Lauren Richardson

Called to Serve in BRASIL!!!

In the video below, Lauren is reading some of her favorite verses from the scriptures. (Link here) We were only able to figure out what she was reading because we know Spanish.

"Now behold, a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men.  Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless. Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;  For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;  And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.  Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen. before God at the last day." 

PLEASE WRITE LAUREN!  She loves getting letters since she can't facebook or email while on her mission.  Letters only take 10 days or so to get to her.  She has 60 days left so please send her a note and let her know how you're doing.
Her address is:


Sister Lauren Richardson
Missao Brasil / Joao Pessoa
Rua Dep. Jose Mariz #515
Tambauzinho
Joao Pessoa
PB, Brazil
58042-020

Sister De Oliveira got a new companion. she is training too! sis haygood and i are still here in bayeux and sis de oliveira will be in bayeux centro. that is exactly what we were wanting!!!


Yesterday we went to João pessoa and hung out in the escritorio all day while sister De Oliveria was waiting for her companion. we got to eat at subways! right across the beach! we couldn't go across the street, but it was beautiful even just to see it! perfect weather and not to sunny. we were there with some of the elders who were training too well we were all waiting for subways to open. and then a bunch of kids came over. they were in high school and they sat down and started talking. I decided to go over there and talk with them there were like 6 boys and asked them their names and then just talking to them. Subways opened and they all ran in front of us to get the food. dang it. but it was ok. so we were in line and one of the boys was in front of me and i was debating if i should try and talk to him or not, cuz i didn't want the manager to get angry and he was fixing to order his food, but i couldn't resist and just talked to him. He actually looked like my friend Loren who served in Russia his name is lucas and is 17 he was way cool.taught him about the plan of salvation and who and why we need Jesus Christ that all of us wouldn't have a way to get back to heavenly father because we sin. we needed a salvador. He is going to church this Sunday, but he´s in the elders area so i wont see him anymore

Also we got to hear fro Elder Arújo! He is the new seventy of our mission and he is suuuupper coool!!! HE taught us a ton of stuff and he is super on fire about missionary work . ILOVED it! He talked ab out how the biggest sin of misisonary work is not opening your mouth. Just talk to everyone and Obedience! being 100% obedient and giving it your all. Ive been thinking alot now that I'm at the last 3 months. How do i want to be different how can I be better. I wish i could of known all this at the start of my mission. Or understood it really. I knew somethings, just didn't get it really. I just want to focus on doing my 100% and really giving everthing ive got cuz the people and God deserve it. I worked really hard before, but i have to do more now. its time to apply EVERYTHING. trust in the Lord and GO. I'm supper happy here in brasil. its the best. I'm excited to be with sister Haygood. she´s really chill and loves the work. she is from Arkansas so if we are going there by chance when i get back we can visit her family.

sister Richardson

Well so this week was great :) Sister De olivieira, sister haygood and i each had our first falls on the mission. pretty good for a year and 2 months. So its been raining a ton. I slipped hardcore on some mud and really should have broken something cuz i fell big time. just a tiny bruise tought. :) Sister haygood slipped in the rain walking up the steps and got a bloody toe and blood blister and sister De olivira slipped without the rain.hahah but she fell right on her knee. and scrapped it up big time. she has knee problems so i was supper worried, but shes ok now. she was the only one that realy got hurt. Weve been having fun thought becuase i lost my umbrela so we just go out in the rain. last tuesday we got poured on 5 times but nobody got a cold :) Weve been having a lot of fun together and learning alot. everyone says trios are hard, but so far we are a great team.

This is a note from Lauren's dad, Joe.  I just had to get these pictures up on her blog when I saw them.  We are so proud of Lauren and the sacrifice she is doing for the Lord and for the people of Brazil.  He has really blessed her, her companions and the wards where she has served.

This picture below reminded me of some scriptures about missionaries feet. Looks like missionaries throughout history have had to walk for years.  Lauren and her companion walk many hours every day - probably 10 to 15 miles a day in the hot sun!  You can tell by these wonderful tan lines... When Lauren first started her feet and ankles would be swollen by the end of the day.

“And O how beautiful upon the mountains were their feet!  And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those that are still publishing peace!  And again, how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who shall hereafter publish peace, yea, from this time henceforth and forever!" (Mosiah 15:15-17)

"How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!” (Rom. 10:15)

"Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace!" (Nahum 1:15)

This is a map of their area.  She says it's an hour walk from one end to the other.  No cars - just feet!  Sometimes they catch a bus but not often.

GOT TP?  We ran out of toilet paper and found this in the church.

WOW!  Almost as good as IHOP back home!

