Lauren Richardson

Called to Serve in BRASIL!!!

Lauren leaves the MTC in Sao Paulo today flying on TAM Brazilian airlines. She should arrive around 11:00 am today in Joao Pessoa. We are all so excited!

Here's s some of her last letter from Sao Paulo... (she wrote this last week)

"I leave to Joao Pessoa Tuesday! SOOOOOOOOO Excited! So today we went to the Temple again in Sao Paulo and it is gorgeous! I get a little car sick every time cuz it~s pretty bumpy ride but i tried to stay awake so I could remember.


The city is NUTS! Motorcycles dodge in and out around and right next to huge buses going full speed. The freeways are bigger and way more crazy than LA there is even a canal in between the 2 directions of traffic. Today there was a boat in the canal and it made me think of wake boarding :) there is tons of graffiti everywhere only its actually artwork and not just words its pretty cool and it is everywhere. There is an eternal skyline too. Buildings everywhere you look even after driving for an hour. They are super tall and then there are just tons of small rundown buildings in between. With jungle right in the middle . Really like new york meets the amazon literally.. There are tons of cars too. small though and they spell them different. A Golf car is a Gol and there are lexus. The bus that takes us to the Temple is a lexus like charter bus, even the GARBAGE TRUCK is a lexus!!! they are everywhere.

People walk all the time and in the middle of the freeway there is so much traffic people sell stuff in the median or even the double yellow lines. I saw a guy selling whistles on my first day. But even when there is still tons of fast pace traffic like today a man was jogging down the highway! They also sell brooms on like every corner... I don't know why .

SO! Ive been singing in the CTM choir! I know crazy but I'm getting better! really i couldn't believe it but somebody actually said that i sing nice! so that is cool. Also I bought a hymns made easy book so I´m practicing the piano for the people in Joao Pessoa so I can play in church. Last Sunday I also conducted all they hymns for sacrament meeting and Also I'm the only sister in the branch. Its funny when they address the congregation it is "Elders and Sister Richardson" hahha

Also this past Sunday I hung out with Sister Clark! She is the mission presidents wife and is SOOOO cool! she took me to her suite (which is off limits!) and gave me chocolate, nuts and guarana we talked about our families and just had a good time. There are so many perks to being a sister.

Anyway so This week was the best week because we got to go out and teach!! We left, yes my district(Elder Neville, Quigly Zhino and Zao, Ammodt, Brohl and FIrkins) left the CTM and took a bus to down town and taught people. There was a huge teachers protest going on at the same time it was crazy. Elder Firkins and Brohl were my comps and we got to teach the 1st lesson twice!

And I gave out 2 copies of the Book of Mormon. We taught a girl names Claire and I also taught a man Roberto, and a woman Named Simone. I really liked Simone. We had 2 hours to teach and towards the end of the time I saw here waiting for the bus and so I ran up and just introduced my self. She was super nice and I talked to her about The Bible and prophets then and the prophets in the Americas at the same time that wrote the book of Mormon. We read together from Alma 7 and How much Jesus Christ loves us and how he know each of us individual and knows our pains. He knows her as Simone and her husband and all her trials and happiness too. It was so amazing. I had her read Prophet Moroni's promise if she reads the book and asks God with a sincere heart and desire with Faith she will get an answer from the Holy Ghost. She said she believed it and that she would read and ask that night!! It was so cool to see her listening and smile and want to learn more! I gave her the book and I pray she did read and ask, when I walked a way she was reading it. Also My teacher got pictures of me teaching her so he´ll send those this week.

Thanks soooo much for the blog daddy! I wish I could see it but i don't have time to read it. But i really thank you for all the effort you put in it and I'm sending pics ASAP! Well we get an hour of gym time everyday and the elders and I have a sweet work out we are doing. Called 5 fifties. Geez the first day i had to do 50 pull ups! I did 3 alone and they helped me with the rest :) and then we take 5 laps, 50 dips, 5 more laps sit-ups, and plank. We were so sore! We do that everyday just doing diff things I'm working out my core and legs most. but it's pretty fun to do it all together and we also play Vball! I have 2 new brasilian comps! Sister Ogden got new comps. they are sweet girls and I help with English they help with Portuguese. The food is good. Totally getting used to rice and beans everyday. I like it better than Provo i think because there are less preservatives in the food and lots of it too.

I~m so excited to get out there and teach people! Thursday was an amazing experience and Tomorrow there is a woman who is coming to the CTM and wants to learn more. One of the teachers and I are going to teach her about the gospel and so this is my first lesson! (unless you count the one in downtown) I am very happy and I love you! Thanks for supporting me! I know you don't have to and thanks for writing me and being so happy with me serving as a missionary. I know that this is what God wants me to be doing right now and there is no other place I would rather be. I do miss y'all but I'm helping other people find happiness and just the thought gives me so much as well. I love you! XOXO! Sister Richardson