Elder Brandon Richmond's Mission Blog: Brandon's Sixty First Email! October 3rd, 2016

So this week was so cool! It totally flew by, and there are some things that didn't work out totally how I'd want, but we have this week to change that!

So we have done lots of contacts to try and get things going more here, of course asking for references too, but when we go by for set lessons, the people almost always say, "fa, vos sabés, estoy por bañarme," literally almost EVERY TIME! We are thinking... are they always in the shower or is this the next dumb excuse?! Haha kind of frustrating, but whatever....

We made a lot of food this week! Zapallitos rellenos. Fajitas, and other stuff I feel, but super dank! Elder Vallecillos likes cooking so that's cool. We honestly get along great, so although the work has been slow, it's been fine because we just want it to get better together!

So on Thursday we had interviews and we went first, we actually did most of the interview together, then a little bit one at a time. It was great; President really seems like he just wants to help us. Sister Eddy sent with him DANK cookies for the missionaries. Then we went to lunch with President at this super nice restaurant, it was so funny. And he like pulled out these papers and random people who we've contacted who were around like saw us and just looked confused because President was wearing his suit and had his briefcase, and nice car. But it was good. Our zone can do better, the city is awesome, so that's what we were looking at!

Then, we left with him after our language study, and it was so rad! We had 3 lessons and he brought such a cool spirit to the lessons. The people opened up to him and it totally helped us with them. Our investigator J. needs to stop smoking and his girlfriend like supports him, but when President told him that he would live a better life if he stops, it had a strong power to it. It was great, then he dropped us off at the church, then took off.

We had another lesson with J. on Saturday and he and his girlfriend (he is 22 and she's 16) odd? But she looks like she's 22 so idk. Both said that they were going to conference. We even had the lesson with a member who is his neighbor and life long acquaintance, but he never showed up. Really disappointing because he had a baptismal date that now he won't meet, but we'll keep working with him and see if he can muster up the faith to act.

I loved Elder Bednar's talk. I think it's good to hear in spanish because we can saber acerca de Jesucristo or we can conocerle a él. The difference is key, and it's meaning is intrinsically different! We need to know Him know Him, not just know about Him!

I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and modern revelation that we have. These two things together help steer us straight and know why the things that we do are important. I am so grateful to know that God reached out to us through a prophet. I love knowing that I can learn about Jesus Christ thanks to the Book of Mormon. It seems hard to have the faith to act, until you realize how much is on the line.

I forgot to think of a top ten for this week, but everything was great. This week we are going to talk to literally everybody, no matter how mean or uninterested they look. I'm excited for that. We are using the B.O.M. more than ever before, I love that. And the visit by President was great.

I love all of you, have a great week!

Elder Richmond