Dang, I thought I would look older now.

Hola,

My first week has gone by pretty well. My trainer is Elder Scott. He has been out for a year and he is really cool. He acts just like Scott Richards. It's pretty freaky. He mumbles like Scott too. He thinks he is ripped just like Scott thinks he is ripped. ha ha. Great guy though. I have learned a lot. I'm so glad to be out of the MTC.

We went to the Vegas Temple today. It was awesome. It took us forever to get in through because Elder Scott's recommend wasn't working. Rubbish. I wasn't able to email on preparation day because Temple days are preparation days.

It's like 100 degrees right now. It's actually not that bad. I got a Camel Bak so I'm all set for the blazing summer. It never goes below 95 here. But it's dry heat so its not so bad.

My first Sunday here was kinda weird. It was Memorial Day weekend so there was barely any one there. So I wasn't that nervous bearing my testimony to them. After I was done, the Bishop then got up and announced that I was over the age of 12 and they had the documents to prove it. haha. Dang, I thought I would look older now. O yeah, and he announced that I am a magician. Great, now I'm gonna have all the Primary kids swarming over me. I still have the talent though. Elder Scott has seen my money tricks soo many times and it makes him mad that he cant figure them out. Don't worry though, I'm not showing off.

We like to incorporate my magic into the lessons. People love it. We haven't really taught any investigators because our teaching pool was all baptised right before I got here. It's hard because we have such a small ward (West Oquendo Ward) and we don't get any referrals. We tracted for over 4 hrs yesterday and no one answered their doors. bummer. So we have been visiting a lot of inactive people and part member families. But a lot of them fall through too. We did something cool with Cole's mom though. She has a smoking problem but she wants to quit. So as we were running yesterday we found a empty box of cigarettes. so we took it and then rolled up scriptures to look like cigarettes and put them in the box. We decorated the box and called them celestial cigarettes. She takes one out a day then reads the scripture. It was a brilliant idea.
Vegas has some amazing Mexican food, and I'm not just talking about Chipotle. We are going to Chipotle later today though. yum. The members feed us every night. I'm soo glad to be on a bike. Our Stake President Jenkins fed us Italian meatballs the size of my fist! No lie. I'll send a pic later. But Elder Scott and I burn it off on the ride home. Ugh, I hope that bike comes in soon. The seat on the one I'm borrowing is a pain in the butt. Literally. But my leg muscles are getting huge now. It's scary.

I'm glad you got the pics. ha ha I thought you all would like the light sabers. What you do is take a highlighter or scripture marker thing and put it in front of the camera where you want it. you hold it close to the cam and make sure your fingers aren't showing. Then when the flash goes off, it illuminates the marker(s) to look like a light saber.

Well that's all I can think of right now. Lisa please send me Mike's address, thanks.

Love you all. Elder Richards

President & Sister McCracken

May 19, 2009

Dear Brother & Sister Richards:

We are thrilled to welcome your son to the great Nevada Las Vegas West Mission. He arrived safely and seemed very happy and excited to be here.

After we met him at the airport we headed for the mission home for some orientation and training by my Assistants. I conducted some interviews with each of the new missionaries and shared our love for them. It is our desire to work hard at making their mission one of the greatest experiences of their life.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner together followed by a brief testimony meeting. The next morning we met for an early morning transfer meeting where each new missionary was assigned to their new trainer and zone.

Your son's trainer is Elder Bryan David Langdon, Stephen Phillip Scott who is serving in the South Zone in 7569 Shadow Estates Way Las Vegas, Nevada 89113. Please send all USPO mail to the Mission Office, and we will see that it is forwarded the next day. The approved email site is: myldsmail.net

Our mission stresses hard work, obedience, prayer, and commitment, and we promise that the results will be the greatest two years in the life of your missionary.

Thank you for preparing him so well and entrusting him to us.

With Appreciation and Love,

Kevin D. McCracken, President

But we made eye contact. Boo Yah!

May 16, 2009 from the MTC

Hey Family,

By the time you get this I'll be in Vegas! Booyah! So Don't write back at this address. Love you all.

Oh yeah, and the memory card also. It contains all the pics that I took here at the MTC. There's like 500 pics soo...yeah. Oh, and there are some videos on there. They said you were allowed to take videos here, but not on the mission. But I don't really care that much. There are some pics of random people. I think I deleted those but I'm not sure. I took a lot of pics of the mountains cuz I've never seen them before. OK, the one pic of me and 3 others are starting from the left, me, Elder Warner, Elder Blakemore (The short one who looks like Seth Green), then Elder Hubbard. The other Elders and Sisters in the other pics are in the other district. They are gone now. I know their names bur I can't really mark the pics, soooo.....I think I will remember their names.

