With the Lord's Help ... What a Week!

hey family
this last week was super super good and pretty dang crappy...but all in all i think it levels out to be a pretty sweet one.
it actually started off with ...PDAY...but that's not the point...
on tuesday went to Themis's house(pervuiana) with brother Allen(stud) and it was super sweet...we went over there with the ganas to teach the book of mormon to her and when we got over there and we started talkin, she told us about a dream that she had and she started it off with the fact that it was a beautiful dream and she feel really really good when she had it and it is the only dream she has ever had like it before in her life...and then she said how it didn't make alot of sense to her what the things in it mean but she liked it...then she went on about her dream, she had fallen asleep on the couch and in her dream 2 ppl walked in her door and it was a marriage group...like a mom and dad or like husband and wife....(crap i cant think of that word) it was 2 married people...anyways, they walk in the door and there was alot of light shining in and the were dressed all in white. they then sat on her couch and the husband pointed to the wife and told Themis that she(Themis) needs to pray for her(the wife) and in that moment she opened her eyes and found herself with the book of mormon in her hands.
she told us that she doesn't know what it means but she said that she thinks it means that this is the right church.
when she was talkin about the dream i had a strong feeling come over me that it was a special dream for her and after she finished i felt like i knew what it was about. the spirit was sooo strong and we had yet to start teaching. as we started we taught her exactly what was the book of mormon and we read the introduction and it was truly awesome the spirit that all of us felt when we read the promise that god gives us when we pray that we will receive an answer from him of the truth of the book. Themis was sooo soo excited and so happy of everything and we asked her to read and pray about the book of mormon.
Themis and her 2 daughters now have a bap date for the 7 of march.
there were soo many other experiences that happened last week but i wanted to tell you guys about that one and one other about Jose and what has been going on in his life.
his wife has left him and because of that and work we haven't been able to see him like we need to but he is such a stud that he is still going foreward. we are going to be moving his date to the 28 because he needs some time and needs to quit smoking(the stress of the recent events haven't helped that prob) but he is such a awesome guy that with all the heck that satan is throwing at him he is still whoopin some trash, and its cus he is doing more and more the things that he knows are right and he is getting help to conquer them. but we had a sweet time last sunday because Brother Deere(producer of a bunch of bands) and the band Due West(mom check them out) and Brother Trueman(from Diamond Rio) all put on a fireside and the Nashville Tribute band did some songs from the Joseph album and the Trek album and we took Jose and Jose loved it. it was super awesome because (I don't know if you have heard the discs but they're good) but everyone loved it and Jose got the chance to relax and listen to country music that he likes alot and feel the spirit of peace for a night after a week of heck.
please keep Jose and Themis in your prayers and their families. Always when someone is doing good they get hit by a ton of bad to try to distract or take them off the path. I know the Lord wants them to have peace and joy and all the blessings he can give them, keep them in your prayers.
i love you guys tons!
thank you for all the help you give us out here! and I am keepin you all in my prayers.
love
elder richardson

PS for p day were going to be going to find ryan scheklers house because he lives over here and a member is a good friend of his family.
oh and mom i heard Dan Trueman play one more day by Diamond Rio ...i though you might like to know that.

Another Baptism!

