John 3:16

First of all, funny story so we are coming home from district meeting and there is someone sitting on our stairs, when we walk up she says, "Hey the Mormons!" We were super excited that she knew who we were and wanted to talk to us. Dorothy is a former investigator who was taught by previous missionaries. She used to live in the apartment next to us. So she goes and gets her dog and tells us to walk her dog. We were really confused and then she started walking the dog with us. She didn't have shoes on and she had a drink in her hands. Later in the walk we find out it is tequila and she is super drunk. She said she normally doesn't drink but it was her birthday yesterday so she was just celebrating. We get back to the apartment and she says that she has some leftover food from her party that she wants to give us. We just go back to our apartment and 10 minutes later, we hear banging on the door. We open it and Dorothy has a handful of food. She said, "I know I'm not supposed to come in, but I just have so much food that I just need to come in and set it down." She just walks in and on her way out took our bananas! We were devastated! Whoever knows me know that I love bananas and peanut butter...

Doug Scadden went to get a small operation done the other day to test his heart and found out that he now needs triple bypass surgery. He is terrified. He called his family and his wife is going to come out and spend a month with Doug to help him recover. He said that he also thought maybe he needs to get baptized just in case. He knows the church is true but just won't admit it! He is excited for us to meet his wife. I think this is a blessing in disguise. His heart is being softened so much! I know that we go through trials for a reason. God has a plan for each of our lives and everything that happens is for our benefit.

Valentines day is tomorrow so I just wanted to mention the biggest most important act of love ever done and ever will be done in the history of the world. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Heavenly Father loves us SO much that He sent His son Jesus Christ to suffer everything for us. Jesus Christ loves us SO much that He did perform the Atonement. No matter what Christ was going through he continued to turn outward and help and serve others. The only thing that got Him through the garden of Gethsemane, is His love for us. As I have studied the Atonement more deeply I have developed a greater love for others. Something I have also realized is, all the chapters on the Atonement in the Book of Mormon are also about the Plan of Salvation. Jesus Christ performed the Atonement in hopes that we would use it to repent so that we can live with Him again. Our message as missionaries is completely of love. 

Our main message is that Jesus Christ lives. The good news is that the fullness of His gospel has been restored back to the earth. Because of that we have exactly what we need to be able to live with Him again, which is exactly what He wants. Eternal life is our choice. Because of the Atonement ANYONE can live with God again. It is kind of like the temple. So many people get disappointed that they can't enter the temple when "It was never intended that knowledge of these temple ceremonies would be limited to a select few who would be obliged to ensure that other never learn of them. It is quite the opposite, in fact. With great effort we urge every soul to qualify and prepare for the temple experience." It's never too late to prepare and become worthy to enter the temple. I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ with all of my heart. As He sends us to the people who are really struggling and need to hear the gospel, I know that He loves us so much!

 

I love you all!!! Have a happy Valentines day!!

Hit the Dooooors!

This past Sunday Belleh shared his testimony in sacrament meeting! He is really becoming such a great member. He is learning so much and progressing so fast! He is excited to get the priesthood and I am so excited for him! It is great to see the effects that the gospel has on someones life. It is great when I see people change and become happier, but when they see it in themselves it is all the better :) The scriptures are right, there really is no greater joy than bringing others into the gospel! 

We have some pretty awesome investigators right now who are slowly but surely progressing! 

Derrick is so afraid of baptism. He says that we are so lucky to have been baptized when we were eight so we wouldn't have to worry about it when we got older. I told him that if I was given the chance now, I would be baptized. That didn't convince him of much... What do you do when the Jehovah Witnesses start coming to your investigators house?! I don't know but it made me REALLY UPSET. Derrick is too nice to not let them in when they asked. The Jehovah Witnesses gave Derrick a pamphlet to read and wrote down their number and some scriptures to read and we asked Derrick if we could look at them and we asked if we could take it home with us so we could read it. So we took it back to our apartment hehe. Luckily Derrick said that he likes us teaching him better and he wouldn't join the Jehovah Witnesses because his birthday is too important not to celebrate. Hopefully when they find out Derrick is meeting with Mormon missionaries they don't fight back too hard. 

