This was a week of adventures for us. We've spent quite a bit of time tracting (which is really annoying in areas with lots of Church members - we should not have to do it!) Anyway, we try to make the most of it, and in true form have been having lots of laughs.
We rang the doorbell at one house a few times, and after a while it was clear that either no one was home, or they weren't going to answer. We started to walk away when we heard a loud "who is it?" - but we couldn't tell if it was a person, or a bird (or something in-between). Well, when it kept squawking we figured out it was a parrot... It says more than once in the scriptures that our call is to preach the gospel to "every creature" so we decided to answer the bird's question. Fortunately, instead of a regular doorbell, this house had an intercom, so Hermana Wilkins pressed the talk button and replied "it's the missionaries." Again, the parrot asked "who is it?" so through the intercom and with the most serious voice we could muster we identified ourselves as missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That was pretty much the end of our conversation because we were laughing way too hard to say anything else. Also, unfortunately, the parrot is not interested in the gospel. :)
On Sunday, we had the awesome opportunity to attend the temple dedication for the Gila Valley Temple. It is the third temple in Arizona, and it is only a small one, but it will allow more people to have to travel less to perform the important ordinances of the temple. A few things from the dedication really stuck out to me:
First, when President Thomas S. Monson spoke, I could feel his power, and testimony, which strengthened my testimony that he is a prophet of God. It was great to hear him speak from his heart, telling stories and jokes, mixed with his testimony and gospel truths... all guided by the spirit. He even messed up a few times, and corrected himself, which was really cute. It was so clear to me that he is a normal man just like the rest of us, but he has been called, chosen by God to carry this calling as a special witness of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Watching the temple dedication again reminded me of the importance of this gospel. Elder Costa (of the Seventy) made a comment about the temple, saying "THIS is why we do missionary work". It is so true... missionary work has nothing to do with getting more members to join the Church, or seeing how many people we can get baptized. We share this gospel, because we want to offer to all the blessings of the temples - so that they can receive the fullness of the blessings that comes from making covenants with our Heavenly Father, including the opportunity to be sealed to our families and live with them for time and all eternity.
I am grateful I have these blessings and opportunities available to me, and for the opportunity that I have to share them with others. The spirit that I felt during the temple dedication brings a joy that one can not understand without having felt it. It is a sense of wholeness or completeness, that only comes from participating in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. That is not to say that others who have not accepted this gospel can not feel this spirit, or the light of Christ. They absolutely can, but here there is MORE. As missionaries, our invitation to everyone is always to just try it, just see, and let the spirit witness to you that it is true. Then, when you experience that feeling in your heart you will understand what it is that we are trying to describe, but can not for lack of words.
My testimony is simple - I don't always have the words to say to describe how I feel, or what this gospel means to me, but I know that it is true. This is not just another religion, it is the gospel of Jesus Christ - the same church that He, Himself established when he was on the earth. Following Him is not always easy, but I know that as we do our best to try, we will be guided and protected by his Holy Spirit, and our Heavenly Father will bless us. May He bless each of you for all that you do.
Much love,
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Strength Training (5/19)
Well, we dodged the transfer bullet somehow... again. Transfer meeting today, but we're not there! That means we're going on transfer number 4 together = 6 months with my trainer. That's not very common, but I guess I'm just a slow learner. Ha... we're looking forward to more time (ie. more memories) together.
I had my first experience translating for an audience on Sunday. Once a month we have a fireside from our mission presidency and most of the mission. Missionaries bring their investigators and recent converts, and two recent converts give their testimony/conversion story before the main speaker. Our convert, Alma, was asked to share her testimony, and I did the translating. I was pretty nervous, but it went fairly smoothly. There was one little bump when Alma really got into what she was saying and went on for a while without giving me a break to translate... I did my best to summarize what she had said, but I think the blank stare on my face kind of gave away the fact that it wasn't a direct translation.
We have been going to chiropractor once a week for Hermana Wilkins' back (she was in a car accident before her mission, and it has been bothering her recently). Our doctor is a church member so he works with us for free (blessing!), and the real perk for me is that I get a weekly adjustment out of it as well! Anyway, meeting with him and watching Hermana Wilkins' improvements leads me to my weekly analogy :)
In one of our first appointments, Dr. Baker taught her some exercises she should do to strengthen the muscles in her back and help heal the injury. Over the past month or so, we have learned that the weeks she is consistent in doing them are the weeks that she has less pain. Usually the first thing he asks her every week is if she has been doing her exercises every day, and then her pain level on a scale of 1-10. Turns out, its pretty much a direct correlation between her consistency in exercising and the amount of pain she is experiencing.
