Mom and Porter enter Philippines

Great way to end the mission, Mom and Porter for 9 days.  To Manila, Coron and Puerto Princessa

The Happiest Week Of My Life

This was the happiest week of my life.

It started off on Monday, I got a text from Elder Cooper saying that President wanted him to call me. I thought what in the world.... Turns out it was for temple sealing from families on Coron... It was beyond description to go to the temple and enjoy all the ordinances with those families. Especially for the Jucaban family who we really labored with. They lived high on a mountain top so it was no easy task to visit their house. The father pulled me aside and told me how he quit his job at the pier (which is crazy because they are very very few safe jobs in Coron) so that he could go to church and receive the Melchizedek Priesthood. He's now started his own business that helps boats with their cargo. The spirit was so strong to be in the sealing room and watch them be sealed and then have their little kids run into the sealing room dressed in white to then be sealed to their parents. 

After loosing our investigator Peter, my Heavenly Father sent a prophecy, assuring me that the Lord would bring forth a new Peter. He truly did. Ian got baptized this week. He had been waking up at 3 in the morning to read the Book of Mormon, so that he would have a "fresh" mind when he reads. Incredible. 

Kiel also got baptized, he was the 7th day Adventist boyfriend of a member. Although he is 23 and serious with his member girlfriend, he proclaimed in his testimony after his baptism that his next goal is a full time mission for the Lord. I love him so much and am so happy for him and his testimony. 

It's been a joyful week. I know that the Lord loves us. He has perfect timing. 

Kiel and Ian's Baptism

Jucaban Family Sealing

It's going to be so hard to say good bye to all the people that I love here.  I will finish strong!

Love,

Elder Roberts 

Was that an earthquake?

Crazy week!! 

We found the coolest family this week. The Gonzaga family. The wife and daughters were baptized while in their province. The husband has just been just working here. While we were walking down the street the other day the brother called out to us and said he wants us to visit him. We said we will see what we can do :) The wife and the daughters have now moved here to Manila! We have been teaching them and they came to church as a family this week! He accepted a baptismal invite and is very humble. We have a little hard time teaching them, because are still fresh from the province they don't speak or understand too much Tagalog yet. So they usually just pray in their own dialect. 

Brother Vicente Ferrer has been doing great and said although his body is still going through difficulties after having quiet smoking that he really doesn't want to smoke any more. It's been a miracle and he really feels that he can do this! 

We were in our beds after a long day this week and we were doing a companionship prayer, and our bunk-bed started really shaking. I thought, what in the world, why is Elder Jones up there dancing messing around during our companionship prayer. But then I started looking around and it was actually an earthquake. We saw on phone from the government that there was a 5.4 earthquake in the near by province and we got the aftershock. Where we were it was only a little over 3. 

Good week this week. The Lord has really been preparing the hearts of the people. 

This is the Gonzaga family. They are really really awesome!!! Plus the Mortimers, a senior couple that used to serve here, very nice as well

Great Young Men's here

We were visiting a family when the young men came to do their rounds! Lots of fun! We love being with Elder Borilla in the threesome.  I loved hearing Spencer sing during our Skype.  He's grown up so much I can't believe it.  In our companionship we ALWAYS say "pang Spencer yan eh."  hahaha   That means that's for Spencer or something that Spencer would use.  My companions really love Spencer.  For example, we tease Elder Borilla that his tooth brush is "pang Spencer" because it looks like a baby toothbrush.  Or my haircut today, I got teased because it's "pang Spencer".  haha Funny huh?  He's so cute and I can't wait to be with him!  Miracles are really rolling forth here. I've been so blessed.  It's really poor here in my area right now and humble but they are such great people.  

The other pic is of Elder Mcauley, my old companion. He almost died but was admitted to the hospital, he had a bug or something like that. He's doing better! We got to see him there.

A Stake in Zion

I got great news this week that Puerto Princesa will now become a stake. I can't believe it and I'm so happy for all the Saints there and was blessed to serve there. President Nelson will becoming for the creation. 

Kiel is doing very very well. He had gone on vacation and we had been praying that he would be able to go to church while on vacation although we had no invited him to do so because we did not see him. Turns out while on vacation, they saw our church and felt that he needed to go. The Bishop was observant enough to see the visitors and went over to talk to them. When he found out they were from Manila he translated the whole sacrament meeting for them because in that province it was in a different dialect. Kiel really really loved his experienced there and is doing great! 

It's been a fun week, we were blessed to go to the temple today which was so nice. 

It feels so good to be part of the work here. History is being made everyday 

Skype was so fun!! It was great to see you!! I miss all of you!! It's so amazing to think about all the ripple effects of the mission. It's greater than I can even imagine. 

Love,

Elder Roberts 

4 Generations

This has been a great week and has been lots of good work. I did not get transferred, and neither did Elder Jones, but we got a new companion, Elder Borilla!! So we are in a 3some. That's my first time since the MTC. It's been fun and wasn't as hard to adjust to as I thought it would be. So far so good. Not too many people showed up to the baptism because of a stake activity but people still came and it was a powerful baptism.  

We are currently teaching 4 Generations of a family, the Duque family. We are teaching the 92 year old grandma, her 70 year old son, his 34 year old daughter, and her 13 year old son. That's a great example of a typical Filipino family. They really love to stick together with their families. The idea of moving away is pretty weird for them, they usually always come back at some point. 

Ian Bueno has been great to teach, he is really searching for the truth and is very willing to commit to baptism, read, attend church, and pray. We can work with that. 

Brother Ferrer has not smoked for 5 days now!! He can totally do it!! He's so so so so so close!! We fasted with him yesterday to help give him an extra push. He's the part member family that we have giving mentos to help him stop smoking. We will be having a family night over at their house later tonight. Should be great! 

I know that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for all his children. Even those who doesn't know that He does. 

This little guy has been awesome!! But his mom was less active when she lived in Dubai but has come back and we were able to baptize her son. We are teaching her husband Ian who is SUPER progressive and will be baptized on the 28 of this May. The Lord is really picking up the work here!! The Lord is really bringing forth a marvelous work here. 

 Elder Jones and I have the same first name. . . 

Welcome to Santa Cruz... 

Love,

Elder Roberts 

Baptism Day

It was a great baptismal service for the Navarro kids. They were so happy and clean. They had us over for milk fish yesterday night for Sunday dinner. 

Kiel (the members boyfriend) is still doing very very well. It was a great blessing to hear that he had no Word of Wisdom problems that we need to work with him on. He drinks coffee sometimes but doesn't really care about it. He said it hurts his heart anyway. 

He is awesome!

We have been really busy this week but the Lord really makes a way for amazing things to happen. It is truly his work. We get so much more from Him than we give. He's really patient with us. 

All my mission buddies

Got to go to the Sampaloc Ward and the Young Single Adult ward on exchanges. The members are super nice and I got to go eat at the Bishops house. He fried LOTS of chicken for us. It was special meal. 

We have lots of good part members in this area we have been working with. The Book of Mormon has really been a important part of my life. Our mission President has challenged us and had us promise to him and ourselves if we serious about it, to read the Book of Mormon everyday, for the rest of our lives. I know that this will keep us safe and strengthen our faith for the times ahead. 

The Navarro's were baptized this week and so many people came out to support them.

I love you all,

Elder Roberts