hey family
franklin is doing pretty sweet...the week went by super quick. thank you all of you guys that sent stuff...i really cant tell you how much it ment to me. all you guys are soo dang awsome and iam really thankful for it, you are all a blessing to me and my life.
like i said franklin is doing good... jose melendez has a baptizimal date for the 21st of feburary! it was a pretty funny lesson beacuse we were on exchanges with our mission leder(bro lawless) and he was super super tired so he kept falling asleepish during the lesson...it made jose smile though and all was good, it was a super good time and there was alot of spirit there.
but with all good the bad attacks just as hard as it can, i really cant say much but please keep jose in your prayers, he is a good good man and he really needs them.
the others are doing good too, the peruvian family is doing good, but her husband got a super bad stomach virus on friday and there were in the hospital all friday until saturday night...but themis and her girls came to church on sunday so that was super good...
also kevin and orlando(the hondurianans) are doing super good, we had a sweet lesson with them and another guy too from another church (he lives with them) and he was really aginst joining the lesson for a lil bit but then we just testified of christ and he sat down and started listening...we read outloud the proclmacion to the world and jesus the christ and everyone really really liked them and there was a good good spirit there. but when sunday came so they couldent go to church beacuse the mexicans that they live with (upstairs) went out for the day and gave the hondurianians(basement) there kids to watch...
we had a good week though, we went to see a lot of inactivos and recent conversos and see how they are all doin and we had some really good lessons with them...
the lord is soo sooo merciful, i really cant explain to you how much so, he really blesses us sooo sooo much and we really arnt even close to what we should be for all of thoes blessings. the area is doing really good and life is good... as with all things always the adversary wants to "echar la zancadilla" and cause problems but the lord always wins...beacuse christ already defeted him in all ways.
i really have come to know...sooo very much more about my savior, jesus of nazarath is the christ, the imortal son of god. his power is so surly felt for thoes who turn to him. i love him. he is our savior. i work, and i pray that i might learn ever so much more of him and grow or become that much more closer to him.
i love you family, be safe, change alot, and please strive to be closer to the savior always.
love,
elder richardson

A Super Good Week ... lots of investigators!

well...new news...
we had a super good week this week, we worked our butts off and we found a bunch of super awesome ppl and we had more investigators at church this week than Franklin has ever had before. we have one family from peru of 3 and a group of brothers from Hondurous and a 2 mexicans and it was super sweet! when we came to church with all the investigators it pulled everyone's eyes towards us, because the sacrament is translated and we go with the english ppl and we walked in and the spanish members were super excited(especially Jesus Cazares a new convert of 6 mo. who is probably one day going to be branch prez.) and then all the english ppl were lookin at us too because we 1. arrived on time and 2. there was a bunch of us walkin in! haha
i am not going to lie though...elder Burrnett was translating and i was down with the investigators and I was on pins and needles because we had 2x the investigators as members and i couldn't sit by them and help them feel comfy and whatnot and i was soo nervous but then it was sooo awesome beacuse the family from peru (Gallardo, mom and 2 daughters) had had bad experiences at church before and so i really was hoping they would have a good one here and a girl stood up to bear her testimony and it was soooooo awesome because it was perfectly the things that the Gallardo family needed to know...and in that moment i felt the spirit super strong and almost felt the words said to me " don't you worry, they are in my hands now"
it was sooo sweet. and in this moment the members kinda paired up with the investigators and i was talkin with the honduranian and the spirit too care of everyone! it was soo sweet all the stress i had left quick and the spirit was so strong that all the investigators left telling us they would come back! haha!
other than that we brock [I think that is just a Freudian slip of Josh's ... he probably meant broke ... but Brock works mighty hard, so therein lies the slip] in our shoes real well tracting tons and tons and we found alot of ppl that were going to teach or have (by this time) ya taught.
please keep in your prayers Ramiro, Kevin, Themis and her family and Sergio. they are all very very awesome investigators that really need your prayers. they all are fighting the world right now and really need the extra help that they can get.
i love you guys and i hope you all had a sweet week! i stinkin loved the package ! it was super sweet except for the fact that Jesus Cazeres ate 3 of my cordial cherries and i about scissor kicked him in the ole' melon for that one~! i love the shirts and pants and i am going to not wear the shirts but to conferences and church only so that they stay white! haha.
also the tape was awesome! there is so much i want to write back to you guys about the tape but i cant...cus there isn't enough time!
mainly this though....
bubba...don't stop,or let up, or not have fun....wrestling is made so that you can learn and have fun and get better...so that means if you think your good enough, ya aren't, but only because you can get better...and if you aren't havin fun, start, cus its not about being bored or not liking it...go and smile and learn and smile and learn and kick sum butt dude! cauwabunga!
and also, try the dollar store because i can still hear the country music on the re-taped over tape haha.
and dad...your starting to sound EXACTLY like grandpa on the tape...your voice is sooo much like his i am shocked.
and i think one of the coolest parts of the tape was hearing mom wash the dishes and talk...it really doesn't matter what is said on a tape but more just saying something..even if it is when your doing dishes hahaha
and also it made me laugh hearing the part that was recorded almost a year ago and hearing michell and ashlyn tryin to talk over bro and sis krohn. and hearing lil kindra use the talents that i taught her! hahahaha

