Monday, November 28, 2016

Week 5 - Roller Coaster Ride (11/28/2016)

So this week was a bit of lows and highs. We were able to get a lot of work done in the first few days of the week and successfully launch the new Christmas initiative of Ilumina al Mundo (Light the World). 
[Monday] So last P-Day we had a fun day of playing games at the church basically like Capture the Flag which was really fun. Then we were able to visit with a less active family and get to know them a little bit better. We then had dinner given to us cause the husband couldn't be home at the time and took it back to our apartment and ate it. Then it was about 8 and we decided to go do some contacting which didn't have any success in it. 
Tuesday came a long and we went to go meet with some people which came to no success and have a lesson with one of our investigators, but he wasn't home. So we did our progress record and sent it out to the branch. Dinner at 5 back at our apartment and then we had a lesson with Antonio about how to prepare for baptism. That was one of the things he was worried about so we taught him how to prepare and how to keep our commitments. He seemed to take things out of it and we are hoping that our next lesson with him will be good too. We then taught our Platinum investigator Homero about Christ like Attributes. He really wants to improve his life and be more like Christ and that is what we are trying to help him with. 
Wednesday came around and we didn't have our first lesson until 4. Wednesday is our day of service at a Idaho Youth Ranch. It's almost like a Deseret Industries and we were handling clothes...yay allergies. We got back from that had lunch, then 12 week cause I new, language study, then off we went to our lesson. At our lesson, we read the introduction to the Book of Mormon with our investigator and he seemed interested and he can't read on his own so we have to. We then finished and went to have dinner. Then we tried having a lesson with a Part Member Family, but they weren't home so we met with a member family and talked about the light the world initiative. We then had a great lesson with Cinthia (the daughter of Olga) and how she can recognize the spirit. We had a friend come with us named Rossalyn and is actually the sister of Homero which has been really great to have her help us with her brother any time we need it. We then had a nice opportunity to speak with a Less Active family about coming back to church. We basically kind of scared them into it. We told them basically that the time is now and we can't procrastinate our time here on Earth. The time we have is so little compared to eternity. That was a really good way to end our day.
Thursday was quite a different day. We only had one lesson actually fall through and that was with Homero. We taught him the Sermon on the Mount and how to apply these things in our lives. We had lunch with Olga and her family at one which was quite delicious if I may say so. We then had dinner with a family that we didn't know. They were in the branch just before the two of us and it was really great getting to know them and sharing a message with them about the gospel. They are a really nice family and fed us really well. We ended up staying there till like 8:30 or something like that cause when we initially arrived the food wasn't done yet. So it gave us time to talk with them and get to know them. 
Friday came and the release of Light the World. We were able to get familiar with the website (http://www.mormon.org) and how to help members and non-members navigate it, but in English. So I now need to learn how to do it in Spanish. But after that we had a district meeting till about lunch and then we came back to have our comp study, 12 week, language, then we went out to do some contacting. To no success, no contacting made. Then we had dinner and tried to contact again, but then we had an appointment with a less active family and showed them the Light the World video, but it took us awhile to find it cause one we don't have tablets and two they were trying to search for it via the Xbox. But we found it and explained it to them and how it's supposed to be and what we can do on our behalf to be like the savior. We did the same thing with another member family, but this time showed it via a phone. This is when we wish we had tablets. We then tried showing the video to other families but nothing...again. 
Saturday came around and we tried doing the same thing. Time to make contact with other people. Saturday we definitely got discouraged cause no one answered us. So we gave up and called it a little early. And I wasn't feeling all that great to begin with on Saturday so we called it a night.
Sunday morning rolled around. I woke up and wasn't feeling great at all. Couldn't keep anything down so we decided it was a day for me to rest. We went to sacrament meeting and then went home and rested. We canceled our dinner appointment for that night, but thankfully the branch members had the food for us and all we had to do was pick it up. I rested all day long and I could feel my body fighting whatever I have. I rested till about 8 or 9 Sunday night. Slept from 12-4:30 then from 6-9. While taking medicine and resting. 
This morning I feel a lot better than I was yesterday and I'm thankful for my companion and being able to help me recover. Hopefully whatever I have leaves me so I can get back to work and help others come unto Christ. This will be interesting.
Elder Ruesch

