MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Merry Christmas Family and Friends!! 

This has been an amazing week! President asked us last week to find 2 new investigators. Later that day our Zone Leaders asked us to find 3. And we succeeded. We found 3 new investigators last week. The first one was found on Tuesday. After we took the survey we were about to leave the library. The Spirit prompted me to go over and talk to this man in a wheelchair. Sister P. and I began talking with him and he accepted our invitation to hear our message. We tried doing the pamphlet teaching of the restoration-a short 20 minute lesson using pictures- but he had so many questions we helped him understand and got a return appointment. He has been very confused with religion and is looking for the truth. We met with him again on Thursday and made many calls trying to find a member to come with us. The one we hoped would come was not available, as were the other 5 we tried. We finally were able to get a hold of one and she came with us. Otherwise we would have had to cancel the lesson. It was wet and rainy but the lesson went well and we taught to the restoration. After this lesson, we felt we needed to pass him off to the elders. So we had a pass off lesson with them. 

The second investigator we found was a girl that we had taught before but gave her to the Hermanas to teach her with her mom who only speaks spanish. However, the mom was not interested and we had never 'picked her back up' as an investigator. We were able to meet with her and teach her about the Book of Mormon and she is very interested in learning more. 

The third investigator we found was a referral a member gave to the Spanish elders and we hadn't tried seeing her until Saturday. When we did she opened the door let us in we taught using the pamphlet had great unity as companions and she told us how she felt. She normally never lets people into her house and told us the Spirit told her to let us in. She expressed she has been wondering and praying if she should go back to church and learn more. She has been a few times to our church services about a year or two ago but is interested in learning more. 

These were all miracles that we have seen this week, along with one more...well there was many but these were my top picks!

We have a baptism this next Sunday!!!! A. IS GETTING BAPTIZED!! Her story is incredible. How she was found, how ready she is, and how 'golden' of an investigator she is. She has not only taught me a lot about missionary work but has strengthened my desire to serve a mission and has really strengthened my testimony that the field really is all "white and ready to harvest". Her parents have agreed that she can be baptized and they came with us to a Spanish baptism yesterday so her parents could understand. They felt the Spirit and we had been fasting and praying steadfastly like the Army of Helaman that everything would work out in order for her to be baptized this Sunday. At the baptism they played "Come Thou Fount" while a slideshow of temples played on the TV. This was inspired because that is what got A. interested in learning about the gospel in the first place- temple sealings and blessings. She loved it!! We will hopefully be taking her and her family to the LA Temple this week to see the lights...we're praying it all works out as we have tried MANY times before in this month.

Tuesday was an amazing day! Lots of tender mercies and seeing the progress of certain investigators!! 

On Saturday we had a zone breakfast one of the members in the stake gave us. It was SOO Good! We had eggs, bacon, sausage, hasbrowns, pinneapple, oranges, strawberries, canteloup, and milk, and orange juice! So good! They also gave us little stocking gift bags! They were so sweet to do that for us! We sand Called to Serve for them and it was awesome.

And one of our investigators family said that we are the only missinoaries that their daughter has sat through a lesson before! This is awesome to know that there is a reason my companion, Sister P., and I are together! 

OH! And Sunday's sacrament program was AMAZING!!! There's so much to tell! So we sang in the choir and I was a little bawl baby up there... There was one song that a group of sisters sang together. This reminded me of something S. and I would do. It was beautiful and made me cry...Then there was a story that President Monson or Utchdorf told that was very touching about a man giving up his seat to a soldier on an airplane. The last plane to go home so he could see his family. But the most amazing thing was the song the Young Women sang. They sang a beautiful arrangment of Silent Night. One of the Young Women knows Sign Language and we have a deaf man in our ward. I was  watching him all throughout the program and he looked bored and I was praying that he'd be able to feel the spirit and feel apart of the program. Sky began to sign the song and he lit up! He began signing along with her and mouthing the words to the song. As he did this tears streamed down his face. It was so sweet to see this happen from on the stand. It was so great to see the Spirit of Christmas touch his heart as S. signed for him. It was an amazing experience.

