Saying goodbye to the people of Charlottesville was super sad, I have met so many amazing people that I am going to miss so much. Especially my companion, Sister Buchmiller! I love her to death and can't wait to see her again soon. So we are sitting in transfer meeting and they are calling off all the companionships of who is serving where. We get to the end and I think that they have forgotten about me... nope we were just the very last names called.
New Address
I am now with Sister Fletcher and we are OPENING an area called King George. We are also the FIRST sisters ever to serve here. You could say the ward was excited! Not only do they have missionaries in the ward again, but they also have sisters! Our area is huge, it is about 40 miles long and people are spread out everywhere. Including the BEACH! Yes I get to go contacting on the beach and it is the greatest thing in the whole world. Seeing the people out boating in the bay makes me really miss Lake Powell, but I can't complain...
I feel like I am back in Tappahannock sometimes. The same people, the same country, the same couch (they took out some of the missionaries in Tappahonnock and moved it to our apartment). Since we are two tall blondes, you'd be surprised how many people want to take their pictures with us.
Our apartment... major bug problem and I have to wear slippers everywhere I go, it is all wood floors, the water smells like rotten eggs, and I'm not complaining. I'm just saying if this wasn't the Lords work you would not find me here. The lightning bugs are still amazing though and I don't know how anyone could get sick of them.
We have been doing our best trying to contact the investigators the previous missionaries had been teaching. They are all spread out way far so we had to figure that all out but as we were trying to find this one guy, we meet Nicole! She was sitting at the park watching her son play on the playground and we go and teach her a short restoration and she loved it! She accepted a Book of Mormon and is a stay at home mom so we are excited to go teach her again!
We were going to a less actives house and found out that they don't live there anymore but another family does who the parents mostly speak Arabic but let us in and wanted to talk about Jesus Christ. They asked what we do, why we come and teach others of Christ and what our goal was. They are new Christians and didn't know too much. We said that we bring other closer to Christ and a way to do that is to be baptized. They said that they wanted to be baptized. They want to come to the church. That was completely unexpected for sure.
We also met Lexie! She is so sweet, she is 14 and LOVES the Book of Mormon. She wants to get baptized really bad but her parents won't let her until she gets older. Her step dad told her not to read the Book of Mormon and takes it away when he sees her reading it so she secretly reads it in her room at night. Her testimony is solid and she said her mom almost got baptized once but just couldn't give up coffee and tea. She is so sweet and has the best hair on the whole world. All the kids have giant curly purple afros. It is the greatest.
So the first day we get to Kind George, we meet with the Bishop and this ward is super amazing. They already have so much missionary work going. Our second day here we have dinner with the Relief Society President named Sister Waite and her family. They have the cutest family with so many crazy, fun kids. The next morning, we get a text from our Ward Mission Leader telling us that the Waites youngest child drowned the night before. So on Thursday after we had dinner with the Waites, they wen't to scouts and then when they got home the kids must have gone out to play and their youngest son drowned. This was a complete shock, we literally saw the child that night! The ward had a prayer at the church on Thursday evening. The members were amazed at how many less actives came. It is amazing to see how much of a family your ward family can be. We all knelt down and the Bishop said a prayer and then some testimonies were given. Brother Waite told us that we would forever be tied to their family because we shared their last meal with him.
How grateful I am to have to knowledge that we do of our Savior and all He does and has done for us! We can know that we will all live again and that we can all be together as a family forever. I know that this is true, and my testimony of it has been strengthened so much lately. I am so grateful for the peace that comes through the Savior. I know that Heavenly Fathers timing is perfect and he truly cares about all of His children. I am extremely grateful to be doing His work. It really wouldn't work any other way.
I love my Savior, I love this work, I LOVE YOU ALL!
Love,
Sister Ruffner
New Address
10424 Cherry St. #102D
King George, VA
22485
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