SO MUCH GRATITUDE

The week started off absolutely fantastic because, since we won the halloclean contest, we were able to go to the mission home and have a steak dinner with some other missionaries who won as well. Let me tell you, it was a blast seeing some past companions. President also saw my scuffed up  black shoes I have been wearing almost everyday for over a year and was very excited to teach me how to shine my shoes. Pretty much, my shoes look brand new :) 

Went on exchanges this week with the famous Sister Bate. She has been through a lot on her mission and is a huge example to me. She is one of the missionaries who taught Everett before he was baptized! We had a lesson with Everett and it was cool because it brought memories back as told us different stories of his conversion. He also told us that the Book of Mormon is the epitome of coolness and I think he is right!

At dinner that night, we recited the Living Christ and it was extremely powerful. It is cool to see how as I memorize the Living Christ, the apostles testimony is turning into my own. I know that Jesus Christ lives. My testimony is being strengthened as I fill my mind with Him. 

Sister Perry and I had another lesson with Desiree. This time we talked about the Plan of Salvation and she loved it! She had read about it in the Book of Mormon and wrote down questions she had about what happens after we die, so we were able to teach the beautiful truths of eternity. We invited her to be baptized and she said she has been thinking about being baptized again. She was baptized as a baby and feels like that doesn't really count because she didn't choose that. So she is praying about being baptized! 

It is official, Edi is finally getting baptized this Wednesday! He is extremely excited. After all this time of him really wanted to be baptized, he is ready to make that promise with Heavenly Father. It is going to be a very special day. 

We also had another really powerful lesson with Ashley. We taught her the Plan of Salvation as well and she found a lot of comfort in that. She has had a lot of trials in her life and deaths and the Plan gave her a lot of hope. We invited her to be baptized on Jan. 6 and she accepted! She wants to do all she can to grow closer to Jesus Christ and bring more peace in her life. She says she doesn't sleep well at night but, every since she started reading the Book of Mormon she has been sleeping all the way through the night. She has prayed to know if the Book of Mormon is true and she said, "I know it is true, I read it next to the Bible and it teaches the same thing. There is no way the Book isn't true." 

The holiday season is officially here. Hope everyone is ready for Thanksgiving! It is a lovely time where we are able to reflect on our lives and all the blessings Heavenly Father has given us. 

At the dinner on Monday there was a message shared about gratitude. In Luke 17 it tells the story of how Jesus Christ healed 10 lepers. Jesus Christ was so quick to heal. He truly had compassion on everyone. When you had leprosy in that time, you would walk around ringing a bell to let others know you are unclean. You were cast out from the others. It was not something that you wanted to have. Well, out of the 10 lepers healed there was one "when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole." 

There is a difference from being healed and being made whole. I know as we turn to the Savior in gratitude, we can be made whole. We can become complete through Jesus Christ as we come unto Him. Jesus Christ did (and does) so much for us that we cannot do for ourselves. There are many things that we can do to show how grateful we are. I invite you to show your gratitude to the Savior by coming unto Him, repenting and using the Atonement in your lives each day. I know that as we show our gratitude to our Savior that we will be made whole. 

This week I have been saying a lot of prayers strictly of gratitude. Which can sometimes be hard because there is a lot I want to ask for. But it has made me a more joyful person. My prayers have become longer, and more sincere. The love I have for my Heavenly Father has grown. There is more peace in my life as I strive to do His will. 

I am very very blessed to have a Heavenly Father and a Savior who love me, who heal me, and who give me strength each day. I am very blessed to have the knowledge I do from the Book of Mormon and the Spirit. I am very blessed to have a family who loves and supports me in all that I do. I am very blessed to be a part of this great work. I hope you all have a very happy thanksgiving!!!

HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS

Sister Ruffner

Help! I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up!

So this week so much happened and I wish I could write it all but, I would probably get hand cramps and it would be a mile long. SO highlights of the week...

Hallowclean happened again this year and we won! So tonight I will be having a steak dinner at the mission home and I am VERY excited 

Facebook is proving to be SUPER amazing. Don’t be worried but I go and join groups of people who live in Richmond and friend everyone and then whoever friends me back I send them a message and ask how they are doing. WELL, this one guy named Tim started messaging me back. After some conversation (including me sending a pic of myself to prove that I am actually who I say I am and not a 70yr old weird man) I asked him what he believes about Jesus Christ. He said, “He is the light and the life the Son of God.” That sounded extremely familiar to me because I am memorizing the Living Christ so I sent him he Living Christ. The next message he sent was, “Can we meet up and discuss thoughts?” YES!! It was super amazing. We met with him on Saturday at Panera and talked about a lot of things. Turns out he doesn’t live in our area but the one right next to us. He is starting to get sick and needs healing so the elders in his area gave him a blessing and are going to teach Tim today!! 

