She's gonna do it!!!

She's gonna do it! Hermana Marañon decided that the 2nd that she wants to get baptized! And Brother Marañon is down for whenever! Your prayers are so strong. Yesterday after church they had the interview and we tried on clothes for them to wear for the baptism! And even cooler is that Elder Velàzquez is going to be commin too because Hermana Marañon said that she wants him to baptize her! It’s soooo sweet! And there soo happy about it. We went over to there house and they also gave us a Christmas present of chocolate which was sweet!(literally)
The whole branch is stoked about it and going to be going. And Sister Ortega said she is going to be making a cake for everyone to munch on afterwards.
it was sweet to talk with you guys on la Navidad and hear how things are going over there, I hope you all have a sweet new years! Our mission president wants that we be in the appt at 4pm on that day so we might do some extra studies and we might see if we can get the other elders to come over to play some risk or something later on... Elder Ika said he is going to be making cheese cake and his cheese cake is super delicious! He also makes teriyaki chicken and other delicious foods! so we are going to be having a great new years(after we finish planning anyways...)
tell all the family that I love them and I hope that they have good new years , and I am sorry its not a long letter but there isn’t much to tell, other than the super good news of the Marañon family!
Please keep them in your prayers though.
I love you all
Elder Richardson

PS I got the package and it was delicious, I shared the jerky with a bunch of ppl and they all wanted more but I then told them no cus the rest is mine! haha, jk...but not really...haha.
one of the bags of jerky went bad though...it got moldy and so that sucks...but the other 2 bags were good.
also thank you for the underarmor and the cd's...but I am not going to lie the Andy Mckee cd only had like 40 seconds of every song on it and Elder Goodman and I were listening to it and it was sooo good and then it would cut...that was tourture! haha.
and also thank you Grandma and Grandpa Robinson for the shirt, everyone at church calls me a rich boy because it was a fitted shirt and it has 2 buttons on the cuff and no chest pocket and so they all said that it was a rich mans shirt hahaha. but it fit good and is really nice, thank you for that and for the money, I love you guys, thank you so much.
I hope you all have a great new years!
-Elder Richardson

I'm not allowed to dance ...

I was able to get on for a lil bit more but seeing as we have not a p day today because of Christmas we have some appts and so I cant write you all a whole lot about the week but i can say it went fast!
Elder Ika is from Tonga, its tight, he is a good guy and has a heart of gold, he grew up in Tonga but has lived in the US for a few years and he lives in Oakland Califorina! (anyone remember the riots?...it was because the Tongans ate all the food that there was...haha jk) but yes it is true that Elder Ika eats more than Elder Velàzquez eats...that is a feat! but his parents are in Tonga for the holidays so that is why I still am not sure when I am going to be calling you because we don’t know how or when he is going to be calling his family over there.
It was a good week...saturday we had a Christmas party and it was sweet...and like hispanics always do after the dinner they had a dance and it was sweet cus we got the marañons to go and dance(Brother Marañon doesn’t like to dance but Ella does...) and so we pushed his shortness right out there in the middle of everyone and they ended up having a good time...there were a few people who asked me to dance (investigators) but I told her that we cant dance as missionaries...and Elder Ika came up to me telling me that they went to ask him if I could to make sure I wasn’t lying...haha...
The Ortega family brought 7 investigators to the Christmas dinner and it was sweet because one of the families they brought asked a bunch of questions...and were going to be planning with the Ortegas today to do a Secret Santa to one of the families because they’re in need (don’t send more money its already taken care of). Brother Marañon wants to get baptized the 26th but Sister Marañon isn’t sure she is here and there with the whole idea...she straight up confuses me...but I think its just the fact that she has been catholic for years and years and is a lil bit scared to change from that...but she loves church, she has learned a ton and is always the one who is reading...there studs. but that leap of faith is kickin her butt right now...but Brother Ortega has a plan! haha...at least he says he does...I don’t know what it is though...haha.
We’re workin hard and well talk to you soon but I g2g because we have an appt here in a few min. ill give you a call on your cell in the morning and let you know when were going to call. I love you guys tons and pray for you all.
tell Grandma Richardson I love her and grandpa too and that they have a merry Navidad!
love
Elder Richardson

One surprise and then another ...

Well...what I usually try to do is look through my planner at the last week and try to remember all the things that just happened...its kinda sucky beacuse I don’t have my planner right now...we got surprised this morning when Elder Goodman told us he needed a ride to the ZL's appt and that Elder Randall was going to be with us for the day,...the surprise didn’t end there because al come to the ZL's appt I found a certain Spaniard named Elder Santos there waiting for his companions for the day...us.
After a gianormous hug that about broke me in 2 we took off for the day...we started today at 530 in the morning! It’s pretty sweet to see this big ole lug Elder Santos again. We actually just have not really done a lot today but that is fine...its been relaxing.
Last week was a good week, we had an exchange with Elder Randall and I and Elder Goodman and Elder Valazquez went to Cumberland and for 2 days Randall and I knocked doors...and I realized how crappy it is sometimes to have 2 krackers knockin doors...no one answered...
idk if it was the fact that it was a unlucky day but all of a sudden I realized that I couldn’t do like we usually do which is put Elder Velazquez in front of the peep hole and me out of sight and when the hispanic person opens I jump out when they have already opened the door...haha that tricks them! but its fine cus were not immigration anyways...
so...2 days knocking and we had 2 return appts...(I don’t think it helped that Elder Randall had a big black coat on that made him look like secret service) it was cold and all we wanted was that someone would answer.
That is the bad news, but later we found out that Goodman and Velazquez didn’t have much better luck...so I don’t know what went on...
Anways, the Maranons are doing good...were still workin with them but they just have to act now...there ready and they know it but I dont think its completely hit them yet that they are ready...idk...sometimes at this point I just don’t know what to do, so we have just brought over a few members and had them share there testimonies...Brother Maranon just have a few doubts about himself he doesn’t have much spiritual confidence but he says that every time we go over he feels more and more like he can do it and go foreward...they have come such a long way! Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for you letters too!... I am not going to lie, seeing Anne all preggie and whatnot is just kinda weird...maybe not weird because she is a cute prego lady but...idk how to describe it...so ill just leave it with kinda weird. haha
I pray for Grandma and Grandpa and their health all the time...just tell them that for a small period of time there going to have to cut back for a lil while and then one day they’ll have new bodies that will do all the work they want!
I was thinking about it one day while we were tracting, God gives us a huge variety of life...energetic and powerful and spiritual we in this probation experience everything. Grandma and Grandpa right now should not get discouraged... I know grandma and I know that even with all the vim and vigor that my Grammie has sometimes life just does that to us and we get down about things. I know that I am no one to be giving advice and I am sure it’s not new but mainly a reminder that there is something to be learned in all states of life. Discouragement just distracts our mind from the lesson at hand. I love them a ton! But be careful please and don’t get discouraged, come what may, and love it!
That includes you dad, talk about hard worker...we know you totally are like grandpa and you work you tail end off always but don’t get down when your doing it...I love it and I can think of many times when its like the very crappist situ. ever and you get frustrated and then all of a sudden you just smile...that smile is KING! I thought of those times and how I need to do that more this last week when I was out tracting and it was cold and we were frozen and I just decided to smile.
I love you guys Tennessee is a great place year-round. Your prayers are felt and I appreciate them and need them. I pray for you all too because we all need that helping hand.
I hope you have a sweet week,
love
Elder Richardson