November 18, 2013 - This Week was "Shocking!"

Well, well, well! Another week gone. I was just pondering about the time I have left because we just celebrated my companion’s 6-month mark. Then I started to feel really old! I have less than a year!!! WHAT?!!!!! Sad, Sad, day!! Can you even believe that!! I am one of those cheesy missionaries who never wants to go home!!! EVER!! Just kidding.....I will come home....President won’t allow me to stay—darn it. 

So this week was crazy. If you ever get the opportunity to play UNO with a group of French Adults, I highly recommend the experience. I have never laughed soooooo hard before. We had a great FHE and the spirit was there!! I am also finding that nothing brings unity faster than: 1. of course the Holy Ghost, and 2. laughter. Laughter is the secret cure to any of life’s problems!! And boy was this week filled with laughter.  

Let me set up the situation for this next story. Our DMP took us on a nice hike in the Alps. I have never literally had my breath taken away by beauty until that day. It was GORGEOUS. Watch Pride and Prejudice—Kira Knightly version (Sorry Dad!).  It is the scene when she is walking in nature with a pretty piano interlude in the background. Yah, it’s that type of natural beauty here only times it by a billion.  So.....we were walking in the Alps collecting chestnuts (to later roast on an open fire...they are soooo delicious) when we had to traverse through a cow field. Well I decided to hold the string for my DMP so he could go under when no sooner I found out that...in fact it was not a string, it was a wire. And it was not only a wire but a wire with an electric current. So yes this week was literally SHOCKING. But in all honesty...how many people can claim having been shocked by an electric cow fence in the Alps?! #imcool #nopermentantdamage

I have had the opportunity to go to Swiss multiple times in the past week!! Stake Conference, Zone Conference, and Zone training. I love it. LOVE IT! And I love Swiss Chocolate. I have no shame in admitting I have tried about 8 different chocolate bars! #fatty And yes, I got to talk with Elder Kearon and a conference. He is sooo impressive. I was blown away by his powerful testimony and fun sense of humor. Basically I just want to be him. He was soooooooo happy that I came up and said something because He was hoping to get a picture just like Elder Teixeira. Yah…I felt popular having Seventies fighting to get pics with little old me hahaha! Just kidding!  Elder Kearon gave me one of the nicest and sincere complements I have ever received. I was extremely touched. 

This week was also great because I got to interview with President!! I love that man!!! The interview was great we talked about life, the gospel, and missionary work. I am grateful for him and his time he gives to each of us. I asked him if it was bad that I didn’t love Chambéry as much as Toulouse. Because I seriously feel so much guilt from it. But he said, “take a deep breath. You are fine. You will have favorite areas!” It made me feel a bit better but Toulouse me manque beaucoup!! Sigh. I also have such a great appreciation for Mission leaders (District leader, zone leaders).  I was really spoiled in Toulouse in that aspect as well!! But things in Chambéry are great!! I have seen soooo many miracles since being here!! We got another new ami, she is Italian and her name is Benedetta!! She is adorable! That brings are total up to 8 amis again! I just love all those we are teaching!

PS Dad! President Roney's daughter got home from her mission!! She told me she took your living prophets class!! Small world!! She is super cool!! Love her!! Also tell everyone “Hi” in your classes for me!! Jared Bodine, Zach Blackham!!! HOW fun!!!! 

CHALLENGE: Go for a nature walk! Take some time to harness your inner Chi! Basically meditate and feel the spirit. But there is no greater way to invite the spirit then to be in the beauty God created for us!! LOVE IT!! 

PPSS: I think I decided what I will do with my life. Basically I knew but this already, but...I am going to double major in Special Education and French, minor in Coaching, and also do Seminary. Crazy right!!! Sounds impossible to most but I think it sounds fun and exciting!! Read paragraphs 9 and 12 of my patriarchal blessing!! 

Love you all!! keep me updated on life!! 

