Week 72 - Slow Ride (3/12/2018)

Caught my comp taking a nap

So this week felt like it went by soooo slowly. To start out it was really slow. We got to work hard on our preparation day by playing ball and it was pretty fun...except for the fact we almost had the entire zone present and that was a big no. Felt chastised for it big time. That night we tried contact so many people it was crazy how many people didn't answer the door. I was amazed, but it's whatever I guess. The week went on and we had interviews with our Mission President and they went very smoothly. It was really nice to talk to him and see how we can help the Spanish people. Luckily with this Spanish group talk that is happening, things will be so much better. Had the opportunity to also go on exchanges with my former companion and trainee Elder Blaisdell and we had a great time together. We were in Rupert so we did pure Spanish work and it was just an awesome grind. We worked so hard, had good results, and then some bad ones, but in the end it was a good day. 

A cloudy day here in Rupert

As the week went on, we continued working and it felt sooooo long!! It was just insane!! I don't remember much, just the fact that it was sooooo long!!! We had a lot of appointments cancel and a lot of things fall through, but we noticed that being in the right place at the right time, yields a lot of good things. One of the appointments that cancelled, we didn't get the memo. We showed up and the mom of the family, just got released from the Hospital and as we arrived, she asked us if we could give her a blessing. So I think it was a good things we didn't get the memo. 

So a crazy thing that happened this week. So the Elders we are housing in our house got called a bunch of times along with us saying how unlivable the situation is. So they've been panicking trying to find a house for them, but when we housed another set of Elders they were completely fine with it.... Pretty weird if you ask me. But we've been searching for a house for them and luckily at one of our dinners, we were able to find out they want to start housing missionaries in their side home. It'll be temporarily until their house is finished and then they can move into it. Pretty crazy how God does answer our prayers!! 

Well that's my weeks summed up since I can't remember a lot of it. But I love you all and I hope you have a great week. Elder Ruesch out!! 

Elder Ruesch Sosa

P.S. if you want to send letters feel free to, but transfers are this week. I don't think I'm being transferred, but we shall see...

Week 71 - The Epistle of Elder Ruesch Chapter 2 (3/5/2018)

A breakfast we got this week
from our Ward Mission Leader

So this week has been a very good and interesting week. I made it alive and that's all that matters to me. There has been a lot of craziness that went down and I don't know where to begin. So I guess to start off with the craziness.

Something we decided to do...
bad decision

So we helped some Elders move out of their house and guess where.... On our floor! So yet again we have Elders living on our floor. But this time, they literally have all of their stuff. It's pretty crowded now in our house. It'll be a fun few months... Transfers next week and I'm kinda confused, but I got the feeling that I'll be staying. We'll find out though. The rest of the craziness started at Zone Conference. It was really cool, but I felt like it was really long. A lot of questions asked and a lot of answers given. Everything seemed so self explanatory, but I guess not. Oh well the life of a missionary. We also got to help out our Ward Mission Leader with flooring his house. We did a lot of moving around in his house trying to put floorboards in and then get the actual flooring in. We didn't get to cause we had other things pop up. 

 A sticker I got and put on my tag

Now on to the Spiritual side of things. We did go on exchanges and I stayed here in Rupert. We had a lot of good things that came from it. We were able to meet with some of the people that we haven't been able to meet with for awhile. It was really awesome to be able to meet with a lot of these families. The only thing that was bad was that I had to be on my own. The Elder I was with is an English speaking missionary so I was on my own for literally everything. It was good. It really taught me to rely on the Spirit a lot. The same day we helped out our Ward Mission Leader with his flooring, we gave one of the Sister Missionaries in our Stake a blessing. It was a really cool experience and the Spirit was so strong!! I'm loving it here in the mission and there is nothing that I can really complain about. It's amazing how much the Lord has taught me this far in my mission. I can't imagine what other things that I will learn. There has been a lot that I can't really put into words it's a little difficult. 

Honestly there has been a lot of good this week and it's been really cool. I honestly can't think of anything else to send home. Today marks 17 months since I've been out. Time is running out, but with what I have left, I'll use it to serve the last stretch of my mission. I love you all and I hope things are great for you all back home!! 

And I Elder Ruesch, closes this Epistle to Family and Friends, whom he loves dearly.

Elder Ruesch Sosa

Week 70 - Enduring to the End (2/26/2018)

So this week has been pretty interesting. I got sick and I got sick big time. I've been sick for like a week and luckily I have been getting better. Didn't stop me from doing the Lord's work though. We saw little miracles this week and a lot of craziness as well. It was quite interesting to see it all unfold to say the least. 

