I know that we can all feel a great joy in our lives if we follow the same invite to read the Book of Mormon!

October 9, 2017

  This last week felt short!  Wednesday Anziano Pesci was with us in Napoli for a day to work on some permesso stuff. He trained Anziano Smith my last comp so we went and saw some members, it was really fun. At the same time I was doing a scambio with Anziano Anderson in my district, so we had a good time in Napoli together. Then later that week we did another scambio with the zone leaders which was fun. Anziano Jensen and I went to visit a member. He lives pretty far out on the edge of our area and I'm not sure why but I kept feeling like I was in Russia haha seemed like what I see in Cortez's pictures.

  Church was really good yesterday. It was great to hear everyone's testimonies. Richard was sitting behind me and asked me if I could translate his testimony for him; and man he gave such an awesome testimony. He talked about the sacrament and how with General conference last week it was his first time not being able to take the sacrament since has been baptized. This last week was the first time he got sick since his baptism Richard bore awesome testimony about the power that we receive from the atonement of Jesus Christ as we take the sacrament every week.

  We played some more basketball with the Boys!  We brought one specifically a book of Mormon and when we gave it to him some of the other guys where like "hey! Where's mine?!" It was sweet so I gave him mine. And he was really happy to get it! It was sweet, it’s cool to keep seeing little miracles with these guys!

  This week I have been trying to better live the invite from General conference to read the book of Mormon everyday more sincerely. As I've been trying I have really felt the power of the Book of Mormon in my days. I know that the Book is true and that it is the word God. I know that we can all feel a great joy in our lives if we follow the same invite to read the Book of Mormon!

Vi voglio bene!!

Anziano Ruiz 

The Royal Palace of Caserta - Italy 

- Unesco World Heritage Site

Spiritual, mental or even physical growth that comes through persevering or enduring through a life difficulty, is a miracle.

October 3, 2017

  This week has felt so long! We have had some awesome experiences. Our zone conference was supposed to be on Friday but it got moved to yesterday; that actually turned out to be a really sweet miracle! I'll explain that later, though.

  So some of you might have noticed that I've been on Facebook again. That is because it is now a new tool for missionary work. We talked a lot about that yesterday during the conference. So it will be very interesting to use. I know we are going to see jumps in the work! Conference was great I always love going to Rome.

  We stopped some guys about a week ago because they had a basketball and they told us that we needed to go to a certain part of town to play some ball so last Tuesday we went to check it out and made some good friends. They told us to come back Friday for 3 on 3 and losers buy pizza so we were super down for that (totally forgetting about zone conference.) So then we realized that we had conference and were so bummed! The next day we got word that it was moved to Monday so we were just really pumped. Friday comes rolling around, we go to the court and played some ball for a while.  We beat them a good amount so we got free pizza. Then as we are sitting there eating pizza one of the guys asks us "so why are you guys here other than the fact that you want to be" in regards to the mission. So we taught all about 8 of them the restoration! It was super sweet, they were super into it! After that we kinda split into groups and I was talking to some kids about the plan of salvation and Anziano Wagstaff was talking to a guy about something else. It was awesome!  We told them that when we come back we can share a message with them and they were excited about that.  That night was pretty awesome, too, haha.  We went finding and it was sweet.  We ended up pushing some random guy's car like 200 meters and we were just cracking up.

  General conference was awesome! It was cool having other missionaries in the city that morning.  We had a giant breakfast together and it was really good.     I really liked Elder Hallstrom's talk on miracles. It's just a testimony that there are still miracles today but also a great reminder that indvidual faith does not overrule the plan of God. Often times, miracles are not manifested in "great healings" or "rising from the dead".  We need to remember and recognize that the spiritual, mental or even physical growth that comes through persevering or enduring through a life difficulty, is a miracle. And that is made possible through the Atonement of our loving Savior, Jesus Christ! I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He lives. I know that not only did He suffer for the sins of the world, but suffered for our pain, our afflictions and temptations of any kind!  We are so lucky to have a loving Heavenly Father that not only sent his son to die for us, but also revealed a perfect plan to living prophets and apostles in these latter days, of how to receive the power of his son Jesus Christ and overcome all things!

