A photo is worth a thousand words!

My MTC companion -  Sister Modersitzski.                      

My first companion in Toulouse- Sister Bayles with Elders in the area.

My newest companion - Sister Luthi

The countryside is beautiful

Investigators can be  a little guarded at first!

Happy July 4th -- Even in France!

Oh...the food!  Eclairs!

Macaroons!

Palmiers! 

Sushi! Sushi?

Time is Flying! - July 22, 2013

Bonjour a tous!! 

Well, well, well, where to begin this weeks email...oh wait I know! How about with a lovely story about our Cat Lady? So we went to do our annual visit on Sunday. Not going to lie.... sometimes its difficult to go and sit with 22 cats and their stench each Sunday but we went! When we arrived she was doing her usually Sunday activities (a.k.a. smoking and watching CSI) As a fellow CSI lover.... I do not approve this because...well it’s the Sabbath! I am 100% positive there is something better she could be watching...ANYWAYS.  So we arrived at it was mid-episode of the CSI-Miami edition. She refused to turn her TV off. So I basically said, “well if you cant turn your TV off we are going to have to leave before visiting with you and sharing our message.”  She said.............”yes, leave.” Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! As you can imagine we exited the apartment and just burst out laughing! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???? We just got turned down by a TV show!! That’s a new low (haha).  I just felt bad because she would rather watch a TV show than have human interaction and more importantly feel the spirit and by edified by the gospel. That my friends, is a problem. So that is my challenge for you this week. Honestly evaluate your life. Would you rather watch a TV show or feel the spirit of God? If it’s the first, repent. I can promise you that if you put God first you will experience joy, peace, and happiness that you never thought was imaginable. That is a PROMISE. 

So Bordeaux conference was great! Seriously I think a bad conference is pretty much impossible! I have the best Mission President and APs in the world. They discussed a little about the broadcast and how we still need to focus a good amount of our efforts on contacting. YAY! We met a recent convert in Bordeaux named Julien. He is AWESOME! He is thinking about serving a mission. Soeur Luthi and me talked to him for probably about 2 hours about life and the decision to go on a mission while wandering the streets for a good pâtisserie! He is awesome.  We basically just said that it’s a choice he needs to make personally and with Gods help. We can’t tell him what he should do! He is experiencing a lot of opposition from his parents...it sounds like a hard situation. It made me so grateful for the support I have from my family, friends, ward, and God. I am and have been so blessed. Sometimes when I think about how blessed I have been I feel physically ill and cry. I know...I am a weirdo but I just cannot believe it. I feel selfish having so many blessings. I want to share some of mine with others who desperately need them! 

So we were finally able to visit a less active woman! (We have been trying since last mutation...transfer). Her name is Soeur Sorin. SHE IS AMAZING. She recently got out of the hospital. I think she might have breast cancer. She has to wear oxygen. She has a 4-year-old daughter who is absolutely gorgeous. I am so glad we were able to visit her. I think she is really lonely. And I think her daughter is also in need of some good positive influence. I can’t imagine having your mom be so sick and no one else to turn to. She really attached to me! We were able to have a lot of fun together! She likes Dora the Explorer and Barbies, drawing...normal kid stuff. She really reminded me of Elle. Loads of energy, creativity, and is constantly dancing! After our spiritual thought we all walked to McDonalds and got happy meals! Well, her daughter and I skipped the whole way! Once we left for our bus the little French "Elle" gave me the biggest hug and bisou! I had to hold tears back!! I miss my little niece and nephews!! I love how I was able to connect with her! We are going back this week! They both need love and care! 

Soeur Luthi and I contacted a bunch again! We made the goal for 700 this week.... and we reached it! YAY! We got a little behind throughout the week so yesterday we had to contact 315. It really is exhausting! But I was determined to reach the goal and poor Soeur Luthi didn’t have a choice (haha). Yay for always having to be with your companion!! As we were doing studies this morning we realized that we are only 2 weeks away from not being "bleu" anymore. Time is flying!! And I love every minute of it!!

Oh and Jordan comes home from his mission in like a month...WOW!!! I honestly feel sooo bad for him. I would hate to come home (haha).  He sent me this really awesome calendar for my birthday It has scriptures, quotes, important dates, when the Apostles birthdays are...Dad you are even on there! (haha) He also put in things like "hang out with Tyler" or "family night at the Richardsons.... if they invite me..." That kid... (haha) gotta love him!! So be sure to invite him to a family night every so often!! I can’t believe he is almost home.... time flies!!! Since time flies it really makes me realize that you have to take each moment and really focus!! I love it! Great things are happening!! 

