Goals and Personal Revelation

We finally got new nametags ALL in khmae!

Hello family!

I had a good week, tough, but good. Something really fun this week was last thursday, Elder Jorgensen and I had just finished meeting with a contact of ours for the first time, didn't work out by the way, and we were biking wondering what in the world we were going to do. Then we saw Om Rodtha, a recent convert about 56 yrs old, trying to shovel a 1 ton pile of dirt around to level it and get it ready for concrete. So Elder Jorgensen and I pulled over and did the whole thing for her, about 1 hour later we finally got it finished and i have about 5 blisters on my hand. I just dont understand why they just can't get a shovel :-p.

Investigators are doing better, Miing Pov didn't come because she was in kampong thom, but Chandy did which was awesome. We went Wed to teach him and he was just super sad, he had a huge problem with his family, and he just felt bad. He knew that he should have gone to Church on Sunday. He said how he was so impressed that we weren't mad, but just kept coming back to meet him. So we had some huge progress with Chandy, he came to church yesterday, and he said how he wants to wait to get baptized for a little bit while he prepares himself. So happy for him, it was all him too, it's so amazing to see how well he responds to the influence of the spirit and how much he strives and wants to do good. 

Last Friday was specialized training though which was super fun, we got our new goal card, which is a card that says all the things the mission president expects us to do, like plan meals, contact more, eat healthy, wash hands, teach shorter lessons, etc, it says a bunch of things. But mostly it says the goal for baptisms. Last year was 900, this year is 600, which is more realistic and totally doable. Which means i should get 7 or 8 baptisms to do my part. Also, he added, 250 people saved. So president wants us to re-active 250 members. I'm totally glad he changed the goal up like that because he always wanted us to focus on both but the goal really pushed for baptisms even though a lot of our time goes towards re-activating. But anyways the theme for the meeting was "Diligence". The president noticed there was no really big push towards the goal in december like there was in 2010. So he wants us to be more diligent and push that extra 10%. Hoe to the end of the row is what he says. Anyways, his main focus is finding, contacting especially. He told us that its ok if you get scared to contact "you'll get over it". haha he's funny. So it was a really good motivational meeting.

This last week was tough again for investigators. Lessons went absolutely amazing. I basically taught all the lessons because elder Jorgensen was translating for the new senior couple that went with us. Honestly i have never felt the spirit so strong when teaching before. I felt the words given to me. I didn't say anything new or beyond my vocabulary or ability, i just felt like i said what i needed to say, my thoughts were very clear and i barely even had to think about what i was going to say, it was amazing. But nobody came to church. I was so suprised, i just don't get it. This is one sunday that i have honestly felt like they were for sure going to come. I do know though at least, that i couldn't have done anything more, can't beat agency sometimes.

This past week i have really been thinking a lot about personal revelation. I can honestly say this last week i really feel like i've been getting some serious personal revelation. The funny part is, nothing new is happening, the only difference is i realize its personal revelation. I realized my best source for personal revelation is just writing. So now i started reading preach my gospel again, and i read a passage or a good thought, and i just write in the notes part on the side of the page, to where i'm filling up the notes on every page. Some of it is just summarized and dumb, but it leads me to thinking more, because it gets the dumb stuff out of my mind and i have new ideas start coming in, so 2 days for a total of 30 minutes, and im 3 pages in, and 1 of those pages was only a 1/2. After having started that is when i started teaching with the spirit. Personal revelation is so important, and it just brings the spirit into your life stronger. Its not so much different ideas or miraculous events, as much as its you can feel God with you, studying with you, walking with you, and teaching with you.

It's my testimony i leave with you as a representative of Jesus Christ that i know this church is true. God desires to open the windows of heaven and pour out his spirit upon us, we need to gain the desire to recieve it. I know personal revelation is a gift a God, it is the way he guides us, and touches our lives, i promise you that as you strive to recognize God in your live, the promptings of the holy spirit in you every day doings, you will be filled up with the Love of God. In the name of the Savior Jesus Christ Amen.

I love you all, Elder Rucker

This picture is a members kid crying, its so funny because he was barely crying that loud because he had been crying for 30 minutes after getting ash in his eye so he was all out of breath, but his face didn't change at all, made me want to send it with a caption "for only a quarter a day, you too can support a cambodian child...... buy cookies and treats and the local vendor..... because as soon as they get money thats what they blow it on..... little treats and candies from thailand.. but man when you give them one it makes them really happy.... thank you"

A Bold New Year in Cambodia

Happy New Years!! Another new year, craaaazy. Finally started my full year in the mission field. This transfer is going by super quick, transfer calls are in a week. I'm absolutely loving my time with Elder Jorgensen. I haven't talked about him too much but that's not because I don't like him. He's actually the best. Super funny and super fun Elder, great worker too. It's fun being with someone young because he will only leave like 2 months before me so I'll be able to see him like my whole mission. Super excited for this new year, I have some big goals. I want to make a lot happen. As for this past week it was another old week in Cambodia. Once again, its super hot.