On exchanges with this beautiful new sister Hanson who just came out last week and I went to go try some former investigators and one lady answered the door and let us right in. We were able to talk with her about the Book of Mormon and she told us “that is so cool, my church doesn’t have anything like that!”

On exchanges with Hermana Anderson, a little later in the week, we were going to try another former investigator. We walk around the corner and see a really old lady on the ground half way laying in her garden. Right when she sees us she yells, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” (Seriously, those are her exact words) we run over and help her up and into her apartment. She has dirt all in her hair and her mouth, she was extremely grateful for us. She had been laying out there for about 10 min. before we found her. Her name is Helen, she said that God led us there at the right place at the right time. We go back to check up on her yesterday and turns out she broke her wrist. She also has a security camera and got the whole thing on film! She has been showing her family and telling everyone that the Mormon missionaries saved her life. 

The same exchange we are standing on someone’s porch and I reach to ring the doorbell when someone opens the door. This lady opened the door to hang up her wreath and we were just on her porch and she screamed a blood curdling scream for a straight 5 seconds. Then deep breaths for another 5 seconds then said, “Whatever you have, I’m not interested.” Then shuts the door. 

Also Edi came to church! It was fast Sunday and he went up to bear his testimony. Then he got shy and came back down. But he should be getting baptized really soon :) 

So many miracles, Book of Mormons passed out, exchanges, new investigators, and missionary work!!! Needless to say, it was a great week.

️ Sister Ruffner 

The Fruit of the Spirit is Not a Coconut

Or an apple, or an orange, or a cherry. Edi broke the news to us this past week...

Hope you all had a very happy Halloween! No trick or treaters here, but a very clean apartment! On Wednesday, the Elders left the area. And we got BUSY. After transfer meeting, we went to try and contact all of the investigators they were working with. We had a lesson with Doug, who has been reading the Book of Mormon and had a lot of questions. Mary, who accepted a Book of Mormon and we are going back later. Ashley who's daughter reads the Book of Mormon everyday and is already half way through 1 Nephi. Marti, who has been meeting with missionaries for quite a while but, loves to read the Book of Mormon. I am so excited to start working with these great people! 

Remember the big miracle on Purcell Rd when we met Desiree? Well, we had a lesson with her at the church this week and she had read 3 Nephi 10 and started 11 and wrote down questions that she had. We were able to teach the restoration and are meeting with her again soon!

Monica ordered a Bible on mormon.org and when we stopped by, we were able to give her a Book of Mormon as well. She said that it sounded very interesting and that we could come by and teach her more!

Also, Surgey came to church this week :) 

So pretty much, so many miracles are happening! 

There is a member who about 4 months ago, was not active. We would go over to his house each Thursday to have dinner and share a message. His wife joined us as well. They slowly started coming back to church and reading the Book of Mormon. We started talking about the temple with them a few times and they shared stories of previous times when they went to different temples. Iris knew that her parents still needed to be baptized and started to think about them. The bishop talked to Iris about getting a temple recommend. I am very happy to say she now has a temple recommend and has been to the temple. As they both were talking about the blessings that have come with the Bishop, Iris said she needs to do the rest of the important ordinances in the temple for them. The bishop looked at Mingo said, "I'm sure Iris would love it if you were there to be the one to do it with her." He then asked if that was true, she said of course! He said, "Okay I'll do it!" Then started making plans on what he needs to do to be able to do that. Wow my joy is so full. There is nothing that compares to the feeling of helping someone come closer to Christ and get back to the temple. 

"The purposes of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement all converge on the sacred work done in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The earth was created and the Church was restored to make possible the sealing of wife to husband, children to parents, families to progenitors, worlds without end. This is the great latter-day work of which we are a part. That is why we have missionaries; that is why we have temples-- to bring the fullest blessings of the Atonement to faithful children of God. That is why we respond to our own calls from the Lord. When we comprehend His voluntary Atonement, any sense of sacrifice on our part becomes completely overshadowed by a profound sense of gratitude for the privilege of serving Him."

This week I studied a lot about hope. Hope is a lot more than wishing for something to happen, but expecting something to happen BECAUSE of our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Our hope is only unfailing when it is centered on Jesus Christ. I am slowly but surely memorizing the Living Christ and it is changing my life. Jesus Christ truly is the Savior. He lives today. Because of Him, we are able to live again as well. I can't imagine my life without the knowledge and testimony I have of Him. "God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."

