March 12, 2012

March 12, 2012 Alexandria!! I love this place! Its so crazy here, so historical, so sweet. Papa Wally would love it here, haha. There is a George Washington monument and its a Masonic Temple.... its sick, every time I see it I think of Papa. Another reason why I like it here is because its ghetto haha. The other day we were teaching a lesson and I get bit by a 4 year old black child with an afro haha...he then proceeded to cuss me out! I loved it! So anyways, there is a place here called Chileagua. Named after a province in El Salvador, its a bunch of really ghetto broken down apartment buildings where all the Hispanics live and we cant go there at night, but man, it’s here where they need the gospel the most. They are so sad, so lost and so blinded. All you can do is try to share with them a little but of peace and hope that they have the faith to accept it...sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. It’s crazy. I remember reading somewhere that the greatest thing to cure the sadness in the world is the gospel of Jesus Christ and I know it is true. Because it is a gospel of love and light and of happiness. There is no greater thing that we as human beings can do than share with people the love that Jesus Christ has. We have to, everyone needs it, we have to radiate is love and we have to give it. I Love you all so much. Cubo RR

March 5, 2012

March 5, 2012 Hey Everyone, Sorry it’s been a while. So its official, I have been transferred for the first time in my mission...I am now serving in Alexandria VA, and it is awesome. I love being able to serve in the city, there are so many different people that we come in contact with. That’s one of my favorite parts about the mission, all the people I have come to meet. It’s super interesting, they all come from different places, and have different stories and yet, when you ask them about God or start talking about him, they all seem to be searching for him, wanting to know more about him. I have been thinking a lot about that, about how we are all searching for that something that seems to be missing, for that peace, for that happiness, the peace of truth...and what it all comes down to is we are searching for GOD! He is all of those things. He brings us the truth and joy that we as human beings search for. I can’t tell you how many people here (especially the Hispanic people) search for that, they will let anyone in who is talking about God because they are searching for that hope, that little bit of light. I know, that God is truth, that He is happiness. I know that He loves us and has given us this gospel, this light that we can follow in the dark world. We are so blessed. I love you all and think of you always. Cubo, RR

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.