Week 60 - Meetings (12/18/2017)

Had to take a selfie on the new phone

So this week has been really different to say the least. We started out obviously with our Monday normal preparation day activities. My companion and I got really sick towards the end of the night so we decided to go and rest so that way tomorrow we would be all good to go. 

When we got the phones

Tuesday came and so did the rest of the week as we just had meeting piled on top of meeting. It was unbelievable how many meetings we could get sucked into. It was ridiculous!!! One of the meetings that we did have this week was with the new technology that we are receiving. They gave us some loaner phones to test run and figure out how to use them, basically throw us into the cold deep end. We've been figuring out and wow it is so different than everything I've done this past year. It's crazy. No more planners, no more area book, and no more records on paper. Everything is on the phone. It's incredible! As we dive into it more, we'll be able to access our Facebook accounts and start online too! It'll be pretty cool when the time comes down to it. But our purpose stays the same which is cool. No changes on how we do the work, it still goes on with the Spirit. I really don't have much to write this week which kinda sucks, but it is what it is. Meeting after meeting sure does drain you. I finally understand dad why after so many meetings from work, you're sooo tired. 

Well everybody, I love you all and I hope you have a great week this week!! And Merry Christmas to you all!! Remember the reason, for the season!!

Elder Ruesch Sosa

We were in the newspaper

Week 59 - Smartphones??? Say What??? (12/11/2017)

Zone Conference

So this week has been really crazy, really tiring, and diligent. Being here in Rupert and just working with pure Spanish is hard, but I love it. The hard thing is getting them to commit to a return appointment. It's difficult, but we'll figure something out. So we worked pretty hard Monday night and we were able to get into one door and have dinner with this family that I have been trying to get in since I came to the area. It was very nice to finally get to know them. We pretty much ended there and that was that. 

Zone Conference

Tuesday we had a surprise meeting that Elder Castellano and I had to go to Twin for. We were kinda confused but when we got there, everything made sense. We worked hard before leaving to try and meet with some people, but no avail. Went to the meeting and we were in a 4 way Skype call with Missionaries in Boise, Salt Lake IT Department for the Church, and someone who is assisting role out technology for our mission. It was crazy as we got the whole spill down and how this will work. We are getting Smartphones. Pretty cool. Beats having this old slide phone for sure. We then came back to our area and tried meeting with some people, but had to reschedule a lot of those visits. 

Zone Conference

Wednesday we had Zone Conference and that is when our Mission President publicly announced that we are getting Smartphones. Everyone was cheering for joy. It was crazy. We had a really good program of Christmas songs and people playing the piano. It was really awesome to hear all of it. We came back to our area and tried to see some people,but no one was home! It was so weird. We then called it as it was getting pretty late into the night (I promise I'm in when I need to be in).

Elder Silva and I

Thursday was such a hard working day. We planned out exchanges with Malta Elders and then planned out our week and day, then got to work. We had a lot of closed doors and no one wanting us to come in. Luckily we found some service and helped a lady move out. We were gonna help her move in, but we got a call from the mission office saying that a set of Elders was getting evicted from their home. So we had to find a place for them to live and they are now living with us. It's pretty fun! 

Friday we had exchanges with Malta and I stayed in Rupert and came with Elder Silva who is from Peru.
He's an awesome Elder!! We worked hard. We went to Heyburn cause we also cover that and we met a really nice lady who is a member, but has fallen away a little, but she invited us to come back which is always a good sign. We worked hard and we didn't see a lot of success, but we saw a lot of growth for sure as we diligently worked at it. 

Zone Conference

Saturday came and we went to Almo for the Baptism of a family that I taught in Elba. It was so great to see them get baptized and see them later in a year get sealed as a family for all of time and eternity. It was really touching. We exchanged and Elder Castellano and I made the drive back to Rupert and it was such a pretty drive. I don't have any pics cause I was driving, but wow it looked incredible. We then got to work and tried a lot of people. Fell a little sick as the day carried on. Took some medicine and it knocked us both out. Right when we got up we went back to work. Stayed diligent still to nothing. 