November 11, 2013 - Praying Through the Phone

What a week! This week was a mission wide "M-Week." Basically this stands for Monster/Miracle Week.  Each day every missionary had a challenge or task to accomplish. Soeur Beeny and me ROCKED IT! We are hard workers. For one of the first times on my mission, I could actually see direct results to our work. Our numbers for this week were...unreal. But we had to work hard to accomplish it. We gave away 12 BoMs, 26 Pamphlets, 14 rendezvous, and...8 New Amis. Yes...8 amis! We also got an Engagé! Mory is set for the 30 of November!! I am exhausted!! But loving it!! On Friday we had a mission wide "Monster day"!! We had to leave the apartment at 10:30 am and couldn’t go back once for meals, supplies, etc. during the day.  We finally returned to the apartment at 9:30 pm. That day was....crazy. 1. That is a long time to be out and about with no food and breaks, 2. It was monsooning—hardest rain I have ever been in and 3) all our plans for the whole day fell through.  So, all we had to do was be outside to contact/porte. Soeur Beeny and me reached 7:30 pm and I just started LAUGHING because it was slightly ridiculous. There was not one person in sight to contact we were trudging through rivers of water and soaked to the bone. Every door we knocked on...was the home of a crazy!! Breaded bearded man, deaf man, missing fingers man....you get the picture. We literally didn’t know what else to do but laugh!! But that is what the gospel does.  All signs (the weather, people we were meeting, our hunger) were pointing towards “Go home to your apartment.”  But we didn’t.  We walked through the monsoon for Jesus. We talked to anybody we could see/find for Jesus. Our strong love for Jesus and his gospel can push us to do what is required of us. We returned to our apartment at 9:30 p.m. with smiles on our faces and the spirit beaming through our eyes. We love Jesus.               

As you all know, I went to Switzerland this week...HOLLER. It was amazing!!! So fun!! The train ride was breathtaking! We were determined to buy chocolate before getting back to France. Our kind ZL eventually gave in and took us to get some on the way to the train. This decision was 17 minutes before our train was to leave...#worthit.  I have never felt so accomplished. Yes we sprinted to make our train...but as we were sitting on our train partaking of the Swiss goodness we didn’t regret one thing. So thank you Elder Olivier for being sweet enough to run us around Swiss to get the Gold. We literally almost started crying it tasted so good!! 

Sunday is always an interesting experience. Our Branch has about 30-48 people every week....hahahahahahahahaha! ITS SO DIFFERENT but the people are so sweet and need a lot of support!! They are exhausted!! They have to do sooooo much with loads of callings, etc.  The sad part is they are the solution to their own exhaustion. If they would focus more of their energy into missionary work, inviting their friends, being bold....they would have more members and eventually fewer responsibilities. We are working a lot with the ward. They aren't super keen on missionary work...but I am determined to change that. We got play with the Ferraris kid's for an hour and we played dodge ball! They are sooo fun and love the attention!! Léo is my favorite!! He is super sweet and shows up each Sunday in a suit and tie. He reminds me of Tyler. Just a great kid. He ski's and competes in races. Super legit.     

Since being in Chambèry I have met about 6 people from Toulouse...I kid you not. I think that is one reason I am here.  It is because: 1. I know the ward there and 2. I know the missionaries there. So each person we meet I can personally testify of the ward and missionaries there. I also can pass their info to missionaries that will fit their style of learning and give what families will be great to help integrate them. It’s been super fun! But it also reminds me of Toulouse and that is just painful. I am still not over Toulouse...and I don’t know if I ever will be. The members, missionaries, JA, ville...will forever stay in my heart. Sigh...I was able to Talk to Elder Phelps for a bit when I passed him one of our Amis and he gave me updates on the ward, etc. Sigh...I just love that place! But I also love Chambéry.  Please don’t think that I don’t!! I am giving my 100 percent here. We had a member invite us over for Thanksgiving...weeks in advance. It was so sweet. It is unbelievably gorgeous here!! I literally get my breath taken away!! We had teatime at the Munn's (an English couple living here) and they literally live in a cottage in the woods. Like Snow White status cottage!!! Sometimes I feel like I am a Disney Missionary. Just living my missionary life in Storybook France.

Speaking of Disney, if MoTab Choir has a Disney CD...that would be cool!! I'd enjoy that for Christmas. Also socks, cute socks I can layer with things. Idk...whatever!! 

Challenge of the week: Google Chambéry. (especially Aix les bains, point de beauvoisin, and of course Chambéry) And think of me and get your breath taken away by the lake, mountains, and other scenes. Then pray for my comp and me to find someone for baptism.

Thanks for all you do, your prayers, love and support!!! Continue to live worthy of the spirit!! 

Happy Birthday Elle!! Love you!!! Hope you get your gift soon!! 

Shout out to TJ, congrats on the patriarchal blessing!! 

Love you all, miss you all!! Hey I totally forget we Skype at Christmas!! weird!! 

XOXO

Que Dieu vous bénisse!!! 

Soeur Richardson 

November 4, 2013 - Baby, It's Cold Outside!

