Kayla's updated e-mails!!!

Hey there Everyone!!!! 

Ok, so it has been a long time since we have had a full letter from our favorite missionary to send to you all!!! 
I've gone back through her letters, and I'll have to start compiling them so you all can have some information from her! 

Just to let you know she is doing well!!   She is sprinting to the finish line I think as her letters are very short and there is not a lot of information in them!!   I know that they are expecting transfer notice on November 1st or 2nd, and so she may be leaving Coeur D'Alane, but she doesn't know yet. 

We didn't get a letter from her on Monday, but we did get one today, as they had a temple trip planned!   She included a cute picture, and I'll try and attach it to her blog for all to see!!!  It's speakingthespokaneword@BlogSpot.com!  So head on over there to see some cute pics and her letters to this point!!!   

 

 

 Here is an excerpt from her letter as of October 13th:

 Things are going so well! the work is booming and on fire, i just hope it continues into the winter time! 

Time is going by so fast! it's hard to believe how fast it's going. I feel bittersweet every time i think about going home. soooo....ya. 

ok, I love you!

Sister Richardson

 

Her letter to me from October 6th:

Hey momma! 

Conference was amazing! there were so many talks that answered questions that i had! :) I'm excited to see the effects that this conference has had on the members in the ward! The work is improving so much here! we are back up to teaching our normal 35-40 lessons a week as a companionship, but we are striving as a goal of ours, to reach 70 lessons a week. We want to double it, but it won't happen unless the members get involved and just this last week we have recieved so much revelation as to how to get the members more involved in the work! I am actually going to be giving a training on it in district meeting on friday where the zone leaders will be in attendance to try and get it involved with the rest of the zone, but we have already talked with our bishop and we are getting a new ward mission leader.. .and things are just falling into place! The work is so great! we are so lucky! 

I love you!

Sister Richardson

 

On the 29th of September she said that the work is going good!   They are just trying to pick the area back up after her surgery to where it was before.  Life is hectic, but good!! 

 

 

 On the 22nd of September, she wrote,

"I'm super excited about conference!!!  It is the Super Bowl fro missionaries!!!  :)  I'm so excited to hear what they have to say!  It's always so inspiring to hear the prophet speak!   It's going to be the last general conference of my mission!  Wow!!  That went fast!  Ok, well, I love you and I hope you are doing well!!" 

Love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

 Here is her letter from September 15th.

From:	Kayla Richardson (kayla.richardson@myldsmail.net)
Sent:
To:

Hey Everyone!

This week I learned what it means to rid yourself of "gall". haha As many of you may or may not know I was in surgery this last Thursday to have my gallbladder removed! Just to put any worries to rest I was totally calm and at peace with what was happening (which im sure was a blessing from Heavenly Father) and I was ready to be out of pain. What I didn't expect was the pain that was going to happen after... After going home, I was pretty tender (that was expected) there were 4 incision points in my stomach: 1 under the sternum, 2 on my right side, and 1 through my belly button. The belly button hurt the worst, and was SUPER bruised. What followed were sleepless nights (i'm a belly sleeper), and a lot of pain because the pain killers were doing the opposite of what they were supposed to be doing and causing me to throw up (which caused more pain to my already tender stomach). It was in this moment that I decided to look up what the Gall actually meant. I laughed when i found out it was used to describe what bitterness was like. For those of you who don't know the gallbladder is used to secrete bile into the stomach to help digest fats. when that is removed the liver excretes the bile but in much larger doses and creates a "bitter" taste. Very similar to the taste you get while throwing up. So what is the lesson I learn from ALL of this? 

Each of us needs to rid ourselves of the gall of bitterness we are each holding onto. We are only effecting ourselves when we have that bitter taste in our mouths. A quote by Elenore Roosevelt comes to mind, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Rid yourself of gall and you will find that you are more free to love, which is the first and greatest commandment anyways! :) I love you all! I hope you are all doing well and staying righteous! Don't worry about me. I'm on the mend, and I have the Lord on my side. All I want to do is what the Lord wants me to do. I'm so grateful for his hand in my life and his name on my heart! 

Love you all!

Sister richardson

 

 

 Here is her letter from September 2nd. 

Hey everyone! This is going to be short today! 

The last 3 weeks have been SO hard! but i know now more than ever that the Atonement is real. If it wasn't life would be hopeless and impossible. Jesus Christ only want's one thing, "if ye love me keep my commandments." What does that entail? "come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and i shall give you rest." He has commanded us to come to Him so He can help us! HOW AWESOME IS THAT!? He loves us! He knows us. He knows what we are going through and that's WHY he want's to help us! I love Him! I know He loves me! Use His help! 

I love you all!

Sister Richardson

 

 

 Here is her letter from August 25th.

Hey Everyone!
I hope everyone is doing well! This week has been such a roller coaster! We have been so blessed in this area! We have had, on average, 6 set appointments every day of the week for the last couple weeks and have seen so many miracles! Then near the end of this week we had zone conference followed by a meeting with Elder Johnson of the First Quorum of the Seventy, followed by stake conference for the Coeur d'Alene Stake! Busy busy busy! I love it though. So many miracles were seen!

