Dear Family,
I would definitely like
some goodies :) That sounds like it has been fun... ish, more times than not. I
don't know if the Dear Elder site works better. So on P Day (which is a
blessing given from heaven, oh goodness) helped my companion realize that the
hermana likes him. Needless to say he doesn’t feel the same way which was a
total relief. We had a long talk about how the first couple days we were very
close and were thinking of the same ideas, but then we stopped when the hermana
would pull him aside. Everything is good between us. Crazy story, ready? So we
are playing futbol (yes you know what is coming) and my district leader Elder
Davis is very good, he tricked me out and his foot smacked into my shin.... and
now it is swollen. The picture that is below is one that i took today, 3 days
after he hit me. Today while we were playing (cause thats just how I am) I nailed
my companion in the middle of his legs when trying to take a shot.... he had to
sit out for a bit. He got me back though by taking a shot on my leg, so I am
not really walking on it too much, ya. Dont worry though, I am fine :) I also
tore up my middle finger when trying to move a water jug that we put in our
casa. The jug is on this plastic shelf and when I tried to pull the jug off, I
tore up my finger on the plastic. So ya, I am the one that has been getting
hurt the worst. Esta bien
One of my roommates Elder L
(Did I tell you about him?) anyways, he was having a really rough time and was
set on leaving because he didn't feel adequate enough for the language. We
invited him and his companion Elder R to a testimony meeting that we had just
for him, I cried like a baby. Later that day we find Elder R and he tells us
that Elder Lis staying just for the CCM, not what we would hope but alright??
He told us that Elder Ls mom pretty much told him that he will not go home and
to stick it out. Well, last night Elder L told us what really happened. He
didn't feel like after our testimony meeting that he should stay (great thanks
man, just balled my eyes out for nothing) and then he had to talk with his mom
for an hour. She told him to make it at least through the CCM. He told us that
the next day (yesterday) as he was reading emails, his P Day was yesterday)
that everyone from Canada that he knew sent him a letter of support and that he
still felt like he needed to go home. Then he read an email from his sister who
is 9 years old (go get the tissues now) The email read this:
Dear Brother,
I cried when I saw that you
wanted to come home. Please don’t let Satan win, you can't let Satan win.
Love...
YA!!! crazy right? I’m
almost in tears right now just typing it. Needless to say he is going to stay
for his entire mission and will serve with all of his heart, 9 year old to save
the day WOOT WOOT!!
Crazy fact about my
district, you remember Elder Oliver?? (Clay?) Anyways, he and his companion
were the last Zone leaders for my zone, AND his district number IS MY DISTRICT
NUMBER!!! What are the odds??? I’m seriously freaked out. Everyone asked if I
felt pressure knowing that he was the last zone leader and that everyone liked
him. At first, I felt pressure. I felt pressure that if I told you guys this
that you would expect me to become a district or zone leader here in the CCM,
but then I just figured (with the help of some CCM devotionals) I don't care. I
don't care if I am in a leadership position because I am stressed out enough.
My district is full of some of the most supportive people that I know and they
would never hold anything like that over me. AND my mission is not about
becoming a zone or district leader. It is to focus on serving the people of
Peru in their native language so that those that have been prepared by the hand
of God can receive the true gospel in their lives. I started to read the L de M
and I am already in Mosiah (I'm actually behind) but my goal is to finish it
through in ingles before I leave, its gonna be pretty easy because there is a
lot of extra time on our hands. Anyways, Mosiah 15 is insane with crazy good
stuff! Idk what my favorite scripture so I will get back to you on that, if I
remember.
So cool things that have
happened at CCM devotionals:
We have had Elder Andersen
come from the quoram of the 12 apostales. He was crazy good, but hilarious at
the same time. I was so focused on his talk that I didn't write anything
down... I know!!! he actually is that tall, he is maybe like 5''8 or something,
made me feel good.
Then we have the directors
of international MTCs around the world come around the CCM and give a
devocional. They are really cool, one served his mision in Japan and He talks
really fast, which only made his jokes hilarious. Again, so focused on his talk
and his jokes that I only jotted down a coupld notas. Pero yo se it will come
in handy later on.
So we have this activity
called progressing investigador. It is when someone who we don't know only
talks in espanol. They later turn out to be our teachers in the afternoon,
which we all saw coming. Pero it was really hard to understand what Hermana was
saying. I am starting to be more confident in the language and I know that once
I have been out in Peru for a little bit, I will be able to speak fluently-ish.
