Week 65: running like chickens and a Tarde Blanca

SO this week was eventful because of the paintball activity that our zone had right after writing you guys last week. It was a blast and our district--Elder Sullivan, Elder Vazquez, Elder Hernandez, Hermana Cronin and Hermana Laz and I took home the trophy (although we didn’t have a trophy) we won 3 of the 4 games we played-- so we slayed it. I did a good job I got close to being MVP as I had some good hits but my comp took that, he did really good, he had the other district running like chickens with their heads cut off! I did get hit a couple of times on my leg but those are my only war scars. After that we all headed back and Elder Vazquez and I got ready for the week. 

The week went rather well, we had a Stake activity planned which is called a Tarde Blanca which is an activity where we plan a bunch of baptisms in the same building at the same time. Before I talk about that I want to tell about interviews with president. The interviews went well and President offered me some counsels for the zone, one of which is to bring up our numbers of new investigators we find as we need to prepare for the coming months and the baptisms there. SO I commented on the Tarde Blanca and he told  me that this is the reason we need to better prepare for the months to come. He says it is wonderful that we have so many baptisms, but we need to have them continually. So those are the expectations I have for the next weeks. President also gave me a little hint I believe in to the next change. He told me that I may have a new companion and that it isn’t one hundred percent, but it is what he feels the Lord is indicating him. 

This last Saturday we had 6 baptisms for the Tarde Blanca. The Stake had some fun with it and did an activity. It was a type of open house and they took everyone who came and the investigators for baptism to the different classes and taught them what would happen and what we do there. It was a great experience. I would say they had a good time and that it was a good spiritual experience. Hopefully it will be something that they remember for the rest of their lives.

love you guys! 

have a great week and I hope you can enjoy conference!

Our zone played some Paintball last monday. We each paid about 225 limps  to play. It was fun! 

We played the game of paintball at a place called Las Casitas it is really close to the temple.

This is Hermana Cronin and Elder Guerrero is in the back making the funny face.

Week 64:multi-zone presentation and facials

Elder Vazquez and I getting facials while teaching the gospel to a Beauty Lady.  XD

So this last week we had a multi zone conference. I was assigned to talk about weekly and daily planning. It might have been a boring presentation except Elder Vazquez and I had the amazing idea to put in some good memes that related to our subject. We put a very good twist on it. We spoke of the love that we need to plan. We emphasized that if we plan for our investigators without love we can do nothing. Anyway, President did like the twist and later talked about it. I feel our message went over well. President was very happy. We took some photos together as a zone in front of the temple after the meeting. 

Later that day Elder Vasquez and I went with an investigator. She is a beauty lady, so she does nails and facials and stuff like that. She decided that she would give us missionaries a discount, so Elder Vazquez decided that we would do it. It was a very good idea! I got my nails fixed finally and Elder Vazquez and I did a facial that cleaned our pores all while we spoke about the gospel. It was kind of a weird experience, but also the only way to talk and teach her really. She is always working. She enjoys the message but is a little closed to us because she goes to a different church. She likes us because we can make her laugh. I feel little by little we will be opening her up to the gospel. 

So news on Ruben... It was so awesome getting his email that he is preparing to receive a mission call! He said in his email that it would be funny if it was to Las Vegas, Nevada! It would be crazy if it was, but also very wonderful if it actually happened. He hasn’t returned my email yet, so I’ll be waiting just like the rest of you. 

On a spiritual note I was reading in Mosiah and I came across something interesting. Abinadi begins to recount Isaiah and he says how beautiful are the feet who proclaim the gospel and the like and then later in the 27 or 28 chapter Mormon is talking about the Sons of Mosiah and says that the prophesy was fulfilled through their much affliction. 

I think it interesting the state of Abinadi, he is a prophet who is about to be put to death for saying what the Lord wanted him to say, I would be a little upset in this moment. I think I would definitely be caught saying, “now why does this have to happen to me? I did what you wanted Lord. Why?” But Abinadi stands tall and holds strong to his testimony and knows that Lord has a plan. Then he is put to death and he never gets to see the fruit of his labor. But to think Alma, one of King Noah’s priests later converts to the gospel and goes and preaches and because of his son the sons of Mosiah are once again turned to the Lord because of their iniquities. Abinadi never saw this, but he knew the Lord had a plan. 

Most times we can’t see or know the Lords plan but we must be confident that he knows so that we can do all things!

love you guys have a good week! 

This is our zone. We tried to coordinate and all matched on purpose today.  The sisters are Hermana Perez, Velasquez, Rojas Cronin and Laz and the elders are Sullivan, Mesa, Vazquez, ME, Hernandez, Frodsham, Rocha (the one by the sisters) and then Kashima, Guerrero, and Jimenez. Elder Zachreson took our picture.

Remember Elder Valdez from my Juticalpa Zone? He was serving in Guayape with Elder Garcia.

Elder Giraldo and I in front of the Tegucigalpa Temple after the multi zone meeting. President loved our presentation and my new suit! lol

Elder Giraldo is enjoying his mission and says he can't wait until we get together in a zone again. We were companions in Campamento, my first area in the Juticalpa Zone and then we both ended up in the Bulevar Zone when I was in Nueva Captiale.

