Character (Week 9)

Hello family!
The weeks are starting to fly by here in Bolivia, thankfully. I want to express the utmost gratitude for those letters this past week. They changed my mission so much. Im especially grateful for the sweet Young Women in 7th ward who wrote me and I cant wait for each of them to receive my responses in the coming months. I received some pictures of Ellyn and one picture was of her with her mustache on, talking on the phone. I loved it so much. It was a reminder that God has put me here in Bolivia to be RJ! To be sassy, well maybe not, but to be me! And this week I have been me! I started piano lessons with 3 young women and I will continue to teach them every week. They know enough for me to meet with them all at once. This Wednesday, music classes start and the people of this ward and investigators will learn how to read music, direct hymns, and sing closer to the right notes haha. Im so grateful for the preparation my past students have given me. Im so grateful for the chances that I was given by parents in my ward to teach their kids! And of course, Mr Keltner did so much to help me too. What a great blessing it is! And next week, English classes will be twice a week. Wow!
Yesterday we had a family at church! How awesome! Our investigators have many problems that we as missionaries cant deal with on our own, so we have to trust the Lords timing and send them to the Bishop. We continue to work hard and try and make a difference in the lives of these people.
Most of my thoughts this week have come from the hymn Dear to the Heart of the Shepherd. Here are some lyrics:
Dear to the heart of the shepherd
Dear are the ninety and nine
Dear are the sheep that have wandered
Out in the desert to climb.

Hark! He is earnestly calling,
Tenderly pleading today.
“Will you not seek for my lost souls
Off from the shelter astray?”

Out in the desert they wander
Hungry, and helpless, and cold
Out to the rescue He hastens
Bringing them back to the fold.

I sing this everyday as I prepare to leave and I plead with God that I will find one soul that I can carry on my back home. This song means the world to me because I am in a desert and I see so many people who need to know that they are important to the Lord. I hope you, too, will ask yourself the same question. Will you find a lost soul that needs to find safety in the arms of the Savior?
I bear you all my testimony of the tender mercies of the Lord. That He knows each of you. Make a list of his tender mercies in your life as a reminder of how personal He is with you. I pray for you all daily and I hope to hear from you all sometime in the next two years.
Con amor,
Elder Risueño

Trials of faith (Week 8)

Dearest family and friends,

(I cant believe Im crying as I write this. I cry all day I think. Mostly out of gratitude, but a lot of times out of frustration and worry.)

First off, thanks for the 20,000 cards for my birthday. Quick commercial interruption: Thanks to... Clint Davis, Sis Huebner, Margaret Crowley, Rachel Lockhart, Meagan and Alyssa Whalen, Sis Akina, Sis Van Patten, Mom and Dad in the OC, my other equally important Mother in the IE, Granny Linda, Kristi Sexton, The Brits, Ellyn, Peggy Hauret, Sis Brodowski and the 7th ward YW. 

Now onto this week: 

First off, I have met Victor Hugo. No joke. We were walking by this black guy who looked like Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock so I went up to him and no joke, it was Victor Hugo! Thats his name! I about died and looked like an idiot because I dont know how to say that VH is one of the most influential authors of this time hahaha. Anyway, great day!

My subject for this weeks topic comes for my dear father. Hes been sick for a while and I have spent so much time thinking about my love for him and all that he has done for me. He has had so many trials of his faith, and I am having the same. But while walking one night, I realized that if my friend Alyssa Whalen were to read the word trials, she would say TRAILS because shes dyslexic. How awesome that was to learn that trials are just trails. 

We met a man named Carlos this past week. Hes a dad, just like mine! He has health problems and his number one worry in his life is the welfare of his children. He doesnt have the gospel in his life and how awesome it was for me to testify to him that his children are watching him. My dad has been sick most of my life. He has been in and out of the hospital, out of work, and just not able to do a lot of things with me. But one thing he has done is he has been the best example of a saint for me. Through his years of enduring pain, he has continued to exercise his Priesthood authority, he works in the temple, he has helped so many people have salvation. My dad has walked through so many hard trials of his faith. Those trials have become trails that I have begun to walk. My dad has served a mission and I am doing the same right now. My dad has endured years of pain that have been unbearable and at times this mission gets to be too much. But I know that my father on Earth, and my father in Heaven know what I have gone through. Im so grateful that my trials in life are helping others. I hope my dad knows how much I love him and how grateful for his impact in my life. I have changed so much in the past two months of missionary service and I cant wait to see how much I continue to change in the next 22 months. 

Carrie Underwood says it best: 

Sometimes that mountain youll be climbing is just a grain of sand

And what youve been out there searching for forever, its in your hand!

And when you figure out love is all that matters after all

It sure makes everything else seem so small.

