June 28th- 8

Family,

Wow these letters are sometimes really hard to respond to and leave my

mind blank! That is the saddest thing I think I have heard yet. It

makes the things I have to say to you so insignificant. I cannot

imagine what it would be like if we did not have the gospel to give us

hope. Well the Bangart family will be in my prayers and I hope that this, if 

anything, will only bring them closer together and strengthen their

testimony.

Okay so now… well poop! I don’t know what to say to you.

This week was a very exciting week. Elder Stringham and I are getting

along very well. He is a good missionary and a hard worker. We have

already gotten a few new investigators in the four days we have been

together. One of them has an amazing story…

On Friday we had an appointment with a referral. We showed up to his

home and unfortunately he was not there. However, the man who answered

the door allowed us to come in and share our message with him. It

turns out that he is a preacher as well as a religion professor at the

university. It was a great lesson the spirit was very strong and he

was very interested in learning more. Most religious clergy members

who we speak to are closed and are not willing to pray to know our

message is true. Joseph is different, he felt the spirit during the

lesson and is going to read and pray to know what we share is true!

This week during my personal study I was able to read a talk by Elder

Nelson in the EMM binder titled, “Perfection Pending.” I loved this

talk and it really got me thinking about our divine potential as

children of God. What an amazing fact it is to know that we can become

perfect like our Heavenly Father. While reading this talk as well as

the New Testament I have been pondering a lot on the atonement.

Perfection or the ability to become perfected only comes through the

atonement of our Saviour Jesus Christ. We are so blessed as members of

the church to have this knowledge of who we are, what we can become,

and how we can achieve our potential.

The atonement is amazing and I am so grateful for it. In alma 7:11-13

we can find out that he did not only suffer for our sins but also for

any hardship or pain that we ever feel in our life. It must be

reassuring for the Bangarts to know that there is one person who knows

how they feel and what they are going through right now. It says he

suffered so that “he may know according to the flesh how to succour

his people.” Jesus Christ is there for us always and will help lift

our burdens when we turn to him for help.

Parents and family I love and miss you all,

Richard

PS. If you get a chance I am wondering about my line of authority as

well as genealogy (what part of England we come

June 28-8

Family you will not believe this but i just typed this letter (a long one) and then the email totally logged out on me and it did not save a thing!!!!! I'm raging in the library right now trying not to cause a
scene! Okay so i have little time but i will try and do my best!

Your week sounds amazing! I am jealous that i couldn't be there! Maybe in two years Rowland and Chareese will be producing so I can attend their babies blessing! Our family is so blessed to all be able and worthy to stand in the  circle while preforming a priesthood blessing! What an amazing
experience!

Transfer information…well I am still here in BOLTON! I am not quite sure how that happened but at least I know that this will for sure be my last transfer here! Elder Chambers (as well as Elder Sturt my
trainer) was made a zone leader so I had to stay here. My new comp is elder Stingham from Utah. Do you think that president was playing some kind of name matching game? He is great though seems like a hard worker should be a good transfer and hopefully just FLY BY! Pray for that!

The work here is going wonderful. We should have some baptisms coming up! This past week has been full of miracles. Elder Chambers and I had found some great new investigators and our most progressing one came from a street lesson. We were contacting in a park and stopped a young man. To our surprise he was very receptive to the message so we taught him right there. After listening he was eager to read the Book of Mormon and exclaimed to us that “it just makes sense.” Since then we have been able to teach Dan three times at the church.

MOM-congrats on grannie hood!! the watch looks beautiful

DAD-good luck with work keep me posted. i saw a hummer today and almost shed a tear

CHareese- i made the fruit pizza it was amazing almost as good as knowing AMERICA WON!!! you look skinny and pretty!

PAIGE and Glen- congrats thanks for all the pics they are great and the testimony that means a lot! oh and you look very svelte as well both of you! Paige you did it so fast!

ROWland- you look like your 15, eat some food! just playing keep up the good work

Rob and Alisa and fam- everyone looks so great/old! the kids i mean old! Congrats on the move considering the new location if you are there in two years i may come visit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! alisa your
hair is so long!

Okay i love you i am so so so sorry that was stupid it wont happen again cause now i know the computer means business!!! I love and miss you all hope you have a wonderful week and i will talk
to you on Monday!

Love,
RIchard

ps. i didn't mean to comment on every ones weight but all you just
looked so good. I don't want this to sound like i am getting fat
either cause I'm not don't worry hahahaha!!!!

June 21-28

Family

Wow, I am sorry my letter did not send that is a bummer! I think it might have to do with the fact that you sent me an email from YOUR PHONE!!!! Haha just teasing I am happy to see your progress on the good ol iphone mom. Glad to hear the LP was fun/not as fun without me…don’t worry ill be back in two we can have a party!

