Elder Haven Ruiz: Week 4: Trick or Treat

Well, I'm happy to say that I'm steadily becoming familiar with the area that I'm serving in right now, our designated area is practically a perfect rectangle, which is nice haha. The temperature is slowly-but surely-decreasing, so now the nights here in Chino are almost perfect, like a Goldilocks temperature: not too hot, not too cold, but just right (I prefer it to be on the colder side). And we've been experiencing a phenomenon called the Santa Ana winds, which helps clear up the skies so it's not as smoggy, but it dries out your skin, and for me, me eyes dry out pretty bad, so I'm always blinking a lot when the winds pick up haha.

On Monday we had a zone activity, and we carved pumpkins at the stake center. I carved mine with missing teeth and painted some thick eyebrows and a mustache on the face...with a mullet on the back, I couldn't resist!

During the activity I got the chance to meet the other elders and sisters in our zone, they're all really great. Tuesday we had our district meeting, and I was assigned to give a spiritual thought about something from the handbook, so I chose "Health and Safety", and paraphrased what Elder Richard G. Scott said on the subject, which is that if we have a healthy diet and regularly exercise, we will be able to receive personal revelation from the Holy Ghost, and have a clear conscience. How cool is that?! So I've been trying to live up to Elder Scott's promise (especially because I'm trying not to gain weight while on my mission, it's hard at times, haha), and I bought bananas and apples, and have been trying to use the weight room at our apartment complex. I definitely feel better, that's for sure!

Tuesday evening was companion exchanges, so for the next 24 hours I was the companion of Elder Smith, from Ogden, who's serving in the Los Serranos area of our zone. His companion, Elder Broadhead, from Riverton Utah, became companions with Elder Gunnerson (my companion) during this time. Wednesday morning we started the day with some push-ups and planks. Smith and Broadhead currently stay in a bedroom of an elderly couple who are local ward members, the Wiggins, so we had to be quiet. In the afternoon we went tracting, which I was super excited for since I hadn't done it up to that point, but I'd been looking forward to doing. Tracting is where you knock on people's doors and talk to them about the Gospel (or that's at least the way that we did it that day). Smith chose to go to a nice neighborhood in the area, but we didn't have much success, although we knocked on many doors (probably because we were tracting in the middle of the day, when everyone is at school or at work). Smith was able to briefly talk to a Hispanic lady. She seemed to be in a hurry, but he was able to give her a pamphlet about the Restoration. When it was my turn...well, I wasn't as successful, let's just put it that way haha. The first house that opened their door to us was by a little boy who cracked the door open and peeped with his eye at us. He asked us who we were, and we told him we were missionaries. We asked if his parents were home, and he said his mom was in the shower, so that attempt was a bust. I think we gave him a pass-along card, I can't remember, then we moved to the next house. The next house was probably the highlight of the afternoon for me. I knocked on the door, and an old Asian man came out onto the porch to greet us. We introduced ourselves, but once he started talking I couldn't understand what he was saying. At first I thought he had a speech impediment or something, but then I realized that he was speaking Chinese (or whatever his native tongue is)! It appeared that he couldn't speak English, and he was trying to tell us in his native language, but we couldn't understand haha. But the best was when he abruptly stopped talking, put his hands together in the shape of a circle, and put his circle shape up to the sky. For a second it appeared that he was worshiping the sun or something, but I have no idea of his reason for doing that haha. Anyways, when we realized our attempt was futile, I just said it was nice to meet him, I shook his hand, to which he understood that we were leaving, so he shook our hands and waved goodbye. That night we went back to our normal companions. For my first experience being in a companion exchange, I had a great time!

Halloween! Our ward had a Halloween party/trunk-or-treat, so Elder Gunnerson and I attended that. It was here at the party and Bishop Smith told me that he saw my Uncle Luis at the LA temple! Again, what a coincidence!! Everybody was dressed up in a costume, and the babies and toddlers were so cute! A little boy named Kai was dressed up as Edward Scissorhands, and his costume looked like it was straight from the movie, it was cool!

Yesterday was fast sunday, my first fast Sunday as a missionary. We had a dinner appointment with the Tillet family, and they made lasagna and green beans for us, and boy it was delicious! After we ate we shared a brief message with them, then head over to the Castro family. Now, the Castro family is...interesting. The mother, Mayra, was a convert to the church in when she was in her late 20's, but has since been inactive in the church. She married her current husband Richard, and now they have 6 kids I believe, aged from elementary to 10th grade. None of the kids have been baptized into the Church, but they love us being at their house. Richard was raised Catholic, but now says he is a non-denominational Christian. He's taught his kids about the Bible, which is good. But he encourages them to learn more about religion, and join any church they want to join. Mayra wants her kids to be have good influences in their lives. So Elder Gunnerson and I took this into consideration, and although we would love the kids to be baptized, they must first learn about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. So, last night we stopped by their house, had some small talk, and then asked the children if they would like to have us come over and teach lessons to them, to which all the kids said yes! And during that time at their house, I could definitely feel the Spirit help me know what to say to the children that would help them understand our purpose and why we were there.

I am so thankful for the love Heavenly Father has for me, and for the gift of the Holy Ghost. It truly is a small voice; we must take the time to be away from the "loud" things in life, and try to listen for the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I can't thank you all enough for the love, support, and encouragement that you have shared with me.

Adios!

Elder Ruiz