It rains in Virginia!

 

So last Saturday we set someone for baptism!! This guy names Charles grew up Methodist I think and we told him about the Book of Mormon and he was so excited!! He is 86 and he grew up in Virginia and he was in the army. He's really funny and lonely. He talks a lot and he talks LOUD. However, we were able to teach him the full Restoration of the church last week. It was hard and it took forever because he kept interrupting, but it worked. :) So anyway, about half way through the lesson, the Spirit told me that we needed to ask him to be baptized. It was Sister Olsen's turn (and she always forgets) so I nudged her and told her. So she asked him and it was great. He said that when he knows it's true, he will get baptized. And he might come to church this week. Hopefully! That is the hardest thing besides getting ahold of people, is getting them to want to come to church. I'm not even sure why. It's just strange. Anyway, Charles is funny. He kept using these terms (mostly medical terms and some other ones) and I knew what most of them meant. So anyway, because I knew everything he was talking about, he was tickled. (At least, that's what he told us. He said he was tickled like 4 times.) But anyway, he told me that I would get married first out of my companions. He also said that I look like the youngest. We told him that Sister George was the youngest and she doesn't turn 20 until December and I do in less than a month and he was soooo surprised!! He thought I was like 16. He's not the first. Charles is pretty cool :)

This week we also visited a less-active blind member of the church. The only reason she's less-active is because she's blind and can't drive. Plus she lives in Keysville which is like half an hour away so it's hard for her to get a ride. She is a spitfire though!! She read a chapter out of the Book of Mormon with us though... in her Braille B.O.M. That was sweet. It was sooo super cool!! She is great :)

So we went to the Richmond Zoo last Monday. It was awesome!! We went as pretty much our whole zone. It was a lot of fun :) You get to feed Giraffes and it is just an awesome zoo. They have bats and we were all (well like half of us) in the little bat house thing and one of my Zone Leaders, Elder Harris, said, "Bats are like the spiders of birds." I immediately walked out of the bat house and said I'm out!! Then Elder Dayton, the other Zone Leader, apologized for his companion. It was super funny. I have great District and Zone Leaders that are awesome and willing to give blessings when needed!! They are super cool :)

I love Virginia!! It has been strange summer and has been raining constantly (which apparently has NEVER happened in Virginia.) We've only had a few hot and humid days (knock on wood) and it has been SO nice!! I love it!! There is a chill in the air and hopefully fall will come just in time for my birthday :) Usually it doesn't come until October, but I think it can make the deadline :) haha

I love y'all and hope all is well with you!! Have a blessed week!!

Love,

Sister Simona M. Richardson