September 24, 2013

Hello FAM!!

 

This is gonna be a short letter. I had a whole bunch of emails today to read and that took most my time. But I'm in a new area now called Sololá with a new comp. My comp is elder David Vallejos from Quito, Ecuador. He is my third comp from Ecuador. The area is super awesome. It is full of indigenous people that hardly speak Spanish. Their native language is called Katchíkel. I want to try to learn it. Its nothin similar to Spanish but they say it's easier for the Americans to learn it because of how we talk. I'm gonna give it a try. The temperature has changed a little too. Now I'm in 55-60 degree weather instead of 100+! And from what I have heard these next months is when it starts gettin colder!

Well sorry for the short letter!

Next week I'll have a better one.

 

Thanks for all you guys do and for always writing me!!

I LOVE YOU!!

 

KEEP THE FAITH 

ELDER RUCKER

 

 

September 17, 2013

I have started The Book of Mormon from the start again, but this time I'm reading it in English. My whole mission I have only studied in Spanish, but I decided to see how it was in my own language. It is so much better!!! Spanish is awesome but I understand English so much better. I have been marking how many times it mentions some form of the name of Christ.  I don't have an exact number but it says it a lot. We don't learn the name of Christ until 2 Nephi 10. But it makes reference to it in a bunch of different ways. 

The Book of Mormon is so awesome! One of the coolest scriptures I've found so far is 2 Nephi  9:41. Here we learn Christ himself will be waiting for us at the gate.  He will be the one that says yes or no. That made me think, I don't want to hear ´´NO´´ from Christ! That would just not be good. That's why I'm gonna work hard all my life so that when that day comes I can hear the words "YES!" And I hope all you too can have this same desire!

 

I know that Christ lives and He is the only way we will be saved.  

 

I love bein out on the mission. I have changes again and I'll be going to a new area of Guatemala. I'll be sure to let you know where I'm at.

 

Thanks for everything!!

 

YEEEHAAWW I LOVE THE MISSION!!

September 10, 2013

Hello to all who read this letter!

 

Well this was another fantastic week here in Prados. This week I'm goin to tell you an awesome experience that happened.

 

For about the last two months we have been teaching a feller named Marvin. His girlfriend, who is a member, introduced him to the Church. For this last weeks we have been teachin him the Doctrine of Christ and helpin him have a testimony of The Book of Mormon and Christ's True Church. He lives in our area and came to our ward a few times but didn't feel as comfortable. The ward has about 300 members that come every week and that makes it a big ward. The girlfriend lives in another ward that is smaller and more friendly so he and his girlfriend go to that one. Even though he doesn't come to our building for church we would set it up with him and teach him during the week. That's what we have been doin for the last two months.  Last night he sent us a text telling us he has made decision to be baptized! The only bummer is that he is going to be baptized in the ward of his girlfriend and this ward is part of another mission. I called him last night and we talked a little bit. He was very thankful for all the things we had taught him.  He also said it was with our help and with the power of God that he came to know of the veracidad of the Church and of the Book of Mormon. Even though he is going to be baptized in the other ward I'm so thankful  I could be a part of helping another one of God's sons come unto Him. Just hearin him say that he knows the Church is true and the same about the Book of Mormon was an awesome experience. 

 

The mission is magnificent!

And here is a quick funny story. We were trackin the other day and a drunk guy started to bug us so we stopped knockin doors and headed for another area. Then the drunk dude started to chase us! I looked and my comp then we two put it in high gear and ran. We ran till we lost him then went back to preachin the word of God!!

I love this work and hope all is well back home!!

With much love 

Elder Rucker

September 3, 2013

HEY FAM!!

Here in my area I baptized a guy that has about 65 years. Super awesome. He was one that didn't want much at the start but once he started reading in the Book of Mormon he changed. We baptized him a month or so ago and he has been to church every week since then. Now its got to the point where he shows up in a suit and tie. When he first started he would just come in a normal shirt! He is awesome.

This last week his daughter has been tryin to get him to leave the church by givin him a bunch of garbage about the church that she finds on the internet. I had to take a stack of papers from him that his daughter had given to him. I told him I was goin to ´study it´. Don't worry I destroyed them. The good thing is that he doesn't move from his testimony!

After we finished talkin with him, we left to our next lesson. The whole way there I was tellin everybody that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that he restored Christ's Church.

