Thank You!

September 18, 2007

Hello everyone!

Thank you so much for all of your wonderful letters! It is amazing how happy they made me. Thank you so much for all the pictures Mike and Jess-they were so adorable and seeing you all together and how big and cute the kids are getting, it almost made me cry (in a good way) especially the pick with Benson on top of Steve's shoulders-adorable!

This week has been amazing, and it's funny because I can't find a specific thing that made it that way-just everything combined. We got to hear from Pres. Hinckley's son which was amazing with some of the insights they gave us into his life, and the spirit was really strong. We're working on the second lesson in Russian now and will teach it Wednesday. It is so humbling to be learning this language but at the same time feel so much joy when you can share a simple testimony and know that they understand. An elder in our district gave a powerful testimony with a few tears about how he finally felt the spirit in Russian when someone bore a simple testimony in response to a question he had asked (when we teach each other) and said that it really is great that we have this language and that it forces us to stay simple and pure-def not relying on our own knowledge or wisdom to teach but the spirit.

Well, some possibly big news is that we think we may hear from Pres. Hinckley tonight-we hear he is speaking at BYU today so he is in the area and it would make sense if they scheduled it at the same time for convenience-I so hope that we can hear from the prophet while we are here-how fortunate and how wonderful, especially when many of the missionaries here have never heard from him in person being from all over the world.

Well, my cold is doing better, but I had a minor setback when I ran out of decongestants-wasn't diligent in getting more right away and it has affected my ears (as my sinuses always seem to do). I woke up in the middle of the night the other night with an aching ear so I took one of the pills I had and said a prayer that it would work. I went to the health center the next morning, the doctor looked at it and said that the eardrum was fine, but he could tell there was some pressure-it was pulsing (gross!) and thus my hearing is a little muffled, but he set me up with some new medicine which makes me feel like I'm sucking on a tin can all day, but I'm stocked in tic-tacs and breath mints. He also said that the medicine I had was expired, to throw it away and then he said he would get me a good supply to have that would last longer than my mission in case it happens there seeing as medical isn’t great over there-so some great blessings 8). I'll go for a check up next Tuesday.

A funny story I thought I'd share: We were teaching some elders in our district for practice and then they taught us. They told us of a scripture in the D&C and we continued to read it in Russian-of course not understanding any of it, so opening our scriptures we read it in English so we could understand how to answer their questions about it. They had told us to read D&C 130:11-12 (we barely started reading it when we bust out laughing-read it and you'll see why. Not exactly a great scripture for brand new investigators or even brand new members of the church for that matter). We all laughed really hard, we were crying we were laughing so hard, then they realized the scripture they wanted was 20-21 about keeping commandments. It was just so funny because we had no idea what it said and were all like- yea great, I get it in Russian. It shows the importance of knowing what you're asking them to read 8).

Another story that I heard last night from my roommate’s teacher: He was in Russia and saw a family waiting for a bus. The dad was yelling at his son to come here-the son was barely able to walk (really young) and he said that he could see such utter fear and confusion from the son. He talked about how there are wars and terrorists all over the world and that we send armies to fight them and protect us, but there was no army coming to protect that boy who was feeling true fear-and living with it everyday in his home. Then he realized that he was the "army" that could come and help this family-the gospel is so important, it is the only thing that really saves people-despite circumstances in this life, wars, etc. It is so important, it's eternal and would be able to save that little boy and that father so that they could be a family unit in the way that God intended, and how important families are.

Satan is so unhappy because he doesn't have a body and thus cannot have a real family-will never have a mother, father, brothers and sisters, but is the true meaning of loneliness and forced to be a single individual with no attachments or connections with others-how sad and horrible that is, and how important is it that we can have bodies. We can have families and through the gospel. We are able to be sealed to them and will be able to progress and learn together. We are intelligences that need that family relationship and contact with others to truly grow and progress to our full potential. It just hit me so hard the utter gravity of the responsibility that I have to share this gospel, the ONLY thing that can truly save people in this unsure world. How could we feel timid about sharing that, or be uncertain? They don't know the importance of it, but we do and because of that understanding we should be sharing it with every single person that we can-it means everything. I dunno, I just really received an eternal perspective and understanding of the importance of this great work and am so grateful for that boost in my testimony. We are heroes because we are able to save people; help the Savior save people and be able to live together forever and with God forever. That is why we go through everything that we do and I know that it is the only way to accomplish this.

I love you all and hope that you have received some of the pictures I sent home so you can see what life is like here.

Andrea, thank you for the letter! I would love to help, it may take me a little bit, but I will try my best at writing a letter in Russian and bearing my testimony of the gospel and the message that you missionaries have. (and I'll try to send some pictures)

Eric, congratulations on graduating! I'm so impressed and proud of your diligence in learning Arabic and serving your country. Every week when we pray for the servicemen in the temple I think of you and how much I appreciate what you are doing and love you.

Steve, hope band is going well - keep up the hard work and let me know how the season is going-games, funny stories, competitions

Sorry to hear about the BYU game, I couldn't believe it but I’m glad it wasn't a complete shut out. We'll get them when I'm back that's for sure!

I love you all, and thank you for your love and support. Please let the knowledge of the importance of the gospel strengthen your resolve to share it

Cectpa Richards