Elder Brandon Richmond's Mission Blog: July 2017

So this will be my last group email from the mission field!

This week has been great, a really good way to finish off these two years.

We had a stake activity Sunday night with investigators and recent converts and menos activos, and Michel bore his testimony and shared his conversion story and it was so cool to be sitting there seeing someone so strong in the church who has just done what he should. He is such a good friend, I'm going to miss him.

Hugo came to church and they announced his baptism to the surprise of his wife and older son, who were super confused, then super happy. People were crying and coming up to him happy because it's been like 12 years now since he has been with his wife but not a member.

Monday we did normal office stuff, but got home early and got some good time in our area. Tuesday we had intercambios with Melo and I was with Elder Guanuna, from Poway, CA. He is literally Gavin Heap!!!! He is so cool, such a nice kid and buena onda!

Wednesday we were with the Rocha ZL, and I was with Elder Bio from Mexico, and it was good. We had a ward activity and like sooo many people came!! Like 120 or something like that!! Each group did a skit, and we did a funny cooking one, the ZL mostly, but it was so funny!!! Then at the end they had made like a little good bye/thank you video for me. Like a slideshow of pics of me in the mission and it was really nice, but really weird... Like it made me realize that I'm going, and people were coming up to me to say bye and stuff and I was like why are you doing this?? I'm still here! Just wait! It was stressing me out!

Thursday we were with the Norte ZL, And I was with Elder Hayden for my last intercambio, he's a good friend, I'll hang out with him at BYU I'm sure. We had a great week really, finding lots of new people, having good - no great - lessons with Hugo. He was kind of trying it at first. But he asked us to come over early one day so that he could have us there when his kids weren't so he could be sure to concentrate and learn more. He seems more willing to hold the priesthood and bless others with its power. He seems like he wants to live up to his potential. So he's getting baptized today!!! The baptism is at 7! He asked me to baptize him and I'm really excited! That'll be a really fun way to finish off my last p-day and last weekend as a missionary.

Sister Eddy treated us to Belgium waffles Thursday morning, so dank! And so today after our baptism, we're picking up the new assistant from Tres Cruces, it's Elder Mecham! I was with him like 3 weeks ago, he is super cool and really calm and kind and manso. So today this morning I packed and got things clear for him to come in and have some room to move in. Then tomorrow after church we're going to San Jose like an hour away to get the new financer, then to President's house, which is like 1.5 hours away to have our changes meeting, good bye dinner with the office elders, and then we start change week. Tuesday we go get the new missionaries. Wednesday I end and we'll go to the temple with the Eddys and have a family night that night. Then Thursday I see the groms (My parents) here in Uruguay!!! It'll be super fun to see everyone with my parents!

I'm so grateful for all of the things that I have experienced here in the mission. I will never be the same. I just can't be. I am so thankful for our Savior who takes us where we are and helps us be something more. Something we wouldn't be able to be if it weren't for him. I think I've really learned that here. I am thankful for all of the support from friends back home too! Hopefully I'll be able to repay it some way in the future!

I love you guys! See you soon!