Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 5: 13


Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.

Monday, September 26, 2016

The lord will always bless you for your efforts

September 26, 2016  
This week was great! It's funny how the mission works, sometimes  Anziano Anderson and I will find all day and talk to everyone with no luck then we'll sit on the bus at 9pm and someone like Mandie will come up to us and ask us where our church is so she can go on Sunday haha. Anyway she and her husband came and she really liked it! We passed her to the sisters and they are teaching her, she really looks like she is progressing! But she will move back to get married in New York in about a month. So that was really cool. She is from London and speaks English so that's cool too! Then on the way home from church someone else came up and asked us about the church! He said he's been to a lot of churches but he has always felt like something was missing, so we think we have the right message for him! Haha His name is Dias and is from India so we are going to be teaching him in English which  will be nice! It's amazing seeing miracles like these especially after long long days of finding. It's just another way that this mission strengthens my testimony. The lord will always bless you for your efforts.
  One day this week my companion was sick so we stayed in for the first half of the day. But it was really good because I found the book "Our Search for Happiness" by M. Russell Ballard, its really good, he does a great job of keeping things interesting while giving good spirit filled information. I'm learning so much out here on the mission and I love it. It's really cool having a life devoted to loving the gospel and serving others; I'm learning stuff that I never would have if I wouldn't have been here. It's great.
Pday today was probably my favorite so far! Me, Anziano Anderson and 4 other Anziani and Sorelle rented bikes at Villa Borghese and road all around Rome for a couple of hours. It was so cool, we hit up all the big tourist spots in like 30 min haha then we did some trail riding in the park it was so fun! 
Love you all that thank you so much for the prayers! Have a great week
Ciao- Anziano Ruiz

Classic spaghetti and meatballs made by Anziani Anderson and Ruiz



                     Bike ride through Rome on Pday with some of the other Anziani (Elders) and Sorelle (Sisters)

The Spanish Steps (ItalianScalinata di Trinità dei Monti) are a set of steps in RomeItaly, climbing a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church at the top.

 The Colosseum or Coliseum  also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium; Italian: Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo ]), is an ovalamphitheatre in the centre of the city of RomeItaly. Built of concrete and sand,[1] it is the largest amphitheatre ever built.


The Altare della Patria ([alˈtaːre della ˈpaːtrja]; English: "Altar of the Fatherland"), also known as the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II ("National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II") or Il Vittoriano, is a monument built in honour of Victor Emmanuel, the first king of a unified Italy, located in RomeItaly. It occupies a site between the Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill.




Always need to practice for Pole Vault!

roman.ruiz@myldsmail.com

Anziano Roman Ruiz
Missione Italiana di Roma Piazza Monte Gemma, 9 00141 Roma Italia

Monday, September 19, 2016

Blessings come from Obedience

September 19, 2016
  Anotha one, the weeks feel like days! It was another great week.we had mission conference and that was really good and it was really nice to see friends from the MTC! The biggest thing I got out of it was that we are all exactly where God wants us to be, but are we being exactly who God wants us to be? From that me and my companion are trying to work harder and be even more obedient. We have seen results already! The other day we were finding at a park and saw a guy slack lining (tight rope walking) so we went over and started talking to him. And he asked if we wanted to try so I took my shoes and socks off and gave it a try! It was hard but fun haha anyway we had a good time talking to him and he was really willing to meet again! So that was awesome. Then we talked to another guy on a bench and he said we could share a message with his family, but he works a lot so it will be hard finding a time that will work out for them. 
  So the other week we taught the restoration to a woman and she really liked it. She accepted a book of Mormon and said she would read it. She was really interested in coming to English class  but works a lot so it's hard to find time for appointments. But this Sunday she came to church! We were so excited to see her and she has already read to Helaman which is crazy! She told us "First there is curiosity then when that curiosity grows it turns into a interest then when that grows your interest will become a desire" right now she is just curious but we are working with her and hoping that the spirit will really touch her heart! Seeing these miracles has really strengthened my testimony on obedience. It is great being on a mission because I get to grow everyday! 
  Today was a great P day we went to Vatican City.  It is so beautiful and there is so much detail it just blows my mind! There is so much history here and I love it! It is such a blessing having a call from God to serve in Rome I love the people just as much as the place! Well its a shorter letter but it was a great great week! 
Keep praying and reading your scriptures! Have a good week!
Anziano Ruiz
Vatican City


St. Peters Basilica, part of the Vatican.

St. Peters Basilica

Vatican City

Really enjoying a gelato!
roman.ruiz@myldsmail.com

Anziano Roman Ruiz
Missione Italiana di Roma Piazza Monte Gemma, 9 00141 Roma Italia

Monday, September 12, 2016

The book of Mormon changes lives for the better. I know this to be true.

