Dec 30th Pics

Crazy back alley roads (in town)

Oil Country!

This is the smiley face we got to see on Skype on Christmas Day! :)

December 30th, 2013

Here’s a quote to start off the week,  “No one can choose your mountain or tell you when to climb, It’s yours alone to challenge at your own pace an time.” - unknown    I just thought about how I came out a little later an how this applied in my life an how everyone has different challenges to face in life.. But anyways… this week I talked on the phone with ya’ll an things are great!  I didn’t know really what to write today till I met Roy Dempsey, he’s maybe 60 an retired living in a little shack like us but was a mechanic, body man, did construction, all sorts of stuff but he drives a 50s dodge (originally his fathers) an now its lifted on 37 inch tires. lol He’s a sweet guy, has a nice garage next to his house an just restores cars here for people. But a few others things we did, a couple in the Monahans branch that we go to… the Darlings, they’re 70s maybe, he used to teach science, he gave us some pretty neat rocks an things, ill prob send home since we can’t haul everything around with us.  As for any crazy animals here, we have a less active family that keeps everything! they have a duck, horn toad, fish outside in a little tub thing, we see some lizards in there yard an in the shed we saw a pretty big Black widow. But alot of coyotes around at night when were driving back an forth to Monahans. We have a older spanish lady thats less active but loves cooking tomales for us! an they’re hot... Shes pretty fun though, her grandson lives with her an he has 2 daugthers an his gf doesn’t work but we started teaching him.. Not sure how interested he is but we’ll keep trying to work with him.  Our branch had a great 3rd hr  since its together on the the 5th Sunday - about untiy together an what needs to change to have better start to the year. It was pretty neat an how it applies as missionaries with companions an such.. I hope everyone had a great Christmas, I sure did. Best of luck in the new year
Elder Roberts

December 23, 2013

 ITs been a busy week as always which makes the time FLY! We cover a little town called Wink about 8 miles away so we started going out there once a week to find more people an build our teaching pool. A few potentials out there for next week to visit.  We had a busy day of knocking Wednesday this week an always trying to stay busy here with finding an teaching. Its hard when people work lots but its a work in art for sure. We had our Christmas Party on thursday where i got the packages from everyone, yet havent opened them till the day of like i promised! hard not to though but i want to save the suprise still.. Last week we had the primary presentation an since having soo many neices an nephews  kids hold a special place in my heart so it made me melt last week, an then this week was the Christmas Program an some amazing singers in the branch that are hidden talent! not sure who all knows but before i left i went to a play with a friend Kevin i worked for an found I really enjoy music an singing/ theater. So this sunday was yet another amazing day, then priesthood never dissapoints. We have alot of young families here an the men are amazing. I love the classes with them, always a great learning experience for me. At our Christmas party we had lunch all together an did a skit with groups of misisonaries, but the afternoon was President Augustin  in a devotional about Deity, an how the people in the wards/ Church arent usuallly showing the respect or giving it thought as much as they should. It wasnt a " throwdown" but just helped us really think about our calling especially at this time of year, Yes its hard being away from home but its also amazing to see as i serve others the joy is still there an i know all is well with you all! I can tell things are ment to be for a reason with timing an everything, we teach a lady named Robin, her husband is in the military an she has a little baby but at first her parents joined the church, ( she lives with them) yet the sisters kind of pressured her an so she stopped talking with them an going to church, but we have been able to met with her this last week, an gained her trust to discuss the gospel again. Hopefully this week it will go well again. I will include a picture of the landscape that is everywhere that isnt in town... Either brush or pump jacks.. But that's about all we see.. lol I will also include a picture with Elder Porter who i came out with from the MTC ( nice to see him at the Christmas Party). Another is more christmas lights then any other house here... stands out alot!   It rained alot this last friday but luckly we had planning so we weren't outside as long, so didn't get tooo soaked.. I am having a great time in the little town of Kermit. I look forward to hearing from you all. I miss you all lots but stay strong when we see the bigger picture. 
Much love
Elder ROberts

Christmas Lights in Kermit

Oil Country

Texas Landscape

Homemade leather scripture case

With Elder Porter (came to TX from MTC same time as Justin) at the Christmas Party

More Pics from Kermit

You never know what you might find in a mailbox.

Elder Roberts and Elder Wolfsley now ride Texas -style!(kidding)

Pesky Texas size insects.

