Another Week As A Missionary

Hello alllllll,

This week was pretty rough, we had about 40 people at church yesterday because it rained for a good 6 hours, just absolutely pouring. We had about a foot of standing water yesterday hahahhah pretty awesome, but of course we didn't have any investigators in church and we didn't find anyone new this week. So the numbers were down, but it is aight. 

We have one investigator who was having doubts about the prophet, and finally we gave her a Liahona. She said she had a dream after she read a talk about charity, and there was a person who was making her mad, and she wanted to hurt her or punch her in the face she said, but in the dream she was just too full of love and charity. She said she felt she couldn't do it. Answer to a doubt? I think so.

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We had our zone conference this week, and boy did they burn us. I was excited, thinking I would learn something new, but nope. Obedience, dilligence, all that. I think that doesn't do us any good, like we gotta change something to get different results hahah, idk just my thoughts, the thoughts of a young junior companion here.

Something I think is interesting, is the importance they put on Family Home Evenings here. It's like, if it's Monday night, and you're not doing FHE, YOU'RE SINNING no matter what. Interesting. Everything is interesting here honestly, how the church runs, how the members are, how the Bishop is. All that good stuff.

I finally lost my temper with my companion this week. He likes to take time out of our studies to proselyte if we have zone meeting, because normally we would have to leave at like 5, and he hates that. And I finally let him know that I don't like that, somewhat aggressively hahahahah. It's aight.

I did a BOM chronolgy yesterday during my study, so that was fun.

I dunno, not much happened this week. We should have about 5 baptisms in the coming week though, so stay posted!

Elder Roper

Buenos Dias Mis Queridos

BUENOS DÍAS MIS QUERIDOS

This week was full of change, and really kinda was able to humble myself and figure out what exactly it is I'm doing out here. I don't know if that makes sense, but allow me to explain. I felt that I was good with the doctrine, and the way we were teaching it all was perfect, but I took a work visit (AGAIN) with the homie Elder Walker. He was asking me all sorts of questions about how we teach and how I explain things and about my knowledge of the doctrine more than nothing. And really, I didn't know a lot of it.  I like Spanish, because theres a lot of ways you can say things. There's two verbs that mean (to know) "conocer" y "saber". Conocer, is like to get to know, or to recognize we can say. Saber, is to know. To have knowledge of a thing. So, yo conozco the doctrine right now, I don't really know (saber). And to be honest, my studies have been pretty trashy lately as well, but we're improving no worries. We did a personal study together (how that works I dunno) and he really kinda helped me to understand that I'm 4 months into the mission, but I'm not like, veteran status yet. I have a lot of work to do, but I know that it is possible. 

To explain the title.... holes in the jungle. My stomach has been upset this week again, I'm talking like I'm afraid to leave the house to prosilite because I don't wanna have an accident in the jungle. Usually, I keep TP in my backpack with me AT ALL TIMES, but this week I was a little short on funds and didn't have any with me. So, push comes to shove and we're out prosilyting and I look at my comp and Im like bro I gotta go. Now! So we stopped by a members, thinking they'd have a toilet, so they directed me to their outhouse, and there was a big ol hole. This happened 3 times this past week, just throughout the week, so thats' been our little inside joke between our companionship this week hahahhahahahahaha -  awesome! 

We have a family who honestly, progressed really fast in the past 2 weeks. The dad found us when we were walking one night, and it was pretty late, he took us all the way home for free, just because we were Missionaries. We talked to him and found out that hes a less active, and he wanted us to teach his family and all that good stuff. They had their baptism interviews yesterday, and sadly all but one passed. We're hopin' that they'll be ready for the 10th of March. The next change, so well see. As of right now we have 10 progressing investigators.

Mosquitos honestly suck. They have been killin' me honestly. If I get dengue out here, I wouldn't be surprised honestly. There are so many!

This week I finally put my English Preach My Gospel away!  It was a tough decision, but hahah nah jk. It is time to immerse myself in Spanish. I'm gonna finish the BOM one more time, and then go into all spanish mode. I honestly think I speak better than my comp, the only thing he has on me is he can understand it.

Theres a quote from President Hinckley I found this week IN ENGLISH!!!, He said, "You will come to know that what appears today to be a sacrifice, will prove to be the greatest investment you will ever make." Boom. Nothing more needs to be said about that. 