Jesus Christ, our doctor for life, is also there to cure us (for free!), but he has given us some exercises that we have to do during the week to strengthen our spiritual muscles and reduce the amount of pain we experience. I have seen in my life the correlation between the amount of pain (or stress, chaos, heartache, etc.) that I experience in a week and how consistent I have been in doing my spiritual exercises (attending church, reading the scriptures, praying, etc.). Just like Hermana Wilkins' exercises are simple, basic movements, so too are the spiritual ones that we have been taught. The basic principles of studying and praying sometimes seem repetitive and dull, but they really do strengthen us. I know that daily scripture study makes the days easier, and more peaceful, and the same goes for prayer. (Seven days without prayer makes one weak).
Take a look at your spiritual exercise habits and think about what you need to do to be more consistent. Christ is there to heal us and make us stronger, but we always need to to our part. Pick up your scriptures and give yourself a workout - I promise you will see and feel the difference! Stay strong!
Love,
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
I had my first experience translating for an audience on Sunday. Once a month we have a fireside from our mission presidency and most of the mission. Missionaries bring their investigators and recent converts, and two recent converts give their testimony/conversion story before the main speaker. Our convert, Alma, was asked to share her testimony, and I did the translating. I was pretty nervous, but it went fairly smoothly. There was one little bump when Alma really got into what she was saying and went on for a while without giving me a break to translate... I did my best to summarize what she had said, but I think the blank stare on my face kind of gave away the fact that it wasn't a direct translation.
We have been going to chiropractor once a week for Hermana Wilkins' back (she was in a car accident before her mission, and it has been bothering her recently). Our doctor is a church member so he works with us for free (blessing!), and the real perk for me is that I get a weekly adjustment out of it as well! Anyway, meeting with him and watching Hermana Wilkins' improvements leads me to my weekly analogy :)
In one of our first appointments, Dr. Baker taught her some exercises she should do to strengthen the muscles in her back and help heal the injury. Over the past month or so, we have learned that the weeks she is consistent in doing them are the weeks that she has less pain. Usually the first thing he asks her every week is if she has been doing her exercises every day, and then her pain level on a scale of 1-10. Turns out, its pretty much a direct correlation between her consistency in exercising and the amount of pain she is experiencing.
Jesus Christ, our doctor for life, is also there to cure us (for free!), but he has given us some exercises that we have to do during the week to strengthen our spiritual muscles and reduce the amount of pain we experience. I have seen in my life the correlation between the amount of pain (or stress, chaos, heartache, etc.) that I experience in a week and how consistent I have been in doing my spiritual exercises (attending church, reading the scriptures, praying, etc.). Just like Hermana Wilkins' exercises are simple, basic movements, so too are the spiritual ones that we have been taught. The basic principles of studying and praying sometimes seem repetitive and dull, but they really do strengthen us. I know that daily scripture study makes the days easier, and more peaceful, and the same goes for prayer. (Seven days without prayer makes one weak).
Take a look at your spiritual exercise habits and think about what you need to do to be more consistent. Christ is there to heal us and make us stronger, but we always need to to our part. Pick up your scriptures and give yourself a workout - I promise you will see and feel the difference! Stay strong!
Love,
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Agency & Action (5/10)
Happy (belated) Mother's Day to all you moms.... It was so great to be able to talk to my family on Sunday. It's kind of surreal that they're actually still living "normal life" and that things are happening at home without me, but I really enjoyed hearing everything that's going on.
I try not to sound too frustrated when I write these blogs, but there really are just as many negative experiences as there are positives every week. It's hard watching people trying to take the easy way out by not making or keeping commitments. They think that it's hard to have to comply with God's laws FOREVER. I understand that "forever" is kind of a big idea... eternity is a long time, but the fact is that we're all going to be around for a really long time, and it's much easier when we have the gospel. We have been given the wonderful gift of agency - and we have the opportunity to choose whether we want to spend that forever in misery or joy (See 2 Nephi 2:27).
I read a scripture this morning in Helaman 11, that talks about the Nephites bringing on their own destruction (one of hundreds of expamples of this idea in the scriptures). With this gift of agency we've been given, we can choose our actions, but we usually can not choose the consequences. This week, for example, we started our car to head from one neighborhood to the next, and the car ran for a few seconds, and then quickly puttered out. It didn't take us long to figure out that we were out of gas - a consequence of our own action (or lack of action, you could say). We considered putting water in the tank and praying REALLY hard that it would turn into gas, but we didn't have any water either :) Anyway, everything worked out, but it made for a kind of *miserable few minutes while we figured out how we were going to solve the problem.
