August 26, 2015 Lots of Zone meetings and deliveries!

Week update,

So this week has been pretty good,

Thursday we had zone conference. It was good we talked about the book of Mormon, health and safety, online missionary work and the such. It was good though. It took up pretty much all day. I was bushwhacked by the end of the day. It was a long day of hauling people around.

Friday we just took mail to the last zone conference. We grabbed lunch there then we left and headed back to the office, and took some of the cars to the shop to get some maintenance done. So that took a good chunk of time. They weren't able to get any of the cars done before they closed so we had to call the zone leaders and have them give us a ride to the office to pick up our car.

Saturday we had a district APF It went pretty well, I stood in the street for two hours holding a free lemonade sign. I was assigned that job so I did it but it sort of stunk.  I did manage to get a few cars to pull into the church parking lot so that’s good.

Sunday was nuts, The best part is a polish guy named Ziggy came to church, he came because he thought there were free clothes but he stayed for the gospel. So that’s good! I also found out on Sunday that Hector from my last area got baptized! SO that’s way cool! It’s always nice to hear about things like that happening.

Monday morning we went to staff meeting at the office, then district meeting, then Taco Bell with the zone leaders. Then we filled missionary orders, drove for half an hour to our investigators house and he wasn't home so we contacted a bit then headed home for the night. Oh! It was my 11 month mark to so that’s fun!

Tuesday we did deliveries to the city zones, Its super hot but I get to cruise in the nice air-conditioned van. I drove for all the Bronx areas and Chinatown. Traffic was a deadlock again. So that’s always a good time. Then after we got home we had to go pick up some of the mission’s cars from the Firestone shop, then we headed home! We had a really busy week at the office but it was a lot of fun too!

Elder Richards

Office Elders

We lured a few unsuspecting cars into the church parking lot with this sign.

My last transfer with Elder Dutson on the far right.

August 19, 2015 Life in the office

Hey guys! This week has been a good one. Nothing really too crazy has happened. I’m just hanging out in New Rochelle.

 So Thursday we had a lot of odds and ends to do for the office. We had to go pick up cars from the repair shop and the likes. It was fun though! I enjoyed myself.

Friday we had a meeting for all the new missionaries and their trainers. It was really neat, we got to drive everybody to the chapel for the meeting and then back to the train station. But we also got to stay for the meeting which was really fun. It was really cool too.

Anyways that was the Highlight of Friday.

Saturday we did a mail run which was pretty bonkers! We did upstate this time so it was a lot of driving and not so much traffic. It was fun to see the mission though. It’s really pretty! I’m looking forward to fall too! It’s going to be gorgeous!

Sunday was pretty good, I taught Elders Quorum, and the lesson was on the elderly in the church. I had never taught that one before. But it went pretty well. Our elders quorum is really small in New Rochelle. I hear it is because everyone is out of town for summer. So they should all be coming home pretty soon here. IDK we will find out soon I guess.

Monday was another busy day! We had staff meeting in the morning so all the office and president meet and discuss the mission it’s pretty cool. Nothing juicy to report about though. Unless you want to know what we are having for zone conference lunch. Afterwards we had District meeting. It’s really nice to take a cycle off of having to teach it! After that we got lunch at the crib, and then we went to the office and Filled orders for books of Mormon and the like. So it was pretty good!

Yesterday we drove all over Manhattan dropping mail off and stuff then elder hill had a appointment we had to go to also in the city, so we stopped there. Then we spent the evening looking up some peeps in our area book, we had no astounding success other than the zone leaders found a guy for us to teach, we went to a lesson with him and he was telling us about how people see him and run. He is safe wherever he goes because people know not to mess with him. He said he has done some time too. But he is super nice to us.

Today is p-day the whole zone is getting together to play sports or something. So from what I understand we are making a appearance. Other then that I don’t know what the plan for today is! Anyways hope you all have a great week!

Elder Richards

August 12, 2015 What a busy week!

So this last week has been super busy! Which is a good thing! 

