January 13, 2016 Elder Holland is in the house!

This week has been a pretty good one! 
   Thursday we drove down to the mission office to work with elder Gardner, a senior missionary on car stuff. The sensor in our car that wigs out when you speed was acting up so we went and worked on it with him! We then came back and weekly planned and had a pretty normal day. Our appointment with our investigator was postponed because she was sick so that stinks but oh well. 
   Friday was pretty quiet just a lot of knocking doors. 
   Saturday was really cool we had a mission meeting with Elder Holland, It was really awesome! He taught us some really cool stuff! It was a really awesome treat and I took a ton of notes! He gave us some really cool instruction! It was a real treat! He shook all our hands then afterwords he told us that he does that whenever he goes to a mission. He does it to interview everyone. He said when he looks in our eyes he interviews us! It was kinda scary but I guess everyone passed. He also said Its a good thing we are all obedient or else he would go ballistic and we would be crawling out of there! Anyways that took up most of the day! 
   Sunday we got to meet our new ward mission leader. He seems
like a really cool guy I'm excited to work with him!  We had church
which was good, then we had dinner and then mission prep! It was a busy night! But a good one as well! 
   Monday we had interviews with president and it went well! Not much happened. We later got to have dinner with sister Orhn, one of the awesome members here and a investigator who we have been trying to work with so that's awesome!
   I'm not to sure what we are doing today but I'm sure it will be fun!
Anyways have a good week!

Elder Richards

I hadn't seen a water faucet like this in forever so I took a picture!

Stamford Zone Rocks!

January 6, 2016 Happy New Year

So this past week has been pretty good! 

   Thursday was New Years. It was quiet but we had a really good time, none of us actually stayed up, but it was still pretty fun. 

   Friday we had MLC. It was a pretty good meeting. We found out Elder Holland is coming to the mission on Saturday. So everybody is super pumped about it! 

   Saturday was pretty good. Saturday we coordinated with the sisters to plan zone meeting. Then spent the rest of the day doing odds and ends. Nothing exciting really happened. 

   Sunday was good. We had a interesting testimony meeting. But the spirit was felt so that's good. Later in the day we had meetings and visits to make. 

   Monday we taught zone meeting. It went pretty well. later we went to try to visit a new family Elder Judd found and they weren't home so that sorta stunk. But we went back on Tuesday and were able to set up a time to come back so that's really good. 

   Tuesday we went to the Waveny care center. Which is always a good time. We spent Tuesday doing look ups which was pretty alright. It's been getting pretty cold which stinks but oh well! I hope you all have a great week!

Elder Richards

Last P-day at the aquarium

December 30, 2015 Christmas blessings, a new family to teach!

Hey guys! This week has been a good one! It was awesome talk to the family on Christmas! It was a real treat! 
   Anyways Christmas Eve was pretty good we went and visited two families in the Ward and participated in their Christmas programs! It was a good time! 
   On Christmas we visited to families as well! It was really fun as  well, although the highlight was skyping home! The rest of that week was pretty quiet! 
   We split with the APs on Monday and I got to go back to the new Rochelle/office area, it was cool to run into a family that got baptized by the sisters while I was there. It was a real treat, and in good news also while I was in the other area elder Judd and Elder leishman the AP found a family in our area! So that's really exciting. I haven't met them yet. 
Yesterday we helped out at the retirement home, it was a good time like usual. Then later we met with Shawn Gardner, one of our investigators so that was good! 
   Today we are going to go to Arby's! We just barely found out there is one in the mission! Then we may go to a aquarium! So it should be fun! Anyways
have a great week!

Elder Richards

The NY NY North Missionary Choir presented a beautiful Christmas Devotional, "A Savior Is Born."  

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

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

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

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 

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

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!

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

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.

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