We also went to this random less active's house who the home teacher is in ward council and said he was nice so we should go see him. His name is Brother Miller and what a miracle, he is such a nice guy! He is married to a nonmember but still has a super strong testimony in the gospel. He knows that the church is true and defends it when his family talks about any anti. He said that he would come to church one of these days, and that he really needs to meet with the bishop and get his life back together. I am so excited to start meeting with this nice couple! 

What do you do when all your appointments fall through and you don't know what to do? Hit the Doooooors!!! We did lots of tracting this week, and had lots of funny experiences. I have really learned to love tracting. (going from door to door) Sister Jackson and I made up our own version of the scene from the movie "UP" when Russel goes to Mr. Fredricksens door to ask him if he can help him cross his lawn. 

Missionary version:

Missionaries: Good Afternoon, we're the missionaries. Are you in need of any assistance today?

Person at the door: No

Missionaries: We could... help you find the true church?

Person: No

Missionaries: We could...help you find true happiness?

Person: No

Missionaries: Well, we gotta help you find somethin!

haha you know, when your tracting for long periods of time ANYTHING becomes funny. 

Well, I miss and love you all! I hope you all have a great week and keep enduring to the end! Remember that this church is true, and the gospel can and will solve all of lifes problems if you let it. Jesus Christ is your Savior and he loves you more than you can imagine! 

- Sister Ruffner

Teach Repentance and Baptize Converts

We had dinner with Elliot and Philip on Monday! It went really well, we were just talking to them and Elliot was expecting Mormons to have these weird crazy beliefs that Elliot had never heard of before and wasn't going to believe. We shared the Plan of Salvation and Elliot loved it. Elliot agreed and loved everything that we had to share, and wants to meet with us again! So that went really well.

Wednesday was the world wide missionary broadcast where they officially announced to everybody the schedule change, and they also changed the key indicators which is what we focus on doing each week. It used to be a pretty long list of things we would keep track of, now it is only four things. I love it because it really helps me focus on my purpose and what I need to be doing. I love when Elder Bednar talked about making the doctrine of Christ one. We shouldn't be having all these lessons on baptism to try and get them baptized because that is not what it is about. We need to be teaching repentance and baptizing CONVERTS. We should be teaching faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end all together not separately. That is mostly what I have been studying this week. How to do baptism invites using the whole doctrine of Christ. 

A question was asked during the broadcast, how missionaries can be better teachers and how we could teach better lessons. Elder Oaks said to take the sacrament seriously. That was really interesting to me because that was not what I was expecting him to say. As I thought about it more, and as they talked about it more during the broadcast it made tons of sense. As missionaries, we need to be clean so that we can be worthy vessels of the Spirit. We are not the teachers here the Spirit needs to be the teacher or nothing is going to get done. We need to constantly be doing what we are teaching.

Friday was return and report! I don't know if you remember when I went there in the middle of my first transfer, but this is the middle of Sister Jackson's first transfer so we were able to go. It is when we go to Richmond and have a little meeting about how training is going, and then we get some training from President and Sister Smith, then we get to go street contacting in downtown Richmond (which is seriously my favorite thing in the whole world, SO MUCH FUN), and a testimony meeting. Since Richmond is pretty far away, some senior missionaries from the mission office drove a giant van down to our church and all the greenies and their trainers in our area could get a ride. Pretty much a van full of elders haha. It was fun though. There were only two sisters who came out so there were only four sisters at the meeting. It was lots of fun! We learned so much and found so many great people on the streets of downtown Richmond who are willing to meet with the missionaries. I was able to go with the other new sister who came out with Sister Jackson. Her name is Sister Kennard and she is seriously the sweetest!

