Monday, August 29, 2016

Parker Got Baptized!!!

Hey Everyone!

I hope y'all had a great week! I know that we did!

So this week was a busy week for us. We were able to go and have a meeting with one of the Seventy. Elder de Hoyos and it was so neat to be able to meet with him and to receive council on how we can become even better missionaries. We also like it said in the title, were able to have a baptism!

Parker is an awesome kid and has been being taught by the Zone Leaders but recently moved into our ward and decided to get baptized into our ward. Parker is awesome, I was able to teach him while on exchanges with Elder Major and also help their family out with moving. They are a really special family to me. I am so grateful that I was able to witness their baptism.

Today we were able to go to some caves and go exploring! It was so much fun, definitely one of my favorite zone activities! It is crazy to see all of the graffiti on the rocks! We had so much fun going too that!

I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve here and to help others come unto Christ! I am grateful for Parkers decision to be baptized and be an example for his family. It truly is amazing to see how much people can change all because of one decision to act. I am grateful for the Spirit and how much I can rely on it to help me to help others. I know that this church is true, there is no doubt in my mind. Someone asked me if I couldn't be a Mormon, what would I be and I said, quite honestly I have never given it much thought because I love being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! I feel as though I am blessed that I have the knowledge that I do and for the examples that I have had in my life!

Thank y'all for all of your love and support!

I love and miss y'all! 

Love,
Elder Rudd

Elder Rudd & Elder Castillo

(At a 4 zone meeting. Vista, Fallbrook, Murrieta, and Temecula)

Filling the font

At Parker's baptism

Zone P-Day Activity exploring caves!

The Fallbrook Zone includes missionaries serving in the following wards:

Fallbrook 1st / Fallbrook 2nd / Fallbrook 5th

Mormons Gettin' Freaky

Not sure if that was a recent addition or not???

Go Gators!!

California sunset over the mountains

Monday, August 22, 2016

Life is Great!

Hey Everyone!

This week was a pretty good week!

I learned a lot of things and felt the Spirit very strongly on multiple instances. I also learned that there must be some kind of pattern because every other day is a good day and then the other days are a bit more difficult. I guess those difficult days help us to appreciate the other days.

This week we were able to meet with many of our investigators and set expectations with them about why we are even there. We found that some of them understood and some did not. Koree and Don are the most solid investigators right now and are really progressing.

We also have a baptism this Saturday for a 10 year old named Parker Wallace who just moved into our ward and has been being taught by my Zone Leaders for a while. He is an awesome kid and I am so excited to bring our investigators to his baptism!

I know that God blesses us every single day if we will just look for His hand in our lives. Recently I started a new journal where I am writing down how I saw God's hand in my life. It is so cool to see how much He plays a part in our lives. Even from the most miniscule things. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that as we read from it, we will come closer to our Lord and Savior.

Thank y'all for all of your love and support!

I love and miss y'all!

Love,

Elder Rudd

Fallbrook Summer Nights was a pretty cool Festival. 

And we actually were able to find a new investigator when 

he came up to us and asked to learn more.

Monday, August 15, 2016

Have I Really Been Out For 7 Transfers?!

Hey Everyone!

This week has been crazy! From bike crashes (not me) to meetings after meetings to attending baptisms with investigators to biking long distances on hot days to finding out who is getting transferred and who is not, it has been one fun filled week!

So this week we had a lot going on with transfers and new missionaries coming in and out. It turns out that we will have 5 greenies (new missionaries) in our zone! Oh and I am also not getting transferred. I am staying here in Fallbrook for the next 6 weeks and I am really excited! I love it here in Fallbrook!

So we had Zone Training Meeting this week and it was really good and helped me to refocus on my purpose as a missionary and how we need to help our investigators know why we are there and figure out what they expect from us being there. 

I am grateful for the protection of missionaries as my companion was riding down a big hill and crashed into a fence going 20mph flipped up in the air and landed in the road. He thankfully was not that injured and only had a couple of scratches on him. There were also 2 nurses that stopped to make sure that he was okay. 