Imagine the consequences of a greater action - denying the gospel of Jesus Christ... now we're not talking about a brief period of misery, but an eternity... that same FOREVER that seems kind of intimidating when you know all the things you should be doing.
I should mention that the reason we ran out of gas was because our fuel meter actually isn't working - this system fail is what caused the halt in our day. Fortunately we have guides for life that are not going to fail - the scriptures, a prophet, the Holy Ghost - each of these tools that help us recognize when our fuel tanks are low and when we need to refuel. Each tool/gift that we have been given makes "forever" seem easier, and brings us joy instead of misery.
I promise that the blessings of living the standards of the gospel are FAR greater than what sometimes seems like the easier option. It is only when we are doing what's right that we receive the fulness of the blessings that Heavenly Father has for us, the greatest of which is ETERNAL joy... something that we can not even fully comprehend right now, but is an incredible blessing, and is infinitely better than the alternative of eternal misery. We have been given the choice, and the options are clear. You choose.
Much love,
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
*Ok, it wasn't really that miserable... we tend to have a good time no matter what happens! (See photo of us thinking about what how we are going to get out of this sticky situation)
Other picture... someone told us putting egg yolks on your face is good for your skin.... so we did it. Action = egg yolks on face; Consequence = perfect skin, eternal joy.
I try not to sound too frustrated when I write these blogs, but there really are just as many negative experiences as there are positives every week. It's hard watching people trying to take the easy way out by not making or keeping commitments. They think that it's hard to have to comply with God's laws FOREVER. I understand that "forever" is kind of a big idea... eternity is a long time, but the fact is that we're all going to be around for a really long time, and it's much easier when we have the gospel. We have been given the wonderful gift of agency - and we have the opportunity to choose whether we want to spend that forever in misery or joy (See 2 Nephi 2:27).
I read a scripture this morning in Helaman 11, that talks about the Nephites bringing on their own destruction (one of hundreds of expamples of this idea in the scriptures). With this gift of agency we've been given, we can choose our actions, but we usually can not choose the consequences. This week, for example, we started our car to head from one neighborhood to the next, and the car ran for a few seconds, and then quickly puttered out. It didn't take us long to figure out that we were out of gas - a consequence of our own action (or lack of action, you could say). We considered putting water in the tank and praying REALLY hard that it would turn into gas, but we didn't have any water either :) Anyway, everything worked out, but it made for a kind of *miserable few minutes while we figured out how we were going to solve the problem.
Imagine the consequences of a greater action - denying the gospel of Jesus Christ... now we're not talking about a brief period of misery, but an eternity... that same FOREVER that seems kind of intimidating when you know all the things you should be doing.
I should mention that the reason we ran out of gas was because our fuel meter actually isn't working - this system fail is what caused the halt in our day. Fortunately we have guides for life that are not going to fail - the scriptures, a prophet, the Holy Ghost - each of these tools that help us recognize when our fuel tanks are low and when we need to refuel. Each tool/gift that we have been given makes "forever" seem easier, and brings us joy instead of misery.
I promise that the blessings of living the standards of the gospel are FAR greater than what sometimes seems like the easier option. It is only when we are doing what's right that we receive the fulness of the blessings that Heavenly Father has for us, the greatest of which is ETERNAL joy... something that we can not even fully comprehend right now, but is an incredible blessing, and is infinitely better than the alternative of eternal misery. We have been given the choice, and the options are clear. You choose.
Much love,
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
*Ok, it wasn't really that miserable... we tend to have a good time no matter what happens! (See photo of us thinking about what how we are going to get out of this sticky situation)
Other picture... someone told us putting egg yolks on your face is good for your skin.... so we did it. Action = egg yolks on face; Consequence = perfect skin, eternal joy.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Up and Doing (5/5)
Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Most of you know I was disappointed to be serving a state-side mission, but sometimes when I'm really bummed we walk through a really Mexican neighborhood and I feel like I'm in a foreign country. The fact that we're in the desert helps too, but anyway, hopefully they'll be celebrating on the streets tonight, and I'm sure the accordion music will bring me away to Mexico :)
We had a funny experience this week trying to contact a potential investigator we had gotten after a series of street and door contacts. We were looking for a man named Gustavo, finally found his house and knocked on the front door. They didn't answer, but two girls (approx. 7 and 9ish) came out the side door so we started talking to them. The situation went something like this:
Me: Hi! Are your parents home?
Girls: Yeah! (Running inside calling for their parents - they were obviously there)
They come back out, shaking their heads... No, they're not home.
Me: When do you think they'll be back?
Girl 1: I don't know.
