Always Return Thanks Unto God

Hello All!

This was a pretty good week!

As I wrote last week Elder Satati of the First Quorum of the 70 came
on Monday to talk to us. It was good.

Tuesday was a nice relaxing pday at the church with the other
missionaries.  We had a good dinner with a few members. I forgot my
jacket and it was freezing! (Like 68°!!!) So one of the sisters we
were eating with let me borrow a cargdagin. It was very sweet! Then we
went to English class with our old Ward mission leader. (He was
released last Sunday and they called a new family. It was their first
Sunday in the Ward and got called to be the Ward mission leader!) but
English class was fun. It was with one Chinese man who is being fellow
shipped by a member from another Ward in our stake.

Wednesday we had an awesome zone meeting! We had SPA, not to be
confused with AA, it means Spiritual Problems Anonymous. We talked as
a zone about what problems we are having as missionaries and together
we came up with solutions. Before we began our discussion we read
different scriptures that pretty much said, judge not! It was awesome!
It really helped with our zone unity! Then we were supposed to have
awesome lessons but they all canceled. But we were able to contact a
referral from the elders, sadly she is going out of town for 6 months!
Then we went to dinner with a member at soup plantation. So good! Then
we went to contact another referral and he was home and we had a
lesson with him! It went really well actually!

Thursday we had a pretty good day. We saw a few of our investigators
which is always good! Taught some good lessons.

Funny stories from Thursday!
1.) So we went to find a lady who we didn't have an apartment number.
We were knocking doors and we walked to another door and on the way I
almost stepped on a little gold finch! He was still alive. So we
picked it up in kleenex and then called animal control to take care of
it cause none of the apartments with birds wanted it. So the guy on
the phone told us we could take it in! We told him we didn't have a
car so he said he would send an officer to pick it up. So we waited
and this huge animal control truck drove up and this lady got out with
her hair slicked back and all the gadgets on her belt. And said, you
have a bird? With her hands on her hips. We showed her the bird and
she kinda got a really that's the bird look. It was hilarious! She
picked it up and took it and we went to our next appointment. It was
great, I'm here to save souls, I guess even bird souls!

2.) Today we decided to bring our study copy of the Book of Mormon
with us. It was awesome! We've been having struggles of not staying
focused. We get side tracked easily! So we were getting distracted and
Sister Baker may or may not have been distracted by a dreamy guy from
high school she was telling me about at the bus stop, so I said, let's
see what the Book of Mormon has to say about that and we open to page
305 where alma is chastising his son about keeping the law of
chastity! We broke up laughing! So now if we get distracted by guys we
say 305 that!

3.) On the way to that bus stop we walked past a Jehovah witness and
he said "hello, would you like to read a watchtower" I asked "would
you like to read the Book of Mormon?" He said "no thank you" I said
"okay, have a good night". Pretty funny! He was very nice.

4.) We were walking to dinner and we couldn't remember what the house
number was so to remember it we sang it to carol of the bells.
"252,252,252,252...252,252,252,252" #goldfishmemory!

Needless to say it was a good Thursday.

On Saturday we had lunch with a lady from the Ward and I got such good
pie! It was dark chocolate chip cheesecake pie!

Sunday we sang in the choir for sacrament, it was really fun! Also the
recent convert we are working with, he brought his 5 year old son to
church. He is so cute! He was drawing spiderman and other spiderman
villains! So cute it was another good day, we taught a few lessons and
got a new investigator! We need more new investigators!

I am so thankful for this time of year. I am so thankful to be serving
a mission. It has helped me discover who Heavenly Father wants me to
be. I have learned so much from the scriptures and have gained such a
passion for studying them and learning from them. They are truly
inspired and can answer all our problems. We just need to do our part
and read them, otherwise it will profit us nothing. I am so thankful
for the Book of Mormon and the gospel in my life. I am thankful for
eternal families and the knowledge I have to be with my family
forever. I am so thankful for the plan of salvation. I am thankful for
all of you who support me and pray for me and help me out. I love you
all! Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Sister Riches

23 And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and
gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering;
being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the
commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye
stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks
unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. (Alma 7:23)