Week Forty:  Out with the Old, in with the New [April 30, 2018]

Hey Everyone, 

This week was mostly trying by people and seeing if they were still interested. There where quite a few people we dropped and found some new people as well. Here were some highlights of the week. 

Transfers were on Tuesday. I said good-bye to two of my companions (Elder Jarman and Elder Baker). My new companion is Elder Mills and he's my first companion who has been out for less time than I have. Being senior companion isn't as weird as I thought, although I am still getting used to the driving aspect. We started the transfer by trying to introduce Elder Mills to some of the members and the people we're working with. While walking to one of them we had a homeless man stop us and basically tell us his life story, at least I think that's what he was telling us. He was kinda hard to understand. 

We talked with Judy for a bit trying to finish getting the paperwork for her baptism done. We talked with her a little bit about family history. When we meet with her next we'll talk with her about going to the temple and we're going to see if we can get her there before the transfer is over. 

 We were going to see one of our investigators and we met a guy named Ben who told us his path to finding God. It was a pretty cool story. Basically he didn't have much religion in his life until he felt a prompting that he needed to preach the gospel. He spent a few years fasting, praying and reading the scriptures until he got to where he is now. His story was pretty inspiring, but I don't know that he has much potential since he's a preacher, but you never know. 

We decided to go by a less active named Dale. He was very friendly and we  talked with him for a while. Near the end of the conversation he said that we were the first missionaries he'd seen in over a year! He was open to us coming back and sharing more with him which should be good.

There was a lady we met while walking to a potential investigator. We helped her carry some groceries and talked with her for a bit. Apparently she's a member and wants to come back to church!

We did some service for some potentials named Alice and Dan. We helped them with some yard work like cutting grass and cleaning their gazebo. They bought us In-N-Out for lunch. When we asked if we could come back and share a message he avoided the question which made it pretty obvious that he isn't interested  

That's all for this week. Hope everyone else had a great week as well. 

Until next time, 

Elder Jason Riches

Week Thirty-nine:  Here to Stay [April 23, 2018]

Hi Everyone! 

It's been a pretty busy week. We had some great lessons and fun moments. Here are some of them. 

We did more service this week. First for a potential named Ginny helping her rake leaves, dig some holes and planting trees. We also helped Lynn move a bunch of branches into his car. 

We had another lesson with Betty. We taught her obedience, prayer, scripture study, and talked a bit about coming to church. One thing cool about her move is that Elder Jarman might be transferring to the area where she's moving to.

Elder Riches, Betty and Elder Jarman

We met with Judy and went over Thomas S. Monson's talk "Finding Joy in the Journey".The coolest thing about our meeting with her was when she told us about her missionary moment. She was talking with her grandson and they started talking about the church (she told him about the missionary program as well). She's been a member for a short time still, but she is already sharing her light with others!

We did a few member lessons as well. The first one was with the Cohens teaching the kids about service and challenged them to do some form of service this week. We also did one with the McGinnis' on how to share the gospel easily by using the words "my church" when talking to people. When people ask about your week or something you can say something to the effect of, "We had a great service at my church" or "I taught a lesson in a Sunday school at my church."

The Cohens, Elder Jarman and Elder Riches

We had another great lesson with our friends Brooke and Byron. We taught them about Lehi's dream of the tree of life and what everything represents. After we did that we applied it to them and their spiritual journey. At the end we asked them what their thoughts were on getting baptized. Byron told us that there are still some things he has trouble with, but that doesn't get in the way of him and his Savior and love of the Mormon people. They already come to church each week so they're not far off. Keep them in your prayers and pray that they'll find the truth they seek.

We got our transfer calls. I'll be staying here with Elder Mills and Elder Jarman will be leaving to Santa Maria with Elder Deason. I will be senior companion for the first time over the course of my mission. I'll be driving and I pray that I'll still know how after 9 months of not doing it. Most of Saturday and Sunday was Elder Jarman saying bye to people he's grown close to.

Elder Riches, The Fagrells and Elder Jarman

Elder Jarman,The Platous and Elder Riches

The Bergmanns and the Elders

The Bergmanns (again), Elder Jarman and Elder Riches

Thanks for the thoughts and prayers! Hope everyone has a great week! 

Elder Jason Riches

Week 38:  Temple and Facebook [April 16, 2018]

Hi Everyone! 

This week has been really spiritually uplifting. Here are a few things that happened. 

We helped the sister missionaries in Paso Robles find some people to teach. Afterwards when we were reporting what we found a guy walked into the church and said that he wanted to know more about the church! Apparently he is someone that the sisters have been trying to get in contact with for some time now. 

We had a great lesson with our investigator Betty talking about the plan of salvation. We had a member family join in and they connected really well with her. Betty understood everything and said it made sense. 

A member told us about a man named Lynn (who's a non-member) for us to do service for. We went by on Wednesday and helped him put some posts in the ground. Afterwards we arranged to come by on Wednesdays and help him with anything he may need help with. 

