Elder Lukas Richmond
Colombia Bogotá North Mission
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hola!

5/25/2015

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HOLA!      
     Okay, so this week I was only in Barbosa for a total of 3 days!  We had District meeting in Tunja, then intercambios in Tunja, then interviews with President Andelin, then Stake Conference in Duitama and Sogamoso.   So, I have officially been in every area in my Zone, which is 4 different cities!  They are Barbosa, Tunja, Duitama, and Sogamoso.  But, its all super beautiful here in Colombia.  Well, Boyaca is SO much more beautiful than Bogotá.  I would say that by now I am a pro in traveling haha.  Oh and I have been told that I have to take "THE BOMB" to clean me out.  I've had malestar de estomago (like bad in the stomach) this week and after the Conference on Sunday in Sogamoso, Sister Andelin came up to me and told me that a member told her that they were worried about my health.   So, Sister Andelin started asking questions and we have determined that I still have parasites in my stomach.  Yes mom, I have been taking the papaya pills but these nasty suckers wont leave me alone.  So I'm going with the bomb which is two days of pills and hopefully that will flush them out!  This will probably be my last week in Barbosa since it is week 6 of the transfer so hopefully you enjoy my last Barboseño email :)      
     Even though we didn't have many lessons this week, I still loved this week because of all of the things that I learned with all of the meetings that we had.  During our District meeting, we had a capacitación (lesson?) by Elder Bringhurst about really what is a successful missionary.  It was SUPER AWESOME!  There were a few points that he talked about that I had never thought about before and I had to really self evaluate what I thought a successful missionary is.  I've read about it a lot in PMG (Preach My Gospel) but what I still felt about being successful was still totally different.  Because really, the only thing that determines a missionary as successful is if they are really serving with all their heart, might, mind, and strength.   And as my family knows, lately I have been getting down on myself for a lot of tiny things that I shouldn't be worrying about.  So, this meeting really helped me.  Then, the interview with President Andelin was AWESOME!  I love him and Sister Andelin so much!  And I'm so sad that they are leaving, but they still have a month left so I won't get too sad yet, haha.  But President Andelin talked to me and about how this is my 4th transfer in Barbosa.  Then, he thanked me because he hasn't had to worry about Barbosa since I've been there because he knows that he can trust me.  I was shocked when he said that.  I mean, I'm not a perfect missionary and I have been so hard on myself that I had convinced myself that I was a mediocre missionary.  BAD THOUGHTS!  But it happened.  When President told me about the trust that he has in me, it made me think about why he would have so much trust in someone that wasn't a perfect and exactly obedient missionary.  But, I then thought about the Atonement and about how no one is perfect.  The thing that matters the most is how much you try to change and the progression you have.  And I thought about it and I really have had a ton of progress spiritually and temporally.  I also realized that I have been judging myself WAY too hard and that the Lord really is proud of me and the progression I'm having.  I know I'm not perfect, but I truly am trying and that is really what matters.  So, that was another super awesome lesson that I learned this week!  THE MISSION IS AWESOME!  They're are so many valuable lessons that I'm learning that I know I would never learn at this point in my life if I was at home.   I had some more great lessons but I don't have too much time.  I just want to close by saying that I know that this church is true.  I know that Joseph Smith restored the church and the priesthood authority of God to the earth for this last dispensation.  I know the Book of Mormon is true and I love it.  When we have sincere desires to know the truth and ask God in a simple prayer, He will answer.  He loves us and He wants us to have the blessings and happiness that only the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring.  I love you all and thank you for all of your love and support!
Elder Richmond
 
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This fruit is called Guanabana and is SUPER RICO!
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I felt like I was cutting open an alien because of the texture it has which is a firm skin, but squishy inside haha Its filled with white pod things with a black seed inside each one.
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Eating pizza cones when we stayed in Duitama Saturday night with Elder Reinel y Elder Llanos (from my group)
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In Sogamoso after Conference on Sunday. The bus in the back is ours from Barbosa. Only about 2 and a half hours from Sogamoso to Barbosa...not too bad.
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I've completed 9 months.......weird!!!

5/18/2015

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Hi EVERYBODY!!
     So this week went by SUPER fast!! Oh yeah, I completed 9 months..weird haha. We had a little bit better week with the obra misional (missionary work). We have made some appointments with old investigators that we found in our area book, so I'm excited to see how that goes! It is still tough with people keeping commitments and being at their house even after we verify the appointment with them, but hey that's just missionary life. So many little random things have happened this week. Like my comp and I thought we were going to die and we were in the middle of a baby tornado for like 10 secs, the roofs were starting to peel off the house next to us haha. But it was just a baby tornado thingy so were all good! Oh yeah and I feel off my bed and landed on my nalga! You can look up nalga haha. But I fell off and landed on my derriere ( I feel weird writing what nalga means so I'm just being SUPER formal haha.) So I fell off while I was praying personally, kneeling on my bed and I think I was asleep (Its a struggle haha). But I just remember falling and landing on my nalga and then I couldn't feel my arms so I somehow got back on my bed without the use of my arms haha. Oh and when I fell I broke my mosquito net too. But I got on my bed and I was SUPER disorientated and I couldn't see anything! I'm not sure if it was because my eyes were closed or if it was super dark. I'm telling you, I was super disorientated haha. But I was searching for the head of my bed and I was at the foot of the bed I think so as I was searching I thought that my headboard of my bed broke and that's why I fell. I don't know. But I finally found my pillow and collapsed. As I was laying there I was trying to figure out what happened but I couldn't remember much haha. I didn't break anything, I just have had pain in my nalga the past few days haha. Hope that made you guys laugh, because I was laughing just remembering about it haha.
     Okay, and today for FAMILY DAY, I don't know if its only Colombia but its a holiday here, we went with the branch to a little lake about 10 mins away. it was super pretty, well not the water but everything else haha. We did some activities and everyone but my comp and I swam (so obedient! haha). We had some soup and left at about 4pm. It was really fun and I burnt myself haha. But yeah, these are the only things that I can remember from this week (my memory is so bad now). Since this email wasn't very spiritual, I will end with my testimony :) I love this gospel and I love being a missionary! Some times this work can be difficult but I know that the Lord is with me and that this is His gospel. I'm so grateful for my Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ and for His atoning sacrifice which allows us to start over time and time again so that we can be clean and worthy to return to the presence of God. The gospel brings true happiness and can fix ANY problem we have when we are truly living it. So BE HAPPY and LIVE THE GOSPEL! Love you all and thank you for all of your prayers and support!
Elder Richmond

