Change. If I could sum up my mission experience in one word thus far, it would be change. Living away from home is a change. Having to shop for food was a BIG change! I honestly don't understand how people do it. It is so boring!... The weather was a change. Humidity is something else! Getting transferred is change. Getting new companions is change. Getting my 2nd mission president was a big change! Change isn't always easy either. I loved the way President Albright ran things. I was comfortable. When President Riggs came, he changed a lot of things, and it made me uncomfortable. But quickly I realized what a blessing it was to be able to learn from 2 different mission presidents! Things in the DC South mission were perfect. I then was informed that I was to travel to a different mission. Another change. I came to Richmond and met President Perry. My 3rd Mission President. In the short time I served with him, I learned quite a bit. He served as a seventy before being a mission president and I was able to learn many things about the structure of the church leadership. Then June 27th, 2013 happened. Elder Neumeyer and myself got dressed up in our suits, and drove to the airport. We met President Perry there and waited. It felt like an eternity (it was actually only 20 min). Then, in the distance, I saw them. President and Sister Wilson. Beaming from ear to ear as they walked down to the waiting area. I then met my 4th Mission President. Right away I felt such a strong spirit about him. We drove his bags to the mission home, and then left him and President Perry to do an hour orientation. Only an hour! Friday morning we went to the mission home and met with him. We met from 10 am to 4 pm. We talked about the way both the DC South mission, and the Richmond mission, ran. We set goals for the mission, and we were able to get to know him a little bit better. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met. SO LOVING! Sister Wilson is hilarious too. She cracks me up. Sunday we met with them again from 6 pm to 9 pm. Still going over different aspects of mission life. Monday, pday, we met with him from 10 am to 3:30 pm. Tuesday we had a whole mission conference where I was able to meet many of the missionaries, and they were able to meet President and Sister Wilson. I loved being able to finally meet them. My goal throughout this whole new experience is to show them how much I love them. To let them know through my actions that I care about them. When people know that you love them, they are far more willing to heed counsel and guidance. They open their hearts and allow the spirit to testify to them of truth when we are speaking in behalf of President Wilson. Now, don't get me wrong, I am no master missionary. Not even close! I am learning just as much, if not more, than any missionary out here! 

Today was a bit of a sad day. We had Mission Leadership Council. Where the Zone Leaders and Sister Trainer Leaders meet and discuss ways to better the mission.  It was awful to watch. It basically was a battle between DC South policies, and Richmond policies. I felt so bad for President Wilson. He expressed to us afterward that the meeting did not go the way he had wanted it to go. There was a ridiculous amount of tension pretty much the whole meeting. I am so lucky to have Elder Neumeyer as a companoin though. He is so humble and kind. We both discussed afterward how both missions acted immaturly, and we talked about ways to smooth things over. We don't look at the mission as richmond (President Perry) and DC south. We are Richmond (President Wilson)! If there is any advice that any of you could give, that would be highly appreciated! :)

I have been studying Alma Ch. 8 lately. That is a PERFECT chapter that describes change. Alma went from Melek, an area where people came to HIM to be baptized from all over the land, to Ammonihah, an area where people rejected him and persecuted him. Change. It's inevitable. I learn from Alma that we need to appreciate the times in our lives where we are in "Melek", because it won't always be like that. And we need to look for the lessons learned when we are in places like Ammonihah. For Alma, the lesson was to meet Amulek. That horrific experience of first going to Ammonihah turned into Alma meeting his future missionary companion that was to be by his side through HUGE miracles!

I love my mission! I love the changes that it brings, not just the outward changes... but the changes that are inward. The changes in me!

Love you all!

Elder Michael Litchfield

ps. Attached is a picture of comparing what the DC South mission looks like now, compared to what the Richmond Mission looks like now. Crazy huh?!