Thursday, February 19, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Letter from Monday Feb. 16, 2009
......Things have improved a lot since my last letter. My companion and I are getting along very well, it's just taken me a little while to open up, but I'm my same old self again and things are great! We had an awesome weekend, we had three baptisms and next week we have one more, we're on fire!!!
I'm not able to write very much today because today isn't my p day, it has been switched to Wednesday this week so we can go to the temple. I don't think I'll be able to email then, but I will deffinately try to write a letter. ......I love everyone so very much and I miss you... just not enough to come home:) Tell everyone I'mm doing great because I am! Love You! Amanda
I'm not able to write very much today because today isn't my p day, it has been switched to Wednesday this week so we can go to the temple. I don't think I'll be able to email then, but I will deffinately try to write a letter. ......I love everyone so very much and I miss you... just not enough to come home:) Tell everyone I'mm doing great because I am! Love You! Amanda
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Ben has left the country!!
In case you didn't realize it or hadn't heard about it or even if you didn't care about it. Ben flew out of Atlanta this afternoon and should be in Moscow tomorrow around noon. If you call his cell phone you get the message "This is Ben, I've moved to Russia. Don't leave a message because I won't get it. If it is important, email me at dirtyorangemormon@hotmail.com ".
Due to misinformation, Ben didn't realize, until last Thursday, that the military would not store his car while he is in Russia. So, Shannon and I are flying to D.C. March 22nd (during spring break) and are driving his car back. It will give Shannon a chance to see some of Washington D.C. for a day and see alot of the rest of the country through the windshield for 5 long days. Hopefully by waiting to the end of March we will have better weather than Jordan and I had driving the Honda back from Chicago the first week in December.
Dad
Due to misinformation, Ben didn't realize, until last Thursday, that the military would not store his car while he is in Russia. So, Shannon and I are flying to D.C. March 22nd (during spring break) and are driving his car back. It will give Shannon a chance to see some of Washington D.C. for a day and see alot of the rest of the country through the windshield for 5 long days. Hopefully by waiting to the end of March we will have better weather than Jordan and I had driving the Honda back from Chicago the first week in December.
Dad
Today, the 10th, we received a letter from Amanda's Mission President, Stephen L. McConkie. (son of Bruce R.) Some quotes from this letter:
" We promise you that as the spirit of missionary work settles upon her, her experience here will be a highlight of her life. Proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ as a missionary is a special privilege reserved only for a select few. Sister Richards has been recommended as one worthy of such experience by her priesthood leaders and we are honored to have her serve in our mission..... We have spent several wonderful hours together discussing missionary work in our mission with her and believe she has all the potential in the world to be a most marvelous and dedicated servant of the Lord. The next few months will be a great transition time as Sister Richards adjusts to the rigors of missionary life and service. I urge you to join us as we pray for her success and happiness during this training period."
This warm letter came with a pretty cold form letter with the mail and phone policies of the Church and the Mission. I have quoted what I feel are the most important.
"DO NOT WRITE to missionaries at their apartment address because when they are transferred, their mail may not be forwarded properly. Send all mail to the Mission Office using the FULL NAME, as follows:
Sister Amanda Marie Richards
South Carolina Columbia Mission
1345 Garner Lane, Suite 307
Columbia, SC 29210
The mail is forwarded to the missionaries the same or the next day after it has been received in the office. We are aware at all times of the location of the missionaries.
If you send packages any other way than through the Postal Service, these packages cannot be forwarded. Any packages sent any other way must be held at the office until the next zone conference, which could be weeks.
Church policy permits missionaries to call home COLLECT on Christmas and Mother's Day. Please limit these calls to 40 minutes each."
Enclosed with this letter were 3 pictures taken on the day of her arrival in the mission field. I will try to post them as soon as possible.
Dad
" We promise you that as the spirit of missionary work settles upon her, her experience here will be a highlight of her life. Proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ as a missionary is a special privilege reserved only for a select few. Sister Richards has been recommended as one worthy of such experience by her priesthood leaders and we are honored to have her serve in our mission..... We have spent several wonderful hours together discussing missionary work in our mission with her and believe she has all the potential in the world to be a most marvelous and dedicated servant of the Lord. The next few months will be a great transition time as Sister Richards adjusts to the rigors of missionary life and service. I urge you to join us as we pray for her success and happiness during this training period."
This warm letter came with a pretty cold form letter with the mail and phone policies of the Church and the Mission. I have quoted what I feel are the most important.
"DO NOT WRITE to missionaries at their apartment address because when they are transferred, their mail may not be forwarded properly. Send all mail to the Mission Office using the FULL NAME, as follows:
Sister Amanda Marie Richards
South Carolina Columbia Mission
1345 Garner Lane, Suite 307
Columbia, SC 29210
The mail is forwarded to the missionaries the same or the next day after it has been received in the office. We are aware at all times of the location of the missionaries.
