We called and she picked up and said "did you hear my need for you?"

September 11, 2017 

Ciao tutti!!

  What a week! Monday night we got our transfer calls! It was so great to serve with Anziano Smith, we definitely have some good memories! Sadly he was transferred but some good news is that I get to stay another transfer here in Napoli!! Not only that but I'm training a new missionary again!!! That's what I wanted to do so I was so excited. 

  We had a good week of saying goodbyes till Thursday. Then Anziano Smith left and I found out that I'm training Anziano Wagstaff! He's from Holiday Utah, is 6'6" and is a basketball champ! Man we get along so well it's awesome! We are definitely the tallest in the mission and the Italians love it haha. I'm super pumped for these next 3 months serving with him. The past days have already been good.

Saturday was sweet, Anziano Wagstaff and I translated interviews  for two converts, Richard and Reginald to receive the Melchizedek priesthood, they both passed and that was sweet! Then Sunday we had stake conference in this sweet hotel it was awesome so see so many members and other missionaries. During conference we sustained Richard and Reginald that just made me so happy to see. After the conference we had a baptismal interview with one of our investigators named Moses, he will be baptized on the 23rd we are excited! Moses is pretty tall and we all took  a picture with President Pickerd, we looked like a basketball team haha President Pickerd has always given me tall companions, it's pretty sweet.

  We had a cool little miracle this last week during weekly planning. We decided to call an old investigator names Anna, she's Russian. We called and she picked up and said "did you hear my need for you?" I thought she was being sarcastic so I started explaining how I'm new to the area and what not. But it turns out she was being serious. She is going through a rough time in her life right now and was thinking about the missionaries and how we could help her so she was going to come to church. Good thing we called because church was in a different location! She came to stake conference and it was good. We'll be meeting with her now. I'm excited to see what God has in-store. 

  Anziano Wagstaff is awesome at opening his mouth and talking to people on the street. He's such a good example for me. Today for pday we were with other missionaries and we were just finishing up this tour of an underground city in Napoli and we saw this guys hand making a nativity. We watched him for a bit then ended up talking about the Gospel and the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. It was sweet we are meeting with him this Wednesday to give him a Book of Mormon!  We're excited!

 I love this scripture!  Alma 26:27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." It's such a blessing to be able to be converted be the Lord I know he doesn't give us any challenge in this life that we can't over come as we rely on the atonement of our savior Jesus Christ.

Vi voglio un sacco di bene!!
Anziano Ruiz

 Training a new companion, Elder Wagstaff.