Another Good Week.

Another good week here in Houston! So much has been happening here.

 

- On Monday, we had an FHE at our Bishop's house with a part member family. The dad and two sons are members, and the mom and two daughters are not. One of the daughters and the mom have been coming to church for years now, they just don't want to be baptized. We had such a powerful lesson about eternal families. The spirit was incredibly strong, so we invited them to be baptized and both said yes! There was not a dry eye in the room and I have never seen the dad and son as happy as they were that night. They completely lite up when they realized that they were going to be a step closer to being able to go to the temple. It was one of the best moments of my mission so far.

The adversary is real though and the baptisms will not be happening anymore. A seed was planted in their hearts that night though, and hopefully one day soon they will be ready.

 

- We have been working with one of our investigators to prepare her to be baptized on the 27th of this month. She accepted the invitation to be baptized a little over a week ago and after three separate invitations. Even after she accepted though, she didn't seem very excited and she didn't feel ready personally. She would continually tell us that she wanted to feel different about her decision to be baptized. We didn't know what to do. We would bring members with us to her house to testify, we would pray with her, etc. and nothing seemed to bring her the joy she needed to feel. There is a reason why going to church is so important, because that is where she was able to have that confirmation that she needed. Ever since that Sunday, she her attitude has completely changed and she happy with her choice.

 

- On Saturday, we did exchanges and I had to run our area by myself for the first time. Seriously, the most terrifying experience of my life haha. It actually turned out really good and there were countless miracles throughout the day.

While we were tracting, we started talking to a family who invited us in right then and we were able to start teaching the first lesson. This NEVER happens. The dad has so much faith and he invited us to come back whenever!

While we were just walking to different appointments, people were placed in our path that are so prepared. We have so many potential investigators now.

We also were able to go and see some people that we have not been able to forever. It was really such a miracle.

 

- I learned how much I depend on my Utah mountains. Seriously, I am useless without them. When we went to go and start our exchanges, we had to go to an area that I am not familiar with. The road we were supposed to take back to our area ended up being closed, so I had no clue where I was or how to get back. We whipped out a good old fashioned map, but lets be real here.. we had no idea how to actually use it. We decided to go into Walgreens and ask for directions to get onto the road a different way. The worker asked us if we were trying to go north or south and once again, I had no clue. I have no sense of direction without the mountains! They thought we were pretty pathetic, but luckily we got it figured out eventually and made it home.

 

- Sunday, we were able to go to a fireside that our mission is putting on throughout stakes here in Houston. The missionaries that came had to participate in a choir and we sang the old "EFY Medley" and "Called to Serve". There were about 50+ missionaries and it was one of the most powerful things ever. We were able to listen to testimonies of recent converts and it was amazing. It is always so humbling to hear new members speak. They are always so solid.

 

I am constantly being reminded that the Lord's hand is in this work. When things haven't worked out throughout the week, something better always seems to happen instead. We are being guided to those who are prepared and they are being led to us too.

 

I feel so blessed to be here in Houston and to serve the beautiful Spanish people. They are the best.

 

Love,

 

Hermana Rupp

Fishy.

So I don't really have a ton to report about this past week. It has flown by so quickly and I have loved every second of it!

 

I ate some good ol' fish. Seriously... God is real. When the lady feeding us brought fish out, I panicked because fish literally KILLS me to eat. After saying a real heart felt prayer, I ate the fish without shedding any tears or gagging. It was quite the accomplishment if you know me haha.

 

Two recent converts (the same two that I got to go to the temple with) gave their first talks in Sacrament meeting! COOLEST. THING EVER. They were incredible! The testimonies of these two are so solid.

 

Ever since I have gotten here, we  have been trying to contact a recent convert. He was baptized in May and had stopped going to church about June/Julyish. We would try calling, texting, visiting this person, but with no success. Well a miracle happened and Sunday, this guy was at church!

 

Right now, we are focusing on working with the members to find more people to start teaching. Before my mission, I didn't really think member missionary work was important.. but let me tell you IT IS! When they say, "every member a missionary" it is so true. The members make all of the difference in this work.