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Week 4 (11/21/2016)

So this week has been rather different than the rest. But needless to say, a busy one. We got down to work starting Tuesday after P-Day.
We decided to go out contacting and talking with some of our referrals that we got and inactives, but needless to say, nobody wanted to talk with us. Came to dinner time and we talked with Hermano Soto who is on the Branch presidency. We had tacos for dinner on the street, which were amazing, and we talked to him a little bit more about the missionary work that we need help with in the ward. Cause the branch also needs to help expand the branch. Then afterwards we went back to contacting and nobody until we finally got to a members house. We got to know them a lot better and share a quick spiritual thought with them. Then later that night we went and taught a lesson with our Platinum investigator Homero. He is really amazing and he just wants to learn more about the gospel and he has his own goals himself to like get sealed in the temple!! It's amazing how much he has changed from when I met him the first day I was here. So that was a good day for us.
Wednesday came and we had our three week meeting cause I'm new and everything, and we got to learn up on some new skills and fine tune some of the ones we have. We later got back that night at like 5 and we had a quick dinner and off to teach a lesson. We taught a lesson with another one of our progressing investigators named Antonio. He is a really great guy and he can retain the stuff we teach. We had a really good lesson with him and the member that we had with us helped a lot too. Members are really essential in our work here. After our lesson with hims we went off and taught Homero again and we were able to just read a chapter from the Book of Mormon. We opened up our scriptures to 1 Nephi and started reading then he asked us where we were. We told him where we were and he said I'm past that point. We were shocked because he read all the way to 2 Nephi. We were just blown away and we started asking questions about what he read and what he understood and he understood the Isaiah Chapters that are in Nephi. We were just blown. Like I said he is Platinum.
Thursday came around and that was a day of contacting like crazy. To no success were we able to contact anyone. Which sucked a lot. We only got one lesson and that was with Homero again. Cause we went over to do some service for his sister who wanted a desk installed in her room. Which was awesome.
Friday we had District meeting and we learned about our secret stuff here in the mission field. Then we went out to invite investigators to our Branch dinner that day. We were able to do that till we had to go and set up for the activity that night. We set up all by ourselves about 200 chairs and 26 tables. It is estimate cause we just set up and no one complained to us which was nice. We had our thanksgiving dinner there and talked to some of our members and investigators and got to know some new people. It was really cool, but we had to leave cause we have to be back into our apartments by 9. So we were off and made it back and planned for the next day.
Saturday we went out to do some more contacting between some Less Actives in the Branch and Members as well for referrals. No one wanted to talk to us, but the members. We did have a bad thing happen though. Elder Sarabia lost his planner... And we didn't know what to do cause he had the address for our dinner appointment that night cause I was off talking to investigators when he got it the previous day. We went and retraced every step we took and couldn't find it anywhere. So we went off of my planner to do our contacting. We then had a lesson with Homero which went really well since he learned some new things about the commandments. He is Platinum. Then we had dinner and we were able to get to the location thanks to a cell phone that we have. Afterwards we tried contacting again and no one yet again until we got to a part member family. We were able to talk with the daughter who is a member and who is really wanting to come back to church. We left her with a challenge to read the Book of Mormon and have any questions about what she read next time we come over. Then we returned to our apartments and planned the next day.
Sunday we woke up and had to dart over to a 7:30 meeting that we had with our stake. Even though we cover all of Boise, we are assigned to the Boise Central stake since that is where we live. We talked about our most progressing investigators and how the stake can help out with them or our missionary work here. We then went to church right after and had a really good day at church. We learned some new things and were also able to help out Antonio who came to church. We then had choir practice afterwards and were able to sing some of the songs that we will be singing for Christmas time. We then did contacting as much as we could but to no avail. We then later pulled out a list we were given that day about Part Member Families that we didn't know about. We went and visited them and we were able to talk to two cause that was all time would give us. And they were some really nice families and we will be visiting them more often. We were supposed to have a lesson with Homero that night, but he canceled on us so we went and decided to do some calls and hopefully get in contact with some of the people we can't door contact. And we were able to get a hold of them. We talked with them and have a return appointment set with them. That was basically my week cause now I'm here.
Oh and before I forget, last P-Day we had a NERF war which was so much fun. I ended up buying a NERF gun here so I have one now along with my companion and we dominate. Heheh, but that is my week for you and I'm hoping for a better week this week. Farewell 
Elder Ruesch

