When we are grateful, good feelings of joy always follow

November 20, 2017 

  It was a good week! I started out doing a scambio with Anziano Anderson. He is an awesome guy, we always talk about snow sports and skiing together in college; he also is going to Utah state! He is also a great missionary and hard worker. We worked well together and were able to talk to a lot of people and leave a lot of great first impressions. It's awesome serving in Italy because a lot of people don't know the church, we have the awesome opportunity to be the face of the church and leave people with a great memory of talking to us. Once on my mission I talked to someone who rememberd talking to the missionaries from over 20 years ago. Who remembers two random people they talked to over 20 years ago?? Pretty great opportunity we have here! I love my mission.

  We were now to meet with Marco and the Crutz family this week that was awesome. We invited them to do family prayer and scripture study. It was awesome to be able to bare testimony. Every time I think about the experiences I have had praying and reading the scriptures I am just overcome with the spirit. Bearing your testimony strengthens your testimony so much! I even have a testimony on that. 

  Happy early Thanksgiving to everyone! They don't have that here in Italy but thanks to the Hydes we are going to do an awesome lunch after district meeting. Gratitude is such an important thing in this life. When we are grateful, good feelings of joy always follow. When we show our gratitude to the Lord though prayer we receive a lot more than just the natural consequences; we receive the blessings from a loving heavenly father. His blessings contain more than what this life can offer us alone. I invite all who read this far to start a gratitude list for this holiday season!

Vi voglio bene!!

Love Anziano Ruiz 

This is right outside our apartment.  Its like this every time Napoli plays! We beat Milano this week. FORZA NAPOLI!!!

Napoli

Tried a new pizzeria it was pretty good.

Where we go to get our scriptures rebound.

 I'll have them next week!

Zone calcio

Got some new Italian shoes, old ones had holes in them.

I learned more about how important humility is

November 13, 2017 

  We had another good week! I don't even think we ate a pizza haha which was weird. We both got sick this week so that's why. 

  I did a scambio with Anziano Lamoureux that was fun. We met with the De Vivo family and had dinner and a lesson. We also met with a less active member named Andrea it was a really cool experience; he is going through some hard times. Anziano Lamoureux and I gave him a blessing the spirit was super strong. He came to church this Sunday so we are happy that he felt impressed to act on his faith.

  We met again with Marco and the Crutz family, that was awesome! We taught the plan of salvation and about marriage and familyies being essential to the plan of God. It is always awesome to be able to Promise blessings. I am so lucky to be blessed with a beautiful family. We stayed after for dinner and it was good! We made some empanadas together and they were good!

  Now that I think about it we did have pizza this week just one time! We went to the place where they invented the pizza! So that was fun. Some times as a district we will all get off at one metro stop to do English course finding and just give out like 600 English course cards. This week we did the same thing but instead of English course we did Jesus cards. It was really cool, we were able to touch the lives of many people and help them remember Christ that day.

  I read a chapter in the Book of Mormon this week that talked about a people who fell into darkness because of their pride, they end up humbling themselves before God and are lifted up. I learned more about how important humility is. Without it we can't receive strength from the atonement of Jesus Christ. Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I know this is true! 

Vi voglio bene!!

Love Anziano Ruiz

The first pizzeria since 1780

 Piazza nazionale, we find here at times.

The start of Christmas street.

God is our loving heavenly father and that all things we teach are hinge to that.

November 6, 2017 

  It has been an awesome week!  Last Thursday we were in Rome once again, for a mission conference, man that trip is a pain.. Totally kidding I love going to Rome haha! And taking trains with missionaries is always fun.  We actually had a cool experience talking with a guy named Emilio on the way home, we shared Moroni 10: 4-5 All the missionaries came from all over the mission but Sicilia. We had an awesome conference and are inspired to work harder as missionaries. 

  This week we went to meet with Marco and the Crutz family again and that was awesome! They actually don't live in Napoli so we take a bus to their house in Avellino. We have members there so we can teach with them, its awesome. Avellino is a smaller city that reminded me so much of Ascoli Piceno! So I really like going over there. We had planned to talk about the plan of Salvation but ended up going over the Book of Mormon and how to receive a testimony if it's true. Marco accepted baptism and we are so happy for him! They told us they weren't going to be able to come to church because they didn't have the car that Sunday so we were a little sad to hear that. But then as we were sitting in church they walked in and it was so awesome to see them! We are going to have dinner with them this week and Himel the mom that is from Argentina is going to make empanadas! So we are super pumped for that! We really love this family so much!

  This week we also met with the Dr Vivo family they are also awesome! The mom and son are inactive members then the dad and two daughters aren't members. They haven't been to church in 7 years. It was awesome to meet with them and bear testimony that God is our loving heavenly father and that all things we teach are hinge to that. I really like comparing God's love for us and his commandments to the love of a father and the house rules, for example a curfew or bedtime, studying for school etc. Our parents set these for our safety, protection, because they want us to be successful and happy. Over all because they love us. For all the same motives God gives us commandments. They aren't to be looked at asked or a to-do list but as light to the plan of how we can reach our full potential in this life.

  This week was awesome! I can't wait till another one. A huge congratulations to my Brother Cortez who will have finished his mission in Russia Novosibirsk maybe by the time this gets posted. He has been an amazing example to me and a huge motivation to be the best missionary I can be! 

Vi voglio bene!!

Love Anziano Ruiz 

Some homies from the mission conference!!

Father and sons picture.

Our last correlation with Richard.

We went to eat African food for Richards last day in Italy! He is leaving to Holland. We had some dang interesting food. Anziano Wagstaff asked me "why is there a bed in this restaurant" and it told him the real question was "why is there a restaurant in this kids room!?" Haha it was a fun experience!

Fu-fu, an African dish.

Maria

We met this random guy and he told

 me to do that pose haha, he's awesome.