i love you guys tons,
"stay classy"
elder j richardson

Getting Settled in Winsted Hill

hey que onda?
its elder richardson writing and just to clarify a bunch of things first, i am not in clarksville anymore...it sucks rocks. it was hecka odd leaving there for a while cus i kept thinking (when i was here) that i was going to be going back...
iam still here...
franklin is cool though, its defintly alot differnt than clakrsville beacuse there are a TON more hispanics here, thats a cool part.
but just to let you know iam not a goodwill missionary(well...kinda)..
but i need nothing in particular...no new suits,ties,belts, shirts, socks... iam good to go. so dont you worry you lil self... the only think ve about destroied is my shoes...thoes sketchers are right dun' gawn fixed. but dont worry about that either cus i (without going to the bank account) have the money to get some new ones. we have made a great discovery of a store with nice shoes but low prices and i got sent some money for x mas from aunt and uncle brurrud that i can get them with.
also. my new address is:
541 n. petway street #301
franklin TN
37064
anyways, just so you know the group leader for clarksville returned from mexico so he is up there now and the new elder (elder wagstaff) will be his first councler to help him out with the whatnots and so on.
also i really dong know what to tell you about franklin...my comp's name is elder burnett and he is a stud he is (unfortunally) another U fan...but i do feel like god has a reason for putting me with so many U fans...so i figure ill just be one myself and join the big red!
NOT!!! hahahaha
(if you believed that for a sec....your not to smart)
anyways , if you also didnt figure, my comp is from Utah...sandy ut to be specific and he is actually best friends with one of the guys who was in knaras and my district in the MTC (elder cavanas, servinging in the tri cities mission WA) so that is cool.
the last week has been a blur and i have meet about 400 new ppl and iam just trying to sort out everything. anyways...even thought franklin is hecka rich(and it is)...we dont go there... so ... iam going to have to recrute a p day crew to go and find faith hill some monday for you guys.
anyways, something cool is that in this area there are also a TON of brazilanos and iam going to see if i can find one from the belo horizante area...even though its 2 differnt languages if they speak slow and not so funny sounding we can understand each uther.haha.
but yea...also a member here was makin a lil fun of my acent in spanish and he said that i sound like his friend that is from uruguay...haha i thought that was funny.
dad, i know how you feel. its weird, but
"whom the lord calls he qualifys"
also, knaras had his birthday on the 17th and the ZL's told me i could call him and wake him up at 6:30 in the morning, that man is a stud and like a brother too.
tell tylan iam praying for that man super tons, along with jordan...they are seriously my heros. there soo dang good that satan is trying to really take them out with tons and tons of problems. i love thoes guys, i know god will protect tylan.
and jordan is always in my prayers, i know that if there is a man that is supposed to fufil prophcy it is to be the one man who wouldent let it or the world go to his head and jordan is that man, the missionary who is so so very focused on god that he dosent even see what amazing things HE is doing, but only the glorious work of the lord, and that that is why they are happeneing. He is a super-man.
i really want to testify to you about that, the pure fact that the more you give away the more free you are. dad, you say you want to do this triathalon, ill tellyou what i think i think you have the absloute willpower to do it...but your physical body wont hold up you say. i say nothing more than what the prophets have said, follow with super super super exactness the word of wisdom, give up and destroy fromyour body any thing that could be a addiction and i know that if you do that and watch it super super close as you train you will do it, and you will do good, beacuse you will have the blessing of your all powerfull father and i can testify that he wants to give it to you. he wants you to set goals and kick ther butt and iam sure he'll be cheering for you espically if you super check your WoW promiss with him.
study the pormisses of the scriptures and follow them if you want to have them...and if you dont want pure health in a triathlon...well crap go drink too many cafeen sodas in a day...it'll do it.
mom, if you want peace in your life. i can testify to you that NOTHING will help more than knowing your savior better, study the atonement. you WILL be blessed with peace...
i dont promiss, the lord of the heavens and earth does.
what i can promiss you though is that i love you guys. your stallions. and iam going to work EVEN more than i did en clarksville. there are some super sweet ppl here
and just so you guys know, your prayers still help, siliva and gorge were given a baptizimal date tuesday(the day i left) by the stallion elder knaras.
-elder j richardson