Have a good week everyone,

Con Amor,

Elder Risueño

Sigan Adelante! (Week 7)

Hello family and friends! 

Bolivia is hotter than hell right now. I can say hell because its in the Bible and its how I feel. Its so humid and I take two cold showers a day and love it! What makes it even more interesting is in our only main meal of the day, lunch, our first dish is SOUP! Who the heck thought of that?!! I have no idea, but its pretty darn delish. After soup, we have rice and meat usually. Thats right, meat. Who knew Id ever like the taste? 

Regarding the packages and cards, the packages take about 2 months for me to get, and the cards come every few weeks, tambien. Please dont freak out or worry, but if I dont write a thank you email two months after youve sent it, Ill call the mission office. Thanks in advance for your cards and such! I love you all!

Spanish is coming along. Ive definitely had enough meltdowns to last a lifetime. Sometimes I just never understand what the people are saying and my roommates dont speak much English either. I thank God for my trials and just tell my companions my eyes are sweating because everywhere else is too. 

English class was so good! 20 or so people came! They really enjoyed it and I have a lot to learn on how to teach these people. 

Another weird story: This is from yesterday: So my companion is teaching this guy who really is kind of weird, but I liked him! I just had NO IDEA what he was saying so Í just looked around and BAM! A rooster hops on a chicken, the chicken screams, and babies are formed. So we are leaving the lesson, and I tell my companion how weird it is to see that, then right as I see two dogs next to each other, one dog sniffs the other´s behind and WABAM! Another few babies are formed. I kind of just stared for a bit then thought: Sex is NOT something that we should be doing on the Sabbath day! I may change my mind later, but as a missionary, it was just a prompting I felt I needed to tell you all. Love you!!

So we are hoping for a mother, Viviana, and her 3 children to be baptized this month. We dont know because she has a lot to work on, but it was awesome because last night she was confiding in me some trials she had been having and I had no idea what she was saying but I could tell she felt alone and I was so grateful for my huge cryfest I had a week ago that has helped me know that I am not alone. Trials are for a reason! After I said that, she tearfully told me: Yo quiero cambiar. That means, I want to change. Man, I totally lost it because THAT IS WHY IM HERE! Yeah, its hard. But I want to change people. 

My birthday was pretty great. Hna Willard (my Mission Mom) called at nighttime and it was great to vent and hear her stories from her first week in the mission. My comp made me a cool card and my other roommate made my a poster to share with you guys. Hopefully I can send it. The pensionista made chicken and rice for lunch which was cute AND she bought a cake. To top it all off, my columbian roommate cooked some meat and of course threw flour and eggs all over me. I hate that stuff. I would have rather they made some french toast with that flour and eggs, but nonetheless I smiled and didnt kill anyone. 

This year, I have decided that I want to spend my time as a 19 year old becoming converted. I want to know my Savior and become like Him. If any of you have time in the next few weeks, think of a profound moment when you were converted to the God. You dont have to be a Mormon to write it, you just have to love the Savior. Once you do that, please send it to my mom, and mom, if you could send one or two every few weeks, that would be great.

Ellyn wrote me a letter a few weeks ago and on the back it said SIGA ADELANTE which I had no idea what it meant so I just laughed. A few days ago, I was reading 1 Nephi 4 and verse 7 says, Nevertheless, I went forth. That translates into Segui adelante. What a tender mercy it was for me to know that my sister knows my trials. Nephi felt alone in that moment, but went forth. We all must do the same. 

I love you all so much. This mission is so hard. But I love it with all my heart. I love you all. I know that this gospel can change the lives of people. Please continue to pray for me. I need the strength to make it through the day. Pray for all the missionaries and people who have been prepared for our message.

Con amor,

Elder Risueño

P.S. Someone tell Laurel Evans HAPPY BIRTHDAY! She sent me a card, I got it in Peru, but I have no idea when my card will get to her. 

Landed in Bolivia! (Week 6)

My loving family and friends,

I hope all is well in the great states that are united, except Alaska and Hawaii. I had no idea it was Labor Day. At least I will remember my birthday now.

I have had one of the worst and greatest weeks. I feel like God just took all of my weaknesses, laid them out in front of me for a few days, and told me to take those weaknesses and make them strengths. What a rough, but great start to a mission.

I loved calling my parents on Tuesday. All of them! So heres what has happened since...

The flight was rough, but good. We all slept well on the flight haha. We met Pres y Hna Willard when we got off and man they are the most awesome people I have ever met. Hna Willard has a southern accent. So look at her picture, had a Brena Leigh Johnson twist with Spanish and youve got Hna Willard! Love her and her husband a ton. Well get to them later..