Something else from sunday that I feel prompted to share and strongly believe is that we can't change our circumstances but we can change our outlook on the circumstance. Also that we need to "Have Faith not fear" - Elder Ballard and that we need to "Doubt our Doubts before we Doubt our Faith" - Elder Uchtdorf.

I love being a missionary!! And I am so glad the Lord has chosen me to work as a tool in His hands that I can experience the changes in peoples lives and help them come closer to Christ by making covenants with God! 

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas! I love you all and pray for you always! 

Love,

Sister Celeste Riches

2 Months of Serving in the Lord's Army of 82,000!!!

Hello Family!

This week has been...interesting. I almost got proposed to on the bus and I was very grateful there were elders on the bus so they had my back. It has been fun to get to know Sister P. and help others. 

We had a lot of meetings this week and they all were very instructive! We are beginning a new way of teaching and have been being trained on that for a while. And will continue. It is used by the AP's and has shown amazing results. I'm excited to learn more and develop the techniques. It is done by using questions and the pictures in the pamphlets. 

We had the mission Christmas Party this week and that was lots of fun! We learned a lot, ate a lot. and laughed a lot. There was a talent show and that was great. After the party those who were serving together with Elder Page who passed away a few months ago gathered in the Chapel to listen to Sister S. and Elder H. play a duet of "A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief". They served with him and I sat in on this amazing experience. The Spirit there was so strong and I am so thankful to be serving here in Azusa to learn from them and their experiences. The Spirit hit me like a wave and all of us were in tears. There were other missionaries who were also listening but they weren't tearing up like those who served in Azusa. That was very interesting for me to see the difference. I am so thankful for all that I have learned about the Plan of Salvation through hearing others experiences. As I have stated in the past I feel like I know Elder Page and served with him because of all the stories and things I have heard. I am so thankful for that and for the Spirit that is indescribable that is here. 

Not a lot else happened this week that I can think to share. 

I love you all and I am so thankful for all the love and support. 

I know that the doctrine and gospel that I am preaching is true. I know that the Lord has a plan for everything and everyone. I love this gospel and the happiness that it can bring families as it has brought my own. Share with everyone you know about the gospel! 

Love, Sister Riches

TRANSFERS!

Hello Friends and Family!

This has been an awesome week! Things started off a little rough but was resolved by a really good needed heart to heart companionship inventory Monday night. Sister S. and I were able to discuss the things that we were concerned about openly and then get back to work and had an awesome week. Now she is being transferred and I have my new companion, Sister P. She's so sweet! I'm so excited! I apologize in advance that this is short...

We started teaching A. who is 17  last week and have continued teaching her. On Tuesday we taught her the restoration again so we could see what she understood from what the Spanish Elders had taught her. We invited her to baptized and she excitedly nodded her head yes. We told her we would be holding a baptismal service on December 29th and if she would prepare herself to be baptized on that day. She said yes!! We are so excited to be teaching her! She is amazing! Right after we committed her, we began talking about what would happen. She stopped us and asked, "Does this mean I'll have to take me piercings out?" Now, she has dimple piercings and three sets in her ears. We said, "What do you think?" And she answered by groaning and throwing her head back and said, "He doesn't want me putting holes in my body!!" and threw her head on her arms on the table. She has been progressing really well and we are so excited. Everytime we meet with her her testimony continues to grow. She came to church and we also took her to the Christmas Devotional last night. She really feels comfortable at church and loves it. That shows how important it is to those who are coming to church to feel invited and welcome. Members play such a vital role in every investigator, recent convert, and less actives life!! 

We hope to have a baptism this next Sunday for G. who is 14. She is so sweet! She's been taught everything more than once and now we need to discuss some things with her mom so she can be baptized. We're excited!! 

I am so excited to work with Sister P. and learn from her and with her. I love this area and I am so excited for the opportunity I have to be on a mission! I know that the Lord places us in the places he does with the people He does for a reason. I have learned that so much through my life before the mission and even more on the mission.

Love, Sister Celeste Riches

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

Hello Family and Friends!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving! There was a Thanksgiving scripture that I really like. It is Alma 37: 36-37. I am so thankful for this gospel and for all the many blessings we have because Christ's true church has been restored on the earth and we can receive personal revelation as well as revelation through the prophets of God. I am so thankful for my family and all the love they have for me! 