Monday, November 14, 2016

Week 3 in the Field - New Stress High.... (11/14/2016)

So this week was pretty much a week to learn patience. We only taught like maybe 4 lessons this week cause we were doing a lot of contacting and fixing our area book. So on P-Day last week we went and hiked Table of Rock which is a really nice view of the Boise area and everything within a distance. A really cool trail and hike which didn't take us that long even though we are in a car most of the day. 
Tuesday we had Zone Conference and learned of some secret stuff, which is going to be really awesome. And we had Zone Olympics. It's something that our President started to motivate us to stay in shape. Which was really fun and I set some new personal records for myself which made me really happy. Throughout the week we had joined dinners with the English Elders in our zone cause since we got Hermana's we decided to give them the most part of the Branch dinners so that they can gain the confidence of the Branch. Then we went after that to go teach one of our investigators Homero, and he is just golden. Understands everything and we are really excited for his baptismal date on the 24th of December. 
Wednesday came around and we did service a few lessons, dinner, got a lesson canceled on us, and then we had a joint lesson with two investigators. So we took Homero with us to a lesson with Olga, Cinthia, and Angel (remember these people for they will show up again). And he just blew us away. he bore his testimony of how he did a 180 turn and is now focused on the gospel and how it can help him and his change to want to be married in the temple and how the world tries to bring us down, but if we rely on God and look towards him, he will help us. And not only that but he shared a scripture that has helped him and that is the scripture in 1 Nephi 3:7. He was just amazing during that lesson. 
Thursday came and went. We went and did weekly planning which took a lot of our day and time. We also needed a little stress reducer so we went and played some piano and went out contacting and to no avail cause nobody was there. Then we went to dinner and tried to do some more contacting but nothing...again. Patience this week wahoo. 
So Friday came and this is where things get interesting. We went over the area book, to see if we had some people for the Hermanas and we did so we gave them the names and we got rid of some of our area book. But enough to still work. So we went out and did some contacting and see if we can visit with investigators, but only members let us in. Patience for a miracle. So all this week we have been praying for a miracle, so we had time left in our day so we went to go Pray with Olga. And as we did we prayed and started talking with her, her kids were asleep so we were out on the porch(and also she is single). So we were talking and she asked, is it possible for me and Angel to get baptized tomorrow? We were just thrown back because we were expecting next week  and we were just thrown this at 9:00 PM and we had to be back in our apartment by then. So we said yea we'll see what we can do. So all night until 10:30, we were calling people and our President to see if we can get something approved or even some help with this, but we never got a call back. 
So Saturday we pretty much wiped our schedule to set up a baptism for 5:30. We didn't have any time to waste. That morning we made a lot of calls to see if we can get a font ready, a place, members to go, a translator for the baptismal interview and someone to give it. Since we are the only Spanish missionaries, we can't give the baptismal interview. We got permission to have the Branch President do it, but he couldn't because of work. So we had our Zone Leaders do it with a translator. All day we didn't rest until we made the impossible, possible. Which to some surprise we did. We were freaking out all day cause we needed things done and we didn't know how to do them, but we did. Thanks to the Lord and our Heavenly Father. And at 5:30 I got to participate in my first baptism. These past two days were crazy. 
The following day (Sunday) we were able to give them the Gift of the Holy Ghost and Elder Sarabia was able to do that which was awesome. We then had our normal Sunday and we got to teach Gospel Principles last minute and we did pretty well and then do some contacting which yet again, no one answered us. 
So we had a long week with patience and stress on a new level. It was crazy. We are hoping that no more surprises like that happen this week. But now it's searching for some new investigators. 
YAY!! LET"S DO THIS!!