The flip side to those highs on that roller coaster is the fact that I've been sick for the last 2 weeks. I went to the doctors Saturday night right before the adult session of stake conference, and they did some blood tests and i received an ultrasound this morning and i have an appointment with another doctor tomorrow. Stay tuned for the results! :/ haha Life is great! 

I know the Lord has a purpose behind everything that he does. I know the lesson that I've learned through all of this is not to ask for help in becoming a diligent missionary! haha Just kidding. I've definitely learned how to increase my faith and work through adversity. The Lord loves his kids and always sends us those tender mercies. Sometimes its in the fact that there are other children of God that he places in our path to help us along. The picture attached is of a set of sisters that came down from Libby and stayed at our apartment for a couple nights for all of the meetings. One of them (the one next to me) I met in Moscow (my first area) and she has become a VERY close friend! She was my tender mercy last week and I am so grateful for her! 

What is your tender mercy for the day? Have you thanked Heavenly Father for that miracle? 

I love you all!

Keep smiling. Stay Righteous!

Love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

Here is her letter from August 18th.

So... this is going to be short because let's be honest, I'd rather play ultimate frisbee... haha Anyways, life is great! I was sick a little bit this last week and we were able to have our social media blitz on the exact day that both Sister Jensen and I were feeling like throwing up, but the power of the priesthood is REAL! We each were able to receive blessings and were not only able to make it through a day where we taught 13 lessons (my mission record), but we were able to speak in church the next day as well! The Lord loves His kids and wants what's best for them!

1 Nephi 3:7 He will always give you a way to accomplish the thing that He commands you, no matter what. It might be hard, and it might take a couple try's but He will help you!

God loves you. 

Keep smiling and Press forward! 

Love you all!

Sister Richardson 

 

 Here is her letter from August 8th.

It's super short today! have a lot to get done!

The Lord is hastening his work! We are doing a missionary blitz on Saturday. Look for my face on social media with things that are marked with #mnmspokane! 

This is the greatest work in the world! I love being a missionary! I hope everyone has the chance to experience the miracles from doing missionary work! 

I love you all! I hope you take advantage of every moment, of every day! 

Much love and stay righteous,

Sister Richardson
Here is her letter from July 28th.


Hey Everyone!!

This week has been a crazy roller coaster... it seems like they all are now-a-days, but all is well. We have been sprinting for the last couple of weeks to get into all of the homes of the members on our ward list. The only problem is that a large majority of the households are people who don't really come to church... CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. Luckily I have the most amazing companion in the world who is so willing to do all of this craziness with me and we have seen so many miracles come from it! We were kind of bummed because a lot of our investigators that we have been teaching have either fallen off, or moved... so we were a little bummed when we didn't have any investigators at church, then low and behold the Lord worked another miracle. Sitting in the back of the chapel there were two women we'd never seen before that our ward mission leaders wife, Sister Reel, was talking too. As we were walking back to introduce ourselves the bishop started sacrament meeting. DARN! We sat down and Sister Reel came and whispered into our ears, "Their names are Davi and Jody, they aren't members and they want to be!" hahaha WOW! Talk about tender mercies! They came to all 3 hours of church and kept saying how comfortable they were as they were here. We explained that it was the spirit and that they could feel like that every time they came into the chapel. We set up a time to meet with them this next week! They are incredible women! They are sisters who are supporting one another! They are so great! 

The Lord knows and cares about all of his children. He knows your concerns and worries, He wants you understand that love and that is what the Spirit is here for. To comfort, to guide, and to lead us down the path that the Lord has set. The church is true.

Stay Righteous!

Love,

Sister Richardson 

 

If you read all the way to the end..... way to go!!!!  You deserve a gold star!!! 

Love that Girl!!!   Can't wait to see her at Christmas!!! 

 

Love to all!! 

 

Leslie  ")

Kayla's e-mail from July 22, 2014!! :)

Happy Heat Wave July!!!!    

Here is Kayla's e-mail from this week!!!   We didn't hear from her on Monday as usual, but last night there was a letter!!!   YaY!!!!  

It sounds like things are going good!!!  

Happy reading!!! 

Love you all!!!! 



Hey guys!

This week has been a week of roller coasters! Going back and forth from Plummer to Coeur d'Alene has been taxing on all of us. I even got a really cool sunburn! We were down there on Satufday for a big day called Plummer Day! Big day for Plummer, not for the rest of the world... haha then that night (after being extremely sunburned we had to get up in front of a bunch of people and teach them about the Atonement at Charlie's baptism! He's such a sweet kid! He tries to act like a tough little 11 year old, but he is just a big soft teddy bear! :) 

There are so many miracles waiting to happen! July is a month of miracles! Look for them! When you notice one write it down or show gratitiude to Heavenly Father for it! :) You will be blessed for your efforts! I love you all! 

Love,

Sister Richardson

Kayla's July 14, 2014 Letter!!! ")

Hey there Everyone!!! 

Here is Kayla's letter from today!!!  

Happy Reading!!!!  

Love to all!! 

Leslie  ")

Hey Guys!

Life is crazy; it's even crazier when you're a missionary! We have a baptism this weekend for Charlie, but we are now covering two areas and we are in a trio! This is my 4th trio since being on a mission! We have just had SO much fun since we've all been together. Sister Jensen and Sister Ridge are the names of my companions. And we are covering the Plummer area as well as the Coeur d'Alene 1st ward! CRAZY! All of us have very similar personalities so we get along really well.

