Week 31:  7 Months! [February 26, 2018]

Hi everyone,

This week started off slow, but near the end it started to pick up. 

Monday for district activity we went to a place called Daniel's Wood Land. It's owned by a member and what they do there is they make really cool things out of wood like sculptures, promotional stuff for movies, and tree houses. I'll include some pictures. 

For most of the week Elder Baker and some of the other Elders had choir practice in preparation for zone conference on Friday. Aside from that Tuesday we visited with a less active member and then we we contacted the rest of the night. 

Wednesday we went by quite a few potentials down in Templeton. Aside from that not much. Elder Baker and I came up with the idea for the Disney movie, which is essentially all Disney in one movie. It was a pretty crazy conversation. 

Thursday we had our weekly planning as well as our weekly service for Cowboy Larry where we helped move a rock and dig some holes. Here's a selfie with a sheep.

Friday we had our zone conference. A lot of it was talking about how we need to make our night-time hours more productive. This included making sure our dinners are at 5:00 and no later. Also how we shouldn't be afraid to knock on doors after 8:00 because that's been a big thing. Over all it was a very spiritual meeting as I felt that the things that were spoken about were the things that we needed to do. Also before zone conference we got doughnuts and I got the weirdest looking doughnut I've ever seen. I'll include a picture.

Saturday morning we tried by quite a few people, they were either not there or too busy. We ended up having a lunch instead of a dinner with our members which was unusual, but good. We met with the zone leaders to go over our baptism goals. We met with a less active and we were able to set up two appointments with some potential investigators. 

Sunday we had a great sacrament meeting. Our bishop's daughter came home from her mission and she gave her homecoming. Also since there were no investigators or recent converts, we got to go to gospel doctrine, which I've only been able to go to once before. We met with the young men and they had a combined meeting on how they need to prepare for a mission. We met with one of our less actives after dinner for the rest of the evening.   

Today's also my seven month mark! It doesn't feel like long ago that I celebrated my six month mark. Time is speeding up. 

One thing that we have been doing for  our dinner messages lately is sharing President Monson's final address with the members and talking about it. One thing I like in there is that by reading the Book of Mormon, and strengthening our testimony in it by reading it everyday, then we will be able to be protected from the wickedness in the world today. Quite a few others talked about gaining a testimony of the Book of Mormon in this last conference (President Nelson, President Eyring, and Elder Calister) 

Here's an excerpt from President Eyring's talk:

"Last April, President Thomas S. Monson gave a message that stirred hearts across the world, including mine. He spoke of the power of the Book of Mormon. He urged us to study, ponder, and apply its teachings. He promised that if we dedicated time each day to studying and pondering and kept the commandments the Book of Mormon contains, we would have a vital testimony of its truth, and the resultant testimony of the living Christ would see us through to safety in times of trouble. (See “The Power of the Book of Mormon,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2017, 86–87.)

Like many of you, I heard the prophet’s words as the voice of the Lord to me. And, also like many of you, I decided to obey those words. Now, since I was a young boy, I have felt the witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that the Father and the Son appeared and spoke with Joseph Smith, and that ancient Apostles came to the Prophet Joseph to restore priesthood keys to the Lord’s Church.

With that testimony, I have read the Book of Mormon every day for more than 50 years. So perhaps I could have reasonably thought that President Monson’s words were for someone else. Yet, like many of you, I felt the prophet’s encouragement and his promise invite me to make a greater effort. Many of you have done what I did: prayed with increased intent, pondered scripture more intently, and tried harder to serve the Lord and others for Him.

The happy result for me, and for many of you, has been what the prophet promised. Those of us who took his inspired counsel to heart have heard the Spirit more distinctly. We have found a greater power to resist temptation and have felt greater faith in a resurrected Jesus Christ, in His gospel, and in His living Church."

That sums up my week. Hope you all had a fantastic week as well and have a great week this week!

Elder Jason Riches

Week 30: In the Service of our Fellow Man  [February 19, 2018]

Hi Everyone, 

This has been pretty good (and very service filled). 

Tuesday we were able to pick up a new investigator! His name is Josh and we found him tracting last week. He said that he has been wanting to get back to church for a while. He said he would read the Book of Mormon and that we could come back. We also met with a member in a senior living home. After we were done the administrator there called us over and started talking to us. He told us that he is Mormon too and he was suprised that the member we were visiting was a member. 

Wednesday we helped a member's husband remove a gas tank from his van. We also met with a less active and set up some service with her. 