I know that the as we work hard and are obedient, we will be blessed, I have seen it time and time again while on my mission. I know that through the Savior, we can be healed of all of our short comings, mistakes, pains, and sorrows. I know that the Book of Mormon is true! If you have not read it, please read it and I can promise you that you will find that life becomes a lot easier as you do.We have been reading with one of our investigators named Don and he is really enjoying the Book of Mormon and applying it too himself in many ways. I know that there is a proghet on the Earth today, President Thomas S. Monson, and he leads us, just as in times of old.

I am grateful for all of y'all and for all of your love and support! 

I love and miss y'all! 

Love,
Elder Rudd

Part of the Fallbrook Zone

Row 3: Elder Romney, Elder Major, Sister Bradley

Row 2: Elder Emerick, Elder Hernandez, Elder Rudd
Row 1: Hermana Frei, Hermana Terron, Hermana Hawkins, Hermana Parris, Sister Froisland, Elder Adams

Ice cream truck selfie. Ice cream is cheap here!

Hanging out with Nita!

One of his many bike crashed this week.

Monday, August 8, 2016

When Your Investigator Gets Up to Bare Their Testimony...

Hey Everyone!

This week was awesome! Although it felt pretty slow during the week, looking back, it was a pretty good week! We were able to have our Trainer Follow-Up meeting and go and eat at Yellow Deli which if you ever come here, I would definitely recommend that you eat at!

Some of the highlights of the week were, one of our investigators got up and bore his testimony during Sacrament meeting about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. It was such an amazing experience to be with him during that! Jjhan is such an awesome guy! 

Another highlight of the week was when we had District Meeting! It was such a powerful District Meeting and the spirit was felt so powerfully there! I learned so much about how I could help my investigators progress and help them come closer to their Savior!  

I am so grateful for the gospel and the joy that is brings into my life each and every day! I am grateful for the power of Priesthood blessings and for the opportunities that I have had to participate in them. The Lord truly does work miracles through the Priesthood! I know that the Book of Mormon is true and if we read from it, then we will grow closer to Christ and feel of His love.

Thank you for all of your love and support!

I love and miss y'all!

Love,
Elder Rudd

District Photo

(Much smaller as of this last transfer)

E. Romney, E. Major, S. Bradley, S. Froisland, E. Adams, E. Rudd

District "Silly" Photo

S. Froisland, S. Bradley, E. Romney 

Adams, Rudd 

Major (laying across the chair) 

Selfies for a ZTM (Zone Transfer Meeting)

Monday, August 1, 2016

This Week was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey Everyone,

This week was truly amazing! The highlight of the week was when we anticipated 5 of our investigators coming to church and instead we had 6 come to church! It was so great and it built so much ward trust!

They all felt the Spirit and really enjoyed going to church. Almost all of them said that they would be back next Sunday!

Right now our most solid investigators are Beverly and Christian. They are so amazing and they love meeting with us. They have felt the Spirit so much. Christian and Bro. Navy also got along great and are going to be hanging out together on the weekends. I am so grateful for the members here and for their willingness to come out with us. 

We also were able to meet with some other investigators this week and share the gospel with them. We are now teaching this guy named Jjhan and his friend James that he brought with him to the church tour on Saturday.

We saw so many miracles this week, from not getting run over to 6 of our investigators at church and finally to the little tender mercies such as someone paying for our meal at dinner.

This week I have learned that as we put our trust in the Lord, work hard, and are diligent, then He will bless us. I know that this church is true. I have no doubt about that! I have had way to many instances in my life of where I have seen God's hand in my life! I love being a missionary and I love sharing this amazing message with everyone that I meet! I know that as we read from the Book of Mormon and do the simple and small things in life, we will come to know our Savior better and feel of His love for each and every one of us more fully our lives. 

Thank y'all for all of your love and support!

I love and miss y'all! 

Love,
Elder Rudd

Riding around on Scooters