Sister Ridge and I started having a pillow fight one night... well... remember the saying, "All's fun and games until someone looses an eye"? Ya... well no one lost their eye, but I did punch Sister Ridge in the eye and it swelled up pretty good! haha we both rolled around for a solid 30 min just laughing! GOOD TIMES! 

I've had so many good, serious, and sacred times on my mission. It's these times where I gain a knowledge for myself that God lives and so does His son Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful for that knowledge that I have and have been able to develop since I've been out.

God is good! 

I love you all! Stay Righteous and obedient; that's how we are protected.

Sister Richardson

 Ps. picture two is of me cleaning up the water in our bathroom after it flooded... :D hahaha 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ok, ok everyone!!!  Here is the updated blog!!   It has taken a while, sorry about that!  

Hopefully I can keep up this time!! 

 

I have a hard time getting to the regular computer!!!  

 

As you have all read, Kayla is now in Coeur d'Alene and her address that she put in the e-mail, didn't come complete with a zip code, so here is her updated address!! 

 

 

Sister Kayla Richardson

1904 #A 13th Street

Coeur d'Alene, ID

83814

 

 

Thanks for all the support!!  

 

Love to all!!

 

Leslie  ")

 

 

 

 

7/7/14

 

Hey everyone!!

Hope life is as good for all ya'll as it is for us up here in good 'ol Coeur d'Alene! :) The weather is starting to get up into the 90's and I am LOVING it! it's a bit more humid here than Vegas, but the sunshine feels great on my face! All is right in the world! :) 

Colleen was baptized this Saturday and she was beaming from head to toe! :) It's remarkable to see the changes that happen to a person when they go from not living the gospel to living it and being able to receive the blessings that come from that dedication! Her youngest son, Charlie, is getting baptized on Saturday!  After him Michael, the oldest son, will be working his way into the gospel... If you could all pray for him that would be great! He's going through some tough times! His date for baptism is July 26! I am so lucky that the Lord let me teach this family! They truly are inspiring! They went from a family that was falling apart to a family that loves to be at home with each other and look after one another! They are, in a word, ADORABLE! :) I love them! 

So this was my first week with the Sister I'm training! Her name is Sister Jensen and she is HILARIOUS!! She is so great! We have such a good time! She actually really reminds me of one of my best friends, Jessie Beck! Shoutout: Jessie comes home from her mission today!!!! CONGRATS BABE! And the fact that Sister Jensen reminds me of Jessie leads me to believe that I'm not training her, she's training me! haha :D I love this work! I know that the Lord qualifies those whom he calls! This is his work and will go forward in his time! I'm so grateful to be out here serving with 3, soon to be 4, of my cousins all of whom are worthy Elders that hold the Priesthood! God is real, His love is real. 

Stay strong, Stay righteous! 

Much love,

Sister Richardson  

 

 

 

6/30/14

 

WOWZA!!! ok, so... this week has been CRAZY! From migraines to baptisms to transfer calls! What more could you want on a mission right? haha 

Well, I've been having migraines on and off for the last couple months, but never before had I had one that lasted for 3 days... Yes. It was awful. It would be super bad, then would get better as medication kicked in later on in the day... but it never completely went away. Meanwhile we were preparing for Shannon's, Christian's little sister, baptism on Saturday! She was so cute all dressed up and so ready to be baptized! She was so excited she could hardly sit still! She was only 9 so we had some of the primary kids in the ward give talks and then do a little song. It was ADORABLE! Shannon just loved it! then the next day we recieved transfer calls, and all of the Sisters in my district are leaving... except me... and I get a greenie! I will be training this transfer and I am scared out of my migrained little mind! haha It's going to be a blast! Only in these kinds of situations do you REALLY get to know the Lord on a one on one basis! I am so humbled and grateful to be able to get to know Him this next transfer!... but it wouldn't hurt if I was kept in your prayers as well! 

I love you all! Stay Righteous! 

Love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

 

 

6/23/14

 

 

HELLO WORLD!!!!

This week was a whirlwind of emotions... it was our bike week and it rained the first 2-3 days of our bike week.... which means it was pretty chilly (especially when you're wet). Therefore, Sister Johnson and I got sick... unfortunate... I know... so we were down and out with a cold, (the allergies didn't help either) for a good day-day and a half. On the flip side, CHRISTIAN WAS BAPTIZED!!!!!! The baptism was INCREDIBLE! He went on Trek (where kids go out an re-inact what the pioneers did for a couple of days) and bore his testimony at the end and invited all of his Trek friends to come! There were over 80 people there! And the youth got up and sang a musical number and the Spirit was so strong! I was tearing up... which is actually rare for me since I've been on my mission! haha All those who know me from back home know me as a bawl baby, but that's changed since I've been out!

He's 14 and was the one in his family to start investigating the church first, which lead to their entire family being on-date preparing to be baptized! (5 people total) His little sister Shannon is getting baptized this weekend. She's 9 and a little spit-fire! we are teaching her a lesson about keeping the Sabbath Day holy with ice cream today... :D... It should be a blast... I'm super stoked! :) That's kind of it for the week... except for the fact that I am probably in the most beautiful part of the world here in Coeur d'Alene... we are having "Hoop Fest" and The Iron Man race this weekend... lots of talking to people, lots of work to do!