Vi voglio bene!!

Anziano Ruiz 

Zone Conference 

Anziano Farinotti (from Northern Italy)- companion in Ascoli.

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Anziano Parker- companion in Olbia. Trainee/Son.

Parker, Ruiz, Wagstaff

My 2 Sons! (trainees)

 

 

Simple everyday basics that help us receive the Spirit stronger in our day!

09/25/2017

     It was a good week.  We got fed pretty well...on Wednesday we went over to Mario's house and that was dang good but man I felt like I was about to die after that. We had like 5 courses haha!  Then Sunday we went to the Camassa's house - they are awesome! We had a bomb meal with them, probably one of the best I've had on my mission.  Monday night after last pday we went over to the Dr. Vivo's house for dinner which was good then we had a good spiritual thought with them about gratitude.  They are a less active part member family in the church so we hope to be working with them more this transfer.  They are just such a nice family, so humble, just great people!

     

      We got to meet with Anna again this week and talked about reading and praying every day. It was pretty awesome to just go over the simple basics that we can do everyday to receive the spirit stronger in our days and therefore receive more power from Jesus Christ through his atonement.  As we were bearing testimony on the strength of prayer I was pondering on a past prayer experience and I was just over come with the spirit.  It's amazing how much power can come from a simple prayer!  I really know that God is always listening when we are sincere.

     Saturday we had Moses' baptism and that was really good.  We had a good show up.  We had Austin speak who is Moses' good friend that was baptized a couple of weeks ago, they read the book of Mormon together at night, it's awesome!  Austin gave a really good talk on baptism. Then Sunday was so cool...I got to give Moses the Gift of the Holy Ghost and confirm him a member of the church.  It was such an awesome experience!  Before that, Richard (recent convert that gave us Moses as a referral) got called as the assistant ward mission leader so that's just sweet and Peter who is the return missionary from Africa, got called to be the Branch 2nd counselor.  It so awesome to see the ward grow and see more unity between the Africans and the Italians.  I can't wait to see the church continue to grow here in Napoli!!

Vi voglio bene!!

Anziano Ruiz

It's just awesome to be able to teach and see the children that God is preparing

September 18, 2017

  This week was was great! It seems like we did so much but I don't remember anything. I saw my MTC companion Anziano Melling and that was awesome! It was pretty cool to see each other now that we both speak Italian! Also this Sunday Richard asked me to Ordain him to the office of an Elder and give him the Melchizedek priesthood. That was an amazing experience!

   I don't have much time but I'll make the most of this email!

  We had a sweet lesson with an investigator named Anna she's Russian. We talked about the atonement of Jesus Christ and how through it we can overcome all things. Christ's Atonement is a gift from God because he loves us, and because he loves us he prepared a way for us to utilize it in our everyday lives. It was one of the most powerful clear lessons I've taught. Anna told us that she's ready to do the small and simple things that will help lead her to baptism which is on of here desires. It's just awesome to be able to teach and see the children that God is preparing

  As we were finding this week I started talking to these kids my age and older they were from another church and were inviting people to an event, I took time to explain who I was and what I am doing here and tried to have a uplifting conversation with them. I succeeded so I was happy.  But towards the end one of them told me that I was " bravo" but that all I needed to do was take away my badge (that has the church's name on it) and the Book of Mormon. Two things that I hold very very close to my heart and that build my testimony on Jesus Christ. As a missionary and as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we never want to take away your testimony, but only to add to the truths that you all already hold dear to your heart. I know that this church is true and I know that Jesus Christ is the savior of the word!

Vi voglio un sacco di bene!!

Anziano Ruiz 

MTC companion - Elder Melling.