Week 17: Michael the Archangel

Bonjour! Welcome to the new month of February! 

This past week was filled with good things, too much to talk about in this one email haha, so I'll have to take out the best parts. 

Our investigator Adrienne is progressing like none other; she accepts all the commitments we give her, and she continues to read the Book of Mormon, it's crazy how fast we've been going through the lessons with her! 

In terms of weather, it got warm REALLY fast as the week went by, until it got cloudy on Saturday, and on Sunday it was like a mini Hurricane Katrina: fierce winds and heavy rain! Thankfully we were in church for most of the storm, so we missed the worst of it.

On Thursday I was on exchanges with my district leader Elder Cannon in my area, and since he's a Spanish-speaking missionary I a few opportunities while we were out on the streets to see him talk to people in Spanish. It was funny to see their reaction to him talking because they probably weren't expecting a white kid from Washington state to speak clear Spanish, so for a moment they almost looked perplexed to see him speaking Spanish haha.

 On Saturday Elder Morton and I talked to Michael the Archangel that we met at the library. Seriously, we really did talk to a man whose name is Michael, and calls himself Saint Michael the Archangel. He kept offering us his "antidote" that, with the power of God,  can heal any ailment, disease, cancer or medical disorder. He also holds a towel on one side of his face because he thinks that there are poisonous gases that come out from the cracks in the sidewalk and damage your skin. He said that ever since he started taking the antidote every day, he hasn't gone to the dentist for 6 years (and believe me when I say that you can tell he hasn't gone to the dentist in a long time!), and because he told us about his antidote there would be assassins that would be sent to take us out.....wow.  At first his proposal seemed too far fetched, and I thought that he was trying to sell us drugs, and I didn't believe him the whole time, especially when he said, "As soon as you stick this stuff on your tongue, you'll feel happy immediately!" But when he actually showed us his "antidote" it was actually just a pouch of natural tea haha. So I accepted his antidote, and once we were out of sight I threw the pouch away. I'm glad we got out of there when we did haha, it was crazy! Nice guy, but I'm not interested.

We contacted a referral named Jose who's obsessed with the Bible. He used to be deep into drugs and alcohol apparently, but now he's over that and he wants to give himself to God. We'll see how the lessons go with him as time goes on...

Well, there's Southern California for you haha, very diverse, and a good learning experience for anyone, I love it here! I love the people in our ward! They are so Christlike; they do everything they can to make sure they are able to attend sacrament meeting every Sunday and renew their covenants by partaking of the sacrament. I hope you value and see the importance of attending church, particularly sacrament meeting. It is there that we can be spiritually refueled. Love everyone, even if you don't know them. I didn't know Michael, but I was friendly to him and had a good conversation with him, it was great!

I love you all, enjoy this new month and make the most of it!

Elder Ruiz

Week 16: I Love Dogs!

Hello again! First off, I just have to say that I Iove dogs, because it gives me a way to talk to people on the street: just talk about their dogs and pet them! It's the best!

Last week was busy, we had a lot of missionary meetings. On Tuesday we had District Meeting, and I was asked to give a training about Samuel the Lamanite, but we ran out of time before it was time for me to present. Tuesday night we started our mission-wide fast in preparation for the Worldwide Mission Broadcast on Wednesday morning. And the Broadcast on Wednesday morning was great! The general authorities who spoke talked about how we as missionaries need to simply focus on our purpose, and on the fundamentals of missionary work. By doing so, those that we teach will progress towards making and keeping sacred covenants. That evening Elder Morton and I closed our fast in prayer, and broke our fast by eating a HUGE pizza! Yum! 

Friday morning we had Zone Conference at the Mission Office, where President and Sister Hobbs each gave a training. It was my first zone conference, and I learned so much from it! Looking back, I see how the Holy Ghost helped me to get the most out of that conference, and also know what to say when I was asked a question or when I asked a question. For lunch we went to a burger restaurant called 50/50, and the burgers there are nuts: tall, greasy artisan burgers! It was funny to observe that everyone else was watching the sports games on the TV's and drinking alcohol, while us four missionaries were content on sipping our glasses of water and talking to each other haha. 

Saturday we taught a lesson our investigator Adrienne. We taught her the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom, and the lesson went well; she's been keeping all her commitments and reading the Book of Mormon. While studying the Word of Wisdom in preparation for the lesson, I came to a realization of the importance of obeying this commandment, and why it was given to us. Of course, growing up in the church I knew the typical answers for why we have this commandment, what it is, and how to keep it, but I never really took it to heart until studying it. I suddenly had a desire to better in obeying this commandment, so Elder Morton and I both set a goal for this transfer of working out every day (except Sunday of course), eating healthier, and staying hydrated. I have already felt a difference in my daily life; overall I just feel so much...better! This morning we pumped some iron, and I feel great today so far! Elder Richard G. Scott promised us that as we maintain our bodies by exercising and living a healthy lifestyle, we will be able to receive more revelation that can help us. The Holy Ghost will also be more strongly with us. I testify of the truthfulness of his words. 