I love you all! Stay strong and Stay righteous!

Much love,

Sister Richardson 

 

 

 

 

6/16/14

 

Hey Everyone!

This week has been crazy! We are preparing a family of 5 for baptism! It's the Coleman family and the two oldest boys are going on Trek this week! They will be getting back Friday and the younger of the two will be getting baptized on Saturday! Then for the next 4 weeks the family will have a baptism! haha It's so great! I've fallen in love with this family (the family kind of love... don't worry ;) There's the mom and 3 older boys and the youngest is a girl! I love these kids! They understand and feel the Spirit so strong! They're great! 

We've also been given a new way to weekly plan... so missionaries (if you didn't already know) PLAN. They plan A LOT. We have daily plans, weekly plans, and these plans are accompanied with goals and visions.... and it's just all crazy up in here... well our weekly plans have gone from setting goals and deciding how we are going to achieve those goals to planning out every half hour of our ENTIRE week! We received this errand from Elder Aidukaitis when he was here about 3 weeks ago and we still aren't very good at doing it, but he promised us that we would have people being baptized weekly if we planned this way..... BRING IT ON! 

There really have been so many miracles that we've seen in the last couple weeks. The Lord is definitely blessing us for our efforts! For example: last night we were getting ready to go home and we received a text from a number we didn't know saying, "I know the Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ" WHAT?! Who was this person!? Turns out it was our neighbor, Adam, who lives across the street who isn't a member and we had invited him that morning (after a lot of other discussions) to read 2 Nephi 31-33... we told him there were some pretty bold statements in the last chapter and to pay attention to how he felt! That night is when we go the text! We've set up a time to meet with him later this week! Heavenly Father is softening hearts everywhere! 

I am so grateful for this gospel and the knowledge it brings to bring families closer together and to build relationships with those around us. Share what you know with someone around you. You'll be surprised how they will react!

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

 

6/10/14

 

 

Hey everyone!

I heard a quote recently that I've decided is going to become my life motto: "I want what I've got." I have felt to blessed and grateful since I've developed this mindset and it's something I wish I would've incorporated into my life before!

I am so grateful for the work I am doing. I've been working on the Christlike attribute of patience this month and I have definitely been able to see a difference in my behavior and how I approach situations. I know the Lord loves each of his children and I feel that influence when I speak with or teach them. I was able to go to the temple today, and I love the spirit that I feel when I'm there... how strong it is and how the Lord speaks to me.
Sister Johnson went on a couple exchanges with some sisters this last week and i was able to learn from the two sisters that i was with! I love the sisters I serve around! They are incredible! My heart is so full of gratitude to Heavenly Father for letting me serve a mission and letting me get to know so many of his beloved children. I'm so grateful for what I have and where I'm at. I love this work. I love the gospel. I'm not perfect, but I know that's what the Savior is there for (EVERYTHING). I love President and Sister Mullen so much! They have truly been like parents to me while I've been out here in the field! I'm so grateful that the Lord knew I would need the two of them to help guide and council me through my good days and bad days.

We were recently in a lesson with our family that is on-date for baptism. During that lesson I was able to see the changes that had occurred in each one of them! We asked them what differences they had seen both in themselves and in each other since they've been reading and praying. The answers they gave were awe-inspiring. They had open to their view the changes the Lord had made in their life. In that same family the 14 year old son was at church on sunday and asked me what day he was getting baptized again, I said, "June 28th...so in 20 days you'll be baptized." He looked at me and said, "I can't wait that long." WHAT!?! ok.... hahahaha we pushed his date up to June 21st! He is such a stellar kid and that's how his whole family is! They are so prepared! I'm so grateful that the Lord let me teach them! I love them so much! They are like little brothers and sisters to me!

Ok, I think this email is long enough, but I know this gospel is true! I love you all!

Love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

 

 

6/2/14

 

 

Hey Everyone! 

Life in Coeur d'Alane, Idaho is grand! It is so pretty here and the people are so laid back and relaxed! It's wonderful! The Lord softened the hearts of a family who are preparing to be baptized on June 21... if you could keep them in your prayers that would be great! The mom's name is Colleen and three of her kids: Christian, Charles, and Shannon, will be baptized as well! They are such a great family and it's incredible to see how the Lord works with not only individuals, but unites families through the gospel! :) I love seeing the changes that the Lord makes to peoples lives when they are willing to let Him in! That's all it takes. He is literally standing at the door and all we have to do is open up and let him in. Let his Atonement take hold in your life. Repent. Change! We can't live with our Heavenly Father again unless we are willing to change and become the person that He is trying to help us become!

I love this gospel! I love knowing that I can continue to progress to become like my Father in Heaven! He is my Father and my best friend! He knows me inside and out! Perfectly! Pray and ask if He's there! He will answer you! 

Stay Righteous! 

Much Love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

 

 

5/27/14

 

Hey everyone! 

I've been transferred to Coeur d'Alane Idaho! It is so incredibly beautiful here and the Work of Salvation is in full swing! The people here are so receptive to the gospel! They mostly believe in God and have a love for him.  