Monday, November 7, 2016

Week 2 in the Field (11/7/2016)

So this week was quite an amazing one. We got so much work done and I personally feel accomplished. Elder Sarabia on the other hand would say I'm spoiled. We already have two baptismal dates and hopefully tonight, three more!! That's awesome!! Anyways on Tuesday we did some service digging the rest of the hole which was at this point 6-7 feet deep and about 5 feet wide. We were digging this hole for a nest to house supplies for the winter in the ground. It's pretty cool. Afterwards we went and met with one of our investigators and taught him about the restoration of the gospel and how it could unite his family and a little bit about the priesthood. It was a great lesson and we also got him to commit to come to church with us yesterday, but he couldn't make it. That's what next week is for. To keep asking until they come. After that we saw another investigator who is really stuck on his own beliefs and just cares to bash with us a little. Something that night that I learned from my companion is about when it is going nowhere and the spirit isn't felt in the conversation, leave. We didn't bash, all we tried to do was show how the bible and Book of Mormon support each other and are one in the same, to unite and testify of Christ. So we left and did some "tracting" that night till our last appointment. We got to our last appointment and it's one of the investigators that we were able to commit to baptism. We were reading in the Book of Mormon in 2nd Nephi 31. Famous for baptism. And we explained a little what it really means and a little about the restoration of the gospel. We popped the question and he said yes. Which was awesome. We had about an hour and a half lesson, don't care that is was long cause the spirit was soo there, and we left to go back to our apartment. Wednesday came around and we had service for the Idaho Youth Ranch in the morning. That went great, but my allergies kicked in which was terrible. Afterwards we went and taught a less active in our area. She was really open to us and everyday this week we've been sending her quotes to inspire her and give her the desire to come back to church. She took our challenge to read the Book of Mormon again and pray about it, that she may know again that what she's reading is true and have a better understanding of it. After that we went and had another lesson with one of our other investigators. We finished up all the lessons we had left, which was tithing and fasting, and now we're praying to see if we can receive a baptismal date for them. We know they are ready and we feel it strongly. We just need them to feel that they are ready to take on this step. After that we had one more lesson with our other investigator. We taught a little bit about baptism and what it is. As well a little bit about the priesthood. We taught him with a member which really helped and it was awesome!! We asked him to be baptized and he said yes! Two baptisms back to back! I love my companion. He's helped me learn so much and we're both involved in the lessons. Him more so than me, but I'm starting to learn to jump in. Thursday was a day of planning. Lots of planning... We had planned for almost the entire week up until dinner. Long planning. We then finished our night with a lesson with our investigator who accepted baptism on Tuesday. We just read the Book of Mormon with him and he was asking questions about what we were reading and it was awesome. We didn't have to ask any questions or at least as many. Friday was a slow day. We had a Zone Meeting which consumed half of our day and the rest of our day after that was studies. We tried to do some visits, but no one was home. Saturday came along and as Elder Sarabia put it, Diligence day. It was so slow up until 7:30 when we had a lesson with our investigator. We taught him lesson 2 and he was yet again asking questions like crazy. He was awesome. We're excited for him and the progress that he is making. Sunday was church and it was awesome, except for what happened before church. We were in comp study and we were role playing. I was teaching about baptism and I got completely frustrated cause I couldn't express myself in two languages. I just was frustrated at myself. I took time to regather myself and by that time it was church. I was able to get back into the mood and feel the spirit and just in time for our lesson for the night. We had our lesson and we taught tithing and the logistics of it. We were able to teach a little more about the commitments of baptism and what they exactly are and that was cool. But the best lesson was the unexpected one we had that night. We went over to an investigators house pray with them. When we got there we started talking about all the misconceptions of the church. Cause the daughter was told all of these and she freaked out. We told her that she can still be who she is and do all of the normal things and all that stuff. And also that we aren't crazy Mormons who just talk about the gospel all day. It's only missionaries that do that haha... and that's because we want to feel the spirit all the time so we seclude ourselves from the world. That was the basics of my week and it was amazing.  A quote that I would love to share with you all is from a talk and I feel bad for not writing who it was by but anyways here it is, "Salvation is not a cheap experience and not easy. It wasn't easy for Christ and it won't be for us. We are not the first persons to ask if there's another way. When we suffer, are afflicted, rejected, spat upon, and turned away, we stand with Christ. THE BEST MISSIONARY!!" I love you all and I hope you week goes great!!


Elder Ruesch