Sunday... wow it was long! Elder Castellano was so sick, but he was a trooper. We went to four sacrament meetings and two of them were for retirement homes. It was pretty nice. Got to play the piano and a special musical number that I wrote up. It was awesome. After the fourth sacrament meeting I could tell Elder Castellano was dying. We came back home and he took medicine that knocked him out. I studied for the time he was knocked out. We tried some people and still nothing. Got some things planned out for today and worked till it was time to come in. 

This week has been exciting, but as I said in the beginning, those things as well. Well I love you all and I hope you have a great week this week!! 

Elder Ruesch Sosa

Week 58 - Mid Transfer Transfer??? (12/4/2017)

Elder Castellano and I

So this week has been a really crazy one to say the least. On Monday we had a good preparation day and I got to do a little soccer training which was nice to do. It definitely is a lot harder to play in a gym than on a field for sure. We then tried contacting some people that we had appointments for, but they all fell through. So we spent the night just contacting. Went back to our place and hit the bed hard cause we had to be up early to make a drive to Boise the next morning.

Our Christmas Tree

Tuesday we met up with Elders in Burley and hopped in their car and made the drive to Boise. Stopped in Jerome had breakfast and picked up Elders in Jerome and drove the rest of the way to Boise. We got to Boise and had a really long meeting about some things that will be happening in the mission which is pretty cool. We were in Boise for the longest time so we decided to have dinner up there before we made the three hour drive back to Rupert. As we were driving to a restaurant, we got a text from President Bartlett asking if we could call him ASAP. We called him and didn't answer. As we parked the car, he called. He was calling to let us know that a mid transfer was about to happen. Elder Farr would be going to Boise and I would be receiving Elder Castellano. He said he would call us that night to discuss further instructions. We were shocked to hear that. We were all thrown off. We had dinner and the entire drive home, we were trying to figure out why this was happening. Elder Farr spent the night packing.

Elder Castellano and I

Wednesday he finished packing and we had to be in Boise at 12 so we took off and made it there in good time. We performed the Transfer, had lunch and made the drive back to Rupert. I'm sick and tired of making that drive. Dad, I have no idea how you did it, but I commend you! We made it back to our area and just got to work. We found a really great new investigator making a contact. She is prepared and we are excited to meet her again today. We did a lot of good things and we then came back to our place so Elder Castellano could unpack.

Thursday we stayed in cause Elder Castellano was sick, like crazy sick it was bad. Did a lot of planning and studying.

Friday we had a pretty packed day. We had a lot of meetings taht we had to go to. We first had one in Rupert with the Rupert District. We then had lunch then went to Declo to have a meeting with the Declo District. From there we went and made a lot of contacts. It was pretty crazy. We then had dinner and after dinner, we got right back to work. We then went and exchanged with the Acequia Elders and I stayed in our area. 

Saturday was a good day. We worked a lot. We had a correlation meeting at 10:15 and we correlated about the stake and how things are going in all the areas. Then went crazy doing some area book work. Had a few referrals to hand off to the Spanish Sisters after all that work. We then grabbed some lunch and got right back to work. It was crazy how much we worked. We had some really good contacts and will hopefully have some good returns with all those that we contacted. We then exchanged back and Elder Castellano and I talked about our exchange which was pretty nice.

Snow

Sunday we had church and wow we were at church for forever. We went to three different sacrament meetings and then went to a lesson after church. Then from there we had to drive up to Elba to give a baptismal interview to a family I taught in Malta. It was really cool to see them again. Elder Castellano did all the interviews and it went all well. While all of this was happening, the weather outside escalated. It was windy and it began to snow like crazy. It then froze and became ice which was terrible. We then made the drive back to Rupert and had a late dinner. Then went back at it to work. We were pretty exhausted. It was crazy. 

Well that's how my week was. It was crazy and we enjoyed all that we did. It was pretty nice to see all of the little miracles that we saw this week and I know for sure the work we do is never wasted. I love you all and miss you all with this Holiday season. You are always in my heart and I love you all!! Hope you enjoy your week and remember, Christ in Christmas!!

Elder Ruesch Sosa