Saturday... BELLEH GOT BAPTIZED! It was a long process getting it all together, but of course it all worked out. At first he said he was a little nervous. I wish I could show you his face as he came out of the water. He was the happiest person in the whole world. He took a big breath of relief and smiled from ear to ear. The Spirit was almost tangible in the room it was so strong. After he got all dressed he bore his testimony to everyone. He told his story of how he went from the bottom of being dirt poor, a professor at Mary Washington University. He is so grateful for all that God has done for him in his life, and is happy that he now has the gospel to help him as he goes through future struggles. Not to many months ago, he was very catholic. But as he read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it, he found that it was true. He knew that this is where he needs to be. It was such a beautiful baptism!! 

Belleh was confirmed on Sunday during Sacrament Meeting. Something that I have noticed with people after they are baptized is that they understand the gospel so much better! In gospel principles class the teacher was asking Belleh questions and he knew all of the answers! You could tell he was just so happy and he knew he had made the right choice!

Also I just have to tell you about the gospel principles teacher, he is HUGE. He works for the government to hunt down terrorists all over the world and speaks like nine different languages and has died twice. It is amazing how is testimony is still so strong in how we are all children of God. 

That was another long email, but so many great things are happening here in Fredericksburg I just had to share.

Love you all!

Sister Ruffner

The Path That Rocks!

Is it crazy that is still hasn't hit me yet that I am on my mission? Everyday as my alarm goes off at 6:30am I think that it is just the greatest, craziest, thing that I am on a mission. I have been waiting to go on a mission for like five years and now it's already four months in? Wow. It just blows my mind every time I think about it. 

So this week we just finished correlation which we do every Wednesday night with the ward mission leader and the youth are all there doing an activity. Sister Jackson and I walk by these two youth and it looks like one is giving the other a tour of the church. So we go up and talk to them, and one is named Philip and he is a member and his friend is named Elliot who is not a member. We talked to them for a little while and Elliot believes in a higher power but isn't sure about God, or how it applies to us. So it will be cool to meet with her and start from scratch. I have helped people understand that God hears and answers prayers and that God loves them and wants to forgive them, but never help them know if He is even there. So this will be a really cool experience! We are having dinner with them tomorrow, so I will let you know how it goes. But, seriously what a miracle! I love when God puts people in our path, and I also love members who participate in missionary work!

At the end of the day on Thursday, we were just updating our Area book when we get a call from a less active member named Rhonda Holderman. She said that she was talking with one of her friends, Raquel, who is struggling with her church right now. Raquel has nine kids and gets made fun of a lot for that (she would fit right in), Her mom died recently and she has been going through a lot of stuff that way, she is troubled by the world and her kids get made fun of at school for liking the Bible. They really need some lds friends. Does she shout prepared or what?! So Sister Holderman who is not active in the church is even sharing the gospel with her friends. How amazing! I am so grateful for that! This was a huge miracle that really lit up our day, along with the triple fudge brownies we made with extra chocolate chips :)

Belleh got his baptismal interview and is so ready to be baptized this Saturday! He has been through a long journey of studying the church. He was very catholic not too long ago, but once he started reading the Book of Mormon everything changed. The Book of Mormon is so amazing! My testimony of it grows more and more every day. 

We had an amazing lesson with Doug on Friday. He invited us over for dinner and we know that he has been having a rough time. He feels so guilty of the person he has been and the choices he has made. He is always putting himself down so we planned a lesson on the Atonement. We asked him what he knew about the Atonement. He said that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us, you guys focus more on the prayer before he died on the cross but I think he did the suffering when he was on the cross and died for our sins. We explained to him about when Jesus Christ suffered for everything in Gethsemane, not just our sins on the cross. "There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, "no one knows what it is like. No one understands." But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power." I have such a strong testimony of this, and cannot fully express the gratitude I have for the Savior and what He did for me. He suffered and died for us so that we can repent and be made clean again. He wants us to repent and be forgiven and feel ultimate joy. The Savior wants to forgive us. I think one of the hardest things of repentance is forgiving yourself, and the way to get over that is to truly experience the love God has for you and the effects of the Atonement in your life. You are a white shirt. You may have spilt some ketchup on the shirt and it may have left a stain. All you focus on is the stain, not all of the white left on the shirt. You can throw the shirt in the washer and wash away the stain, but you can not wash away the white shirt because that is who you are. Anyway, it was a great lesson completely led by the Spirit, and moments like that are why I am on my mission. 