WOW can I just say...its cold. Yes, it’s cold, cold, cold! I miss Toulouse for many reasons and that is definitely on the list—Toulouse is not so cold.  This week has been filled with miracles. First off to answer some questions: Opening an equipe means that we start from ground zero (aka no amis, nothing). There was already an equipe there before we just added an equipe. However, it has felt a lot like opening an equipe because the only Sister missionary that was here before is in her second transfer and she really doesn’t know where anything is (#blueoblivion).  So Soeur Beeny and I arrived and really had no choice but to hit the ground and contact, contact, contact with hopes of finding people to teach. Boy, did we see miracles! We started with zero amis and now we have 3 Amis, gave away 7 LdMs (Books of Mormon), 5 Plan du Salut pamphlets, and have a booked week this week with rendezvous with future amis. It’s unreal. Everyday is exhausting but soooo much fun!! 

My new companion is from Atlanta, Georgia. She went to BYU for her freshman yr. and then came on a mission.  She is crazy fun and we laugh constantly.  She speaks unbelievable French!! (SCORE!) She is a hard worker, which makes things easy especially opening a new equipe!! We work hard and have loads of fun!! My new area is like living in a storybook.  It is super cute and has a Park City feel!  It’s a ski town (I have the alps surrounding me).  I am finding that things are getting better here.  I’m not going to lie, I am extremely homesick for Toulouse and everyone there. I pray everyday for more love for Chambéry because I feel guilty that I don’t love it as much as I love Toulouse. Luckily I am super busy so don’t have loads of time to think about it. I can’t look at any pictures from my last transfers or I start to cry.  I am a complete baby!  I miss Soeur Caldwell as well. I hope she is doing well in Carcassonne!            

My 3rd day in Chambéry was pretty rough. We were walking all over town and we couldn’t get bus passes until the beginning of the month so we literally were walking ALL across town to visit less-actives. We were contacting and porting along the way. I was getting a little frustrated and feeling Toulouse homesickness. I flipped open my agenda and on the inside cover I cut out a picture of Dad from the Ensign and taped it there. And this transfer I wrote under his photo, “You Just Gotta Believe” (a phrase I always saw flashing on dad’s work computer). That gave me the push I needed.  You see this work is not easy and there are many forces working against me (things like doubt or anger) but I just have to believe. If I can do that, then miracles can happen. And they did!! We went from nothing to loads of possibilities. 

We met with loads of families. The top two families this week were the Gaggini and Ferraris.  La famille Ferraris is our Branch President, his wife, and their 5 kids—all under the age of 9.  It was a blast to be with them and we spent the night playing with the kids and eating homemade Lasagna.  Actually, everything was homemade and grown from the Garden...WOW! It was unreal delicious. That is one thing I love about France—cheap  veggies and fruits. They aren’t very expensive because they come from their own region or people just have bomb gardens. Church on Sunday was interesting (aka: we have about 35-40 active members). A little bit different than Toulouse hahaha.  As I was sitting there in a room the size of Toulouse's Young Women’s room for Sacrament Meeting with a member on the piano (who could only play the top hand) and everyone belting the song out at the top of their lungs...I kind of fell in love. They are trying really hard. And it will be so good for them to have the support of two equipes of missionaries. It is a black and white difference from Toulouse to Chambéry but little by little I am loving it here more and more. 

We ate with La famille Belibi. She cooked a duck! It was super gourmet and looked like something straight out of a magazine.  The meal was unreal!! Potatoes, veggies, roasted duck, and a homemade chocolate cake with chestnut crème filling. Even more impressive than the meal was their faith in Jesus Christ. They don’t have an easy life but they are holding strong!! 

So we all had to set a baptismal goal to reach before Christmas to give as a Christmas gift to the Savoir. We have fixed a great goal and it’s going to require loads of work and miracles!!! I would like to invite all of you this week to REALLY PRAY HARD for my comp and me this week to find a family here in Chambéry! We really feel like there is a family we need to find and give the gospel. Please, please, please, pray your guts out for us!! We are going to be working super super hard!! But we need your prayers and support!! 

Challenge of the Week: Pray at least once a day for my comp and me to find our future engagés (engagés = people committed to baptism)            

I love you all. This gospel is true. Live it with allllllll your heart. Convert. 

PS....send Christmas packages to the office...I am scared about packages now hahaha because my last package is stuck in Toulouse! But we are working it out. Ca va!! :) 

Questions: 1. YES I NEED A COAT!!! I am in the Alps and it’s freezing! 2. Makeup and lotion. 3. For Christmas? Christmas eve PJs. :(Scotch kisses?? Face soap? Jewelry? Clothes? IDK....follow the spirit :)) Anything will be welcomed!! It’s nice of you to ask :) but I do kind of need a coat a.s.a.p...so if you could put some money on my card—I am slightly freezing my sweet cheeks off!!! hahaha 

PPS. I am going to Switzerland this week....yay...hardly any American missionary gets to do that anymore. #spoiled