Saturday night I fervently prayed that two of our young investigators and their less-active mother would come to church, and sure enough, they showed up to church and stayed for all three meetings! They all said they had a good time at church!

I have been learning so much while on my mission, and my daily life has been so much better because I have been praying every morning and night on my knees, as well as studying the Book of Mormon. I am able to communicate effectively with those I talk to, I feel a greater abundance of love from our Heavenly Father, and there is practically no contention with anyone I interact with. Amazing! I may not understand everything, but I do know that the Book of Mormon in true, that Jesus is the Christ, and that Joseph Smith was a true prophet chosen by our loving Heavenly Father to restore the fullness of the Gospel to the earth. I challenge you all to study the Book of Mormon, and to pray to know if it is true. Even though you might already be a member of the Church, you are not exempt from reading the Book of Mormon, studying the scriptures, and praying to know if what you read is true. Studying and praying are the basis for one's testimony, and it is essential to continue to build and fortify that testimony. I cannot even describe how much better your life will be, I hope you can experience this joy!

Have a great week, and I'll talk to you next Monday!

Elder Ruiz

Elder Morton and I cruisin the streets with some funny glasses we found!

Strange foggy day a week or two ago!

Week 15: MLK

Happy MLK day...yesterday, that is! I'm emailing today because all the libraries in the county were closed for MLK day, so we've been given permission to email today. 

I said last week that I have a feeling that this transfer is going to be great, and I was right: this transfer really has been going great! Elder Morton is just plain awesome! He's a great missionary with a strong testimony. Elder Morton and I were fortunate enough to pick up two former investigators, who still have an interest in learning about the gospel. Monday evening was AWESOME! We taught the Plan of Salvation at a member's house for FHE to an investigator family. The presence of the Spirit during that lesson was moving! It's as if the Spirit was bringing to my mind the very words that the Lord would have me say to our investigators as we taught! On Tuesday Elder Morton had an appointment with a foot doctor in Upland, so we got to cruise around the city with the zone leaders for an hour or two. Interesting side note: Our new zone leader, Elder Memmott, is cousins with one of my neighbors back in my home ward! Again, such a small world! We also got 3 media referrals in one day, which is a blessing; more people to teach! On Sunday we had ward conference, and Adrienne our investigator came to all of church. The highlight was that two of our other investigators, Kimberly and Kathy, came to all of church with their less-active mom! I have been praying my whole mission that they would come to church, and now my prayer has been answered! The stake president gave a really good talk about goals and resolutions, and about the 3 "D's" of Lucifer: Deceiving, Discouraging, and Distracting. Try to keep your focus on good things, particularly the gospel. Gotta go! 

-Elder Ruiz

Week 14: New Companion!

I hope everyone has had a great week! I just have to say that I feel so blessed to have such wonderful family members and friends. 

This past week Elder Jessee and I picked up two new investigators, and even set a baptismal date with them! Looking back, I can see how the Spirit helped us teach that lesson on the Restoration. It is awesome! On Thursday my companion got called by our mission president to work in the mission office, and was told he had two hours to pack and leave the apartment. Now that was something we were not expecting to come! So for the rest of last week I was in a trio with two elders from another ward in our zone. Saturday was the big day; the day when transfer calls came. I wasn't surprised when my district leader told me that I was going to be staying in the Walnut Park Ward, but I'm happy I'm staying. The ward is great, and missionary work is picking up in our area! One thing I've learned this transfer is that obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings MIRACLES!!

It rained a lot at the beginning of last week, there were huge puddles all along the streets (the drainage system is terrible out here haha)! Thankfully we rode our bikes that day, so our shoes and feet didn't get soaked like the last big storm that came through here. We have been teaching the Plan of Salvation a lot last week, and it gives me great comfort knowing I can see my dear little brother Joaquin again.

Today is the first day of a new transfer, and I got a new companion, Elder Morton from Vernal, Utah! I have a feeling this transfer is going to be great! 

I can promise you all that if you take a few minutes every day to pray and study the scriptures, you will see a difference in your everyday life. I have seen how studying the gospel and praying every day has changed me for the better. Not only has my knowledge of the Gospel increased, but I have also come closer to my Heavenly Father, as well as my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the Atonement, and for the knowledge of our purpose here on earth that we have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

Well, you all have a great week! Thanks again for all the letters and emails that you send to me! Adios!

-Elder Ruiz

Week 13: A New Year!!

Happy New Year everyone, I hope you all had a good time celebrating!

