Adventure Week!

Hello all!

This has been a pretty good week! We had some memorable things happen!
It varied from funny, sad, exciting, frustrating and exhilarating. But
that's kinda how every week is.

So Monday was great! I had a really good birthday then we had a few
lessons. We had dinner at the young women's presidents home and her
daughter made me red velvet cupcakes! And they gave me a card! It was
a good day! Another member and her kids brought me a gift and tracked
us down as we rode our bikes home. It was so sweet!

Tuesday was a pretty good day. I woke up kinda grumpy but we made
contacting fun in between our 5 lessons we had! It was insane! We had
some good lessons and the ward mission leader has us over for dinner
and made me more red velvet cupcakes! Yum! We also picked up a new
family!!! We are so excited! They're a typical family, religious,
close, happy, love each other, we are stoaked! We have our return
appointment tonight. We also had a good lesson with one of our
investigators where we went over the plan of salvation using
scriptures in all the books. She loved it!

Wednesday was hard. We didn't have any set lessons but we were able to
get a lesson with our recent convert and that was okay.

Thursday was good! We had a good district meeting. There are 8 of us
in our district and two sets of elders are whitewashing and so there
were 5 new elders and one that was from our last district and Sister
Thatcher and me. Crazy! But we are planning to do a ton with Facebook!
By the end of the year we should be teaching 150 lessons a week. We
are hitting between 15-20 right now without Facebook so we have a
little catching up to do! But a lot of Facebook work is through
members inviting their friends to talk to the missionaries online.
It's pretty cool, we just started it with one of the young men in the
ward. He is all into Facebook missionary work! But after district
meeting we brought cupcakes and they sang me happy birthday then we
rode home for lunch where I opened my presents! (Cause we got mail) It
was great! Then we were off for 6-week training in Arcadia for new
missionaries and trainers. It was a good meeting. I felt a bit
overwhelmed because our unity hasn't been the best recently and I have
felt like a failure training. But it helped me out a lot. Then we rode
the bus home and bus contacts are always so funny! I was talking to a
Hispanic lady about the her job then I asked about if she believes in
Jesus Christ and she said she didn't speak English...after she was
just fine before. Funny people! Another guy tried hitting on me and
when I told him I was a missionary he stopped talking fast then told
me about the elders that had come to his house and started talking
about prayer and how he feels when he doesn't pray and how it has
blessed him when he does. Which turned he to a good conversation! But
after the bus ride back- about 2 hours to go 30 miles- we did some
service for a less active lady. We helped dust and sweep her patio. So
I was going around picking up things, wiping them down and dusting
under and sister Thatcher was sweeping and vacuuming. We are about
done and I pick up this gallon zip lock bag that has thread and a
kitchen mitt and the bag was open so I pick it up making sure not to
drop anything and I see the over mitt has a urine spot from a rat or
mouse probably cause it was outside and then I'm thinking rat and see
something furry inside the bag, look down thinking it's probably just
a cat toy or something and see a POSSUM FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I drop the
bag and scream and run away in hysterics! Sister Thatcher starts
laughing at me and my eyes are watering-she said I was crying, they
were watering- and she doesn't believe it's real cause it's just lying
there! So I take the broom thinking if it's real it'll move if it's
dead it'll stay there if it's a stuffed animal it'll be soft so I hit
it on the head with the handle of the broom and it hits something hard
and blinks!!! I realized I hit it's skull kinda hard and it WAS alive!
Scared us both into the giggles! It's still playing dead and the lady
comes out and asks what we are laughing about and we ask if she has a
possum. Her face drops! She gets real nervous and asks where! She said
it's real and not a pet! So we all start freaking out with the
reconfirmation that it's real! So we call a few people to help us get
rid of it but no one can come help. So Sister Thatcher made a trap for
it and broomed the possum and bag into a garbage bag and then the
sister took it to the dumpster. It's kinda sad because it was only a
few months old but not cause that's gross!! So that was our eventful
Thursday!

Friday we got our bikes tuned up then had weekly planning. We both
ended up venting about everything that as bothering us and it was a
great companion inventory!! We were both crying like crazy and that
made us a little late for our dinner appointment and we went out to
work but all our appointments got cancelled so we went to downtown
Claremont aka the village and got ice cream and talked to people. One
guy (his name is Christopher Siera la sphynx). He was a drummer for
the bad la sphynx but how he introduced himself made us think that was
part of his name! Funny guy! He gave us the best thing in the world to
him- a bobby pin. So we gave him a finding faith in Christ card! And
we asked if he had Facebook and told us he didn't do social media
because he likes face to face conversations because over the internet
you can do this...and proceeded with arms wide open and hugged us. It
was hilarious!! We tried rolling out of his arms and he was just like
am I right!? Haha so funny! Everyone who walked by noticed and saw the
awkwardness happening cause we were both trying to turn out of his
hug! Hahah so funny!!! Then we saw a lady who we complimented her
shirt and she said oh I got it from ross and I was wearing a skirt
Spenser and Crystal got me for my birthday from ross and I said hey! I
got this from ross! And she laughed and said how it was like we were
in a commercial! She was lost so we helped her find her car. She was
nice.