 

December 16, 2013

Its been a really busy week but every week is. We met two young guys
living together this week, one 17 an one 18. The 18 yr old moved from Idaho for
work 6 months ago an his grandma is a member but doesnt know
much about the church an the other was kicked out of the house at 13
an has had a hard life but really good questions. Its hard to meet
with them since they both work lots but pretty amazing young guys. We
Also met a man this week that was in the Marines for a while an just
shares stories so its hard to teach but hes funny. We try to met with
him when we can since he drives truck but still wants to learn more.
Its been quite the week with the people here though, On wednesday we
knocked for 5 hours an only talked with 6 people :( an few others that
just slam the door, so I'm literally walking the shoes off my feet. I
will be going to a Christmas party this week in Midland so i will be
able to go shopping quick to get another pair. Theres little "goatheads" -
is what they call them but they stick in you shoes an pants
an they tear up the tread pretty good but its been fun walking, had a
few crazy moments with dogs too. Lots of them just run around here,
mostly all nice but some that i would never want to see again an yet
we run into them in alleys lol.  As me and elder Wolfley were talking
turns out we both have the same birthday!! So hopefully were together
still, few transfers away but its possible! We'll see, but we were able
to do some service this Saturday an be around some less actives that
struggle to pay tithing :( Its hard to see because they don't
understand that things will only work out more if they pay it. But we
continue to work with them We did yard work with them since nobody
here really has a " yard" like back home.. Mostly dirt with branches
an tumbleweeds everywhere. But it was a nice change to put normal
clothes on.. I will attach a few pictures, hopefully they worked last
week? But mostly the rides we see people with ,and the progress of my
leather case so far, and then a cricket, and a knife that we saw at
somebodies door!   I hope that all is well
back home, I have been enjoying the  " winter" here with the sun,
suppose to be 70 this week lol but i Hope all is well, i look forward
to talking at Christmas, but lets truly all help
others at this time of the year an find ways to do service!
Much love from Texas
Elder Roberts

KERMIT, TEXAS (who knew there was such a place?)

Justin's little 15x18  missionary "cabin"

They must have their lamps filled and ready there (?)

Redneck butcher shop !?

December 9th , 2013

First off , im in Kermit Texas, Google earth it ... lol . Its about 5000 people and all oilfield people. But its been great here, We are the second set of missionaries here, Elder Wolfley opened the area with his trainer an has been here since, so we are really trying to just get the teaching " pool" bigger and do alot of door knocking to find people. Its been great though. On Thursday, it was freezing here, this whole week has been, but president called us just to say hi an that he was proud of us. It was really nice to get an up lifting call from him at that time. We have small branch in Monahan ( 20 miles away) so we go out there for church an correlation. We live in a little shack, no joke . As missionaries there is no room for contention,  Its a 18 ft by 15 ft shack that has bunkbeds an a little kitchen an bath, no doors except the main one..  It's really fun tho, Elder Wolfley went to the Mexico MTC but we came out together so were learning from each other soo much an really having fun. Lots of loose dogs running around here so its an adventure, an alot of redneck people, see the picture lol . The town doesn't have a Walmart or anywhere to print pictures soo well see this week. But on a Spiritual note, the Christmas Devotional was amazing, an i really enjoyed Russell M Nelsons part with the little kids when they were singing, i would love to be in his shoes there. The branch here is small but have alot of kids an its the Primary Presentation this week so i cant wait for that, We are also doing a chili cook off for a Branch Get together. People here know how to cook though, we had dinner with a family here for a birthday of a less active an had some amazing steak! If any one has questions let me know, its hard to know just  what to write all the time, but i hope that at this time we all remember the true reason for the season an how blessed we are with this gospel in our lives.

I Love you all

Elder Roberts

December 2, 2013

This week has been busy as always!  We had our district meeting on tuesday, then right afterwards had to rip down to Lubbock to get stuff for another apartment up here. The last week of transfers are when we do apartment checks so we did those all day Wednesday, lots of miles on the road so i just read. I bought a mini militiary book of mormon so i can take it with me everywhere. On thanksgiving we can't proselyte so  we played basketball all day an then had dinner with the bishops family here! amazing family, they have a son on a mission in Argentina so they love helping the missionaries here as much as possible. Their house flooded while they were on vacation so they have been living in a hotel for the last 4 months while fixing their house,  an out of it we have been teaching some people that he talked with while at the hotel, an amazing lesson learned for them, an see how things have worked out. Funny thing with the dinner, they had an extra glass where we could put as many m n m's in ( obviously all the missionaries fill it right up)  but after the dinner we had to take each one an say something we were grateful for. We had lots of m an ms so it was really good to contemplate what I'm gratetful for. It's been extremely hard being out here some days but it all works out.  Yes i will be getting transferred this week to Kermit ?  Its close to Midland but not sure my companion yet so i will just let you know next week with more info about him. I'm sure i need to be there an will learn the things i need to for this transfer. AS far as i know tho its just one companion. I'm pretty sure we can do skype for Christmas, not sure how we setup the time or what yet but i will let you know for sure when i find out. I hope it all works out, if not phone call is just fine too. This week has been kinda hard because the only time i find myself truly happy is when we're teaching. When we are babysitting/ getting all the other stuff done its hard to just stay focused on the work. I have really tried to love our investigators an my companions. Their immaturity shows when we're at home or whenever outside of lessons but im learning. I hope everyone is doing great, I miss you all

Much Love

ELder ROberts