Dream Team Parte 2

So Elder Quispe and I are together for another change. We were so stoked to get the news. I feel like we are the Dream Team here, we work SO well together and we are seeing so many miracles here in San Roque. 

Elena got baptized this past week, it was so awesome to see her in white and I know it was such a special opportunity for her, she understood what she was doing and she did so much to prepare for her baptism and it was truly a miracle to be a small part of her conversion. I love being a missionary! All of the hard days, hard moments, are totally worth it to see just one person enter the baptismal font. Experiences like that give me more motivation to work even harder to see even more miracles.

So, funny story about the pig that fell last week. We were teaching Gladis and we always teach outside because there is never a man home, so we were teaching Gladis and her Mom when a car that was driving by unrolled the window and started shouting something in Kichuwa that my companion and I didn't understand, but we saw the mom of Gladis sprint towards that ledge and we went with her and her pig had a leash on it and was just dangling from the tree from the top of the ledge and was like dying....it wouldn't have been funny if it ended bad, but the mom ended up cutting the rope and the pig escaped and just went back to its normal life eating food. I am going to miss that pig. Maybe we will eat it before we go?

One thing about my mission is that we lose a lot of time walking in-between appointments. We don't have cars or bikes or anything, we just walk. I got a pedometer for Christmas and according to my Pedometer we walk between 10 and  13 miles every day and it isn't an easy walk it is up and down a volcano, and it is even harder for me because my leg is terrible. Anyways, we had a visit at the top of our sector and we had to walk like an hour and a half to our next visit and we were just hauling and walking in our direction from the distance I saw a small man and as he got closer and closer he looked more and more familiar, then I realized it was HERMANO CABASCANGO. He is one of my favorite people in the whole mission, he is from my second sector Atucucho. I was like what the heck. I was so happy to see him. What a miracle, here I am in the absolute middle of nowhere and I saw him. He is basically my mentor in the mission. He accompanied us every day basically and he taught me kichuwa. and my kichuwa has gotten a lot better. We walked with him for like 10 minutes and I was showing off my improved kichuwa and he was proud. That was a huge tender mercy. He is also the grandpa of my amiga Eileen and he told me that his daughter misses me a lot, I wrote a little note to give to her. Gosh Dang it, I love the mission. More than anything I love all of the special people I have met. I can honestly say from the absolute bottom of my heart that I love the people here. I am going to miss them a ton, they are so special. they are so humble. Compared to our standards they have nothing, they live in concrete shacks with dirt floors and don't have cars, many don't have internet, and some don't have cell phones, they wash clothes by hand. But they are so better than we are. They are so much more faithful, humble, they are full of charity, they are truly blessed. they are truly blessed children of God. I am grateful for a Loving Heavenly Father that sent me to this beautiful country to serve amongst his blessed children and the many countless lessons I have learned from them. 

I love you all. thanks for all of your emails, letters, Christmas cards, and everything. It  is always nice to get something in the mail. you are all awesome. Just a note, make sure you follow the address exactly as you find it on the blog. If you want to send me something you need to write la mision ecuador quito norte because my mission shares its offices with the mission quito and also you need to put the province Pichincha. ok. thanks I love you all! Keep up the good work! 

Elder Roberts

EL HORNO DE AFLICCION

So, this might be a little lengthy, but this was a crazy week and probably one of the hardest weeks of my mission. I was in absolute physical pain the whole week, but fortunately the Lord was able to bless me with a ton of tender mercies throughout the week.