So the bus ride to the Mission office was crazy awesome. Rich Santa Cruz is super green with EMUS! Thats right, we saw emus. Theyre pretty much ostriches. So we went to the mission office and had interviews and just enjoyed each others company. We had subway and I freaked when Pres Willard said I could teach piano as a service opportunity here... More on that later too.

We had family home evening and ate pizza. I teared up when Pres Willard told us that after having interviewed each of us, he knew that we are the tithing to the mission. We are the 10% of the mission, 20 of us, who are the best missionaries he has met. How awesome.

A letter of gratitude (Week 5)

My dearest family,

 

Its been a great, but hard week here in the CCM. My heart hurts for my dear cousin Linda who was called home to be with our Savior and his family. I had a really hard time, even though I rejoiced in the knowledge of life after death. I found so much solace is the words of a favorite song that my friend Rachel Lockhart sang many times:

Jesus´ love is like a lighthouse

When the storms of life appear

Like a beacon in the distance,

Always steady, Always clear.

And those who will go where the lighthouse goes

Are warmed by His Spirit and find repose...

Jesus´ love is like a lighthouse

Leading to His peaceful place.

 

I wrote that in my journal last week and just cried. Its hard not being able to hug a mother or just cry but I got back up and went to work. And let me tell you how many tender mercies I have seen in my life. My lessons with my investigators aka teachers are going so well. Spanish is coming along. I have a ton of work to do, but the Lord is at the helm of my Spanish. I feel it at all times.

I´m grateful to be here at the CCM. Were almost at max capacity with about 150 missionaries here, and most Bolivia missionaries have been transferred to Mexico City because we just dont have room for many incomining missionaries. I love the teachers here and they have taught me so much. They are so much like the Savior Jesus Christ. I tell them my name is Elder RISUEÑO in the day because I smile a ton, and Elder SUEÑO at night, because thats when I want to go to sleep. I have a ton of fun with them.

Im so grateful for my talents. I was able to accompany the MTC presidents wife and another elder on a violin duet and it was so beautiful. I love accompanying people while they sing and I play. God is so good to give me this talent. It looks like Ill be playing this Sunday when Elder Cook comes as well.

Im grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who tests me and tries me so that I can grow and become a better person. Although its hard to be tested, I face my trials with a smile because I know theres something to learn.

Im so grateful for hilarious district members. An elder was having constipation so he took laxatives, then realized he didnt want diarrhea either so he took anti diarrheal meds and it was pretty sad and funny. He pooped six times in the middle of the night and threw up on his way to breakfast. Im so glad that wasnt me.

Im so grateful that missionaries are normal people. A few of us love Christmas Vacation, the National Lampoons one, and we quote Aunt Bethanny almost every day because someone has to say THE BLESSSSINNGGGG. hahahhahaa I love it.

Family, I love Peru. I love learning the gospel of Jesus Christ all day every day. There is so much to learn and so much to grow. The Book of Mormon is the answer to our heart´s questions and is the word of God. Its the best way for man to become closer to God. I love temples. I went the last time today for two years. I ask that those of you who are worthy of a recommend, please go to the temple when you can and keep me in your prayers. I will miss being close to my Savior, but being a missionary is a plus because Christ´s name is on my heart at all times.

Elder C. Scott Grow (his name isnt a joke... so stop laughing) said the following at a devotional this past Tuesday:

It doesnt matter where you serve, it matters how you serve.

Bolivia has no idea whats about to hit their country. Please pray for me, and pray for the members of the ward. I pray that they will work with me.

 

I love you all and constantly pray for you.

 

Con amor,

Elder Risueño

Music Blessings in Peru! (Week 4)

Oh my lovely family and friends!

I have been so blessed with so many awesome things happening this week I am so excited to email you. This is what has happened in choronological order...

Proselyting on Saturday was such an awewsome thing!! Mom, there were tons of dogs. Like I saw so many just roaming around. A couple were fighting but I did okay. I went to a super poor area of santa anita and it was so humbling. The people were building houses themselves and didnt have any money it looked like. No roads, just dirt. We taught 10 people in about 4 hours or so. We only taught on families and the Plan of Salvation. What sweet testimonies we bore because I opened my mouth. My companions opened thier mouths a ton and we were blessed by the Lord!! At one point, Hna Boza, our supervisor, chastized us for being scared and we prayed for help and every time we spoke to someone we taught. A sweet ladyt was standing by herself waiting for a bus with her baby less than a year old. She didnt have much money and we could tell she was hungry. I went up to her and taught on the Family Proclamation and Hna Boza gave her an apple. She said she needs more happiness in her family and she works so much so her family can have money. What a blessing!!!

