Transfer 8 Week 2

Dear Everyone,

    Another week has flown by and I have again learned so much. My topic of study was humility and I learned quite a bit and it seemed to me that I was hearing about and learning about pride and humility wherever I went. Zone Conference was a truly humbling experience as we felt the Spirit very strongly and gained so much light and knowledge from Him. We broke out into roleplays and I found myself having a hard time making the transition from teaching from my own knowledge to teaching by the Spirit. I hope to continue to work on this, though even Elder Bednar said we would crash and burn the first times we tried, but we needed to resist the temptation to slip back into our old teaching habits. I went with the Spanish Elders, both in Cary and in Garner and we even taught a mostly deaf investigator. That got all of us fired up to learn sign language and I was blessed with the capacity to learn the alphabet and a good amount of words. The Garner Spanish Elders and I have had quite the time conversing with one another in sign language, but it has died down a bit. I continued my volunteer work at the Healing Place Thrift Store off of Kildaire Farm Rd and Ten Ten. (We are looking for volunteers if anyone is free to do so.) I also continued volunteering at the Meals on Wheels organization. I have had a really wonderful time and it is crazy that I am over the halfway mark. I almost do not know how to feel. I love being out here, being able to devote all my time and efforts in the service of others and as King Benjamin taught "when ye are in the service of your fellowmen ye are only in the service of your God." As I have served God I have been blessed to see many of the ways I could change to become closer to the Savior and as I have been out I have felt closer to both Jesus Christ and to my Heavenly Father. My love for my fellowman has increased and I have gained a great love for both the Spanish language and culture. My testimony has grown in leaps and bounds and I hope my maturity has done the same. XD I am so grateful that I had an opportunity to serve and even a chance to get a taste of what it is like to be a full-time missionary in the field. I think I have spent at least half of my time out in the field.  The best piece of news this week is that both of the sets of Spanish Elders set baptismal dates! I am so happy for them. :) They do work so hard.

    I know that this is truly the work of the Lord. I know even more surely every day that I am out here. I know that Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the World; I know that He lives. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and that Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet of God on the earth today. I know the Bible and the Book of Mormon to be the word of God as recorded by His holy Prophets. I know that I am a child of God and that everyone else in the world are children of a loving Heavenly Father. Of these things I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

With Love,

Elder Roberts

Transfer 8 Week 1

Dear Everyone,

    Well, I was transferred back to Cary to resume my mission as a service missionary. I am so glad to be back in my home ward! ^^ I was able to attend the Temple, return to Meals on Wheels and Helping Hands Mission along with helping out at the Library and beginning to serve at the Healing Place's newly opened thrift store. I had a lot of fun serving this week at the various organizations and I look forward to continuing to serve them over the next nine months. I love being a missionary, there is something in being called as a representative of the Savior in everything you say and do that cannot be found anywhere else. It is a refining process for the soul, burning out the dross and leaving behind purity and beauty. I have seen my love for those I have served grow and my understanding make leaps and bounds. I am especially grateful for the opportunity I have to study the words of the Savior and receive revelation daily. It is a habit I will carry into the rest of my life. I am glad to be able to be here to help the missionaries in my area. I went with Elder Obregon and Elder Brown and we were able to teach a really good lesson and it was a really sweet experience to see and feel the Spirit working through us. I know that God knows and loves His children on a personal basis, but that we are His hands in reaching out with His infinite light and love. I went with Elder Childs and Elder Reimann and we were able to teach an extremely intelligent, extremely humble man last night. He was so open and I could see the love both Elder Childs and Elder Reimann have for him. Charity truly is a gift from God bestowed upon us as we are in the service of our fellow beings. I am so blessed to have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I have been protected from so many decisions that could have ruined my life and am able to press forward with steadfast faith in Christ and with a brightness of hope. I met a lady in Wal-Mart today and she and I were talking about the package I was about to send off to my friend because of her mission. The lady asked what church she belonged to and when I answered she replied that her father joined when he was 74 and is the happiest he's ever been. That is the effect the gospel has on people. When President Hinckley was asked whether it was hard to be a "Mormon," he replied "no, it's wonderful."  It is a privilege to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

    I know that this is Jesus Christ's church. I know that we have a Prophet on the earth today and twelve Apostles. I know that Joseph Smith was the first of these modern day Prophets. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that, with the Holy Bible, it testifies that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah; that He came and that He will come again. I know that God is our Eternal Father and that Jesus Christ is His Son. I know that the Atonement can cleanse us through the ordinances of the Gospel and that it can strengthen us in our daily lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

