Good Morning!

It's a beautiful morning here in Scottsdale. I'm sitting on the back porch right now at the mission home just typing away my emails on my iPad, it's so slow but what can I do? The sunshine is so nice and it's so warm already this morning! I think I need to move to the shade. I'm in the valley because Sister Jones and I are participating in the missionary choir that will be performing at a musical fireside next Sunday. We came down the mountain with some other missionaries yesterday and had choir practice last night. We arrived in Mesa very early and didn't know what to do. One of the sisters that came down is my "granddaughter" she was trained by Sister Pazmino and she and I were dying to go visit people and president said we could. So we went to the YSA Ward just as they were getting out of church and got to see people. It was so fun and good to see old friends and bishopric. They were all so shocked to see me, it was great ️

This past week was so incredible. We have had some really good lessons and we have been so busy because we are planning TWO BAPTISMS! Ryland and the Furbush family will be getting baptized this upcoming Saturday 

Words can't describe how excited, happy, and blessed I feel. My mission dream was to find a family and we did and I've taught them from the beginning, and this weekend they're going to enter the waters of baptism. They are so excited! It has been such a blessing to watch them grow in the gospel. Their progress in these last few months has been incredible. They have overcome so many trials and just keep pushing forward. I know that the adversary has really tried to halt their progress and they haven't let him. 

This is the first baptism this Ward has had in quite a few years and the members are being so supportive and willing to help! It's just so wonderful to see.

Like Alma and the other missionaries this is our prayer: 

Alma 31: 

34 O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.

35 Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee.

I hope in the next few weeks we can continue to find people to bring to Christ. I know we are bringing them again to the Lord. Like President Boyd K. Packer said, “It is important for a … missionary … to know that the Holy Ghost can work through the Light of Christ. A teacher of gospel truths is not planting something foreign or even new into an adult or a child. Rather, the missionary or teacher is making contact with the Spirit of Christ already there. The gospel will have a familiar ‘ring’ to them”." I know that we are not teaching anything new to these sons and daughters of God but connecting them to what they already knew! 

I am loving every minute of being a missionary. I know that I'm helping people remember why they chose to come to earth and what their purpose is here. I know that living the gospel, receiving the necessary ordinances and keeping those covenants will take us back to living with our Heavenly Father. 

I know the church is true! I hope this week is slower than last! Love you all!

-Sister Richards

Us Taylor sisters in our Valentine's Day Sunday best 😊❤️💗

My Mesa friends!