Weekly Letter
Monday was a good day. We tried to set plans with some of the
other elders in our zone, but that failed. So we ended up playing sports with
Elder D and Elder F. They are the other elders in the district. We
played basketball and soccer, and I was having a really off day. It was pretty
funny though because at the end when Elder D and I were on the same team
playing soccer, I had an open shot on goal. Elder S then dove on his side
to try and block the shot with his back, but instead of kicking it, I held on
to it. I tapped it around him then smacked it in. We were all amazed and
laughing that Elder S dove and slid to block it, but it was funny that I just
walked around him and smacked it in. We then had a FHE with a Samoan family.
The husband is A (member) and his wife is B(non-member / Buddhist).
Their two kids, a boy and a girl, are both baptized and incredibly active. The
kids go to church but the dad doesn't. They are only 10 and 9!!! Their mom,
B, does support them because she knows that it makes them happy. What
we are trying to do is to slowly get the dad active so that way the spirit is
more in their home and Bambi's heart will slowly be softened. We read in The
Book of Mormon with them and then they gave us ice cream. After we had
originally a lesson with the C family, but they canceled on us.
Tuesday was just a crazy busy day for us. We started off with NMO
3 which is the training in which the new missionaries (Elder S) get their
IPads and we have trainings for 3 hours. I went to it last transfer with Elder
L and it was cool, so I knew what the trainings were about and other
missionaries are starting to remember me and call on me more. It was funny
cause the missionaries who are now the Zone Leaders are either friends from
high school, or past companions, or missionaries whom I've served around, so
it's really fun to see them. During NMO 3 you switch companions for the
training, so I was with a missionary named Elder M from Japan. His
companion is Elder C, the other DL who we share District Meeting with, so
it was fun to be with him. It was really sad because the iPad wouldn't work
with his missionary codes and stuff so they told him that they would get him
another one later. I had to explain to him that because he is from Japan and
not from USA or Canada, the iPad he will be using is a loaner iPad, not his,
and that he would have to give it back at the end of his mission. We then went
to go and visit A and S F, they are a mother and daughter
duo. A, the mom, told us that she would prepare to be baptized on the
10th with her daughter. She also said that she told her brother, who is the
only other member in the family that Stephanie was being baptized and that she
wants it to be a surprise that she is being baptized (hey, whatever helps
motivate her to keep going, and come on, it's adorable). We ate dinner at the L's and man, does Sister L cook! We walked in and the
table was filled with food! I thought that her kids were going to come and eat,
but no, she prepared for us and her husband. There were ribs, wings, chicken
salad, rice, rolls, taro... Everything! I was so full, I only had 1 plate cause
the food was so filling! Elder S ate a lot... Like a lot. It was even more
crazy when she gave us leftovers and then gave us laundry detergent, mouth
wash, and Mr. Good bars! Samoan members I tell ya, wow. We had a lesson
scheduled with the C family and it's really sad because we haven't been
able to meet with them as often as we would like, but we are not losing hope on
them!
Wednesday was an ok day. We had a lot of lessons planned for the
day, but when we called to confirm them, all of them canceled on us. We then
decided to go and visit less actives and recent converts. We first read with
M. He is the nephew of our WML and he moved to Arizona, but then moved
back. We talked with him for a bit and read in the Book of Mormon with him. It
was so nice, he gave us donuts, muffins, a bean burrito, just kept giving us
food basically hahaha. We then decided to go and visit a recent convert that I
have never met before. While trying to knock on her door, there were two
entrances, the gate, and the car entrance. The gate was locked but it seemed
like the car entrance was open. I started to pull on the gate for the entrance
when WHHOOM! A HUGE pit bull came running straight at us and I quickly hurried
to shut the gate. Yes it looked mean and Elder S was making fun of me
saying that I almost got us killed. Well, we decided that we probably couldn't
enter into the house, so we went to the neighbors house, which is a less active
family. We met the daughter and she told us at her family has a business in
Provo for selling Mexican candies and food down there, so that is why they
haven't been coming to church. The mom made us help wrap some of the Mexican
candy apples and that was fun. She told us that they weren't spicy (remember
she is from Mexico) and after I explained everything, she still made me eat one
hahaha. Yes, it was spicy, but it was also super sweet! We picked up our dinner
from the church and ate it there. Look for a picture, I know, all of my
pictures right now are just of food, but I accidentally left my camera in my
last area and they still haven't gotten it back to me yet. We had coordination
after and it was such a crazy event. One of the Hermanas wasn't feeling too
well so right as we began talking to our WML our branch president walked in and
said "Elders, a sister isn't feeling well and we need you to give her a
blessing" within seconds the sister was in and we sat her down in a chair.
One of the elders asked her for her name, but she was in so much pain that we
just decided to give her a blessing by calling her Hermana and then her last
name. During the prayer she started to calm down. 911 was called, and we and
the other elders waited outside to flag down the ambulance. It was even more
sad because people didn't know what was going on, so when the youth went
outside, the hermana's daughter did too. When she saw her mom she started to
cry hysterically. I was so shocked, I didn't know what to do. But that's when
the South Gate branch came in because they really know what it means to be a
family. Two relief society sister took the daughter to the side and started to
calm her down while everyone was making room for the medics. All in all we
found out that she was having really bad acid in her stomach, but she felt pain
in her heart and her left arm, so that's why everything was very serious
because, you know, heart attack.. Stroke, ya. So that's what ended the night...
Yay......
Thursday was a crazy day. Normally we have our weekly planning
around 12-3 but because we had some set appointments, we decided to do it
earlier around 10-1. Planning was so much easier because now Elder S has
his IPad! We finished planning and then went to go get lunch. After that we
visited with L and hermana P. L has been reading and praying! It
was cool because hermana P told us more about herself and how she come to
know about the church and eventually baptized. The crazy thing about it is that
her name is S P, if she takes her husband's last name. That translates
to holy shepherd in Spanish. So whenever she has friends or family visit the
church and all of us call her and her husband the 'Pastors' they all think that
they are the owners of the church. How Hermana P came to know the church
is amazing.
Friday I went on exchanges with Elder M, one of my ZLs. We had
originally planned to go in exchanges with Elder F and Elder D so
Elder S planned the day for him and Elder F. When the ZLs called
though, they said that I was staying in my area with Elder M... So I had to
use the plans that Elder S basically made cause I had him do the whole day
because he was going to be doing them, right. I also had to give the training
at DM and that was a little stressful, not because the other Elders would make
fun of me (which they would because we are all chill) but because I really
wanted it to be good. The exchange started and we didn't have any set
appointments. We contacted for days, but saw so many miracles. We visited M G and visited with her for a while. We also found a family of 4 that we
just started to talk to! It was really cool. Our dinner appointment told us to
meet at the church (Samoan) and so we went there next. It was really awkward
because I don't know any of the members and Elder M surely doesn't so when
I saw a sister walking towards us with some food, I happily introduced myself,
but then she told us that the food was inside and drove off.
So I forgot to write the rest of the week... Just cause we have
been busy with everything, but I'll do better next time:)
Love,
Elder
Roberts
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