Firefly!

So this week went by fast!! I'm almost out of time to write, but I just want to say that I'm grateful for Spiritual Inspiration and Revelation. Without it, missionary work would be pointless.

 

We had an investigator drop us on Thursday after meeting with her last Monday, and she had committed to Baptism. We were able to meet with her this morning and figure out her concerns. She doesn't believe in Joseph Smith or necessarily the Book of Mormon. Or Thomas S. Monson. So we watched the last conference address from Pres. Monson with her. She then prayed to know if he is a prophet. She had gotten some revelation before that was a little foggy, but she said she felt good and peaceful and comforted after praying. She still doesn't know he's a prophet, but she's getting there. Luckily, we are still going to get to meet with her and help her to come unto Christ even more. I'm excited for her journey. She is amazing!!

So we had a new family move into our branch who lived in Utah. They got baptized a year and a half ago, and they are feeding us tonight so we'll find out more!!

Also, we got 2 new investigators last week and one is going to feed us on Thursday! :) Excitement!! She's a sweet old lady :) The other is a young college student. We also found 2 other college students, one through inspiration. It was amazing. I'll tell that story after we meet with him this week :)

I know this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I love being able to share it :)

I love you!!!!

Love,

Sister Simona

(Click on the link below!)

Obedience Brings Blessings--Thomas S. Monson

Scooby Doo-where are you?

Hope Moni remembers this fine skill. . .

At the zoo on Sister England's last day.

A great companionship!  Sister Moni, George and England.

Jelly bean cereal--so good.  And good for you, too.

Numbers that made Moni happy (her house address in Utah)!

This is from last week, but she wasn't supposed to say anything until Thursday, so it's past Thursday--here's what she had to say!

I get a new companion (and I get to stay with Sister George)!!!!! We got transfer calls yesterday and guess what!!!!! I'M GOING TO BE A TRAINER!!! ALREADY!!!!! I'm a little nervous, but I'm excited!! That means that the rest of my 6 weeks of training is getting put on hold and it may not even happen with Sister George... Kinda random, but hey! It works. Also, our new greenie is a visa-waiter. She is going to Brazil eventually (hopefully) (I don't know what mission yet though) but she's just coming right from the MTC! I'm so excited!

 

It's funny because when Pres. WIlson called and asked me to be a trainer, he asked me if I'm obedient. Not if I know the lessons, PMG, the pamphlets or even the order of the books in the Book of Mormon. He asked me if I'm obedient and I told him I'm trying, but that really put into perspective what is important. It's just like success as a missionary is based of off how committed you are. Not how many member presents you have or how many baptisms you have. It's how committed you are to try your very best to invite others to come unto Christ. It's awesome that I have this opportunity after only 6 months!! Luckily, Sister George and I are co-trainers together so I don't have to do this alone. The only thing is, because she's waiting for a visa, we have no idea how long she'll be here. But that's ok. Things will work out the way the Lord wants and needs them to :)

And this week (two different perspectives):

My first week as a trainer was hard. I've been having a really hard time this week and I've had a migraine for about 3 days. So today, I couldn't do anything when I woke up so Sister George made me go take a nap. It was good because now my head is mostly fine. I'm also feeling a lot better because I got a blessing this week and the Zone Leaders, my District Leader, and my Sister Training Leaders all called to make sure that I'm doing OK. I'm doing mostly OK and everyone says once you've finished your first transfer is one of the hardest times of the mission. Luckily, I'm able to have fun with my comps and work hard. Sister Olsen (our Golden) is hoping to someday go to the Brazil Sao Paolo Interlagos Mission. I am learning little bits of Portuguese ( I can understand way more than I can speak) and it's a lot of fun!! She's from Oregon and she's 20. We have a wonderful companionship and we are working on being fully united.

Well, this week was interesting. We milked goats, taught a couple lessons (only 4) and visited a sick member in the hospital. Sister Maxey was in the hospital because she had a bad fall. We visited her and sang her favorite hymn for her. We sang "How Great Thou Art" which happens to be my favorite hymn as well. I kinda cried a little bit because I could feel that she didn't have very much longer. We are going to visit her again, but I'm glad we at least got to see her once. :)

 

We milked goats at an investigator's house and apparently I'm horrible at it. Next time we go over there, he's going to give us some goat milk because I should be able to handle that, so I may be able to have cheese again!! Goat cheese, but we'll see how that goes haha :)

 

Another investigator's heart is softening more and more every time we see him :) It's amazing to see the change in his life :)

Thanks for the package Mama!! I got it 2 weeks ago and forgot to tell you :) Haha. But thanks a bunch!! I also got a package from some of the young women in our stake and ward (like the Hunter Copperhill Stake) and that was really cool :) I was excited :)  Thank you!

Well, I love you--and everyone help the missionaries in your area find people to teach!! It's way easier to get referrals from members than to knock doors because then they know someone besides the missionaries!! Love y'all!!

