervise the district leaders though which is pretty good! The only problem is if crap hits the fan. I’m the first in the splatter zone!
3- The new shoes are great! They are super light which is awesome and they fit well, keep my feet cool and are comfy! Thanks a ton!
4- My new comp is Dwayne Johnson from Morgan Utah. I was his district leader back in south Manhattan at the start of my mission! Which was pretty cool! We have been friends the entire time and now we are comps!
5- The area is small! And we have a few investigators! I don’t know too much about the others , I have only met with one! But her name is Darlene! She’s really cool! She lives with her daughter and has some struggles but she seems to really enjoy the gospel!
6- I miss the office! Elder Dutson replaced me there, and he is great! So I miss him!
Things are good here! They have some nice houses with some huge yards! I could see you loving them! It does stink Elder Scott passed away. But he is with his wife now so that’s really good for him! I’m really looking forward to general conference! It will be a good one I think! Its nuts how fast time goes by! I have to enjoy every day! It’s the only chance I will get to do this! Anyways love ya! Have a good one!! Hope you all have a great week!


Elder Richards