Is the year already half way over??!! It is kind of scaring me how fast time is flying by! Its also crazy to think that Spencer and Seth are home and that Teddy and Nathan will be finishing within these next few weeks! Its even crazier to think that I only have about a year left in the mission! !Qué está pasando! I feel like I left yesterday!
Anyway, this week was a pretty solid one. During intercambios with Bucarica 1, we took advantage of the opportunity of having 3 gringos together and made Sloppy Joe's and a GIANT cookie! We had to be in the house at 8pm for the Colombia vs. Argentina game so we had more time to make everything too. We had the most lessons this week than we have had the previous 3 weeks and we are still trying to work on finding new people. It has been pretty rough talking to people but not finding anyone that actually wants to listen and keep commitments to find out if what we are teaching really is true. But hey, everyone has their agency right? It can just be really annoying sometimes haha. For example, we were talking to this lady in the street one day and we asked if she would like for us to come by and share our message. She had already listened to the missionaries and had a baptismal date and everything. She then said, "No, Joseph Smith just told lies to everyone so then they turned on them and killed him". I was like "No, we really would like to come by and fix the doubts you have and inform you on what really happened." We went back and forth a few times and all I said was that we would really like to come and explain the message to her better, and then I finally just told her to have a great day and when she saw us in the street she could ask us any question she had. Its hard to hear people just rip on you about Joseph Smith or another aspect of the church, using false information, at times ridiculous, and then refusing to have us come over and share our message with them. But we just have to respect their decision, be nice, and move on to find one of Gods children who God is preparing and who is ready to ask God with a sincere heart if what we are teaching is true. I know that these people are here in Bucarica. However, even though times can get really hard, I wouldn't trade the opportunity to serve a mission for anything. I know that the hard times make me stronger. I know that the Lord is preparing me for the future trials in my life. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that the Lord is ALWAYS beside me. And I know that God loves me. Thank you all so much for your love and support!
Elder Richmond
Oh yeah, I forgot to say that its a big deal that we have an oven. That's a poopy (rich) thing haha.