Rubinos

October 15, 2012

Hey family!!!!

How's it going??? I really enjoyed looking at the pictures pop sent me! Everyone looks really good. Stephen's new football cleats look pretty sweet! I'm sorry to hear about the car problems...I'll keep praying for ya'll!! .. It’s pretty cool with all the elections and all! HA it’s funny because a lot of people think we work for Mitt! But no- we work for God :) ha-ha its really funny getting everyone's opinions on the election stuff. They are all really brutally honest about who they want to win ha-ha, they'll say for example oh we hate Mitt, or let’s hope Mitt wins so that Obama, that clown, can get out of there!! ETC...ETC... ha-ha that’s life as a missionary here now with the elections ha.

So this week I've thought that I should take better notes during the week so I can know better what to write!!! Ha-hah BTW President Riggs has asked that we only e-mail family, so if you can be a pal and forward this e-mail and all my future email to Elder Justin Moodie?! Thanks I appreciate it!

Well the other day we didn't have much stuff to do and our day was coming to an end. We said a prayer asking that we can know exactly where we need to go! So after the prayer we both got off our knees and didn't say anything, walked to the car, drove to the spot. We both knew exactly where to go and we didn't even tell each other that til after. SO we began knocking and knocking... no luck. Then we get this one door and the guy invited us in and was really friendly. He started talking to us and telling us how he was baptized about 15 years ago and even showed us a pic of his baptism. He's been less active for about 13 years now, and he told us why. He committed adultery..he said he failed God and that he could never go back to church etc etc...it really was sad. It really messed up his family life. So we're going to start working really hard with him. After we left I really felt the story of the "leave the 99 sheep to find the 1" I really felt that God wanted us to go there to tell him that God loves him and needs him back at church. We checked up on him but he hasn't been home, so we are hoping he's actually serious about changing.. Pray for Jose (super less-active) :)

We had a great lesson with Diego, our progressing 'gator. And afterwards he invited us to go with him grocery shopping and he bought us dinner. That in itself is a miracle because it’s super rare that a nonmember like that takes us out and buys us dinner. He really is sweet! I think he really likes us! We are going to try to move his baptism date sooner, so we'll see!!

This past Saturday we had service in the morning called 'gifts of the heart' it was like a D.I. type thing but at the stake center, they had a ton of clothes and other stuff all free. We were there to help and to talk to people about the church, there were a lot of Spanish speakers! It was good.

We have also been working with Blanca, she is a member referral. At first she was just curious about our beliefs because she is catholic. We've visited her a couple times and had a sweet lesson on her doorstep because no guy was in the house. Then the next night the member who referred her to us told us how excited she is and how she wants to marry her current boyfriend who she lives with and get baptized! But the problem is time, she’s going to be out of town for the next couple weeks! Hopefully the adversary doesn't get her before then... but she is super cool! In that lesson the spirit told her the first vision word for word through me. It was a super cool experience that God let that happen through me.

We've been working a lot with a less active family as well. We visited them Saturday night and had a good lesson, their kids love it and all want to be baptized! The problem is we invited the parents to church and they were like hmmm we're not sure... then Elder Ochoa felt prompted to ask what’s keeping them from coming. They told us that they have been going to another church...the evangelico's... we told them to pray as a family and see what church God wants them to go to. The husband is so sincere and great...but we feel like the wife controls him and doesn't really like them going to our church, which is really sad! So we are going to go talk with him when she's not around! Heheheh.

SO my food stuff is really good. We've been trying to find a really good GF pizza! We tried 2 different places (one is the picture from the first one) the first place wasn't terrible but it was still good. The other place was called Rubinos and it was super good!!!!1 And its funny because it’s like less than a minute away from where we live, and we're just now trying it!!! oh man...but wow its good haha :D

Also the other day at a dinner appointment, after eating the dad was like tell me a story in Spanish for practice! I was like ummmm...hmmmm ok. Then he's like well what’s your fav sport? So I told him how I used to play soccer and that I got 8 concussions and that the doctors were afraid that I wouldn't be able to come on a mission. But that I got a blessing from my dad that said that as I prepare for my mission that all would be ok! He was like wow...thanks for sharing that with me. IT was really cool how God put the words into my mouth to know what to say. He's less active and the wife is really active, so hopefully that helps him come back to church. With all my health problems the only thing I don't like is all the attention I get and how a lot of people just feel so bad for me...it’s good that they care but just a little too much attention ha-ha you know how I am with that stuff :)

New countries: Domican Republic (pretty deficil to understand her accent hahah)

Well I love you all so much, I look forward to seeing everyone's halloween costumes!!! Let me know if there is anything I can do for ya'll. Oh yeah...did ya'll get my letter I sent?! Love you all so much!!!