September 12, 2016

  I feel like I just wrote you all yesterday.. it was another fast fast good week! We have been getting some pretty hard core rain and lightning storms they are awesome! The first one happened when I was on a scambio(exchange) with Anziano Joregson in central Rome. That was super cool, rain just sets a different mood haha. The other times we've lucked out and have been in cars or home. Anyway that was sweet because I love the rain, but it slows the work because then everyone says inside.
  So here in Rome 2 our area just covers a tiny part of central Rome and we hardly ever go there. A lot of the finding we do is in parks that are on the out skirts part of Rome. In Italy no one really cares about keeping things clean so everything is super dirty including the parks we go to. So me and Anz. Anderson decided to do something about that. We picked a park and every Thursday we do service by picking up trash. It has become really good, the same kids are always there and when we walk in they all rush us and start taking selfies with us and want to help pick up trash. It's really cool haha and the parents appreciate us too. We get some funny comments from the older generation they talk to us like we're 4 years old sometimes the "bravo bravo" "bravissimo"  then we have the ones that say "finally someone cleaning up around here " or ask where we're from, we tell them America they say "aww! It takes Americans to clean up around here". It's just funny because they can clean up too but not one does. Haha   I love it here though, its always a good time with Anz. Anderson. There is a park that one of the senior couples likes to keep clean and they always paint over graffiti and they had an idea that me and Anz. Anderson should do some type of church related graffiti art there (Anziano Anderson is into that kind of stuff and is good at it). So we want to do a big stencil of Jesus Christ and maybe put a scripture. That will be really cool we just have to get it passed by President Pickered and we should be good.
  Scripture study has been really good this week. I've been reading more out of the book of Mormon and it is so filling. I learn something new everyday. In Preach My Gospel it states "For you to grow in the gospel and stay on the path that leads to eternal life, you need to develop a habit of gospel study (see D&C 131:6)." I testify of this. In the short time that I have been on my mission I have seen my testimony grow tremendously. It is from having a very solid habit Gospel study. The book of Mormon changes lives for the better. I know this to be true.
Have a great week everyone!
Love, Anziano Ruiz
A nicer park



roman.ruiz@myldsmail.com

Anziano Roman Ruiz
Missione Italiana di Roma Piazza Monte Gemma, 9 00141 Roma Italia

Thursday, September 8, 2016

I love being a Missionary!

September 5, 2016 

  The weeks are flying! There are tons of miracles here on the mission it is amazing. A couple of weeks ago we got an email from the Sister Missionaries serving in the Salt Lake Temple mission, they taught the restoration to a young family that was on vacation in America, and they loved it! It turns out they live in the Rome 2 area. They got back to Rome last weekend and actually called us! They are so ready for the gospel and I can't wait to see it change their lives. I can't wait to teach Floriana, Luigi and their kid! 
  We saw another miracle last night. So a couple of weeks ago we got a random call at about 10:30 pm from a guy named Bright, he was asking if we were the American missionaries.  We set an appointment to meet with him the next day, but he didn't show up. This happened a number of times so we decided to drop him as an investigator. Then yesterday he called us again (which is a miracle in its self) and wanted to meet. So we went to the place where we were supposed to meet and waited  and he didn't show up for an hour and it was time to go home so we went to take the metro but got on the wrong side.. so we had to walk up and all the way around. But as we got to the other side some guy started talking to us and was saying that he was needing to find his friend because he had a meeting. He said he was looking for Anderson haha and that was us. So we finally got to meet with Bright, which would have never happened if we didn't get on the wrong side of the metro, (a mistake we have never made before), we would have been walking on the train as he was walking off and Anziano Anderson and I would have never saw him. Bright is from Nigeria and speaks English, he is coming to family home evening with us today and is excited to hear our message. It is great seeing God's hand in our work here, He truly does have a plan for everything even if it is by making a mistake. I love being a missionary. And it's a huge plus that I get to live in Rome while serving.
  Today we played some zone calcio (soccer) is was super good I got to meet a lot of other missionaries serving here.
Again thank you everybody for your prayers I can really feel them. I love my ward here, I love the work, I love Rome and I love the people here. Have a great week!
Anziano Ruiz
By our house

Anziano Anderson and I at the bus stop

All the Anziani in our zone 

We got to see the temple that's being built!


roman.ruiz@myldsmail.com

Anziano Roman Ruiz
Missione Italiana di Roma Piazza Monte Gemma, 9 00141 Roma Italia