Jesus Cristo é nosso Salvador

So I´m almost out of training which is crazy and Elder Micheal Richins already hit is 6 month mark which is even crazier!! But anyway, my week was amazing! I went on splits on Tuesday, then had Zone Conference on Wednesday. And 7 people made it to church yesterday!! It was so exciting. Five of them were part of a family we found on Friday e eles são muito bom (and they are very good)! We went to pick them up for church and they were all waiting for us in their Sunday best (jeans and flip flops) and we all walked to church together. Another family we found last week apparently drove around looking for the church but never found it :(  Mas, vai dar certo (But it will work out)! Hopefully we can get them all to go to stake conference in Goiania next week. I am excited to see them progress!! I love this work and the change I see it make in people´s lives. The gospel of Jesus Christ is really only way to have true and lasting joy, and it is all possible because we have a Savior. I love my Savior and I love His gospel.

Conference is coming up quick and I am so excited!! I encourage you all to get spiritually prepared to hear from the Prophets and Apostles of God, its going to be a good one!!

Eu sei que Russell M. Nelson é um Profeta de Deus. Jesus Cristo é nosso Salvador e Ele ama cada um de nos. O evangelho é perfeito e eu sou grata por ele em minha vida. (I know that Russell M. Nelson is a Prophet of God. Jesus Christ is our Savior and He loves each of us. The gospel is perfect and I am grateful for it in my life.)

Have a great week everyone!! Love you all :))

No Robbery....YET!

So this week was full of awesome things. First, I had to go to Goiania twice this week because sister Love had meetings. On Tuesday, I got to spend my whole morning with Sister Christensen while our comps were in their meeting!! I didnt realize how much I missed her until I saw her!! (For those of you who dont remember, sister Christensen was my comp in the MTC). I havent talked to her at all since the MTC because its against the rules to email people in my same mission. But here's a quick update of what has happened in her life since we got to Goiania:

-99% chance she has Dengue 

-Her comp has been in the hospital for a couple days

-She got robbed last week

-Everyone in her house is dying but also they are chilling super hard doing the Lords Work anyway.

-She is pretty much fluent in portuguese 

I miss her a ton!!!

We visited Jerson, our recent convert this week and he told us a super cute story.  He was dropping his 2 kiddos off at their grandparents house and the 6 year old, Luis Gabriel started telling his grandparents all about how his older brother and dad got baptised. Then he said that when he turns 8 he wants to get baptised too!! it was so sweet.

Maria, one of our investigators, made it to church yesterday! She got lost so she was late, but she made it eventually which was a huge relief! She is our only progressing investigator right now, and she is kind of crazy but I love her.

Also, Jessica and her family told us they dont want to get baptized anymore, which literally broke my heart. They were all so excited to be baptised and they love the book of mormon and they were keeping all their commitments. Ugh, it was so sad because I love them all so much. 

Last thing, Sister Resquin and Sister Vargas (who live in the same house as me) got robbed 2 days ago! It was really funny because the theives took sister Vargas´s planner out of her hands because thats all she had, but then they gave it back. In the end all they took was the cheap little phone we have so all is well.

Anyway, sorry this email was so random! But all is well here in Brazil!! I am loving the mission, even though its hard. My Savior helps me with literally everything and because of him I can do hard things!! I hope you all have a great week!! Love you guys :)

CTM Video

Cutest Smile At The End! Love This Girl!

Pday at the Basilica and Stuff

Basilica

Basilica

View of my Area

Basilica

Once a Dancer, Always a Dancer! 

Our Branch Building

Font

Be Kind Anyway

Woah another week already went by!! The most exciting part of this week was splits on Wednesday. I was with Sister Resquin in my Area, and she got to the mission the same day I did so neither of us know how to speak Portuguese very well yet. She is from Paraguay :)  It was a great experience!! Come to find out, you dont have to know how to speak a language very well to teach people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ because the Holy Ghost does the teaching. Sister Resquin and I just had to bring the Spirit to the hearts of those we taught. Even though I cant say all the words I want to, the spirit tells those I teach all the things I cant. Thats how it is every day on the mish! Its really amazing!!

Sunday, none of our investigators made it to church, so that was dissapointing. But Jessica, Aldicilene, and David (their son) are really excited to get baptised though!! Jessica and Aldicilene are getting married as soon as possible so they can get baptised as a family hopefully next Saturday. I am so escited for them!! 

Before I go I just want to share a little Poem from last conference that has helped me a lot when people reject me and the good word of the Gospel:

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the world the best youve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God anyway.

I love you all so much!! Thanks for all the love and support! Have a great week!!

Sister Richins

BATISMOS!!!! (and carnival)

OI tudo mundo!! This week was amazing!! lets start off will a quick little story from a couple weeks ago. It was my first day in charge of the area map and i was SO lost haha, and I was trying to figure out where in the world I was and then BAM I stepped into a huge puddle. it was awesome.

Now for a much better story:  This week we found a family, a really good family. When we followed up with them, Jessica told us that she read the Book of Mormon and just cried. Then she said it was the best present she has every gotten... except for her son of course! that was really special, and she is awesome and I love her!

ALSO we had BATISMOS this saturday!! Man it was quite a journey with Jerson, but he got baptised and it felt soooo good.  I found Jerson on the street 3 weeks ago, and we have been teaching him every day since we taught him the first lesson! He and his son, Jerson Filho,got baptised together. On Sunday they were 15 minutes late to church though sooooo that was stressful. But all is well, they got the gift of the Holy Ghost at the end of sacrament meeting!

Also other crazy thing, tomorrow is my 3 MONTH mark!!! woah.

As you all know, this week is carnival so teaching is hard because no one is home and the people who are, are usually drunk so that is awesome.

This week I have learned a lot about depending on the Lord because I really can't do anything on my own. When I teach, the only way people understand me is because the spirit carries the gospel message to the hearts of those I teach, not my words. (3 nephi 33:1 i think)

Eu sei que Jesus Cristo é nosso Salvador e Redentor. Deus nós ama, e Ele sempre escuta as nossas orações. Eu amo o Evangelho do Jesus Cristo e O Plano de Salvação!!
(Translation- I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. God loves us, and He always listens to our prayers. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Plan of Salvation !!)

-sister Richins

PICS! if you wanna see more look on my blog!! haha love you all a ton!!

Gospel of Hope

So today was transfers and come to find out that I am staying in Trindade with Sister Love! That was a huge relief.

This week was tough, we had a lot of people who were not progressing, mas vai dar certo!! On Sunday we had 6 of our investigators come to church, it was an answer to prayers and honestly a miracle!! We have 3 pessoas scheduled for baptism this saturday, so hopefully it all works out!!

The thing I love about this gospel is that it is a Gospel of Hope. Through Jesus Christ we find healing and happiness. 

I love you all, and I hope you have a super week!! 

Also I just figured out how to send pictures so heres a few :)

My companion, Sister Love