NO LONGER SOLA

This week was a learning experience for sure. Not going to lie, it was hard. I am soooo grateful for companions after this week, I honestly felt so lost without one. I am really grateful for the chance that I had to work so closely with the members this week, and I pray that they now understand the NEED we truly have for their help in this work. Unfortunately because my body and mind were taking on so much stress from not having a companion, I got really sick this past week (if you look at the photo, the reason I'm so white is because the night before this was taken I had fainted and lost all my color!). Thankfully, I had amazing Sisters and Hermanas to help me out and take me in so I was never alone! I got a lot better and saw the Lord's hand in my life and in the area sooo much this past week. I know He was and is truly watching out for me at all times. He wants the best for me and for you. Trust Him! 

Today is the first day of my last transfer as a missionary (at least it's a 7 week transfer, right??). Where did all the time go? I will be working here in Riverside in ANOTHER TRIO. I'll be with Hermana Emerson (my second hija) and with Hermana Fabian! We are going to be taking over two areas, and so we'll have a lot of work on our hands, but we are all ready to dive in and do the work that the Lord has entrusted to us. Last night, as I was still without a companion, I joined another set of Hermanas. One of them had been having a hard time and feeling really lost in her purpose as a missionary, so she decided to ask one of the Elders to give her a blessing. We all went with her and ended up getting Priesthood blessings of comfort and counsel as well. What an amazing experience it was. I did not know how much I needed that blessing until I was receiving it. Elder Mock gave me the most beautiful blessing and assured me that Heavenly Father was pleased with all that I was doing and had already done on my mission. He blessed me to know that Heavenly Father accepted all my work and was proud of me for serving with all my heart, might, mind, and strength (see D&C 4). Wow! He also blessed me to be able to continue working hard and let me know that there were still many things for me to do in the missionary work here in Riverside, and afterward as well. How incredible is the Priesthood? How did Elder Mock know that is exactly what I needed to hear? How did he know what my heart had longed for, the reassurance that I'm working in the way of the Lord? I am so thankful for the restored Priesthood here on the earth today and all the wonderful, worthy Priesthood holders that bless us with this divine gift. I love you all and I want you all to know that I will continue working hard here in the field and forever to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and bring the world His truth. 

Con Amor, 
Hermana Rutherford

A nice little man gave us giant avocados from his tree. How sweet!

Hermana Emerson had her 20th birthday this weekend! It was a blast.

SIN COMPANERA

Everyone,

This has been the weirdest week of my life, and it's only getting weirder from here! I'm without a companion right now and won't be getting another one for a week or so... Hermana Engberson was having a lot of problems with her back and ended up needing to go home to get it all checked out, so she left on Saturday. The whole week leading up to Saturday was full of meetings (including Missionary Leadership Council for me) and staying home, she really wasn't able to work a lot at all, so not a whole lot of proselyting got done. It was really hard to see her go, but hopefully she'll be back and a lot less in pain! So for the next week I'll be flying solo. Well, not really because I technically can't be alone! I'm going to try to find as many Hermanas from the ward as possible to help me out and go out with me so I can still be getting work done in my area. When no one can go out with me then I'll just join another set of Sisters and work wherever they are at the time. It's going to be really interesting. I'm already exhausted and confused and completely humbled, but I know it will all work out. The Lord knows what needs to be done and how to do it, so I just need to rely on Him.

Although I really only had part of Saturday to work in our area, we still have a couple investigators who are progressing, especially Griselda!! She came to Church on Sunday alone, so we are hoping her sons will be with her next Sunday, and right now she's on date for the 28th of February, be praying for her!! Right now we are working with her to read more steadily in the Book of Mormon. That book has POWER! Read it.

Sorry to everyone who emailed me last week! Something has been wrong with my account and so I keep getting emails hours or even days late. So all the ones you sent last week, I just saw today. Also, it seems like some letters and things people have sent me have been getting sent back. Your safest bet is to just send everything to the mission office. I'm there all the time, so it will still get to me quickly!! I love you all :) 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Rutherford

Hermana Engberson and I right before she left! Excuse my weird hand.

 

ELOTE MAN

To everyone in the whole world,

This week was all over the place. We had 2 exchanges, multi-zones (my last one, so I had to bare my outgoing testimony), a world-wide missionary broadcast, and I had a very hurt companion.

Riverside is poppin. There is a lot of work here, and we are finding like crazy. Right now our biggest struggle is getting people to church, but we are working on it. We had 8 come last week and then this week... 0. So the work is just really inconsistent in that sense. A lot of people grew up "Catholic" so they are only used to going to church on Easter and Christmas, or for parties like a wedding. We are working really hard on setting solid expectations about reading, praying, and coming to church. We are also inviting everyone we meet! Another big factor in that is that Hermana Engberson has had to stay home a lot lately. She has a really bad back from being in car accidents, and so sometimes her back just seizes up so much that she can't really move. Anyone have any suggestions? Let us know! 

I went on exchanges with Hermana Brown to DE ANZA on Thursday and Sister Pielstick came to Riverside to work in the big city with me on Saturday. Both exchanges were really awesome. I love getting the chance to with the Sisters as a Sister Training Leader. I know they teach me a lot more than I could ever teach them though. On our exchanges on Thursday I got to see a few of the people I used to teach, and one of my converts from the De Anza ward, Hermana Galvez. She is so stinkin cute and is working on preparing to go to the temple right now! I was filled with so much joy as I was able to talk with her and hear of her preparation and love for this gospel. I know this gospel changes lives. It's changed mine for sure and I was reminded of that as I was able to bare my outgoing testimony on Friday at multi-zones. 