We had a huge gap of time because 2 appointments got ditched and Tuesday's are a little empty anyways. So we decided to go walking through this littler village of kids. We had a really good contact with this lady. She asked questions like "what does your church give" or "if I join Jesus am I still allowed to go worship at the Watt". So by good contact I meant normal :-P. The funny part was like 20 kids ages 2-10 started surrounding us while we were contacting. We asked for the lady's name before we left so we could find her again. She said "I don't have a name, everyone calls me aunot or mom" so basically like 'I don't want you to find me.' As we were walking away though the kids pulled us aside and told us her name, haha it was super funny. So we started playing with the kids. Kicking a Saye around, which is almost ike a hackeysack style toy, it's hard to explain but you kick it and hit it with your hands to keep it in the air we took pictures, which they love to do, take pictures then look at it, and Elder Jorgensen did some yo-yo tricks for them, I'm learning btw so I can do that for them. The kids are just so bored here that anything entertains them, they loved it and it was super fun. It gets al the parents arund to see how friendly we are, and it's a good foundation for the kids to show that Jesus is nice and friendly, when we were leaving they were all saying how they want to join Jesus now. Just getting the people to love you, it's too much fun.

Elder Aan and I during exchanges. It's nice, now that I can
somewhat understand what they're saying and I can say
more of what I'm thinking, I can talk with Elder Aan more
normally. He is such an aweosme guy. You will never meet
a single other person like him. We went around, biking a lot,
and it never gets him down. I always learn a lot with him.

Investigators for this week. Miing Puo came to church, Score. She came to church and loved it; she was talking to everyone and is starting to feel more comfortable at the church. That's the only thing keeping he from progressing. She does everything except for that. We went and taught her and her kids and it was fun as usual. Hopefully she keeps on going.

This last week was harder, only beacuse since Elder Jorgensen got here we have had quiet a bit of success. But this last week was kind of a refin'ers fire week. Lost some of the investigators we found togethr and the good ones are rising to the top and the bad ones are sinking. Just working hard, trying not to lose any investigators.

Chandii asleep when we showed up to teach him haha, he was
so embarassed when he woke up

For some reason this week, lesson after lesson fell through. None of our investigators came to church. And I realized I'm sick of taking "I'm too busy" for an answer, or being too embarrassed to tell them about what we believe in. I was sick of not getting phone numbers and having them not tell me their name. So I got bold. Not rude, but bold. Ended up getting like 8 phone numbers yesterday. Each of them knowing we teach about Jesus and me asking if we could come again and teach and they said yes. Even if all but 1 fall through that would be super awesome. There was one lady who was super cold when I showed up, and I just bore testimony after testimony. Eveuntally she asked if she was having to throw away her Buddha religion. I told her she doesn't have to, all we want to do si teach, but I promise that if you learn about our church, about Jesus Christ, you will know that this is true and you will want to believe in Jesus rather than Buddha. I ended getting her phone number and her agreeing for us coming back and teaching. Whether it works out or not it doesn't matter, just tired of being too embarrassed to be bold.

me holding a wild bird that I caught off the tree

I feel like Elder Holland. This work is TOO important to keep messing around or being shy or whatever. One thing I've really realized I need to help these people understand is the Restoration, because they just don't get it, honestly sometimes I think I don't get it. THIS IS THE ONLY TRUE CHURCH ON THE ENTIRE PLANET. It doesn't matter what other churches give, who has the nicest members, who has the most fun activities, which church does this or that because in the end, they all lack one thing, the Truth. Without having ordinances performed by the priesthood authority of God, it's just not possible to gain eternal life, to live with your family forever, to be happy for eternity in the presence of our Father in Heaven. And this is the only true churc that has that authority from God. Either Joseph Smith saw God and JEsus Christ or he didn't Either the Book of Mormon is the word of God or it isn't. This isn't just a self help program to make you feel happier; it's bigger than that, it's salvation. Then all in all if you gain that testimony, that sure knowledge that this is hte true church of God, Jesus and God appeared to Joseph Smith and restored this church, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, if you get that sure knowledge that all that happened and is true, then it should give you the desire to follow it. To follow the prophet, follow the commandsments, do what you are supposed to, and most importantly, to share it with others, because it is just too important to not. And that's what I'm trying to learn personally, but mostly trying to help them to learn, for them to gain that firm testimony in the Restoration.

Making this nasty fish paste they love. I don't know why they
love it, it's disgusting.

I love you all so very much. I know that this is the one and only true church today. I know this is the work of the Lord. Jesus is at the head and is directing it. I know this is where I'm suposed to be, and what I'm supposed to be doing.

Jesus plaque thing nailed to a tree. I
thought it was so cool when I saw it.
It says, "Jesus' blood washes sins."

Love always, Elder Rucker