email from 03/02/09

Things here are going pretty well, we have been having problems with our teaching pool, they've all been getting baptized so it’s been depleting, the other problem is finding new investigators. This past week we only found 7, our goal is always 14 :( This weekend we were supposed to baptize Linda Walker, she's been an investigator since November, anyways she canceled the morning of, but luckily she's still came to church yesterday. I'm sure some day she'll get baptized. Her main hang-up is that she was baptized into some other church in 1991 and doesn't see why she needs to be baptized again. This is a pretty common problem here in the south, the other one, which really drives me crazy, is exaltation. People just don't understand the fact that we have the opportunity to become like God, they think we mean that they will become God, and then they're always like, "Well I only have one God!" Not that we are going to be God, I just don't see how they don't get it, we are his children and as such we have the right to gain all that he has, they don't understand that. Oh, well. No more problems with feeling the need to come home, just so you know. Something that really comforts me is the song "Lead Kindly Light", I listen to it all the time or when I start to feel down I hum it. There is a part in the first verse where it says… the night is dark and I am far from home, lead thou me on... anyways, it helps none the less. The weather here is crazy! A few weeks ago it was 70 and nice, then it has been in the low 50's for the past two weeks, and then day before yesterday it started to rain, it’s been almost non stop! I was raining in sheets Saturday night while we were on our way back to the apartment and I could barely see out the windshield, last night we were out contacting in a Wal-Mart parking lot about 8:00 and it was misting! Needless to say my hair is a constant ball of messy curls and I hate it! It was supposed to snow last night...5-6 inches... I woke up this morning and to my surprise... no snow :) What was really funny about the whole thing was that they already canceled school last night :) The south just shuts down in the cold, for church yesterday it seemed like half the congregation was missing. So, how are things there? How is everyone doing? Molly? I wish i would get more letters from ya’ll, e-mails are nice, but letters are always more personal, some pictures from the grandkids would be very nice! I'm sure ya’ll have not forgotten me but some days it does seem like it. I'm going to try and buy a voice recorder, there’s this cool one my companion has by Sony where it doesn't have tapes but it holds hours of storage, maybe I’ll invest, it would be nice to hear everyone’s voices. Did anyone bear their testimonies yesterday? If not it’s okay, I myself didn't even get a chance. Maybe next time? Well, I have to go; I love you all so much! I love Ya'll! WRITE ME!!!
Sister Richards