Week 29

May 18th, 2013

So Im not going to lie. This week was kinda weird for me. After seeing you guys on Skype it reminded me how much i miss you. And i started to think about how much time I really have left. And to add to it again. One of my other really good friends from the MTC is going home this next week. He has been having a lot of problems with his knees. He cant really walk around to much anymore so he is going home. Just seeing so many people going home the last few weeks has started to make me a little sad because i started to think about how much i actually want to go home also. But you know what..... I guess that's part of the sacrifice. If the mission wasn't hard or make us sad or mad or any of the thousands of emotions that we feel here how would we become the men God wants us to be. How could I become the person you all are waiting for me to become. Or who i'm waiting for myself to become. We have to have struggles. Clay told me a few months ago something that has sticked with me so far. He said," There's no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone." 

So this week we didn't do a whole lot. Well more like i didn't do a whole lot. Because Elder Wylie cant more around a whole lot because of his knees i have been hanging out with him until he can go home. So right now im feeling a little drained from the spirit from the lack of doing contacts and teaching lessons. Its so crazy how that can make such a huge difference to me. Honestly i feel like im not fulfilling my part as a missionary but some times you have to just take a step back and look at the whole picture and for this situation right now it just how it has to be. I think God makes us feel that way so i have a drive to never be a slacker while im out here on my mission. Every day i have things that just sit and eat at me that i know i need to do better. And im so glad for that. That's how I become better. I guess we could Probably call that the Holy Ghost. Im pretty sure that's what his job is. But that's actually one gift I am so glad I have. As long as i keep trying every day to be a little better i'll slowly become that person God is waiting for. 

Well back to what i did this week...... The transfer is coming up on Monday so i started to get everything ready for that. All the people going home and all the newbies coming in. I have buss passes for every single missionary that is being transfered that i had to buy. And just a lot of little things that had to be done. So long story short... It was a crazy week but will be over probably around Wednesday.

But that's about it so i ll leave it at that. 

So i love you all!!!!

Love Elder Ruesch

Week 28

May 4th, 2013

[Chris met Sister Meyers, a good friend of Brittney and Jamie's from their singles ward in Orem.]

so lets see.... what has happened?? really not a whole lot this week.... just working in the office.. i really didnt even have much time to go out trackting this week. we had an emergency transfer that poped up so we had to take care of that buying passes. picking people up at the bus stop. and unfortunetally one of my really good friends is going home so i had to buy his airplane ticket for him today..... i feel so bad..... but what can you do...

um so its been kinda cool here in office talking on the phone so much becuase its actually helping me a bunch with the language. especially understanding. so thats a blessing.

so i have decided i really do stink at writing email. you guys have been saying it and i know... one thing i have decided im really bad at is telling you about my investigators and that kind of stuff.. so i will now put atleast one experience in every email!!!

so this week i am pleased to tell you i have another baptism!! and its actually tonight!!! yaaaaaaaaaaa his name isRafael. he is 9 years old. so really ive only taught him one lesson. he was an investigator that they already had before i got to the area but hes very cool. definetally a 9 year old. yeasterday i was sitting at my desk and he just came up to me and was showing me all these cool tricks he can do with his little teck deck that he has. thats a miniture skateboard fyi. but it was supper funny he would do these tricks acting like he knew exactally what he was doing but he basically would just through the skateboard in the air then slam it down on the desk and hope it would land on its wheels. then when he would sucessfully do it he would be like see see i super good at this. haha what a kid!

then also last night i was out doing contacts with elder wylie and we were walking around and we passed this store and we saw some really cool ties inside so we decided that we would take a look really quickly! so we go inside and this kid asks us if we spoke english. so of coarse we said yes!! so he goes on to explain how his dad lives in california and how he lives there some times so we chatted for a while then i invited him to our english class so hopefully he will show up! any time i get to speak english to not other missionaries is always fun so i enjoyed talking with him a little!!

but thats about it for the week!

i love you all!

Elder Ruesch!