Week 63

Nahara Angelee Del Cid Lanza was baptized on March 10th!
(I am wearing a jumpsuit because I loaned my white clothes in Juti and never got them back.)

I want to explain a little bit more of last weeks letter and expand. I was really short on time to write you guys. The meeting with Elder Quentin L. Cook was the highlight of the week last week. His words truly have affected my mission and the importance of love in this work is of the utmost importance. It spoke to me on large levels. He told us not to just love the people, but to love your companion, your mission president, and the Lord. He spoke of some of his moments on his mission and the effect they had on his life. His examples taught me how important my mission is and the effect it will have on my life even after I am home. It’s an interesting thought. I loved his witness and testimony of the Savior. It touched me so strongly that I know the Savior truly lives, and he directs our church and guides us in these the latter days. 

This week was good too. We had the baptism of Nahara to complete it and the confirmation both were very good experiences. Nahara had a good experience and asked me to baptize her and enjoys Primary on Sunday. I’m very happy for her and her mother who we reactivated. 

I had a very good experience in my personal study about spiritual gifts this week and finding out that all of the gifts are based on love. It helped testify of the words of Quentin L Cook and the importance of love in the work and in the world today. I hope and pray I can obtain more love for the people, my companion, my mission president, and the Lord because this is what makes us effective tools in the Lords hands, if we have love. The lord has blessed me a lot and the people I’ve had contact with even more for my service, and I hope I can grow even more this week as I have to give a presentation tomorrow for a multi zone conference. Wish me luck and that I can have the spirit with me so that I can help these other missionaries learn something new. I realize now I don’t have much time to write anymore, but I hope its sufficient and that I can help the Lord with my service.

Love, Elder Roberts 

I had this suit made by a member tailor here in Country.  He is another ward and I don't know his name but he made it for me for about 75$ and it only took him about a week to do. I got it just in time for my presentation tomorrow. :)

It was Elder Rocha's birthday on Friday and we had a little celebration for him at the church in Country

This is Elder Sullivan on Friday before Elder Rocha's bday party.

This is Elder Rocha.

A chocolate Lava Cake at Denny's! It was super good as well as an ultimate omelette. Crazy thing...the whole order only cost about 12 bucks.

Elder Vazquez had a run in with Colonel Sanders and I had to take care of the situation.

our district with the colonel

I found Pokémon cards for my sisters

Dear Sydnee and Sophie,

I was walking and found these Pokémon cards and thought of you guys. So I might send them in the package in March. But anyway... you want to know how much they cost me? Each package costs 20 cents here. In the States they cost like five bucks. I was with my comp and I was just like well, I'm going to buy some of these, and I'm going to open them and see whats cards are in them. Are ya jealous that I can buy Pokémon cards for 20 cents in Honduras? I bought 30 cards for about sixty cents, so yeah... I'M LIVIN' IT!!!

Week 62

This week was really cool and was a lot of fun. We started the week off scheduling a baptismal date for the 10th of this month, which is this Saturday. The girl we are going to baptize is Nahara. Her mom is a member and her dad is nowhere to be found (sad story really), but Nahara is 9 almost 10 and wants to be baptized. We are teaching her and it’s really cool to witness because she is like a sponge for the doctrine, its really cool.

We then had other visits with some possible baptisms for this month also or maybe next month with a girl named Nazareth (10) and her older sister Rebbeca (16). Their parents aren’t members but some of their siblings are. We are going to try and teach and baptize the rest of the family. Our visits are a lot of fun as the two of them are so-o funny and they like the messages as well. They are really “goldens” as we sometimes call investigators. 

On Wednesday we helped move the sister’s house, and on Thursday I had interchanges with Elder Sullivan. We had fun and helped his area a bit with some members and set a new baptismal date. 

Friday was our district meeting and we talked about some activities to plan for the zone and the like, so we will be having some fun this change, I think.  

Hey- I found Pokémon cards for cheap. 60 cards for 60 cents! My sisters will be jealous! Don’t worry I’m sending them home to you. 

Saturday was the highlight of the week. Our meeting with Elder Quentin L Cook was a great experience and I learned a lot. He was very emotional and left us a very special blessing that I will treasure and left us with some counsels for the work which is, 1) Love your companion 2) love the people 3) love your mission president and 4) love the Savior. Elder Cook bore a very powerful witness of the Savior and the work of the Lord, and taught us to be the missionaries all of you think we are. 

There is not too much time to write this week but I’ll sum up with what I felt on Saturday. I know the Savior lives, I know it through spirit I felt in that meeting with Elder Cook, the testimony of one of the Lords Apostles, one of His living apostles is a witness of that fact. 

I hope you all have a good week! I’ll answer picture questions more next week. Sorry Mom I don’t have time today. I love you guys! keep truckin’

keeping busy as a companionship. Elder Vazquez is awesome!

Elder Giraldo (my trainer or "dad") with his companion

Elder Navarro (my son!)

Elder Mattson

 This pictures of me on the ground is because I found Carpet! It is so rare. And Mom- you don't have to put in the picture of the dead dog. The dead dog is another weird/sad story that happened on the same day as our meeting with Elder Cook. We saw the dog get run over.  All of the action and sounds are ingrained in my head. 

Pokémon Cards (20 cents a pack)