Brandon's Sixty Ninth Email! November 28th, 2016

I have like no time to write! 

Alright, so the Thanksgiving lunch turned out soo cool! Hermana Wall is the best and Elder Wall is the best support to her cooking! 

We had that lunch then headed to MV for divisions and I was with Elder Ford (The last time I'll see him) and it was a good time working there!! SOOOO MANY PEOPLE I LOVE IT!!!

We went Thursday morning to the Hospital so my comp could get an x-ray and the hospital is a British hospital and it's super nice. Nice adventure. Then straight to San Ramon for a baptismal interview, then back home in time to visit one person, then head back home. 

We went to MV again on Saturday to attend a baptism in my comp's old area, it was great meeting a recent convert couple there who is so engaged in learning and progressing! It was awesome to see, I'm sure my comp must have so much joy to see them like that!!! 

We had a great, MARRIED, couple come to church today for the first time and it was great!! Two people didn't come who we thought were going to, but it's alright! Next week! :)

Ilumina el mundo people! Get to it! We should do it all the time, but seriously if we can do our part and help people be happier, what greater is there than that! We're doing service every week so send me ideas! We will be going to the city a lot I guess asking permission but that's kind of fun haha...

Chase sent me a photo of Casey's insta of the small deer that jumped in front of the 4 pointer and I thought of John 15:13..... haha my comp and I were laughing so hard with his caption and that scrip together! That deer is going to Heaven for sure!!! 

I know that God loves us sooo much and if we understand that just a little, we will trust him to direct us in the right way! He always will. I can easily tell somebody to read the Book of Mormon and they will feel that, because it's happened so much for me while I've been here!!!

Okay, I didn't do a top ten again (Got really distracted sorry) 

I love you guys so much. That Thanksgiving looked so fun and so happy, so much unity!

Keep safe always... also, Jack Jacinto is too cute! I kodaked a photo of him looking grumpy with an apple in the orchard! 

Aren't families great?

Elder Richmond

 Thanksgiving lunch!!!!!/ Multizone conference!!!!!!!!!!! 

Cutting the turkey up!!!!!! It was DANK!

The ride to Montevideo! 

Brandon's Sixty Eighth Email! November 21st, 2016

Hey friends, family, fans hahah just kidding. Here if you wanted a friend you could give a street dog meat. 

So this week was a little hard on the working side, but a good different week. It was a bummer, the whole zone had a slow week, I'm really not sure why and why all together, but we had a conference in Montevideo with Elder Rasband and it was so uplifting. He talked about callings and how they are from the Lord, and how he wants us to have success. He talked about how we can incease our obdience by learning about the Lord, loving him, then serving him. I'm really excited about the December church thing because we will get to do service and that's like my favorite thing ever! 

Side note, Chase sent me photos of Casey and he (Casey) listens to country music??? Common guys... hahah Casey??

So we also had district conference this weekend and I got to give an unplanned testimony. I was just sitting there, and luckily I was paying attention because the guy was like, "And next we will have a testimony from Hermana ________ and Elder Richmond and I was like hmmm ight. Don't remember what I spoke.

Gage Poulsen is in my mish, I met him on the bus to the conference but he went to Del Norte. I think I've met him before. He said his GF is Katie Walton, which sounds really familiar, Auz, do you know her, or do you know him? He seemed cool. Mom I remember you telling me that he would come. 

I was reading Isaiah 64:8, and I think that the mission should probably get pottery wheels in all of the houses haha just kidding. But I want to throw a mate! 

We had a great day in 25 de mayo. We had lots of lessons and people were nice and we got to talk about families and sing and it just makes me happy. Don't understand why people reject us sooo hard sometimes when we only want to share happiness. 

I'm so grateful for the family that I have and for the value that family has in my life!!! I'm excited, okay on Wednesday we have a conference and instead of doing a separate big lunch on Thursday for Thanksgiving, we're making it on Wednesday! Hopefully everything works out, but we are doing that. Hermana Wall is really doing it, now we're just helping (I wouldn't be able to pull it), They are so nice and cool!!!!

I think that's about it! I made some animal fat based candles this week, but they don't smell good even with mint oil, so I'm over doing it again. 

I forgot to do a list so just imagine it :) haha 

Some of our investigators this week have distanced themselves from us which is a bummer. We just share the commandments and people decide if they want to follow them or not and when they choose to not do it, it will always be a long road. I wish I could help people always visualize the long term blessings that come with obedience! 

I love my parents and the example that they've always given me, so thanks padres!!!! 

