It's Been A Month Already?!?!?!

Hola utra vez!!  A donde va el tiempo . . .

Another week has come and gone and it’s hard to believe.  Every week I sit down at the computer to email and think,  "Wow, how fast has this mission!"  Today marks one month in Mexico and again I have no clue where that time went.      

That’s great that Elder Sandburg made it down here on time.  I will keep an eye out for him.  I hope he is doing well.  

 Eliseo is such a stud.  He even loves coke more than I do.  He says with all his struggles he has, as long as he has his Coke...all is well hahahaha!  Oh we talked for 45 minutes with him the other day about it all.  Such a stud Eliseo!  He got deported here to Mexico on Christmas Eve with just the clothes on his back.  Poor guy.  But because he is doing what’s right, he is being blessed.  

The other baptism didn’t occur but it should this upcoming week.  His name is Jose Pablo.  He has problems with his ¨wife¨ although they aren’t living together so he will talk with Pres. Carreon this upcoming week.  

The weather here is a lot like home.  A few days it’s super hot and the next it’s freezing cold.  It rained for 3 days straight this week.  You can see more in the pictures!  

I haven’t gotten the package yet but I imagine it’s sitting at the offices.  I have to wait for the Zone Leaders to go to the office to bring it to me.  They only go once maybe twice a month to the offices for mail.  That’s why I don’t write letters. It takes forever!  And yes we walk everywhere.  If the appointment is too far away we take a bus for 10 pesos or about 90 cents.  Sometimes I have to buy my breakfast food with my own money because I need the bus money but it’s all good.

Dad in answer to your question . . . Yes they teach that in the MTC:  It’s called, “Teach People Not Lessons”.  Check out Chapter 10 in PMG (Preach My Gospel) to read all about it.  That book has the answers to all.  We have to be careful with the questions we ask.  They have to get the person thinking and can’t be yes or no or like interrogative questions.  You have to show sincere interest for the investigator or they will drop the missionaries because it appears that it’s just another baptism and stat.  I have come to realize every person we teach is a Child of God.  We have to teach them like they are that child, not just any other person.  We teach lessons but we fit them to the people.  One of my teachers in the MTC taught me that every person I talk to should be my best friend.  I should look at them that way.  When that sincere love, or charity is there we teach people not lessons.  

We don’t attend our council meetings on Sunday and I have no clue why.  The bishop here is new so we fill out our progress report for him and call it good.  It’s sad because the ward has their own cliques and the members don’t really care about the less actives or people who are struggling.  We had a sister tell us all about it this past week and she was very upset.  It breaks my heart to see it but what can ya do?  That’s why I serve - to help people out.  We ate with the WML (Ward Mission Leader) two Sundays ago, but nothing was said regarding the work sadly. . . we had an appointment with him to discuss the work and he even set it up and when we went he wasn’t there.  It’s hard but we just do our best to work with the members to get references and then teach them and then more and more.  According to PMG this manner of work is better and I have to agree . . . a lot easier too.  I don’t have to tract 8 hours a day and have no success.  Dad, thank you for your work as the WML in the VP 1st.  I wish you could be here doing our work as WML.  

Thanks for the updates on baseball.  Boy, I sure miss it!  We had a ward activity on Friday and one of the members was watching America and Mexico play in the WBC.  I had to sneak a look...I miss it bad!  Ha I seriously dream about baseball every night.  I carry a baseball in my bag with me in case there is a dog or something but it reminds me of all that I learned last year during the tourney run.  

We already set our clocks back and it’s kicking my butt.  I hate the time change.  But oh well ha.  

It’s good to hear from you all and I love and miss you!  All is well here in TJ though!  Until next week take care!

Much love

Elder Roper

Had to get me a mini coke the other day!! 

The river of rain this past week. . .

The hail. . .