"I love the story told of a little girl who wanted to carry a gallon of milk in from the car all by herself. She couldn't, so Mom finally picked up the child and the milk and headed into the house, where the girl proudly announced to her father, "Look, I'm carrying the milk all by myself!" Isn't that how we must sound as we list off "our accomplishments" to God who all the while is holding us in his arms?" I am so grateful for all that my Heavenly Father does for me each day. I am so grateful to be able to be an instrument in Gods hands. How great is my calling?! Doing to Lords work I am able to see miracles every day. 

(Scene in Emperor's new Groove when the shoulder devil and angel are talking to Kronk) Devil: "He's trying to lead you down the path of righteousness, I'm trying to lead you down the path that rocks." I am here to tell you that the path of righteousness rocks! There really is nothing better than the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is here to shape and guide our lives if we choose it. Having the gospel in our lives can make the good times as well as the bad times a blessing. I love my Savior and I am so grateful for the knowledge of the gospel and the joy it brings! 

okay okay I'll stop typing....

All my love, 

Sister Ruffner 

Video (3) from tracie on Vimeo.

I ❤️ missionary work

Great things happenin over here in Fredericksburg!!
We have met so many amazing people this week and teaching some fun
lessons too!!
A crazy thing...
they changed the mission schedule! I feel like they are just changing
so many things! What a great time to be a missionary. We had such a
great zone conference this last week and talked about unity with the
Godhead, our ward, and our companion. It answered so many of my
prayers! I know that God answers prayers!
I love my companion soooo much! She is such a good missionary, always
being positive and getting excited about the people and miracles we
see!!
I love you sooo much and hope you all have a great week!
- Sister Ruffner

Video (2) from tracie on Vimeo.

Let it Snow

Monday for P-day all of the sisters in the zone went to skyzone which is a huge trampoline place for our last hurrah all together before transfers and before Sister Johnson goes home. I have never been to a trampoline park and it was so fun! 

Tuesday we go to transfer meeting. There were only two new sisters and lots of elders coming to the VRM so I could pretty easily guess which missionary I would be training. Her name is Sister Jackson and she is seriously the sweetest person ever! I love serving with her so far! She has so much faith and is so ready to get out there and work hard. We are going to see so many miracles together. Luckily the rest of our district stayed the same, so I am glad I still have that foundation to be able to help me when I need it. 

It is so fun being a trainer! A missionary fresh out of the MTC has so much faith and is ready to work hard. She also has so many good ideas of things I haven't done in a while. We are expecting to see so many miracles this transfer. It is cool to see her learn and grow each day and get better and better with each door approach. I also have learned the importance of being positive. My goal of being positive all the time? I am killing it. When training a new missionary I feel like it is the most important thing to do. I remember that with Sister Tibbits when I would get discouraged, she would always help by being really positive and having lots of faith and that is what I try to do. Sister Jackson thinks I'm crazy sometimes, but it's just so much better to be positive. 