We found an awesome new investigator this past week and I am so excited to teach her more! She will be an awesome missionary someday! The Spanish Elders (AMAZING!!-They've given us like 5 referrals this past week) gave us her as a referral to go visit her because she was interested. They found her by going to a potential investigators house who no longer lived there. But she is BOMB! She has been raised Catholic but doesn't agree with baptizing children as infants and in praying to saints and Mary and believes that Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are three separate individuals, just as we in the Church of Jesus Christ believe. It's so awesome! She's so excited about the gospel and sharing it with her mom who isn't quite ready to understand yet. But very soon, very soon! As well as her dad!! They'll all be sealed together for eternity in the temple! That was one of the things we talked a lot about. Was sealings and temples. She is so excited! We'll hopefully be able to go with her to the temple this Friday with the ward to the visitors center! There are a ton of awesome Christmas things going on there. It's so cool! 

Thanksgiving... Well we had a ward Turkey Bowl that members had said they had invited non-members and they would be there. However, when we got there it was mostly the men of the ward a few kids and no non-members. But we did some contacting around and that was good. I have district meetings on Thursdays so we had that then had dinner at the F's. A really awesome Polynesian family in the ward. We had such good food and lots of it! However, I missed our family traditions, especially candied yams! I love how we boil the yams, peal them, cut them into circles and fry them in brown sugar and butter and pour the extras on top!! So much better any other way to eat yams...unless its raw with homemade buttermilk ranch! But they had these really good orange rolls made from fresh oranges in their yard! Everyone here has citrus fruit trees in their yards it's so cool. And have you ever had a prisimon? They're not bad. We also went to dinner at Sister B.s. She works in the mission office. However, we got there late when everyone was finishing and leaving so we helped wash dishes and clean up. We also had pie at the Cs (a super nice couple in the ward! that do awesome fellowshipping!)

Fun California facts: 1) The ice cream trucks run all year round!!!! And they play Christmas music!  2) EVERYONE has a mustang!! okay not everyone but I swear I see like 20-50 mustangs per day (not exaggerating! I've tried to count but always loose count) 3) There are green parrots here that look really pretty but when they squawk they sound as if they are dying!!

I went on exchanges for the first time this week with Sister M. I came out here with her from the MTC. It was so much fun! It was a lot different working in Glendora than it is in Azusa. Especially since she and her companion Sister P whitewashed the area. It was good to learn more about missionary work and different techniques that she has as a missionary than I do and Sister S does. We were able to provide some service for a lady and help her out a lot and meet with a few of the Less-Actives in that area. We then went to find all the past potentials to see if we could find new investigators. One guy invited us in -there were other females in the house, his wife and daughters- and he talked with us and feed us turkey noodle soup but he's not that interested. But it was good! 

I love you all and I love the mission! Serving a mission is hard work. It is not easy. Everyone says it was hard and I just thought oh psh they just aren't having enough faith. Yeah no, have faith and be diligent and it's still hard. BUT it is amazing to watch how you are helping someone come closer to Christ and watching things click in their heads as you teach them! It is the BEST thing to watch someone become so excited about what they are learning. I love that!! 

Love,

Sister Celeste Riches

Dog Poop, Getting Lost, and Missionary Work

November 25, 2012

Hello family and Friends!

So let me explain the title! I swear, everyday I step in dog poop!!! This past week it has been at least 3 times! And then we have been chased by three white fuzzballs on three different ocassions! They sound like demon dogs!! Little tiny white fluffy demon dogs! Also watched big dogs like german shepherds jump out of their yard over the fence and chase others...yup pretty fun!! Oh and I've also gotten dog poop on my bike wheel...fun stuff! 

I'm rushed with time but here is something I really liked from this week...well learned from.