 

Our mission is focusing on using Family Search to find more investigators. While we are tracting, we have been talking to people about family history. It has been really cool because so many people are so excited about this! It has been a really great tool to use because most of the time when people see who we are, they don't want to talk to us. When we start talking about this though, their whole attitude changes.

 

The weather here has been glorious the past three days. Never have I appreciated it being about 85 degrees the way I have now. This apparently is pretty cold for people here though, because they are bringing out hardcore jackets and hot chocolate haha.

 

I am SO GRATEFUL to be out here serving. I learn so much each day about myself and the gospel.

 

The church is true!

Love,

 

Hermana Rupp

Moments.

Missions are full of all sorts of moments... These past two weeks, we've experienced them all!

 

It's had the good...

 

- Last Saturday, Ordonez and I got to go to the temple with two recent converts (one is a 22 year old guy preparing to go on a mission, the other is a cute mom). We got to be with them while they did baptisms for the dead for the first time! Seriously, this was one of the sweetest experiences I have had. Both of them were so happy. It is the coolest thing ever seeing the happiness the gospel brings. And the Houston temple is SO gorgeous!

 

- One of our investigators has set a baptism date! She is so prepared and has been since we met her! Her husband passed away about two months ago. She loves and misses her husband so much. This gospel has brought her so much hope that one day she will be able to see him again.

 

- Another one of our investigators has finally started reading The Book of Mormon! This is a huge miracle!

 

- We had such a cool experience with a family in our ward and a non-member who they had met earlier that day and invited to have an FHE with us. Ordonez and I taught a lesson about God being our loving Heavenly Father. The woman (non-member) agreed with everything we said. After we finished, the Dad who had invited her, bore one of the most humble and solid testimonies that I have ever heard. At the end of his testimony, he turned to the lady and said, "I know that God loves you." The spirit was there during the entire night, but in that moment it hit really hard like a train. It was exactly what this woman needed to hear because she is going through a really difficult time. I don't think that is was a coincedence that they met that day. God is in the details!

 

It has also had some bad.. (But not really.. I'm on cloud 9 out here)

 

- I've already gone through a pair of shoes and a bag.

 

- I'm almost 95% sure that I ate fried fat. Imagine eating a dog treat (not that I ever have), but that is what I would compare it to. Luckily, I didn't know what it was until after.

 

And it has most definitely had some awkward/uncomfortable moments...

 

- Mostly everything uncomfortable happens while tracting. I can't really tell who speaks Spanish and who doesn't. It doesn't help that when people answer the doors, they just stare and don't say anything. So a lot of the time, I just start with "hola" if they look like they are potentially Latino. This usually ends really interesting because they either don't end up speaking Spanish (sometimes they don't speak English either), or if they do speak it, they just look at me like,"Who is this white girls trying to talk to me". Never in my life have I gotten so many weird looks haha.

 

- So I don't really know why this happens, but it does. People answer their doors all the time not wearing any clothes. Like they literally just hide behind the door and poke their heads out to talk to us. Some tell us that they can't talk because they aren't dressed and others you can just tell. I am still trying to figure out why people are even answering their doors then haha.

 

Lastly, after some recent experiences I have been thinking a lot about the words in one of my favorite talks. It was given in a general conference by President Henry B. Eyring and is called "Mountains to Climb". If you haven't read it, do it! There is also a Mormon Message available to watch (but make sure you have a box of tissues.. it is a tear jerker).

 

It talks about the importance of having faith in Christ. At one point, President Eyring teaches, "If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble."

In Helaman 5:12, Helaman teaches his sons the importance of building upon faith in Christ and says,

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock‍ of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that yemust build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when allhis hail and his mighty storm‍ shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery andendless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build theycannot fall."

 

Life is so hard sometimes and all sorts of things are thrown at us, but when we live our lives with a foundation built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ, "the hardest as well as the easiest of times in life can be a blessing."

 

I know that this is true! As we put Christ first, everything else will fall into place and we will be given the hope necessary to carry on.

 

Love,

 

Hermana Rupp