If you send packages any other way than through the Postal Service, these packages cannot be forwarded. Any packages sent any other way must be held at the office until the next zone conference, which could be weeks.
Church policy permits missionaries to call home COLLECT on Christmas and Mother's Day. Please limit these calls to 40 minutes each."
Enclosed with this letter were 3 pictures taken on the day of her arrival in the mission field. I will try to post them as soon as possible.
Dad
Letter from Monday, Feb 9, 2009
Hey! You are correct sir, today is my P-day! Thank you for your email. Well, I'm planning on being thin when I get home. Sister Temple my companion and I go running every morning at 6:30. This morning we did about 3 miles up and down hill (I though I would die!!!). So we run, and also my food intake has been cut in half. I have lost the desire for food. I think so far I've lost about 5 pounds, not much, but I'll get there :) You should let me be part of this biggest loser challenge you're having. I promise I won't lie, I'm a missionary now :)
This has been the HARDEST!!!! week ever! We got here about five on Monday and stayed at the mission home for two days. We got to go and see downtown Columbia, tour the statehouse, etc. They still have a Confederate flag flying out front by the way.... crazy, there's a lot of controversy about that around here.
On Wednesday I go assigned my companion and my area, as you might have guessed I'm serving with Sister Temple and we are in the West Columbia zone. It is soooo different here, it's like a never ending slum with the occasional nice house or two. I get creeped out at night and I always have a steady supply of hand sanitizer near by, although I've been told it doesn't help, it still makes me feel better :) I have had a big day today and because my companion keeps looking to see if I'm finished yet I will have to write it in a letter also because it is more spiritually sensitive and it is going to take me a while to write it.
Although it's been hard I love it! I was a lot scared to knock on doors at first, but now it's like second nature. I've only had the door slammed in my face once, it was a little old lady who said she was already saved and then commenced to slam the door in my face. I'm surprised she didn't call me a devil worshipper and tell me to burn in hell! I actually smiled as I walked away! The people here are pretty nice though,they most of the time tell us kindly that they are not interested, but we do meet lots of people to teach. On Saturday we have 3 baptisms and next Saturday only 1 so far, but we have 5 more who are on their way! The work is definitely moving forward here, this is one of the biggest baptizing missions in the country....it's the final frontier for the Church in the US. Know that I'm being well taken care of by all the members here. I love you all, I pray for you every day! I'm going to try and send home some pictures today with my letter.
Your daughter, sister and servant of Jesus Christ,
Sister Amanda M. Richards
This has been the HARDEST!!!! week ever! We got here about five on Monday and stayed at the mission home for two days. We got to go and see downtown Columbia, tour the statehouse, etc. They still have a Confederate flag flying out front by the way.... crazy, there's a lot of controversy about that around here.
On Wednesday I go assigned my companion and my area, as you might have guessed I'm serving with Sister Temple and we are in the West Columbia zone. It is soooo different here, it's like a never ending slum with the occasional nice house or two. I get creeped out at night and I always have a steady supply of hand sanitizer near by, although I've been told it doesn't help, it still makes me feel better :) I have had a big day today and because my companion keeps looking to see if I'm finished yet I will have to write it in a letter also because it is more spiritually sensitive and it is going to take me a while to write it.
Although it's been hard I love it! I was a lot scared to knock on doors at first, but now it's like second nature. I've only had the door slammed in my face once, it was a little old lady who said she was already saved and then commenced to slam the door in my face. I'm surprised she didn't call me a devil worshipper and tell me to burn in hell! I actually smiled as I walked away! The people here are pretty nice though,they most of the time tell us kindly that they are not interested, but we do meet lots of people to teach. On Saturday we have 3 baptisms and next Saturday only 1 so far, but we have 5 more who are on their way! The work is definitely moving forward here, this is one of the biggest baptizing missions in the country....it's the final frontier for the Church in the US. Know that I'm being well taken care of by all the members here. I love you all, I pray for you every day! I'm going to try and send home some pictures today with my letter.
Your daughter, sister and servant of Jesus Christ,
Sister Amanda M. Richards
I sent a short email explaining to Amanda that we as a family had embarked on a weight loss contest based on BMI (Body Mass Index) and that the prize would be $25 cash each month. Weigh ins are to be held the 1st of each month. I had also predicted that Monday would be her P-day since we had not heard from her since Monday morning when she called from the airport. You would think that she had been gone for months, not 2 1/2 weeks.
I have resumed transcribing her emails primarily due to my editing of certain parts deemed personal or financial in nature. The lack of capitalization, punctuation and spell check didn't help much either. I realize that she has only so much time alotted for sending mail and taking the time to fix typos etc. is a waste of that precious time.