Much love,
Sister Simona Richardson

And:

Training is amazing!!!!! Our Golden's name is Sister Olsen. She's from Oregon and she is hoping to someday go to the Brazil Sao Paolo Interlagos mission. :) We have to do Language Study with her, so I'm learning a little bit of Portuguese. It's pretty cool :) She is 20 and amazing!! We have a wonderful companionship. I've only been gone from home 2 weeks longer than her because the whole time I was actually in Virginia, she was in the MTC :) She is excited to be here because she kinda has 2 missions :)

Everything is going pretty great. My jeans ripped, so I had to buy a new pair of jeans because they got torn in a funny place on a fence and I tried sewing them and it just didn't work. Plus, it looked really dumb and I have to look at least presentable. So I had to get a new pair of jeans. But, today all I'm going to buy is peanut butter, bread, and lactose free milk. Did you know that they have that?? Lactose free milk is awesome because even though I can't drink it straight, I can cook with it and put it on my cereal and it's normal milk, just without the lactose and with an extra enzyme to help with digestion. It's really awesome stuff :)

Well, I love you all!

Love,

Moni

Line upon Line is one of my all-time favorites. If Heavenly Father made us perfect all at once, we would be disappointed and it wouldn't mean as much. Just like if your parents buy you a car, it would be really nice, but would you care as much for it because it doesn't mean as much? When we strive to be perfect, it's harder, but it's worth more.

Just a little thought for the week!! Love ya!!

Sister Moni

Hello!!

OK so I have a miracle story!! So on Friday, we had 2 appointments and then we would come home and plan. As we were leaving the apartment, Sister George felt like we should grab the list of Former and Potential Investigators in the Prospect area. (That's a town.)

 

So as we went to our first appt, they couldn't meet with us, so we decided because we had some time until our next appt, that we would visit an former investigator. So Sister England looked through them and picked one that she felt like we should go see. So we went to see him and he wasn't home. As we were driving off his driveway (none of them are paved by the way, nor do many people have a path or anything leading to their front door), we heard a terrible noise as we hit the pavement of the main road.

 

There were about 4 driveways coming up, and Sister G said she was going to pull into the first one. (She's the designated driver haha!) The Spirit told me not to do that. I told her no don't do that. She looked at me like I was crazy. Then she said OK, I'll pull into the second one. Again, the Spirit said no. She was flippin out because she said people would be nice here! But then, the Spirit told me to pull into the third driveway. So we did. It was a rainbow driveway and at the top of it, there was a guy working on his car. So we asked him for help and we called and got permission for him to help us. As he was taking off the front tire, Sister England jumped right in and taught him Joseph Smith's First Vision. We taught him all about the Restoration and he said he would come the church on Sunday. He didn't, but we're going to call him and make an appointment. Guess what was in between the brake pad or something on our front tire! A rock... A teeny, tiny rock. But that's ok. :) We got a new investigator :)

Ok, also we met a guy at the Farmer's Market and we went over to help him last Monday, but it was too wet to do anything, so we made another appt, but it got cancelled too, so we'll go over eventually. But, guess what!! He had at the very least, 200 chickens. They were everywhere!! And they have a bunch of turkeys!! It was awesome. Oh and their dog was scared of the oldest turkey. It was funny :)

Well, I gotta go preach the gospel and invite others to come unto Christ!! Love you all!!

 

Write to me!! I only got like 4 letters this week and 3 were from my mom!! I mean, I love hearing from her the very most, but I would like to hear from all of you too ;) Love ya!!

Love,
Sister Simona/Moni

Happy P-Day

So random thing, on Sunday we always say Happy P-Day Eve, so  Saturday is P-Day Adam.

We found 6 new investigators in the last 2 weeks, mostly from tracting, but one story that was cool was that we went to visit this lady with a member and she wasn't there, so the member asked the lady that was there if she would want to know more about Mormons. (That's what she said exactly.) And she was like sure. So we taught her the first lesson in the middle of the store and she said she would try to read just a little bit in the Book of Mormon and read the Plan of Salvation pamphlet we gave her and pray about them. We have another lesson in a week and a half!! It was really cool!!

Oh and another lady we found told us that she reads the BOM daily with the Bible (she's Baptist but some Elders gave her a BOM a few years back) and she believes that other things are out there--so of course the BOM is true! And she set up the return appointment for a time when her fiance would be there so he could learn too! She's so ready!! It's great!

We started doing a scripture study class with our recent converts. It's cool.

We did exchanges this week so one of my comps and I went to Bonair and switched with 2 other sisters, and when we went to visit a less-active member, I felt like I needed to be there right then, and I was able to bear powerful witness to her.  It was neat.

Friends, write me more letters!!

Love ya haha

We caught fireflies on Saturday. They're ugly :) But they're cool.

Well, Love ya!!!

Sister Moni