I got bored of writing


So this will be short. But I got pictures to work. yay.

This week was really good. We hit 20 lessons! It was the first time since I've been here, and only the second time the area has ever done it. We're still working with Bill, and he's slowly moving closer. He's starting to accept more help from us. When we can get him to church, we should be able to set a date with him and then baptize him. We're also trying to pick up a few 9 year olds. Children of various active and less active members in the ward. Hopefully good things will come from that. 

This past week we met a less active man named Gerry. We have half of a tiny little town called Sunol in our area. He lives down there. He recently moved in with his son, and he's been a member for 8ish years. He's been to the temple. He isn't afraid to be open about his religion and show people what he knows. His family aren't members, but were incredibly nice, and invited us to join them for dinner. Hopefully, we can try to start teaching all of them. Gerry is an old timey rancher, metal machinist, type guy, so he doesn't fit the "typical mormon" mold. I love people like that. It's refreshing. The church isn't about funeral potatoes and Jello. It's about bettering our lives through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The judging people on their appearances, or even their actions, and saying, "they wouldn't be interested" or "they wouldn't be good members" is totally bogus. The Gospel is for everyone.  There are so many different people, from so many different backgrounds. I'm sure you've seen that with all the baptisms and such back home. I hope that we can get our ward to reach out and fellowship people that are different from them. It's been a little tough here, but it's starting to roll. Our Young Women's president is a super example of fellowship and member missionary work. She is reaching out to bring non-members to girls camp, and inviting part-member families to dinner with us and everything. The ward council is really starting to like us, since they see that we are really working, really trying.    

Well, the working quickening every week. The stone is rolling.

-Elder James Richards

Me and Elder Fisher. I'm wearing some of my Christmas gifts. Yes, those are Filipino pajamas, given to me by my previous ward mission leader and his wife.


Most of the zone at transfers


Elder Baldwin, me and Elder Platt in our Indie Album cover shot.

A dog that lives outside of our investigator's house. We have affectionately named him Ullrich. Or Ully for short. He's like the dog from over the hedge. "play play play"


Family photo. Me and my sons (trainees), Elder Bingham and Elder Platt, as well as my grandson, Elder Billin (Elder Bingham's trainee)