Amis Update: 

Sylvio: Sylvio is great! We are really trying to make sure he understands everything that we are teaching him. We asked him to pray about the 27^th  for a baptismal date but he doesn’t feel like he will be ready by then! And yet we all felt good about! I have no doubt that as long as we continue to teach for understanding and by the spirit then he will be baptized eventually. Dad I would love it if you wrote him a letter and It can be in English because we teach him in English! He is believing and sometimes gets his mind blown by things like we lived with God before this life and there is a living prophet! But he is willing to accept these things as truth. He also expressed to us that he is starting to run into an impasse. He is feeling like he needs to pick between the church he grew up in or the church of Mormon hahah He is a 19 year old boy...living in France alone.... I truly am astounded by his Faith and desire to learn and grow! Continue Praying!! 

Marie-Antoinette: She flat out said no to getting baptized in France. She is determined to do it in Martinique, or she doesn’t feel worthy, or we even got a new one...she apparently now wants to be baptized in her birthday month, which is JUNE (haha). She is great at coming up with a variety of excuses. I am really going to try to apply your CSI analogy Dad. Because I just can’t figure out why she doesn’t have a strong desire to be baptized!! She knows everything well and participates in Sunday school, comes to church each Sunday! Goodness. It’s a little hard to figure out but we will continue to love and teach her. 

Thanks for all the prayers and love!!

**I have a few requests if possible: 1. Salade Recipes/the vinaigrette dressing recipes 2. Other easy recipes to make (German pancakes, things like that!) and Dad your cookie recipe...the French LOVE our "American" cookies! 3. Talks about Patriarchal Blessings sent to me via mail. So I can study them/use them in a personal project I am working on!  4. And one random other request: If you ever send a package stick in some American candy (Reese, laffy taffty, tootsie rolls...) They do not sell Reeses here...Megan would die hahaha Love you all!!! Je vous aime!! 

Classic Story...Check! - July 15, 2013

So I will begin with a little missionary tale. We went on exchanges in Bordeaux this week with the Sister Training Leaders it was great but I really hate having both of us out of our ville on exchanges because no work gets done in our sector!! Lame! But anyways so we got home the next afternoon and had loads of visits!! We sprinted to the metro and then to the bus. We visited a sweet old lady in our ward who is very into doing missionary work!! (a true testimate that you are never to old!!) After she force-fed us a whole package of delicious cookies (haha)  we sprinted to catch our bus because we had another rendezvous and Soeur Romero lives about 45 minutes out of centre ville. Luckily we made it at the bus stop with minutes to spare! We got talking to this 19 year-old girl, super sweet, when all of the sudden we see out of the corner of our eyes our bus just drove past our stop!!! NOOOOO!!! We handed her a carte and began literally sprinting after our bus!! (haha). We could see our bus stop and the next stop and I just took off in all my old "glory day" sprint!!! I was about 5 feet from the bus when....it pulled away. We missed our bus. I turned around and Soeur Luthi and I just started busting up laughing!!! Couldn’t have been more of one of those classic missionary stories!! So we waited the time for the next bus and got aboard when we realize Soeur Luthi had lost her tag while running! So we got off and walked back to look for it.....unfortunately the tag was not found :( We waited for the next bus, took the FOREVERLY LONG RIDE HOME, and then sprinted to the metro. We then sprinted from the metro to chez Flora....Flora's house. She is a less active woman who we are trying to befriend! Miraculously we weren’t late!! We shared a pensée-spirituelle and then sprinted back to the metro to try to get to a meeting with the bishop we scheduled! We sprinted from the metro to the church and got there on time!! In fact, the bishop wasn’t even there yet.......joy... (haha). So we met with the Bishop, then the RS President, and then the YW President! We are trying to meet with all the auxiliaries and trying to find effectives ways we can work with them!! So I have now fulfilled the classic "run after the bus" mission story! Checking that one of the To-Do list!! Not going to lie, running from appointment to appointment, bus to bus, metro to metro is: 1. exhausting, and 2. not that fun in the blistering heat and humidity! Looking at yourself in the mirror at the end of the day is a little frightening!! We always joke that it might be a reason people look at us so weird when we try to talk to them about Jesus on the street! We scare them away with our gross humid looks hahaha 

