Week 6 Industrial

Well another week behind me family. Like always every week brings a new set of funny/weird stories haha. This past week was awesome! On Wed. we had the Baptism of this sweet little old lady whose life has just fallen apart. She has no money for food and her kids want nothing to do with her. She told us after her Bautismo that this is the first time in years that she has felt peace in her life. So the funny part of that day is that Elder Fuentes and I spent the whole day trying to heat the water for the font, because she made it very clear she would not be baptised in cold water. Unfortunately both wards lost the key to the boiler, so we weren't able to use that. So we spent hours with our little electro stick thing( that we use to heat our buckets for showers ) filling up buckets of hot water and pouring them into the font. It did pretty much nothing ha. Because shes so old and frail both me and Elder Fuentes were in the water with her. It took three times! to get her to go all the way under. The first time she went under up to like her cheeks ha. the second time everything was under but Elder Fuentes forgot he was holding her hand. But ya know what they say, third times the charm. The water was ice cold and we felt really bad about everything so we took her some dinner after. Even after all that she was so happy with her choice to be baptised. Amazing lady. The next day we were in a lesson with the poorest family i've seen here. they just have absolutely nothing. The lady offered me and Elder Fuentes this drink that she had made for us, so we couldn't turn her down. We told her we'd have a tiny glass. she came out with these giant full glasses of this weird green liquid. I took 1 sip and just about threw up ha. it was the consistency of snot and tasted awful!!! I took a few more sips but i just knew i couldn't. I looked at Elder Fuentes and he looked like he wanted to die ha. Thats when i decided to teach about prayer and told the family to go in their backyard to find 2 special prayer rocks. When they left, we scrambled through their house, found a plastic bag, and dumped both our glasses in it, then the bag of snot drink into my bag. So that was pretty funny/terrible... I have many more stories to share, but do not have time today. Life's definitely crazy down here. The spicy food is killing me like always, but i'm doing well like always! Today i got a new comp named Elder Galindo. He's awesome! Also ive decided that Mexico is not made for tall people. Im always hitting my head on doors and lights haha. Oh the joys. Keep making good choices and reading in the scriptures. I can promise all of you that that is the way to real joy and happiness. I love and miss you all with all my heart! Have a great week!!

Mucho Amor
Elder Richardson

New Companion - Elder Galindo!

Baptism of Juanita

Week 5 Industrial

Another great week here in the grand city of Gomez Palacio! I´ve decided that living in Mexico is like living 15 to 20 years in the past. At least ha. All the cars and buses are from the 70´s or 80´s for the most part. Old American rock is what everyone loves here, Everyone wears crocs.. Ive always wondered how crocs havent gone bankrupt. Now i know... Mexico is just a funny place ha. Especially here i think. Its so close to America that everyone wears clothes with places from America. Name a College or a National Park, and im betting ive seen someone wearing something from there... Also this place is just full of cowboys. Good old Mexican Cowboys. Also this makes the language quite hard, because they all speak with a southern accent. Its very hard to understand them ha... They just add these weird endings to all their words. Its awful ha, but also funny. This last week was really good! met lots of new people who are very accepting to the Gospel. Theres this one little lady named Juanita that must be 80 years old that we started teaching this week. Half way through our lesson we just heard these screams of rage coming from this little room in the corner of her house. She then went on to explain that her son has been locked in that  room for 15 years because i guess when they let him out he just attacks people and tries to kill people. She said he cant talk and that hes got serious problems. ( Obviously ). so yeah, she just puts a tray of food under the door 3 times a day. So that was a little scary. I felt like i was in a horror story. So that was fun. Had a very spiritual experience this week. Me and Elder Fuentes were heading to an appointment with a family in one of the less safe areas of town. While walking i got a very strong impression to stop walking and turn around. which is what i did ha. Even tho Elder Fuentes was not happy with me. The next day when we talked to the family they started telling us about these guys in the street last night doing drugs and beating eachother up in the street... I know that the lord is keeping me safe and im very grateful to have the holy ghost with me always. Its truly an amazing blessing im my life. I see miracles in my life everyweek like this one. My testimony has grown more then you can even imagine in just 2 months. Especiallly of the Prophet jose smith. I have a picture of him in Liberty Jail on my desk, and every time i look at it, it gives me the confidence i need for the day. He had such a hard life and so many trial and afflictions. Mine are small compared to his.. good week this week! bautismo next week i think! lots going on. I love you all and miss you all. youre all in my prayers!!! keep making good choices!!! till next week!

