29 Agosto

Well this place is an adventure! Loving every second. Hna Spainhower is keeping things interesting, shes teaching me how to eat juevitos (mini quail eggs), how to sing Peruvian music because shes got the words down. Maybe because IT NEVER STOPS PLAYING. If you wanna listen, look up combi. And this week we conquered the task of opening cococuts. Life is good in Tumbes, sometimes I tell Hna Spainhower that this place reminds me of Provo. Shes thinks im crazy, sooo Im in for it when I go home!

I was thrown out here to gradually learn English again... 1) English compi. 2) We have an investigator from Ukraine named Julia. But she speaks 4 languages, and we teach her in English. She is soo sweet, super great. Comes to church every week, and super receptive. I feel so much more love for the gospel in English naturally so I love teaching her! There are always random gringos walking around in this place, so we stopped and talked to three girls this week from Holland and Germany. I automatically started talking about the Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ to find out after that they didnt even believe in Jesus. Made me realize how different it would be to be serving a mission in a different country, I'm so used to thinking everyone believes in Christ. I'm grateful to be serving in a country where everyone believes and has a basic understanding of the Savior. 

We have an investigator, Harold, who is getting baptized this Saturday. Hes AWESOME because he has so many real questions, real interest in the gospel, and real concerns. He is good friends with all the YSA (okay I am too I love these people here!) and he fits in really well with the ward. It is good knowing that investigators will be taken care of after they are baptized.

The work is awesome here, I feel super blessed to have already met I the people that I have met. It amazes me the miracles that are seen everyday in the lives of these people. And when people are ready to receive the gospel, it is never anything that the missionaries did, it is simply God's hand in their lives and we are just there to find them and help them find the truth. I have been reading in Alma about Ammon, and it is true it is all God working through us and there is SO much joy knowing that people are truly being converted to the gospel!

Amo la obra del Señor, no hay nada mejor que ella. 

Hna Richan

This is the view from my room. The chapel. Apparently the church wanted to build the court right next to it and offered these people a million dollars for their house, and they wouldn't do it. So now there is a random house in the middle of church property. 

22 Agosto

Okay fam MIRACLE WEEEEK.

We've been teaching Harold all this time, and all along he has told us that his parents were cool with him getting baptized. And we could never meet them because they were gone all day every day. So we gave him baptism paperwork for his parents to sign and he said NO PROB.

Next day, he told us his mom finally had a little bit of time, so we decided to go talk to her about the baptism, and how Harold was going to need the support of his parents, and basically to tell her about how important this covenant is that he was going to make. And she didnt let us in, just stood at her door and told us that she wouldnt sign the paper. And that he had already been baptized in the Catholic church, and she wanted him to focus on his studies, that he hadnt listened to us long enough, etc. MASSIVE list of excuses, but we could tell that she was a good mom, just wanted what was best for her kid... And she didnt have any knowledge of the gospel. So we explained the difference of baptism in this church and invited her to pray about it, and we told her to have Harold share his testimony with her. And she still wasnt budging. We left it at that.

Harold told us he would talk with his parents, and didnt seem too worried about it. SOO a couple days later, Harold told us his dad decided to sign it. But we still wanted his mom to be okay with it, so we passed by his house. And his mom answered the door, handed us the paperwork and said, "We know this will be for the best, and we want to go to his baptism and learn more about the church." WHAAAT we were SHOCKED she changed SO much. We have no idea what happened, or what changed her, but she had a change of heart.

Soo YESS Harold got baptized! His mom and sister were there. Super cool, classy, nice family. And now that they saw his baptism they invited us to teach them and it was a MIRACLE. Awesome day, so happy for him. :) Future missionary.

I had another exchange with Hna Sandison THE BEST. Shes so funny, we were just laughing the whole time. We found the COOLEST new person, Hna Flor, who was super prepared. We explained the Holy Ghost before teaching her the Restoration, and after we taught it, she told us that was exactly how she felt. Calm and happy. And we explained baptism and she said "How can I get baptized like that?" And told her to pray to know if our message was true, and that she was going to feel the Spirit, but she told us she already felt it. Accepted to get baptized in September, awesome. 

But opposition in everyday, a man came up to us and asked us to preach to him. So Hna Sandison starts talking about the word of wisdom, and then he quotes a scripture about how you have to be clean to enter the temple of God, and goes on to tell us that women with their mentrual cycle cant enter the temple. Sometimes people like to interpret the Bible way too literally.

