Been doing mission work Mainely

Dear Texas,

Honey, it looks like we're gettin' farther and farther apart. My heart goes out to yuh.

I guess I should probably describe what a transfer meeting is like. Normally, we wake up at 6:30. On a transfer day, we wake up at least an hour earlier, and drive to a place where we pick up other missionaries. Then we get picked up by a member of the Church, who has volunteered to drive us to Manchester, New Hampshire with our luggage (three large pieces). For some areas in the mission (mostly Maine), it's a five hour drive. It was a two hour drive for us from Vermont. We meet at the chapel in Manchester. We wait in the Cultural Hall (kind of like a gym/basketball court/with a stage for performances) for everyone to arrive, with our luggage all pushed to one side. When the actual meeting starts, we sing "Called to Serve," a missionary hymn. It is absolutely glorious to sing with one hundred other strong voices. Then the missionaries going home share "The Golden Truth that I have learned on my mission that will change who I am forever." Then they announce the new companionships in this format: "In the Waterville One Area, Elder Thomas will remain as Senior Companion and will receive Elder Richins as Junior Companion." You stand up when your name is called so you and your new companion know who to look for after the meeting. Then we sing another hymn, offer a closing prayer, and break for lunch. During this time you find your new companion, say goodbye to your old companion and the member who drove you, eat lunch, and drive to your new area. The next week is spent getting to know all the people you need to know.

So, I got transferred to Maine! I'm in a city called Waterville, about 18 miles from Augusta, the Capitol. I don't know if anyone remembers Elder Chapman, but he always used to say that Maine is the Holy Land. It's still up in the air, but I think it could be. I have been so happy this week. Elder Thomas and I get along well and the members of the Waterville Ward have given me a warm welcome. I love Elder Thomas. He is such a great missionary. He has made friends with everyone in the ward and he works to show his love for the members here by making treats (he bakes) for them and by finding simple ways for them to share the gospel with their friends. We hope to help the members by making Valentine's Day cards printed with a spiritual theme, such as a hymn or scripture. The members may give these cards to friends, family, and others. A lady in the ward makes cards professionally, so she will show us how to make them look super-cool!

Dennis, the husband of a member, sat in on the two visits we have had since I got here. He sat in when we taught his wife a brief portion of the Plan of Salvation, and in our second visit, we showed him a talk by President Uchtdorf, one of the leaders of the Church worldwide. The talk is called Come, Join With Us. He immediately posted the link on Facebook and said, "My sister is going to freak out; I never post religious stuff on Facebook." I have some pretty high hopes for Dennis. He is so cool!

I am so excited for this week; I don't even know what we're doing this week though. I am just so happy to be a missionary!

 

Love, 

Elder Jon Harrison Richins!

Yay, Christmas!

Christmas! Yeah!

December 30, 2013

On Christmas Day, I got to Skype with my family! Seeing them filled my joy to overflowing. In the scriptures, people sometimes describe their fatigue following a spiritual experience. I now understand, at least partially, how that happens; talking with my family left me a bit out of breath. I had a good Christmas. Thank you all for your cards and support; it makes a difference in the life of a missionary.

Roy, who usually does not read the scriptures or pray, prayed twice this week! He will continue to pray this week. He said it didn't help him a lot, but he's willing to keep trying. How's that for dedication? Even before seeing the blessings, he's willing to work.

We read from the Book of Mormon with Peter. He previously asked where he should be reading, but we never got an answer to him. This time he opened the Book of Mormon to a random page and suggested it, which is one way of deciding what to read. I think if we helped him to start in the beginning by reading with him, bringing topics to discuss, and following up more often, he would keep the commitment to read. Sometimes you have to walk people through reading; in Peter's case, he's just not used to reading.

The work here keeps us busy, though there's not many people to teach at the moment. I feel like I'm doing my best, and the Lord is taking care of me and the people we teach. I can hardly express how great it is to be here, serving my God.

Love, Elder J. H. Richins

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Pictures!

Us and the tree we decorated!

A Snow Nativity we made while waiting for someone to get home

Montpelier and a Blessing for Nelly

While Elder Robison went to the Mission Leadership Training in Manchester, I stayed in Montpelier (VT Capitol!) with Elder Chilton, from California. He wrestles. We worked well together and tried visiting less-active members, but the craziest thing that happened is that we went to someone's house for dinner and they had to go to a basketball game. So they left us in their house. Their huge, HUGE house. And they said, "Don't lock the doors; we don't. And leave the lights on." So, we finished dinner and cleaned up and put the unused dishes away and took a picture with their Christmas tree and another picture with their Lego table downstairs. Then we left the lights on and the doors unlocked and left. I'll just dump a bunch of pictures on next week.

On Wednesday, Elder Robison and I received a phone call from Nelly, cancelling our Friday dinner appointment; she unfortunately contracted the flu. Thus giving us the opportunity to give her a priesthood blessing. We went that night and Elder Robison gave her a blessing. On Friday, when we called, she said she was feeling much better and that she was planning on coming to church this week. I'm always relieved when I see that a blessing worked. She (and most of the ward) didn't come to church due to snow, but we'll call and see how she's doing. She is such a sweet lady. I just love getting to know her and be her friend and teach her.