We have a new investigator, Adrienne! She's quiet and doesn't say much, but she is kind and seems to enjoy the lessons! She came to all three meetings of church with us, and even two investigators came to sacrament meeting! The blessing of being in a small ward is that everyone knows and supports each other, and embraces and befriends those who are new to or are visiting the ward. 

Elder Jessee and I volunteered at the thrift store again, and while I was looking throught some stuff, I found two boxes of old records that were brought in! I looked through them, and oh boy I found some gems! First, I found a Jim Croce record (he's the man who really inspired me to learn guitar), then I found a Men At Work record ("Business As Usual"), a Oingo Boingo record (a lady in our ward is a HUGE OB fan, so I'm giving it to her as a gift), and last but not least, an Elvis Presley Hawaiian record! The artwork is so cool, and the store owners were so kind to let me keep them! 

As missionaries we can't really "party" for New Year's; we had to be in our apartment by 6:00, so we just sipped on some Martinelli's in our goblets and dined like classy gentleman on the brownies I made. Our "countdown" was at 10:30, the time we're supposed to be in bed....but we stayed up till maybe 11:30 goofing around. And even at 1:30 or so there were still fireworks going off and people shooting guns (not shooting people, just shooting the guns in the air like rednecks, don't worry we were safe). 

On Friday we went to a member's house to teach her less-active son, and while there Elder Jessee and I met her two daughters, the youngest -McKenzie-  is my age and just graduated from high school in May. Currently she is going to BYU-Hawaii, and I asked her if she knew a girl by the name of Clarissa Weser (I was friends with her back in high school, and took her to Homecoming my senior year; she's on the school's soccer team right now). And amazingly she does know Clarissa! Actually, she knows several girls that are on the women's soccer team there that I went to school with at Timpview! McKenzie even took a Snapchat video of me and sent it to Clarissa, and Clarissa said to McKenzie (through Snapchat) that she was shocked to see me again, what a small world we live in! So that was a really cool experience. 

On Sunday during fast and testimony meeting, a member of our ward painfully and slowly got up to walk to the stand. He's a retired rodeo bull-rider and was recently reactivated into the church after years of alcoholism and church inactivity. A few years ago he was very masculine and in shape! Sadly he was diagnosed with cancer, and after going through treatments, he lost more than 70 pounds in body weight. He recently had to go back to UCLA for more cancer treatment, and he appears to be in an even more worse condition now. I feel so bad for him and all the pain he's had to go through. And yet he still got up and sloooooowly walked to the podium. We could tell it was very hard and painful for him to get up and move around; everyone was thinking he was going to fall because he was so weak! But he made it to the stand and bore a brief but powerful testimony on the Book of Mormon. It was so awe-inspiring for me to see a man like him go through all that to bare his testimony. If he went through all that to share his testimony, I think we should all share our testimonies with everyone; what's stopping you?

On Saturday we taught a lesson to one of our investigators, Nelson. He's going through a divorce and is trying to save his marriage, and I felt inspired to ask him if he wanted a blessing of counsel and comfort. He said yes, so after the lesson we went into a quiet room and I gave the blessing. I gave my whole heart to the Lord in that moment, so that I could be guided by the Holy Ghost as to what I should say in the blessing. It was so powerful, and after the blessing he said that he definitely felt better.

Gotta go, love you all!

-Elder Ruiz

Week 12: Christmas is over...now what?

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas! I hope everyone has been enjoying this holiday season and having a good time with family!

Monday we had a zone activity, it being a white elephant gift exchange! I got...a pair of socks and a $10 gift card to Coldstone (an elder told me it only has $6.45 left on it haha)! I forgot to buy a white elephant gift, so I just grabbed a roll of toilet paper and gave that as my gift haha! 

Tuesday we had district meeting, and I gave my zone leader the gift card and a few candy canes (he's the poor guy that got my toilet paper roll. And I told him to keep the roll haha). We biked around our area contacting former investigators/potential investigators, and we found potential named Juan, but his English isn't very good so we gave him to the Spanish elders in the area. We had dinner at a recent convert's house, Jerry. Turns out it was his mother's birthday that day, so he bought a HUGE chocolate cake from a place called Claim-Jumper or something like that haha. 

On Wednesday Elder Jesse and l -along with our ward's Relief Society President- visited a potential investigator named Berna and gave her some cash and gift cards so she could by Christmas presents for her son and husband (they are not doing very well financially at the moment). Her and her husband were very grateful for us stopping by and giving them  some gift cards.

Thursday: Christmas Eve! We had dinner at our bishop's house, and three other families had dinner with us as well, we all had great food and a great time!