I was sick from Thursday through Saturday with migraines and then finally ending with a head cold that still isn't completely gone...but is on it's way out... but only from me taking a FULL day to sleep... it was awful... haha but I'm all better now except for a stuffy nose! So that has been the essence of my Coeur d'Alane experience so far! 

Sister Johnson is my new companion. I knew her from down in Moscow and I told her one day we would be companions.... and here we are! I love it when the Lord answers prayers! She is incredible! She's a sister training leader just like my last companion, so we get to go on a lot of exchanges again! I love it! 

Life is great and I know the Lord helps us get through our toughest days, especially the ones where we feel most alone! Never forget that you are never forgotten! 

Sorry it's short today!

Here's my new address:

1904 #A 13th st 

Coeur d'Alane, ID

 Much love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

 

 

5/19/14

 

 

Hey everyone! 

I know you just got a letter from me 5 days ago...but deal with it! ;) 

I am being transferred! I am leaving Spokane Valley and am going back into Idaho. Couer D'Alane to be specific. I'm super excited! People tell me that it's beautiful! There are so many people I know that I'm there to touch and help them draw nearer to my savior. Leaving is hard; Lili is getting baptized on Saturday, but I know that she will do great as she relies on the Savior! 

My birthday went well! Thank you to all who wished me a happy birthday! I was a great day! I was able to do a lot of missionary work! haha What more could I want!?! NOTHING!! 

For all those who want to listen to an awesome song it's called "My Story" by Kaity Whitcomb and here's the link to get to it.

https://www.lds.org/youth/music?lang=eng

Hope you all have an incredible week and stay righteous!

Love,

Sister Richardson 

 

 

 

 

5/14/14

 

 

      Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's day... I know the missionaries around the world did! :D It's always a good day when you can sit and talk with your family, even if it is only for an hour and the Brazil missionaries don't have a time limit (no bitterness there)...but that's ok. 

This week has been a good week!! We have seen so many tender mercies! Sunday we had an investigator, Lili, who came to church and told us that she had decided that she wanted to be baptized! At that time we had only taught her 2 lessons!!! So that was SUPER exciting for us! Then during that sacrament meeting, I saw one of the boys in the ward that we've been working with sitting with the Priests that were blessing the sacrament! He has been one that I've been worried about, so it was a tender mercy to see that he is progressing and is taking the meetings with us seriously! And then I was able to talk with my family and that in itself is a tender mercy! 

Today I was able to go the the temple and to feel of the Spirit that is present there! I love the temple and what it stands for! i know I will be with my family for eternity! I'm so grateful for that knowledge! 

Saturday is my 24th birthday! WOW! How did that happen?? Where did the time go? I'm pretty sure I JUST turned 21...but time seems to fly by when you're older... at least that's what I'm told! :) haha I won't claim to be old until I'm dead. That's the stubborn side coming out in me haha 

Sunday, however, are transfer calls. The general rule of thumb is that if you love where you are, something will change... I LOVE where I'm at... I wish this would continue, but I'm not sure it will. I pray I stay in this area for another transfer, but if the Lord asks me to go elsewhere I will not hesitate to follow His commands! 

I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary! It has been the hardest thing I've ever done, but the BEST thing I could've EVER done for myself and my future family! 

Love you all! Keep smiling and Stay righteous! 

Love,

Sister Richardson

5/5/14

Hey Everyone! Life is wonderful out here in good ol' Spokane! This week I FINALLY heard someone with the Washington accent! haha it was hilarious! It's not super prominent here, but when you do find someone you have to hold back the laughter! She was talking about a washer and dryer...you know... for clothes... but instead of saying washer she would say "warsher" hahaha I know...my mission is so exotic with all of the languages we have to learn out here... haha but we make fun of that accent all the time as missionaries, and i've been out 9 1/2 months and I just recently heard someone with that accent haha oh geez, I love Spokane! :)  Ok, well we were going to have a wedding and a baptism on the 24th of May, but that is no longer happening, some things happened between the bride to be and the groom to be so the wedding is now at a TBD status... AND they are moving out of our ward boundaries into a different ward, so we will see how that goes...  Cory, a kid that I found and taught for a minute, got baptized on Saturday! The influence of the Spirit was so strong during his baptism! He's super smart and so humble! :) He's such a good kid! I can't wait to see what the future holds for him! :)  Lately we have been doing a lot of work with the members in the congregation to help them develop their member missionary skills! Our main focus has been the talk by Elder Ballard entitled, "Follow Up". If you have not read this talk I highly recommend it! He gives the members of the church two invitations/commitments: 1. Invite someone to meet with the full-time missionaries once a quarter (so about 4 times a year) 2. Obtain a copy of Preach My Gospel and study it along with your daily personal study! I know that as you comply with these invitations you will begin to see your testimony of the restored gospel flourish!  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints IS the Lord's kingdom on the Earth. I know that to be a fact. If you don't know that for yourself yet, I encourage you to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in your heart the messege it contains, then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if this book is true. And I can promise you that if you do that with a sincere heart, with real intent, and with faith in Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost will manifest the truth of it to you in a way that will be undeniable. Put this promise to the test... not just once, but over and over again throughout your life! I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge we gain from it that we can be with our families, not only til death do you part, but for ETERNITY.  I hope you all have an excellent week! Stay Righteous! Love, Sister Richardson	.
	Mon 4/28/14 2:13 PM

Hey Everyone!