Funny story: So we are walking down a street and a little kid is playing on a hill of sand!! How cute!! then some man drives his car down and yells at the boy. We thought to ourselves that he as rude! then we got closer and realized the boy was throwing baby hamsters up the hill, watching them roll down the hill, then throwing them up again. How crazy is that!! They werent dead, but it looked like he was choking them when he was holding them. Too funny. We laughed so hard!!

On Sunday I was called as Music Coordinator. It just means I choose the pianists for each meeting and the hymns and such. And musical numbers!! I was so honored. Its so exciting for me to participate in inviting the Spirit into the CCM.

Now if youre still with me, I have huge news:

1. Tuesday the Peru CCM participated in the first LIVE devotional from Provo. Every Sunday we usually watch reruns but Tuesday we, along with other Missionary Training Centers across the world, watched a live broadcast from Provo. What an awesome feeling it was to see a General Authority speak live...

Speaking of seeing a General Authority speak... you ready??!!! Sunday, August 25th, we will be meeting the following people: Quentin L Cook, Tad R Callister, amnd John Groberg. HOW AWESOME!!!!! Now, Im not in charge of the music for that because theyre not speaking at a devotional, its just a metting but still!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!!! I literally gasped when they said Tad R Callister...

Family, I love you all so much. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ! Every morning I get to wake up and put Christ´s name on my heart. What a splendid feeling. I am having such a blast here and hope to hear from you all sometime soon. I pray for you all daily and hope God´s blessings are upon and, and also that you are recognizing his blessings! We need to choose to remember his tender mercies.

Con amor,

Elder Risueño

P.S. Im teaching piano to Hna Boza!! Shes helping me learn piano vocab in Spanish!! hopefully it helps in Bolivia!

Loving Lima!! (Week 3)

Hey family! Ahh man I just love Lima so much. The Spanish is getting better, I´m becoming more humble, and Im still having fun!! First off, the trifecta of Elders Olsen, Holmes, and Risueño is AWESOME! I love us so much!!! We teach so well and we all get along great. Its so awesome to live with people you like. I pray all the time for my Spanish to help. We are starting to teach a real investigator who works here and its awesome. He needs a lot of time before he will be ready to enter the waters of baptism because of some trials in his life, but we have a scripture where God says that missionary work is HIS work, not ours. Entonces, we just want to be great friends to himl. I am starting to learn that to be a missionary you needt o be a friend! Jesus Christ was a friend to everyone he taught. He cared for them. He helped them. I am a representative of Christ and I will do all I can to e like christ. Ive really changed a lot this week. I still laugh a ton but I just look at people and think that each person is such a great asset to our Savior and God must be so grateful for everyone in the world.  On a fun note, I love Miranda Sings. Shes a youtube sensation who has a saying HATERS BACK OFF. So, while playing volleyball, péople get jealous because I tend to hit the ball too far because I kind of handball hit it instead of the normal way becasue Im not normal so I wont hit normally. When they get mad because they have to go after it, I just say "HATERS BACK OFF." Está bien everyone. They all love me.  I love playing piano, in typical RJ fashioin, the CCM president´s wife an d I are good friends because shes an awesome violinist so were jamming a good amount. Were even performing next week I think for church. I played for Elder Waddell who visited our stake a while ago and I played prelude4, musical number, and hymns. So fun. And the Latinos are CRAZY singers. They may not hit the right notes, but man they just love the Lord so much and they sing their hearts out. Im so excited to hopefully work with some Bolivian singers more and maybe even get them to the right notes. I always tell the Latinos that God loves ALL pitches. Which is true, but I testify that he loves the right pitches even more. hahahhaha Family, take the time to read the Book of Mormon. Share it with your friends. I was reading Alma chapter 16 a few days and it teaches a beautiful lesson about missionary work: Ammon and Alma were working together as missionaries and Ammon decided to give up EVERYTHING for the Lord. His family even pretty much disowned him. So Alma went to build up the church in the area they were teaching, then he did something so Christlike: He went back to Ammon to comfort him and "strengthen him in the Lord." Now, if youre not of my faith, I hope you think of a friend who may have given something up. Maybe they lost their home, or had a huge trial of some sort. Have you, have WE taken the time to strengthen them in the lord? I hope we have or we will make the decision now TO strengthen them when they need it most.   Lima is great. Im great. I love you all.  Just a reminder that Dearelder is a no go for the rest of Peru. Bolivia is fine but I’m leaving in 2.5 weeks!!! Con amor, Elder Risueño  PS:  How fun. I love meeting cool people. I love everyone!! To Alyssa Whalen:  Elder Ellsworth (from the El Dorado ward in Long Beach) says to say hi! To Sydney McGagin:  I met Elder Holland Wilson from Kaysville who is good friends with you!!