 - Sister Ruffner

finally took a picture with Edi

french fry friday, had to introduce Lloyd and Steve to fry sauce

It is pouring MIRACLES

I feel like every missionary has to go through a drought on their mission. A time when you really figure out what you are doing here, and you learn how to use the gospel in your own life. I know when we go through hard times, we truly come to know the Savior as we rely on Him. Starting this last Wednesday, I have 100 days until I get to go to the temple. Since the Washington DC temple is closing in February for two years, our mission is all going to be able to go. To prepare for temple and become more converted to the Savior, I am studying the principles in and memorizing the Living Christ, studying and applying a Christlike attribute each week, passing out 100 Book of Mormons, and repenting every day. I have done it for almost a week and have already seen a difference. My love for the Savior has grown so much. I invite you all to memorize the Living Christ. It is very powerful having those phrases always running through your mind. You will always be able to have your focus on Jesus Christ. What a better time to become more converted? The holiday season is coming!

Yes every missionary needs a drought but, what comes after a drought?! RAIN! This week it poured. As I studied having faith in Jesus Christ, I saw things happen. 

FIRST, We get a referral from headquarters named Chandru, he ordered a free Book of Mormon! We go to deliver it and he is from India. He just moved here a couple of months ago. He became a Christian about three years ago. His native language is Tamil. So we give him the Book of Mormon in English, because he said he could read it fine. He says he is in preschool when it comes to learning about Jesus, but he wants to learn more! He called us the next day and said that he is having trouble understanding the English Book of Mormon. So we call the mission office and were going to order one in Tamil but, they didn't have to order one because they already had one just laying around! What. are. the. odds?! On Saturday we gave him a tour of the church and he really liked it! He was very excited to get his Book of Mormon in Tamil. How grateful I am to be a tool in the Lord's hands! 

SECOND, We get another referral of a family who ordered a free Bible from mormon.org. We go to deliver it and end up teaching the restoration and giving the husband and wife Book of Mormons. We read the introduction with them and they really liked it. We invited them to the ward Halloween Party on Saturday. THEY CAME! It was so great, we first get to the party and look around to find people we don't recognize and we see their sweet family! 

Funny story, we were teaching Edi the Word of Wisdom this week and we did a little practice. I told Edi I had some alcohol and everyone was drinking it and it is really good and asked if he wanted some. He stood up and said, "Unless you got juice, I'm walkin away!" Then proceeded to walk out of the room. Haha It was super funny! 

Transfer calls were this Saturday and Sister Perry and I are both staying here in the Glenn Allen ward! But the Elders who also serve in the ward with us are being taken out. So now there will just be one set of missionaries in the ward. It is going to be different for sure. Our area just got bigger my friends! This is still one of the smallest areas I have served in, but definitely the most dense. 

How grateful I am to be apart of a gospel that doesn't just teach you to know something, but to become something. As we live the gospel of Jesus Christ each day, our lives will change. "God so loved the world that He sent His Only Begotten Son to help us. And His Son, Jesus Christ, gave His life for us. All so that we could have access to godly power-- power sufficient to deal with the burdens, obstacles, and temptations of our day." How grateful I am to have access to godly power. 

I know that Jesus Christ lives. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. He is the Savior. It is only through Him that we can receive eternal life. 

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Have a fabulous week, and a Happy Halloween! 

- Sister Ruffner

He Ate All My Funyuns... Without Asking!

You might be wondering, has Sister Ruffner eaten cornbread every meal for the last 3 days? Yes. Yes she has.

Update on Edi, he is not getting baptized this Thursday but do not worry! He should be getting baptized next week. The things keeping him from being baptized are completely out of his control. The hard part about teaching a nine year old, if the parents are busy, so is he. We taught him the 10 commandments on Thursday and we were teaching him what covet means. He then said, "Like Mr. John... he ate all my funyuns... without asking!" Oh my it was the funniest thing! Exactly Edi, don't covet other peoples funyuns, especially when it leads to robbery. 

Turns out Sergey lives right outside of our ward boundaries. On Thursday we were able to do a "pass off" lesson. We went with the elders who are going to be teaching them for now on. It was a really cool lesson, we first walk in and they have all this juice and ice cream for us. They were extremely nice to us. I don't think I have been treated that nice in a while! I love going to teach someone who really wants us there, and who recognizes the importance of the message we have to share! They have watched the movie, Meet the Mormons online, found a Russian translation of the Book of Mormon online and have started reading, came ready with a list of questions, and are super prepared! Olga is now back in Russia, but coming back for the holidays. Don't worry, she found the nearest lds church in Moscow to go to. It was a powerful lesson, we taught the restoration after answering some of their questions and she said, "And the next prophet is Brigham Young." um. Yes. She was very right about that. She has done a lot of research. She said that she is looking for Jesus Christ, and hasn't quite found Him yet. How grateful I am for a loving God that leads His children to where they need to be. She might not know it yet, but she has found Jesus!