I learned something very interesting this week. As we had Zone Conference on Wednesday, President Becerra asked us to go out and find 3 people as our role play so we did. After we did we became lost, forgot our phone at the building and didn't know where to meet Sister Becerra. We were supposed to meet her at 12 and got dropped off 20 minutes earlier. We walked around thinking it's an unseen contacting moment but there was almost no one on the street and those that were were moving quickly or late for something. We asked many people where the library was where we were to meet Sister Becerra and got many answers and many that had no idea. Those that answered us gave confusing directions or did not match with others directions. We were offered a ride to the building by two older gentlemen but politely declined because that's against mission rules and kept going to find the library. We walked around there for a bit and found no one so we headed back on Foothill to the building around 12:30. We hoped Sister Becerra would see us. Around 1:00 We asked two ladies who were Jehovah Witness to borrow their phone but we could not remember any number that would help us out. They offered us a ride but we would have to wait for them as they went into the store to get something. So once again we politely declined. About 20 minutes later they drove up past us and offered again saying they were going in the same direction, so we agreed and finally got back. In this situation the phone represents prayers to Heavenly Father and the car represents baptism-the only way back to live with God again. There were many that tried to help us and gave us wrong information and there were many who had no idea just like us. This is the same with the gospel. There are many lost who some are searching but can't find it and some find part truths from other religions. But we as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are the only ones with cars. We are the only ones who can provide that way back to live with Heavenly Father again.

That is why I am needed out here on a mission at this time. To help all those lost souls come back to Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the End. 

I know this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and He is our brother and He loves us so much! I love this gospel and the happiness that it brings everyone!

I love you all and thank you for all your prayers and support!! 

Love,

Sister Celeste Riches

One Month in the Lord's Army

November 18, 2013

Dear Family and Friends!

First of all I want to thank you all for the love and support and prayers you've given me! I love you all. 

This week has been awesome! We were able to meet most of our goals and do better in areas we were lacking. 

Something really amazing that happened this past week is as we were working on contacting 10 people a day (A goal set by our Mission President) we contacted a lady who was going to pick her daughter up at school. I said hello and we started talking. We gave her a pass along card with our number on it so she could call us and we applied what we learned in the New Missionary Orientation of "we will be in that area tomorrow around 2. We would love to stop by and talk with you and your daughter." And it worked! She was excited to have us come over and talk with us. As we walked away she was much happier and more excited. The next day we weren't able to make it to her house at 2 so we called her around 3:30 and she didn't pick up but we still headed over to talk with her, hoping she was home. As we were near her home, we got lost on where her house was located. I saw her across the street walking and waved at her and she ran over to us and we were able to teach her and her daughter! It is so cool to see the Lord's hand as we worked to try and find her and He helped us find her! That was no coincidence she was there at the time we needed her to be! The lesson went well. Her niece is super cute and kept trying to get me to draw her a princess or a pony tail and stuff like that. She's four. 

I love my new bike! It's white and the seat is big so it doesn't hurt when I ride it all the time!! There is a slight hill up to the church and the northern area of our area but it's not that bad anymore. There are a few hills but we don't go that way a lot. It's always fun to ride south here cause that's downhill, north...it's always slightly uphill!

There was a big rainstorm this past week! Well it rained for about an hour. But it was heavy rain. We left our correlation meeting with the Ward Mission Leader and I was so excited cause I felt sprinkles of rain. Thinking that'd be all we would get I was happy. Then as we rode back down home it started getting harder and harder and finally it was enough to drench my shirt!! You could have rung it out and so much water would come out!! I'm very thankful for my umbrella. We walked and got rides the rest of the night. Even though 20 minutes after we got home and then left again it stopped raining. It was fun though! 

It's always a good day when the people we planned to see are actually home and we have lessons! It's been hard recently to catch people when they're home. Lot's of people don't answer their phones. 

This past week I said my first prayer in Spanish!! That was pretty cool. I'm learning bit by bit. It's so nice having the help of the Hermanas and Sister S.. Also the Spanish Elders. I hope to learn a lot more!! Speaking of Spanish. As we ride our bikes we say hello to everyone we see, or try to. As we were riding I said hi to this group of guys and a few ladies (20's to 40's) and one said "Hola mi amour" to me. Umm I knew enough Spanish to ride A LOT quicker down the sidewalk! Haha it was pretty funny!! Crazy people! There are a lot of interesting people here. It makes things interesting! 

Grandma tells me that you are all going to the T's for Thanksgiving. That'll be lots of fun! Be sure to tell everyone hi for me!

We should be getting on facebook soon so that's exciting!