This week has been a good week.....not in the sense of numbers but more in the sense of personal growth....or more like being called unto repentance! Both Soeur Luthi's any my personal studies have been AWESOME  all week! We both feel like God is really picking us apart and trying to tell us the things we need to fix to mold us into acceptable servants of the Lord! I got called unto repentance for a few main things: 1^st, Prayer. My prayers are not what they should be. I really encourage you to read a talk from the Liahona June addition on Personal Prayer. And ask your self the main question it asks..."If someone listened to my prayers what would that say about my relationship is God?" I have reread that talk probably about 20 times now!! So great! The 2^nd thing is my relationship with the Savior. I really need to deepen my understanding of the Gospel of Christ so that my relationship can deepen. The 3^rd  thing is showing my faith. The way you show your faith is you act, do, apply. I can’t tell you how many things I don’t apply because I was afraid or things like that. My French will not improve if I do not ACT. My relationship with the ward members will not improve unless I ACT. I will not obtain eternal salvation unless I ACT!!!! It is all about acting!! So that is my small challenge for you. Pick something and ACT. Reread the conferences talks, they are inspired and they need to be reread again and again. Find that thing you need and ACT! 

This week I got to go to Julie and Guillem's wedding reception!! They have the cutest story. He went on a mission, she waited....then she decided that she wanted to go on a mission, and he waited. Their announcement read FINALLY they are getting married!! (haha)  It was great!! They were soooo happy! They had a lot of nonmember friends so she wanted to be sure to have the missionaries at the reception to answer any questions, etc. Once a missionary, ALWAYS a missionary!! The whole reception was just soooooo them (haha), so French, and soooo Julie and Guillem (haha)  :) She made her wedding dress he was in bright neon green shorts and a bow tie (haha).  Just sooooo them! I loved ever second of it! Their vows were soooo adorable! Gah! It was great!! That is one thing I love about Toulouse—the JA...the Young Adults!! They add so much life and spirit! I just love Toulouse sooo much!!! I can’t imagine ever leaving it! 

So I thought I would tell you more about our Amis Sylvio!! He is sent from the heavens!!! He is 19 and from somewhere in Africa! He is AMAZING! He was telling us one day how he was "tempted by tattoos and piercing" and he was about to get them...but at the last minute he felt like he shouldn’t and he followed that feeling. He made a promise to God he wouldn’t get either (haha). As you can imagine Soeur Luthi and I were dying with joy!! I explained that our church has those exact views! He also understands the Livre de Mormon like a boss!!! #Tylerwouldsaythat.  Anyway we asked him how his reading was going and he then told us the whole story of Nephi and how he didn’t want to kill Laban because he had never shed blood before......If only you knew how happy me and Soeur Luthi felt to know that: 1. He actually read, and 2. He understood it!!!! Happy Day!!! Things are going well! We asked him to be baptized the 27 of July!! He was shocked that it was so soon (haha)  but we felt like if he truly had the desire he could most definitely be ready!! We will find out in a few days....in the meantime....PRAY YOUR HEARTS OUT FOR HIM!!! (haha). He is soooo amazing!! Really tries to understand and keeps his commitments! 

This next week is going to be crazy busy again. Once again we are going to Bordeaux!! This time for a zone conference!! Keep the prayers coming they make a world of difference!!! Love you all more than you all know!! If you can do one thing for me it is just to live the gospel with all your heart, mind, might, and strength! I can’t bare the thought of anyone having a withdrawal of the spirit in his or her lives. It’s a necessity so make it a priority!! 

My address is: 

16 Allée de Barcelone # 8

31000 Toulouse

France

PS. I love the family pictures!! Totally Brightened my day!! The pic of Uncle Joe is CLASSIC!!!! (haha)  and Elle eating a corndog with chopsticks..... (haha) so Elle :) 

XOXOXO R5 forever

Set Impossible Goals - July 8, 2013

            What a week it has been!! I would just like to start out by bearing my testimony. This church is true. I know it with all my heart. By doing the little things brings the great blessings. Never forget the little things. 

