Power and Authority November 2nd, 2015

So I think I mentioned this last week in my email, but the Assistants had a meeting with us about the weight of our calling and the power and authority of it. It has been cool to see the change I have seen in myself and the work in our area just in this last week since then, but also the potential it has to be changing the zone, starting with the district leaders. I feel the district leaders are starting to recognize the significance of their roles more and more, as missionaries and as mission leaders and in leading their district. It is pretty awesome. Also, just how the Holy Ghost makes us feel when something is being done right. Things just feel good and right after they were done to the full measure expected, or even just to an improved measure. The Assistants to the Mission President are now expecting a bit more from us in what we report, and it felt good reporting, also when we talked to the district leaders we expected more as well, and after all of the reporting it just felt good, and it makes me look forward to doing it again this next week. Seemingly simple, but the Spirit confirms to us when we are doing the right thing in the right way, and it just feels good.

We have felt a lot of difference in our work, we have been a lot more bold and at the same time we have felt the Spirit and the love of God working through us. Sadly we still have fallen through appointments, of course, and some of the people who wanted to learn were kind of shot down by family members, but we are seeing good things happening. We cover a branch called Pine Valley out in the farther parts of our area and we taught the family the last lesson they needed in order for the daughters to get baptized. They will be going out to central Idaho for the baptism though, because there is family out there who would not be able to make the trip out here.
I went on exchanges with Elder Anien from the Marshall Islands this last week as well and that went great. He is a pretty shy Elder and doesn't really know how to go up and talk to people, which truthfully I still feel not great at. But I shared with him a lot of the things that my trainer Elder Morse had shared with me and taught me in doing so. I thought it was good because I could really relate to him in that and I wanted to help him to be able to do it as well.
I don't know If I mentioned that we started getting into family history about a week ago and now we are starting to use it more in our proselyting. We will be having a few people coming to the family history center this week to learn how to do it. It is pretty great and it brings such great joy and peace. We are hoping to see some good things from those coming to do it with us.
love,
Elder Roberts

First lessons outside, meetings, October 26, 2015

This last week was a pretty good week. We met a kid named Junior, who we had knocked on his door because of a girl we had met walking down the street. We shared a pamphlet with her and asked for her address about a week and a half ago and she gave it to us. When we knocked he answered and we talked with him and we just felt the prompting to start teaching him the first lesson. We gave him the Restoration pamphlet, and then we asked questions about some of the pictures and taught him about it. As we were going through we all felt the spirit, most specifically at the first vision. Afterward he told us that he felt that it was true because of the spirit. He already has a degree of understanding about the Holy Ghost. We set up another appointment for tomorrow and we are looking forward to it. He has a very open heart!
Another lady that we met yesterday is from the Philippines and her name is Lila. She was raised Methodist over in the Philippines and moved here and then became Catholic. She we were talking to her over her fence in her backyard and she was watching her grandson. We talked about the restoration and she ended up bringing up some questions she has. She started talking about how the Bible only talks about the middle eastern area, it doesn't talk about America and Asia. So we talked about the Book of Mormon. She also asked some questions concerning confession and repentance. After that we talked about baptism and she asked how we do it, and how old we are when we do it. We talked about how we believe it is done by immersion and at an age that we can choose for ourselves, and she expressed that she agreed with us. She doesn't know what the rest of her families feelings are about the church, but she said we could come back. We are looking forward to seeing her again! Those were some great experiences trying to teach just immediately as we find people. We are making it a goal to teach the first lesson at least 5 times a week. And we started Thursday last week. So we are hoping it goes well. So far it has been great.
Also we had a meeting with the Assistant's to the Mission President this last Saturday and it was great. The biggest thing that we were talking about was the weight of our calling and power and authority. It was a powerful meeting and it is something that we needed I think to help us recognize the power that we can have if we so desire it. And now we are going to try and take that to our district leaders and help them with it so they can take it to the missionaries. We are trying to just elevate all of the things we are doing. Put power behind it. Things are going good. I love you all!
Sincerely,
Elder Roberts

Interviews, Exchanges, Delays October 19, 2015

This week Damion got interviewed by President Cannon and the baptism is going to be delayed for a couple months. Damion is on top of things and President just felt that it would be best for him to prove to himself that he was ready and prepared. He is doing great! We also had our own interviews with President Cannon just reviewing what we are doing and how things are going in our area's and where we are in our progression. It is great and I enjoy them.
On exchanges I went down to Weiser, Idaho with Elder Hanny. I had served around him awhile back and he is one of the district leaders in our zone. It was kinda funny, we tried this house where a former investigator lived and he wasn't home, but he ended up going and knocking on about 5 houses around him. three of those five said we could come back. two of them didn't answer. It was pretty awesome. Then we were able to find him at his house. And he isn't particularly ready for the gospel. It was a good day. Our area seems to be kinda different, just like in the previous area, I feel like God is trying to get us to focus in a different direction again. Trying to help us focus on helping the members in their work. That is what we have been pondering over and trying to figure out again now. Not too much else happened this week. Yesterday we met a guy outside with his family and he shared with us a lot of his beliefs. He is a Christian and has a lot of interesting perspectives on a lot of different things, not particularly of any denomination. But he has studied with missionaries before and said we could come back. Normally, I would be worried he is trying to convert us, but he has a very open mind. He is into Philosophy and getting a masters in it right now. My worry in teaching him now is mostly just talking around in circles without the spirit. He has had spiritual experiences in the past and we just need to help him remember them and feel the spirit again. He is looking at things from too logical of a perspective. He places his authority in reason. We hope to be instruments in helping him and his family feel the spirit again.
love,
Elder Roberts

