January 23, 2012

Hey everyone!

So drum roll......I am staying in Bella Vista...Arlington Virginia for at least another 6 weeks. Cheeeeeyup! Im not gonna lie, I was shocked, but also really stoked. By the end of this transfer I will have officially spent basically half of my mission in this ward. I feel so blessed and so humbled because I have gotten to know some of the best people in my life. The members are so faithful, and truly understand the beauty and truthfulness of the gospel. They love the savior and they are always ready to go out and share the gospel. The last months of my life have been so crazy, I have learned more out here, in the last 8 months than I did the last 4 years and I am grateful for it. I was thinking about it and I never knew what the gospel was until I came out on my mission. I feel so blessed to be able to say now, that I know what it is. It is truth, it is the light along the pathway back to our heavenly father. it is our guide out here in this world. Because of the gospel, I know what my purpose is, who I am and who I want to be. I know what is most important and it is loving others as God does, it is serving others and doing the best that i can to be like Jesus. I love it! How blessed am I everyday. How blessed are we to be able to have this knowledge and to be able to share it with others! I love you all so much.
Cubo
RR

ps..shout out to:

The barnes family! you are all the best. Love you tons.
Petersons! I cant believe how big everyone is. Miss you all.
Ashley- HAPPY BIRTHDAY>>>LOVE YOU LIKE NONE OTHER
GrannyJO-get well, love you.

January 17, 2012

So last week we had a baptism and it was incredible.

His name is Roy (de mexico). This guy is sweet, we met him on December 8th and he was baptized on January 8th. The crazy thing is that in October he was baptized in a Chrisitian church. Roy's whole life he has been searching for the truth, searching for God and the way he could be closer to him. I have never met someone who has wanted so badly to know the will of God and to do what God wanted him to do. I asked him once why he liked reading the scriptures and he told me because he likes knowing what God wants him to do and he likes feeling close to him. He then asked us if it was normal for someone to just barely meet the missionaries and want to be baptized so quickly, its crazy but we were able to tell him yes...because it is true. People are converted so quickly to this message because it is the truth, because they feel the holy ghost and they know and Roy was no exception. He was looking for the truth and because he was looking and willing to accept it, he recieved his answer. January 8th was the best, Roy was so stoked and happy because he finally felt right, he finally found the place where he could be happy and feel the love that his heavenly father has for him. I am so humbled to have been able to meet him and share with him this gospel...man, its sweet. The gospel is true. I love you all.

Cubo
RR

January 9, 2012

Just pictures this week, but I still love you all.
Cubo
RR

January 3, 2012

Feliz Ano!!

This is going to be a short email because I don't really have too much time. I cant believe a year has already passed since I left Hawaii and decided to go on a mission. This last year has flown by which to be honest, I am grateful for it. I was thinking a lot this new years about how much it is my least favorite holiday, but something is different this year, This year, I am stoked! Its crazy because right now, this year, I have the opportunity to just focus on the lord, on his will and on becoming a better person. I get to focus on being more loving and being more like Jesus Christ. In my whole life I don't think I have ever felt this much love towards the Savior and God. I am so grateful for the growth that I have had this year. And now I am stoked to throw away the bad things from the past and start over. It is so sweet with every new year we get to better ourselves to start over fresh and so, this year, that is what I am going to do...start over, be a better, kinder person.Be more sharing and more giving, love more and be more focused. I love this gospel. I know it is true. Love you all.
Cubo
RR

December 27, 2011

Hey everyone!

Here is a short little email because I don't have too much time, but this year I can truly say that I learned what the true meaning of Christmas is... After I got off the phone with you all we went out and decided to knock doors. About an hour into knocking, we got let into an apartment, of a family from Bolivia. We decided to read with them from Luke 2 about the birth of Jesus and then we sang The First Noel. Afterwards, they invited us to stay for dinner which consisted of a whole turkey leg, 2 potatoes, a yam, and a salad for each person. It was so incredible because you could tell that they didn't have much and yet they were willing to give what they had to two strangers who knocked on their door, Christmas night. I was and am so humbled. Humbled and blessed to get to know these people, to learn from them and to love them. Jesus Christ lives, he gave us the greatest example and the greatest gift. Love you all.

Cubo
RR

December 19, 2011

Hey Everyone---

So this week was kind of the same as most weeks...

We went to work, knocking doors, and teaching people.