Girl 2: (at same time) 3 hours?
Hermana Wilkins: Should we come back?
Girls: Shake their heads, but aren't really sure.
Hermana Wilkins: Ok. Do you want to go ask them?
Without thinking the girls run inside again, and come back out and tell us no. I don't think they realized what had just happened.
Anyway, it was pretty funny, and even though we were essentially getting rejected we didn't really care. Of all the things that are hard about missionary work, rejection doesn't really bother me... what's harder is being dropped by investigators that know the gospel is true, but are not ready/willing to make the commitment to live it. One of my favorite scriptures is Mosiah 4, when King Benjamin tells his people, "if you believe these things, see that you do them". As my mom has said, this gospel is a DOING gospel. It's so true, and once we have learned/know, we have a serious responsibility to act on the things we know.
I read another scripture this week that I really liked that goes right along with this... in Alma 60:24 - it says to "be up and doing". I think I am going to make this an anthem in my life... It is so critical to "stop dreaming of our mansions above", get up and do something good in this world that is in desperate need of it! I know that we are blessed for our continual efforts to do what is right.
We have seen that this week... even though we have been struggling finding new people to teach, the Lord always seems to bless us with opportunities, and I know that they come because of our continuous hard work and obedience. The other day we were walking out of an apartment complex, and this guy stopped us and said, "Hey, I've been reading that book you gave Elimilec" (his friend). He then started to tell us that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and explained how we got the Book of Mormon... we were like "where did you come from?!".... we were astonished, you could say :) Well, we started teaching him, and basically he's really interested in learning more.
I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers, and blesses us with our needs, but only if we are "up and doing" - doing our part, being obedient and diligent in the things we know to be true. I'm grateful for this knowlege, and for the love of my Father in Heaven. Make an effort to be "up and doing" this week... I know you will see the fruits of your labors.
Much love,
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
We had a funny experience this week trying to contact a potential investigator we had gotten after a series of street and door contacts. We were looking for a man named Gustavo, finally found his house and knocked on the front door. They didn't answer, but two girls (approx. 7 and 9ish) came out the side door so we started talking to them. The situation went something like this:
Me: Hi! Are your parents home?
Girls: Yeah! (Running inside calling for their parents - they were obviously there)
They come back out, shaking their heads... No, they're not home.
Me: When do you think they'll be back?
Girl 1: I don't know.
Girl 2: (at same time) 3 hours?
Hermana Wilkins: Should we come back?
Girls: Shake their heads, but aren't really sure.
Hermana Wilkins: Ok. Do you want to go ask them?
Without thinking the girls run inside again, and come back out and tell us no. I don't think they realized what had just happened.
Anyway, it was pretty funny, and even though we were essentially getting rejected we didn't really care. Of all the things that are hard about missionary work, rejection doesn't really bother me... what's harder is being dropped by investigators that know the gospel is true, but are not ready/willing to make the commitment to live it. One of my favorite scriptures is Mosiah 4, when King Benjamin tells his people, "if you believe these things, see that you do them". As my mom has said, this gospel is a DOING gospel. It's so true, and once we have learned/know, we have a serious responsibility to act on the things we know.
I read another scripture this week that I really liked that goes right along with this... in Alma 60:24 - it says to "be up and doing". I think I am going to make this an anthem in my life... It is so critical to "stop dreaming of our mansions above", get up and do something good in this world that is in desperate need of it! I know that we are blessed for our continual efforts to do what is right.
We have seen that this week... even though we have been struggling finding new people to teach, the Lord always seems to bless us with opportunities, and I know that they come because of our continuous hard work and obedience. The other day we were walking out of an apartment complex, and this guy stopped us and said, "Hey, I've been reading that book you gave Elimilec" (his friend). He then started to tell us that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and explained how we got the Book of Mormon... we were like "where did you come from?!".... we were astonished, you could say :) Well, we started teaching him, and basically he's really interested in learning more.
I know that Heavenly Father answers prayers, and blesses us with our needs, but only if we are "up and doing" - doing our part, being obedient and diligent in the things we know to be true. I'm grateful for this knowlege, and for the love of my Father in Heaven. Make an effort to be "up and doing" this week... I know you will see the fruits of your labors.
Much love,
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
Another Great Week (April 28)
We had an AWESOME baptism this week... one of the most spiritual baptisms I've ever been to. There was so much love in the room, and the Spirit was incredibly strong the whole time. There weren't many people there, so it was a fairly intimate event, but the people who were there were full of love for their mother/grandmother that was being baptized.