How was S's performance? I wish I could have come. Did you record it at least so I can see it some day? 

I love hearing from you all! It makes my week to have emails to read and letters! I'm doing great and I hope you all are as well!

Lastly, I want to challenge my family (and friends if they want to) but most specifically Dad, Mom, B, T, S, C, and even you S, to read The Book of Mormon two times before I come home! (S. you can read it once all the way through.) And tell me what you are learning from it. I would LOVE to hear your insights! There is a great calendar online to read the BOM in 90 days and even one in 30. It's pretty helpful! 

I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Celeste Riches

Take Action

Nov. 12, 2013

 I love getting your emails and letters! They are all so helpful and keep me motivated knowing I have so many people supporting me!

This week we had a lot of meetings so the missionary work was a little weak due to being in so many meetings. This frustrated me a little but I learned a lot and it'll all help me learn to be a better missionary! Along with a lot of meetings not a lot of people have been home this week to teach. but it's been really good to contact and help others on the street. There are a lot of people in this city who need help and need God in their lives. I got a bike this week! It's a really pretty white bike and I love it!

We had new missionary orientation on Wednesday and that was nice. Learned a lot about what our purpose is here which is to baptize monthly!! On Thursday we had zone meeting and then went out for sushi afterwards. That was nice to get to know the other missionaries in our zone. 

We had a couple good lessons with a Less-Active family this week and they're really nice people. We had an awesome experience with a family we are teaching. So on saturday we went over to talk to them and L. was home but E.(her son) was not. This was good enough becasue no one else had been home on saturday we were trying to teach. As we were teaching L., we kept trying to commit her to a baptism date but the spirit wouldn't let us becasue E. was not home. We were able to get a return apointment for sunday and went over. They were not home so we called them and they were 3 minutes away so we waited. We talked for a bit then did a cool object lesson for E. that we did for L. the night before about the Holy Ghost and Baptism. As we discussed that we asked them to be baptized and they said yes-they've been asked before so this wasn't a surprise. Then I told them that we were holding a baptisimal service on December 1st and if they would prepare themselves to be baptized on that day. THEY BOTH SAID YES!! They understand they are not ready now and they want to continue learning more which is great! We then had a really good talk about Joseph Smith. It was awesome! I love being a missionary and inviting others to come closer to Christ!!

Last week saturday, we met a guy on the street and taught him the plan of salvation. He started clicking everything together and it was awesome! Things we didn't tell him but what he was figuring out from his own studies and the spirit. We were not able to get in contact with him for a week and on Saturday he called us during companion studies and asked us when church was on sunday!! We told him where and when it was and then on sunday he came 15 minutes late but we were still waiting for him! He was able to be there for B.'s confirmation- she was the one to get baptized last week. The spirit was so strong when she recieved the gift of the Holy Ghost! I was so happy J. was there to feel that! He did not know that church was three hours and had plans after the first hour but said he would come back next week!! It was so cool to see how he liked church and wants to come again! I love seeing things click in the people we are teaching and helping them receive greater knowledge! I love it!!!!

Well on monday we woke up at 5AM!!! Yes before 6:30! Which is already early! We went and hiked the mountain we are at the base of with a big A for Azusa. It was really fun to go on a hike. It was hard but I learned a cool things to relate back to the gospel from the hike. I'll just have to sum it up. As I hiked the mountain it was HARD! I was sore and my muscles were definitely getting a work out! There were some rocks in my shoe and I had to take breaks every so often. But I had a goal of getting to the A. So as we walked I thought this is just like the gospel. We have the ultimate goal of returning with Heavenly Father. But everything in life takes action. We have to work for it! We have to go through hard things and trials and stumble to get to the goal. If they had put a escelator or ski lift on the mountain side people would miss the work out and the beauty of the surrounding area, the sunrise, and the smells of nature from the trees and flowers. They'd miss the animals and talking to other hikers. They would not gain those experiences. That's why we are not given things in this life. We have to work for them. So we can learn and grow. I hope that makes sense and is understandable. 

We taught a member group FHE and talked about our identity and I shared what I learned on the hike. It was a really good lesson and we were definitly teaching with the spirit!

I love you all and pray for you always!! Have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Sister Riches