I had a crazy little experience knocking doors though, a man opened his door and said to us, "there must be a God, two beautiful girls at my door", to which I responded with a "well, yea, there is a God and we are actually here to share about him". Then things changed...he said "oh well I am sorry for you. I have one thing to say: I am an atheist". Then he went on to say some rude things which I wont write. It was really an interesting thing for me to see, I mean it just hit me really hard in that moment, how sad and empty it all seemed. How hopeless it must be, to live a life not believing that there was not anything more than just this. I am so grateful that I know that there is more, that is life is but a trial in the grand scheme of things and that not only eternal life lies beyond this, but eternal happiness. I know that God is real, that he exists, that he loves me. I know my purpose and I am so blessed to have this knowledge, to know that I can be with my family forever, and recieve true and lasting joy. I guess that was the only thing I wanted to share with you all...that I know and that we are lucky to have this truth and understanding.

I am so stoked to get to talk to you all on Christmas, its gonna be good. I love you all.

Cubo
RR

December 12, 2011

Hey everyone-

updates...

I am still in Arlington and just loving it. It is really cooled though, the other morning it was 29 degress, I have never been in a place this cold. My new companion is Hermana Moya from Ecuador and she is so awesome. She is teaching me tons of spanish.

So here is a cool story...

Last night we were going to go have a lesson and one of the members, Hermana Martinez from Bolivia came with us. As we were driving over to the lesson, I asked her how long she had been a member and she started telling us her conversion story.

She grew up in La Paz, Bolivia and down there, growing up they are told stories about their ancestors.

Their ancestors always believed that someday a 'white god' or "veracocha" would come. They grew up hearing stories and teachings of the 'white god' that was supposed to someday come to their land and they were told of the signs that would come as well. So when the Spainards came many people thought that they were the 'white gods' because of their skin color and also because they had a book that talked about a 'white god', the bible. Well, turns out they were not the 'white gods' as many of them thought. Hermana Martinez then said that when the missionaries shared with her about the Book of Mormon, about how Jesus Christ came to the Americas, that it was a story she already knew...it was the stories she grew up hearing from her grandparents and now, she had the actual writings of the stories they used to tell her, contained in The Book of Mormon. She then bore a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The car was filled with the spirit. I have always known The Book of Mormon was true but in that moment, my conviction for it just grew. The reason why the work down in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Mexico is so quick is because they have all heard the stories of the Book of Mormon growing up. The book of Mormon is True! Jose Smith was a Prophet called of God and the church of Jesus Christ, the same one he established has been restored and is on the earth today.

!Que Bonita Es Esta Vida!

I love you all.
Cubo
RR

ps photos from DC

November 28, 2011

Hola a TODOS!

So let me tell you this, the weather here in Virginia is wild, the last week it has been in the high 60's and I am feeling so grateful everyday. Words cant even explain it, I have had so much fear for the snow and cold, but it seems as though someone is looking out for me.

This week we had a miracle....We found her on Thanksgiving day, we were knocking doors and she was the third door we knocked. Her name is Ana and she is from El Salvador. She let us in and told us she had been alone all day and was sad. As we sat down we noticed that she had a pass along card(we give them out to people) which had a picture of Jesus taped on her door. We were talking about it and she began to started to tell us her life story. This woman is incredible, she has had trials that I cant even comprehend. She almost lost both of her sons in a random shooting, and she herself was almost killed twice, once by her husband who shot at her 5 times but every bullet missed, then he killed himself, and another time by a bomb which blew up the building that she was in but she made it out alive. I couldn't help but think, as she was telling us all of this, how incredible it is, that she had this picture of Jesus hanging on her wall...this picture of him, with his arms extended out, reaching towards us, with the marks on his hand...how incredible it is the love and hope that I saw in that picture in that moment. It was not by chance that we knocked her door that night, it was not by chance that she was alone and let us in, none of it was by chance, none of it is by chance. We were meant to be there, to help bring her more hope, more love, and more peace which comes from the atonement of Jesus Christ. We went back to her house two days later, shared with her the Restauracion del evangelio de jesucristo...she told us she knew it was true and could be baptized in 15 days. Like I said it was not by chance.

Another crazy thing this week was we had the despidida de la Hermana Balsley (the farewell fireside for departing missionaries). I cant believe that the time has actually come for her to go home. We have been companions together for almost 5 months. She has become one of my closest friends. I am gonna miss her tons. Its just crazy. But I'm stoked for her and for after the mission when we can play out in Hawaii together...for days.
I love you all and miss you all.

Cubo,
RR

ps today for p-day we went to DC...so silly, I love that place. Pictures to come next week.