So this week has been exhausting!!! We started off the week by doing a lot of work in our Area book, making calls and such!! And it was looking surprisingly successful! Now please realize that my comp and I both have about 7 weeks experience of French so it truly is a miracle that things get done! People are SO surprised when we tell them we have been here for about 7 weeks!! Talk about GIFT OF TONGUES!!! Seriously it’s amazing to me! This week Soeur Luthi and I have really tried to apply the counsel we received at Bleu's Conference. We worked out tails off! We contacted 710 people! Meaning we talked with 710 individuals about the gospel! WOOF! The "standard of excellence" for our mission is about 350 per week!! We worked our tails off! We wanted to set impossible goals and make them possible! And not going to lie....it was exhausting (haha). As we were walking out in the hot sun for hours looking for people to talk to I thought I might fall over from exhaustion. My feet were KILLING but then I would remember that I had Christ at my side and Angels around me giving me support. I know with out a doubt I have angels about me constantly, helping me in the work. 

Our mission has set a goal for 50 baptisms in the month of July and Satan is on full attack. It is actually a little frightening! Soeur Luthi and I have been making a very conscious effort to be exactly obedient so we can qualify our selves for blessings and protection. But we already know which side will win. It's such  comfort to us all. Partake in that blessing family and friends....you are part of the winning team! Embrace the Gospel and live it! One thing I have just come to realize this week is you must act. NO DUH right? (haha)  But I have been studying and studying and I am really getting a greater knowledge of the gospel and really understanding....but that doesn’t mean I will get the blessing of it because I am not always applying the knowledge I am receiving. So that is a challenge I extend to you! Study a principle of the Gospel and then apply it. I can promise you will see and feel a difference! 

So this past week we have 9 Rendezvous (meetings with Amis or lessons) scheduled, which is quite a bit, but we had a total of 6 tombez-vous!!! (They fell through!!) Sooooo sad!! But we are really working hard to get more amis and I know if we continue in patience we will be blessed. The Elders had 2 baptisms on Saturday....and I think that may have been the first time I’ve been to a baptism for someone who wasn’t 8. What an amazing experience!! Our Amis Marie-Antoinette came...I really hope it sparked something inside of her! We also had our other Amis Sylvio show up just after it had ended...maince!! (that is their way of saying dang it) But we were able to introduce him to a lot of members and JA's (jeune adultes....young adults) Sylvio is 19 and we are actually teaching him in English! He is awesome!! I hope that we can be good enough vessels for the spirit to work though so that he can come to a knowledge of the truth!! He asks really deep great questions....its very impressive considering he is only 19!! 

In other news...things have really heated up here in Toulouse!! I melt everyday and night! Yay for humidity haha. We celebrated the 4th of July here!! We had Zone training and sang the national anthem and said the pledge of allegiance...I bet it was real awkward for our one Canadian (haha)  me and Soeur Luthi also cooked hot dogs :) Yes we found hotdog buns and everything. We also literally sang all the American songs we knew ALL DAY LONG. I really missed being with the fam and celebrating...I never realized how much I love that holiday!! But c'est pas grave!! I am where I am supposed to be so things are GREAT!! *

Overall things are going great with Soeur Luthi and me!! We get along great and we are loving the work!! We see miracles daily! Thanks for your prayers, love, and support!! I also got both packages!!! THANKS!! I love the T-shirts (shout out to Maddie!!) Missed being at CC! Also love the shoes and we ate that bag of tootsie rolls in like 2 seconds....so great! (haha). Also thanks Jess for the Talk!! It was exactly what I needed to hear!! XOXOXO 

Choose the Right!! 

