My loves,
This week has been pretty posh as you can tell from my title. Riverside is a lot different from anywhere else I have served! For example, there are definitely no Lamborghinis in Hemet or Mira Loma. I love it here. There is so much work. We are working with FAMILIES. Real live families with a mom and a dad and kids and desire. It's a breath of fresh air! I'm serving in the Barrio Mision (Mission Ward), it's pretty small but there are some really dedicated members, and they are missionary-minded which I love! There are strong Spirits here. This week was the first week meeting for them at the 9:00 schedule and so the congregation was more sparse than usual (or so I'm told). I'm excited to see how it is next week when everyone is a little more wide-eyed, or at least more used to being not so. Hermana Engberson is from Alaska and is just so stinkin sweet. I have loved serving with her this last week and I'm so excited to see how it continues to go. She has a strong work ethic and really loves the people. She was only here in Riverside one transfer before me, so we're learning the area a lot together. The city is a lot more confusing than other areas! There are four sets of missionaries in our ward and together we have our own district, so that's real fun! I haven't had a complete Spanish district in a long time! Between the 4 (sets) of us we cover the entire Riverside stake, but Hermana Engberson and I cover Centro, or downtown, Riverside. We're having a lot of fun with that! There are lots of complexes and apartments that we are working in, each one is like it's one little neighborhood or small town. Sometimes I feel like we're serving in Mexico and not California, and then I have to remind myself that at one point this part of California WAS Mexico. Right now we have 7 people on date, and we are working to get them all progressing. One of the families on date just had a new baby this week, which is great, but it just put their progress on hold until we can get in to see them! #PrayfortheCortezFamily.
The Riverside Stake and Jurupa Stake boarder each other so I'm very close to my first area. In fact, I'm even living in the same apartment as I did when I started my mission! We share it with some other Hermanas serving in the De Anza ward, and so I get to hear about all my favorite people there regularly! I am so blessed. This is the address:
6506 Doolittle Ave #502
Riverside, CA
92503
I have loved hearing from all of you, especially during the Holiday season! I hope and pray that you are all doing well and that the New Year is very prosperous. I know that if we trust in God and follow the example of His Perfect Son, Jesus Christ, we will find the hope and peace we all yearn to have. May God bless you for your obedience in all your endeavors!
Con Amor,
Hermana Rutherford
Elder Wilkes' grandma made all of us bibs! No more food-splattered missionaries in the Mision Ward!! Oh also, Hermana Emerson is serving here too! My little baby daughter.
Weekly food pic! Sushi at Tomo 7 is something I definitely took for granted my first time living in Riverside! 2 rolls and miso soup for $9.99!
