So many miracles this week!
Remember in my last email I talked about German and little German? Well they decided to get baptized! Last time they said that they wanted to and we planned on getting them ready for baptism by Oct. 28th. But the next time we taught them, we taught about Baptism and why we are baptized and the blessings that come from it. I asked him if he loved God, and he said yes. I explained that Heavenly Father has commanded us to be baptized, and we do it because we love Him. I told him that he is ready to be baptized and that he will be so blessed for it. German said that he wanted to be baptized this Wednesday. We were at a members house, and everyone was like really? You want to be baptized this Wednesday? He said yes! I am ready to leave the past in the past and to move forward and to be a better person and to follow Jesus Christ. He can't say much in English but so it was a little hard for him to explain, but he was so ready! He didn't only pick a date for baptism, but he moved it up as well! It was a super crazy next couple of days getting it all figured out. On Tuesday we had the baptismal interview and he was like an hour late, which made us super duper nervous! My companion started getting super stressed, but I kept reminding her that this is what the Lord wants for German and his son German and it is going to happen! It will all work out! And it did! They were both baptized and confirmed as members of the Church on Wednesday at 7am. Yes, a very very early baptism, but that is when he really wanted to do it. Sister Tibbits and I woke up at 5:15 so we had enough time to go fill up the font. We were soooo tired, but it was sooooo worth it! The spirit is so strong and it was such an amazing experience as a missionary!
Because of this experience the bishop keeps calling me "the closer". Because German has been taught by Spanish missionaries for a while, it is crazy that these english sister's are the ones to finally get him to decide to be baptized. I think that is because it gave the Holy Ghost more of an opportunity to testify through feelings rather than focusing on the doctrine the missionaries are teaching.
This helped me grow my faith so much, I know that missionary work is so important and that there really are people out there who are searching and ready to receive the Gospel. Sometimes on a mission that can be easy to forget. Especially when you knock on a door, and you hear some people on the other side yell, "Who is it?" and you yell back, "The missionaries!" and then hear nothing. Silence. You knock a couple more times and they just pretend that they aren't home. Then it happens again and again. Then you start to get discouraged, and that is when God brings someone into your path who is prepared.
Wednesday night Sister Tibbits and I were out tracting and went to a couple of houses and no one was interested and there was a lady out walking and kept telling us to go home because it was getting dark and it is unsafe out here at night and things like that. So we got in the car and started driving away when I got a strong feeling that we needed to go back. So we drove back and we went and knocked on a door, and started talking to this man who is practically Joseph Smith. He is searching for the true church. He had been to so many churches and thinks that they are all not true and was even a Jehovah Witness. He said that he has made so many mistakes but keeps trying to be better and get on the right path and stay there. You have no idea how excited I got! We taught him about the restoration and he said he has so many questions about why he is here and what his purpose is and we planned to meet with him again and I promised that we would be able to answer his questions. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said that he wanted to read all of it. I know that this is the Lord's work. I know that he guides his missionaries to the people who need to be taught and who are ready and searching for the true church. I am so grateful that we followed the prompting to turn back and go to one more house.
There is another man that was on his porch one day and we went to talk to him and he just told us that he has read the whole bible and he decided that he does not like God. He said that he wrote God a letter and told him all about how He is a big jerk and why does He give children diseases and why people are so mean and why the world is becoming so bad. He went to a children's hospital once and said that it was the saddest thing and he hates God for it. It made me so sad to hear him say this! It made me so grateful for the knowledge that I have about the plan and about our purpose on Earth and our life after this Earth. He didn't let us get any words in really, he just talked forever about how he isn't sure if God is even there, and if He is there then He is a big jerk. I told him to imagine if no one got sick and everyone just lived perfect lives. What would be the point? There would be no happiness or joy. There has to be opposition in all things. I am really excited to go teach him again and help him create a relationship with God.
There is also a recent convert we are working with. We are helping her stop her smoking habits. I asked her if she had any empty cigarette packs. She gave me one and I am decorating this empty cigarette pack with pictures of Jesus Christ. I am going to write little scriptures on paper and roll them up so they look like cigarettes. Every time she wants to smoke she can take this out and remind her that Jesus Christ is there and will help give her strength when trying to quit.
I have seen so many miracles this week in Virginia. I am so glad to be serving here. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I do have of this Gospel. I know that this is where I am supposed to be right now. I know that the Book of Mormon and the Gospel of Jesus Christ can and will change your life. I am so grateful for the relationship that I have with my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Also, my companion has noticed me getting an accent and I am not sure how I feel about that. haha I love and miss you guys so much!
Sister Ruffner
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