The Lord Prepares People To Accept The TRUTH Even By Means Of Other Churches

Hey, how are you all?? I am super jealous of your week you all had this week! Hayden, glad to hear the season started on a good note, keep up the good work! Keaton, thanks for the advice buddy. I am starting to get tired with 15 months but I know the Lord will bless me with strength and energy to finish strong!! And congrats on earning your wolf! Dad glad to hear you had a fun time skiing! We will have to go when I get home!

So I had to go to the line again today to renew my visa here in TJ. It was the only and last time I will go the rest of my mission. It was really weird seeing San Diego and a bunch of gringos and hearing people talk English. I spent the trip with Elder Peisley talking about the mish and life back home. I couldn’t help but think, man the next time I am hear crossing the line, it will be to go home...ha these next 8 months will FLY by. I gotta live it up!

So, this week has probably been the hardest week of my mission up to the point. We had the hour change on Saturday night and the 4 of us woke up sick with sore throat, dizziness, the usual ,etc Sunday morning. The weather has really warmed up. But every 10 days or so there are cold streaks and we end up with colds. Good ole TJ and its crazy weather :) So we are resting up today and trying to stay up on fluids.

Mom you asked about transfers. We have transfers next Monday morning. They call us on Saturday night to let us know. I have only 3 months here in this area. So it could go either way. I will be sad if I leave this area for all the converts and friends here. Ha one of them offered to go pick you and Dad up in April and bring you down here...I told him no thanks :) I know they aren’t going to bump me up to Zone Leader so it could honestly go either way. So if you don’t hear from me next Monday that’s why :) I’ll try and get you all a quick message letting you know whats up.

Elder Gonzalez is doing a lot better. I am doing my best to help him out and help him work hard while enjoying his mission. He has grown a lot and I will miss him if they change him or if I leave. Ha he is super worried about his woman back home and I just tell him well now you understand why the prophet asks us not to have girlfriends before the mission huh? :) He is a good guy and as long as he has good companions he will be fine. Its been fun to see his change.

Oh and our next zone conference is the first week of April. I could use more Mach 3 razor blades - just replacements. I know they are expensive but its just not the same shaving with a plastic razor. And oxy face wash por favor :) Thanks!

So, its been about the weirdest couple of weeks of work in my entire life. We haven’t had any success finding people in like a month. I don’t know if its because we had so much success the last transfer and the Lord is testing us, or if its a lack of effort on my part or what has happened. Its been rough though.

Remember Oscar that I told you about last week? We had another legit lesson on Friday. He wife received her answer after our first appointment but never told us until Friday. She had a dream where she was in the chapel looking for the true church and a man whose face she never saw, dressed in ALL white, told her that this was the true church. She started crying when she told us this - so did I. It was the second time one of my investigators has received revelation is such a profound way.  She told us now she had to desire to be bapitzed but wants to wait for her husband. He then started telling us that the first time he took the Sacrament in our church he felt a wave of emotion and almost cried. I took that for his answer but he then told us that he had felt the same feeling in the Christian church when he went. He asked us to differeniate the feelings. Man, what a task! I have no clue how this came out of my mouth but I shared Isaiah 55:8-9 and told him that even though it seems silly, the Lord prepares people to accept the TRUTH even by means of other churches. Ha he sat there stunned by the Spirit. But he hardened his heart and pretty much asked us the prove the Book of Mormon true with the Bible which we did. This guy just needs to pray and he will be set. He told us he was going to finally pray but if the Lord told him no that we would never come back to his house. Ha i started laughing and told him that was fine and that we would put our confidence in the Lord.  So we have two possible baptisms this week if Oscar has receives his answer by Thursday evening... :) This family is super ready and I know without a doubt in my heart that they are part of the people that I told before this life that I would find and bring them the gospel just like Pres. Schulte told me in my blessing when he set me apart. I am forever grateful for writing down what I was told in that blessing. So we see what happens if we baptize this family this week or not!

Dad, keep up the hard work back home. I know its hard because we don’t see results as fast as we would like and I imagine its even harder in SLC. Tell the bishop right now to put me as your assistant to help you out when I get back. I imagine the work and meetings are a lot harder with members that have a bunch of time in the Church and want to do things their way. I will always refer back to Preach My Gospel to do the things the Lord's way. 

As for the questions about TJ, we see Chiclet gum but everyone chews what we chew back home. Here along the border things are a lot like the United States but everyone says in the South its how everyone thinks it is-donkeys, and sombreros, and washing clothes in the river and what not. I love it though.

The temple is really progressing and I heard today that it could possibly be dedicated next April. Hopefully I am free and have money to be able to come to the dedication. It’s the biggest temple in Mexico and it will be such a blessing to the people!

With all the violence in Russia, did they assign Aubrey Thompson to another mission as well? That’s too bad to hear about all the violence!

Well I love and miss you all! Have a great week!

Elder Roper

Here are pictures from the sister that I baptized yesterday. I ended up confirming her as well...first time I have done that in my life. Super good and humbling experience. 

And a picture after district meeting on Tuesday!

Love you all!