We dropped Loius. We taught him about Christmas being Christ's birthday, which he hadn't ever heard. Then we talked about Christ being a gift so we could have eternal life. Then he said he didn't believe in that. Following further discussion, it came down to that he wants to just live his life, be nice to others, do what he wants, and not worry about the "extra stuff" like reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and following certain commandments. Then Elder Robison dropped him. I support his decision fully, though. It was a bit disappointing to see Loius read from the Book of Mormon, grow in his confidence in praying, and understand the things we were telling him, only to stumble over the commandments. He is going to be a sweet investigator in the future, though.

We taught Alex, a less-active member, a Christmas-themed lesson and then directly brought him to May, another less-active member, and taught her the same lesson. Elder Robison pointed out how great it is to have those awkward moments where the person you are teaching and the member you brought are talking and we just sit and listen.

One great miracle this week: Friday night we decided we would go to Danville the next day. Saturday morning we made phone calls and got one solid appointment, while planning to spend six hours in Danville. Somehow we had a solid day. We weren't able to get in contact with Mitch and when we called earlier he said we probably wouldn't be able to catch his family all together. Mitch is the only member in his home. When we got out of the car in front of his home, his wife and mother-in-law pulled in. He came out to help with the groceries, so we helped carrying. We taught his entire family, and then his parents showed up, so we kept teaching. We couldn't have planned it any better.

So, it was a good week. Can't wait for Christmas; I get to Skype my family! Loving it out here!

Love, Elder Richins

Elder Robinson

December 9, 2013

Elder Chapman got his wish; he's back in Maine. I guess that's the only thing that could happen after a week of singing, "Take me home to Maine! Take me back to my homeland!" You kind of have to sustain "land" in order to make it rhyme.

What's odd is that he and Elder Robison, my new companion, switched places. Elder Robison is from Evanston, Wyoming, but his parents moved to Richmond, Texas after he left. He's been out for about 14 months. I don't know what it is, but he's incredibly funny and he looks and sounds intelligent. He drives so slow it makes me want to jump out of the car and walk.

This week with Elder Robison has been interesting, exciting, and a little difficult. We work pretty well together, though we are not yet in sync in teaching. He doesn't talk as much as Elder Chapman did, but that might just mean that he focuses on listening.

We taught Nelly, who Elder Chapman and I first visited, and brought Jake, a member. We bring members to lessons so they feel more comfortable, and so they have someone at church that they already know. We didn't plan on bringing Jake and we already had another member planning on coming with us, but we felt that we should bring Jake, that Nelly would benefit greatly from having Jake there. Jake called us and asked if we needed him, and we said we already had someone coming. After considering that Jake would probably be better to bring because he's closer to Nelly's age by several years, we called him back and asked him to come. After explaining that Nelly had grown up Methodist and had been baptized and had a son, Eli, Jake mentioned that he had been Methodist before joining the Church. He had already been baptized. During the lesson, after we invited Nelly to be baptized, Jake talked about how he struggled to understand why he needed to be rebaptized until he realized why the priesthood was important. I could not have planned that lesson any better. Nelly and Eli came to church yesterday. Nelly had a very spiritual experience in Relief Society. According to one of the Sister Missionaries, you could see the Spirit radiating around her. Eli enjoyed staying after for the "Linger Longer," the after-church potluck We'll be having dinner with them at their house this Friday. Nelly also wanted the Sister Missionaries to come for dinner one night. Coming to church really touched her heart and helped her understand the fellowship in the Church.

Louis is trying to drop us. I suspect it might be because he disagrees with the Law of Chastity, but bipolarity may have something to do with it. I hope it didn't make too bad of an impression on Elder Robison, who hadn't ever met him before. In the lesson, Louis said that he was pretty much done with reading the Book of Mormon, and he had learned all the tricks he needed. I guess he considers prayer to be a trick for getting evil spirits to leave you alone. Right now, we are trying to be good friends. Calling him every night. When we go back, we might teach him a Christmas-themed lesson. That would definitely bring the Spirit into his home. That's what he needs.

I'm personally doing well. No health issues. I'm still working on piano, getting worse (no time to practice this week). Still, I feel really great here, serving. Gotta go, time's up.

 

Love, Elder J.H.Richins

Elder Chapman Hightails-it for Maine

December 2, 2013

Welcome, true fans and newcomers alike! (Can you name that Playstation game? Not that I've been playing video games up here. Ain't nobody got time for that.)

The Lyndon area has seen some successes this week. "O, that I were an angel and could have the wish of mine heart, that [Elder Chapman could stay to] go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!...But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things the Lord hath allotted unto me" (Alma 29:1, the Book of Mormon). Elder Chapman and I have grown very close in this last transfer. We've been working harder this last week, being more diligent. I've learned a good lesson in diligence, that it really does make a difference. Elder Chapman will be leaving Lyndon, he's guessing in favor of Maine.