Thursday we helped Cowboy Larry remove some trees and dig some holes. In the prosess I learned how to use a chainsaw (sort of). 

Friday after district meeting I ended up helping some members set up for a ward party (Elder Baker was practicing for a musical number). After that we went over and helped the less active member clean out her gutters. She was very grateful and said that we could come back anytime! 

Saturday was pretty slow. We tried by a lot of people, but either they weren't there or weren't able to meet right then. 

Sunday was pretty much the same thing as Saturday. One cool thing that happened was at dinner. They have a son who is priest age and they asked us what things we did, or wish we did to prepare for a mission to better help him.

Hope that you all have a great week and I challenge you to find people around you to serve in whatever way may be needed. 

Until Next time, 

Elder Jason Riches

 

Week 29: Double Exchanges, Double Walk Days [February 12, 2018]

Hello Everyone! 

This week has been pretty good. Here are some highlights. 

Tuesday we found out in the morning that we were having a walk day. We also realized that we had forgot to buy toilet paper on P-Day and we were out so we walked over to Walmart and got some, contacting on the way. We tried by a few people with no luck. 

Wednesday we were on exchanges. I was with Elder Governale in our area. We ended up tracting a little bit and we ended up getting two new potential investigators! Our dinner was with the Fairbanks who pretty much live in the middle of nowhere an a pretty big house. The wife is British and I had a hard time not breaking out in a British dialect during the course of the dinner. 

Thursday we did some service for Cowboy Larry pruning grape vines. For dinner we were invited to go to the Relief Society party and eat there. It was a little weird. We mostly just hung out in the kitchen as they did their quilting. 

Friday was pretty slow. After district meeting we did a lot of work on the area book app. Our dinner canceled on us so we went to Wendy's and some of the other elders showed up at the same time we did. 

Saturday we had our other exchanges and I was with Elder Judd in our area. In our cars we have a device called Tiwi and we need a card to drive. Elder Judd forgot his so we had another walk day. It was good though. We found another new potential named Vincent, who has met with missionarys before. We also went by many potential and less actives, but with no luck. 

Sunday we went to two sacrament meetings so Elder Baker could see a farewell for someone he knows in that ward. We also visited some members who wanted to get some tie making stuff. Elder Baker makes ties and he has been teaching me how to make them too. 

Today has been fun, we've been hanging out with the Bergman family (their daughter is the one who gave the farewell). We had a bonfire and I played fetch with their dog and Elder Baker had fun chopping wood (he apparently really likes it) . They let us email at their house so that's where we are as of the time I sent this out. 

That's been my week! Hope you all enjoy the rest of your week!



 Also a funny thing just happened. I'm at Great Clips and when we gave our phone number one of the last missionaries names was Elder Grey. When I said that wasn't me she put my first name on but didn't change the last name so now I'm Jason Gray!  I guess I can be on Studio C now. 

Week 28:  One Sick Week [February 5, 2018]

Hi Everyone, 

This week has been a little slow, but it's been mostly good. 

Monday was my last day in Santa Barbara, so Elder Richards and I were working to get everything done and see everyone we wanted to say goodbye to before we left. Our bishop took us out to the harbor for lunch and then took us to his house in Monticito for a picture. On the way we got our first look at what the mudslide did, and what we saw was not even close to the worst part of it. We also said goodbye to Art, our 92 year old recent convert. It was a little emotional saying goodbye to him because we both got pretty close to him. We also met with one of the other Elders' less-actives who we were sort of acquainted with. 

Tuesday we had transfers and I said good bye to Elder Richards, as well as Elder Goodman and Smith who I've gotten pretty close to. I like Elder Baker though. We get along pretty well (we're both pretty geeky). 

Wednesday we did service for Cowboy Larry (a member of our ward). We helped him move a large rock and work in his garden. 

Thursday was slow. We tried by a some potentials and did our weekly planning. 

Friday was rough. Before district meeting I started getting a stomach ache. I called the mission nurse and we had to end up staying inside the rest of the day . 

Saturday I felt  better, but we still stayed in the first part of the day to make sure I was okay. We went and visited with one of the member families. 

Sunday we had another problem. We're not sure what caused it but Elder Baker broke out in hives and was miserable the whole day. After our dinner it was so bad that we didn't go back out. 

Hopefully this next week can be more eventful, that is if we don't get sick again. Hope you all have a great week. 

Elder Jason Riches