Update on the rice.... Turns out there was probably a whole bag of bad rice because we found worms ALL WEEK. I couldnt do it anymore, and my prayers were answered because im now out here in TUMBES! Out in the middle of nowhere, new world out here, on the border of Ecuador, and with HERMANA SPAINHOWER. From Payson, UT, first gringa companion. Which means my emails are about to get way more interesting because everything is automatically 100 times funnier out here where youre with someone who can laugh with you. Tumbes is a dream.. I feel super Latina because its been over a year since ive been with Americans... So i told Hna Spainhower to help me out. Then she asked me if i knew i was coming to Tumbes. And i said "Yes actually, I had a dream." Hahaha first Latina strike. Everyone here believes in their dreams. But its true I had a dream i was coming and im SOOO happy to be here.

LOVE this work! There are miracles in every day, in all the little things we do, I have no doubt this is the Lord's work, and He carries out His work through us, even though we are weak and simple. 

Have a good first week of school. :) Love you alll

Hna Richan

Harold's Baptism

Saying bye to Algarrobos

15 August

Short email but this sums up the week...

Leadership counsel was awesome. Always love learning from other missionaries and Pres. Rasmussen.  

Harold is HOPEFULLY getting baptized this week!! It is awesome when investigators come to us because they are actually interested. He called us about 5 weeks ago, and has been an awesome investigator. He has tons of friends in the church, goes to institute, knows so much. This week we are gonna talk to him about going on a mission. :) so thats this sunday!

Last week we prayed and fasted to find a prepared family to teach. and we found a few families! We are learning that we need to be more specific when we pray. :) Because we found 2 super cool families but they arent married. And a lady that we found, Hna Marcela, that told us she already knows the church is true, and was wanted to get baptized like 3 years ago, but she isnt married. So hopefully we can help her out!

This week i was eating lunch... The usual. A mountain of rice, and menestras (soupy beans). And i found a gusano in my rice. I gagged, scooped it into my napkin and put it in my pocket. Tried not to think about it, kept eating. Found a hair... Took it out. Kept eating. Found ANOTHER gusano. That was IT I told my pensionista that I wasnt gonna be able to finish. A little offended but couldnt do it. Youre gonna have to translate the word gusano.

Love you fam, hope things are good! Madi and Babs have school next week HA enjoy your last week of summer. XOXO

Hna Richan

Leadership Council

Leadership Council

Leadership Council

Family Night

Villa Las Americas

 

No email this week but lots of pictures

Canchaque

Members Hna Karla  and Hna Tifani 

Multi Zone Conference -Sister and President Rasmussen

Canchaque

Multi Zone Conference 

1 August

This week in the Piura Vida...

On Tuesday I had an exchange with Hna Sandison. Shes the BEST. Love her so much, learned a lot. And also it is always fun to be with Americans for a day because it gives us a chance to eat American food. First chocolate shake that I had had in over a year. :)

And while I was in Hna Sandison's area, over in my area, Algarrobos, Harold, one of our investigators, told Hna Salazar that he wanted to get baptized as SOON as possible. So that was awesome. He has been going to institute with some friends, and something changed in him. Its the small and simple things that change us and strengthen us. 

Today I was reading in Alma, and this scripture stood out to me in Alma 5:21. "...for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be washed white until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins." It doesnt matter what the sin is, we have to be completely clean from everything. Ive been thinking about all the little things that hold us back from being clean from ALL stains. Music, thoughts, TV, movies, internet. All these things that keep us from doing the little things that we should be doing.. Reading the scriptures, serving, etc. If we change the LITTLE things, if we listen to better music, manage our time on internet, remember the important things, and make more time for God in our lives, we will feel closer to Him and be more prepared for Christ's coming. But even when we feel like we are living good lives, there are always little things we can improve to be closer to our Savior. 

 

Peru experience of the week: This week a man came up and talked to us and was like "WHAT are you doing DOING around here, its SO dangerous. I own this place. Ive killed 17 people around here. But ill take care of you guys because my daughters are mormon. I would go to church, but i cant live two lives.. Im gonna keep living this way but dont worry ill watch out for you guys..." While everyone around us was looking at us like STOP TALKING TO HIM. But we are alive, blessings of the mission. :)

Love you all! Hope youre lovin summer. Peruvian winter > American summer.

xoxo

Hna Richan