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."