Love, Soeur Richardson  

No More Feeling Sorry for Myself! - July 1, 2013

Well.... this week was AWESOME. I really cant even begin to explain the all the miracles and personal growth that have occurred. Honestly.... I can’t begin to express my gratitude to my Savior. This mission is such a building block to my "sure foundation." So as you know I am paired up with a Bleu. Soeur Luthi is AMAZING! She has a "go getter" attitude and is just a flat out hard worker. Being paired together is a testimony to me that God does extend the calls we receive. Being Senior Comp is hard. I no longer have the "I am a bleu" excuse. If something needs to be done I have to just take it by the horns and get it done. Which has really forced me to do things I wouldn’t have done last transfer. A lot of growing is going to happen over these next few transfers! We were a little in over our heads the first few days but one night during planning we decided we were done being scared, we are done being nervous, and we are just going to hit the ground running. Everyone asks us..."Oh my gosh you are two bleus!!? How is that going?" So instead of being like...”well you know”.... we respond, “we love it!! We are doing great!!” And we say it with complete confidence. Because in all honesty I do Love it! We have found that Soeur Luthi is better at verbalizing French and I can understand everything. But we are continually pushing our weaknesses and eventually through Jesus Christ and the Gift of the Holy Ghost, those weaknesses will be refined into strengths. The hardest part of the companionship is the cell phone...WOOF! It’s rough just because you can only rely on yourself and your own knowledge when you are talking on the phone! You can’t play off each other!! But things are great! Things are difficult sometimes but we understand our callings as missionaries, we understand what work needs to be done, and we are here to accomplish that. Soeur Luthi is fabulous! I am very excited for this next transfer! We were making cookies for Marie-Antoinette and we FRIED our first try of cookies!! (haha) Burnt to a crisp, we were dying!! So we tried again and they second turned out much better...by the end of the cookie making experience we were literally on the floor laughing, we had eaten half the cookie dough batter, and tears of laughter were streaming down our faces! It was awesome!! We have loads of fun together, constantly laughing!! We both have a sweet tooth...so that could be a bit of a problem but we both like to run....IT FEELS SO GREAT TO GO RUNNING IN THE MORNINGS!!! Hallelujah! 

This week my patience has been tested and it’s always over stupid things. Like the Zone leaders or District leads will extend "special challenges" for us to accomplish. We just feel like its because we are both bleu and they are worried we wont work or something....and you know me....I am here to work. HOW DARE THEY THINK I  WILL SLACK OFF!!!! (haha). Just little things like that lately have been weighing on my nerves. The last thing we need is people doubting us or worrying about our work ethic!! Yes we are both Bleus but SO WHAT. This was arranged by revelation and we will accomplish His work! My testimony has truly been strengthened because of experiences we have had! We have a few new amis, Sylvain, Michael, and Victoria. We are working hard! We have set some high goals for ourselves but at our Bleus conference (which was this week) President said, “Set impossible goals and reach them.” We took that challenge very seriously and we plan on doing just that. We have faith. 

So as I mentioned we had Bleu's conference!! We were in Lyon for Thursday-Saturday! It was soooo fun!! We got to see all the missionaries that came in with us!! Yes Soeur Mod and I got to see each other!!! WHAT A JOY!!! Everyone was doing sooo great!! Everyone looked happy and it was amazing to see the changes in each person already! The light of Christ was engrained in our eyes!! President spoke to us and gave us loads of great words of wisdom! Some of my favorites were: "set impossible goals and reach them" "contact, contact, contact!" "Right now, this very moment is when you stop feeling sorry for yourself and get to work!" "You are capable of impossible things" I have pages and pages of notes! The conference was sooo great!! It was hard to part with everyone again! Our zone was really bonded and we all missed each other loads! 

So this week has been busy for S. Luthi and me! We traveled to Bleus, and taught 3 lessons! We also taught Gospel Principles and had other missionaries staying in our apartment due to traveling arrangements (loads of cooking and cleaning!!) But we accomplished everything! Our lesson with Marie-Antoinette went well!! It truly is a miracle. Please just think...we have only been in France 6 weeks and we are teaching full lessons, talking to people on the street, and using a cell phone (texting/talking on the phone is hard!)!! Miracle after miracle!! And yes...a lot of times our French comes our wrong or it is a bit of a struggle...but things get accomplished and understanding eventually comes! We have two baptisms coming up on Saturday in our ward!! I am sooo excited to invite all our Amis to it!! I have heard there is a special power/spirit!! Soooooo stoked!! 

So to answer some of your questions: Yes I have received two packages...which I haven’t picked up yet because its been the weekend (bad office hours I cant make) But I am assuming one is from CC camp and the other is from you Momma...Soooo excited!! Thanks SO MUCH!! Mail is the best!! Literally it just makes your day!! I am soooo happy to hear about Anna's wedding, how fun!! I miss the temple!!!! Please pray for our amis and our goals!!! Our mission set a goal to get 50 baptisms in the month of July ( that is a lofty goal btw). Soeur Luthi and I have a goal to be a major part of that goal!!! Bleu POWER!!! Thanks for all your prayers and love!!! I pray for you all each night!!

MY CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK: 

Share you testimony with a less active/nonmember. It can be in a subtle way or just flat our bear it!! Just share you light!! 

Love you all!! Have a wonderful 4th of July....I miss America, its a wonderful place!! We already bought Hot Dogs to celebrate hahaha Yay America!! 

XOXOX

Soeur Richardson