I love singing in Spanish, we all sound the same. So maybe I might sing to you
guys a Navidad o something. maybe.
As we get closer to Dia de
los muertos, fireworks are going off all the time around here. It seriously is
so loud that it sounds like Armageddon has happened and has come to Mexico. The
birds here are so funny. None of them ever really fly away, except for the
green ones. There are beautiful black birds that will just hop out of the way
and know that misionarios wont harm them.
Oh and I gave talk last
Sunday which was difficult and I was able to pass the sacrament which was cool.
Let me know if I left
anything out;)
Love, Elder Roberts
Sorry, I’m going to say a couple more things
because I didn't take up my hour of writing. We played ultimate Frisbee and
lets just say that teams want me to be on their team.
I think the coolest thing
about the language is that once you learn something, so does everyone else in
your district. It helps a lot when we are trying to learn new phrases or words.
I started to write down all 450 verbs that they give us in this little red
book, I think that it will be pretty easy to memorize that many;) It’s really
weird because the latinos here are really cool and want to communicate in
ingles pero we need to talk to them in espanol at the same time. So it all
works out during lunch or when we play cage soccer. My district is hilarious.
In our classroom we have a white board that has 4 different slides, like in
seminary, and on one of them we have our district mandamientos. One of them is
thou shalt not speak mucho ingles on p day.... HAHAHAHAH. It is really funny
because in our zone we only have 2 districts, which means that we are getting
one next week and I will meet them on Thursday next week, so stay tuned for
that. We all decided to say funny things about ourselves when we are all
introduced to them. I am going to act Russian (holla) and I am going to just
say weird things and mumble, oh the story will be wonderful. Its so funny to
see all the newbies here. I feel like I just entered the CCM (oh wait I did)
and then I see how little they actually know about espanol and it makes me feel
so much better about myself. Its weird to think that after next week I will be
halfway through my stay here.
In the morning we have
teachers that help us with language or with doctrine or coaching. One of the
teachers is named Hermano Gallegos, and he is hilarious!!! My district says
that when I am trying to teach them or I just talk en espanol, I talk like Hermano
Gallegos. The other one is named Hermano Palma. I promise you he is only 5 feet
tall. He is so funny cause when we are learning phrases, he will slowly shout
them, and want us to repeat it in the same manner. Most of the time he just
makes fun of Hermano Gallegos, which is really funny. The teachers that we have
in the afternoon are also really funny. The one that we normally have has a
lisp when he speaks in ingles pero when he speaks in espanol he is crazy vast
and very articulate. Our other teacher is the Hermana. (the one he mentioned above)
One of my shirts has a
stain on it. We dry cleaned it and it is still visible, but not too bad, just
curious if there is anything else that we can do for it. The tie that I was
wearing when I stained it, well, lets just say that the bottom of the tie
doesn't look too nice, its the blue and white striped one that I took some of
my mission pictures in.
Charlie: Most people want
the testimony tie that you gave me. Trust me, I won't trade it... here.
Bryant: Almost everyone
wants your tie and even Elder Andersen said that the tie looked nice... I might
trade it;)
I am really grateful for a
lot of things this week. I am grateful that my companion doesn't make excuses
for me because I may need to use the restroom or because of my leg. I am
grateful for the food, because I am finally starting to eat most of it and
nothing bad will happen... I just cant eat the fish, it is inedible. We have
pizza night every martes and it is really good porque the slices are
ginormous!! like literally two pieces in one! so I fold and I dip it in... you
guessed it, nothing! but my companion and Elder Davis like to dip it in ranch,
what a bunch of weridos;)
Remember when I said that
the weeks here are like Harry Potter years? that’s because it feels like so
long, and yet the weeks go by so fast that it feels like we just finished
another book. Too bad that the 7th book will be for 2 days at max, such a
shame. I felt pretty awesome because when our zone was discussing what funny
things we were going to do to the next district, one of our zone leaders
mentioned acting retarded. Oh man did I respectfully put him in his place,
needless to say nobody has said that word or handicapped since then and now the
zone leader will be act like pocket himno man (he will have himnos everywhere
on him). When the new district comes, my district will act like it is our first
week here as well and act like we don't know espanol cuando they come in, it
will be very humorous.
Are friends looking at the
blog/ letters at all? I really want to know how they are doing, but if there
isn't a way for you guys to get in touch with them, then esta bien, Ok, I think
my time is up
Love ya, Elder Roberts
They wrapped him up like a cocoon to prevent any more injuries
His swollen leg....UGH...boys!!!!
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