Querido familia,
This week was rough.
Monday we played basketball and emailed at the church. I was a
little off on 'my game' in basketball, but I blocked my companion twice, so
that felt good. We couldn't find a Yogurtland, so instead we went to this place
called Yo Way, which is like the ghetto version of Yogurtland, less choices,
but basically the same. It started to rain on Monday, which was not fun to bike
in. We came back to the apartment and got our coats so that we wouldn't get out
ties and stuff soaked. By the time we left the apartment, the rain stopped.
Ugh! Serious? Why is it whenever I put on my matrix jacket that the rain stops?
Anywho, we had a lesson with the F Family, the RC family that is trying to
go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead on the 14th of November. Hermana
F gave us pasole, which is like a soup with meat, cooked corn stuff,
veggies, you also eat tostadas with pasole. It was good, not like "wow
amazing!" But good. Have you been able to try mole yet? I bet you could
find a recipe, cause dang that stuff is good.
Tuesday was good. We had a lesson with A, W and We (part of the A family) and we taught the Plan of Salvation. It was funny
because Elder G doesn't know gospel Spanish at all, so he would just
turn and gesture to me when he forgot a word, or wanted me to talk. It was
still a good lesson. A always asks ridiculous questions that never have
anything to do with what we're are talking about.
Since it is darker now at
night, we were given permission to go and buy the needed lights to put on our
bikes to fit the requirements that the mission has. Basically I just bought
some tape and ankle reflectors, cause my bike is good. I am going to buy a
sweater though cause it gets a little chilly at night while biking. I know, I
sound like a wimp, it gets down to maybe 65 degrees and I need a sweater... Go
ahead, call me a pansy, I deserve it.
We talked to two less active members who
are sisters. One is really shy and doesn't like to be involved at all, and the
other is pretty chill, H and S are their names. We ate with the
E family which is always so good. Haha they are the ones that leave us
alone when we eat, so weird. It's even more awkward cause the humor of my
companion is different than mine, so that makes that time even more awkward. We
finally had a lesson with a recent convert, anywho, it was an interesting lesson
because turns out he can't even read, and he doesn't like his fellowshipper....
Ugh.
On Wednesday Elder Ga (my DL) came to my area to go on
exchanges. He was "born" in this area and the family that we eat with
on Wednesdays is his favorite family, ever. (R Family) Elder Ga and I
have similar humor and so the exchange was a nice relief. We stopped by
N, our Seventh-Day Adventist friend. We asked him if he had some time,
which he said no. It was funny cause we ended up talking to him on his doorway
for 40 minutes and had a prayer at the end of it. It is really hard to teach
N because basically all he believes is that the Sabbath Day is on
Saturday, not Sunday. What we are trying to do with him is have him read the
Book of Mormon and have the Book do the talking. We went to visit potentials
for days in the Jungle, which was fun. We were locked outside of an apartment
building and Elder Ga used his strap on his bag to pull the doorknob on the
other side, too bad it was for nothing cause nobody answered their doors. We
visited H and S again and started to read 'the cool stories' in the
Book of Mormon, starting with Ammon, I mean, why not. So we are slowly reading
Alma 17-19 with them. We then biked down to the boonies #timbuktuidaho to go eat
with the R family. They love Elder Ga, they made so much food it was
ridiculous. I feel that I always just want to eat so much food, but then I
never have room for more. They gave us this Mexican creme Popsicle that is
super good called.. Idk, but I will ask. It was super cold in the bike rides, I
am totally going to buy a sweater. It was a little startling when I got a
message from President Wiedman asking if I could meet with him on Thursday
after the temple session.
Thursday was different. It was the day that we were able to go to
the temple to do a session inside. It was beautiful. I loved it, and I
definitely loved the timing. I don't think the opportunity could have been
during a tougher time in my mission. During the session, I was a little preoccupied
in thinking about what President Weidman would want to talk to me about, I
figured that possibly something happened to my family, so I was worried.
This past week a dear cousin of mine passed away. His passing was
a complete blindside to me, and I was speechless when my mission president told
me. It made me quite sad to note the circumstances through which he passed
away. However, my mission president has helped me realize a very crucial fact.
The Atonement of Christ is everything. It is what allows God to bring all of
his children back into his presence. No matter what the case may be, our
perfect and loving Heavenly Father does everything he can to help bring even
one soul back to him. Because he is just, he notes the circumstances in which someone
lived, may have committed a sin, or fell away from living the commandments. He
notes the thoughts and conditions of the mind and the pure desires and intents
of our hearts. God is also loving. He has provided a way for all of those who
have passed away and may not have fully accepted the Gospel or never had the
opportunity to hear and accept it. This opportunity occurs after this life in a
place we know as the Spirit World. We know Christ preached the gospel there
after he died, and the gospel continues to be taught there. Here is where all
of our dear family members are. We feel their love for us in our lives. We
celebrate a birth of one of God's children with joy and happiness just as we
commemorate and honor their passing with sorrow and tears. In all the infinite
wisdom and power that our Heavenly Father has, he has revealed His Plan through
his called servant and prophet Joseph Smith, through whom the proper authority
and power of God, called the Priesthood, was restored. With the power and
authority of God on the earth, we can be sealed to our families for time and
all eternity. What a wonderful miracle is this!!! To have the hope and
knowledge that the relationships and tender moments we once shared with our
most beloved family members can continue to blossom after this life. I know
that families can be together forever. Although now the sting of sorrow has
touched all of us, The Atonement can help relieve the pain and help us feel the
"song of redeeming love" (Alma 5:26). I know that the Plan of Salvation
is perfect. It is God's plan. I know that one day I will see my cousin again.
Through fully accepting the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I know one day that I
will see all of my family and friends in the presence of God after this life.
Saturday I was losing my mind. Elder G basically broke the
bike that he is borrowing and complaining the whole time that the bike is
defective. Of course it is, you broke it. We had coordination finally with the
ward mission leader, he brought pizza!! It was really weird cause we didn't
even talk about our investigators. We basically wrote down their names and then
gave him the paper and left. We went to go visit our friend N again. He
said he read and marked some notes in the Book of Mormon, but he couldn't find
it, so we read from our copy. Going into the lesson, I just wanted to listen. I
have a really bad habit of trying to tell people something, without letting
them understand it for themselves. I tried really hard to listen, and I do
think that it helped the lesson. He is slowly changing. We were bold and told
him very simply: If you pray about the Book of Mormon and read with the desire
to know that it is true, then you will receive an answer that it is the word of
God, just like the Bible is. If you know this, then the LDS or Mormon church is
the only true and living church of God on the earth. We testified of how we
know the Book of Mormon is true and how we have seen it change lives.
Sunday!! Finally church came! We had the whole
A/N/E family come, that's 5 investigators at church!! J walked up to Elder G and told him that she wants him to baptize her and
A told me that she wants me to be baptize her... SWEET! Already thinking
ahead, way to go girls. Elder Ga overheard and then he joke back at me
"where do I get one that just asks me to baptize them??" It was
funny. We ate with B M and I tried to get a recipe out of her, but
mom, she was going on and on and on about what to put into freaking meatballs.
I promise I will get some recipes for you!! We then had a lesson about the
Gospel of Jesus Christ with the A gang. It was a really good lesson.
Les quiero muchísima y espero por 6 más días de viernes para
hablar con vos!
Qué tenga feliz día y semana!
Elder
Roberts
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