So for starters. Elder Godoy came to the mission this week and I saw him on Friday when he came to visit the zones here in Otavalo. He gave a great talk that was centered on how the Lord has confidence in us because we have been saved for these Latter Days to serve in such a special part of the world to help bring to pass the blessings that were promised to the Sons of Lehi. He told us we were serving in a very special part of the world and he testified that God is a God of miracles and we have a right to those miracles. Then he turned to President Richardson and asked ¨have you told them the surprise¨and President Richardson was like not yet and Elder Godoy ïs it ok if I tell them ¨. So Elder Godoy dropped a bomb on us. He said Elderes y Hermanas, Ustedes van a recibir alguin muy especial aqui en Febrero

. JEFFREY R. HOLLAND IS COMING TO MY MISSION. ALSKÑDJFALÑSKDJFALSKDJFALSKDFJALSDKFJASLDÑKJASDFÑLKAJSDFLÑAJKSDFLAKSDFASLDKFJASÑLDFKJASDLFKJASDFLKJASDF

I am so pumped, our mission is so pumped, it is going to be awesome. For realz, like He is my favorite Apostle and his talks have helped me a ton on my mission. A ton. Especially his talk A High Priest of Good Things to Come. But holy cow it is going to be so great. He comes in February.

So I was kind of scared this week that I was going to get sent back to the states. On Tuesday I had to go to Quito to renew my visa and I stayed the night there and Wednesday morning we went early to the government building that renews visas and had to wait in line there for hours and found out that me and some other missionaries from my group were illegally here, that our visa was expired one day before we got to the offices. SO. we had to spend like 3 days in Quito getting a ton of paperwork filled out and seeing lawyers and stuff to get around the whole expired visa thing to be able to be here, and it was like well, if you cant get your visas renewed you will probs get reassigned to the states. Well after three days of standing in a lot of lines and seeing lawyers we finally were able to be legally here and I will be able to finish my mission here in Ecuador. Ecuador is the best.

So last Monday we played volleyball, soccer, and frisbee with the zone and I got super sunburnt. I saw it Monday night but it didn't hurt and I as like well this is going to hurt tomorrow. I was in so much pain on Tuesday it was terrible. Not only the sunburn, but I got like something on my face. some type of infection on my left lip, I thought it was poison ivy, but I guess it was some other infection or something. But my lip has been like swollen and puss has been oozing out of it and it looks terrible and through out the week it got bigger and bigger and like started going into my mouth. the most pain I have been in my whole life. SO MUCH PAIN: I couldn't eat anything or like talk, but now it is getting a little bit better.

So in funny news Gladis lives on like a ledge of the volcano so there is like a 20 foot drop between her house and the street and her pigs were eating by the ledge and while we were teaching we heard this terrible shriek. Her pig fell off the ledge, it was the funniest thing I have seen in my life. Just seeing a pig like slide of a ledge and fall twenty feet. It was SO funny. It was totally fine too, it didn't get hurt, but my companion and I had to chase it down and bring it back to the house. Lets just say chasing down a pig is hard work hahaha.

Yesterday we went to a family that we have that is progressing and had a pretty hard visit with them. we found out that they have a ton of problems in their marriage so it was hard to see them not happy. I was feeling a little sad after the lesson thinking wow what if that was my family and then I thought about how grateful I am for my strong family for my parents that love each other and have taught us as children the gospel. I was feeling a little sad and then I got a phone call, I have only had a cell here for 3 days so I was wondering who had my number and it turns out it was some brothers form Tulcan that were passing by San Roque. They called the zone leaders and got my number and gave me a call and I got to meet up with them for a couple minutes. It was so good seeing them. It was definitely a tender mercy. They gave me the confidence that I was a good missionary there. That my work wasn't in vain, I found out that 2 investigators I started out with this last week got baptized. It was so good to see them.

My Companion and I are getting along super well, I am sad that this is the last week of the change, I hope we get more time together but we will see what happens. We are going to end on a good week. We are going to baptize Elena Montalvo this Saturday, so that will be really special.

Well I hope you all have a great week. I love you all and I know this is the true Church and that we are all special Sons and Daughters of God. Have a great week everyone. Write me and send me goodies.

