For Joshua David and Ben, I have been out 27 day's and have about 532 left.
I can't believe I've been in Cali for a week today! And this Friday is my month mark! Aaaahhh! I'm not going to lie, at moments it flies, and others I wonder if I am really strong enough to do this. This Sunday was one of those times.
I'll tell you what led to my melt down:
#1. Friday I was teaching a lady named Stacey who reminds me of Shawna. She wants to be baptized so bad and the only thing holding her back is her smoking. Her husband is a member, and they have a daughter who is 7 and looks almost just like Julianna. I almost cried when she gave me a hug, but I held it in.
#2. Saturday as we were driving we passed a Chase bank which made my eyes water again. And that night we were park contacting and there was a girl on the other side of the park with hair a little longer than mine walking and talking to a black girl who had locks and looked a lot like Laura. I cringed a little bit inside.
#3. At church all the little kids came up and gave me hugs. There were kids of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
We got back tot he house for lunch and I went into the bathroom with my bear that all the kids hugged right before I left, sat on the floor and cried. It hurt so bad. I haven't cried that hard since the night we got the call about my brother Ammon's death. I kept trying to stop, but I couldn't. My whole body was shaking. After a while (30-45 minutes) I was able to calm myself after praying. I went out and my companion saw my red puffy eyes and came and hugged me. I broke again. So the crying started all over. Lol!
But now I'm good because...Phil. 4:13! You have no idea how many times I repeated our family motto in my head Sunday night. "We cannot retreat! We cannot withdraw! We must be stubborn to day!" I pictured the part when they charged with their bayonets and remembered what mom always used to say to us kids. "Richardson's can do hard things!" I made the decision right then that I won't stop fighting even when I feel like I've run out of ammo, and have nothing else to fight with. Sunday we sang called to serve on the way to church, and I thought about all of my family in the red, and white buses doing the same thing, singing their hearts out! :)
My companion's family is in the Hill Cumorah pageant and there is a family there from Georgia who told her family that they met an Elder serving there who is from a family of 30 kids too. I said "THAT'S MY BROTHER!!!" Small world huh!
This mission has been the hardest thing I've ever done! I'm used to working long hard hours, but this is energy draining in a whole different way! I was reading the scriptures this morning in Alma 26, and I found a verse that I really needed to hear. Verse 27. It is talking a bout the son's of Mosiah on their missions and it says, "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back," They wanted to go home too! I must have missed that the other times I read this chapter. Probrobly because I didn't need it then. Heavenly Father is kind isn't he. He know's what his children need, and when we forget to look to our left because he's standing right by us, he put's his arm around our shoulder so we can feel him there.
I'll let you read the verse to see what the Lord tells them :)
I love you all! And hope you have a great week!
~Love Sister Richardson~
P.s I will send a joke each week an old man in our ward gives to me to make you laugh.
What did one flag say to the other? Nothing. He just waved.
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