Sister Caroline Richards: Week 42: HAPPY NEW YEAR

Sup fam!

This week was good. A lot of good things are happening this side and the rain is making everything interesting, as usual. We were able to witness the baptisms of Tichaona and Biggie this week and it was so awesome! They were so happy and so ready and it was all just so great. We had a couple investigators show up SO INCREDIBLY DRUNK to sacrament meeting yesterday (happy new year, amirite), we are preparing some really great people for baptism, and I got to go on exchanges to Mabvuku! (ALSO I go home this year, HAPPY 2017!)

Remember Brother David from Mabvuku, THE most hysterical person I have ever met that doesn't have front teeth? Well I got to see him this week and it was so great! I totally gave him fire about his word of wisdom deal again to which he said, "Sister Richards, please don't go away again. If I miss you, I'm missing a good friend because you always advise me not to smoke." I seriously almost cried. I LOVE THAT MAN. I hope he gets things figured out with the new missionaries. Missing a good friend wow thanks for making me cry, David.

So I had a really nice experience in the area. This week, I've started praying specifically that I'll be able to use what I used in my personal study each morning in lessons every day. I've been seeing miracles! Every single day, investigators have asked me questions, and I've been able to open up to the passages that I have studied THAT morning. What! The spirit is so inspired and knows exactly what we need to study and exactly our investigators need. The missionary schedule is so inspired (although I'm pumped to not have to wake up at 6:30 every day forever) and if you follow it then you are seriously blessed!

My New Year's resolution comes from a scripture in the New Testament found in the first book of James. "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath." Let each of us choose to be a little bit more kind, lend more of a listening ear, be slow to complain, and think carefully about what we say to our brothers and sisters. Happy New Year!!!

Love, Sister Richards