Maybe My Mission Won't Just Be in Nova Parnamirim?

I love the ward I'm in and my companion, they all are super awesome and super involved in the work! This week we have transfers and the joke around the ward is that I was called to the Nova Parnamirim mission and not the Brazil Natal mission cause so many people think that I will be staying here for a super long time! This past week was difficult, but still went by super fast. A lot of people cancelled appointments, so we spent a lot of time walking around making contacts, but hey thats what builds character, right?

My streak without having problems with my allergies was finally broken yesterday. I don't really know what I ate, but somehow I ate something, so that really sucked! But, it helped me to realize something really important...I was sitting in bed thinking about what I ate and why I was having these problems and how I could improve so it didn't happen again. Then I realized that my struggles are going to be different than other people. Everyone has their own problems. Even if I do all I can to avoid eating gluten and avoid having these problems, I will eventually have a reaction. I realized that I just had to except that that would be one of the trials that I would have to face here. If I'm being honest, I have been super pampered on my mission with an English speaking companion, a super loving ward who cares for me and loves me, and I have a Mission President who truly cares that I don't have problems and will help if I do. Its not hard for me to compare my cons with other people and their pros or just to compare to others in general. But, really, I realized in that moment that I need to change my perspective and realize that sure I may have different problems than everyone else, but that doesn't mean that my mission will be worth any less. I know that God loves each one of us and gives us trials that we can individually handle. I really love being out here and helping people to change their lives for the better through the gospel or not. I hope you all will look for opportunities to look for people to help around you. Like I said, we don't always know each others struggles, but we can help each other through them.

Have a FANTASTIC week everyone! Also, we made some gluten free onion rings, so you can call me master chef now and here are some photos of a mission farewell here that we went to with a family we are super close to and another different family we are close to too!​

 

 

 

I Gotta Start Thinking of Titles During the Week

This week passed by soooooooo fast that I didn't even have time to think of a title or even had to look forward to P-Day! We had a Mission conference this week where the entire mission gets together and the President talks to us and trains us on how we can improve. In other words, its a giant roast session where the President calls all the missionaries out on what we are doing wrong. It was awesome to see my group who I came with. But this week the Lord really blessed our work! We got some really good families and some people that we MIGHT be able to get baptized this next week!! But we will see if its their time! We had 7 investigators at church yesterday (which was a little overwhelming honestly...making sure everyone knew where to go and what to do) and thank goodness for the ward members who helped us out a ton!

 

But this week, I guess my best missionary experience was when I was eating this fruit. It has this hard outside shell, so you crack it open and there is a grape-like fruit inside. I forgot its name, but we don't have it in the states as far as I know. Anyways, I crack one open and put it in my mouth and look down and I saw some gross stuff on the shell! So, I take the grape out of my mouth and I saw this freaking wiggling worm inside this grape thing!  So, I calmly took it out of my mouth and just placed it back in its shell and threw it away. I acted like nothing happened because we were at a members house. I didn't eat anymore and don't know if I will EVER again! NOT TODAY TAPEWORM! NOT TO THIS MISSIONARY!

I love this work and am having a great time working hard for the Lord. I love you all and hope you all have an AMAZING week!

This Week in the Life of Elder Charles Coulson Rich

This week went by soooo fast for me! This week my companion and I set a goal to find a new group to teach. Everyday we set out to make contacts with people, but everyday someone from the district would need our help! We assisted with baptismal interviews, with the actual baptisms, and just helped in general in the other areas. It was really fun actually getting out of our area and doing some of the Lord's work! We helped some of the Sisters with finding new people to teach and we ended up finding 3 new families for them to teach!! This week our area had 4 baptisms!!! None of them were ours, but we did help with all of them whether it was with an interview or a lesson. After one of the baptisms the Sisters had invited an investigator who was really funny. We tried and tried to explain why baptism is important, but he just kept talking about some kids he saw that were playing with a ball in the church and how BIG of a sin it was. We talked with him for a while, but he was hard to understand because I think over half of his teeth were missing. Anyways, here is my first installment of my new series This Week in the Life of Elder Charles Coulson Rich (patent pending). But I hope you all have a wonderful week and I'll give more updates next week!! What will happen? Who knows...tune in next week to find out! Love you all! Tchau!​​ Hopefully these photos work out​!

Starting Over

This week was a little harder than the others because we needed to find more people to teach, so there was a lot of walking and a lot of looking for some addresses that don't exist LOL! But we have found some new people to teach this week and they show a lot of promise! So, hopefully we can get some more baptisms! Our ward has had a couple of baptisms which were awesome and we met our ward goal of 4 baptisms per month this month, already! Its always awesome watching peoples faces when they are baptized and the joy that you can see on their face! That's all really for this week hope you all have a great week!!!

It's Like Wildfire!

​This past Conference was soooo awesome!!! We got to sustain the 17th prophet of our church and truly witness the power of the testifying spirit of doing so. For people who don't know, 2 times a year we get together and have a General Conference when all the members of the church gather together, whether it be watching through the internet, watching on TV or gathering in the Conference Center in Utah. We listen to the Prophet, the apostles, and other speakers who are predetermined speak the words of God. Our church is blessed with a living Prophet who obtains revelation for our church to guide and lead us in what the Lord wants us to do. Its a really special time for us to hear our Prophet and to hear what God wants us to do as His church. 

For me, this conference was different. Growing up in the church, if I'm being honest, General Conference was just old men talking to the adults and taking me away from my bed. But this time it was different. I changed my mindset I opened my heart and I decided to prepare myself to listen to the Prophet. I learned more from this Conference than all the ones I've listened to in the past. I paid attention, I noted spiritual impressions and I let the Spirit touch my heart. I gained a true testimony of the Prophet of God. I know he leads us and directs us through revelation from God. This experience honestly eclipsed all my other experiences that happened this week. The coolest thing was at the end when the new temples were being announced. We are going to get temples in India and in Russia! The gospel is reaching places I thought possible and I didn't think would ever be able to have temples OR have the gospel preached in their country! It's like a wildfire that is spreading everywhere it can. The Lord softens hearts and makes ways for everyone to learn the gospel and enjoy the blessings it provides. We know the gospel will be spread to every corner of the Earth and we are seeing that come to pass which, for me, testifies of the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful for Jesus Christ's sacrifice especially this Easter season when we celebrate His triumph over death, His Resurrection! I hope you all had a great Easter and have a great week this week!

Love you all and miss you!!