The Church is true. Please continue to support me and pray. I can't wait to spread the good word.

Love, Elder Richards

PS I met an Elder who is from Vegas West and is going to Cincinnati Ohio Mission. Ha, ha, we are just swapping out.

Oh yeah, Guess who came to devotional last week. Russell M. Nelson! That's 2 apostles in a row! We must need it or something. I got to hear from both the Russells. After Elder Nelson's talk, Elder Warner and I ran out of the room to see him leave. We were so close, but we weren't albe to shake his hand. But he did wave at me. We were like 20 feet away. But the other missionaries did the same thing so we couldn't get closer. But, we made eye contact. Boo Yah!

Happy Mother's Day

Dear Family,

Uhh, I don't know if you are getting my letters or not, but I thought I mentioned that we don't get to call on Mother's Day because we just got here. Sorry, I thought I had told you. But Happy Mother's Day Mom and thanks for the support!

Why did you take down the burned Tarzan!?! Not cool. That has been there for like 8 years. Not cool.

And, thanks Dad for the spiritual uplifting letters. I read them to my roommates and they really like them.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Love, Elder Richards (I like the sound of that)

I'm going to Vegas--Yeah Baby

May 5, 2009 from the MTC

Hey Everyone,

Elder Richards here (thats sounds so cool). Im totally living the dream here at the MTC. It is a very unique place. I feel like Im surrounded by a spiritual bubble that covers the MTC.

So last week was really confusing. The other Elders are really cool but the campus looks the same. My companion Elder Warner and I always get turned around. Elder Warner is from Wyoming and he is serving in Oklahoma Tulsa Mission. I dont know why we were paired together because I'm going to Vegas. Yeah Baby! The other Elders I room with are Elder Hubbard and Elder Blakemore. They are like perfect together. Elder Hubbard is a big guy and Elder Blakemore is short and looks like the actor Seth Green ha ha. I'll send pictures soon.

I leave from the MTC on May 18. The MTC has got me soo pumped. We went to the Temple today and now I'm like super pumped (sorry Mom, I forgot to hand out the names but I will next week). Anyway I'm getting used to the MTC now so it isn't so confusing. The mountains are humungous. Wow. I kept taking pics on the way up here and Keith was like, why do you keep taking pics of the mountains? I have never seen something like that. It was pretty intense.

I want you all to know that our Father in Heaven loves us very much. He cares for us and wants us to make good choices. I know that this is the best thing I can be doing right now and I'm grateful for your prayers and support. The other Elders were talking about a website call dearelder.com where you can write here to the MTC instead of email because we only get 30 min to read and write emails. So check it out.

Thanks.

Elder Richards(I really like the sound of that)

The Sisters do.

May 3, 2009 from the MTC

Dear Family,

Today is our first Sunday here at the MTC. We are only allowed to write our families on Sunday and P-day and I have a lot more time this time. The last letter I sent wasn't very good because I ran out of time.

Life at the MTC is getting better. The first 3 days were so confusing and my companion (Elder Warner) and I kept getting lost and turned around. But we are doing much better now.

Our district has grown closer together. We shared stories and got to know one another. It helped me a lot because I'm the District Leader and I have been wanting to know the other Elders.

Our teachers are great. Sister Baxter is from England and her father is a General Authority. She is super cool and a great teacher. I have learned so much from her and Brother Crooks. Brother Crooks is always smiling. He is really cool and funny. He served in the Cincinnati, Ohio Mission a year ago. He has served in our Ward too, but I don't really remember him and he doesn't remember me. That reminds me. In my classroom we found Elder Higgins signature under a desk. I know it was him because under his name he wrote Cincinnati, Ohio Mission. Ha, ha, say Hi to him for me.

It's so weird not being able to shake other peoples' hands. Wow. When they first told me I thought it was a joke. But that cursed Swine Flu...I don't think anyone has it but they don't want to risk it here. There are hand sanitizer things all over the place and Elder Warner and I made a goal to use every one of them. Ha, ha. I know it's not realistic, but almost none of the Elders use them. The Sisters do.

That reminds me, does Lisa or Beth know whether Christina Dunaway is still here? I can't find her.

Love,

Elder Richards