Sister Jackson and I did a lot of finding this week. Like a lot. We have been working super hard all week. The hardest I have ever worked before. The weirdest thing is, I am super tired, and super cold, and SUPER HAPPY! I have never loved life so much before. I am not going to lie we received a lot of rejection this week but I am so happy to be out here serving the Lord. Because of the snow we had to bring our cars in by 5, two days in a row! That was a little bit of a struggle because we called every potential and every former investigator in the area book and only two people answered the phone. We had to get pretty creative in our missionary work. The greatest thing ever though is that we never go home discouraged. After a full day of rejection, the very last person we talk to before going in listens to our message, accepts a Book of Mormon and sets us a return appointment. I know that God loves me!!! Sister Jackson and I always go back to our apartment happy :)

It finally snowed!!! All throughout my life I wasn't a huge fan of the snow. I liked it and it was so beautiful to look at and to play in and things like that, but it's not like I was looking forward to it or anything. When I woke up on Saturday and looked out the window and everything was white... I WAS SO HAPPY!!! I bundled up with all of my layers that I got for Christmas and went outside and it was snowing most of the day and I loved it! It reminded me a lot of home. We were super duper cold when we went tracting and everyone thought we were crazy and told us to go home and be warm, but I was the happiest missionary in the whole world :) 

Last night we couldn't drive to our dinner appointment and it was pretty far away so we didn't want them to have to drive us there and back. The Spotsylvania sisters live right by us and they had a dinner appointment and we got invited to go with them! What a tender mercy. The dad was the first family in Liberia to be baptized. They had church in his house until they had enough people to make a branch. How cool?! So dinner was this really yummy African dish. I never thought that I would be eating African food going to Virginia. That is the coolest most yummy thing I have eaten so far. 

Well, another week down in Virginia. Heavenly Father just amazes me everyday in the things He asks me to do and the way He knows what I need to help me to grow and learn the way I need to. I love Him soooo much. I love sister Jackson and am so excited for what is going to happen this transfer. I love training! What a cool opportunity :)

I love you!

-Sister Ruffner

Happy New Year!

Wow 2017 is already here! The years just go by so fast... I am so beyond excited for this year. A whole year as a missionary! I have made some goals to help me become who I want to be and who God wants me to be by the end of the year: 

1. TO BECOME A CONSECRATED MISSIONARY. "To give every ounce of energy, every conscious thought, and every drop of passion to this work- to submit my will to God's will whatever it may be."

2. THINGS I AM GOING TO GIVE UP:

- Any disobedience: I am going to be exactly obedient. Not only just be obedient, but to want to. 

- Fear: I am going to talk to everyone I see. Open my mouth at all times and in all places. 

- Pride: I am going to continue to look for ways to be better. Make goals every week and day for things to work on. 

- Being negative: I am going to be positive and always have a language of faith. No rejection will dim my enthusiasm for the work. 

3. TO TRULY GET TO KNOW MY SAVIOR. Study His life every day and strive to be just like Him. 

4. READ THE WHOLE BOOK OF MORMON, AND PREACH MY GOSPEL.

So... transfer calls happened on Saturday and I was just chillin thinking that Sister Stoker and I were safe because, I just got transferred last transfer and got a new companion and President wouldn't do that to me again. Then at 8:00 we get a call from PRESIDENT. Wow he just won't leave me alone! I am staying in Chancellor and training a BRAND NEW MISSIONARY. Sister Stoker is being transferred and finishing someones training. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ cease to amaze me every. single. day. " I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." I have learned a lot about relying on my Savior and the Atonement throughout my life, and I know that I am going to learn even more. As we do hard things, we really learn to rely on the Savior more and more. Heavenly Father is not going to let us be okay with our weaknesses, He will turn them into strengths. " Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." 

What a year it is going to be! I know that Heavenly Father is going to help me and assist me in my goals as I assist Him in His, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." He already is helping me become what I need to. I have found that every time I pray for help to become better, something happens. I need to stop being so surprised when I am asked to do something that scares me. Obviously Heavenly Father knows me perfectly and knows what I can do and what is best going to help me. 

This week we have met so many new people and have seen so many miracles. God is so good! He loves His missionaries and leads them to people who need our help! This gospel has all the answers to life's hard questions. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always there for you when you need them. I am so excited to start this new year, to not look back and to continually become better and better. 

Love and miss you!! 

Sister Ruffner