March 24, 2014

We have been busier this week with finding an teaching! We had interviews with our President on Tuesday which was nice to talk face to face. We have been getting along better with the branch here as well. We have been working with a part member family an the wife gave a talk/ testimony this last sunday which was amazing! I had the chance to translate for the sacrement meeting as well. We still have the jeep, but we drive to the church an then go biking from there to find an go teach. Abilene has a rule where you cant proselyte after 7, but we still have to be out till 9 now so we walk the streets an just say hi to people but cant talk religion. Its like were walking bill boards. I will try to send some pictures this week of stuff going on here. Im soo glad to hear about the little boy an the recycling, thats soo neat. I couldnt have spend my b day doing anything else better...out talking to people in the streets about the restored gospel! What a blesssing it is to be a missionary. There were a few members who got mad at me on sunday since i didnt tell them about my birthday. lol But we do a potluck after our meetings with our branch so one of the familys made a cake. As well as my companion made one that we enjoyed for our companionship time. Things have been going good an i hope that everyone is doing good as well, I have learned the good comes with the bad but we learn soo much from our experiences! I am learning to love what i do, an serve others more then worrying about the little things. I appreciate all the birthday wishes, it was a great day. Different but still great. I miss yall back home but i know you are all safe. I know that the church is true! I love serving down here in texas an cant believe how fast time is going!
 Love from texas
Elder Roberts

Birthday Cake from Elder Oler

March 17, 2014

This week has been pretty long! its been alot of finding an biking! Thursday alone we biked over 20 miles! The efforts for the last few weeks of straight finding seem to be paying off though, we had a great lesson saturday night as well as sunday evening with an older catholic couple that say they dont agree completely with their church an feel theres more! We just gave them there answer an have a return this weekend, hopefully they will read an pray! its been neat to see the spirit work in peoples lives. I have been trying to just do whats right an be obedient, blessings come to those who have patience an show forth the hope. We have been busy with alot of just mission stuff. We had a zone training this last week, which was uplifting an exactly what i needed to hear. I have been loving the Abilene spanish branch. They are so small, yet strong an such a great family unit. They love the missionaries an are always willing to help when they can. I hope that everyone is doing good back home, i have been doing good an seems like times flying. As a missionary i look forward to conference coming up quick, it should be really exciting! its always a spiritual uplift! I hope that we can all plan to make all the sessions an do what we can to help an serve those around us! Keep smiling! much love from Texas Elder Roberts

March 10th, 2014

Serving in Abilene

Mmmm, mmmm ... nothing like some home-cooked SQUIRREL !

The pictures above are with his previous companion, Elder Yorgeson. He is still in Abilene, but now serving with Elder Oler, from Calgary. Below is today's brief letter :)



Nothing too much happened this week! we did a ton of finding! Thursday  we mapped it out an did over 12 miles! an pretty much have to find everyday since most of the people we have been trying to teach just cant keep commitments! :( Its hard, but this week we have been struggling to find more spanish to teach. When the weather is gross outside no body is outside or will listen at the door since its too cold that day. lol Its funny to me since its still nice for us canadian elders. But we have been learning patience lots an have been trying to be 100% obedient an the blessing will come! I have been having a good week an hope all is going well back home too. It seems like things are. I hope an pray for everyones safety.
Much love from Texas
Elder Roberts

March 3, 2014

Things in Abilene have been slow but still working hard. ITs been fun serving with a fellow canuck! We just get each others jokes an have fun. We have been doing alot of finding but we see that all people have agency, its the hardest thing as a missionary to allow them to choose, we have to allow them to see the difference which is hard since there is soo many different churches here everybody just says " Its all the same an working towards the same goal" but they just don't hear you out. Elder Oler has been out one more transfer than me so were learning spanish together. But its going good. We had Stake Conference this week which was really good, enjoy hearing from the leaders. I look forward to General Conference now more then ever. I actually did something this week which was a once in a life time thing. And it was CRAZY! I ate a GHOST PEPPER!! the second hottest pepper in the world. An it was HOT. lol Nothing else too crazy this week, been trying to work hard an keep focused. I love my family an friends, i hope that everyone is doing well.. Elder Roberts

Still in Abilene

Here is picture of Justin to go with this week's letter - don't know what type of store or business it is ( he didn't say), but obviously the name caught his eye - lol ... :)

Somewhere in Abilene ...

Unfortunatley not a whole lots happened this week. :(  i will be staying in Abilene for another transfer. Elder Oler is from Calgary! i will be picking him up from the transfer site this wednesday so thats  exctiing. i have met him once before at the christmas party. But it will be neat i think.  The hardest part of this week is actually the fact that when we go finding in the streets people literally run from us inside until we pass an then they just sit on there porch. We have people yet they get away, or just become not interested. Its an intresting town.  Our branch some weeks is big an then the next is tiny. This week we didnt have very many members show up :( Its neat to see though that those who served missions an learned spanish are the ones running the whole branch. Sounds like a lot has been going on back home with everyone. Im excited for Nysha an Dave. Im sure that will be a relief to get moved.  One exciting thing that will happen tonight is that our branch mission leader is awesome man, but hes going to cook up some squirrel for us! Im excited to try that. lol Its been a long transfer but i know that our Heavenly Father has people here ready for the gospel. Its our privelage to find an teach them. I love being a missionary, its extremely hard at times but so worth it as well. I love everyone back home.  Love from Texas

Elder Roberts

February picss

An old house Justin saw while out on exchanges - just his style -he says (?)

Six month "Tie-burning" celebration (?) He says that is not a real flame, he just colored some paper to look like it.

February 17, 2014

Because of the weather here this last week we had our Zone Training Wed. since the roads were straight ice all day Tuesday an so we decided to park the car an walk everywhere. It's been better later in the week though. Our training was great! We have those leaving this transfer bear testimony, I always love that part!! They see the change in themselves. Every thursday is bike day so we were riding lots. I actually got spit on while riding :( Wasn't too impressed but kept my cool an just kept going then pulled over after i turned the corner to clean up.. We have been struggling to find people to teach. Since the weather isn't the best most people stay inside. It's alot different then a small city like I'm use to. We had a dinner appointment with the Juarez family here an while sitting I got pooped on 3 times from a bird. :( shoulder, tie and pants. :( What a week it has been to test my patience but i know I'm not the only one who had to face trials like this. I try to think anything like this i go through is only a glimpse of what Christ himself went through for me. Our branch started doing primary for the spanish children which is exciting. Hopefully it will allow the kids to feel more loved, the future is in their hands. We had a great priesthood class about the families an how much of an attack satan has made the last 50 years since ultimately that's what it's all about here! -Learning to be an eternal family. One quote i got from it was "what makes a boy become a man? A man finishes what he starts." I relate this to anyone who knows i loved wrestling! My senior year i had the chance to wrestle for 3rd place in provincials. In the match before i hurt my knee an it was still bugging me when i decided to not wrestle my last match. I wish i had finished what i started. I choose to come on the mission an its where i know i will learn the experiences neccesary to become more of the man i need to be in the future. I hope that this week has been still okay for everyone back home. I know our Heavenly Father doesn't give us a trial that we can't handle. I have been learning that slowly but surely. I pray that we are comforted and strengthened while we are away from loved ones - that through this gospel we can find the peace that we need to continue on when things get tough. I hope the Lonsdales family can find peace while in this time of life. I love my family an friends more then anyone can know. I have noticed that grow more since being out then anything else. I love this gospel an the things we can learn in life. My prayers are that we can always put Heavenly Father first an trust in him. Elder Roberts