C H A R I T Y

My Mission President told me once that charity = love+sacrifice. I've thought a lot about that since, as charity is something I've really tried to develop on my mission. If I love the Lord, what am I willing to sacrifice for Him? If I love my investigators, or companion, or family, friends, neighbors, etc... how do I sacrifice for them? We know that Heavenly Father loves us, and so He sacrificed His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ loves us and so He willingly gave His life for ours. This is the most incredible charitable act ever preformed. Ether 12: 33-34 "And again, I remember that thou hast said that thou hast loved the world, even unto the laying down of thy life for the world, that thou mightest take it again to prepare a place for the children of men. And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father".

Moroni teaches, "... if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen".

In the new Easter video, #hallelujah, individuals share with us how they have "found new life" in Jesus Christ and through His Atonement. This Easter Sunday I was so blessed to be able to help Alfredo find new life in Jesus Christ as he entered into the waters of baptism. He was able to take part in the charity (love and sacrifice) offered to us by our Savior and Redeemer. We will all find new life in the resurrection, but we have to actively choose every day to find the new life offered to us here as we follow our Savior and His commandments. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments. If we love Him, we will sacrifice our "natural man" for blessings far greater than those temporal and temporary gratifications we get by giving in to the adversary. Wickedness never was happiness! If we love Him, then we will follow Him and our will will soon be enveloped by His will.  We have to trust Him and His timing, that's something I've learned a lot about on my mission. This is how we will develop charity.

I will continue to choose to follow Him every single day of my life. And I hope and pray that you will do the same!    

Hno. Ramirez (baptizer), Hno. Alfredo Martinez (baptizee), me, Hermana Emerson, and Hermana Fabian.

See you all soon :)

Con Amor,
Hermana Rutherford 

PS. my new email is: laura.c.rutherford@gmail.com

I HAVE THREE MINUTES

That's it. I have three minutes so here are three pictures:

1. I found Hermana Santoyo's tag. She's been gone for awhile now haha, I love her though, so here it is!

We had a great ward conference where Alicia was confirmed and Alfredo's baptism was announced. The second hour was all about faith (our Stake Theme is "Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority), and at the end they gave us all mustard seeds!! "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you".

This is basically our relationship. We love each other :) PS. Most Californians do not have grass that green. We are in the middle of a drought, people!

Alicia got confirmed. We found 9 new investigators. A few of them came to church. Alfredo is getting baptized next Sunday. Next Sunday is also Easter. I've never been happier! What amazing blessings we are receiving :) 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Rutherford

M I R A C L E W E E K

To all,

Really this week was one of the best of my entire life. One of the busiest, but definitely one of the best. I have been so blessed this week. The Temple on Tuesday was exactly what I needed! One thing that I really AM looking forward to about going home is that I will be able to go to the temple a lot more often. The Temple truly is the House of The Lord. There is such a peace that comes with going to the temple. My Mission President told me that sometimes he goes to two sessions in a row when he goes to the temple. The first is to get all the "world" out of your mind, and the second is pure revelation. Well, this week I obviously wasn't able to go to two sessions in a row, but I did my best to clear my mind of all the world before going on Tuesday. My companions and I also decided to go in fasting, because we were all looking for specific answers and guidance. Let me tell you...It made an incredible difference. All, I know that Heavenly Father loves us and He talks to His children today. We can all receive personal revelation, I experienced this on Tuesday so strongly at the temple.

