January 12, 2015 email "To whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little"

Tortillas: 35

¡Hola Familia! 

The work in Santa Ana Huista is amazing! This week I received a new companion, his name is Elder Claros from Honduras! 

On Tuesday I went to Huehue and stayed the day with some elders their while Castillo and the Zone Leaders went to Xela and brought back Elder Claros! He is a convert of a year and a half and loves to work hard! It is a great feeling to get back to the house, plan, change and pass out in bed from being tired! We are focussing a lot on activating inactive and less active members. We also went this week to two villages, Ojo de Agua and Buxup. In Ojo de Agua we have to take a pickup trick 1 hour up the mountains. Their is one inactive family there and we also found some investigators. This week we are going to go back and see what we can do, but it is hard because no one can get to church. In the aldea of Buxup there is only 1 active member family who walks up a mountain and hour to church each sunday. They are really amazing and we are going to try and see if we can get a branch established there, but week need 15 members first so we will see. 

 Ojo de Agua, pointing to mexico! It is high up in the mountains, 1 hour in the back of a pickup truck, and you can see mexico! 

As for our investigators, Familia Castillo asked us this week if they could be baptized! Tino has problems with alcohol, be he admitts is and wants to change so that is important. We are going to plan a date for them tomorrow! We also on the split of chance on night decided to try and have a lesson with a non member husband of a member (Hermana Patty) and invited him to baptism and he accepted! 

Mejor Milagro: 

Really, the biggest miracle I have seen is the change in Tino Castillo. I remember the first lesson that we had with them. He was not interested in hearing our message. When we tried to get him to pray, he refused. Really, he just wanted to find why our church is wrong. The lesson that we had with them on Saturday, we asked him to choose someone to give the opening prayer and he offered! He gave on of the most heartfelt and beautiful prayers that I have ever heard. We then had a lesson on the word of wisdom, and instead of fighting it he told us what he had problems with and asked us for help to change. The spirit has touched his heart and it is amazing to see his true conversion. It is one of the most amazing and happiest feeling I have felt in my whole entire life to know that I could be part of his transformation. I know that really it was the spirit, but the God has trusted me enough to be an instrument in his hands is sweet enough for me. 

Testimony Time: 

The title for this email is in Luke 7:47, where a woman who is says was a vile sinner came, anointed Christs feet with oil and it says she washed his feet with her tears. Then, the pharisees and the sadugsees come and try to find fault with Christ, when he responds with "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven: For she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little." Really, what this story illuminated for me is an aspect of the atonement that is very important. The atonement is a gift that Christ offers to all who are willing to receive it. In this story we also learn that not only are we forgiven of our sins when we exercise the atonement, but we love Christ more. The atonment is infinite! We must use it every day! As we do, we will see our love for our savior grow and grow, and some day we will have to opportunity to wash his feet with our tears because of our love and his gratitude. I am so grateful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He is my example, he is hero, and I dedicate my life to him because I love him more than anything else. He sacrificed for you and I know that you can learn and obtain the same love for the savior that I have. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

P Day FUN!  These pictures are taken on a plantation of a family I live with, the land is 3 miles.

 Climbing the coconut tree!

 The sweetest coconut juice I have ever tasted!

 Learning to use a machete!

 The plantation had, coconuts, mandarine oranges, bananas, coffee plants and many more!

 Elder Duncan from the 70 came and spoke, it was an awesome experience and hear his words of wisdom and to meet him.

JANUARY 5, 2014 EMAIL "Wages of him whom he listeth to obey"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This is a knock of martinellis which was really gross!  And of course we ate Tamales!  We were in bed before 12:00 but we celebrated early!

Tortillas: 26 (New years is more about the Tamale)

¡Feliz nuevo año! This week was hard, a lot like last week because we could not do a lot. New Years here is a lot about drinking a lot and partying... 

Tomorrow January 6, 2015 we will have changes, and Elder Castillo will be leaving to be a Zone Leader in Xela! I will be getting a new companion tomorrow. We are still working with the same families, and we also have a new family that we found this week who is related to Marixta (My first baptism). They are interested in finding out if the church is true, but the problem is that they dont want to make commitments, so that will be an obstacle. I know that the lord will soften their hearts. 

Mejor Milagro: 

Living with Agusto is another family, the family of Aurora. Aurora has defenitley been prepared by the Lord. A little while in the past her husband died, she has 5 children and has to work as a cook to support them. On sunday she came to chruch with Presidente Villatoro and is really interested about eternal families! I am really excited to continue to teach her and her family, but the problem is that they live an hour away and it is hard to get to them for lesson. But, we will find a way! They are all reading the Book of Mormon, and I am excited to see their faith grow!