Saturday was BUSY! We taught 6 lessons! 2 less active and 4 member
present! It was great! We were both exhausted!!

Sunday was good. Sister Thatcher talked in sacrament and she did an
amazing job! We had only two investigators there a progressing one and
a potential we were supposed to teach later that day but ended up
having to go help her mom. But the less active we did service for, she
came to church. She hasn't been in years! She came this week and last!
It is so great!

Today was good! We hung out at the Anderson's house and they are
awesome members of our ward! We did facials with Sister Anderson and
then talked, emailed, went to target, it was nice. I love them!!!

I love being a missionary! There are the hard times but that makes the
good times even more enjoyable! I love you all and pray for you all. I
know this gospel is true and that Jesus Christ is our savior and that
we can do nothing without him but everything with him!

Love, Sister Riches

It's a Good Week After-all!

Hello All!

This week has been pretty hard for me but there have been so many
miracles and tender mercies!

Monday we found a new investigator . She was walking on the
street and we were on our bikes and we rode past her and she started
waving saying "Hi sisters!" Now nobody does this unless it might be a
member and she didn't look familiar! So we turned around and went back
and she invited us over and we talked about family history. We have an
appointment tonight to help her with that. She wants to come to church
and our relief society president took her on a tour because she has
been working with her. But that same night Sister a Thatcher got two
flat tires!

Tuesday we spent a few hours fixing her tires because the back wheel
is different than a normal wheel because of the motor. It took
forever! Then later that night she lost her key in a members backyard!
Luckily after many prayers we found the key. We fed the members pond
fish and I heard something hit the side of the canoe-where the fish
are, it's filled with water and the fish swim in it. I thought nothing
of it because I didn't see anything on the ground but I remembered
that after we prayed. I asked the member if I could use his strong
magnet to find it because it was too dark to see and after moving it
around in the bushes next to the canoe we found it! That day was slow
and hard. We taught two lessons.

Wednesday was alright but we were able to find two new investigators,
a former I began teaching  and a potential we saw before. 
We also had a good lesson with our recent convert  where
we began fasting with her to help give her strength to overcome hard
things. We had a good lesson with another one of our investigators. 
We went in to teach about relating the Book of Mormon to her
life and how it can help her as we read through a chapter and the
discussion turned into talking all about prayer. It was interesting
how that's what she needed and so that what the spirit led us to
teach. Upon returning home we realized Sister Thatchers fuse on the
battery was melted and the battery was super hot! We learned the
battery had fried. Luckily the electric parts are all under warranty!

Thursday we had a good zone meeting. The stake president came and
talked to us. It was really good! Later that day we taught a good
lesson relating the story of Lehonti and Amelikiah to our investigator
and her life.  Then we went to find people. We had a lesson
scheduled for that night with a family I found a while back who
scheduled appointments with us but always cancelled. Sadly it was
cancelled.

Friday was weekly planning. I had a little bit of a break down but I'm
alright now. We then tried to teach 5 lessons in 3 hours. We ended up
teaching 3. So that was good. They all went well. We tried riding our
bikes because we found out Sister Thatchers battery overheated because
it was working too hard cause when the elders put the back tire back
on the break was too tight. So we rode our bikes around Friday night
and coming home about a mike and a half still to go uphill on our ride
home, Sister Thatchers battery completely died! She wanted to try and
bike it home but the battery itself weighs about 20 pounds! So an
analogy to the atonement. She thought she could carry the battery by
herself but after a while she realized she could not. She had to
accept my offer to help carry her battery home on my bike because I
still had battery. So she put her battery in her bag and we put her
bag around my waist and set it on my shelf I have on the bike and I
was able to carry it home without a problem. Her burden was lightened
because I could carry it. We need to cast our burdens on The Lord
because he has already paid the price for us and we need to allow him
to help us. I have learned about this a lot as I have struggled
emotionally this week that I need to cast my burdens and stresses on
him to help me and to not worry about the little things that don't
matter. I know Christ understands how we feel and what we need. All we
need to do is humble ourselves and let him help us as we work
together. And do both our parts. This does not mean to let him have
the whole wheel and gas pedals but to have his help in steering while
we still do our part. I hope that makes sense.

Saturday I received a blessing to help me out and it did. I could feel
my Savior's love for me and my Heavenly Fathers love for me. I love
that we have the priesthood restored to the earth so we can enjoy the
many blessings that come from it like blessings of sickness, comfort,
guidance and especially baptism and being sealed together forever with
your family! Saturday we worked hard and taught four lessons, two
member present, one other and one less active. They all went well. We
had a good lesson with the Jewish family  then with
another one of our investigators.

Sunday was a day of miracles and tender mercies for sure! First we had
7 investigators at church! This is the most I have ever had at church!
We had the Jewish family, and four other single investigators.  All 
throughout church there were things in the lessons that were specific 
for our investigators and recent converts! It was a great Sunday! Then 
the members we had dinner with invited a less active and investigator 
to dinner with us. We were able to have a lesson after and pick
the investigator up as a new investigator! Before she was just a
potential and we hadn't ever taught her before. It was great! We were
also able to have two more member present lessons that went well.