   So last Wednesday was nuts we were driving missionaries all over the mission. And then they would forget their bags so we would have to drive all the way back and pick them up. And that really stunk. So after all that stuff was pretty much done, we went to the mission home for dinner with the missionaries going home. It was pretty good! All the returning missionaries were really weird and awkward though! But, whateves. So we went home, took our bags to our apartment and then went
to bed, 

   Then at 5:30 the next morning (Thursday) we had to go back to the mission home to pick up the missionaries and drive them to the airport. So we end up hauling all the sisters in the 15-passenger van, and one of the AP's took our usual minivan that we drive around. Anyways we are driving through the Bronx on our way to JFK and the minivan with one of the returning elders and all of the luggage starts smoking wicked bad, so they pull over and we all keep going. Turns out there was a
leak in the radiator hose and it had been dripping out all over the place and was finally empty! So from my approximation it looks like they blew a head gasket and were burning oil and getting it mixed back into the Radiator where the white smoke was coming from. But that’s just a guess, so pretty much anyway you slice it that van is out of commission for a bit. Anyways we get everyone to the airport miraculously traffic was terrible. And we head home to do our grocery shopping and laundry. Then we had to go deliver the keys to the minivan to a tow truck place in Yonkers so we went over and did that. And we got another call from the office, saying some of the sisters weren't paying attention and missed their flight... so we were on standby to see if we had to go pick any of them up and bring them back, but we never got the call back but President Smith did have to go pick one up for another night because they couldn’t get her any flights. But that was Thursday. 

   Friday was spent at the office, doing safety check offs to be able to drive the big van around so that was pretty good. It was super boring too though. 

   Saturday we went and did a mail delivery to the city zones of our mission. So that was cool we were in the 15-passager van cruising around Chinatown. It was nuts but we ended up not hitting anything and getting the mail delivered so that is a good thing. 

   Sunday we went to church, it was pretty chillin. The ward is going to need some help they have it in their minds that the office elders just hang at the office and never do missionary work. So one of my goals is to show them that with me it’s not the case. So we have some work to do. 

   Anyways Monday we got to go to President Smiths Staff meeting so that was fun nothing too crazy happened though. Then we went to district meeting, and then we went and filled orders for the mission. Then we had lunch. And then we had some odds and ends at the office, but at about 5 we finally got to some proselyting! So we went and looked up a kid in a town nearby, he's 11 and interested in religion. But he is pretty cool; he is just hard to keep focused. But we are going to keep looking people up. Tuesday we did another Mail Delivery to the city zones. It was good, no accidents happened. It was pouring rain too so that was fun. 

    Today I have no clue what we are doing. One of my companions likes to plan things and not tell anybody about them until he is ready to go do it. It is super annoying because it’s usually rather dull. 

This week has been pretty good! It’s been way busy and exciting, which is good! I’ve been hanging out with all the senior missionaries who run the office, which is a good thing! They're pretty cool! I’ve been running a lot of errands for them. One of my comps is a doofus though. He treats me as if I’m a baby, which is stupid. So when he makes stupid remarks I just ignore them or I say thank you very much elder. Hopefully he will catch on that it’s rude soon. That’s the most of my worries though so I’m doing well!  I’m in a trio! It’s all right! Ive seen President Smith every day so far this week! He is really cool He is an awesome guy! I think he is pretty cool! I’ve been to the mission home twice so far I’ve only eaten with them once. I cook most of my food, which is good.

   So most p-days are normal its just transfer p-days are nuts, but we get Thursday to make up for it so that’s good. But today I ran round with my zone leaders it’s been pretty fun!

  

Last week has been pretty good! Have a good one!

Elder Richards

August 5, 2015 Transfers are here!

   8:40 am.  I got transferred to the office! So I'm driving all over the mission today! I won't really get a chance to email until a while later! But I will! I have to move bags and drive missionaries upstate and to the city and stuff! You know how it goes! Love you lots! You will hear from me soon!

   7:36pm.  I haven't been to my apartment yet to even see it! 

   8:00pm.  Hey guys! So I got transferred to the office! It's crazy! So today was the first day and we were running transfers, I was driving a 18 passenger van through the city and upstate! I've been going from 9am-now it's nuts! I've seen the mission all in one day! So I basically haul everything around the mission! And I'm the mail man also. So that's cool. We have spent the last 3 hours taking bags to sisters that forgot them in Connecticut. So that's bumping. Now we are having dinner at the mission home with the returning missionaries. We got a nice meal from it! So we now are in the New Rochelle area, we work it in the evening and spent the days in the office! We live in New Rochelle also so we will drive to Scarsdale and the mission office and home a ton! So I'm looking forward to that! It will be fun. The last week in Inwood was good, nothing really crazy happened which is good.

Nothing really I can remember I've just been really pumped to be in the office! Anyways have a great week!

Elder Richards