the ward is super amazing #hasteningthework
we still have a huge millipede problem in our apartment #gross
AND... I love it #blessed.
Monday we went to go see Penny. She is a less active who the ward council wanted us to go see. When we walked in, she was super excited to see us! (You really never know when it comes to less actives). The first thing she asked us to do was sing a song. We sang so many hymns with her and it was so great! She is such a sweet lady who has a desire to come back to church. She is going through quite a few rough things right now and needs more direction in her life, and also wants some for her daughter as well! Sometimes hard things happen, but we always know that they are for our benefit.
The fourth of July we went to a ward breakfast at a members house. The whole ward was there which was so great because we were able to meet some new members and be able to get to know them better. We also met with another less active named brother Foster. The senior couple who were serving here before us would go and see him often. He was a talker let me tell you. He only has a couple things to work out and then is going to head back to the temple! To end the night, since every one is watching fireworks, we had district meeting while the rest of our zone went to get ice cream with President... Since we were so far away from everyone, we weren't invited. But it was a great meeting and I am excited to serve with our new district for this area!
Wednesday was a very busy day, but the highlight was when we had interviews with President Smith. Wow he really has the best advice for everything and I am so grateful to be able to serve with such an amazing President. He also is going to come to our ward on Sunday July 30th and give a talk in sacrament meeting, and give a training on how we can work better together as members and missionaries! It is going to be so amazing!
There is a returning member who we have been talking to a lot lately, her name is Sister Norton and she is the sweetest and cutest in the whole world. She lives in this little trailer in a trailer park, and she invited us over for dinner. It was very cramped but I wasn't complaining because she was so sweet to have us over and get some food for us.
On Sunday a less active showed up at church named Joshua. He said that he got baptized when he was 15 years old and didn't even want to get baptized, his parents made him when they joined the church. Some really hard things have been happening in his life which made him show up at church today. Remember before when I said that we have great members here in King George? Well we do, and Brother Johnson invited us and Joshua over for dinner as well as some others in the ward and we were able to share the first lesson with them and invite Joshua to meet with us two times a week for four weeks. He said that he would! He hasn't been to church in about 15 years so he is a little rusty. He doesn't really have anything right now, but now at least he has a Book of Mormon! "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."
Something I have learned this week is that no matter what others are doing around you, you can still choose to follow the commandments and make the right choices. Sometimes you have to be bold and stand up for what you believe in, but you never have to give in. There are no excuses to not following the commandments and there are no short cuts to Salvation. It is going to be hard for everyone. But I also know that if we follow our Savior in all that we do, we will be okay. We can have faith that our Savior has "overcome the world." I know that it isn't always easy to make the right choices and to keep all the commandments (especially the small ones) even when those around you aren't. I do know that when we do, we can have confidence in Heavenly Fathers plan for us, and when we return to Him we can gratefully say that we did it. It was hard, but I did it. "While perfection is not complete in this life, overcoming the world keeps our hope aflame that one day we 'shall stand before our Redeemer; and see his face with pleasure,' and here His voice: 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you.'" As you strive to do all that is right, regardless of others, I know you will be blessed with the strength and the power to press forward. Always remember when you trust and follow our Savior, the devil "shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereone if men build they cannot fall." Don't ever give up, there is happiness and peace ahead. I know this is true! "Fear not, though the enemy deride; Courage for the Lord is on our side. We will heed not what the wicked may say, But the Lord alone we will obey."
THE CHURCH IS TRUE
I LOVE YOU ALL 
Sister Ruffner
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