"It's All Good!" . . . Still

Wow I have no clue how times flies by so fast.  Every week I sit down to read my email and don’t have any idea where the week went!

It was a slower week here in Hidalgo in regards to the work.  Not a whole ton of lessons or new investigators either but it’s all good.  We lost two days of work this past week because Elder Vargas went to TJ all day Friday for a training and we had a huge service project Saturday morning that lasted awhile.  I am sure you will enjoy the pictures :) It was the first time that I had worn shorts outside in the sun in who knows how long so my legs were super duper white hahaha.  I always love me some good physical labor but it was a good reminder like Bart said to go to school and get a good education.  And to enjoy my mission while it lasts because this week I finish 7 months - like I said who knows where time goes?

I really loved the training yesterday.  We all got together at the stake center to watch it.  I hate watching trainings in Spanish because of the voice overs.  It’s always so hard for me to concentrate but it’s all good.  I won’t be surprised that if the whole world drops knocking doors by the end of my mission.  It’s super ineffective now.  All of Mexico has dropped it.  Baptisms have dropped but retention and tithing has gone way up!  It’s super effective because it involves the whole ward and everyone participates in missionary work.  

Please give the missionaries home referrals and go with them to teach investigators.  They will love you for doing so :) I was super surprised to hear that about Facebook to contact members and investigators.  It would totally work as well!  I haven’t heard anything yet...it would take a lot of obedience to do it but it would save us a lot of money in cell phone minutes and be a good way to plan every day!  I know the MTC in Provo uses Facebook for missionary work and in San Diego as well.  But they have cars and iPads in San Diego and us in Tijuana no - but it’s for a good reason we don’t have those things here ha :) When the camera passed Jenny I just about jumped out of my seat! I was like holy crap it was Jenny!!

The day is coming ever closer that the Savior will come again.  Like it says in D & C 88 the Lord will quicken the work in His time and I know that is happening.  Not just only in Mexico but in the whole world!  I know without a doubt the Church is true and this work is of the Lord!!

The luggage didn’t come this week but its all good.  I’ll wait for it the next month.  Sometimes things take forever to get to us but eventually they get to us and that’s all that matters right?

I love you all and miss you as well but I am doing great!  Glad you all enjoyed the broadcast and give referrals to the elders back home!! :)

Have a good week and we’ll chat later :)

Elder Roper :)

Here are more pictures from the bufadora last week and the service Saturday :) I was moving a wheelbarrel full of rocks all morning and I’m not gonna lie...I loved it!

Another Good Week!

Hey how are you all?  

This email is coming in early today because we are heading back out to the Blow Hole in about an hour as a zone.  The Elders from San Quintin and Guerrero Negro are up here for Zone Conference tomorrow so we always try to do something fun with them while they are up here!

This week has been a good one.  We didn’t have any baptisms and our other date pretty much wants to wait longer but we did meet a young man named Alejandro last Sunday.  I was praying and praying that we could find people because it has been slow here the past little bit but Alejandro just showed up to Church Sunday.  He is Catholic and talked with missionaries in the street 2 months ago but the missionaries never went to his house so he just came to church.  Super ready for the Gospel.  He accepted a baptismal date in the first visit and even went to institute with the others that are his age after the first lesson.  The Lord knows when people are ready for the Gospel and he puts us in their path or vice versa.  I love seeing this on a weekly basis :)

Funny story from yesterday-we didn’t have many appointments yesterday so we went and visited the members all day and shared a quick message with them.  The hill where the castle is- I think we visited just about every active family there.  While we were out walking around a man called us over speaking to us in English.  I talked to him in Spanish so Elder Vargas could understand but this man didn’t speak a lick of Spanish.  So I tried to teach him and share the pamphlet of the Restoration with him in English and I COULD NOT do it in English hahaha.  Don’t get me wrong, I can speak English fine still but because I study the Gospel and speak it in Spanish everyday, I can not teach the Gospel in English to save my life hahaah.  It was so funny because I would start teaching in English and end up in Spanish and the guy would just look at me like I was crazy hahahah.  We have an appointment with him Wednesday and his family.  So Elder Vargas will teach his family in Spanish and I will teach this man in English :) It should be an interesting lesson and I am looking forward to it!!

