Week 10 (or week 1 in the CLAM)

My first area is called Inglewood. My companion is named Elder Wheelwright from Oklahoma and he went to college to wrestle at OU. So as I got off the plane, I see the 3 APs and then I met the President, he is a wonderful man. While we were waiting for the President to attend to business before we left the airport, the APs and I started to talk to people there. After that, the President took me to the mission office to do orientation and meet my companion. The mission office is by the visitor center at the LA Temple. 

I saw Elder Low, Bingham kids yes this is Jaxon Low, and we chatted for a bit which was fun. (Sharlene Nauta is also in this mission for anyone else from Bingham). His new comp is my companions old comp. 

Then they told me that I am taking a driving test to see if we will have a car or not. ARE YOU KIDDING?? I hate driving, but apparently I am good at it and I am driving in LA on my first day in the mission. 

I am starting my mission where I left off, in the middle of a transfer, so there we go:) I haven't gone to the apartment yet or anything besides driving and cleaning the car so far. 

If anyone wants to send packages address them to Elder Jacob H. Roberts, just so that we don't run into any snags. Everybody seems way nice here, except the drivers, but they'll learn;) Well I will definitely study the language this week and have more exciting and inspirational news next week. Hope everyone's week goes well.

Love you guys,

Elder Roberts

The Call

As many of you know, Elder Roberts has been home recovering.  While in Peru he become very sick and was sent home on a medical release. We had a lot of blood, samples and test run to see what was the cause.  It was found that he had contracted C-Diff, a highly contagious intestinal disease.  This was either contracted through a person preparing a meal and not washing their hands before (in Elder Roberts area, the water turns off at noon) or while he was being check out in the hospital, or a serious reaction to the medication he was given at the hospital for the Peruvian bug.  No matter what or who caused it, it wasn't nice. Through medication, prayers, and lots of faith, Elder Roberts received all his letters of clearance to return to the mission field.  

Tuesday, we received a phone call saying they had reassigned him to serve in the California Los Angeles Mission (C.L.A.M), Spanish speaking and leaving Monday morning early. He is very excited to return to serve our Heavenly Father.  

Week 9

So I was sick this last week. That is why I was in the office in Lima. I think I am better now. I asked them about the packages and they said that they sent them out and that if a package has come for me, that I will get it this week. We have a mission card that is our budget for the month, I don’t think that I can buy a blanket, but it’s starting to be really hot, so I’m ok.

This week was incredibly uneventful, because I was sick for like the whole week. Mom, don’t worry, I am fine. I totally wrote down my experience in my journal and you can read it when I am done with my mission. Mom, don’t worry, don’t freak out. I am having a hard time focusing because I am in so much pain. I think they are going to give me painkillers or something, but my whole body hurts. I will try my best to try and get through this.

That is funny about Jake. I realize that nobody really knows my address because I told them what it is for everyone else, guess I am just special... I am glad that Jake has been trying to contact me, because to be honest, I haven’t really been trying to contact other people.

I’m sorry that this letter isn’t as long as the others, its just that nothing has really happened this week that is worth writing home about. I am trying to be more positive, but it is incredibly difficult. I hope you all know that I love you and know that I try to do everything so that I wont be ashamed of what I do.

I think that we get to talk for 40 minutes on Christmas or we can try to skype, it is whatever we want to gamble on. I think that there is also a practice call thing on the 22, but Ill give you more details the closer that it gets.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Love, Elder Roberts

Week 8

Elder Roberts is having a hard week.  Any prayers and positive thoughts in his behalf would be a great blessing.  

He did leave with a scripture:

D & C 90:11

"For it shall come to pass in that day, that every man shall hear the fulness of the gospel in 

his own tongue, and in his own language, through those who are ordained unto this power, 

by the administration of the Comforter, 

shed forth upon them for the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Week 7

Hello Family!

I don't have much time and this keyboard is extremely sticky so I am sorry if this is like hieroglyphics for you. Pisco is a huge area, I am not by the coast, Pisco is by the ocean, but I am in a desert, it kinda sucks, but hey, its my mission so I will live with it.

Craziness right, my very first lesson was with this lady and she was breastfeeding, just ooop! like that. So needless to say that is how most lessons are, breastfeeding mothers. I think I have had 5 lessons without breastfeeding. The food here is good, I am starting to get the bug, but its fine, its like it was in the CCM, except toilets don't work here past noon. With boxes you send them to the office, but on the BOX part, not the address, put Pisco, because that is my zone. Most of the food goes like this, breakfast we have rolls with egg or ham, with this drink that is like oatmeal without the chunks, disgusting. Lunch is always rice, chicken with bone, and surprise. One time they had noodles that were COATED in pesto, nastiness but alright. I cannot finish a lunch meal to save my life, they give us so much food!!! I am known as the missionary with the tiny stomach, its ok.

I am in a ward with 150 members this past Sunday!!! our goal is 200 so that will take a while. I have figured out some weird things about Peru. The dogs are either strays, abused, pregnant, sleeping, or cute. Always a combination of 2 but most of the time combo of 3. There was a funeral, but the people threw beer bottles at the casket, it was weird cause it happened on the catholic road. Here we have roads that different religions are centered, we have just the catholic road and the testigos de jehovah road. Needless to say the catholic road is alright, but the other is crazy. I saw them trying to preach, they were wearing hats, old OLD clothes, and were just .... extrano. Wedding was fun, I will put pictures if I have time. There is this lady that we contacted, who I think is technically my first investigador and her name is Paula. She is golden. The members here in Peru are mostly women, we had 6 people in Elders Quoram, including 4 Elders.

