Hello family!
How was your week? I hope it was great!
We had a huge miracle Saturday! So the ward and the Elders had a baptism so we had called Isaac and he said he'd go (he didn't) but as we were greeting people Dios dado walked in! Now Dios dado is an African and about a month ago we met him when we were in the church one night and he came and knocked on the door. He told us he was new in town and that he had gone to church before and was taking lessons from the missionaries. We tried to set up a time to meet with him, but he didn't want to so we gave him our number and he left. And then Saturday night he just walks in! Apparently he had come earlier and the elders told him there would be a baptism so he came for it! We talked to him a little and he told us that he's already read almost the whole Book of Mormon and he knows it's true. After the baptism service i asked him if he'd ever thought about baptism for himself, he said yes, he wants to, he just has to prepare! Well my friend that's what we're here for! So as we were waiting for the people to finish changing after he baptism Dani, our ward mission leader comes up to us and goes "I have good news and bad news, we need you to teach something right now to everyone as we wait, good news you get a member present." I asked him what the bad news was and he says "you have to teach it, now" hahaha so we got up and taught about the gospel of Christ! It went pretty good for not practicing it. I guess that's what happens when you always have to be prepared to teach!
Sunday we had even more miracles! First of all Dios dado came to church! The only problem is he doesn't have a place to live, and no work. So he told me he was hungry and I asked why he did t eat breakfast and he told me he hadn't eat Saturday either, because he has no money or food. My heart just about broke. He talked to the bishop and so the bishop tried to find him a place to stay but no one had anything. The bishop is still looking for work for him. Hopefully he finds it. I think the hardest thing about being a missionary is seeing people in need and pain and not being able to do much. Sure I can help spiritually, but I can't help physically and it's so hard. I feel like is week I've just been praying with all my might for these 3 Africans in particular who don't have work, and are struggling so bad. I just wish there was more I could do. But anyways, Isaac is the other miracle. Last week he left right after sacrament meeting and so before he left I made him promise that he would make time for us next week no matter what. So he promised. And every time we saw him (in the street, or in the grocery store) I made him repromise, just to make sure haha well he kept good! After sacrament meeting we went and taught him and set another fecha with him! He knows he needs to be baptized, and wants to, he believes it's true, he just says he needs to change some things in his life first. So his fecha is the 28th and we're calling him everyday to try to meet with him! He's so great.
I love the Africans here. They are just such a believing, loving people. They can have no food, no house, no work, and yet they still praise God. They just don't complain. Whenever we try to encourage them by telling them to have faith they always respond with how good God is and how they know it will be alright and God will bless them. They usually teach me more than I can teach them. On Sunday we had Dios dado, Isaac, Emanuel, and Kwazy all sitting in our row at church, it was pretty funny, afterwards at ward council they were laughing about how we just had our little group of Africans. Haha
So when I first got to the ward the elders and my companion told me, don't expect to give a talk, the bishop told us a missionary would never speak until their last Sunday in church. So I thought I was off the hook! Well last week bishop came up to me and asked me to give a talk, I asked him in what and he said, "whatever you think our ward needs". I was super shocked! First, he asked me to speak, and second, asked what I thought they needed. So I gave a talk on Sunday! I hope it really was what the ward needed. But the Relief society lesson was about missionary work (obviously that's what I talked about...)and they had me go up and reread a part of my talk! The Elders and ward missionary leader and my companion all told me it was super fuerte but done with love so it was okay! Haha I hope so!
So on Tuesday we had Specialized Conference, with President and Hermana Dayton and it was so good! Hermana Dayton talked about positive thinking and how we really create our own happiness. I don't know if you know this but she was a motivational speaker before so she's good at this. She is such a strong person. She has sat me down and talked about trials with me before and shared hers, she's gone through so much, yet is the most positive person I've ever seen. She challenged us to say That's Great whenever something happens, and not sarcastically either. But think of the reasons of why it is great. She shared how a week after her first husband died she went to a class and they told her to do that, and she struggled with it, but that night her and her kids decided to do it, and they found the good things that came out of that tragedy. Then president talked about being a consecrated missionary. It was way good.
After Specialized Training we all had to get flu shots....but Hermana Dayton brought us candy so no big deal! Well when we had gotten back to the mission home my arm was hurting and I remembered how mom always made me do push ups after I got shots...and I would complain and say it was cruel and unusual punishment, but guess what? I did push ups. My mom is a wise one.
Afterwards we went back to the office to help out, and we had to bind the medical book we made (it's finally done!) but we had to walk there. It was about 30 minutes altogether, up and down hill. So my legs were not happy. It was alright walking but alter that night I felt the consequences. But the Elders had called and told us we needed to hang up flyers for our activity Sunday. So we talked to President and asked if we could borrow the wheel chair from the office :) so we went around town in a wheelchair asking people if we could put flyers up in their stores! I'm pretty sure most the people said yes out of pity,but hey they said yes! It's a good thing we had the wheelchair though, because later that night while we were grocery shopping I couldn't put any weight on my leg without extreme pain, it's a little better today, but not much.
So today we had a mission conference with 3 zones and Elder Christenson and Elder Dyches came! But the coolest part is afterwards we got to have dinner with them at the mission home! We thought we would just be serving, but Hermana Dayton called us this morning to tell us they would be setting a place for us as well! I got to sit by Sister Dyches and we just talked, us and Elder Obando (the area authority, he was also in my ward in Valencia) well his daughter, just got back from a mission in Mexico and is going to byui in January!!! It was super fun getting to know her. It was a really neat experience.
Well this is a longer email, sorry for my ranting! But at least I had things to say this week, right?! I'll send pictures!
Os quiero,
Hermana Ruth Terrazas ❤️
We also got sweatshirts this week!!!!! Best souvenir ever :)
Hermana Reid thought it was funny I was doing push ups while waiting for cookies to bake so she took pictures.
And the second one is me giving up. Haha