I love this gospel and am so thankful for my savior Jesus Christ! I
know he lives and loves us and is there with open arms to always help
us out!

Thank you all for your prayers and support. I truly do appreciate it
all! I keep you all in my prayers! Have a great week!

Love, Sister Riches

Rain!

Hello all!

This has been a good productive week! We taught 20 lessons! It still
felt like we had a lot of down time where we could be teaching more. I
hope so! We need new investigators! We hope to keep up being busy! It
rained and poured and we got our electric bikes and had interviews
with president and hiked to a small waterfall in my. Baldy with our
mission president and his family! It was so cool! It is beautiful in
the mountains. It reminded me so much of mill hollow. There's a little
town with a cute little school and post office and small police
station. Definitely some place I want to visit more. It'd be fun to
spend a summer or spring break there!

I'll try to give highlights instead of everything that happened.

Well Monday we had dinner with a couple in the neighboring ward
because they had a friend who is interested. She is so sweet and has
good morals just like us! But the next day she said she didn't want to
lead us on and have lessons because she's happy where she is. Sad! But
that's okay.

Tuesday we did some service for a family who is moving a few houses
over. Then our investigator  taught us a lesson! She did such a
good job! She taught about the restoration but instead of the
restoration of the church she did the restoration of faith and the
soul. I learned a lot from it! She's amazing! Going through a hard
time but she's working things out. We got our bikes today too!

Wednesday we taught lots of lessons. We helped the family more with
packing then taught some good lessons.

Thursday we had a good district meeting on the spirit. We are really
close with the other elders and we all get along well. It's really
nice. We went to find people after and we found a less active. She is 
so sweet! She let us in and invited us to come back. She is so nice! 
Then we had dinner with a cute family in our ward. They have a son and 
two daughters. All really cute! They gave us tons of stickers! One says 
be ye baptized! It's awesome! We need to give one to every person we 
meet! Haha then we went and taught more lessons.

Friday we had interviews with President Villanueva. It went well. He
asked me about my family and why I decided to come on a mission and if
it was an easy decision. I ended up telling him a shortened version of
my experience. He said The Lord needs me here and there are many
people who I have helped and many people who I will help. I'm excited
for what The Lord has in store for me. It's crazy I've been here in
Claremont for 7 months now! That's crazy!!! I would love to stay here
one more transfer and finish sister thatchers training! But who knows.
He also said that this mission is blessed or lucky to have me as a
missionary here. Something along those lines. He says he's proud of
me that I'm a hard worker. He told Sister Thatcher that not all her
companions will be as hard working as me. I hope that's a good thing.
Anyway, after interviews we did weekly planning then taught our
investigator. Then we went to the ward picnic in the park and
the Jewish man and his family that we are teaching came! He also
brought his mom! Then we had a meeting with our ward mission leader.

Saturday we taught, went finding, taught, had a dinner lesson, then
taught some more. Busy day! Before dinner we had a good lesson with
one of our investigators. However we feel he is wasting our
time a lot. He makes up way too many excuses but we want him to
understand this so bad! It's hard to tell sometimes his intent. But
Sister Thatcher wasn't feeling too well so we took a little break for
her to rest before dinner at the members house who came to see our
investigator with us. I'm afraid I may be working her to hard... I
need to learn how to still have fun. We rode home in the rain which
was nice.

Sunday was good. We taught a few lessons and it poured! We got caught
in the downpour! I'll send pictures! It was so fun! I love the rain
and if thundered and it smelled so good! I loved it! We had a really
awesome lesson Sunday night. We had a FHE with a family in the ward
and their niece is one of our investigators. They have 5 kids ranging
from 5 months to 11 years old. We taught them the Ten Commandments and
the kids knew most of them! I was so impressed! It was really nice to
be in that type of environment. I am so blessed to have been raised in
the church by good parents who taught me since I was little. I will
never take that for granted again! I loved that lesson! I want to do
more FHE lessons with investigators. So nice!

Well today we woke up at 5:40 to get ready for a short hike. It was
really pretty though! I kinda already talked about it but it was a 30
minute drive up the mountain to walk 10 minutes to this small
waterfall but it was really fun! I loved it! I love being outside and
it smelled so good after the rain and the wet trees! Reminded me so
much of Mill Hollow in the Uintah mountains in Utah. The creeks I would
play in and the hikes we would all go on! So fun! I love the
mountains! The canyon also reminded me of driving to Mill Hollow with
some larger desert plants of course. Not as many evergreens but some
other type of pine trees. I loved it! I'll send pictures of that too.
I am so thankful Heavenly Father created such a beautiful world for
us! How can he not be loving? He loves us so much and has done so much
for us that we can't even comprehend! It strengthens my testimony he
loves us and know us and is always there for us!

I love this gospel and I know it is true!

Thank you all for your prayers and support! I love you all and pray for you all!

Love, Sister Riches