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My awesome bday box!
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My umbrella which is raining Colombian Pesos!
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Saturia with her necklace that my mom made..she LOVED it!
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In the bus today on our way to the tiny lake.
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The lake :)
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I thought this was a cool action shot of a member, Lenin, kicking a rugby ball.
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The members really liked to use my camera in the water haha.
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Lunch!!!
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A tiny mouse we found.
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Happy Mother's Day!!!

5/11/2015

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Cómo han estado?
     I hope all the mothers reading this had a happy Mothers Day!! It was awesome being able to Skype everyone on Saturday! I want to quickly write 2 things before I write about the work here in Barbosa. This week I ate pig skin with some fat in my beans. I thought it was a potato and when I started eating it I realized I was horribly mistaken haha. Its like chicharrón (really good), but it wasn't deep fried so I could see the little coarse black hairs of the pig and the texture was like slimy flesh. If your going to try it have it fried haha. And we thought we were going to have to do an exorcism for a member, but it turned our that he had a reference of a family for us at his house. TOTAL OPPOSITES haha. Its a long story but long story short that what's happened haha.
     Okay, so this week has been a little bit better with lessons. We are still trying to work hard even with all of the challenges we are facing. But hey, no one said that this work was going to be easy. It was never easy for the Savior, so it will never be easy for us. This is the time that we are going to feel just a tad of what Jesus felt. Its also a great opportunity to turn to the Lord at all times, during all of the trials that we face. I know that this is the work of the Lord. Although its hard at times to be away from my family, I know that its through this gospel that we can have eternal families. It always makes me so happy to see a family accept the gospel and see how living the gospel changes their lives. I love this gospel and I invite everyone to learn more about this great plan that our Heavenly Father has for us. You can learn more at lds.org or you can hunt down the missionaries that live near you, they would love to talk to you haha. Thank you so much for all of your love and support!
Elder Richmond
 
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Skyping with the family!!
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We saw this awesome cow van that moos while we were in a Panadería! They opened it up later and sold milk products haha
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Here are some pics we took during exchanges a while back. We found a broom and got creative haha
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And where it looks like im screaming, its because I am. I was falling off a bucket haha #actionshot
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thank you all for the birthday wishes!!!!

5/4/2015

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HI EVERYONE!!      
     Thank you all for the Birthday wishes!! SUPER AWESOME!  For my bday we played soccer with the members at 6am, like every Saturday in Barbosa, and then we also had a service project with a member.  The missionaries in Tunja called me and sang happy birthday which was super awesome and then Elder Wong called me in the night to say Happy Birthday.   I didn't eat any cake, but we got to start our fast so that is SO much better, right?   Plus, I was just a little sick on my birthday, so all in all in was a good day!   haha.   As of right now, I believe my health is normal again after about a week and a half.
      This week was a little tough because many appointments fell through and there were a lot of opportunities to get desanimado (I'm sorry, but I don't remember how to say this word in English #missionprobs).  However, my comp and I tried our best to keep our spirits high and keep on working.  I also found out that at the end of this transfer 6 areas will be closed!!! NOOO!!!!  I'm pretty sad about that as our numbers in this mission start to get smaller and closer to just 200 missionaries.  However, it gives us more energy to work super hard so that Barbosa doesn't close!  We have some great investigators that really have changed SO much just in the time that we have talked to them!  The members here have been AMAZING!  I forgot to mention this last week.  When I was super sick , they brought caldito (type of soup) and jello to the house so that I could eat something in the day.  They have been asking me how I'm doing and I'm so grateful for all of them!  It would have been so much harder without the help of the members.  Well, there wasn't much that happened this week, so I think that is about it. I love the Gospel and am so grateful for the happiness it brings to my life. Thank you all so much for all of your love and support and all of your birthday wishes!   Sorry it was a short one this week :(
Elder Richmond
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Helping a member clean behind her house with machetes
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I only almost cut my finger off ONCE! ha ha
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Before and after of the zombie
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Here is a pic with the Zombie I got in a package in March. We left him in the water for almost a month ha ha. Yeah, then we found that there were worms swimming around in the water. FYI don't drink the tap water here!
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