Love Elder Roberts

 I ran into my bro Elder Plant, we served together in Calderón

I

I ran into my friends from Tulcán 

El Poder del Testimonio

SO this week was great. I was on divisions with the zone leaders and Elder Richardson my super awesome zone leader and I were walking down the volcano to reunite with our companions and I totally fell in this ditchish type thing on the edge of the street. I ended up going to the hospital again for the billionith time on the mission and found out that some of my ligaments and stuff got distorted and I had a baby break on one of my baby bones so I have to wear a brace for like 3 weeks. The things that happen on the mission.

So Saturday night it started pouring rain super hardcore. Like way super hardcore. It was right after our meeting with the ward mission leader in the chapel so we went to the house really quick to drop off some stuff and then it started raining and my companion and I were so tempted to just chill there in the house until it stopped. But I felt the need to go and work. In the mission we also have a saying caminamos en calor o lluvia which means we walk in heat or rain. So we walked out and literally had to wade up to our legs a little bit in the street to visit Gladis.  We didn't really know what to share with her because she said she feels good for baptism, but doesn't want to, but wants to, but has a ton of doubts. So she was really focused on answers she didn't have and things she didn't know. So I said we are going to have a mini testimony meeting. I am going to start than my companion then you. SO my companion and I gave a little like 5 minute testimony. Then Gladis for the first time in her life probably shared her testimony. The spirit there was strong and powerful. She knows that God is her Loving Heavenly Father and that He has a plan for her and that this is the restored Church and she knows the Book of Mormon is true. Maybe she didn't accept a baptismal date, but I think that really helped her realize what she knows and that she knows a lot more than she thinks. There is something special about having a testimony.

Satan puts doubts in our path. He wants us to doubt our testimonies. Of course we aren't perfect, sometimes we are going to have doubts and that is natural. I for sure have had a ton of doubts on the mission, but something I have done that has helped me is I have reflected over profound spiritual moments I have had on my life where I received an undeniable spiritual confirmation of Gods love for me and I have been keeping a journal just of these things trying to write as detailed as possible my spiritual experiences. Don't focus on what you don't know, focus on what you do know, doubt your doubts before you doubt God and remember the experiences that God has already blessed you with.

Well Elder Quispe and I are the definition of Work Hard Play Hard we get along way too well. He is so awesome. I feel so blessed to be his companion. I love the Mission Field. It is the best. 

HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND SEND ME GOODIES

Elder Roberts

My frisbee on the roof of the church

 the zona Imbabura

 My companion and I are bosses

 To put it in perspective my companion and I live down where the valley is and walked up up and up the volcano for hours to get to that visit

A huge bunny and its tiny baby 

 Little kids answering the door

 I have quite the collection of Ecuadorian soccer jerseys

 A big old wasp Ecuadorian style

We see these in the street every day

LIVIN ON A PRAYER

Well, it is super weird to think that I am on the downhill that this last week I completed a year on the mission, the halfway point. Looking back the time went by wayyy too fast, there were some super super slow moments, but the time is just flying by. I can honestly say that I am here because in the words of Bon Jovi I have been living on a prayer. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has been patient with me, I am grateful for the prayers of family, friends, companions, my mission president and his wife, and everyone who has helped me out. I know the Lord has sustained me through my trials and I know that I can put my confidence in him to finish my mission strong with this year I have ahead of me.

SO I feel like I have a grand purpose here in San Roque. I was looking through the Area Book we have through the old investigators and found a 15 year old girl named Gladis. She had a lot of visits from the Elders until half a year ago. I felt like we needed to follow up with her, so I told my companion that we should go find her. On the registrar we have of her there is a name of a member that knows her, so we asked the member where she lives and we found her. We got to know her and she seems pretty cool. We were asking her about her life and stuff and she told us, yeah I as living in Tulcán a little bit and I was like oh yeah what part and she is like the parque ayora. Then she was like my sister is a member there and I was like who is your sister and she is like Cristina Cordova. Holy cow, Cristina Cordova is the mom of one of my favorite families there. They are so awesome and I found her sister! I was like dang, this was meant to be. Then we were talking with the mom of Gladis to see if we could baptize her and I told her I know her daughter Cristina and her grandkids and I totally was able to gain the confidence of her. I know that the Lords plan is perfect, he had me go to Tulcán to prepare to find Gladis. I hope she can progress. 