The rest of the week was amazing also. Sister Cozzens and I went on two exchanges, one with our own companions (we switched companions for the day) on Saturday and the other on Thursday with Sister Roberts and Sister Petersen in Menifee. Exchanges always complicate the week, but there is so much strength that comes by getting to learn from one another, especially when you get to go to a new area! On Saturday we had the privilege to go to the Adult session of Stake Conference, and then the Sunday Morning session as well. Then, on Sunday afternoon, Hermana Alicia Giron was baptized!! In attendance at the baptism, and at Stake Conference, was our investigator, Hermano Martinez. This was his 3rd time at church and he absolutely loved it!! After the baptism we were all enjoying some refreshments and we could see that he was deep in conversation with our Bishop in the Mission ward. After about 15 minutes, Obispo Rodriguez walked up to me and said "Hermana" he didn't say my last name because no one can pronounce it in Spanish, "Hermano Martinez has received his answer that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. He received his answer today at Stake Conference and during your talk at the baptism, and he is ready to be baptized himself". WOW! He was on date for the 3rd of April, but after the baptism asked us if he could move it up to the 27th of March. After we gladly said "yes" he jumped around so giddily and told everyone there that he was going to be baptized at the end of the month. We will continue working hard to make that goal a reality! Hopefully we will be able to help him take this step on my very last Sunday as a missionary in Riverside. I have faith that it will happen. I can think of no better way to end my mission!! The Lord is blessing us MAJORLY. For awhile I felt that I had "a dry patch" on my mission where I wasn't baptizing a lot. I wondered what I was doing wrong and why things weren't working out when I was serving the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength, but now I am seeing the fruits of my continued efforts.

Remember Marvin? He is getting baptized in the city he moved to as well in the next few weeks! Zulma? Her and her sons are moving out of their very undesirable circumstances and the first thing she wants to do is find the closest missionaries and be baptized (right now it's her abusive boyfriend that won't let her). So many good things are lining up and I know it's because the Lord always sees our efforts, no matter what. Never give up, you never know what is right around the corner. I know this church is true. I know Jesus is the Christ and He is our Savior and Redeemer. I love this gospel and all the time that I have had to serve here in Riverside as a missionary, and am thankful for all the time I am going to have for the rest of my life to continue sharing the gospel! 

Sister Emerson and I at the temple!

My favorite place :)

Hermanita Fabian and I!

Alicia's baptism!! We are missing Elder Paxton in this picture, but he showed up in order to see her get baptized :) 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Rutherford

CALIFORNIA RAIN

Man,

It's been raining a lot here. I love it. I think Heavenly Father is trying to get me ready to go back to Washington! It's kind of working. I love the rain. I love this significance, "I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain, and ponder on the beauty of the earth made clean again. I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain. I want to be the best I can and live with God again.". That is my wish as well. I know that as we repent (or turn toward) our Savior Jesus Christ, we can turn that wish into a reality and live with our Father in Heaven again. He has provided us the way and the example in His Son, Jesus Christ. Look to Him. I know He will show us all that we must do.

This week is going to be the best. Tomorrow we are going to the temple, then we have ZDM (zone development meeting), service at Feeding America through the JustServe website (look it up and get involved!), and a baptism to top it all off on Sunday! I hope your weeks go as amazing as mine is about to!

This was my last MLC!! Here are all the STLs. Love them all. What amazing Sisters and Elders I've had the chance to work so closely with. Anyone spy Hermana Rasmussen? That's right, I've gotten to spend my last 6 transfers as an STL with one of my daughters :) Sorry no one is looking at the camera (besides me), that's what happens when 10 Elders try to take pictures all at the same time.

Here is ALICIA!! She got married on Monday and will be getting baptized this Sunday :) We love her. She is so great and I have seen the gospel bless her life so much in the last few weeks alone. Heavenly Father has so many great things in store for her and her family. Just as He has in store for all of us as we choose to follow HIM.

The wedding was only made better by the fact that we went out to THAI food afterward. Pineapple paradise anyone? (I promise I have my tag on, my hair is just in the way. It's always in the way...)

Con Amor,

Hermana Rutherford

LEAP YEAR WEDDING(S)

Lovelies, 

So Alicia and Edgar are getting married tonight on LEAP YEAR, so they only have to celebrate once every four years haha, and she is getting baptized on March 13. They are so fun and I have seen the gospel bless their family so much already!! We had dinner with them on Saturday night, so that's when we took this goofy picture. Also, MARVIN AND KARLA GOT MARRIED. Remember Marvin from Hemet? Unfortunately I couldn't go back for his wedding as it was outside our mission, but they finally were able to get married and he is getting baptized this month as well! 

