Wallace and Grommit

My new companion is Elder Jones from Manchester England. So I've been making Wallace and Grommit jokes with him, I'll ask where the cheese is and stuff like that. I love his accent.  He is really really funny and works hard.  He played soccer as well before his mission, he's a great Elder and a convert to the church. 

Peter was supposed to be baptized this week but decided to stop by another church last week, a church notorious for destroying other churches in their services. Unfortunately, he likes it better there and decided not to be baptized. I was pretty heartbroken for Peter, he left the sure value of Gold he had for fools gold at this other church, they really teach to catch appeal of people and teach lots of things to bring down other churches and lift up theirs. I was so confused and sad for Peter who had gained a testimony of the Book of Mormon and the restored gospel but still decided not to join. We have been trying to go to his house but his kids will tell us he's sleeping but who knows. But because it's the Lords work we know our efforts have not been wasted. We have found lots of cool potential people this week though in spite of challenges. We found a cool part member family that wants to come back as family, they feels it's time, and their  teenage kids have not yet been baptized. So that will be a good lead for us! 

Here is a pic of me and Elder Jones at the Chinese Hospital.  We were asked to give this little primary girl a blessing who is having stomach problems.

 

It's the hot season here and it's a really big blessing that with the new missionary schedule. we study during the hotter parts of the day .  

Well, we are going to watch Moana today for our district activity so that will be really fun.  This is possibly my last transfer here in Santa Cruz, but you can never be too sure.  Things are going really well!  I love you all and thank you for your emails and support and prayers.

Love,

Elder Roberts 

Transfers this week

Today is  Elder Bolnick's last day in the mission. I will get my new companion on Wednesday, I do not yet know who that is!! But I'm excited to see! Sorry so short, more next week!

My post meal stance

Liberty to the Captives

This week has been lots of ups and downs and really hot! Gotta love it! 

Sadly, we taught the Espiritu family again, and they did not have a good experience at church. They noticed, "All the members were on their phones while other members bore there testimonies... That's not what we should do in the house of the Lord...". NOOOOOOO were so sad. That was a whole family that we thought was golden did not really enjoy church... Since then, they have been kinda hiding from us having "headaches" and not being able to answer the door. We will not give up on them and we can still salvage it for sure! It can still happen but it will be an uphill battle. 

On the other hand, my spiritual experience this week was teaching the Sonorio Family. We had taught the wife and kids a few times at a member's house but the father always refused to join us. He's an abusive man and has anger problems and did NOT like that we teaching his family. This week we decided to go back to teach them. When we went over there the wife with scared eyes mouthed, "Not now, my husband is here." But Elder Bolnick, who has no fear, stuck his head in and talked to the dad again. Elder Bolnick was trying to reason with him to let us teach them as a family even for just 15 minutes... The dad kept saying his head was hurting and he had to go to work but then he finally let us come in. We went in and taught about a sacred place, called the temple. We talked about "The Family, A Proclamation To The World". As if his stony heart was struck by the staff of Moses, he let the message sink into his soul. He then blurted out, "I get you now, I get your church, that's actually way better than ours, which is more on the individual". Then he told us he wanted to come to church as a family... And they did! I'm so grateful for Elder Bolnick's boldness and the spirit that filled our mouths and softened that heart of that man. It was an unbelievable miracle. I now understand now what Elder Bednar was referring to when he compared Moses splitting the Red Sea and having that same spirit with us TODAY. To me, this man's pride giving way to the spirit is just a big a miracle to me as Moses crossing the Red Sea on dry ground. The spirit filled their home. His wife was beaming. She gave the closing pray in tears and she thanked the Lord for softening her husbands heart. 

As you can see, if was definitely lots of different things going on this week! Even with the Espiritu family, if it's not their time now, but can still be in the coming months or years. 

I'm grateful that our Father in Heaven sees from eternity to eternity and is mindful of all His children, being no respecter of persons. 

I'm grateful that the Savior lives and that he loves us.

Love,

Elder Roberts 

When an investigator beats everyone to church

It's been an exciting week! Peter told us for the first time he feels that he has truly received an answer from Heavenly Father regarding the Book of Mormon. He told he KNOWS it's true, then he requested baptism... So he's doing great! His wife actually joined us for one of the lessons but just kinda hid in the back. 

We had a Chinese member give us some a nice duck to eat after our fast yesterday.

We taught the Espiritu family a few days ago. They are the coolest family. We met the mom washing clothes by a members house and we asked when her husband would be home. She said the next day so we came back and he is super friendly as well. One by one, their kids started to flow into their house, they have 6 little kids but lots of cousins. So we were able to teach their whole family about the temple and we told them we were looking for families to teach. They loved the message and their family was the first family at church on Sunday, they beat all the members there and waited to have someone open the gates! Then the mom and the dad and all their 6 kids went and waited in the chapel for church to start! It was awesome to have them there on fast Sunday to hear testimonies of other members and they really seemed to enjoy it!  

Santa Cruz is cool area and we are meeting with lots of cool members and have some great lots of potential here with these families. We had to drop Norma, even though they are 80+, her husband got jealous of us and didn't want us coming by... Interesting. But lots of doors have been opening up and it's a good time to be a missionary. 

Love,

Elder Roberts

Peter, the Rock

This week has been a powerful week.

I have heard great news from the other missionaries when I saw them at a special meeting we had with Elder Bednar. Fred, the recent convert from Makati 3rd ward, defender of the faith, was walking down the street and saw a street rally for people who didn't believe in God and he stood in front of them all and bore his testimony of God, and then the Book of Mormon, and then rallied others to do the same. Apparently he ran quickly and got lots of people to come and gather! 

Also the Elders in Santa Monica told me that Charlyna, got baptized. I was so proud of her and glad to see that she was baptized.

In our area, Peter, the rock, has been doing great and is doing very well to live the word of wisdom. His wife is still hiding from us and his kids are VERY shy. But Peter has now felt that he can commit to a baptismal date! We are sad that the rest of his family is not quite on board yet, but this is the best way to start, with the head of the household first. We will watch the Restoration video with him tonight and we know it will be powerful, we will try and get his wife to join us again... 

We are also working with brother Ferrer... He is wanting to be baptized and at this point is just working on the Word of Wisdom, he is down to one stick a day... and he really really wants stop. We are doing what we can for him and we bought him lots of Mentos so that while he rides his Tricycle around he will eat those and not smoke!! 

This is from our picnic after our temple trip last week... 

We found some nice shade, got some food from the patron house and 

enjoyed spirit of the Temple grounds. 

I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I know Elder Bednar is an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. The Savior lives and atoned for us. We need to use our agency well. 

Go to the temple as often as you can, they need us, and we need them.

Love,

Elder Roberts 

Shortest Email thus far. . . (Mom titled this one)

Got a new companion. We were really shocked! 

I'm with Elder Bolnick for his last transfer...

Peter came to church yesterday and loved it!! 

We are trying to do daily finding... Life is good

Love,

Elder Roberts 

last zone conference