It looks like we will be having a baptism not this Saturday but the following. We were reactivating a less active named Elena until we found out that she really isn't a member, she got baptized 20 years ago but she was never confirmed, so she is going to be getting rebaptized on the 15th. 

Elder Godoy form the 70 is coming to our mission again, not this week but the following. I hope I get to hear from him. I remember when I was able to play the violin in front of him in the stake conference in Calderon and it was one of the coolest experiences of my mission.

I love you all and hope you had a happy new years. Mallory you looked so beautiful in your wedding dress, I was sad to miss it, but I am proud of you. 

Love, Elder Roberts

 I think with the time difference I was there meditating on the volcano during Mallory's wedding

Our shower

 Me

 While we were teaching Gladis her super awesome 6 year old brother Zamiro who is special kept on putting chickens on me, on my arms, legs, shoulders, and scriptures. So I finally decided to get a picture of Zamiro and the chickens and me hahaha. he is the cutest thing ever.

 My companion is shy

 At lunch I asked if I could use the big spoon

Una Navidad BLANCA

What a great way to have a white Christmas and to end this year. We had 2 baptism's. We were able to baptize Carmen Oyagata who is the wife of a member and her son Jairo who is 8 years old. It is interesting because normally as missionaries we don't baptize 8 year olds if their parents aren't members, but with Jairos mom being recently married to a member, our leaders told us it was under us as missionaries and not under the ward to get him baptized. It was awesome seeing this family come unto Christ. 

los bautismos de Carmen y Jairo Oyagata 

It was amazing skyping with the fam. It looks like everyone is doing absolutely great. I got to talk with the man who will be my brother in law tomorrow and he seems super cool. 

It was nice being able to go back to the apartment early on Christmas, we had a rule that we had to be back at 6, so it gave us some time to study the story of Christmas and I can honestly say that I felt a special Christmas. It is really a special time of the year to enjoy the peace that comes knowing that we have a Savior of the World. Jesus Christ has been my best friend. He has suffered for my sins and has also suffered through my pains and afflictions and I can always find peace when I turn to him and I know he can help all of us out. He is the king of kings and the Lord of Lords, he is the great I am, he is the Alpha and the Omega, he is the Jehovah of the Old Testament, I testify as his representative that he lives. He died but he overcame death so sinners like you and I can have the hope of eternal life to live with our families, with Jesus, and with our Heavenly Father forever. I am so grateful for this sacred opportunity I have to represent my savior officially here in Ecuador and to help make the world a little bit better every day.

I finally got to go to church this week, it was awesome. I understood nothing. All of the meetings including ward council were in Kichuwa........I haven't felt this way since like my first month on the mission where I didn't understand anything in church. We confirmed Jairo a member of the church and I participated in the confirmation and the ordinance was in Spanish and then the blessing in kichuwa and I was like well I have no clue what is going on, but that is the miracle of this church. It doesn't matter what language it is, if it is English, or a really ancient language that only exists in certain cities in Ecuador, the gospel is the same. The church is the same. Jesus Christ is the same. I hope you all had a wonderful week. I am so excited for Mallory, I cant believe she is getting married tomorrow. I am sad I will be missing her wedding, but I know this is where I need to be right now. Mallory, congrats, and good luck! and Junior, take care of my sister! 

Love,

Elder Roberts

 Getting ready to open presents with the companion ( I gave him a yarn ball and some of my other presents)

 Aftermath of opening presents

How we celebrate baptisms

Ward Christmas activity

We helped this wawki put the pig in the oven

Pig

Everyone's house has one of these cuy ( guinea pig pens)

This decided to crawl up my companions scriptures during a lesson