Paul, a less-active member, has shown a greater desire to progress in the gospel. He planned on coming to church this week, but his car wouldn't start. He called the chapel to ask us for a ride, but the message slipped the messenger's mind. Unfortunate; though we met with him Sunday night. He invited us to a lasagna dinner at a friend's house, where a one of his friends hopes to meet with us. I cannot believe how the Lord has touched people's hearts, kept us in contact with Paul, and set it up so that we could meet with his friend at this party. We brought Paul to a lesson with Beatrice, but she was going to drop something off at a friend's house and come right back. We waited for fifty minutes, just talking with Paul. That was when he mentioned the lasagna dinner and that his friend was interested in meeting with us. If Beatrice hadn't followed through, we wouldn't have heard about the dinner, which is this Wednesday. We might have missed it entirely. 

Louis has progressed so much since the first time we met with him. Last time we talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This week he said he had a realization that he needed to change something. You could see it on the outside. He was wearing a shirt this time, and he was cleaning his apartment of the trash that had been there since we first met him. He had read Alma 32 and loved the word/seed metaphor. (http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/32?lang=eng). We discussed how we need to plant these seeds in our hearts so we can experiment upon them. Then Elder Chapman (not per se) made the most amazing transition that could be dreamed of. "We wanted to talk with you about one seed that we can plant and test to see if it is a good seed. It is one of God's commandments for our happiness and it is called the Law of Chastity." The Spirit lit the room for the duration of the lesson. I know he and I spoke by the power of the Holy Ghost. If not, we could not have instilled Louis with this doctrine in the slightest, and he could not have gained a shred of desire to follow it. He now has some of that desire, though he would not commit to follow it. He does not clearly see any way for him to overcome his addiction, and for him it truly is an addiction. Yet, that desire can work within him if he lets it. I pray for that to happen.

Love, Elder J. Harrison Richins

My District Picture, Transfer #4.

(Sorry about the picture. I couldn't get it to load all the way. Love, Jon's Mom)

Loads of Teaching and a Personal Triumph

November 25, 2013

(Names have been changed again. I might just keep doing this.)

This week has been great! We had an exchange (missionary swap) with the Zone Leaders and I got to work with Elder Z. Pritchett here. We dove into the work and had some success in street contacting. Usually we use pamphlets and Mormon.org cards for street contacting, but Elder Pritchett had a goal to use materials we would not normally use. We gave a card with a number you can call for a copy of Family Answers, a video about how to better communicate with your family. He also used a card with the Thirteen Articles of Faith on the back. (The Articles of Faith outline Mormon beliefs really clearly. They were written by Joseph Smith and published in a newspaper. I'm not sure if that's why they're called articles.) We met Amal, who seemed really interested, but he missed our appointment for the next day at 3:30. He gave us his address, but he hasn't a phone. We gave him a pamphlet and our phone number, so maybe he'll get a hold of a phone and call us.

Louis is doing better. When he reads, he does well. We're giving him small steps to do. Right now it will just be reading once between lessons. He understands the scriptures really well for someone who is just starting to read them. We are thinking about inviting him to be baptized even though he may not be able to get baptized for a while. As I'm typing this, I'm realizing that we should do that. It would be a goal for him and would help him understand the need to keep the commandments and read the scriptures, so he can progress spiritually.

This week we drove to Danville, which is very out-of-the-way for us, without any solid appointments. Most of our plans fell through, and one of our backups was to visit Tom, who is the husband of a member of the Church. We were going at an odd time, 3:40, when his wife is usually working. Miracle number one: She pulled in just as we stepped out of the car. We all went in and talked with Tom for a while, and then (Miracle number two:) the wife had to attend to some visiting teaching, which is when you go visit and teach (and friendship) members nearby. She left us alone and we talked for a long while. The conversation turned to the church and Elder Chapman asked if Tom knew much about his wife's beliefs. He said he probably did, but couldn't really say unless we asked specifically. Miracle number three: He asked about how the Book of Mormon came to be, specifically how Joseph Smith was able to translate it. I find it very interesting that the Lord had us use more of our allotted miles than we normally should, to go see one person and answer his questions. He gave us an opportunity to share our testimonies of the truth of the Book of Mormon. When we left, he committed to read Alma 32, a chapter in the Book of Mormon about what faith is and how to increase our own faith. We'll be following up soon, probably over the phone.

We picked up a new investigator named Toni. She is a future ex-smoker. We are teaching her at a member's house, even though that member hasn't been to church in forever. He is a very firm believer, but he can't be around crowds without panicking. He taught a decent portion of the lesson. He's not entirely politically correct (minor problem) or even doctrinally sound (a little more major), but he's willing to share his testimony and take time to help others.

Personal triumph: I played one song on piano in the Priesthood meeting (all the men) without messing up once. I am trying to figure out how to make my camera work so I can record it and send it.

I love being here at this time with these people!

Love, Elder Jon Harrison Richins