Week 27

April 27, 2013

well talking about exciting things...... mothers day is coming up soon!! and yes im excited because mothers day is such an amazing day. we all have the oppertunity to give our thanks and love to our wonderful mothers!!!! but also i will have the oppertunity to talk to my whole family over skype!!! now i just want to remind everybody that this is coming up just to make sure you all prepare for this. make sure you have your cameras ready and working so when that amazing day comes we will get to talk for a little while!!!

so about the office....... lets just say its the same thing every day........ but .......... i...... FREAKING love it! i end up doing just about the same thing i did before the mission but know instead of earning money im earning blessings!!! wooot woot!! so ya i just sit at the computer and doing some busy work and answer the phones. that part is still a little freaky for me.. you know you kinda need to be able to speak the language to talk to people on the phone but im actually starting to get the hang of it. right now its not that bad because elder hoopes is still here training me. but next transfer ill be all alone and ill have to figure something out when i dont understand..... oh well im sure God will help me. he wouldnt have called me here to the office if he didnt plan on doing that!! Thanks Nephi!!

so ive been doing so many video on my camera i started to fill up my memory cards so i went and invested my money at the black markets here in floripa and bought a 500 gb hard drive.. its pretty nice. so mom when you see a big chunck of money missing from my bank account dont worry! haha!!

well thats about it for right now.... im a little worried that in the next 6 months my emails will get a little boring because i basically do the same things every day... but ill still try to find the things that are different!!!

well i love you all!!

Elder Ruesch

Week 26

April 20, 2013

so i got to the office for my first day on monday. it was so crazy because it was transfers. so we were all running around like crazy trying to get visas and passports ready and buying people tickets to for the bus to there areas. gosh it was crazy. but i kinda was just watching and seeing how every thing works. now that a few days have gone by im starting to catch on with some of the stuff. its all pretty basic but the hard stuff is like the paper work for the visas and the type of stuff... ohh and the other scary part is i have to talk on the phone with people.... and one thing ive started to figure out so far being here is my Portuguese has a lot of room for improvement... gosh im so tired of hearing that. but you know what theres one thought that always comes into my mind and that is.... God makes weak things become strong. so you know what ill just keep going. obviously god called me to the office for a purpose. and we know that he says that he doesnt give any commandment unless he knows theres a way for us to complete that commandment. so ill just keep trying and see another miracle happen!!

ummm.... sooo i feel like thats about all thats happened here. in the last little while.... i was pretty sad to leave my last area. the branch president almost started to cry when i was leaving. he was having like a little heart to heart when i was just about to leave. just telling me how i need to stay who i am and how im going to be a good misisonary. his eyes were welling up really bad and his eyes were supper red. you could tell he was holding back. and just before i left i bought new scriptures for the two that i baptised. they were very excited for that. they only had the the book of mormon. not the d and c and pearl of great price so i bought them a triple in portuguse for like 15 dollars and its very very nice. they were very greatful! when you guys come here at the end of my mission thats one place i really want to go back to. it was not very pretty and most people didnt have very much money. but it was a super special place to me!! im so excited for you guys to come. getting to see elder bateman and his family together was so cool. i could just see how proud his parents were of him and how all they wanted to do was cry. and i cant wait for that to happen to you guys! i really want to be the best missionary that i can so i can make you guys proud and also my father in heaven proud for that day i go home to him i can look in his eyes and see him just about to start crying and i will know that my father in heaven is proud of me...

Week 25 - Exciting News!

okay sooooo here it is!!!! i got called to the office as the executive secretary. so my p days have now changed to Saturday so im just sending you a really quick email just to let you know that im all good and i will send you a better email on Saturday.

just really quickly im going to be serving here for at least the next 6 months!!!!!! haha its crazy!!

but i love you all!!!

Elder Ruesch

ps now that im in the office dont have to wait for packages like i used to the address you all have is straight to where im at now so you all can send packeges now!! yayayaya

A Letter from a Fellow Mother

This is a letter from a Mom who picked up her missionary (someone Chris was serving with) in Brazil and got to meet Chris!  She sent this message and picture along to us!

"Hi Michelle

I wanted to send you this email of a pic of your son and my son elder Brodi
Bateman. Our son is being released on Tuesday. And we traveled down to
Brazil to pick him up!!! We are going to tour around the country for a
couple of weeks. Before returning home to Seattle. Your son is a wonderful
missionary. It was so fun to see my son as well as those missionaries he
serves along side. I know my son, elder Bateman had nothing but praise for
your son. I told him I would send this pic to his mother!! I remember
exactly what my feelings were when my son first left. I am truly amazed at
how fast it goes. Believe me before you know it the time has come for your
missionary to come home. Take care and find comfort in knowing your son is
doing a wonderful job.

Sincerely
Sis Joyce Bateman
Buckley 2nd
Seattle washington mission."

Video-Log

Chris has started sending us little video-logs! We love to see his beautiful face and hear his voice! I miss this kid like none other - but his testimony continues to grow and bring tears to my eyes! How neat to see such growth!