November 14, 2011

!Happy Birthday Parker BabyGirl!
Love, Rachel

Family,

We have been working really hard to find people. It just seems like there aren't too many people willing to listen to our message. It is super hard and frustrating when you see people that need the gospel, that need the comfort and the peace that comes from it, but they aren't willing to listen. I just want so badly for them to listen, to feel it, and to recognize the love that our heavenly father has for them. I pray that someday they will feel it and accept it.

This week was a silly one because our car broke down and we were on bikes. Now, normally i would love that, during the summer riding bikes was my favorite, but this week it was in the low 40's and it even was raining one of the days. I was so bummed...never in my life did I think that I would be in Arlington, Virginia, in November, riding a bike through the cold rain....in a skirt! There was a moment or maybe a couple, were I thought to myself, 'pounders beach, sunshine, Hawaii' haha. I just wanted out of the situation so bad. I had a really good talk with God for the 45 minute bike ride back home haha...I realized in that moment how naive I was, I mean, Jesus Christ suffered everything, his burden was so much heavier and deeper than mine ever has been, his walk was alone, he didn't complain, he never murmured, he just did it, because he loves us. I learned some good stuff that day. And you know what, I also learned the Lord always has a plan for us. Because we were riding bikes, we stayed in the Arlington area and we knocked some apartments that we normally would not knock(because we had knocked them the previous month). Well, we were knocking and found a family of 4 from El Salvador. They are so good, and they want to learn more. This work is incredible, I mean honestly, it is not the work of man, it is the work of God, he provides the way we go, the words we say, and prepares the hearts of the people. This is God's work. I'm stoked! I love you all.

Cubo
RR

November 7, 2011

Hello Everyone!

So this week was really a good week! We spent a lot of time out looking for new investigators and also getting Erika stoked for her baptism.

I have a crazy story to tell you all about when we were tracting...we encountered something that I never thought I would have to face....

We were out knocking doors and we knocked this one door in particular, a boy opened it and I heard his mom say come in (in English)..we figured we might as well try to get a referral for the English missionaries, so we went in. It was a family of 4 and they seemed really nice. They had us sit down and gave us some juice, we talked for a minute about what we did...and then the mom said that they had talked with many many Mormon missionaries and that she herself is a missionary for her church. She went on to ask us in a very condescending way, "now I like to ask all Mormons how they found there church, you all were born into this church right?" I told her that I was, but like anyone else who believes in something, I had a specific moment when I was converted to the church, when I knew it was what I believed in. She then kind of smiled. Let me just say this, the feeling in the room was really erry..next thing we know the dad is rummaging through a box and he pulls out these two pamphlets that were written by a pastor named Billy Graham..all I could think was oh shoot.haha. The Dad says to us, "you know what, we have seen a lot of missionaries, in fact a few years back we had a couple of Elders ask us if we knew if we had any Vietnamese neighbors...I told them that we did..(then he laughs) and then I told them that I wasn't going to tell them where they lived because I think you all are a bunch of liars, convincing people to a lie!" Then he pulls out the pamphlets and says, "You know, we believe that if a man walks into a bathroom, sees this pamphlet and reads it...then walks outside and gets struck by lightening, and dies, he will be saved because he read this pamphlet and accepted Jesus." The feeling in the room was just really different and we just wanted to get out of there. Hermana Balsley quickly bore her testimony and we were going to leave. Then the mom asked me, "have you even researched your church, I mean really researched it and looked into it from an outsiders perspective, do you even know what you believe?" I said the first thing that came to my mind...I told her, "You know what, I have done all the researching that I need. We believe the Bible to be the word of god and the Book of Mormon and have read the Book of Mormon, I can testify that it is another testament of Jesus Christ, and I say that because I know, because I have prayed. I received a witness of its truthfulness from the holy ghost..and that is direct witness from god...so you know what, I don't need to do any other research, because I know that the mistakes in this world come from man, not from God, so thank you for the juice and your time you all have a good night." In that moment, I felt that confirmation once again from the holy ghost, that the Book of Mormon is true. How incredible is that :)
I am so grateful to have this gospel in my life. I know that it is true.

Now for some good news....Erika, la Colombiana, fue bautizado! pues! So sick! She is incredible and I am so happy for her. She truly was ready. She has an incredible story. She has been looking her whole life for the right church, she has never been baptized because she never found the right church. Then when she came to church about 3 weeks ago, she knew that it was where she needed to be, she told us that there was a different feeling there, than in the other churches. We taught her and 4 weeks later she was baptized. How incredible is that! She is going to be such a strong member.

That is all the news from this week. Hope you all know how much I love you and pray for you all.

Cubo,
RR

pictures are from Erika's Baptism...sorry they are blurry.