Asencion Petris, the woman baptized, is the mother of one of the members of our ward. She has been visiting from Mexico for a couple months so we began teaching her when she got here. She has had lots of interaction with the Church because two of her children are members, but has never had the formal missionary discussions. The first time we went over she really didn't seem that interested, but little by little she opened up and as we got to know her we grew to love her as if she were our own grandmother.
After a couple weeks of teaching her, she admitted to us that she knew she needed to be baptized, she was just scared, and thought that she is too old anyway (she's 79, almost 80). In the lesson that she told us that I felt prompted to ask her to be baptized before she left for Mexico, even though she would be returning home in only a week. I bore my testimony of the importance of this sacred covenant, and in the middle of what I was saying I felt prompted to read Alma 34:32-33, which talks about not procrastinating the day of your repentance. We left the lesson with her committed to praying to see if she should be baptized here. We talked to her daughter-in-law on the phone the next day, and Asencion had said she still wasn't sure, but the scripture we had read her helped her realize she should probably do it sooner, rather than later.
The next lesson we had with her was with her whole family there - and each of the kids took a turn and went around telling her why they knew it was important for her to be baptized, and when we asked Asencion to commit, she did so with a smile. Her family loves her so much, and they want these blessings for her because they know how important they are. It made me think about my extended family who are not members of the Church either. As I bore my testimony to her about the blessing of eternal families, I was brought to tears as I thought about those I love that have not yet accepted these blessings. I want these things for my family - not because I want them to be "Mormon" or of my faith, but because I want them to receive the fullness of the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for them if they will accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know there is NOTHING more important, and I would love more than anything to see my own grandparents (and other loved ones) enter the waters of baptism and be sealed in the temple as an eternal family... I hope to someday witness that event.
I know that this gospel is true, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that His Church has been restored to the earth because of the love He and our Heavenly Father have for us. Through our own study and actions we can come to know Him, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to do that, and for the blessings I have received from having the gospel in my life.
Thank you for everything you have done for me. I truly hope that through my testimony you can feel the love that I have for each one of you. I love you.
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
NOTE FROM MOM: Richelle has sent pictures and a video clip that I'm working on posting--just a little technology challenged at the moment! Can't seem to download and save to a place where I can then find them and upload them....I'll have to ask one of the kids!!! Thanks to all of you for your love and support of Richelle!
Asencion Petris, the woman baptized, is the mother of one of the members of our ward. She has been visiting from Mexico for a couple months so we began teaching her when she got here. She has had lots of interaction with the Church because two of her children are members, but has never had the formal missionary discussions. The first time we went over she really didn't seem that interested, but little by little she opened up and as we got to know her we grew to love her as if she were our own grandmother.
After a couple weeks of teaching her, she admitted to us that she knew she needed to be baptized, she was just scared, and thought that she is too old anyway (she's 79, almost 80). In the lesson that she told us that I felt prompted to ask her to be baptized before she left for Mexico, even though she would be returning home in only a week. I bore my testimony of the importance of this sacred covenant, and in the middle of what I was saying I felt prompted to read Alma 34:32-33, which talks about not procrastinating the day of your repentance. We left the lesson with her committed to praying to see if she should be baptized here. We talked to her daughter-in-law on the phone the next day, and Asencion had said she still wasn't sure, but the scripture we had read her helped her realize she should probably do it sooner, rather than later.
The next lesson we had with her was with her whole family there - and each of the kids took a turn and went around telling her why they knew it was important for her to be baptized, and when we asked Asencion to commit, she did so with a smile. Her family loves her so much, and they want these blessings for her because they know how important they are. It made me think about my extended family who are not members of the Church either. As I bore my testimony to her about the blessing of eternal families, I was brought to tears as I thought about those I love that have not yet accepted these blessings. I want these things for my family - not because I want them to be "Mormon" or of my faith, but because I want them to receive the fullness of the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for them if they will accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know there is NOTHING more important, and I would love more than anything to see my own grandparents (and other loved ones) enter the waters of baptism and be sealed in the temple as an eternal family... I hope to someday witness that event.
I know that this gospel is true, that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that His Church has been restored to the earth because of the love He and our Heavenly Father have for us. Through our own study and actions we can come to know Him, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to do that, and for the blessings I have received from having the gospel in my life.
Thank you for everything you have done for me. I truly hope that through my testimony you can feel the love that I have for each one of you. I love you.
Hermana Richelle Ouellette
NOTE FROM MOM: Richelle has sent pictures and a video clip that I'm working on posting--just a little technology challenged at the moment! Can't seem to download and save to a place where I can then find them and upload them....I'll have to ask one of the kids!!! Thanks to all of you for your love and support of Richelle!
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