Christmas Day: December 25th!! Elder Jesse and I woke up early and opened our Christmas presents; that was fun! We now have TONS and TONS of candies and chocolates. Our plan is to give the candy out to people we meet and to other families haha. We went to a member's house -the Harrington's-  and talked to our families through Facetime on the member's iPads, and I enjoyed hearing about how things are back home! Sister Harrington kindly made me a DELICIOUS carrot cake, ahh it is to die for! But you'll go into a food coma after a slice of cake. 

On Saturday I went on a split exchange with one of my zone leaders, Elder Reddish. He took me to English Springs Park in Chino Hills, which is a scenic park, not just and ordinary park. He took me because he knows that I want to improve my skills of talking to strangers, or striking up a conversation with someone. I absolutely loved it, it was a great experience! We talked to many people, and by observing how Elder Reddish would start talking to people, I know what I need to work on! While I was doing this, Elder Jesse was with Elder Roberson, and they taught our new investigator that we got that day, Adrienne! I haven't met her yet, but I look forward to teaching her tomorrow!

On Sunday Elder Jesse and I gave talks on how to become true followers of Christ. One of the things I mentioned in my talk was how Jesus bade the fisherman to follow Him, and how they promptly got out of their boats, dropped their nets, and followed Him. I see this as being an example of how we should follow the Savior. We should do so without any doubt, fear, or hesitation. If we truly follow Jesus Christ, it means that we are completely obedient to Him and His commandments; that we faithfully pray to our Heavenly Father and study the scriptures with real intent; that we honor our sacred covenants that we have made, including attending church and partaking of the sacrament, and also keeping the Sabbath Day. I know that as we do so, the Holy Ghost will be with us more strongly,and our desire to do good will increase, as well as our love for our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and family and friends. I hope that as we begin a new year, you will strive to follow Christ more in your life. I have seen how being obedient to Him has blessed my life, and I know that being obedient and righteous can bless you too. 

I love you all, thank you so much for the Christmas letters and packages that those of you sent to me; I am very grateful!

-Elder Ruiz

English Springs Park, a cool place!

Cool nativity scene at a member's house!

Week 11: John 3:16

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you all are enjoying the holidays! 

Tuesday I had a...well...interesting experience. Elder Jessee and I were biking down a street in Chino, when a black car with tinted windows pulled up alongside me, rolled down their window, and the front passenger threw a bottle of red Powerade at me and tried to hit me! Thankfully his throw was not accurate, and the bottle hit the trunk of a tree right in front of me, so I'm fine haha. 

Wednesday was our last day teaching at the Chino Adult School for this year. I've come to truly love the people their, they are just so nice, and I always have a good time with them.

Thursday we had a Christmas devotional for all the missionaries in the valley (all the missionaries in the high desert had their own Christmas devotional the day before), so I got to see Elder Ludwig again (we were in the same district in the MTC). The AP's and office elders created a slideshow that had pictures of missionaries from all over the mission; most of them were baptism pictures ( posing with their investigator before the baptism). The service missionaries and the senior missionaries made us a delicious lunch of mashed potatoes, ham, turkey, stuffing; it was like Thanksgiving all over again! 

On Friday we worked for about two hours at the thrift store, and we found some awesome ugly sweaters! Well, actually they're just Christmas vests...and they're not terribly ugly, but I do think they're hilarious! So the owners were cool with us keeping them; Elder Jessee and I will be wearing them to our zone Christmas party in a few hours haha!

On Saturday morning we went back to the thrift store to help Kaivon-the owner of the store- move some furniture to the other side of town to a guy who had bought the furniture the day before. That morning Elder Jesse and I had worked out in the weight room, so we were a little sore, but after carrying 14 wooden chairs, two dining tables, and two couches up and down 3 flights of stairs in an apartment complex, we were pooped! So Kaivon took us to a local burger joint for lunch. Oh and we also saw an act of theft take place right in front of us! We were around the corner from a grocery store, when I saw a young man pedaling as hard as he could to get away from a store clerk who was chasing him! They exchanged a few curse words during the chase, and it looked like the item the thief had stolen was in a plastic shopping bag. I got pretty ticked at that guy for stealing, and I wanted to yell something at him, but I felt like I should keep my mouth shut, so I did haha. Instead we tried calling the cops, but by the time we had pulled out the phone and were about to dial, they man was already out of sight. Oh well haha. Sunday we were able to have a lesson with three investigators- the Castro children, but other than that nothing really big happened. 

Yep so that's my week there for ya. I hope you all have a great Christmas this Friday! Remember why we truly celebrate Christmas: not for the gifts or for the food, but for our Savior and Redeemer; our brother, Jesus Christ, who was willing to sacrifice himself, that through Him we might live with our loving Heavenly Father once again.

Love you all!

-Elder Ruiz

Rockin' the sweater vests!

Elder Jessee and I cruisin' on the streets! 

Caroling as a zone!