Richardson, Olivia PT

Sister Richardson's Super Split Seconds Talk about a busy week! As a missionary, being busy is the biggest blessing of all time. However, we were so busy it felt like we were chickens running around with our heads cut off for literally 7 days straight. We got to take a little road trip to Tysons for a doctor's appointment, and guess what we found a mile away? FLOWER CHILD! A little taste of home was exactly what this AZ girl needed. My heart quite literally burst, squealed, and cried. Kelvin accepted a baptismal date and will be baptized this Sunday! He's genuinely one of a kind, and I feel so blessed to have the chance to learn from him! Please keep him in your prayers! The culminating event happened last night when Jackie and her two kids, Miranda and Nathaniel, were baptized. On some occasions, words are inadequate to properly explain the power present in a room. Last night was one of those occasions. As I looked around the jam-packed chapel, I couldn't help but feel...

Sister Richardson's Super Split Seconds W.F.P. --> World's Fastest Pumpkin. I swear I held the WFP in my arms on a stranger's front porch. I dropped a picture below, so I guess y'all can be the judge of that. We saw some really cool miracles this week, but I think the biggest miracle was that Sister Haynes successfully cut my hair half-blind, with kitchen scissors, spontaneously on Sunday morning. God is good. Kelvin = He hasn't missed a meeting, church service, or day of early morning seminary since being invited 3 weeks ago. My mom had to quite literally drag me out of bed to get me to seminary (sorry, Mom), and here Kelvin is doing it on his own, EVERY SINGLE MORNING. His example of faith and diligence is incredibly inspiring to me. Live like Kelvin! Jackie shared her testimony with us this week, and it moved me to tears. We walked in with every intention of teaching her, but instead, walked away as humble students. Jackie explained how her struggles, imperfec...

Sister Richardson's Super Split Seconds We decided to explore the boonies on Saturday, and boy, oh boy, was it an adventure. For starters, the houses were so far apart from each other that we had to walk alongside the highway to get to each house. Don't fret though, the sidewalk doubled as our runway. Plenty of people were kind enough to show up to our fashion show and honk at us. In addition to strutting our stuff down Nokesville Rd, we managed to find a basher, a Buddhist, and a painting of Jesus at the Last Supper. Needless to say, redneck nation did not disappoint. Life is so good here in Gainesville. Sister Haynes is a party, and so are the rest of the people we interact with! Something I've come to appreciate about the Savior is the fact that He extends invitations freely and openly to all individuals. It's in Him that we can find stillness, peace, and true belonging. Christ's unique sacrifice provides a unifying place of belonging for all people. All we have ...

Sister Richardson's Super Split Seconds We volunteer at a local food bank for service hours. The food bank has a really organized system that involves lots of moving parts, and STRICTLY 6 shopping carts. Things got messy when a guy passed out mid-walk through and someone stole one of the 6 shopping carts. Lisa, the manager, was a hound on the security cameras. The guy stood no chance against her. It was comical. One of the volunteers put on country music at service. I quite literally teared up when I heard one of Zach Bryan's new songs. It was a collaboration with Kacey Musgraves? Simply beautiful. Go find the song and give it a listen in honor of me, please. Our friend Jackie is getting baptized next month!! She's been meeting with missionaries for months and finally feels ready to be baptized! Please pray for her! Oh, and for our new friend Kelvin! He's a senior in high school and found the church through his friends! He also wants to get baptized next month!! Serving...

Sister Richardson's Super Split Seconds Howdy, howdy, lovely people! My days of city life are over, and I'm officially a country girl! That's right, after 5 months in Alexandria, I got transferred to the opposite side of the mission. If "God's Country" by Blake Shelton and "Buy Dirt" by Luke Bryan were a place, it would be Gainesville, VA. I'm simply in love. I don't even really like animals, but I saw horses legit prancing in a field and screamed out of excitement. My new companion is Sister Haynes! She's an absolute ray of sunshine, and I just love her! Good things are cooking out here in Gainesville. Alexandria! Wow, that area will always have a piece of my heart. I learned how to love deeper, serve with humility, and saw firsthand what it means to make sacrifices with complete faith in God. People who had next to nothing gave me their everything. So, while I wasn't particularly fond of the moldy apartment or drug-littered streets,...