Elder Jackson J. Roper: Where Do I Begin?

Hey Y’all!

Well where do I begin?? Transfers? Baptism? The fact that all the birthday packages and new luggage got to me?? Super good week!

I’ll start with the baptism. We went last Sunday to visit Jorge and he told us that he wasn’t ready to be baptized. He knew he should do it, but he was just scared. So we worked with him all week to get him ready. Thursday evening Elder Valdez and I went to visit him. Elder Valdez was sick, so he gave me the reins and let me teach. I felt the Spirit super strong tell me to teach about baptism and how Jorge shouldn’t be scared and that everything would be okay. So I shared Alma 7:14-16 with him and that is what he needed to hear. He agreed to be baptized with one condition . . . He told us that he is thinking of moving to Chicago with his son and didn’t want to be baptized if he couldn’t keep going to Church. So we explained that the church is pretty much in all the world and the meetings even come in Spanish for Jorge in Chicago and that his family in Chicago could listen to the missionaries there as well. So that made him happy and he agreed to be baptized! Super cool baptism! He said the water was super cold but he said he felt a fire in his heart and invited everyone in the baptismal service to be baptized ha. Cool huh? One of my favorite parts of the mission is seeing how people change and the excitement when they get baptized.

As for transfers I am up here in Tijuana again. I am with Elder Cornejo (which means rabbit in English). He just got to the mission six weeks ago so I will be finishing his training :) Super excited for that! The area is pretty difficult but I am sure we will have success eventually! That and Elder Tall will be our district leader. Super excited to be around him again! I’ll actually see him every Sunday as we share the same ward :) Cool huh??

Here is Elder Cornejo and I in the house :)

And yes, it was super hard to leave Ensenada. We actually celebrated my birthday and goodbye party yesterday with the Mosqueda family. I asked them to send the pictures. So be looking forward to that. I already miss that ward and the members and the dear friends I have made there, but the Lord needs me elsewhere right now :)

One of the signs the Mosqueda Family made me :) had to laugh how it says desperate...the daughter was trying to say Happy Birthday next week :) They take good care of us here in the mission mom, so no worries :)

Wednesday morning I got a call from the zone leaders telling me that President Carreon had brought like 5 packages to town for me and the luggage!!! Prayers answered!! Ha it was like Christmas!! Thank you all for the packages and all the goodies! Truly felt the love from home there. I was going to try and take all the packages with me and open them here in Tijuana but there was no way, so I opened them Friday. Needless to say, Elder Valdez and I had a great time opening them and especially enjoying the little photo album from home. Thank you all so much!! :)

I’m gonna send a bunch of pictures and then I’ll get back to some more questions okay? Love you all and thanks for the birthday wishes!! Hard to believe I’m 20!!

Elder Roper :)

Update on the temple here in Tijuana . . . we drove by it today and took some pics.