Time flies when you are having fun! Our mission president likes to say, "This isn't missionary work, this is missionary fun!" haha I love it! It is so true! Work sometimes has a negative connotation to it, but fun is doing work while you are enjoying yourself! :) Happy days! 

May is right around the corner! It's hard to believe that it is going by so fast! It feels like Sister Metcalf and I were just barely made companions.... A MONTH AGO?? She's so great! We laugh and have missionary fun all the time! May is a big month for us though! We have an investigator who is planning on getting baptized on May 24! But not only is he getting baptized, he is getting married that morning! We are helping them plan a wedding and a baptism on the SAME DAY! How cool is that! Families are forever! I know my family is eternal and that's the good news I'm sharing with those all around me! Eventually Patrick and Stephanie will be able to go to the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity, not just til death do they part! How great is that knowledge and I comes from knowing and following the gospel of Jesus Christ! 

I love this gospel! I love knowing that my family and I won't be separated when we die, I love having a foundation in my Savior Jesus Christ! (Helaman 5:12) 

One of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon that has kept me going on my mission is Alma 60:28-29. The amount of authority the adversary has on us is completely dependent on how much authority we give him! I do not fear the adversary, he has no hold on me. I fear my God. He is my rock and my stay! I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the love he shows me every single day!

I love you all! hope you are all having a blessed day/week! Keep your head up and stay righteous!

Love,

Sister Richardson 

Hey there Everyone!!!! 

Here is Kayla's E-mail from this week!!! 
Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Easter!!! 

Enjoy!  Happy Reading!!! 


Hey Everyone!

I hope everyone has had an incredible Easter holiday! This week has been CRAZY! We had eight appointments to teach on Saturday alone! Everyone in this area feels the importance of the holiday! With a lot of our lessons we were using the new video that came out called Because of Him. It's three minutes long, but its effects last much longer. If you haven't seen it I invite you to watch it now:

Here's the link: www.mormon.org/becauseofhim

He is the reason for everything we do. I know that as we rely on Him and on his Atonement we are able to be made clean! He overcame the two things that hold us back from living with our Father in Heaven: That's sin and death. I know that as we use this sacrifice from a loving Father and a loving Brother we will be happy! 

I hit my 9 month mark this week! I couldn't be happier with what I'm doing out here! I'm serving the Lord the best I can with the tools and companions He has given me! I've learned so much in these last 9 months and I can't wait for the next 9 to pick up my pace and finish strong. Hump day is gone and I'm on my way down the hill...which means I'm going to pick up the speed to a sprint! 

This gospel has brought me so much joy and light in times of despair and darkness! If you are not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I invite you to add to your faith and learn what it is that we have to offer! Meet with missionaries in your area. They will help!

I love you all and hope you are all having a great Easter holiday!

Love,

Sister Richardson

Updated E-mails from Sister Richardson!!! ")

Hey there Everyone!!!  

Here are the last few e-mails that we have received from Kayla!!!   She seems to be doing really well, and she did say that they have permission to shop at Walmart now!!  Yay!!!  She was excited!!  Anyway, as she gets ready to hit her half way mark, we are so grateful for all of you and the support that you give to her!!!  We love you!!  Thanks!!! 

Happy Reading!!! 

Look!!!
She highlighted her hair!!! 
So cute!!! 



March 10, 2014 E-Mail!! 


Hey Everyone!!!

I hope everyone is just doing grand!

This week has been interesting!!! I was in a trio for the first couple weeks of the mission with Sister Kennach (Samoan) and Sister Strong (wannabe Samoan)... then we found out Thursday morning that an emergency transfer was going to happen, but he (our mission president) didn't know who was leaving yet.. so he said he would tell us Thursday night! By happenstance, because EVERYTHING happens in the Lords timing, we didn't find out until Friday night who was getting transferred... It happened to be Sister Kennach, and she had to leave Saturday morning...so we were all very sad!

I love, LOVE!!!! Charity is a wonderful gift!!! I've been studying it lately and have found that in order to gain it you have to pray... A LOT, and I'm constantly working towards it; but I've seen a miraculous change within myself and how I treat people! A lot of the time I think, "Wow! I should have done this earlier!!" So I challenge all of you to try this! Read Moroni 7:48 and take the challenge to pray with all energy of heart for "His love"! I promise that you will see a difference in how you interact with people around you! :) 

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

 

March 17, 2014

 

 

 

Hello Everyone!!! 

Today is my 8 MONTH MARK! Happy St. Patrick's Day to me! My mission is flying by and I'm not sure I'm ok with that!!! 8 months ago today I was dropped off at the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center! Little did I know that this decision was going to be the biggest blessing I could ever ask for during this phase of my life! I have learned so much about myself and my Savior Jesus Christ! Every day is a new day to start over, to be better! 

A lot of the people we are working with are going through hard times, they don't understand why they're going through these trials. And me, being my missionary self, thinks to myself, "These people have so much potential! God loves them so much!" And that's what I need to keep in mind when I'm struggling. We are given trials to strengthen our spiritual muscles! Those muscles are muscles like: faith, humility, charity, patience... the later being the hardest for me! As we strenghten these muscles our spiritual eye sight gets better and we are able to gain a new perspective. An eternal perspective! 