I think that is all for this week. 

2 NEPHI 22:2

Elder Roper

Another Week Down In The Jungle of Peru

Buenos dias y'all!

Another week down in the Jungle of Peru.  Not much happened this week. We found a bunch of new families this week, mostly thanks to references. I'm hoping that they can progress real quick honestly.  I can't believe how fast the time as a missionary has gone. It is already Feburary 12th of 2018. Loco. I'll hit 4 months at the end of this week!

This week we were walking in the street, and some lady approached us and asked us for money. And I was like, look, I'm sorry, I know I'm American and all but I literally don't have anything, and she started to cry and beg and beg and yeah. So I gave her 2 soles, and we lowkey got robbed bwahahaha. She didn't say thanks or shake my hand or anything honestly, so that was pretty fun. 

My comp and I had sort of a rough week.  I had a work visit with Elder Rodriguez from the DR this week, and we honestly didn't study or do anything but just talked about the mission life. I'm so glad there are people who speak English here! I've come to realize that my comp really stresses me out with how he wants to ALWAYS be studying.  And Elder Rod just told me to be straight up with him. So I told my comp, and I don't think he was very happy, but what can you do? Life goes on . . . Time marches on . . . 

We ate broccoli this week, and I probably ate about a whole head of it. I forgot how good vegetables are hahahah. There is something here called Biscocho, and I love it! It is just like sweet bread.  My neighbor runs a bakery, so we eat a lot of bread hahahah. 

I feel like I'm finally being able to connect with the people in our ward, and I'm worried that I'm gonna get changed next week.  I really don't wanna leave this area, but I am ready for a change of companions.  We will see . . . 

There is a new video of the tree falling,  I think. I complety spaced sending it last week whups. 

Short letter this week, but I can't lie . . .  it was a pretty boring week!

ELDER ROPER

Cutting holes in bread

They put caramel in the holes and make biscocho.

I love it!

 This is the bakery we live next to.

Outside of our house - we cleaned it pretty good today!

Here is another video of the tree falling!

This Week Was Something Else . . . To Say The Least

Hello all!

This week was something else to say the least. We had absolutley no rain, and it has been like double as hot lately. Freaking awful to say the least. We were out and about the other day, and we stopped by an investigators house to see if she would give us any water. Push comes to shove she comes back with some juice, and it was pretty nasty lookin. My comp asked if the water was clean, and she said yeah, but she didn't know the name of the drink. I looked at my comp and he shrugged his shoulders. So we drank it. And it honestly tasted like throw up. This was Wednesday. Thursday we were with our Elders Quorum President, he gave us something that had the consitency of milk, and was about baby diarheeah green, and super cold. I tried it and about puked, but I didn't dare let him know I didn't like it. Soooooooo. I'm battling my stomach right now, and its honestly awful. I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened, and I'm taking medicine from my pensionista and it is really working. They really make me feel at home, because when I get sick, I am a big baby honestly. Yesterday I pretty much slept through church, and the ward council meeting. And they really get on my comp and tell him that we need rest. So I actually really love that hahaha. 

We were searching for a reference the other day, and this big old white dude with a bunch of tatoos and really bad side burns came out of the house, so of course I tried to talk to him in English, but the dude was from Poland. He had another Polish man with him, and had his Peruvian wife. We tried to contact him but he told us he's a "missionary of the devil". No pasa nada with that man. They really scared me to be honest.

We have some people progressing, and I honestly think these are the "chosen and elected" people that we have been searching for. They all wanna come to church, read the Book Of Mormon and get married so they can be baptized.  It is really cool when we find "golden investigators" here. 

We got heckled this week finally. The man called us ignorant and devils and liars, but right after that we found a lady who told us she literally lived in the street, and her baby has cancer, but she always prays and reads her bible. There are honestly some people here who are super humble, and have every reason in the world to play the "poor me" card, but they don't. They're just grateful for every new day thay have. Pretty awesome!

I hope you all enjoy the NBA Street pics we took, and the video of the tree we cut down. That was super scary. That's all for this week!

SI PUES

ELDER ROPER

The zone at the zoo

Playing some hoop

My new Spanish scriptures