Elder Haven Ruiz: Week 38: 'MERICA!!!

Happy America Day (yesterday that is; I'm emailing today since the library was closed for the holiday) !

Well, last week was the final week of the transfer. I enjoyed serving with Elder Hulet from Paragonah, Utah. I learned much from him. He finished his mission strong.

We picked up a former investigator that week. Well, actually he's not a former, his dad just wouldn't let him be baptized...UNTIL HE FELT THE SPIRIT, WOOHOO! So we've just been going through the lessons with him again and reviewing the doctrine to make sure he understands it. His baptism is this Saturday morning, so we are excited about that. And we had an AWESOME lesson with a less-active lady who has a hard time with being motivated to come to church. AND SHE CAME TO CHURCH THE NEXT DAY!!! And she was all emotional when people were sharing their testimonies during sacrament meeting! AND WE FINALLY had an investigator come to church! Here name is Julie, and she enjoyed her experience at church! And I attribute everything that happened on Sunday to fasting. I fasted that the less-active lady would come to church, and SHE DID! Praise the Lord, the power of fasting is very real!

I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with Elder Van Engelenhoven in the Maple Ward. He is from Fulton, Missouri. Good man, good testimony, he loves the gospel and loves our Savior. We were blessed with a solid potential investigator that we found while tracting!

I'm staying here in Hesperia, and my companion is Elder Porritt from Layton, Utah! He's hilarious, him and I are cracking jokes and dying of laughter all the time haha. Yesterday was a fun 4th; for zone activity we played games at a park outside. Buuuuuuut we had to be in our apartments by 6, but that's okay, because if I would have stayed out any longer I probably would have died from too many hamburgers and hotdogs that some members were feeding us haha.

Well, not too much else to report on. It's been getting hotter, but not unbearably hot. But just wait til August Elder Ruiz, just you wait...

Enjoy the rest of the week! I testify of the power that can come from fasting! Check out "Fasting With Power" by Elder Shayne M. Bowen. It changed my whole perspective on just how incredible fasting is! Miracles are real, they do exist! But remember, they only occur if they are preceded by faith. Love America, this is God's country. Love you all!

-Elder Ruiz