Dad, thank you for the email about the budget.  We get money every 15 days and the last 3 or 4 days of the quincena sure is tight ha.  We receive 800 pesos every 15 days.  I set 400 aside for food and the other 400 for bus fares.  10 pesos a pop so the buses add up after awhile.  I had to take out of my account for my trip to TJ because I was still waiting to be reimbursed from the trip.  I try my hardest not to spend my own money.  I hate doing it because I know I can get along fine with the money from the mission.  A budget is something I have learned quickly here.  I am glad I have learned it as well.  Elder Vargas buys food all the way home just about every night and by the end of the quincena he doesn’t have a lick of money and has to spend from home.  Sometimes we can’t buy the stuff we want because we need the money for other things.  Good lesson learned here in the mission.  I am thoroughly convinced the mission is as much for me as it is for the people I serve with.

I am glad you are all enjoying summer. I don’t remember what it’s like to have a break or to sit down and relax for a bit.  They gotta get the most out of us for these 2 years though.  

Keaton looks great in his jersey!  I hope he likes it!  

These pictures are fun :) there is a car here with Utah license plates.  I haven’t found the guy yet but I am still looking for him.  

The weather changes here quite a bit.  It’s always warm in the day and chilly in the night.  So I caught a bit of a cold that was kicking my butt this past week.  So we went for tacos and I had them put every bit of chile on these tacos they had.  Needless to say my mouth was on fire, but I sure felt better the next day.  The tacos came in spicy and left me even spicier hahaha :)  Gotta love the food here in Mexico!

Transfers are in 3 weeks. I hope I stay here in Ensenada with Elder Vargas for another 6 weeks because we have a bunch of baptisms lined up for July.  But everyone is telling me I will train this next transfer.  I am nervous for that but looking forward to it at the same time because I know I will grow a ton and really figure out how to work effectively :)  

I don’t need anything for now :) some more sunflower seeds and gum would be fine.  They help me take my mind off eating at night.  Please make sure the pants are loose around the legs :) ha comfort is key in the mission!  I am looking forward to that package though!  My feet are doing fine.  The powder helps and I just double sock it.  

Everything is going well here and I am learning so much :)

Glad to hear you all doing well and enjoying summer! I miss you and love you all!

Take care,

Elder Roper

Good Week!

Hey ya’ll!

Sorry this email came in late this week!  I got called to go up to Tijuana Saturday to pick up my Visa. That’s why I took out so much money this past week from my card. . . don’t worry the mission reimburses it all :) I left Sunday night with some more Elders down here and came back this afternoon.  We went to the zone activity and we are just barely getting around to writing.  

Mom you mentioned a little while back that you had been talking with another missionary mom and the Elders name was Elder Howard?  He is down here in Ensenada . . . he is in the other zone but I occasionally see him. I mentioned that you and his mom had been chatting and he just laughed.  Small world I guess!

Another good week here in Ensenada.  It’s been a long one but yet here I am again writing home again.  We had another baptism this past week.  Her name was Sandra Luz.  She is a neighbor of Hermana Dora and Redolfo that we baptized about a month ago.  She accepted the Gospel right away and got baptized within two weeks of our first visit.  She is a little bit crazy but she understands the Gospel and lives it too so that’s all that matters.  She wanted me to do the baptism so I had the blessing to baptize her.  We had to do the whole thing twice because she didn’t understand what was going to happen and didn’t go down all the way...so after some explanation, I forced her down and the baptism was complete :)  Kinda embarrassing and she mentioned to me after that she was scared but it’s all good.  We got her to the water so that’s all that matters :)

I haven’t made it through the conference Ensign quite yet but I read that thing every spare moment I get.  The picture that is highlighted really made me thing of you all.  A mission really is a family thing.  It’s hard on everyone of us but we are all receiving blessings.  I have never been this tired in my life but some how I receive the strength to get up out of bed every morning and get to work.  Oh how great this work is :)

That is nuts that Keaton turns 8 this week. . . where in the world does time go? I still remember holding that little Turkey when he was born.  Happy Birthday Turkey!  I sent him a package with a member that was going to Provo this past week so be watching for it in the mail :) or hand delivery who knows?  The members are always so good to us here!

Mom what is the name of the guy you talked to??  We have a Rueben here that lives with his mom.  Get me a name so I can talk with them!!

Dad I would recommend that the missionaries teach every family in the ward the mission lessons and then ask for references. . . that’s what we do and we have success.  It’s hard and scary for the members but they have to open their mouths.  The members ALWAYS ALWAYS know someone who could benefit from the message :) read in Chapter 9 in PMG where it talks about using the members to find people to teach. This way is a lot more effective than knocking doors all day :)

In whatever package you send next, just send oxy face wash and garments and whatever other stuff you want :)  Maybe a sweet tie or something like that hint hint ;)  I am gonna need some new slacks here in the next little bit.  Mom I will be watching for the suitcase!  I told President a little while ago so he will be watching for it as well!