Also, saying The Padres, like the baseball team, sounds sooo weird now hahah.

Love you all, Elder Richmond 

Haha I tried to send something to Sheridan in the bolsa and the secretaries sent it back like this, 

we thought that it was funny

 My candles! One I did in my old mate because it got a hole.

 Our lunch one day :(

 Thermos the guy gave me

 Asado - Uruguayan style

Brandon's Sixty Seventh Email! November 14th, 2016

So to start with a funnily sad story. Yesterday we passed by the house of an investigator. The day before we left a little note on a pass along card on the door. In the street we found it ripped into four nice pieces on the ground... we were like ohhh come on hahah. 

Kind of a difficult week. We taught very little because it was soooo hard to find anyone at their house. They just aren't there, we don't understand! Like never, but it's alright, we had some good moments. So one day was crazy. We left and got cat-called very badly and had to take a different way which lead us to a random door that we knocked and we met this lady and we taught her and she was really nice, a really nice experience. So we leave from there and do our second contact of the afternoon and it was this old man with a cane and we both came from train tracks that are separate but parallel, and he was super rude and I asked, is there something wrong, are you okay? And he said he had just gotten robbed $350 by some scam guy and he asked us to call the police and we did it and were sitting with him at a nearby bench and like 3 police cars, some motos and other patrolmen came rushing to us like what's his description, then went running. It was super funny. So we took off a couple minutes later. Then my comp thought of stopping in an almacén and we got 1 litro of chocolate milk each and drank it in like one minute. hahah it was a very odd set of hours. 

We just had lunch today with our district at the Wall's house with Mexican food and it was SOOOO GOOD!!! I loved it, and carrot cake! I ate a ton.

We have been doing asados when we don't have lunch or little little ones at night because we cleaned our back porch super well and it's sick. I think next Monday we're going to have a district asado on our side porch thing (it opens to the street and is like public) and super cool! 

We went to an open chapel activity in San Ramón and my comp and I were in the main street for 4 hours getting people in there and we got like every person who went except for 2! It was super fun just being like come come come follow us. haha It was fun, we will have one in our area in a couple weeks! 

This week we have the conference with Elder Rasband!!! Have no idea what's happening still but I'll let you know next week!! 

I love you guys! Thanks for the support and the great examples during my childhood! 

Elder Richmond

My comp and I cleaned out the parrilla and made chicken wings

 We got a fridge that works!!! 

 Is my camera bad quality? 

  Our asado stuff

 I love making popsicles!! 

The dankies!!!!

Brandon's Sixty Sixth Email! November 7th, 2016

One miracle this week is that I found a popsicle mould in Sarandi Grande and they didn't want them so now I have popsicle moulds! Already made root beer popsicles..

So we went to Montevideo on Tuesday and that was really fun, I really like hearing from president and the APs. I think that there is a lot of things that we can improve in our zone so everyone gets it more and I think this week was a great first start.

We had zone conference on Friday and that was fun, but a lot to prepare because we went over a lot of random things with President and so we had to plan it all really quickly, but I think that it was okay. We talked about understanding the love in the work, and the importance it has, which is so vital. 

After that we went to Sarandi Grande to see what the work was like there and they have had a really hard last transfer so we were nervous and really wanted to help them but it was a great day, we did lots of contacts and found 4 new investigators, had some lessons, and hopefully left them with some people to visit now. It was really hot so we slept on the roof and my comp and I only brought one blanket and a pillow so it was still a little cold in the madrugada but it was still fun! We saw lots of shooting stars. 

I woke up at 5 am to the best smell ever so once it was wake up time, we followed the smell and got to this panaderia and it was closed. The guy comes out and was like come in come in and we were in the HUGE kitchen (super not sanitary) but he gave us soooo many fresh dank biscochos for 50 pesos. It was cool. They totally had a dead pig laying on the ground, not sure why.

We went to the pueblito in our area called 25 de mayo and it was sick! We found like 5 people to teach and 3 have to get married but want to get baptized. They have hymn books and Book of Mormons and everything. She literally called us from her porch and said who do you search and we shrugged and walked up to her and she totally just wanted us to have a lesson. It was a really fun day. I love teaching and telling people how they can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost after they are baptized and how good they'll feel when that happens.

So Elder Rasban comes on the 17th and we have a mission wide conference in Malvín that day.

The 23rd we have a multi zone conference and they sent me a ton of money in my account to get the food for 29 people. Never done food for large groups before, but we're going to start looking! 

