WEEK 5 [August 28, 2017]

One month down, twenty-three to go. As time goes on it feels more and more like I can do this! This week has been pretty basic, but I do have some cool experiences. I went on my first exchange this week...and also my second. My companion is the district leader so I will end up going on quite a few this transfer. Funny story though. On my first exchange we met with a sister who was baptized this last Saturday. We asked her if there was any service we could do for her. She said no but later on she found something interesting for us to do. She pointed out a box on her refrigerator and told us that it was the ashes of her son's cremated dog. She didn't want it anymore so she wanted us to take it and not tell her what we did with them. We decided to give it to my exchange companion's (Elder Shumway) companion, Elder Hales. It was also funny because when we met up to exchange again, he got really exited about Brenda's gift to him. We also met with a guy who seems interested in our message! He also ended up giving me a bike!!! It's really cool to see how nice most people are. It's given me a new perspective on people. There was also a lot of service this week. we moved a TV cabinet from one member's house to another and then preceded to take the second member's TV cabinet to Goodwill. We also spent a good portion of Friday helping a sister in the ward move.

The coolest stuff happened on Saturday during my second exchange with Elder Sneider. We visited with a potential investigator for about two hours but weren't really able to teach a lesson; however we talked about the word of wisdom and when I explained why we should't drink coffee and tea he said it made a lot of sense! We challenged him to start reading the Book of Mormon, so I'm hopeful that he'll do that. We also got two new people we will start visiting!!! One is a less active who wants us to come by today. The other is someone who wants us to come and give her husband a blessing. She says that she used to attend church and now wants to come back! We also helped the Hermanas blow up balloons. There was one of those long balloons that no one could blow up so they let us keep it. After a lot of hard breaths I managed to get it blown up but I didn't want to carry it around so I put it in our car. As I was walking away I heard a loud POP! Apparently our car was too hot :(

That's my week. Next week were supposed to have a heat wave so that will be "fun".

Thanks for all the love and support.

Elder Jason Riches

Week 3&4 [August 21, 2017]

Week Three: This week was mostly pretty basic but there were a few exciting things. I got to host the new missionaries coming to the MTC. It was fun but also strange being on the other side of things. It feels like not that long ago that I was in their shoes. I also had a in-field orientation that helped me to see more what life is like in the field. During that I got to meet and talk with Justine Smith's husband (for those of you that don't know she's someone who I basically grew up with). The big thing of course is leaving the MTC. In a way I'm sort of sad to go. I'm really going to miss my teachers and of course my amazing district. During one of our class periods we went around and said nice things about each other and I just started crying like a baby. I started crying even worse at the little testimony/goodbye that we had (I couldn't even sing the song...how embarrassing)

Note to district 32A: You are all so amazing! I really feel that I could't have made it through the MTC without you! Even though I didn't talk with you a whole lot, please know that I have grown to love each and every one of you! I want to hear from all of you weekly and for those who are in California with me I hope we get to see each other a lot! Your in my prayers.

Week Four: I got to ride in an airplane for the first time, which was awesome. They did take my shaving cream though so that was less awesome. My mission president and his wife are super nice! They took us to lunch at the beach and we got to stay at their house overnight. The next day we got our new companions. Mine is Elder Hansen who is also from Murray Utah. It's a little weird yet cool that we can talk about someone and know who they are. He was even on a group date with my sister Jenna, but not as her date. I'm in a town called Simi Valley. The people here are great! I haven't met anyone I don't like. Most of the people here are really into the Bible so I might have to brush up on that. I have to say, I thought that I would have a hard time being in the field but so far things have been pretty nice. This week has gone by so fast it's hard to believe. Thank you for all the love and support and sorry if I can't respond to you.  

Elder Jason Riches

Week Two [August 8, 2017]

Hi all!

This week feels less eventful than the last but still a great week.

On Wednesday our entire branch had the giggles and we didn't learn a whole lot but we had fun. We had a scripture study and one of the Elders read the condensation of God instead of the condescension of God and our teacher asked if that was like the sweat of God. He also said that large in stature might mean that he was a small Asian man that was buff. I also had my best and worse teaching experience this week. The best was awesome. I could feel the Spirit so strong and I actually talked more than my companion. The worst was my most humbling experience so far. We had no time to prep and we went on what we knew instead of by the Spirit and there was a big difference. We also did something as a class where we taught our teacher and when It was my turn I had the thought to ask him if he believed in God but I didn't say it because he was pretending to be a minister. When we finished he was telling us that we could have done better and he asked us if his person even believed in God. It made me a little frustrated with myself but it was a good learning experience.

We also had the coolest thing happen this week during our Sunday devotional. Before it started the MTC presidency said they wanted every missionary to watch The Character of Christ by Elder Bednar. Some of the missionaries were mad because they wanted to watch one of the other videos. After watching it they made the announcement that Elder and Sister Bednar were here and they would be answering questions we had. It was the coolest experience having an apostle of the Lord here to answer questions that we had. That's pretty much been my week. I will be going into the mission field on Monday which is also my P-Day there so we'll see if I get the chance to email then.

Elder Riches

Week One [August 1, 2017]

Hi everyone!

It has been a crazy first week here at the MTC. It feels like I've been here for a long time but my first day seems like yesterday. Even though my first day was my shortest, it feels like the longest. We were rushed though everything so fast that I didn't have time to rest until bedtime (I don't feel like I rested well even then). One funny story we had the first day. After meeting with our zone we went outside to have a zone prayer. They told us not to get lost and you'll never guess what happened...pretty much everyone got lost! We had a quick prayer with the group and went to bed since we didn't know what else to do. You know how I said Wednesday was the longest, Thursday was longer. We were pretty much in classes the whole day besides meals. We had our first teaching experience with someone named Andrew (who turned out to be our teacher) It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be so that was a relief. We ended Thursday with a district meeting. I think the best part about it was our branch president's wife is a church actress in my family's favorite church video (The John Tanner Story, she plays John Tanner's wife). 

After we got on our normal routine things seem to go by faster and the days blur together more. Sunday was weird but in a good way I guess. It feels weird that we have meetings in our classrooms instead of a church. We pretty much had something at all times of the day. The highlight of Sunday though was the video we watched at the end of the day. It was a talk by Elder Bednar called "The Character of Christ" and it is hands down the best talk I've ever heard. I don't know if it's online but if it is watch it. In it he mentions how we can become more like Christ and he also mentions that the best example for the natural man is Cookie Monster. Monday we taught our first (maybe) real investigators. I have to say it was a humbling experience. Our first one went pretty well (she said she felt the Spirit! Yay!) but our second one I felt was pretty sloppy. Her mom is against the church and she's worried that joining will ruin the relationship she has. I also have to find out for her if we can make it to the Celestial Kingdom if we don't except it in this life but do in the next. If any of you can help me with this let me know. Today has been pretty nice. We went to the temple and did laundry and stuff. I'm going to a devotional with one of the general authorities tonight so that's exciting. 

Anyway that about sums up my week. Thank you for all the love and support! I still miss everyone

-Elder Riches

P.S. My companion here is Elder Ujhely (YOU-Jelly) and my roomates are Elder Evans and Elder O'Dair and they're all fantastic