Baptism!

Hello! This week has been a pretty good week. It seems like we have received a million referrals of people wanting to get baptized recently just needing the lessons. So we are starting teaching a few of them this next week. Lydia is one of them and they just recently moved from Caldwell and were referred by the missionaries up there. She is 9 and the family is less active and they are trying to return to church. So it will be a good experience. The other one is a boy named Alex who is 14 years old. He has had a rough past and his adopted parents here just recently got full custody of him. He has been coming to church for a long time and I just didn't know he wasn't a member. He goes on camp outs and hang out with the youth. I just never noticed that he hasn't actually passed the sacrament. As well we have found a few other people who are interested in learning one that we know is interested in being baptized. Her name is Lillie and she has had rough
life up to this point as well.

We also had a baptism this last week Matt was baptized and he is really excited in the journey he is making. Kassidy should be getting baptized this next Saturday as well but we are having a regional conference on Sunday so she will be confirmed the Sunday after that.
This last week we had a zone conference and that was good and fun. We were all edified by the messages our leaders had to share. We also at the end of the conference we performed skits about going through the invitation pattern in chapter 11 of preach my gospel. It is was really fun and there were lots of laughs.
I love the Gospel and my Savior Jesus Christ. I hope all who read this know that and that if it weren't for the power of the atonement in my own life I don't know what level of conviction I would have in sharing this. But I know that Jesus Christ's Church has been restored and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to represent Him in sharing this message with the Idaho Nampa Mission.
Love,
Elder Roberts

Temple week and Costco Pizza

This last week had a bunch of cool things and stuff that happened in it! We helped the Elder Short, one of the senior missionaries in our mission, clean out the mission storage unit, me, Elder Rogers, an old comp Elder Bushell, and his companion Elder Twigg. It went fast so he took us to costco for a hot dog/pizza/chicken bake.

On Thursday, I went to the temple. The long awaited, first temple trip of the mission. We get to go twice on our mission. Once at halfway, the other time right before we go home. This picture is me and Sister Cannon, Our Mission Mom/President Cannon's wife, out in front of the temple. Me and 11 other missionaries went with the Mission President and his wife and one of the senior couples and the Assistants to the President. My MTC Companion, Elder Hulet is in the background. We of course came out at the same time so he hit his halfway mark too.

This is the Boise Temple from a better angle. It is really pretty and I am going to miss the temple a lot for the next year but I am so grateful for the covenants made here, and the peace inside this building. The Temple truly is the House of the Lord. The covenants bring real power, peace and strength in my life and I am grateful to go back to remember them.

I also went on exchanges this last week with one of the missionaries in my district and it went really well. He has ass-purgers but he is a great missionary and is out here to serve His Heavenly Father. It is great to see how he is able to overcome the challenges that he has and be so willing to serve. We went over and taught one of our investigators who is getting baptized this Saturday. His name is Matt and he is really excited to be baptized and to continue to learn afterward as well. The girl that I met the first day in this area, Kassidy, is getting baptized next Saturday. The 28th. The same day that L Tom Perry is coming to speak to our mission. They both have one more lesson they need before and they need to have their interviews but they are on their way and they are excited. I'll have to send a picture of my district so that you can see the missionaries I am most associated with. I will also send pictures of the baptisms. I love you all!
Sincerely,
Elder Roberts

Sick day

I am officially over the hump and it has gone by scary fast. Everyone keeps telling me it speeds up from here so I am scared ;) This last week on Saturday I got to have one of the least fun days of m mission. I got sick and I had to lay in bed all day. That day lasted what seemed like forever. Probably not too different for my companion, having sit around all day as well just a little more conscious most of the time. Kassidy is struggling to come to church right now but we should have another baptism on the 21st for Matt. One that I have almost nothing to do with. Matt is really looking forward to it. We met a few more people this week that seem like there could be some great potential for teaching. They seem interested and like they want to make changes in their lives. Just some of them are really busy and have a hard time working a good time into their schedule to have us over or to come to church, while they do want to do both. I am grateful for priesthood blessings as I feel like that was the only reason I have been recovering as fast as I have been. We went on exchanges with the zone leaders as well and that was good. We didn't have too much success but they are helping me and my companion work on some things to improve. I know the atonement is the power that helps us overcome our struggles and learn and become better people and disciples of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the struggles that help me to appreciate the miracles and the Joy.
Love,
Elder Roberts

The One Year Mark

So I am in Nampa covering the 2nd and 18th wards. I am down in the hub of the mission now. I don't know surprisingly very many missionaries because I have been hiding out most of my mission. My companion is Elder Rogers from Gilbert Arizona and he has been out 6 months. And I was made district leader. I have had the opportunity to do a few baptismal interviews for the zone leaders. Those were pretty cool and it was great to see the people's paths as they are making their way into the church. And their challenges as well as the things that pushed them forward. The first day I got out here I was sent over to a little girl's house named Kassidy and she wanted to get baptized on the 31st. But we didn't have enough time to all the things we needed to so we needed to set the date for the seventh. Because she hasn't come to church the last couple weeks we've needed to push it back to the 21st. But she is excited. There is also another guy named Matt and he moved into the area I believe in mid December and he is getting baptized the same day. This is Kassidy and my companion Elder Rogers.

Things are going pretty well with her we just need to make sure she gets to church.
Also this week is a pretty crazy milestone. It will be hump day/my year mark on...... (yes a milk jug expiration date)

it is absolutely terrifying to think I have been out a year now. It feels like it has only be a couple months. And it has been such an amazing journey so far. I can only hope it continues to be as great as it has been. So filled with the spirit and joy and peace that it brings. At transfers I got to see the other missionary I trained just as I was finishing with Elder Clark so we all got pictures together. And one of the assistants to the President decided to photo-bomb it. I am so glad he did cause he is such an amazing Elder and he is going home this transfer. Elder Brimhall is his name. Elder Bushell is from Sandy Utah also so I will get to go to his homecoming which will be so great!

One more cool thing before I go. We were informed this last week at zone meeting that Elder L Tom Perry is going to be coming to speak to our mission on February 28th! It is going to be so cool! I love you all and have a great week!
Love,
Elder Roberts