Testimony Time:

The title of the email is from Alma 3:27, and the whole reference is "For every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey." This week we had a really bad experience where we ended up finding a member drunk in the park. He is 30 years old, has two young sons and his wife is pregnent... We saw him as we were waiting for the bus, and Elder Castillo wanted to just leave him so that he did not see us, but I told him that he needs to see us. So, we went in, sat at a bench for about 30 min while he told all of his problems. This whole time he was bawling. We brought him back to his house, and it was so sad to the look on his wifes face. From this experience my testimony grew that as we follow the devil, we will receive his wages. The wages that he has to offer are all that he has, sadness and eternal damnation. On the other hand, if we follow Heavenly Father we can receive all he has, happiness and eternal life. It is an easy choice. Another famous phrase from the Book of Mormon "Wickedness never was happiness." Although this was a very sad experience, I know the truth of the words of Alma. Following Jesus Christ is alway the easiest in the long run! I know that as we make the hard choices, Heavenly Father will bless us more than we can imagine! 

Love you all!

Elder Richardson

Trip to La Mesilla a border town to Mexico which is part of my area.

DECEMBER 29,2014 "Feast Upon The Words Of Christ"

Tortillas: 45

Christmas Eve started out with Zone Conference in Colotenango where we had a white elephant gift exchange.

I had a wonderful Christmas week! Here in Guatemala, Christmas is a lot more about partying and getting drunk than it is about Christ, and so it was a hard week for the work. But, we were able to do a lot of service, which really made me feel the true spirit of Christmas! We spent Christmas Eve (Here it is called Noche Buena, and is bigger than Christmas day) with Familia Sop Chavez eating Churasco (Basically BBQ) and doing fireworks (Christmas here is not Christmas without fireworks.) 

CHRISTMAS EVE IN OUR HOME

CHRISTMAS MORNING WITH ELDER CASTILLO

Then the morning of Christmas Day, we went with them to a river that is close by Called Rio Azul, and the water is so so light blue.

 After, we went to Jacaltenango, where we were going to serve in the Hospital but there were no patients. So, we went and visited a family there, because it is in the area of San Antonio and had an amazing spiritual lesson. Other highlights for this week is President and Hermana Smith came to our area this week, and on Saturday night they went with us to a lesson with Tino and his family, where we talked about the importance of the scriptures. It was amazingly spiritual and I learned a lot about teaching in just one lesson with President Smith. He is an amazing mission president, very spiritual and very loving, also with a great sense of humor. He also spoke in Sacrement meeting sunday.
Mejor Milagro:
On Christmas day, I really badly wanted to go to Jacaltenango, so that I could serve some "of the least of these" as Christ says in the bible. I was really excited to feel the true Christmas spirit, but it was looking very unlikely because the busses are not very consistent on Christmas. First miracle, we were able to Catch a bus to San Antonio! 

Second miracle, we were in San Antonio, looking for someone to take us to Jacal. We had been looking for about 40 mins, and I was praying so hard that we could find a bus. Eventually, we found a mini bus! My prayers were answered! 

When we got to Jacal, we ran to the hospital, but shortly found out that all of the patients had gone home for Christmas... 

So, we started finding something to do! We eventually decided to visit a family. We sang to them, and had an amazing lesson where the spirit was so stong. They are very strong Catholics, but we invited them to read the Book of Mormon and find out if it is true for themselves, and they all accepted! I am so excited for them because they were an amazing and very sweet family!

Testimony Time:
This week President Smith talked in sacrement meeting in our branch, and he talked about 4 things that we can do to have stronger families! 1. Pray together and personally every day and every night 2. Study the scriptures every day as a family and personally 3. Pay a full tithes 4. Go to church, and help those that are not coming to chruch. He made a promise, that if we will read the Book of Mormon everyday personally and as a family, we will have amazingly strong families. He talked about the importance of receiveing personal revelation. I know that as we will work to do what the prophets have asked us, then we will also receive the blessings that they have promised. Reading the scriptures every day, especially the Book of Mormon and praying is so important. I promise that you will see a change in your life and in your thinking with these amazing gifts from God! Make it a goal for this year to do these things every day! I know the Book of Mormon is true, I know Joseph Smith was a true prophet, I know Christs chruch is restored, and I know he lives! In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Love you all! Feliz año nuevo! 

Christmas dinner the rice tamale

Highlight of Christmas talking to my family

Continuing family tradition in Guatemala, making treats