Week Fifty-three:  A Year, Already? [July 30, 2018]

Hi Everyone! 

I hit my year mark this last Thursday (July 26) It's crazy how fast the time has gone. It doesn't feel like I've been out a year. I don't think the feeling has really set in just yet. Anyway on with my week. 

Things have been picking up in this area. We were able to teach Debbie, who was previously being taught, the plan of salvation. It sounds like her husband was the one that missionaries talked with most, but he works out of town so she has a bit more of a chance to investigate herself. 

We taught someone named Crystal the restoration...mostly. As we were about to share the promise of the Book of Mormon and commit her to read it some people from the house said that they needed her help with something so we didn't get to finish . We also met with someone named Mayra and shared the plan of salvation with her. 

Thursday (my year mark) We had our interviews with President and he told me that I've come a long way over the year (which I don't see as much). We celebrated my year mark with the zone leaders by going to Subway for lunch. 

When we were going by some people on our list we met Hans Anderson, who let us in his house and we were able to talk to him for a bit. He seems like he could have a good amount of potential since he's already read the Book of Mormon and doesn't know how it could have come forth by any other means except by God. He also explained why he believes people from the middle east came to America a long time ago (interesting stuff). He did explain why he wouldn't join the church (for example he said he would have to change his name to Jack. I'll let you figure it out). 

When we were going by someone else yesterday we talked to a guy named Paul. He said he usually hides from us, but this time he decided to talk. We shared some of our beliefs with him and he said that he's actually curious to know more now! 

That's basically my week. Things are starting to pick up here and I think good things are on the horizon! 

Have a fantastic week as always! 

Elder Jason Riches

Week Fifty-two:  White-Wash [July 23, 2018]

Hi Everyone! 

This week has been pretty interesting. For starters I'm no longer in the San Louis Obispo zone/stake, which is where I've been since the end of January. I am back in the Santa Barbara zone which has been fun. 

Tuesday was transfer day. I said goodbye to a bunch of the missionaries that are going home (there were a lot including three of my companions) and then I came to my new area here in Lompoc with Elder Fenn. Both of us whitewashed in meaning that we're both new to the area. It's the first time this has happened to me and it's a pretty unusual feeling. 

This whole week has been trying by people here and there and trying to get to know everyone in the ward and people who were being taught. We were able to meet a fair amount of the active members and we were able to teach the restoration to the Shields family who are semi-active. We also met a guy named Waldo who was open to us coming and sharing a message with him. There are a few other people that were already on the list of people who we were able to set up appointments with so hopefully I'll have a little more to write about next week. 

One other fun thing that happened was the stake Pioneer day celebration. I got to see a few people from when I served in the Santa Barbara ward and I was happy that most of them remembered me. We also had the opportunity to share our testimonies in church yesterday. 

I don't really know what else to say. Keep us in your prayers and pray that this area will be able to flourish. 

Have an awesome week! 

Elder Jason Riches

Some more pictures from last week. 

1. The Felys (most of them) 

2. The Van Den Eikhofs

3. The McGinnises

4. Atascadero City Hall

Week Fifty-one:  Time to Say Good-bye to Atascadero [July 16, 2018]

Hi Everyone! 

I don't have a lot of time today so I'll have to make this week short. 

 Last P-Day we had a BBQ with our zone. We had to move to three different parks, because the first one had a homeless guy who wouldn't leave us alone and was being a little creepy with the sisters and the next park didn't have a grill. It was fun though being able to see the whole zone and have a good time with them. 

We had a really good talk with a less-active named Holly. She, and some of the people close to her have been having a really hard time as of late and when we gave her a plan of salvation pamphlet she was excited to read through it. 

Thursday was one of the craziest days of the mission so far. We did service in the morning helping a member pour some cement. During lunch we got word that there was a missionary that was going home early and they wanted to know if we could help with that. We then had to run to a lesson with Fred where we talked about the small and simple things. After Fred we went and helped out at the youth conference marking their luggage with their names and what group number they were in. We had dinner after that, went to a Bible study and then met with our ward mission leader. Dinner was really our only time that day to take things easy. 

We talked with Jackson's mom, Erica, Saturday morning. She says that the Mormon church isn't for her, but she does want to understand us better. We also briefly saw Mikaela and Jeff. 

That night we got our transfer calls. I will sadly be leaving Atascadero and going to Lompoc with Elder Fenn. Elder Mills will be staying and they will only be having one set of missionaries here now so he'll be pretty busy. Yesterday and today have been crazy with helping Elder Horman get ready to go home and trying to get everything done before I go. I don't expect to have any rest time until tomorrow night. I'm excited to see a new area, but I'll also miss the many people I've grown close to while I've been here. 

Hope you all have a great week! 