I don't think we do anything for Thanksgiving, because its an American Holiday (winky face) but its all good. I am getting frustrated a lot and it is bugging me because its only my first week. I am having lots of problems with falling asleep after lunch, not during lessons or anything, but I am just tired. Trying to be better. I am also thinking of buying a blanket because I sleep with a hoodie and my socks because it is cold in the morning. I got a tie that has a llama on it, its awesome. I have lived off of yogurt and peanut butter for my dinner, es lo maximo, not! My companion is always chastising me about not being able to teach, because I can understand Spanish, I cant ever explain how I am feeling because he doesn't know english well enough and I don't know Spanish well enough. The people here talk really fast and really quite. I cannot hear them at all!! but I guess they say that I am better than most of the gringos that come because I actually talk, its weird. I am baptizing an hermana on Saturday, its kinda crazy. I really need something to be able to help me belt, because nobody knows what to do.

Well, sorry for cutting off, but I have to go do stuff.

Love you

Elder Roberts

Extra Sweetness

This is a letter he wrote, I'm assuming while he was meeting with his Mission President.

Week 6

Ok, let me see how much I can write in 40 minutos.

I love all of you guys. Charlie and Emily, congrats and looking amazing in that awesome pic, es lo maximo (its the best) thats the most common phrase here in Peru. My companion is Elder P and he is shorter than me!!! hahahaha, anyways we are in a city south of Lima called Pisco. TBH you havent seen people who are poor until you have seen Peru. Leterally our apartment is the best and we cant flush a toilet in the afternoon, because the water doesnt work. I am able to download pictures when I write you guys, but I havent taken any pictures yet, sorry. The dogs here are so weird. Imagine all types of dogs, but with no hair to incredible sparce hair. It is crazy. Elder L was in my district back in the CCM and I helped him with Spanish, he was kinda weird TBH because he thought that he could "read me" hahaha oh it was hilarious. The flight here was fun, I talked to a guy in Spanish for like 4 hours, cause I slept the first hour and after we just waited for a long time. We started talking because he was curious as to what Elder meant. We talked about temples because his cousin is a member and he wasnt allowed in the wedding and was wondering why. I told him that what goes on in the temple is sacred and instead of being married until death do you part, you are married for time and all eternity, how wonderfulo is that? Anyway he was a catholic who believed that God is the universe so that was weird and I wasn't the best teacher cause it was hard to communicate in spanish. I think that once I get into the routine here in Peru and after I know where things are, I will be able to go crazy on the language. You would be surprised how much I actually understand, the only problem is that I cannot talk to people. I cannot communicate my feelings the way that I want to. The first night we stayed in a hotel that was super nice, then the next day we woke up around 5 to go to a meeting with the Mission President, President Douglas. He is way chill and I am grateful for the two things that he is stressing in the mission: exact obedience and the atonement. Everyday we read with our companions a scripture about the atonement and it is awesome. It is extremely hot here. The first food that I tried was the breakfast that I had this morning, it was interesting. It was 3 rolls with bologna in them and this oatmeal like drink, extremely hot, but not chunky like oatmeal. I actually liked it. Our lunch today was chinese food, a lot of it that only costs like 4$ in America for 3 plates of food, crazy, i didn't finish it was so much. I tried Inca cola for the first time, it is one of 4 drinks that I can drink here: water, inca cola, coca cola, and the oatmeal thingy. I am probably going to get a bug because I can never use a bathroom!! there isn't a place that has a working toilet past noon, terrible. We have to fill a bucket of water and flush our toilets, so fun.... ya. My companion el lo maximo, he knows a lot of english and he will help me with learning spanish. One of my zone leaders made me a little mad today during our meeting because he came over and asked if I was tired, I said yes and he told me kinda snarky "get over it". I have a good attitude about most stuff, but when someone was new like me and says that, just a little frustrating. I am sorry that all of this is just one giant paragraph, but the cubicle that I am writing in is so tiny, everything here is tiny. I have to duck to miss hitting my head when coming downstairs to bruch teeth or eat or study, ME!!!! ya crazy. The people seem that they are nice and this weekend we are attending a wedding I think and I think my companion has already set up a baptism on the 3rd of December. We are in the desert, it is so crazy, I am going to be so dusty its almost hilarious. Mom, you would freak out about how dusty everything is and how many cookarachas there are. When you are sending a package, address it to the zone in Pisco, I will be here until february so its ok for you to send something. I dont know what I need because we can order garments which I will eventually need. Everything is in spanish which is good, but it is driving me crazy. I really wish that I could just understand, but I know that it will come with time in the mission field. It is a little different with the schedule, but thats ok. Ya, que mas... que mas.... I could use some socks... but I'll let you know later. I am really grateful for all that you guys do for me. It is extremely different here than in Utah, like driving wise, if you don't try to cut people off, you get honcked at. It is literally crazy, grampy would say "guy" at everyone, so that always goes into my head. The verbs are normal words though! like to clean, to lift, to break, to breathe, to think, every normal word in a dictionary guys, nothing new from me... come on;)

Let me know if I forgot anything

Love you tons and bunches

Elder Roberts