This past week we had the opportunity to go on two exchanges and for both of them I stayed here in Rupert. The first one was a really great learning experience for both me and the Elder that I was with. We were able to see little miracles come about by using the technology that we have now received. We went and walked a few of the streets of Rupert to catch anyone outside since our appointment wasn't home and we did find a few. All English speaking though which was a little dis-heartening. But it was all good. We had some really good conversations with them and maybe, just maybe, they will investigate the church and be really good members. We had to hand those off to the Sisters and hopefully, good will come out of it for them. We're pretty lucky that the English Sisters that we have in our Stake, are really good, hard working sisters. Live in a spoiled world here in Rupert. 

The Second exchange that I went on was with a greenie and I felt so out of it that day. I was taking so many medications to treat all the symptoms that I had and nothing was working. I was amazed by how nothing was working at all. We still worked pretty hard though. We had a few doors closed in our face and some few choice words told at us, but we continued the good fight. That day we just rolled out Facebook to one of the Districts and they were sooo excited for it. So I also helped this new missionary clean out his and we almost cleaned it all out. It was pretty cool. 

Things have been pretty good for us here in Rupert. We did receive a lot of snow and it's a good thing I do know how to drive in it, thanks to last year. I love being with my companion and it has been really fun being here in this Zone and I'm getting close to a year in it. It's crazy that half of my mission (once it is two full years) I have been down here in the Rupert area. I love you all and I miss you all!! I hope everything is well with everybody!! Enjoy your week!!

Elder Ruesch Sosa

Week 69 - Charity Suffereth Long (2/20/2018)

A chair in the middle of nowhere

Snowed pretty heavily
while in an appointment

Snowed pretty heavily
while in an appointment

Twin Falls Temple from the back

Well this has been a long week. And we did suffer a lot of things, but everything we did was out of love. It being the week of love (even though it's really only one day of the week) we did a lot of service. Our days went by in the service of those that we care about. We helped out a companionship move into their new house in their area!! It was pretty cool for them. We also helped paint it. We then helped one of our members move out of his old place into a new apartment complex that is tons better!! He called us later in the week thanking us and that he loves his new place so much more. It was great to hear the excitement in his voice. We then (all of this happened over the week) helped out our ward mission leader tear out the carpet in house and prune some trees. It was pretty fun!! I don't know what I would do if I couldn't serve. But as well we did teach this week and the biggest highlight I would have to say would be helping one of the Recent Converts write a talk for sacrament meeting. It was such a joy helping them as they wrote about our choices and how, what we do now in this life, affects our eternity. It was soo cool. 

The Twin Falls bridge

A lot has happened this week, but I can't seem to remember a whole lot of it. It's a constant battle in trying to see people, keep in touch and teaching. It's a battle, but one we have not quit on yet. This week has flashed right by and I just don't remember a whole lot. Well, I love you all and I hope you have a great week this week!! Remember, I always love you all no matter what!!!

Elder Ruesch Sosa

Week 68 - Sickness Strikes Back (2/13/2018)

I'm a huge nerd and I died when I saw this

Well, I don't have a lot to say about this week, cause as the title states, sickness struck back. This time though it wasn't me. My companion was sick for the entire week... None of the less, this week was really long for me. But I gained a lot of spiritual insight on the Book of Mormon. It was really good! I definitely know, how much that book alone testifies of Jesus Christ. Every page and every letter points right to him!! 

I also got to work on my drawing skills cause my eyes can only take so much reading. So I drew a lot as well. I'll attach photos at the end of the email. 

When Elder Cooke felt good for an hour, we tried to do some Skype Lessons and Facebook Lessons, but we had no good success there, but we do have tons of appointments set for this week. Yesterday by far was amazing! We went and worked. It snowed which was very weird, but not weird for Idaho, we got to work. We just knocked and testified all day! We had a very good lesson with one of our investigators and we just testified the entire time of the good things that they feel when they go to church, read the Book of Mormon and Bible, and pray to our Heavenly Father. We testified of how all those good feelings that they feel are from Christ. It was just amazing on how much they lit up. It's amazing what the spirit can do!! We got tons of appointments set for this week and it makes us so excited!

Things have been so great this week even though it's been pretty hard to stay active with the sickness. Advice, take vitamin c everybody!! I love you all and I hope you have a great week!! 

Elder Ruesch Sosa

My drawings

Week 67 - The Wind is Howling (2/5/2018)

Me and my new found cape

So this week has been a little of a crazy one towards the end of things. To start off, I'm still in Rupert and still 100% right on my feelings of transfers!! I am still 12 for 12!! Wow it is crazy how fast time flies!! As of today I have been out 16 months and it's so hard to believe that I have been out this long. Time just flies! Sorry mom if you don't feel the same way. I'm loving my mission and everything that happens, even in the rough slow days. The one positive out of the week still keeps me going. 

