Tuesday, November 25, 2014

November 24, 2014

Hello Mom,
Stories from last week-
I have some bad news and I have some good news. And the weird thing is, they are the same thing. So here it is. Christmas came early this year. My package got to me really fast. I would have got it the end of November, however, the Assistants came to Monteria to work with my companion and me and they brought the package. So I am happy that I got it. I just did not have the patience to wait until Christmas to open it. But the good this is--I got it!

We are teaching a guy named Daniel. He is really smart. He speaks really good English. It is safe to say that he is atheist. This is the first time I have taught a person who doesn't believe in God. The good thing is that he has a Catholic background. So at least we are not starting from ground zero. He is awesome. 

Stories from this week-
It has been a good week. The Stake in Monteria asked us to put together a missionary choir. So that is what we did. We have been practicing for basically a month and on Saturday we had our first show. It was good. We also had 4 baptisms in our ward. They were not investigators of my companion and me but of the sisters that serve in the same ward with us. It was still cool to be present in the baptisms.

Well, those are the stories for this week. Enjoy.
Love, Elder Rucker


Thursday, November 20, 2014

November 18, 2014

Sorry had no time to write yesterday. I had to use pday for some errands for the Zone. Don’t have too much time right now. I am all good. Loving the mission. If I have time later, I will write more about the week. But if not, know that I am fine and Loving it here in the heat. We hit 95 the other day.

Love, Elder Rucker


November 9, 2014 Test of the week

What fruit is this?

November 9, 2014

Hey Mom,
This was a great week and a sad week. 

So why was it a sad week? Well, last week I told you we were working in a three way companionship with a new elder named Elder Gonzalez. This week he was sent to Armenia to be in a regular companionship. So we had to send him off. My companion talked with the Assistance to see if they would leave him with us but they said, "no". The Lord knows better than we do. Elder Gonzalez will do some great work in Armenia.

Now for the good news. One, last week I got the recipes for all the goodies. This week Elder Collins and I made the chocolate no bake cookies. They came out excellent. 

Two, I found Miracle Whip. It was a MIRACLE. It’s the first time I have seen it in Colombia. I just could not pass up the opportunity to buy it. It wasn't even that expensive. Anyway, when I bought it, I was able to carve the hunger for a cheese, jam and Miracle Whip sandwich. I have had the desire to eat one of those sandwiches since the MTC.

Three, to celebrate Grandpa’s birthday, my companion and I ate ice cream and a brownie. Yum!!!! I know the quality of the picture is not that great, sorry it’s a photo from my phone.

Now for the last and most important thing that happened this week.We have an investigator named Cesar. He has been investigating the church for more than a year. Every time we teach him I feel the spirit. He gives really good prayers. I have never have had an investigator pray with such sincerity to know if the church is true. He is great. Anyway this Sunday he attended church for the very first time. It was awesome. He had a smile on his face the whole time. When the classes finished a member gave him a Liahona (the magazine) and as we were walking out he saw a stack of Liahonas and asked if he would take more. It is only a matter of time before he gets baptized.

I love this work and I love being a missionary.
Love Elder Rucker


Tuesday, November 4, 2014

November 3, 2014

Hey Mom,
This week we traveled a lot. We had a zone leader conference in Medellin on Wednesday. So on Tuesday we were traveling and then on Wednesday we had the conference and then on Thursday, once again, we were traveling all day. We traveled by bus.

My companion is super great. His name is Elder Collins. He is from Washington. He is Awesome. Sadly, he will be finishing his mission at the end of this transfer. And more news: we work in a trio. We are companions with Elder Gonzalez. He is a new missionary and Elder Collins and I are his trainers. He is from Colombia. So yeah, we are doing good and enjoying things here in Monteria.

This week I had a very, very amazing experience.  My whole mission I have been in the city, and I still am, but my area is on the outskirts of town. Part of my area is still under development so there are lots of empty lots and fields. That means there is not a lot of light. In every other area there has been so much light that I could hardly see the stars. This week I saw the stars bright and clear for the first time in my whole mission. When I noticed the stars and that I could actually see them I told my companions to wait. When they looked back and saw I was looking up, they also looked up. Elder Collins immediately knew what I was looking at. We just stood there in the middle of basically a field for five minutes looking at the stars. What a testimony not only of the great power of God but of his tender mercies as well. Sometimes you just have to take a break look up and soak it all in. 

Thank you for the recipes. 
I love you and we will see you next week.
Love,   Elder Rucker

p.s. My return date is a secret muahahahahahahahahahahahahh. 



October 27, 2014



Hey Mom,
This week was an adventure.  On Tuesday I said goodbye to all my friends in Buenos Aires. I was sad to go. I learned a lot from the people and the members.

Wednesday, I traveled all day. We started our journey from Medellin to Monteria at 9:00 in the morning and got to Monteria at about 8:00 at night. It is an 11 hour bus ride. It was weird at first—we were in the mountains then after a while, rolling hills and finally flat lands. For the first time in my mission I can’t see the mountains. 

Thursday, my first full day in Monteria was not too bad. It was hot and humid but all right.

You know how when it rains a lot and the street outside our house floods a little? Well, on Friday it rained just a little bit and flooded the whole street. There was a creek in the street!

We had stake conference this weekend and it was super cool. They did a broadcast from Salt Lake. Elder Holland spoke and a couple other general authorities.

There are the highlights of the week.
Love, Elder Rucker

"For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" 1 Nephi 20:10. This scripture is really great to explain where I am at.  Just follow the link and then scroll down a bit and do a little converting of temperatures and you will see why. 
Apart from being a great scripture to explain where I am at it is also a great scripture with a great teaching. If you notice the word "in the".  God does not always wait until after the trial. He acts when we are ready, most of the time "in the" middle of our trial.  

Cool video to watch when you have lots to do.