I am so grateful for the wonderful things I've learned since I've been out, and if I've learned this much in the last 8 months, imagine what I get to learn in the next 10! 

I love this gospel, I love this work. God lives, Christ lives, and they love you! Never forget that!

Love,

Sister Richardson 

 

 

 

March 24, there was no letter!!!!  : /

 

 

Here is her current zone! 

 

 

 

 

March 31, 2014

 

 

 

Hey!

OK.. for all you men out there that weren't able to watch the women's general meeting... I highly encourage you to do so! The women's conference was amazing! God works miracles... seriously!! We had a former investigator text us on friday telling us that she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer... so we invited her to the women's broadcast, and had our relief society president sit with her! (our RS president has had colon cancer) They talked for a little while after it was over and she asked to be invited to other things like that as well! :)  God answers prayers!! It's wonderful!

I also was given the privilege of speaking in church yesterday and that was so awesome!! My topic was "Lord, I Believe" by Elder Holland!!!!! I LOVE ELDER HOLLAND!!!! He's one of my favorite apostles! I know that I shouldn't have a favorite apostle...but he is... hahaha 

This week has been a good one but tough on numbers... luckily it's not the numbers that determine the success of the missionary, it's the commitment!

I am so excited for General Conference!! It's awesome!! I love hearing the words of the prophets as they speak with the spirit so we can learn from the Lord! If you haven't invited someone to come listen to a prophets voice, then I highly recommend doing so. When you do I can promise you that you will feel the spirit testify to you that there is a prophet on the earth today and he is the Lords mouthpiece! That's all for right now! busy busy!! 

I love missionary life!

Love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

April 7, 2014

 

 

 

Hey Everyone!!!!!

Wasn't General Conference AMAZING!?! All of the talks were filled with so much inspiration and revelation! If you were not able to watch the sessions I encourage you to look them up and watch them! These are men and women of God, called of God to call all of us to repentance and to warn us of the dangers that plague us in this life!

My favorite talks in particular are Elder Holland, Elder Ballard, and President Monson. Listen and study their talks. Apply their teachings! Not just in these tree talks but all of them will give you guidance on what you need to do to keep yourself on the path that God has for you! 

Keep the faith brothers and sisters! I love you all! 

Love,

Sister Richardson

 

 

And finally .... today's letter!!!! 

 

 

 

April 14, 2014

 

 

 

Hey Everyone!! 

This past week has gone by like a tornado...but a good tornado... not like a destructive one where people are running and screaming... Well... I guess people still run and scream from us...but it's been a good week! :) 

Transfers were this last week and my companion Sister Strong was moved up to Ione, Washington...which is pretty much in the middle of nowhere... like 10 miles south of the Canadian border...so she's almost foreign haha My new companion is Sister Metcalf! She and I were in the MTC together! We weren't in the same classroom, but we were across the hall from each other! She is an incredible missionary and I learn so much from her EVERY DAY! She's 5'11" with flamin' red hair! She played volleyball for SUU! She's such a spiritual giant and I'm so grateful for her example! 

This last week has been SO good with the Hastening of the Work! We are having so many new people say that they are interested in learning more about the gospel and the happiness it brings! 

Seriously!!! The gospel is so incredible! As we follow the teachings of our Savior Jesus Christ we are keeping covenants that we've made with our Father in Heaven and allowing Him the opportunity to bless us! I have seen so many blessings and tender mercies this last week! My heart is full and I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the blessings He's given me! 

Thanks for all the support from all those that I love that are out there! Keep the Faith and Stay strong. Most of all... DO WORK!... the Lord's work!

Love, 

Sister Richardson

March 3, 2014 E-Mail from Sister Richardson ")

Hey Everyone!! 

Here are a number of letters from Kayla!!!  I've been the slacker for the "February" news!  Sorry!  I find that if I can't do it with my phone, it takes me a bit longer to get onto the "real" computer and get everything updated!   It sounds like she is doing really well!  Other than the headaches and not being able to wear anything, because she is working so hard her clothes are wearing out!!!  lol!!  She did mention to me to let everyone know that if you are going to send a gift card, to make sure that it isn't a Walmart card.  They are not allowed to shop there any more, because it is out of their zone.  So a visa card would be better!

Thanks so much for all of the support that you give our girl!!!  We love you all!! 

Happy Reading!!!  



Hey Everyone!!

This week has been a doosy!!! Monday night I had a HUGE migraine hit me! I was pretty much bed-ridden for the entire week!! Some days it was so bad that I was nauseous!... But those who know me pretty well, know that I just don't throw up... So I would be sitting in bed with a huge migraine praying that I could just throw up and it wouldn't happen! :/ Oh well. Lesson learned here... Patience.

Patience through trials is one of the greatest lessons we can learn! I know God knows me! I know He loves me. I know that we are given trials to make our spirits stronger. Just like in the gym... you need a little overload once in a while.. but the best part is that you have God as a spotter... What greater strength could you want?? 

I'm so grateful for the priesthood! I'm so grateful for the love I feel from the Lord whenever I receive a blessing of healing or of comfort. Thank you to everyone who sends me letters and shows me support while I'm out here. It truly does help me get through the hard days! 

I love you all! Take Care!

Love,

Sister Richardson

 

E-Mail from February 24, 2014!!


Hey Everyone!!