On Thursday we were able to go to the Fresno temple! Attending the temple always fills me with peace and joy and it strengthens my testimony every time I go. I can't wait until I get the opportunity to attend again around October! 

At zone conference on Friday we were able to set up Facebook for missionary work. Just so you're aware I will not be able to communicate through Facebook so if you want to get in contact with me please only use email. I will also be able to friend people from back home but I won't be able to follow anyone. 

Saturday we got a phone call from our district leader saying that there was a stake primary activity on missionary work and we were supposed to attend immediately. Apparently the stake set something up with the zone leaders but they forgot to tell the district leader until literally the last minute. It was fun. Elder Jarman and I taught the primary kids the first vision. It reminded me of the time I spent teaching primary before my mission. 

Our investigators Jeff and Heidi came to all three hours of church which is a first for them. When we were talking to them afterwards Heidi told us that she's going  to try and give up coffee! That's huge since that was her biggest problem! Please keep her in your prayers that she will have the strength to stop drinking coffee. We picked up a new investigator named Echo. He's been taught by missionaries before and we talked with him a bit about how to gain a testimony that this is God's church upon the earth today. 

Thanks so much for all the thoughts and prayers! I hope all of you have a fantastic week. 

Until next time, 

Elder Jason Riches

Pictures: Temple! 

Week 37:  Baptism! [April 9, 2018]

Hi Everyone! 

We did a lot of service again this week. We shredded more olive tree branches for the Fagrells a few times. We also helped a member family plant a garden and then build an enclosure around it to keep their chickens and the deer out. 

We had our final lesson with Marie. We were able to tell her that a testimony of the things we've taught will come in time and that the things that seem hard will be easier when she gains a testimony that this is the true church. After she moved we helped her brother move her stuff into a moving van (with additional help from the young men). 

We had a lesson with our investigator Betty on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Her great-nephew (who is a member in another ward) was able to come to the lesson. He shared many good thoughts with her and since they already knew each other they were able to connect well. 

We got news that we'll be getting Facebook this week! We have a zone conference Friday where we will set that up. I'm exited to see how we'll be able to use Facebook as a tool to hasten the Lord's work. 

And now for the highlight of the week. On Tuesday, our now former investigator Judy, had her baptismal interview and passed! On Saturday we rushed to get everything ready before it was time to start. Once it started though the Spirit in the room was so strong, especially during the talks and the actual ordinance. It was also fun because I got to see my previous companion Elder Richards (his companion, Elder Leckbee taught Judy). After the baptisim we went to dinner with Judy. Sunday I had the privilege of being able to stand in the circle and place my hand on her head as she was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit at that moment was perhaps the strongest I'd ever felt it.   

Thanks for all the prayers, love and support! I hope all of you are able to have a great week! 

Until then, 

Elder Jason Riches

1 and 2 - Judy's baptisim. 

3 - Marie, the McGinnis and us

Week 36:  General Conference [April 2, 2018]

Hi Everyone! 

This week has been great! 

We had a lesson with a new investigator named Betty. She's pretty open and says if she could go back and do it all again she would raise her kids in the Mormon church! The only problem is that she'll be moving about May, so we'll have to pass her off eventually. 

We taught Marie twice this week. The first time we taught obedience, the ten commandments, the sabbath day and following the prophet. The second time we taught her the law of chastity, word of wisdom and tithing. The only thing she expressed concern about was coffee, but we talked about how a testimony of these things will come in time. She also had a really cool experience with prayer. When she was praying to know if she had to pray using certain words. She woke up in the night with the answer that she didn't have to worry about it and that the knowledge would come in time. She's such an amazing investigator and we're both sad she'll be moving this week. 

Elder Jarman had the impression to go to a house where we had previously talked with someone who said we could come back. We met two different people, Mike and Nancy, who we talked with for quite a while on different aspects of the church. Both of them were quite interested and we gave Nancy a pamphlet. It was a cool experience about what can happen when you follow promptings.

We did a lot of service for members this week. We moved furniture, cleaned up some chicken poop and shredded up some branches. 

We met a few times with Judy to help her get ready for her baptisim this week! We went over the baptismal interview questions, talked about the program, and watched 3 sessions of conference with her. She really liked Elder Renlund's talk (she met him when he came up here) and she said that she really enjoyed the whole experience. 

Speaking of conference it was amazing!!! I enjoyed hearing from both Elder Wakolo and Elder Renlund since I've met both of them now. I also liked Elder Uchtdorf's talk on Christ and President Nelson's talk on prayer. And what about all those changes! The new bishop was with us during both of the big changes and I think he's just a little more overwhelmed now that he has to release and call a new elders quorum and figure out how ministering will work. The Temple in Russia is big news as well! I'm exited to see where all these changes take the church. It's so cool to see ongoing revelation in action! During the conference I was able to gain a stronger testimony that Russell M. Nelson is the prophet on the earth today!

That's about all this week. I hope this week has been great for all of you as well! I'd like to invite you to take President Nelson's invitation to go over the conference talks given from now until the next one. 

Until next time, 

Elder Jason Riches