Pictures from the MTC

Elder Ruelas was able to finally send us pictures from the MTC.

September 1, 2012

Hey mom,
Yesterday I had infield orientation all day so I couldn't write an email to anybody. It was so good though and I learned a ton. It got me even more excited to go out to Cali and dont worry, I am going to have fun. I'm not about to go crazy these next 2 years.
Yes I got the letter that had the money. It was a different letter that I lost, but I found it yesterday before I went to bed. I'm gonna send all the letters I got back home plus some other stuff, like some books. I lost that daily scripture book that you got me in Nauvoo which was a bummer cause I really liked that. Now you have to send me the pictures of Isabel with her ears pierced. I liked the pictures I got and so did everybody else. The picture where she is passed out, she got that from Angelica. The picture where she is passed out and making a funny face, she gets that from me. The picture where Angelica is reading a book to her and looks mad, well we were never much readers lol. I'll call the house phone. I need to go buy a phone card from the store so I can call without being charged at the pay phones. If You see my friends you gotta tell them to write me cause I don't have any of their addresses. Tell Angelica and Bryan that if they need more room for stuff for Isabel, they can use my room. Just put my sneakers in my closet, nicely, and they can use whatever space they need. Yes I just said that.
That is funny about Adrian, my cousin. When I first read the first part that you said I thought that you ment that he moved in with you. I was like WHAT!!!!! Keep him away from my shoes! lol. You need to try the Cafeteria in Nauvoo! IDK if it is because the food here at the MTC is fake, but I love the food at the temple, plus it is cheap. No PJ didnt leave. He hasnt gotten his VISA to go to the Columbia MTC. He is just in the intermediate class and not the Advanced. I'm sorry I dont write more about him. I thought you just wanted to hear about me lol. No there is like 15 other people on my flight. I heard that there are both Elders and Sisters. I think they are all in the Begginers class though lol.
Tell Isabel I say "hi" back and I stuck my tounge back out at her too. Remember that the Post office is closed for Labor day so idk how the mail works, but I will only get mail on Tuesday and Wednesday morning I leave. Elder Payne is good and happy. He is going to Billings Montana. Another friend of ours got here on Wed. Wes Korper. It is soo good to see friends from college here. It stinks that one of my good friends  gets here the same day I leave. Its all good though, I'm gonna send you a list of names for people to look up on Facebook for me. I would really like to get a letter from Mason. Plus all of my friends but family is the best, friends in close second lol. That is funny about Isabel and Emmalena. Have they met yet? I also want pictures of Emmalena. 
      Ya I can't wait to get out to California. 4 more days left till I leave and I am pumped. I have learned a lot and I can't wait to learn more out there in the field. There is something new here where we might be able to send pictures but I am trying to send my pictures today. Otherwise I will get it done in the field. Love you Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't miss you either! Tell everybody else I love them too and tell Lucy she stinks! lol
I'll let you know how it is in California as soon as I can and I will get the Mission home address to you as fast as I can cause I dont know where I am living yet.

Elder Andres Ruelas

August 25, 2012

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Our Heavenly Father has really blessed us with a beautiful new member to our family! What is hooked up to her head though? Is she back home and out of the hospital yet? Man pretty much everybody I meet I tell that I am now an uncle, plus I show them a picture of her. Hopefully I can print these pictures out even though they will only be in black and white. I hope everybody got their letters. I didnt hear from anybody except dad. Everything is AMAZING here! Just got back from the temple and I cant tell you how much I learned. Literally. Lets just say that I cant wait to get back home so we can go to the temple and I can share with you what I learned. Also, do you know if the Nauvoo temple has a cafeteria? Provo does and the food is super good! Plus they give you a lot and it is really cheap.  But ya this week has been really good even though something sad happened in our district. I'll get there though. Well the week started like normal. Wake up, shower, change, so on and so on. It came time for personal study and this week I really wanted to read 3 Nephi Chapters where Christ is here in the Americas. It is because on Sunday we watched the Testiments. Wow I never thought I would say that that movie is one of my favorites but it is. It really helped me make the Book of Mormon a whole lot more real to me. It is our ancestor's heritage, that saw Jesus Christ too. Even though I didn't get to read as much of the chapters as I wanted to, I still read a lot and still am reading. There is a scripture that is really turning out to be my favorite. 1 Nephi 21:16. It talks about how Christ has the marks from the nails on his hand. He has done his part, now we, in this "prepratory state" have to do our part so we can recieve the forgiveness from God that we need to make it back into the Celestial Kingdom. It is kind of funny though because I didnt get or think about all this as the day was going on. I was mad and sad all at the same time. Devotional came around and it turns out that it was an APOSTLE! Finally after 7 weeks of hoping to hear from an Apostle, we get to hear from one. Elder Niel A. Anderson. Man the talk he gave was great. Since it was the Prophets Birthday on Tuesday he talked about what the Prophet would say to us as missionaries. There were 10 things. I dont have my notebook with me so I will write you a letter and tell you later but that talk was Awesome! Wednesday we finally got to be the host and show the new missionaries around. I didnt see anybody I knew but Spencer finally got here! Justin Bieber, my roomate from college? ya he is finally starting his mission.

