Monday, October 26, 2015

The Gospel really does change lives

It was a really good week. We were contacting this week and we knocked on the door and a lady peeked out her window and asked us what we were doing, we told her we were missionaries and she asked us to share a message with her, so we shared about the restoration and about the family, it was a really good lesson, but the best happened at the end. She said that she would say the closing prayer and as she said it she started to cry and thanked God for sending her two angels to teach her the truth. We were both a little stunned. We went back two days latter, she had read the pamphlet we had given her and her boyfriend (theyre in the process of getting married) was there as well. We asked her why she had said those words in her prayer and she started to tell us how she was born in a catholic family but never believed that it was true, then she had listened to the jehovahs witnesses for three years but afterward she felt like she was more confused than ever. She stopped looking for a while until she and her boyfriend started to feel the need to find God, so she told us she prayed to ask God to help her know what to do.....and we showed up a day later. This is not one of those lame missionary stories that we hear about all the time, this really did happen, it was amazing. Both of them are reading and praying and went to church. It never ceases to amaze me that God can take two 20 year old kids that are wandering around hoping to find somebody and can put them in the exact right place and the exact right time.

Another miracle, We have an investigator that has gone through hell. He is an ex alchoholic, he has no money, he has no education, he has nothing. When we found him he was completely lost and we honestly didnt think he was going to progress, he just seemed like the million other people that are in trouble and that tell us they need Gods help until they realize that it takes a little effort on their part so they stop listening to us. But he's not, he is completely different. He has gone to church for 4 months, he has cleaned his house, he stopped smoking, drinking, his "friends" make fun of him and tell him hes an idiot for listening to us but he just lets it go and walks away, he has bought new clothes so that he can go to church and got a job so he can progress in life. And yesterday he paid his tithing. 

In the mission we have the opportunity to see people that have lost themselves in the lies of the world. They have hit rock bottom, and that really feel like it can never be okay again. We find them, and we teach them, and if they will apply the gospel that we teach them (that Christ Himself taught) in their lives they really do change. They. Really. Do. Change. God gives us as missionaries the opportunity to see with out own eyes, His hand in the lives of His children as He lifts them up, dusts em off, and carries them to where He wants them to be. Christ carries each and every one of them, and us, out of hell. The gospel has to be true because nothing that I do or say can change and save people like I have seen this message change and save people over and over again. 

Elder Roberts

Monday, October 12, 2015

Family who was baptized a year ago was Sealed in the Temple this week

It was a good week. I'm studying a lot, a lot, to try and help me not "die" on the mission. Haha I'm not gonna lie with only six weeks left it is hard to keep me focused. 

I have been studying a lot about the church, about Jesus Christ, about the Book of Mormon, and about the prophets that God has ordained. 

Something I love and I would like to share about the mission is that the mission really does give us a new purpose, a new sense of who we are and what we are doing. As my time in the mission gets shorter every day I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to be here, not because it has been fun, haha because it hasn't, not because it has been easy, because it hasn't, but because it has helped me to mold me into who I want to be. 

I am grateful to my God for what He has given me, I am grateful that in His mercy He has carried me through some of the hardest trials of my life here in the mission, I am grateful that I have come to know Him as my Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I am grateful that I have gained a stronger testimony not only of them but of the divinity of the work of the Lord. I am grateful for families and for priesthood, and that God has made it possible to live forever as families. The Family C. got sealed on Saturday,  I don't have the pictures yet, but soon. 

I am grateful.

Elder Roberts



Monday, October 5, 2015

Pres Monson is a prophet of God

It was a good week we spent the whole week teach about and inviting people to come to conference. The fam. C. junior came and are progressing really well, so well in fact that after only a couple weeks of teaching them they are going to feed us this week, haha awe yeah.

Conference was really good. I think we were all a little moved to see how much our prophet really has given to the work of the Lord. As he bore his testimony and exhorted us to keep the commandments he looked very tired, but as I have thought about his testimony, really this is one of the greatest testimonies that there is from this prophet of God. He has given everything that he is to the Lord, his life, his will, his soul, to his God. I cant imagine how hard it really would be to be physically spent and have to speak and bear testimony in front of 15 million people throughout the world, but President Thomas Monson did not waver, although physically weakened his testimony, his message, and his example are stronger than they have ever been. As I saw him lean on the podium for support and testify of our Savior with a soft voice, it was not him but the Spirit that was speaking. I know he was a prophet of God if not for his teachings, if not for his example, than for his determination to testify of Christ and try to help the members of the church to become true Saints through Jesus Christ. 

Men are that they might have joy

good week good week. we actually found a young couple that are super ready to hear the gospel. In the first week they accepted baptismal date, they came to church, they got married a while ago, and we have lots of support from members so its looking like they will be baptized the last week of October. The crazy thing is that they have the same name as the first family I baptized here in Gomez. Haha I kid you not I baptized family C. the first time I was here and if it is possible i will do it again (no they are not related) Its really weird how things like this turn out.
Also we baptized K. this week. That all turned out well. 

We had a really good lesson with 2 teenagers named C. and A.. they are siblings, C. is a less active member, A. is investigator, their sister is currently serving a mission in Peru. We taught them about being happy and read 2 Nephi 2 with them. It was actually super powerful, as they read and began to understand the need to make the right decisions so that they can be happy. At the end C. said the prayer and was crying, the Spirit was super strong and they both committed to changing their lives and coming to church. Awe yeah.