Today we made burgers and they were dank. It has been really hot and we were sweating sooo much but it started raining right after, still really hot. We've been playing soccer every morning at the church next door and that's been fun.

This week we literally had almost no contact besides phone calls with our investigators because they were traveling or other things or we were out of our area so it was hard to see their progression. It was a hard week for our area, but we have a lot going into this week. We have a family home evening with Daniel Blanco, our DOM and F y F, the young couple from a couple weeks ago! 

Top Ten.

10. The thunder right now is pretty cool, but totally just crashed my computer a couple minutes ago

9. The weather is getting hot! Borderline too much, like 75 at 6:30 am, but it's tropical sometimes.

8. I have managed to make no bakes twice this week with random ingredients in the house.

7. Sleeping on the roof and seeing the night sky

6. I have gotten into incense (cheaper than candles) and it helps a ton with mosquitos and taking the dirt smell out of the house.

5. The hot warm fresh and bountiful bischochos

4. We really are looking for people who want to follow Christ and get baptized and I really think that we will find somebody. There has to be somebody right?

3. The meeting on Tuesday in Montevideo

2. Intercambio in Sarandi Grande was successful and was totally worth the day not in our area

1. 25 de mayo was such a fun day! I think we'll go there once a week.

Well, be safe everyone, I love you all! 

Elder Richmond

Classic white girl photos on train tracks.... 

My comp and I in 25 de mayo (our pueblito) when we had a sick day!!!! 

Elder Balke goes home this transfer!!!

Nisparo tree in Sarandi Grande!

 I love these little things on hot days! 

I love these signs all along the train tracks in Uruguay! 

Brandon's Sixty Fifth Email! October 31st, 2016

CHANGED US! 

Haha so I was bummed to hear that Elder Vallecillos was leaving, he was a great comp. 

On Tuesday we were out talking to people trying to have a lesson and our ward mission leader called and asked if we wanted to come have dinner with his family at 8 so we had dinner with them and they are such a precious family!!!!! It was so nice as a little send-off for Elder Vallecillos!!

I was reading 1 Nefi 20:22 and after reading it I thought of the guns and roses song, "There aint no rest for the wicked," so read the scripture and then listen to the song! I think that means it's a mission approved song right? No totally kidding! I'm going to feel so weird listening to normal music after the mission.

So with my new companion, Elder Bess, we have done a million contacts, actually found lots of people to teach, and had more lessons. Due to the lifestyles of many of the people it is going to be a big change, and difficult, but fun to have more lessons anyway! BUTTTT we were going along in this back street and we saw a carpincho! It was like a giant dog, but like a hamster!!! We were freaking out and knocked and the guy totally showed it to us, it's his pet. Really cool experience!!

We got rocks thrown at us like 5 times this week. Kind of ridiculous. I practice patience a lot when I want to go tell people that that isn't a good idea, but I retain myself haha..

Our lunch yesterday was french fries. Greasy french fries and that was it. It was Sunday too and we have no food in the house so we had french fries. We were dying by the end of the day. No nourishment there but whatever hahah. The days are long but I love telling people about the B.O.M. and Christ and all the good stuff. 

We have consejo tomorrow so that'll be fun. We need to account for the progress of our zone... we'll see how that goes haha. We have a 5:30 bus to MV in the morning. 

I've heard rumors that we have a conference with Elder Rasband this month, but yet to see it for myself, but that'd be so sick!!! 

This week, E. totally came to church and it was great. We taught him Chastity and then we talked about it in principles clase so I'm sure he got the message haha. We did contacts with that folleto actually a good amount this week because that would help this place out a ton! I used to be kind of scared to teach about it but now it's just normal because I know sooooo surely that it blesses our lives, families, and our standing after this life! 

I am happy that I got another cool companion. We hung up stalkings and Christmas lights so hopefully I stay another change too! haha we'll see. Happy halloween, I've seen one decorated house! 

I totally forgot to do a top ten but it was for sure our investigator coming to church! I want everyone to come to church and learn and give thanks to Christ!!! 

I love the Book of Mormon and the truths of Christ that it restores with simplicity! 

I love Christ because he has given MY family, current and future, the opportunity to be together forever! I can´t think of a better gift. 

I am so grateful for parents that always taught me that right according to God, not men or the current trend!!! 

Love you guys so much. K.S.F.A.

Can someone verify si there is Yerba Mate in the states 

del cebador

del cebador sabor intenso

canarias

baldo

Thanks!

Elder Richmond

Maybe these are related??