Well we had an amazing turn out in finding this week, even though we didn't find this new investigator at all. He found us! I've never had that happen before!! Someone actually coming to us and telling us they want to be taught! We were able to teach them the first two lessons back to back cause they wanted us over two days in a row. Wow! They are so prepared!! We went in and asked a lot of inspired questions and testing their knowledge and wow, the small simple testimony that they have, was very powerful. The spirit was so strong in the room as we taught the things we know to be true. And even earlier that day, we witnessed the same miracle. We have also been trying to see this family for awhile and we just could never get a hold of them, until last week. We remembered that they told us they are usually home in the mornings at around 10-12. So we stopped by at around 11ish and had an amazing lesson with them.We talked about the Book of Mormon and what they read and they loved what they had read!! It just touched their hearts!! We were able to testify that those things they read about were true and their countenance just was lively! We asked them if they believed that Joseph Smith was truly a Prophet of God and the wife just said yes. She went on to explain and wow, Elder Cooke and I were amazed by her testimony. I love seeing the small things like that and how they keep me going. It's the reason why I serve. To see other people enjoy the happiness that I have found through the Gospel. Elder Cooke and I talked about that lesson and we were just both surprised. 

Icing the foot

We still have our struggles, don't get me wrong. We can't get anyone to church cause there is no Spanish support. We are hoping that will change soon. We would love that and I know that those that we teach would love that! Cause for now, it's me and Elder Cooke translating and we aren't the best at it. 

So As I started, transfers were this week and we ran into a problem. We were using our new Area Book Planner app to plan our day and we did, but as I synced I got notified that one of us was being transferred. I was like no, were not. I proceeded with the sync and I lost our entire area book. Just gone. I told Elder Cooke not to sync just as a back up and luckily it was a good thing that he didn't. After a whole bunch of talking with the Assistants and trying to get this worked out we were able to eventually figure it out. So if I make one recommend to any missionaries that are getting this email and that will be transitioning to Smartphones, it would be this. Make sure that all the areas are named correctly. That was the problem we ran into. Our area was named Rupert when we are Rupert West Spanish. So they changed the names on ours, but really just flipped the areas and I lost everything. Elder Cooke eventually just reassigned all of our investigators to the assistants, and they reassigned them back to us. In the end it worked out. But I was going in full panic mode if we couldn't get them back. Just know that you can now. 

Well I love you all and I hope you had a great week last week and that you have a great week this week!!!

Elder Ruesch Sosa

Week 66 - Work, Work, Work (1/29/2018)

Well this week has been very quick to say the least of it. We got to go on exchanges and I went back to Malta! It was pretty nice as going back there. We were able to see some of the families that I had grown close to and talk with them again. It was amazing. One in particular was a lesson we had that night with one of those families I had gotten close to. We were teaching them the importance of faith and how it leads to action. We were able to testify to them that we don't need to know everything because our knowledge increases as we go on in life. Before we walked into the lesson we were talking in the car with a member who accompanied us, about extending a baptismal date. As the member and the other Elder discussed, I thought about it and I was like February 24th sounds like a good date. The other Elder never said anything about date. As the lesson went on and it progressed, the Elder pulled out his planner and looked at a  date he had written down. I didn't see it, but when he extended the date, it was the exact date I thought about in the car!! It was awesome!! The Spirit definitely had the two of us on the same page during the entire day. It was amazing!!

For the rest of the week, things flew by. We had crazy things happen like a mysterious referral showing up and ending up being fake, but still led to a teaching opportunity. That was kinda crazy. We had to hand it off though cause it was English speaking. We also went through one of wards entire list looking for Spanish names and every single one that we contacted, could speak English.... It was nice making contact with all of these people, but sad that it isn't our work... As for the rest of our week, we got prepared for Zone Conference!! Now it's official, the entire mission has Smartphones!! It has made things a lot more easier now. It's pretty cool. We got ready for Zone Conference and the training that we had to give, which was pretty simple. It just truly is amazing to finally get these rolling to use. For sure in the future it'll be something amazing. Other than that things have just been a blur here. I did get sick yesterday, but luckily I am feeling much better than I was.

I really don't know what more to say other than I love you all and I hope you have a safe week!! I love you all and miss you all!! Be safe and take care!!

Elder Ruesch Sosa

P.S. Transfers are this week and we don't know what's happening. I've got a feeling that I'm staying though. And so far I have been 100% right on those feelings.