On Wednesday we had a world-wide missionary broadcast from the missionary department of the church. It was beautiful! This is the take away: teach repentance, and baptize converts. That is our main purpose as missionaries here at this time. Don't forget the basics like: reading, praying, revelation through the Holy Ghost, church attendance, and teaching people, not lessons. This is the Lord's Work and we must do it in His way.

I love you all. Be good.

So this is elote. It's just corn on the cob, but Mexican style so it's got mayonnaise, butter, cheese, and chili on it. Don't ask, just eat it!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Rutherford

MISSION TOUR

A todos, 

This week our mission had Elder Hamula, of the Seventy, come for a mission tour. It was really uplifting and inspiring meeting. He taught a lot about repentance. Teaching it to our investigators, and also how we need to be living it in our lives every single day. Repentance is progression to become more like Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. When we repent we are able to turn away from sin and mediocrity and turn toward God and greatness. I remember when I was younger I thought repentance was something awful, something only really terrible people needed to do. Now I understand that repentance is a blessing from a loving Heavenly Father who sees our divine potential! He has given us a way to develop ourselves in this life and return to Him in the life to come. I invite all of you to repent every single day and take advantage of this beautiful gift. Elder Hamula met with us on Friday and on Thursday night I got a call from my Mission President telling me that Elder Hamula had chosen me to have a special interview with him after the big meeting. It was an awesome experience in which I was able to sit down face to face with him and get to know him! He asked me lots of really great reflective questions and answered some of the ones I had as well, I came away from the interview feeling very motivated and edified!

Last night Hermana Engberson and I were sitting in the car ready to go into an appointment with some investigators we hadn't been able to see for awhile. They live in a complex with a gate that is always locked and the gate box is broken, so every time we've gone over there we just have to wait for someone to come and open the gate for us. Our investigators weren't answering the phone and we didn't have a set lesson so they weren't expecting us. The last few times we had been over it had been hard to find someone to open the gate for us and last night was looking especially discouraging. We knew we really needed to see them, so we prayed. Hard. And when we got out of the car, no one was there. No one was opening the gate and the box was still broken. After pounding in their code a couple times with no success we were about to turn around and go back hopelessly to the car, but then I just reached up my arm and poked a couple random numbers, I don't even know what numbers they were, and the gate opened. We both stared at each other and then ran up the stairs to their apartment. THEY WERE HOME! We had one of the best Book of Mormon lessons I've ever had. The Spirit was so strong. The Cortez family is on date to be baptized on the 13 of February. I know that Heavenly Father loves us and them and had led us to them last night. He is in the details of our lives. I know if we put our trust in Him then we will continue to see His hand outstretched! 

I love you all, gotta run. 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Rutherford

LAMBORGHINIS && SUSHI

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!

  

ALGO DIFERENTE

Ayyye. Well, I'm finally getting transferred away from Hemet! Riverside is calling my name!! I will be serving there with Hermana Engberson and I will still be on the MLC as an STL. Wow. I can't believe I finally get to serve in the city! At the beginning of my mission I never thought I would serve in Riverside, in fact, I didn't even really want to, I was content with the little towns, but now I'm real excited. It feels right. I know that's where I'm needed, and exactly what I need as well. Hermana Babb will be staying here in Hemet with Hermana Gomez and Hermana Horne is going HOME to Florida. I'll just say it's been a weird last couple of days.

Elder Hamula of the Seventy will be coming to Riverside in two weeks for a mission tour! Wooo, how exciting! The west half of the mission (which now includes me) will be meeting with him on the 8th and then the MLC will be meeting with him again on the 12th. I am really looking forward to this time that we will have with him and for the beautiful insight and inspiration that he will shed on our mission! I am so grateful for inspired leaders in the Church! 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

The same was in the beginning with God.

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:1-5,14). 

This is beautiful to me. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Word and the Light. I love the title of "The Word". What is the word? Jesus Christ taught us that our word should be our deed, that it is a covenant. Jesus Christ is the Word of God. Anything that God asked Him to do, He did it. Jesus Christ came to fulfill all the prophecies given of a Savior. He came to fulfill their word. I love this concept as we think about how Jesus Christ was able to heal both physically and spiritually during His mortal ministry. He was able to forgive sins, to make people clean by their faith and works. He was able to do so even BEFORE He atoned for those sins. How? Because His word was His deed. He came to fulfill all righteousness and to accomplish the will of The Father. To Him, there was never any doubt, nor to His Father. Christ said He would, so He did. How grateful am I for His word and for His fulfillment of all He promised us. I know that because of Him, we have the opportunity to live with God again. Let us make our word our deed. Remember your covenants, both at baptism and in the temple. Never forget them, live faithfully, just as He did, and we will be able to inherit all the Father has.

I hope you all had a great Christmas! I know I did. What a beautiful time of year, in which many are joined together in remembering and worshiping our Savior, Jesus Christ. I was able to talk with my family on Christmas, so that was awesome. It was the last time I'll talk to them until I come home in March (let's not talk about that). Anyway, it was a really great time. I hope you all kept your Christmas Christ-centered!! I love you alllllllll!

The Castro family with all the missionaries from our ward! They got married and baptized last week. I love them!!

Hermana Fonseca. I'm gonna miss her!

Con Amor, 

Hermana Rutherford

T E M P L O

Welp. I have no time. I couldn't email yesterday because one of my companions was deathly ill. She's still real sick so we're cutting our time short. But we went to the temple and saw some beautiful Hemet scenery! I LOVE YOU and MERRY CHRISTMAS. Keep it Christ-centered. 

Con Amor, 

Hermana Rutherford