God Be With You

Hello Family and Friends!

This week was kinda slow. We need to find new investigators and have
more motivation and diligence. Missionary work is not easy. But it is
rewarding watching but one person make the changes to their lives that
are needed for salvation. The atonement is the center of this whole
gospel and because of that we need to help everyone realize their
potential and their purpose and how they can have the most happiness
in this life,which would be following the teaching of Jesus Christ and
His example. I want to share this with everyone but it's hard when
others don't listen. But we never know if they'll listen or not until
we invite and we ask. The same goes for member missionary work. Invite
friends to activities and things because you never know if they'll
accept or reject. Despite how hard this work is, I love it! I am
learning so much and my testimony is growing on the simple basics of
the gospel. The most important things! If you don't have the basics
you can't do much. (Just like in ballet if you don't know the basic
positions and techniques you can't do the big fancy stuff, the same
goes for other sports and stuff of course.)

But I'll tell you some highlights of this last week.

So last Monday we got shaved ice and it was so yummy! Then we played
volleyball and games at the church with the other missionaries. We had
a cool lesson with our recent convert  about the weapons of
rebellion and the anti-Nephi-Lehies in Alma. It was fun!

Tuesday had a cool lesson with a less active where we read from the
Book of Mormon. We were panning on reading one chapter with her then
she was so into the story (about Nephi and the brothers getting the
plates) that we kept going! She loves the Book of Mormon and my
testimony is growing so much for my love of the Book of Mormon! It's
amazing! It truly is the keystone of our religion! Also how simply it
teaches the doctrines! I love it! If we know the Book of Mormon is
true then we know that Joseph Smith is a prophet, Jesus Christ is the
savior of the world and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints is Christ's church restored to the earth! How much power there
is in just one book! I love it! We were also able to help our
investigator  get her divorce started. Once that's done, she
can be baptized!!!! She is looking forward to that day so much!

Wednesday we did service at the Pomona hospital. It was a fun time! We
got to help women who were going home with their newborns! We pushed
them in the wheelchair out to their cars. The babies are so cute! It's
so hard that we can't hold babies! But we also helped escort people to
the different paces in the hospital. So instead of being stuck in a
room doing paperwork stuff having no interaction with people, we got
to interact with people! Then we did some paperwork stuff and finished
super fast! The ladies in the office we impressed! Also we got asked
so many times if we wanted a cup of coffee or tea....we were doing the
paper work in the break room. It was pretty funny. That night we
stopped by our investigator's house so that we could see how
things were going with her divorce papers. She was really stressed
about it and we shared a good message and talked about the importance
of prayer and scripture study when we go through hard things.

Thursday we had district meeting. It was a good meeting. Nothing too
exciting but after we did some service for a couple from the ward 
 who help us out so much! We helped restore an antique table.
The wood is so pretty! We were able to teach one of our newer
investigators . She was so excited to tell us she was planning
on getting baptized on July 20th at her church...we didn't know how to
respond then so we taught about the Book of Mormon then invited her to
be baptized and she said she was, at her church. We then talked about
priesthood and authority and the importance of that. She said she'll
pray about that and read. We felt so bad that we didn't commit her to
be baptized with a date before that visit! Pretty much all we talked
about at district meeting. Later we taught our recent convert 
with our ward mission leader.

Friday was awesome! We had a mission conference so President and
Sister Becerra could say their goodbyes and give us their last words
of wisdom and advice. It was kinda of a trunky conference- trunky is
missionary lingo for ready to go home, homesick, packing your bags
sort of thing when people are almost about to go home and that's all
they can think about. They talked a lot about marriage and how
important it is to go home and get married! Don't wait to have a
stable job, home, car, whatever because The Lord will bless us. Also
chapter 9 in preach my gospel should be what we study a lot. It's the
how do we find people to teach chapter and instead change it to how do
I find someone to marry...pretty funny!

Sister Becerra gave us some points of her "last words of wisdoms for
our overall happiness":
-- Remember the little things like health and healthy habits,
exercise, be happy, use positive affirmations.
-- Keep in contact with President and Sister Becerra but because
Presdident is now a 70 his time is grey limited and precious and don't
expect they can come to our weddings and other important events let a
lot make drop by visits when we are home. But to email and Facebook
them like they are surrogate parents, letting them know the important
events and decisions.
-- Understand we don't get answers right away.
-- Learn to struggle and that I can do hard things.
-- Just because you are struggling with something doesn't mean
something's wrong.
-- Be strong- I am stronger than I think
-- Learn the difference between good and evil and choosing between
good and evil.
-- Go home and get married- take a step into the dark. Think with your
head and listen to your heart, don't drag your feet it'll come in it's
time.
-- Importance of raising a family. Raise- bring higher.
-- Hard work creates the best moments of excitement and joy.
-- Fear causes failure. Learn to trust.

President Becerra's last words of wisdom to us where amazing. He
talked about the importance of families and staying active in church.
Also about his role as a 70. He talked to us about so much. Mainly
about families and marriage. He told us he would talk to us as he
would the missionaries he would have the departing interviews with.
Which made it more trunky but it was so sweet. He has so much love for
all of us! He is such a powerful teacher and always speaks with power
and authority. The spirit was so strong as he continued. It was unlike
anything I had experienced before. Afterwards we sang our mission song
Arcadia United and then we lined up to shake his hand. Then we went to
the gym for an elder to play a song about missionary work set to Piano
Man and then some of the elders did the Hakka! and then we sang God Be
With You Till We Meet Again. I'm really going to miss President and
Sister Becerra. But I am excited to learn more from President and
Sister Villanueva.

We found a tiny lizard on Sunday about an inch and a half long. And
taught some lessons. Nothing else too exciting.

I am so thankful to be a missionary at this time! I love this work and
I pray for each of you that you are well and safe! Thank you for all
your love and support!

Love, Sister Riches