Lauren with one of their investigators

Sunday we were walking to lunch and on the way i said hi to a lady like normal. Then that evening, yesterday, when we went to almirs. It was late, 8:30, and we felt like we should stop by.  I clapped my hands (in Brazil you clap your hands in front of the house instead of knocking on the door) and called out almir!   Then a lady came to the door and opened a mini door and stuck out her face and smiled! Which was kinda weird cuz ppl normally look a little weird or confused. She opened the gate an said "i knew you would come, i saw you today, down there and you said hi and god told me in my heart that girl in the black dress, those two girls, are going to your house today looking for your son." Man i felt the holy ghost so strong and a peace and it was amazing that she knew that we would come. i don't remember her face when i first saw her, but isn't it amazing how God puts the people in our path!!!! God is really in control and he has a plan for us, we just have to do what is right!!! man and she has soooo much faith. her other son has past through many trials too, but man after she told us i just loved amlir so much and heavenly father too cuz i have the opportunity to be an instrument in his hands. i get to see so many miracles and how many of his children are suffering. everybody needs the gospel. Jesus Christ fixes everything and seeing it makes soo much difference in my life to see these people broken and now made whole. Being a missionary is the best thing in the world!

Dia dos Namorados is the Brazilian equivalent of Valentines Day. To me valentines day is a day to remember the people you love, not to remember what you don't have but to show appreciation to all you do have. To say I love you to all the people you love, friends, family, boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, neighbors everyone that is in your heart. Here is a poem from the Ensign November 2007 it is titled “Don’t Leave for Tomorrow What You Can Do Today” and I thought it expressed the importance of the people you love.

I recently read a text which expresses the urgency of not leaving for tomorrow what you can do today. In July of this year Brazil witnessed the most devastating aircraft accident in its history. There were 199 people killed, including passengers, airline workers, crew members, and others who were at the site when the accident happened. The text I mentioned was said to have been posted on the airline communication board by the husband of one of the flight attendants who died in the accident. It is entitled “Tomorrow Never Comes” and is based upon a poem by Norma Cornett Marek.

If I knew this would be the last time I would watch you sleep,
I would hug you tighter. I would plead with the Lord to protect you.
If I knew this would be the last time I saw you walk out the door,
I would hug and kiss you and call you back to hug and kiss you one more time.
If I knew this would be the last time I would hear your voice in prayer,
I would record every gesture, every look, every smile, every one of your words,
So that I could listen to it later, day after day.
If I knew this would be the last time,
I would spend an extra minute or two to tell you, “I love you,” instead of assuming you already knew it.
If I knew this would be our last time, our last moment,
I would be by your side, spending the day with you instead of thinking,
“Well, I’m sure other opportunities will come, so I can let this day go by.”
Of course there will be a day to revise things,
And we would have a second chance to do things right.
Oh, of course there will be another day for us to say, “I love you.”
And certainly there will be another chance to tell each other, “Can I help with anything?”
But in my case, there isn’t one!
I don’t have you here with me, and today is the last day we have—our farewell.
Therefore I would like to say how much I love you,
And I hope you never forget it.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old.
Today might be your last chance to hold tight to the hand of the one you love and show all you feel.
If you are waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today?
Because if tomorrow never comes, you certainly will regret for the rest of your life
Not having spent some extra time for a smile, a conversation, a hug, a kiss,
Because you were too busy to give that person what ended up being their last wish.
Then hug tight today the one you love, your friends, your family, and whisper in their ears how much you love them and want them close to you.
Use your time to say,
“I’m sorry,”
“Please,”
“Forgive me,”
“Thank you,”
Or even,
“That was nothing,”
“It’s all right,”
Because if tomorrow never comes, you will not have to regret today.
The past doesn’t come back, and the future might not come!
 
The man that wrote this poem woke up one morning to see his wife walking out the door for work. She was an airline attendant. He thought to get up and give her a kiss and say goodbye but was to tired and went back to sleep. She never came back. Her plane crashed and killed 199 people. I felt like I should read this in testimony meeting. It seems like families everywhere are falling apart. Everybody is getting divorced or separating and kids hate their parents and their siblings. it seemed that so many of the hardships within families could be solved if we just said i love you and decided to forgive and forget instead of hold on too our pride.

Jesus Christ is the perfect example and If we follow him and learn of his attributes like faith, virtue, knowledge, patience, temperance charity, humility and diligence that we can have a better life and a lot more happiness. Be careful with the words we say when we're are angry and take the time to listen to others. We have 2 ears and one mouth for a reason. I love you too those you love, not just on valentines day or Dia dos namorados but everyday because tomorrow might be too late.

We had another baptism! Maneol was baptized on Sunday and was sooo excited to finally be baptized. He wanted to get baptized along time ago but couldn't because he has some problem with his heart or lungs. The name is emodialious in Portuguese. He has problems with his organs and had some tubes put in his neck that if any water got in would kill him. Well last week he came up and was like hey sisters look! He showed us the the tubes and was super excited cuz they were different. We were like yeah different that is good. But he was so excited! Then he says but now i can get baptized! I went to the doctor and he put a plastic on it and he asked him if he can i get baptized now. The doctor said "Yes you can!" He was soo happy! At sacrament meeting he came and was taking to me showing me the new plastic and telling me all about how excited he was thinking about how his life was going to be different and he even bore his testimony during the meeting about the gospel of Jesus Christ.