Elder Richardson

KFC! me and Elder Squire were quite happy ha.

 Sorry just pics of me in the street this week... not much else to take pictures of ha...

Week 4 Industrial

This week has been very good, and also very hard. Its been a week of very little success but we are just chugging along. lots of teaching and tracting but no one wanted us this week. Yesterday we were in a lesson with a lady and we were teaching her about Joseph Smith, and she just lost it ha. She kept saying that we were of the devil and all this nonsense. Then she grabbed her broom and chased us out the door... People here are definitely different ha. Friday we had splits again, and this time I stayed in our area and Elder Robbles came to Industrial. That was very hard ha. I just kept blanking where everyone lived and where our members lived. But because of that we found a lot of new Investigators. Friday was La Dia De Reyes here in Mexico. I had people explain to me what it is like 10 times but honestly i have no idea ha. All I know is that night we ate this weird thing called a Rosca which was pretty much just sweet bread ha. Then there's a baby Jesus toy thing inside the Rosca and whoever gets it has to buy tamales in Feb. Of course it was in mine, so i'm now in charge of Tamales for a family on the 2nd of Feb. We had a Ward Council meeting this week and i learned from the Bishop that we have 642 members in our ward but only 60 to 100 are active. I was shocked when i heard that. Basically half of my area is members ha... Lots of work to be done here. Our ward is good for the most part. Lots of strong funny families that think i sound and look hilarious ha. One family is convinced that i'm blind because of my eye color.. no sé... Mexico is a strange place thats for sure. This week the food also killed me ha. I did not know food could be so spicy. I have no idea why they like spice so much.... its just pain to me ha. I got pee´d on by a dog this week... that was great. all the dogs here are on the roof and love to pee off the houses into the street. wrong place at the wrong time ha... gotta love it. This week i learned a lot about preparing for the sacrament before Sunday. There is power in preparing before hand and praying for what you need help with through out the week. I found that as i do this i grow closer to our Savior every sunday. Its truly a blessing to partake of the sacrament... All is good down here in the great city of Torreón! know how much i love and miss all of you! Im trying my best like always and i know that the Lord will do the rest! have a great week this week yáll! Keep making good choices and trust in the Lord! Till next week

Love Elder Richardson

Our New House (Kyle mentioned this one had a real shower rather than a bucket with an electric "wand" to heat the bucket  :)

Dia De Los Reyes "Rosca", Notice the little Baby Jesus to the right on the plate

Local Park in my area

Week 3 - Industrial

Hey all! I hope you all had a great and amazing new years! This was a fast and action packed week! Tuesday I had splits with Elder Squire. ( Hes from Filmore Utah) Very fun to talk to someone in English ha. While out with him we got lost and knocked on a door to ask for directions. This old little mexican man answered the door and then proceeded to help us for the next 2 hours. As it turns out hes an inactive member who loves the gospel. He even wanted to tract a little bit with us and he shared a powerful testimony with everyone we talked to. I love how friendly and kind the Mexican people are. 

Thursday there was a meeting at the mission office for all DL and ZLs. While they were in their meeting the rest of us went out tracting in that area...  so it was me and two other little fresh gringos that were in the ccm with me. It was very hard, and we had many people get frustrated with us and slam the door ha... we tried our best. 

Friday we went out to a ranch to be witnesses for the wedding of Margarita and Osvaldo. They have been an investigator of ours for the past two months and only needed to get married to be baptised. So I guess the church paid for their wedding which was very different. Their wedding was in this small dark shack in the middle of nowhere. I felt kinda bad also because the bride had to ride in the back of a pick up truck to her wedding... But they are very happy!

Saturday was their Baptism!!! It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. They were so happy for this opportunity to be baptized! I was able to baptize Osvaldo. Also i guess they dont every clean the fonts here in mexico. they were filling up the font with dirty black water... I made them drain it, and i spent two hours cleaning it haha... Saturday was by far my favorite day of my mission...

New Years Eve was crazy here in Mexico. I woke up at midnight to tons of gunshots outside our house. When I looked out my window i saw 4 or 5 drunk guys just shooting their guns up in the air... I guess its a tradition here in Mexico for every holiday, well and every other day of the year ha. They sure love their fiestas here in mexico...

Overall it was another great week here in Torreón! I love and miss you all with all my heart! keep making good choices! not much time this week... sorry about that...till next week!

Love 

Elder Richardson

 Margarita and Osvaldo. I baptised Osvaldo.

​Wedding of Margarita and Osvaldo the day before their baptism. Also those are my zone leaders on the right.

Sports activity today!