Well I hope you are doing well.  I am doing just fine :) I had to turn down more fish tacos from the members this week but they took us to eat Chinese Food so that was fine with me :)  Elder Vargas suffers my punishment as he loves fish tacos...ha what can I do though? I love you all and miss you as well but time is flying!  Take care and have a fantastic week!

Elder Roper

Cumpli 6 Meses! (I Completed 6 Months)

Hey how are you all?  

I can’t believe I am sitting here at the computer writing you all again.  This week flew by...I don’t have any clue where it went.  We didn’t have a whole lot of success this week but it is what it is, right?  Not a whole lot of people were home and none of the members could help us teach this week but back to work this week to improve right?

I actually received both packages just barely this morning! :)  President Carreon has 2 counselors as part of the mission presidency here in the mission.  One of them lives here in our ward.  We ate with him and his wife on Thursday and they mentioned that they were headed to San Quintin with President and Hermana Carreon this past Friday.  So I called up Hermana Carreon to see if she could leave the packages down here.  My reason was that I needed my debit card so I could have my emergency fund.  Hermana Carreon is one for obedience so although I had to suck up to her, I received the packages!  Thank you all very much for the happy 6 month package!  Where does time go?  I quite enjoyed the package chucked with all sorts of American candy and the Ensign in ENGLISH :)  Reading those talks again in English really helps me out.  I have never been more excited to read conference talks in the Ensign. Thank you all so much!  

Well it’s been a slow week but I did complete six months this past Tuesday!  I followed missionary tradition and burnt ties.  I had 3 that were pretty beat up so I got rid of them all and burnt ‘em.  It was a fun celebration with Elder Vargas and I.  We ordered a pizza, burnt ties and enjoyed the celebration ha.  I have thought a lot this week on these past six months and all that I have learned.  I may not have baptized as much as I would have liked but its all good.  Baptisms aren’t the only sign of success here on the mission.  I have learned many important life lessons.  Something Kevin Beck told me that has stuck with me is that while we are here to help others, the mission is also for us.  I can’t say how much that is true.  I am learning lessons that won’t only help me in my future, but also you all and my future family.  

Dad I would highly recommend having the Elders come and teaching you all the missionary lessons.  There is a great spirit with them and you will all benefit from them.  This past week the Elders Quorum President shared in Elders Quorum that us teaching him and his family really brought him back to the basics.  That really is what we teach.  But there is a great spirit with the basics.  Just think of the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation.  It’s what separates us from every other religion in the world.  And only we have the 100% truth.  All stems back from our testimony of Joseph Smith.  We have the Book of Mormon to prove that he was a prophet.  And one of the many things I have learned on the mission is that the Book of Mormon is true 100% without a doubt in my heart :)  I have always known it but when you read from it everyday and share it with others, your testimony grows.  Mom, Dad, Hayden and Keaton, think of friends that you can invite to the house to listen to the missionaries together.  What can it hurt?  I promise blessings for you all as you do the work of the salvation there in good ol’ TVille :) sorry there is my missionary spill for the week ha!

As for us Dad there are a lot of different excuses people have.  A lot say they are Catholic even though they haven’t been to church in years.  They just follow it for family tradition and if they break tradition they will be disowned.  Julio (i sent you his picture a couple weeks back) is dealing with his mom right now because she doesn’t want him to come to church anymore.  People here don’t like to commit to nothin’ but I think its that way in all the world.  We talk with a lot of people that have been deported or have problems with drugs or alcohol.  We are careful with who we talk to but it’s always good to try and help them even if they don’t accept the message.  

Thank you all for the pictures this past week.  Here are the pictures from the tie burning :) 

This other Elder is Elder Harper-Smith from T-ville.  We had seminary together my junior year and he went to Tville as well.  He is my zone leader right now.  Just another cool connection made down here in Ensenada :)

Well take care and have a good week.  I am doing well and even better now with all the American candy hehe ;) Don’t worry . . . I am prudent in how I eat it!

Love you all!

Elder Roper

Elder Cepeda and I.  He is a really good friend that I have made down here.  He is from the Domincan Republic and everyone calls him Elder Obama.  The picture explains why :)

Just a fun pic of the different hats that are used down here :)