I got your letter from earlier in the week but I lost it so I am going to try to answer the questions as best as I can remember. I leave September 5th. I finally got my travel plans and my flight leaves at like 11:30 and it is a direct flight to Burbank, CA. I will call you when I am at the Airport for however long I can. I have received some letters from the ward. Nobody from Relief Society has sent me anything. Make sure you get mad at everybody for me. Everybody who said they would write me, hasn't. And the people who didnt say anything, are the ones who have. Tell everybody I really like letters, especially when they are directed to me. lol. Ya I remember the Ahlstrom family. They had a son who was always with one of the girls his age, I remember. I'm not going to say no to a letter from them. I feel like I am forgeting something but if I remember I will tell you in my letter. Keep sending pictures of Isabel. I can never get enough. Take care of the family and be the example. Love you Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and I don't miss you too! lol

ELDER RUELAS

August 10, 2012

Hey Mom,

Dang those pictures of the Spanish Branch in West Liberty are awesome! It stinks that the branch still isn't there but at least now the ward in Muscatine is getting too big that we might have to split. I agree with Brother Laughead. I want to be put into the afternoon one so that I can sleep in.  Seriously though that is awesome about the ward, it looks like the missionaries there are working hard. 

It looks like Chiquis and Demetrius´ wedding went well! It stinks that I couldn't go. I definetly would have been your dancing partner. Lets just say that I do not like the rule about not being able to dance. I dont need music I just want to bust a move or 2 when I am really happy. Like when a lesson goes really well and I am really happy. I just want to start dougieing? (the dougie is a dance in case you didnt know) but I can't do it because I will get in trouble if a teacher walks by. And yes it has happend already. Its like yes, I know exact obedience brings miracles but let me celebrate, since I am getting better at teaching! lol. I dont really remember a lot of things you told me. Again I don't have my letter with me because I just came from the temple. Did you get the book signed by my Tio Humberto? Did you have him sign it to me? lol  But how is everything going? Yes definetly make a movie list for me so when I get back I can watch them. Imma go albino since I will be inside watching movies all the time but you know how much I love movies! lol

It was awesome yesterday, I received the most letters. Ya I felt cool. It was funny because Ben's girlfriend sent me a letter and on the back it had a picture of Justin Bieber on it. I put it on my desk and everybody that saw it drew on his face and made him look terrible. Then our teacher got a little mad because nobody was paying attention but its whatever. Anyways keep telling people to write me cause I LIKE GETTING LETTERS. You need to TELL MY FRIENDS too. They told me they would write me but nobody has. Only a friend from SOAR has. Oh Wednesday, I saw a buddy of mine from SOAR. I completely forgot that he was coming. It was good to see him. 

I got sick again. I decided to go to the doctor because it wasn't going away as fast as it usually does. He gave me medication but I had to pay some of it. So I believe there is going to be a charge on my debit card for about $20. I dont want you to think that my card got stolen. Also I am going to need some more cash. I dont need it right now but more for when I leave on the 5th, just in case my bags are over the limit. They also told me that I get to call you when I am at the airport. Just a heads up. 

It stinks that I can't ask you too look up some talks for me so I can re-read them. The talks that are given here every Sunday and Tuesday are really good but they are only available to us. Tuesday was my favorite one this week. The guy talked about how we are going to be bringing the light of Christ to the lives of those who live in darkness. And that we must be ready at all times to have the spirit because if we aren't worthy to have the spirit, we can't have the light. Then he went on to explain some history of the Book of Mormon. It reminded me of a talk Jeffery R. Holland gave about the Book of Mormon. That one by Elder Holland you can look up and I recommend you do. (Anything by Elder Holland and Elder Bednar are really good) But it was just a great atmosphere to be in to hear someone who I have never heard of share their thoughts and their testimony of the Book of Mormon. I really felt my testimony of the Book of Mormon has grown a ton just from hearing his thoughts. Anyways I just want to share my testimony really quick before I run out of time. I know that this Church is true without a doubt in my heart. It is the Church of Jesus Christ and it is the same as when He established it on the earth. It was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. By the power of God he was able to translate the Book of Mormon. That book did not come from his mind. It is not like Twilight or any other book. It was written for us by Prophets who once lived on the earth. As I said The Book of Mormon was written for us so that we can learn and grow. It has the fullness of the gospel just like it says on the introduction page. If people will read it they will feel the power that it has and they will feel the Holy Ghost testifying to them that it is the word of God. and that the Book of Mormon is True. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Elder Ruelas

 

I still want cookies! Not from Dear Elder.