TRANSFER!!!! (ouch!) W

hey
I am alive...things are good. transfers are coming up and president told me that I am moving... this last week has been really weird because of that. it seems like I've been here so long and that ive done sooo little, but ni modo, president told me its my time... i just really wasn't ready for it whey he told me because it was right in the middle of zone conference a week before transfers and he decided to announce it to everyone. I really love Clarksville and I am pretty dang thankful for the blessing of being able to serve here, i got to know some stinkin AWESOME people.
other than that really the week went by in a blur, i just have been packin and cleaning, and workin like usual. right now we have 7 good ppl 3 families who are very very ready and every cita we have is like a hu8ge spiritual experience... its actually kinda hecka tiering.
anywaays, pablo aguero(member) told me that he is oging to teach us his super super secret recipe to his barbacoa(mexican bbq) its a recipe that he has nopt taught anyone ever and everyone asks for it, so iam pretty stoked to learn how to do this! the man is a stud and told me also that he is going to start his mission papers! it would have been really cool to do thoues with him but now that iam leaving i wont be able to...
anyways i really dont know what more to say, my next area is called winsted hill and it is in franklin tennessee. its a brand new area to the mission and my comp will be a stud named elder burnnett. beacuse the area is brand new and we dont even have a offical spanish group were going to be going to the english ward and translating for the hispanics. just so you know mom this is the same ward that the shedasiy girsl go to and the same one that david trueman from diamond rio and jason deere all go to. and this is also the area where missionarys have gotten pics with jessica simpson and where vince young(titians) and faith hill live...
yes mom, if i see them ill say hi for you, and send you pics...

i was actually talkin with veronica and fransisco and they said that they know a houndoranian lady that lives down there...sooo iam not even there but i have a referal! haha. but were going to go and use our ganas and the ganas of the lord and get some business taken care of down there.
it really kinda stinks to leave here but i really felt the peace of the lord last night when i was thinkin about everything. a puerto rician lady named tania arce actually told us she had a bad dream that told her i was going to be leaving...that was crazy. i really am going to miss the group up here. if you do come over here to pick me up, we are going to clarksville.
i love you guys...sorry that the letter is short.
probally better not send anything to clarksville.
party on garth!
-Elder richardson

PS. tell jordan that i wont not let a day go by without prayin for that stud and the workin his area!

Avad's Baptism! (Written 12-28-08)

every thing went AWSOME!
the baptizim of avad was sweet. and he was confirmed on saturday!
the man is a stud and i only found a few days ago that he is a cousin of veronica!!! holy crap!
when she found out about his baptizm she flipped a bucket!(not litterly)
and almost cryed beacuse she was so happy(literaly). she knew we were teaching him and whatnot but when she realized that it was actually going to go through she was super super happy. and he looked like a stallion on sunday the man is a stud.
anyways, other than that i really dont know what to tell you guys...i just talked to you all. i was happy i got that chance and to be honest the next few days flew by and i didnt really realize that i had really really talked to you. it went by so fast that it was like a dream that you arnt sure was real or not.
ill tell you what though, bubba your tha MAN!
ive only told everyone i know about your missionary doings over there and everyone thinks that your the coolist lil kid and that i need to learn how to be a better missionary from studying arround you...wanna come to tennessee? haha
oh dad...nope, no dvd player. unless its a member/investagators house.
anywz...we are not giving up on divina and hugo...(divina has thretened to give up on hugo though...haha) jk
there sweet and we just need to teach them more and more. its sweet.
we have another family were teaching that we need you all to pray for named pizza and emme...(his real name is goodalfreado..but everyone calls him pizza) there really sweet and friends of divina and hugo and they have a lil girl names karen, she is hecka cute and talks a ton(except for the fact that she is 1 1/2 and dosent say real words).
there a really good family who are askin a bunch of good questions and it was kinda funny that she (emme) actually said the very exact same thing that veronica had said when we started teaching her lo cual es "i was born catholic but i really dont think that it is the right church and so i have been lookin but how do you know what the right church is?"
haha when i heard that i remebered veronica saying the exact same words... so we had a good lesson.
anyways we are teaching a ton but please keep emme pizza divina y hugo in your prayers.
i love you all! and ive got to go!
also we might be watching a disney movie on new years day(our p day) which iam stoked about!
hay nos vidrios
-elder jR