Elder Jason Riches

Pictures

1. The Bergmanns

2. The Richardsons 

3. The Kessengers 

4. Fred Cole

Week Fifty:  Hamburgers Again? [July 9, 2018]

Hi Everyone! 

First, Let me explain the title.  A good while ago I used the title "Week Six: Burgers Again!?!?" Because I was being fed burgers all the time. I felt it was appropriate to use the title again since I'm re-living the past. The past two weeks I've had a good amount of Hamburgers and I know that I'll be having at least two more before the transfer ends. It's getting a little annoying that this always happens when I try to be healthier. Anyway, on to my week

We did a lot of emergency service this week. We did everything from putting up a shed, tying re bar and hauling wheelbarrows of sand and dirt. 

We wern' t able to meet with Mikaela this week and unfortunately there is probably going to be some opposition. One of the times we tried by her neighbor came up to us and told us to never come back to her house and that street. We're being a little more careful going by now (not walking by his house and driving by to see if she's home first). We'll probably see if we can meet at the church or a member's house from now on. 

The Fourth of July was different as a missionary, but not all together bad. We had a ward breakfast in the morning and we were able to find good fellowship for Jackson (who we talked with briefly on Saturday). One of the young woman in the ward has known him since kindergarten and the rest of the family seems to know him pretty well. It just might be difficult to meet with him because his summer job is going to keep him super busy. We were also able to meet someone we've been trying to talk with for a while since it was his only day off! We also caught him right as he was about to leave for somewhere else so I definitely believe it was divine intervention. At our dinner that night we also read through the Declaration of Independence which was pretty cool. 

Fred's been doing good! Since the blessing he hasn't given into his addiction and has even turned it down when other people have offered it to him. The other exciting news was that we set him with a baptismal date for August 11!!! The biggest challenge now, assuming that he doesn't give into his addiction, will be his busy schedule. Even though we're trying to get him to come to a later church meeting other things have come up that have prevented him from coming. Keep him in your prayers that he'll be able to find some way to find the time to come to church. Also pray that he'll still have the strength to live the word of wisdom. 

We had the opportunity to go give a blessing to a less active who got bucked off a horse and broke a shoulder. The Spirit was really strong and I'm pretty sure he felt it too. 

We got to meet with Jeff this week as well. They're still really busy with things, but hopefully we will be able to meet with them more coming up. We did share a portion of President Nelson's talk on receiving personal revelation with him. I'd like to share what we read with you. 

"The Prophet Joseph Smith set a pattern for us to follow in resolving our questions. Drawn to the promise of James that if we lack wisdom we may ask of God, the boy Joseph took his question directly to Heavenly Father. He sought personal revelation, and his seeking opened this last dispensation.

"In like manner, what will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What do you feel an urgent need to know or understand? Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.

"Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”

"Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”

" You don’t have to wonder about what is true. You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust. Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true."

I hope all of you have a great week! 

Elder Jason Riches

Week Forty-nine [July 2, 2018]

Hi Everyone! 

This week didn't have a ton of significant things, but it was still good. 

I got to go on two exchanges this week (Wednesday and Thursday) with the Spanish missionaries. The first one was with Elder Haslam in his area. One fun thing was I got to stay in the same apartment that I lived in when I was in Templeton. It was also fun getting to know Elder Haslam better since we've served around each other a bit. One cool blessing we saw was as we were going by some Spanish people in our area we met one of the people who we've been trying to get in contact with since I first got here! His name is Eric, and we have an appointment with him later this evening. We also talked with one guy who basically tried to argue with us that we are going to hell because we believe in a works based salvation (I explained that we don't but he didn't listen). We also taught a part-member family that I remember from my time in Templeton. 

The next exchange was with Elder 'Anitony in our area. We were super busy the whole day and taught three lessons. We gave Fred a blessing to help him overcome his addiction. It was a really powerful experience and the Spirit was really strong. We read from Ether 12 afterwords and had a discussion on faith. Our next lesson was with Ginny who  has been meeting with missionaries off and on for a while. We were able to teach the plan of salvation with an emphasis on our life on earth to help her understand why baptism is essential. Our final lesson was with Brooke and Byron. We read from Ether 12 again and had a really good talk and what faith means to them. At the end we sang a hymn with them which really brought in the Spirit. Both of the exchanges were great experiences and I learned a lot from them. 

The rest of the week was pretty basic (stopping by people here and there). We were able to get to know some of the people who are interested a bit better. By the way, they updated Preach My Gospel and instead of calling people investigators and potential investigators they are now referred to as people being taught and people who are interested. There are a few other small changes here and there, but I haven't had the chance to look through everything yet. 

Hope everyone has a fantastic 4th of July!

Until next week, 

Elder Jason Riches