August 27th, 2012

This last week was hard but definitely worth it!  Every week we have a weekly milage allotment and we got cut short A TON...we only had 260 miles for the whole week....which is nothing here in Junction because everything is so dang far.  In Denver every week we had almost 600 and we would only use like 270 IF that...and we were able to go everywhere and get the work done easily.  Not so much here. But nonetheless we worked.  Also...we were by walmart which is a good 15 mins away from our house on Saturday...and we thought well maybe we should take advantage and do some shopping so we dont have to come and drive on pday...well it's a rule that we only shop on pdays.  As me and my companion were sitting in the car of the parkinglot of walmart, we debated and said "well God understands that we don't have miles and we're trying to save them for next week." As soon as we said that, I felt a tinge in my heart...I knew I was justifying it.  We even got out of the car and started walking towards the entrance when a voice in my head said: "Hermana Ruiz...you can't teach people to be exactly obedient to God, when you're not doing it yourself." Dang. I felt guilty, and so I told my companion "hey you know what, let's not do it...I know God will bless us for our obedience" so we got back in the car and continued working.  How grateful for that LITTLE decision I made to be obedient to one LITTLE rule in the white handbook.  Today we received our mile allotment for the week and its 339!  almost 80 more miles from last week!  I don't know how that worked because we didn't have any "roll over" miles but I know we were blessed for our obedience.  The decisions we make in life, whether they be little or big are always important.  I'm grateful for the little lessons I learn here on the mission. Also Amber got baptized yesterday!! It was definitely a really stressful baptism.  Things kept going wrong (dang you, Satan!!) but it ended up being a success.  We took some pictures that I'll be sending home this week so I hope you enjoy them.  So many people went too!  I was really surprised because its a branch and wasn't expecting so much support but I'm so grateful.  The sister missionaries in the branch haven't baptized at all this whole year so I'm so grateful God is blessing us with great investigators like Amber.  Next is Denise and Victor who are preparing to be baptized the 16th of September!  So exciting. 

  We have zone conference this week with Elder Robbins from the 70!  Also a special fireside that he's doing with less actives, recent converts and invesitgators so we're pumped to hear it.  We just found out the apostle comes here September 22nd!  Best birthday present ever. No joke.  Ok well that's all I got, I love you all. You're great!

August 20th, 2012

My 2nd week in Grand Junction has had its ups and downs...I really miss my old area.  Let's just say transfering was alot harder than I thought.  It was especially hard yesterday because one of my investigators got baptized and I wasn't there to see it.  Selfish, I know. Believe me, I know Satan is working on me.  It was a rough day...until I was sitting in sacrament meeting with our tiny branch.  I sat next to Denise and Victor whom I love and adore.  They're both investigators and we just put them on date to be baptized on September 16th and they accepted.  They came up to me and told me that they wanted me to teach them how to pay their tithing....what?! They aren't even members yet and want to pay tithing.  Talk about the faith they have.  Hna Rios and I were so excited and gitty, they totally thought we were weird but I guess it makes sense.   They've been progressing so well.  Amber, our other investigator, gets baptized this Sunday the 26th!  So pumped.  She is incredible.  Progresses so fast.  It helps that her husband is reactivating in the church so they're just doing great.  Everytime she feels a temptation or knows she shouldn't be doing something she says "DANG YOU SATAN!!".  She's hilarious.  We're going to do her program in English because she understands it better.  I haven't been to an English baptism in forever.  Hna Rios tells me shes so grateful I can teach in English and I tell her I'm so grateful she can teach in Spanish haha. We balance eachother out alot.  In my set apart blessing, it mentions that I'd master the language quickly so that'd I'd be able to teach better in English.  I thought "Ooh..maybe President will switch me English."  If only the mission was that easy.  That would of been great my first transfers when I was struggling with Spanish but now that I actually can speak, He sends me here to Grand Junction to teach in English to these people...crazy right?  I just had to wait for that blessing to be fulfilled and it's true.  My testimony is so much more bold and powerful now in English and I know it's because I was doing it in Spanish before which was a struggle but with patience, the Lord helped me.  He always fulfils his blessings and promises if we're faithful. I can definitely testify to that.  Even though I've been a brat and have been missing my old area, the Lord still blesses me...so many miracles have happened here and I've just been to busy looking at the past but I know I'm sent here for a reason. With all my heart. Well I'm off to go learn how to make tamales with Denise, Amber and Valeria (a member)...hopefully Nana doesn't hate me too much for doing that...I promise I'll make them with her when I go home :) Keep being faithful, the Lord will bless you for it!...even if you're a brat like me. Love you!

August 13th, 2012

My new area is so different from Denver.  Its so desert looking....and a bunch of mountains.  It's about 5 hours away (mas o menos) from Denver so I'm right next to the Utah border.  We ride a van to get to different areas of the mission.  My new companion is Hermana Rios.  She was born in Mexico city but she came to the US when she was 10.  I LOVE her.  She reminds me of all my favorite people mixed into one person.  She's a hard worker and we're just so excited to serve with one another.  Her last companion (who was an english sister than turned spanish because we were short with spanish sisters) was SUPER disobedient....actually apparently 95% of the zone is.  Which is super sad.  I felt the difference too when I first arrived.  They would do horrid things and it makes my heart ache that these missionaries would waste the Lord's time.  But I know that I was sent here to help the area.  I received a luke warm welcome from the branch...makes sense since they don't trust missionaries but Hna. Rio's and I prayed alot to know what the Lord would want us to do here.  So we made awesome goals...we have a great vision.  On Wednesday I met a lady named Denise.  She's actually american but married to a mexican so she likes going to the Spanish branch so that he can understand better.  So we teach her in English and all of our lessons with her have been powerful.  She's a really doubty person...meaning she thinks she has no faith yet we teach her things like the word of wisdom and that same week she stops drinking coffee and alcohol...talk about faith, right?  As I was teaching her, I felt the Spirit testify to me very strongly that I came here specifically for her.  We just have just a strong connection and as I reflected back on my set-part blessing, it said "you will master the language quickly so that you can teach better in English."  I thought...well that's weird...maybe God will switch me English speaking.  But I know my prayer was finally answered this week...I can testify more fully and boldly in English (thanks to my spanish..if that makes any sense) and I know she can feel the spirit too.  The missionaries have tried putting her on date to be baptized but she always said no.  Well Hna. Rios and I prayed to know which date and we told her September 16th and she finally said yes!  We also but another lady named Amber on date this week for the 26th of August!  We are so excited...we're already seeing the tender mercies of the Lord.  Also one of my investigators back in Denver gets baptized this Sunday (the 19th)!  I'm just so happy.  I love being a missionay.  It's been a tough week, I'm not gonna lie...I'm just so use to knowing the area...not needing a gps...knowing the members...serving around obedient missionaries..always having something to do.  I mean here...the work was bad...and Hna Rios has only been here for 6 weeks but because of her last companion, they never worked so she doesn't know alot so I feel like we're white washing...we get lost every hour haha it's fun.  I'm grateful for this challenge...I've learned alot this week and I hope to stay in this area with Hna Rios for 3 transfers.  But who knows...well God knows but you know what I mean.  Ok I love you all a ton. I need your prayers!  You're always in mine :)