Here I find myself once again, attempting to write and keep a journal. I will forego attempting to catch up on all the things that I've missed, as this inevitably overwhelms me and leads to a short-lived effort. So I will begin, not at the beginning, but right smack dab in the middle of my life as it is now.
My name is Ronny Platte Ruesch. I am currently 39 years old. I have been married for 17 years to my best friend and the love of my life, Diann Loana (Young) Ruesch. We recently had our eighth child together. Malachi Kapiiohookalani Ruesch was born on March 7, 2018. He has a head full of hair and a dimple in each cheek on those rare occasions when he smiles or when he makes certain other faces.
My wife and my children are the light and the biggest blessings of my life. Although my children at times bring out the monster in me when they don't listen, they also bring out the best in me. I have, over these 17 years, become the type of leader that I never really knew if I could be. I work, sacrifice, and give of myself to provide for my family, to teach them, and to ensure that we can be together forever.
I work at Liahona Academy, a residential treatment facility for young men ages 12-18, who have found themselves in the grip of addiction (drugs, alcohol, pornography, and/or power and control). I have been there for nearly seven years now and have grown to love the work. I currently split my time between supervisory (with the boys) and administrative (in the office) responsibilities. I have worked with some outstanding boys over the years as well as some amazing staff members. My coworker and direct supervisor, Richard William May, has been my biggest advocate out there, especially since he became the Program Director at the Virgin, Utah campus. The owner of the company, and my friend of many years, Clayton AhQuin, is the one who initially gave me the job when I started there so many years ago.
This responsibility with young men doesn't end at work. For almost seven years, I was either a scoutmaster or assistant scoutmaster for our church's Boy Scout Troop. About seven months ago, I was released and called to be the Elder's Quorum President. Then almost a month ago, when they were restructuring all of the Elder's Quorums in the church, they released me and called me to be the second counselor in the new Elder's Quorum. I have thoroughly enjoyed my work with the much older young men and feel that these callings have given me an opportunity to use all of my talents to build the Lord's kingdom and flourish in ways I didn't know I could.
I hope to make an entry most days in this new journaling effort, even if it includes just a snippet of how my day went, the blessings I had that day, and the challenges I have overcome by the grace of God.
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