Because I have been given much November 2, 2015

HEY ALL YALL!!!
So this week has been awesome! We were able to do some contacting and taught the restoration. We are making new progress with some of our new investigators Juan and Carla. Hopefully next week they will come to church. Last night we read the first chapter of the Book of Mormon with them.

One thing that is interesting this week is that our mission president got rid of contacting as a key indicator. He changed it to service hours. He was really into contacting and would talk about it all the time. It is really interesting about a new effort the church is doing that i have not talked to yall about. The church recently released a website called Justserve.org It is away for the church to provide volunteers for other organizations and churches. It is away to build bridges to elminate false ideas about each other on both sides. We had an instruction on it a couple of weeks ago and there was a survey about churches and the "public" opinion of them. Mormons rated fairly well but the thing that people said about Mormons especially those in Utah is that Mormons are very seclusive, meaning we tend to only be around each other. The church is wanting members to build bridges with other faiths and organizations. It has been interesting seeing this start up. It will be interesting getting this stated up. We have looked at a couple of service projects.


On saturday we were hit with a big storm. It was cloudy and we knew a storm was coming. We were walking around contacting in this neighborhood. And it got dark and green really quick. It was really creepy. And then did it pour. We even had our umbrellas ready and we were still soaked. The area we were in flooded really quick so we hurried and got in the car and went to a walmart to take shelter. We still heard the rain and thunder in walmart. We were did not want to leave until it slowed down a little. Well everyone in Baton Rouge except us got a text to stay in because we were under a Tornado warning. Well we ended up not getting the lock down text haha.

Well I my spiritual thought today is on one of my favortie poems written by Grace Noll Crowell called "Because of Thy Great Bounty" In 1985 her amazing poem was transformed into a hymn called Because I have been given much.
Because I have been given much, I too must give;
Because of thy great bounty, Lord, each day I live;
I shall divide my gifts from thee
With every brother that I see
Who has the need of help from me.

Because I have been sheltered, fed by thy good care,
I cannot see another’s lack and I not share
My glowing fire, my loaf of bread,
My roof’s safe shelter overhead,
That he too may be comforted.

Because I have been blessed by thy great love, dear Lord,
I’ll share thy love again, according to thy word.
I shall give love to those in need;
I’ll show that love by word and deed:
Thus shall my thanks be thanks indeed.


It is so easy for us to forget the blessings the Lord has given us. May we use this wonderful month of November to reflect on the blessings the Lord has given us. May we also not only live with the attitude of gratitude, but may we live with a heart of giving as we live the new emphasized fourth fold mission of the church in helping the needy and poor. I am so grateful for my Family and this gospel. I have received an abundance of blessings from these two. May we share the love the Lord has given us with others. Thus shall our thanks be thanks.

LOVE YALL!!!! MAKE GOOD CHOICES!!!!!

ELDER RICHARDSON