Transfer calls were this week!! I am staying in the Evergreen Ward with Sister Strong and we are getting a new companion! She's a temple square sister on her out-bound experience! Her name is Sister Kennach! She's from Indiana and she's from American Samoa! We are so excited to share our area with her and to get to know her better!

We've had another temple square sister with us for the last couple days! Her name is Sister Stephen! She's from Nebraska and is an incredible missionary.. she's got a little bit of an accent even though she doesn't really think she does! :) But she is sadly leaving us this transfer. 

I am so grateful for the Priesthood in my life! I'm so grateful that I am surrounded by men that hold the power of God and are worthy to exercise that power to help those around them! 

I was recently going through a rough time. (That happens sometimes on missions) As I sat down to get a blessing, they laid their hands on my head and I KNEW that the words coming out of their mouths were directly from my Father in Heaven. 

He knows us. He loves us. He won't let us fall as long as we have our foundation build on our Savior Jesus Christ who has felt everything that we have felt. 

I love this gospel. I love sharing it with those around me. I know Satan is real. But I know that as you put your trust in Him, He will catch you. I know that's true. 

Love you all!

Sister Richardson

 

E-Mail from February 18, 2014!


Hello Everybody!!

This has been such a busy week!!! Kalli was baptized!!!! The spirit was so strong! She didn't have any family there, but she had 3 friends that were nonmembers sit with her! She was crying the whole time and her friends would occasionally look over and watch her. When she was actually baptized she had to be immersed twice... her knee came up...but she took it like a champ! She is so incredible and such a good example to those around her! 

I can't help but feel that that is how we are supposed to act!! We are supposed to be that example to those around us that might not understand what we are doing, whether that's standing up for what is right or helping someone in need, but can feel the Spirit present when we act on those promptings from the Spirit! 

I'm so grateful for the Spirit in my life! I'm so grateful that he is a comforter, a teacher, a guide, and a friend! He tells me exactly what I need to know as I search for answers, and tells me what to say so that I can be the best servant for my father that I can be! I love the Lord! I love my Savior. I know He lives and knows me and loves me! I'm grateful I get to share His gospel with everyone around me!

I love you all! Stay strong!

Love,

Sister Richardson   

 

 

 

E-Mail from February 11, 2014

 

 

Hey Everyone!

I have learned so much from this last week!

1. Don't leave your camera ANYWHERE without expecting it to get broken... Even if its a church building.... ya... a bit of a bummer... but forgiveness is real, and so is the Atonement! :) 

2. Don't worry about what other people think about you. The most important person that you should be worried about pleasing is your Heavenly Father... and after that Jesus Christ. As you gain your errand from him everything will fall into place, even if you don't understand it completely!

3. This goes along with #2. As you submit your will to the Lord, you will have peace in your heart and in your life. No matter what may be happening around you, being EXACTLY obedient to the will of the Lord, whether it's obeying his commandments or acting on the revelation you receive, will bless you tremendously with the love and peace that come with the knowledge that what you've done was right! 

I'm so grateful for the Atonement! In times when it's too hard for me to do what I know the Lord wants me to do, I can gain strength from him to put my will aside and act. 

Acting, and submitting your will to the Lord is the only thing you can GIVE the Lord. Hej has everything he needs already, but your will is what will show him that you know what he wants and you are willing to submit to him. 

A quote from President Benson says, "When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes your quest, then shall God endow thee with power on high." I know this is true! Miracles happen every day! As we keep our eyes out for them and as we WANT to be obedient, that's when we will be able to see them! 

I love the work of salvation! I know that Jesus Christ is at the head of his church!

I know this gospel is true! I know as we use the Atonement everyday to gain strength from it we can get through the hardest things we have ever been through!! 

I love you all! Hope all is well!

Love,

Sister Richardson  

 

 

 

 

E-Mail from February 3, 2014

 

 

Hey Everyone!

Hope all is well everywhere!

This week has been such a long week! Even though missionaries are happy a lot of the time they still have those weeks where things are just... HARD. This last week I was sick for 3 days with a sinus infection along with 2 other sisters that were working in 2 other companionships in the same stake as my companion and I. So we all stayed in while our companions went out and figured out how to work 3 different areas between them! I'm so grateful for the Lords help this week, we wouldn't have been able to do much without Him!

We have an investigator that is going to get baptized! We met her not this last week, but the week before and the first time we met her she said, "I'm the only one in my family that's choosing to be mormon." WHAT!?! Who says that!?! Kalli does!! She's 15 years old and is the cutest girl ever!! She's getting baptized on Feb 15th! I'm so excited for her! 

God prepares people to hear the gospel through different people everyday! Do what you can to be a good example of a member of the Chruch so others will see what a blessing it can be in their life. That's how Kalli started! She saw the kids around her being good examples, then started going to seminary with them! Now she is going to be the only member of her family to be in the chruch and she is going to effect generations with the decision she's making!! 

I love this gospel! I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ work right along side us every day to help move His work along! I know this is Christ's church, and I'm so grateful that I have been deemed worthy to be a representative of Him! 

Love,

S. Richardson

 

Ok, I think that gets all the e-mails caught up!!!  Have a wonderful day!   Remember to count your blessings!!!  It's amazing what the Lord has done!!!  

 

Love to all!!!!