Con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

Here's a sweet peom that Elder Ochoa shared at district mtg:

He's Been There Before

The alarm rings at 6:30; I stumble to my feet I grab my companion's bedding and pull off his sheet. A groan fills the room. It's already time to arise?" It seems like just a second ago I was able to shut my eyes. The morning activities follow: study, prayer and such When it’s time to leave the apartment, you feel haven't accomplished much "We have a super day planned," my Companion says with a grin. I lowly utter a faithless breath, Yea, if anyone lets us in. With the word of God and my faithful schwinn, we ride off in the street. Prepared to face another day of humidity and heat It's 9:30 in the evening, the day is almost through. My companion and I are riding home, not accomplishing what we thought we'd do. We ride up to the mail box hoping to receive a lot. Only to look inside and hear my echo reverberate "AIRBOX" We go up to our apartment; the day is now complete the only thing to show for our work is a case of blistery feet It's past 10:30 Pm, my companion is fast asleep. Silence engulfs me all about and I begin to weep In the midst of sadness I kneel down to pray; I need to talk to Father, but I'm not sure what to say. "Oh Father," I begin, "What happened to us today? I thought we'd teach somebody, but everyone was away My hands, my aching hands worn, hurt and beat If our area was any smaller, we'd have knocked on every street." Why on missions are the days so much alike? the only difference about today was the flat tire on my bike. Will you send some cooler weather? The heat is killing me! I sweat so bad, it gets in my eyes. It’s very hard to see. Why do I have to wear a helmet, isn't your protection enough? People always laugh at me and call me stupid stuff. Please send us investigators so I may give them what they lack; I want to give them Book Of Mormon, the weight of them hurts my back." And what about my Family? They don't have much to say. I'm sick of not hearing from home day after day. Oh Father, why am I here, Am I just wasting my time? Sometimes I just want to go home, I'm sorry but that's on my mind. My Companion, Heavenly Father, who are you giving me? The way he rides his bicycle I don't know if he can even see! Now you have it, I can't go on. I DON'T KNOW what to do! That, my Father in Heaven, is the prayer I leave you." My prayer now finished I stand up, then jump right into bed. I need my feet for tomorrow; we have another long day ahead Sleep starts to overtake me, I seem to drift away. Then it seems a vision takes me to another time in another day. I'm standing alone on the hill, the view is very nice. A man walks towards me and says, My name is Jesus Christ." Tears of joy well up inside, I fall down to His feet. "Arise he states, follow me to the shade you and I need to speak." My attention towards my Savior, total and complete He says, "Your Mission is similar of what happened to me. I understand how you feel, I know what you’re going through; In fact, it would be fair to say I've felt the same as you. "Even know how you felt when no one listened to you At times I felt not quite sure what else that I could do. I know you don't like to ride a bicycle for a car would be sweet. Just remember the donkey I rode  was not equipped with 21 speed. I understand you don't like sweating, in fact it's something to hate. I remember when I sweat blood from every pore, " Oh, the agony was great. I see you don't like your companion you would rather have someone else. I once had a companion named Judas who sold my life for wealth. It's hard to wear a helmet and have people make fun of you. I remember when they put thorns in my head and called me King of the Jews. So you feel burdened down by the weight of your pack. I recall how heavy the cross was when they slammed it on my back." Your hands hurt from tracking and knocking on doors all day I guess when they pounded nails into mine, I ache in a similar way. It's hard not to hear from home when your family was not there to see. I lost communication on the cross and cried, "Father, why has though forsaken me?" We have a lot in common, but there is a difference between us you see. I endured to the end and finished my mission, so follow and do like me." He embraced me with his arms, His light filled me with His love. With tears in my eyes, I watched as he went back to the Father above. I stood with awe and wonder when a beep rang in my head. I listened and heard the alarm, when I realized I was in my bed. My companion lets out a groan, "6:30 already, no way!" I sat up and said. Come on, I'll even carry your scriptures today!" No matter what we go through when we feel we can't take more, Just stop and think about Jesus Christ, He's been there before.