Hello everyone!

July 25, 2016

It was great to get to read all of your letters today! I wanted to say happy birthday to Scarlet and Madelyn! I think I might be a little behind on that, but I am trying!

This week was great! Yesterday I got to go on an exchange with Elder Olsen, my last companion. We had a blast getting to work together again. It is always fun to get back to together with past companions. 

This week I learned a great lesson about focus. We have been trying to find how it is that we can push the limits of what it is that we can do. Or in other words, avoid just becoming complacent with average. As I really put some thought and study into it, I realized that it all depends on where our focus is at. As missionaries, there are a lot of things that we need to do. I would say that this applies to life back at home also. As we really put our focus on the really important things, the rest of the things get taken care of. Here in the mission, our focus is on solely fulfilling our missionary purpose. As we do so, success increases, we have a greater measure of the spirit, and we feel successful. A cool lesson I learned this week. 

As for now, things are going well! We continue to see the Lord's hand in our work. I love it here! I hope that all is going well at home! Love you all!

Elder Roberts

From Visalia California

Another good week here! Some of the news for this week is that we got our tailgate taken off. Our truck looks pretty funny now. It is getting fixed from when we got rear ended the other week. It will be nice to get it back. 

In other news, we went and visited a former investigator from missionaries in the past. They let us in and we taught them on the spot. After that, they took us in their back yard and showed us a bunch of chili plants that they have. They gave us an entire bag of habenero peppers, which in case you don't know are pretty hot. Today we brought the bag to the entire zone and ate some. It was quite an experience! Definitely made a memory!

We had a couple cool miracles this week. One of them was that our recent converts son decided that he would start listening to the lessons. He is excited about it now, whereas before he wasn't too interested. Another cool miracle was right at the end of the week. We were visiting another set of recent converts yesterday. As we were there, her brother came through and began talking with us. He has been going through a lot of different trials right now. As we were talking with him, he ended up really opening up to us and sharing what he is going through. He said that he for sure wants to come to church with us this week. 

Cool to see all of the miracles that happen as we continue to work. I love this time in my mission!!

Elder Roberts

California Heat!

July 11th, 2016

It has been nice and sunny here in California lately. I feel so blessed to have a car going into these summer months. The heat here is almost the same as Saint George, which always makes for a good tan! I remember back in Peru having to walk all day in the heat and humidity, so I definitely am giving thanks for my blessings. 

It was a great week this week as there were a couple of different cool experiences that were had. One of those cool experiences was a meeting that we got to have with some of the Stake Leaders here in Visalia. One of the things that was talked about was about how to prepare missionaries for the mission field. As it was being discussed, they began to talk about priesthood responsibilities and the fulfilling of them. As I thought back to the time before my mission, I realized what a blessing it was for me to get to fulfill my priesthood duties. I was very fortunate to have parents that would make sure that I was at the church at least an hour early to set up all of the chairs. Along with that, they would always make sure that I was there to pass the sacrament, and when the moment came, I was able to then bless the sacrament for myself. I remember that the first time I blessed the sacrament was the first time that I truly recognized the spirit. I have come to see that by fulfilling our callings and duties, the Lord teaches us. They are given to us to help us in our growth and development. I feel so grateful for those experiences that I have to look back upon and for parents that helped me to learn those valuable lessons. My testimony didn't come all at once, but as it says in 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon, we learn line upon line, precept upon precept. 

Elder Noffal and I have been having a great time working together. It has been fun to get to listen to him talk with the natives from the same part of mexico that he is from. They start using a whole bunch of words that I have never heard before. Cool to see all of the different words used in different parts of the world. 

Overall I love this time of my mission. I am really enjoying all of these experiences and life lessons that I am getting to enjoy. Hope all is going well for each one of you! 

Elder Roberts

Elder Noffal and I grabbing lunch and finishing some paperwork.

Big Week!

July 4th, 2016

Another week gone again! This last one was a really good one! It went from Adrian's baptism, to transfers, to breakfast at the stake president's house. We were all over the place. Sadly, with transfers, Elder Olsen is getting moved. It was a really great transfer together that I won't forget. My new companions name is Elder Noffal. He is from Mexico City and I have served around him before. He is a really good missionary that I am excited to work with. It will be nice to have a native to help me continue to fine tune my Spanish in the little things. 

Adrian's baptism went really well. We had a less active member that we recently just helped come back to church baptize him, which was such a great experience. You will see in the picture. It is cool to see how it is truly by small and simple means that great things are brought to pass. All it took was a visit to send Adrian down this path to baptism. 

As the new transfer comes, I think about what has happened in the last little bit of my mission. As I reflect upon it, I have come to realize how much the Lord has been teaching me. It is so incredible to see how the gospel not only eliminates our sins, but also changes our character to become holy and pure, as saints. I have loved to see this change happen in the Reina family, Adrian, Raquel, Rianna, Jocelyn, etc. It is truly miraculous to be a part of it. I will enjoy every minute that I have doing it. Love you all and have a great week!

Elder Roberts