A Wedding and a translation error ... and At Least the Angel is blue!

all is going good here.
tell Logan that i think he is the man for doing pushups everyday and that is something that i know is going to help him whoop some kids later on.
anyways family don't worry about trying to provide a xmas for Veronica and Fransisco...honestly. they right now are 200$ in debt and he needs to pay another payment on his truck soon and its awesome, only because they are in this situation because what happened to his knee and now that they are in this situation they are doing everything they can to get out of it knowing with a testimony that good is on there side because they are doing everything they need to be doing. the group here is amazing and are already throwing in efforts for those with no or 'lil money. all things are going to be well. so thank you for the offer but i know that they just need your prayers. also the wedding went awesome! it was super sweet and i totally messed up translation one part just cus i got too nervous and when i translated for the bride if she would take her husband for..yada yada...i asked if she would take her wife...
people like making fun of me here and that didn't help my case...
anyways i will send pics. veronica cried, and they danced and amazingly enough there son fer actually wasn't a HUGE pain in the butt...she said the most awesome present she got was the one that Heavenly Father helped her boy be good...it was sweet.(he isn't a bad kid just a really good troublemaker)
anyways Veronica and Franzsisco have had there interviews and passed amazingly(said the zone leaders) they are super super strong and are going to be baptized this tuesday at 6.
also for new news Divina, Hugo and Avad all have a baptism date for the 27 of December! please keep therm in your prayers. they are awesome awesome people and this is huge for this area because in this area has had 1 baptism in the last year. and we are finding a lot of people and working as hard as we can and the lord is blessing us in abundance. i know that with your prayers that this has come to pass.
also i guess this week i can say i have started to have a lot of bible bashes with hispanics! i really didn't think i would be doing that so much or idk...but i have seen how it is always placed right in front of a important lesson so i know its just to try to unnerve us...it doesn't though, but ... i won't let them perish in ignorance...so we have some fun. haha.
also here in the house we have a x mas tree...but unfortunately it came from the Knaras family so it is adorned with U of U stuff...so i very quickly made a BYU angel and put it on top...haha
also elder knaras has never had a real x mas tree so i think today for p day were going to go out and find out if we can chop one down for free...i think there are members who have alot of them and i know some honduraninas who have one and dont want it...so p day today will be for scouting for knaras'es first real tree!(that of which i will place yet another BYU angel, haha)
the gospel is true and god can prove it. there is one savior, that which a man can pray to for salvation. there is a prophet on the earth. and the gospel was restored.
please pray for the investigators. and tell grandma richardson that i keep her in all my prayers. and i keep you guys in my prayers constantly too...you are the reason i am here. thank you all family. i love you all.
-elder richardson

PS thanks dad for the letters from tylan and jacob...there such studs and there huge examples to me in all the amazing things there doing out there for the lord. tell them i yell "HARAHA FO' ISRIAL" every time i read there letters.and also i heard tylan needs some ties...ill hook a brother up...idk if it would be better to send them to him or to his family but i have ties that are awesome and polyester (durable) that i wanna send him.
also please tell jordan that i have tried to write him and email him and i think about the man tons and hope he got my letters. tell him i love him and he is my stinkin hero!

love
josh