Monday, October 19, 2015

Best of Times Worst of Times

Elder Damian left this morning in intermediate changes to Calderon. I am now with Elder Castro from Guayaquil. He only has like 2 changes left in the mission.. He seems super cool. I think it is cool to have an Ecuadorian companion. 

Thanks so much for your amazing emails, I love you all a ton and it is always a blessing to see how everyone is doing and to read your encouraging words. On a sidenote, blog title, I really like the book Great expectations, I want to read it again when I get back. I never read the full length of Tale of Two Cities, it was a harder read, but I love Charles Dickens and I am encouraged to reread and read when I get back.

THIS WEEK I have been sicker than Nacho Libre when he ate the Eagle Egg. for realz. I got super sick super super sick. I found out that i have two types of parasites and I have just been dying. Like straight up throwing up and diarrhea. I have lost a ton of weight this week, but I am starting to feel better. On another side note thanks for all of you for including my leg in your prayers my whole mission. I can walk well, sometimes it hurts bad, especially when the terrain is rough. When I get back you may notice I have a little tiny bit of a limp, it is hard to tell unless you are looking, but I just want to prepare you all and hope you wont freak out.

WE HAD A MIRACLE THIS WEEK. AN ABSOLUTE MIRACLE. Last Sunday we saw these three ladies come to church that we didn't recognize. We went and talked with them and they told us that they lived in our sector and that they recently moved form Quito and that they have been meeting with the missionaries there and attending the church there. So we were like that is great. we took down their information scheduled a visit and had an absolute miracle happen. We showed up to the visit and we went with a returned missionary and everything was going good we were getting to know them better. Her name is Monica and her daughters name is Genesis she is 9 years old. Genesis loves the church and wants to get baptized and Monica more than anything wants to support her daughter which is super awesome, but Monica isn't as interested, but she said there is something special about the church. We taught them something basic and invited Genesis to a baptismal date for the 31st and she looked at her mom and her mom gave her permission with a big smile on her face and she accepted. 

The mom doesn't have a testimony yet, we invited her to baptism and she said she doesn't feel ready, so we asked if she got an answer if she would get baptized and she said yes. We were teaching and the member shared some thought and the mom said that she wanted to know more but she felt that she didn't have a strong testimony yet. The lesson was kind of going a little long and I was thinking it is time to wrap it up, but this prompting came to me to share Alma 32 with the mom and talk about how faith is like a seed. I was thinking no, we got to wrap this up, but the feeling was super strong, probably some of the most hardcore revelation that I have received in my life. So I was like hermana I would like to share this scripture with you. She said how faith is like a seed, how it isn't a perfect knowledge but more than anything it is a hope we have. She read about how even if we have a desire to have faith that if we act on this desire that this faith can grow. I asked how she felt reading this and then it got super silent. she started crying....and she wouldn't stop. I wasn't sure if I should say something, but we just let her cry and reflect. She told us this was exactly what she needed to read, described exactly how she felt, and that in this moment she felt something so special in her heart that she has never felt before. We told her, hermana this is the holy spirit. God sends it to us because he loves us and I testify that if you get baptized you can feel this love all of the time. We invited her to get baptized the 31st with her daughter and she accepted. I was so happy. I cant tell you how happy stuff like that makes me. Sunday came and they weren't there in the church and I was super sad, but then right before the sacrament started they walked in and I just prayed to God in gratitude I was so happy. After the sacrament when I got down form the stand from directing the music, I went and sat next to them and the mom had a big smile on her face and she told me she was super happy to be here at church. Man, the mission is so hard, but the small things like this just make every hard part worth it. Please keep Genesis and Monica in your prayers that they can be baptized together the 31st.

This week a sister from our ward went down to Calderon, my first sector and she went to the principios del evangelio class and said she was visiting from Tulcan, I guess word spread that I am here and everyone was like do you know Elder Roberts, I got some amazing letters handed to me from la familia cuaran. I was glad to see that they are active and doing well and from Silivia and Andy my converts, they are active and well. This Gospel CHANGES lives. I have no doubt this is the Lord´s work, I am filled wiht gratitued that I can be  a small part of this work and that I have been blessed to know so many amazing people. 

Sorry this email was so long, but I just wanted to share these tender mercies, these beautiful experiences with you all. Have an amazing week.

Elder Roberts


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