Elder Haven Ruiz: Week 44: I'm "Phelan" good in the Hills of the Oaks

Last week was the last week of the transfer. We had Zone Meeting, and Elder Porrit and I gave a training, and those missionaries who are going home gave their departing testimonies. It was a good zone meeting, I even learned from my own training haha. On Sunday I was so happy to be able to teach our investigator Julie on last time before leaving the ward today. She asked me to baptize her, so I'll have to ask my mission president if I can do that this transfer since I won't be in the Ranchero ward anymore.

Yes sir, that's right! Transfer calls came on Friday, and I was told to pack up and leave the Ranchero Ward in Hesperia, while Elder Porritt will be staying in the Ranchero Ward. On Saturday President Taylor called us and told Elder Porritt that he is going to be training a new missionary fresh out of the MTC! And on Sunday our zone leaders called us and told me that I'm going to be serving in the Phelan/Oak Hills Wards in the Victorville Zone, woohoo! We will be on double duty, serving in two wards at once! And I'll be in the same zone as Elder Hulterstrom, who just entered the mission field 6 weeks ago; we know each other from high school back home! Small world!

So this morning I met my new companion Elder Wedel who is from Dayton Idaho (just outside of Preston Idaho). Seems like a chill missionary. From what I've heard from other missionaries, the Oak Hills ward and Phelan ward are really slow areas, hardly any missionary work goes on at all, mostly because everybody is spread out over a really large area, and most residents have fences/gates around their property, so tracting isn't really an option. But I hope to change that stigma immediately! We are going to get this place BOOMING with missionary work! I know that with the Lord's help we can find lots of people to teach. There are people everywhere who need to here the gospel, or even need to lovingly be reminded about the gospel! We can all be missionaries in one way or another.

I love you all, have a great week!

Elder Ruiz