Dad
I have resumed transcribing her emails primarily due to my editing of certain parts deemed personal or financial in nature. The lack of capitalization, punctuation and spell check didn't help much either. I realize that she has only so much time alotted for sending mail and taking the time to fix typos etc. is a waste of that precious time.
Dad
letter from Thursday, Jan 29, 2009
Good news! I fly out to South Carolina on Monday, I leave the MTC at four in the morning so I have from when we get to the airport till when we board to make a phone call.....I'm calling home in case you were wondering. It will probably be somewhere just after six in the morning.
Its going very well here, I'm having a great time, I'm learning a lot, it amazes me how much there is to know about the gospel. Right now we're working on the second lesson which is the Plan of Salvation... I love it! I'm so sad that I'm leaving so soon, just when I get used to being here. I've met and made friends with so many amazing people and it breaks my heart to think that I'm going to have to leave them here in a few days. I have become very close to the other Sisters in my district, we're like sisters, we even have a very bad habit of staying up way past lights out just talking in each others rooms, I know naughty! It's amazing how close you can grow to a person you've only known for two weeks, I guess when you spend all day every day with them it makes up for all the lost time you spend with all your other friends you've known for years. Thats what it feels like, it feels like we've been best friends for years, we all know each others deepest darkest secrets:) Thank you for your letters I wish I could get more, they make such a difference in my day, I always love to hear what happening at home! It's nice to hear that you're taking turns making dinner, I wish I could cook here, it is nice not to have to cook but the food here is going to kill me or someone else! They feed us every four hours and then send us back to class to sit down so we all get bloated and have really bad gas every day! My goodness! Because of this I have learned to cut my meal portions in half, in doing so and in combination with gym I've lost a few pounds! I feel great! I've gotten used to waking up at 6:30 it's really not as hard as I though it would be, but it does get a little frustrating because I normally wake up to the sound of hair dryers instead of my alarm. My companion wakes up every morning at 5:30 to get ready, so by the time she starts on her hair it's time to get up. I then walk to the bathroom where there are about 35 other sisters drying their hair as well!!!!
I love you all so much and can't wait to hear your voices on Monday, I'm soooo exicited! Make sure and have everyone up so I can say Hi! I don't know how everyone has been coping while I'm gone, but just know that I'm praying for you every night. I know that this is the true Church of Jesus christ, I know he loves us all no matter what. I know that going on a mission is what Heavenly Father wanted for me even though he knew it would be the hardest decision I would ever have to make. I love this Gospel and I love learning more about it every day. I know that because of our Saviors atonement we have the opportunity to repent of our sins and live together as a family for eternity in His presence. I love you all and I want to start hearing from all of you more often.
Love, Sister Amanda M. Richards
Its going very well here, I'm having a great time, I'm learning a lot, it amazes me how much there is to know about the gospel. Right now we're working on the second lesson which is the Plan of Salvation... I love it! I'm so sad that I'm leaving so soon, just when I get used to being here. I've met and made friends with so many amazing people and it breaks my heart to think that I'm going to have to leave them here in a few days. I have become very close to the other Sisters in my district, we're like sisters, we even have a very bad habit of staying up way past lights out just talking in each others rooms, I know naughty! It's amazing how close you can grow to a person you've only known for two weeks, I guess when you spend all day every day with them it makes up for all the lost time you spend with all your other friends you've known for years. Thats what it feels like, it feels like we've been best friends for years, we all know each others deepest darkest secrets:) Thank you for your letters I wish I could get more, they make such a difference in my day, I always love to hear what happening at home! It's nice to hear that you're taking turns making dinner, I wish I could cook here, it is nice not to have to cook but the food here is going to kill me or someone else! They feed us every four hours and then send us back to class to sit down so we all get bloated and have really bad gas every day! My goodness! Because of this I have learned to cut my meal portions in half, in doing so and in combination with gym I've lost a few pounds! I feel great! I've gotten used to waking up at 6:30 it's really not as hard as I though it would be, but it does get a little frustrating because I normally wake up to the sound of hair dryers instead of my alarm. My companion wakes up every morning at 5:30 to get ready, so by the time she starts on her hair it's time to get up. I then walk to the bathroom where there are about 35 other sisters drying their hair as well!!!!
I love you all so much and can't wait to hear your voices on Monday, I'm soooo exicited! Make sure and have everyone up so I can say Hi! I don't know how everyone has been coping while I'm gone, but just know that I'm praying for you every night. I know that this is the true Church of Jesus christ, I know he loves us all no matter what. I know that going on a mission is what Heavenly Father wanted for me even though he knew it would be the hardest decision I would ever have to make. I love this Gospel and I love learning more about it every day. I know that because of our Saviors atonement we have the opportunity to repent of our sins and live together as a family for eternity in His presence. I love you all and I want to start hearing from all of you more often.
Love, Sister Amanda M. Richards
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