Okay, this week was CRAZY! We had a lot going on between football games, interviews and trainings, and a stake service project! All squeezed in between finding and teaching! England lost so as you can imagine finding last night was not too successful. However, I don’t think it would have been any better had they won. In fact I am surprised that people were able to tell they lost…the pubs were packed. Just to clarify we go inside for the games and then come out about an hour after they are done. People are still out and crazy though.

Okay so helping hands stake service project was in Rochdale, another area in the zone. We went and cleaned up a park. It was a good work out. We lifted these huge rubber mats to clear out this abandoned playground as well as chop trees down and pull up these railings that were dug deep in the ground. It was fun and good to be around the other missionaries.

Interviews were amazing as always. Sister Bullock talked a lot on nutrition and also made us all a cook book. She is a wonderful woman and I am really grateful for all that she does!

It was great she is personally very healthy, the cook book is kind of funny. ! It says for a hearty chicken noodle soup add chicken to top a roman! Also tells how to make a quesadilla Hahaha there are some funny things like that but it is really good. I am going to use it. There is a recepe for enchiladas!!! No renee but it will have to suffice. Also, I drink a slim fast for breakfast sometimes, i cant remeber is that okay or no? It almost tastes too good to be healthy but let me know.

My interview with president was really good. He had some very nice things to say and told me that you had written him a very nice thank you note. He is amazing! We just talk about the work, how I am doing, how my companion is, and then I get to ask him any questions I have. I asked him what he thought I needed to improve on he told me to read this document he created called the sacred missionary document and find some things that I think I need best.

This is the last full week of this transfer so you probably won’t hear from me until at least Wednesday. I am not sure what is going to happen. I think Elder Chambers will be made a zone leader so I might be in Bolton for another transfer… we will see what happens.

I was able to buy some new shoes! They are great asics. Thank you so much!!!! 

Well my other letter has all my questions! Hope your life is wonderful. Love you all and have an amazing 4^th of July!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,

Richard

June 14-21

What’s the deal? You are all headed to Lake Powell to go have an amazing time and this is the week I get the shortest un juicy letters and actually have time to respond!? This is the week that you should be writing me novels to make sure I am not homesick because you are going to my favourite place on earth…well one of them! Well don’t feel too bad I am not homesick life here in Bolton is wonderful.

Okay so after I wrote last weeks letter I realized that mom was called to be relief society president not young women’s! Silly me. After taking some time to think about it I realize that it is a blessing that dad bought a business! Without your seminary income we might have been claiming benefits from Obama!!! That would have been scary! I see how those people live everyday. Hahha, jk. 

This week was a lot of fun. I went on another exchange with a Zone Leader, his name is Elder Hernandez from……Idaho. It was lots of fun, he is a good missionary... soon to go home.

Elder Chambers and I have been able to meet a lot of new people. Our investigators that we have haven’t been progressing so we have been trying to help them/ find new ones! We have a lot of promising people and I am excited to see what comes from them. Every day we have fun and unique experiences but you would be so proud because ever since Elder Chambers and I have been companions I have written in my journal EVERYDAY!! WHO HOO lets hope and pray that I can keep it up.

Okay well I hope you have an AMAZING time in one of Gods greatest creations! Eat tons, get tan, and have a wonderful time! Hills wrote me and told me about a new JACK JOHNSON CD I hope you bought it because I am sure it is brilliant and that is what LP is all about! Hope jim and heather don’t get too bored without me!

Well although you may be having a great time I am sure it doesn’t compare to the satisfaction of serving a mission. This is truly a wonderful experience and a time that I have been able to feel closer to the lord than ever before. I just finished the Book of Mormon and reading it on a mission gives you so much more insight and depth. It is amazing to see how much my testimony has grown in just past few months. I am grateful I am here and the work that I am able to take part in and knowledge we have because of the Gospel. How blessed we are!

Have lots of fun.

Love,

Richard

Questions:

Rob and Alisa where are they moving?

Can you send me the pics of the boys and ali?

Did Rique come home yet?

How are things with kens wedding plans?

Who are you counsellors for rs?

I want pictures of the watch and the cars please!!!

Is someone getting the mail while your gone? Something might be melting…

PS. Dad that was very nice letter thanks for writing it! Tell me if he responds.

Pps. At the camp we changed and were in jeans and they gave us a mission shirt

ppps yes we are staying for all of the games because we just dont get any work done people wont talk to us

 

oh lastly i will have to take a picture but you would have to see the spirit that these English people have when it comes to football i will show you a street that is completely filled with English flags everywhere !!!