On our way to church yesterday, this happened. A water bottle got a little too friendly with my skirt and spilled EVERYWHERE. We had to turn around, take a picture, throw my skirt in the dryer and then show up to church late. Ooops. But at least our investigators got there on time! :)

Never before in my life have I ever been so put down than in my time as a missionary. I have been ridiculed, made fun of, laughed at, and abused. But I have never been happier. This gospel brings true, lasting happiness. I wouldn't be anywhere else! I know that this is truly Jesus Christ's church. I know HE is at the head of it. I know this is HIS work, and that He went through so much more than I could ever imagine to help me in my times of need. No matter how good you are, someone will always find something "wrong" with you. The same was true for Him, the greatest of all. I've just learned to smile and love everyone. To never back down from my beliefs and to continue faithful. I know that He is my guide and will lead me where I need to go. 

I've been studying "The Living Christ" this week and trying to re-memorize it. What a powerful testimony from our leaders of the Church. I would encourage you all to read it as well. Study the scriptures that accompany it. And find for yourself your testimony of Jesus Christ. I know He lives and loves us too. 

Con Amor,
Hermana Rutherford

P I C T U R E S

Hello all,

A picture is worth a thousand words!

We had a multistake Women's Conference with Sister Reeves of the General Relief Society Presidency. It was amazing!!

Frozen Yogurt after the conference!

So we were street contacting the other day and ran into HERMANO CASTILLO. The most amazing man. He is an incredible teacher and served as the gospel principles teacher in the De Anza ward when I was there!! He moved to LA shortly after I left. We contacted a guy working on his fence and he let us in, on the inside of the fence across the yard was Hermano Castillo! Hermana Fabian and I have both served in De Anza so it was quite a treat to see him. Tender mercies <3

Con Amor, 

Hermana Rutherford

F I N D I N G

All, 

This week has been really amazing. I love working with Hermana Fabian and Emerson. We all get along so well and click in the perfect way! Heavenly Father knows, He sends us who we need. They help me in ways that they don't even understand!

We were struggling all week with finding people to come out with us, the members just kept cancelling on us. But, we were able to make it work and were very persistent with the members and investigators we were going to see. We also had a goal of 8 new investigators for the week, and we were stuck with three at the end of Saturday night. We faithfully set our goal as 5 new investigators for Sunday, and we prayed and worked hard! We went out to contact a referral that we had seen from some of the English missionaries, and after finding the apartment, we were confused because it seemed that no one had talked to the Elders. Finally, we discovered that a young girl had talked with them with some of her older friends and asked them to send us (the Spanish missionaries) by so we could teach her mom, because she was going through a rough time. When the mom found this out she was so surprised and excited. Her husband of 17 years walked out on her and three kids a few months earlier. They were all going through a hard time, and especially the young daughter that asked us to come back. Her mom was so glad that the Elders had talked to her and that she was able to feel the Spirit. We had a wonderful lesson and picked up three new investigators with them. Now we were at six for the week, but we still needed two more. Around 8:10pm (we have a rule in our mission where if you're not in a door by 8:15pm you need to head home) we went to see a family that we had previously taught a few times but that we had recently had trouble getting in with. They weren't home. But when we turned around and walked down the stairs, we saw a young man playing basketball all by himself, we went over and contacted him. He was friendly and interested in learning how to come closer to the Savior. He invited his aunt out from the house and we sat at a cute picnic table they had in the front and had another lesson right then at 8:15pm, we got a return appointment and found our last 2 investigators. I know the Lord blessed us for our diligence in finding and working until the end of the night and end of the week. I know that if we hadn't been working hard in the days leading up to Sunday, we wouldn't have found those whom He had prepared. The Lord knows us and loves us. He wants to bless us, but sometimes He makes us work for it. I love this work and am so grateful to be here in the California Riverside Mission, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. 

Con Amor, 
Hermana Rutherford