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.