Up in Baker, Talk October 12th, 2015

Hello! I had the opportunity to give a talk yesterday in one of our wards on this past General Conference, which I recognized that I did not talk about at all last week. It was great and a spiritual feast as I have seen it to become more and more over my mission. And it is so sad that it will be my last. Time flies by so fast. I particularly liked, well most of the talks. But a few of the ones that I talked about were President Eyring's about the companionship of the Holy Ghost and What Lack I yet? by Elder Lawrence. My talk was largely based upon the Holy Ghost and the role that it plays in helping us to become more like Christ, in elevating our observance of the Sabbath day, and in the work of salvation. As those were a lot of the things that had stood out to me in conference. I ended up taking a long time, and unlike before my mission, I think I am now likely to go over on time due to the things I would like to say.
Damion just got out of the rehabilitation center and he will be having an interview with President Cannon this week about baptism. He is awesome and dedicated to following God. He just recently had some hard things happen for him though and it is tough. But he is still working toward it.
We also just had the opportunity to start teaching a lady named Cherie, her daughter Boston and her boyfriend Loren. They are super awesome. She has just recently gone less active but wants her daughter baptized and we shared the Restoration with them. Loren really liked it and said that it made a lot of sense. He said that as he knows it's true he will be baptized. They want the blessings of the gospel for their family. It is cool to see how open of a heart that he had hearing about the church and gospel for the first time. So many people have a lot of reservations and things that hold them back, and he has such an open heart it is awesome. I hope that this next week is a good one for all of you.
Sincerely,
Elder Roberts

Transfers! Back to LA Grande Zone September 28th, 2015

Hello Everybody!
It was transfers this last week and I am now in Baker City, which is about a half an hour away from Union and 2.5 hours away from Nampa. I am still serving as a zone leader, just over a different zone. My new companion is named Elder Knighton from Clinton, Utah. This is his last transfer and he was in my district back in the beginning on my mission. It is pretty crazy to be serving with him now. I learned so much in my previous area and with my 2 companions there, and with just everything, so it was pretty hard to leave. But continuing to look forward with an eye of faith. He is now going to be companions with my MTC companion Elder Hulet. So we had a few particularly cool things happen last week! We were finally able to get in contact with Danielle again. While on exchanges, Elder Halverson and Elder Goodsell went over and helped Danielle's mother in law move out. She had been creating a certain amount of tension in the home that was making it hard to be able to see her and teach her. They made awesome contact and helped her move into her new place. We were then able to see Danielle the next day. I was able to get a picture with her and her son and their emails. We found out where she is in her spiritual progression.
The 36th ward is now getting pretty active in missionary work. The ward mission is essentially creating a mini mission in which the ward missionaries will be assigned to specific areas of the ward and the members and sometimes the investigators. We want to make sure the right investigators are with the right people, but the work there is about to take off. It is super awesome and I am excited to hear back more from what is happening there.
Things are a whole lot slower pace up here on p-day's, just because there are so many less people up here. It has a calmer more peaceful feeling. Here is a picture and I will let you all know more as I know more.
This is me and Elder Knighton at the Baker transfer spot. I remember all the previous times I had been there. It will be funny how close I am to Union.
I love you all, talk to you later!
Elder Roberts

The Spirit of the Law September 21st, 2015

These last couple weeks have been pretty weird.
We have had so many more appointments that have fallen through. We have been feeling that God is trying to help us shift our focus and recognize some things that we need to be doing better. We are still trying to figure out what some of those things are, but we feel like we are catching some of the idea's.
One guy that we met yesterday is named Chris. He was one of the people we met sharing the family proclamation. When we first gave it to him, he was headed off to the hospital because his wife was having a baby. We think he may have been drunk while he was meeting with us, but he was very wishy washy. One moment he would be telling us that we were saved, the next we were deceived, then that we were Brother's in Christ, then that we were damned. He seemed to be struggling, and he doesn't know for sure if he can be forgiven. We are hoping to find him at a time when he is sober that way we can help him feel and recognize that he can have a knowledge of the forgiveness of his sins. He is a great guy and he is just new to Christianity but he is trying to figure it out, and we hoping we can do all we can to help him feel the power of the atonement in his life.

One thing we have been learning about more recently, is about the spirit of the law vs the letter of the law. The spirit will require more of us than the letter of the law, and that is why we have such a great need to be obedient. If we can't be obedient to those things plainly put in front of us, how can we be raised above that bar. As we are willing to give more of ourselves to the Lord, we can become more effective tools in his hands and we can be those that the Lord will call upon us to accomplish His work in bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. It is amazing and we are hoping to see changes. In the way we work as well as the zone. Though transfers are next Monday so I will let you all know what is happening next week.
Sincerely
Elder Roberts

Elder C. Scott Grow September 15, 2015

Hello Everybody,
This week we went on 2 different exchanges with two different sets of missionaries. Elder Larson is one of the district leaders and he is so humble and relies on the Lord so much. One of the other companionships is Elder Lagunzad and Elder Matthews. Who have both been my companions! So either way we did the exchange I would be with a previous companion. Elder Matthews went with Elder Halverson and me and Elder Lagunzad went together. He is going home in two weeks and it pretty crazy. Elder Nielson actually ended up having some family things happen and he couldn't come, and last minute things changed and Elder C Scott Grow came. It was awesome and we learned a lot of good things . We also had Bishops and Stake President's there for training as well so we all got to receive training from Elder Grow at the same time. It was cool! I really feel it helped all of us to see no separation of in the Work of Salvation. We are all engaged in the same work. Also all the missionaries I trained and the missionaries they are training were there too so here's a picture.
I promise I have more hair than it looks like I have in this picture. I promise.