I know that this is the only true church of Jesus Christ. I know it because I have studied the scriptures and prayed. I not only know that this is the true church, but also I have gained a personal testimony of my savior Jesus Christ.  I know that He died for my sins. For Him I can repent and receive of forgiveness of my sins. I have felt the Atonement of Christ in my life. For Him I will have a life after this one. A life full of happiness with my family and best friends. I know because I have studied and I have asked my Heavenly Father in a prayer. Nothing will change that.

I invite you guys to do the same. Study  the scriptures, pray, and you too will be able to strengthen your own testimony!

I LOVE YOU!!

p.s. My release date changed again. I'm not for sure but I'm thinkin the 29 of May I'll be home

p.ps. your not kiddin--only 8 more fast Sundays... the time goes so fast!!

New Mission Call

July 5, 2013

 

Family of Mitchell Jason Rucker,                                                                       

  

Dear Family:

 

With great pleasure we inform you that your son, Elder Mitchell Rucker, has been newly assigned to serve in the Guatemala, Guatemala City Central Mission. The Lord is hastening his work, and more missionaries are entering the mission field than ever before. As a result, a sixth mission will be opened in Guatemala: the Guatemala Coban Mission. To accommodate this inspired and prophetic change, the mission boundaries of four of the five existing missions in Guatemala are changing. Due to that adjustment, your son´s assignment to labor in the Guatemala Retalhuleu Mission has been changed to the Guatemala City Central Mission. We rejoice in the fact that no matter what part of the vineyard we have been assigned to serve in, it is still the same great work. Please enjoy this photograph of Elder Rucker, whom we had the joy of welcoming into our mission on July 1^st, 2013.

 

 

Sister Brough and I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to work with your son in bringing about the gathering of Israel. We are pleased that Elder Rucker has served the Lord so faithfully thus far in his mission and look forward to getting to know him better as we labor together in the Lord´s work. We recognize the sacrifice he has made to serve the Lord and are committed to doing everything we can to help him accomplish his Missionary Purpose. We offer our personal gratitude for supporting your son’s service. Know that your son is now a part of our family now.

 

Yours Faithfully,

 

 

M. Joseph Brough

President

 

Elder Rucker's 1st Post

August 13, 2013

 

The great news:
I saw a huge miracle this week. We are teaching a family who was found awhile back by some other elders. The wife and kids have visited a few times but the husband never has wanted to come. We have had a few family home evenings  with the Familia Noriega (this is a family that helps out a lot in the mission work), but the husband still hadn't shown much interest in coming to church. The last FHE we had just with the Familia Noriega and Leslie (the wife, the hubby Henry didn't want to come). We talked a lot about the Book of Mormon and how she needed to read it and be the example to her husband. We knew that her reading and praying would be key to her husband having the desire to go to church.  It was super cool because she also told us she had received an answer that The Book of Mormon and Church is all true.
We stopped by the next day to check to see if she had been reading. Henry was ¨busy workin¨ and couldn't come listen. But she said she had been readin and also that she was prayin.
On Sunday when I called to see if they were on there way to church she told me they were and that she had a surprise for us. It turns out it wasn't a surprise but a MIRACLE. Henry came to church for the first time with his family this last Sunday. The Book of Mormon has power and so does prayer!

Well this was my miracle of the week that I wanted to share with you guys.

Don't forget to read a few pages from The Book of Mormon today!!

I love you all so much!!

Keep the FAITH!

Elder Rucker

August 27, 2013

This week I gave a talk in sacrament meeting. They gave us a lot of time to prepare... They told us Saturday night that we would be giving talks the next day on missionary work. Good thing as missionaries we can do stuff on the fly. Cause that's what we had to do. All I did was look up some scriptures on Sunday morning and a quote from President John Taylor.
My talk went super good. Turns out the sister missionaries that are in our ward also gave talks. So by the time it got to me and my comp we only could talk for five minutes each. I use to think five minutes was a long time to give a talk, but now that ive given a few talks here, five minutes goes by way to fast! Now I enjoy giving talks in front of people.

We had a really cool lesson with a lady we found. A member gave us the reference. Years ago she was coming to church with a friend but stopped going and never got baptized. We didn't really have to teach much because she remembered most everything. It was a super cool lesson. She told us right there that she already knows this is the true church!! We're going to keep working  with her and hopefully she can make the decision this time to be baptized into the true Church of Christ!!

Its going awesome with my comp and the area. We have gotten pretty soaked a few times but its part of the work! I'm lovin' it!!

KEEP THE FAITH!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!
Elder Rucker