If anyone knows me they know I love to make movies! It really is my favorite. Well, this Friday Sister Perry and I made a video. It is pretty much the greatest thing in the whole world. It is on my Facebook page if you want to check it out! I will also send it in my email :)

Saturday was the day that Sister Perry and I passed out four Book of Mormons! We were finding all day and talked to so many cool people. Lately we have been talking to a lot of really grumpy people who wouldn't even give us a chance. So this day we prayed that we would be able to find those who want to learn more about Jesus Christ and build their relationship with Him. We found those people! We didn't quite get any return appointments, but that is four more homes with a Book of Mormon and four more hearts that were touched by the Spirit. 

Speaking of a return appointment, last night we tried some people and it was getting dark so we were going to head to the church and do some finding on facebook. When the thought popped into my head Purcell Rd. I told myself that it was getting dark, we can go there tomorrow. Purcell Rd. Purcell Rd. Purcell Rd. I could not stop thinking about it. I started to feel it in my chest. Go to Purcell Rd. Okay! Okay! I will go to Purcell Rd! When we got there, we just started tracting. Third house we knock on we met Deserae! She goes to a church right now but has met with missionaries before and read the Book of Mormon with them. She said it was easier to understand than the Bible. We gave her a copy and invited her to read the introduction and we are going back on Wednesday night to teach her more! What a huge miracle! Later down Purcell Rd, we met Charles who we are going back to teach on Thursday night! I am so grateful for the Spirit leading me in the right direction even when I doubt. 

This week was one of the best when it comes to studies. I just want to share one verse that stuck out to me. 3 Nephi 9:13 "O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?" When I think of the word may, I think of elementary school when I ask to go get a drink and Miss King says, "I don't know, can you?" and then I say "May I go and get a drink?" Then she lets me. When I think of the word may, I think of asking permission to do something. Christ is not going to do anything against our will. He pleads with us to repent so that He can heal us. He wants to so bad, but He wont until we ask. 

Our mission has been struggling when it comes to finding and we had MLC and talked all about why and what we need to do to help. We talked about it for about 5 hours and the conclusion we came to was how we need to be more converted to our Savior and His doctrine. It because of Jesus Christ that we are here. It is because of Him that I am on my mission, that we are able to live with Heavenly Father again, that we can be forgiven, that we will live again. It is through Jesus Christ that we are able to feel peace in this crazy world. Jesus Christ is the message we share. When I feel stressed, frustrated, lonely, tired, I remember Him. When Jesus Christ is the focus and center of our lives, we will feel joy in every circumstance. 

I love the gospel, it is the way we are going to be able to be perfect like the Savior. It is the way to bring peace and happiness into our lives. 

I LOVE MY SAVIOR WITH ALL MY HEART. 

I love you all too :) 

Have a fabulous week!

Sister Ruffner

Sergey and Olga

Coolest thing, so google made a deal with the church so that if anyone
googled one of the "questions of the soul" such as, is there a god?
Where do I go after I die? Etc. the first thing that popped up would
be Mormon.org. We are one of the 5 missions testing this out right
now. Well Sergey and Olga are some of those people. Olga has been
being prepared for the past nine years in Russia. She met some Mormons
and has been asking them what they believe and things like that. She
really liked it. It is really hard to share the gospel in Russia so
she didn't get too far. Her son moved to Richmond for school three
years ago and she visits often. Well, she told her son about what she
had been thinking about and they found Mormon.org from google. They
both loved what they read and chatted with the missionaries. He called
us on Saturday and said that they wanted to come to our church and
learn about it! They said they spent Saturday getting nice clothes to
wear to church. Well they showed up early and we were able to talk to
them for a while. It was such a huge miracle! They were planning on
staying all three hours but, because God is so good, sacrament meeting
was amazing! The Spirit was so strong and the talks were about how we
can find our answers and not doubting or searching for a sign. Olga
said all that was said is exactly what she has been thinking about.
She learned so much that she said she would feel overwhelmed if she
went to the second hour. Long story short, they loved church!
Extremely prepared. Technically since he is a mid single adult we
would teach him but he does live right outside of our boundaries and
the other ward would be better for fellowship so they are going to
teach them. But I am extremely grateful I was able to be a part of it!

"No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions
may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame,
but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent,
till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept
every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God
shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is
done." So many people say that the gospel was restored. They say it
like it is one thing that happened. The gospel is being restored right
now. The work is not finished. We have a part to play. The church
started with 6 people who had no idea what they were doing and now it
has over six million. It is filling the earth. There are unhallowed
hands everywhere so many people and philosophies against the church,
but they come and they leave. This gospel will be sounded in every
ear, and I am so grateful to live in this dispensation and be a part
of this great work. There is nothing I would rather be doing!

LOVE YOU ALL
❤️ Sister Ruffner

Went to the capital building today and pretty much Virginia is
American history.
Played tennis with the Hermanas on exchanges!