With love,

Elder Roberts

Transfer 7 Week 6

Dear Everyone,

    We are now at the end of another transfer. I still am not able to understand how time can go by so slow, yet so quickly. I am being transferred to either the Fayetteville West or Wilmington Zones and will find out tomorrow at Transfer Meeting. I love Dunn and the ward and will miss the people that I have been able to meet and bring the restored gospel to. We found a few new people this week and will be teaching them later on tonight and throughout the rest of the week. I look forward to those experiences and to the experiences I will yet have in my new area. I went on an exchange with one of the Zone Leaders this past week and I learned a lot from him. We had dinner over at one of the members and taught this really nice lady about the restoration and clarified some concerns and doctrinal misconceptions. She seems like she is prepared to let the gospel of Jesus Christ continue to influence and guide her in making righteous choices. I am eternally grateful for the influence the Gospel of Jesus Christ has had in my life and in the lives of those I know and love. I know that I could not be who I am today or where I am today without it or Him.

     The Atonement plays an especially significant part in this with the condition of repentance attached. It is a gift from God to not only cleanse us from our sins, but to strengthen us in our daily lives against our struggles. I was studying this morning on the doctrine of the Atonement and the differences between rewards and gifts. When we are rewarded it is usually something we have worked for and earned. When we are rewarded for our works, whether they be good or evil, we have earned the just sum of what we have worked for. However, when we are given a gift it is usually something we have not or cannot earn on our own. With this gift there are conditions to receive the gift, the primary one being to accept the gift that is given. Otherwise you cannot receive the gift. The gift of the Atonement requires some work on our part to fully enjoy the blessings thereof, but because we cannot possibly perform an atonement for ourselves, it is still a gift. We went over the doctrine of the Atonement in District meeting on Wednesday and I thought a lot about how love is one of the prime motivating factors for the Atonement and all other aspects of the plan of salvation. Heavenly Father's love for us gave us the agency to choose right from wrong which lead to some choosing sin and death. His love for us lead Him to prepare a way for us to overcome the effects of sin and death by preparing a Savior and Redeemer. This Messiah, even Jesus Christ, accepted His calling and out of supreme love and devotion to both His Father and to us, performed the Atonement, whereby we are given the means to return to Our Heavenly Father's presence. It is love that brought the Son of God to the earth; it is love that led Him to obey His Father in all things; it is love that lead Him to the Garden of Gethsemane, and to the Cross at Calvary. His Atonement, beginning with His suffering in Gethsemane and ending with the Resurrection, are manifestations of His love, His perfect love for Our Heavenly Father and for each and every one of us. May we all strive to live according to the example that He has set for us.

    I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. I know that He the Son of God, sent to deliver us from our sins. I know that God is our literal Father in Heaven. I know that They live and lead and guide the children of God through a modern day Prophet. I know that the same church that Christ established with the foundation of apostles and prophets exists today. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the Prophet on the earth today. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet and that the evidence is in the Book of Mormon. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and alongside the Bible testifies of Jesus Christ. I know that if you read it and ask God if it is true you will receive an answer from God by the power of the Holy Ghost. I have a testimony of the miracle of conversion, how a testimony of true principles can lead one to make necessary changes to procure eternal happiness. I have seen it in the eyes of Sister Messer. She was recently baptized this past week and you could see it, she was absolutely glowing with joy. That is why we are out here. We are out here to share the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ with every soul and give them an opportunity to have it change their lives. I know that it is God's will that I am here. In the sacred name of His Son, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

With Love,

Elder Roberts

btw: My New Address is:

Elder Andrew J. Roberts (use my full name there are two of us...)

6508 Falls of Neuse Ste. 100

Raleigh, NC 27615

This is the address to the mission office, they will forward my mail to whereever it needs to go unless you use UPS, if you need to use UPS get my home address from me or my family and they will take care of it until I am able to retrieve it there. ^^ This address will work till March!

Transfer 7 Week 5

Dear Everyone,

      

    This past week was another week of miracles that was rounded off by a visit by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, even Elder David A. Bednar. We had a marvelous time with him and were able to spend 3 hours in open discussion about and one of those hours asking him questions. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I hope to remember all that I have learned and apply it now and in the rest of my life. One of the key pieces of advice that he gave us was that if you don't think it can happen to you, it will and if you think it might you can prepare against it. This covers a wide range of difficulties such as returned missionaries becoming less active to breaking the law of chastity during your engagement. If you are not careful or become too prideful you can fall into these. For older people and families it could be falling out of the habit of daily personal prayer, scripture study and family prayer and scripture study.  When you allow this to happen, when you allow the small and simple things to go undone, you open the door to the natural man (woman) and they step in. That does not mean you worry yourself to death over each and every thing that could happen to you or each item on the "checklist", but it does mean that you are looking out and not putting yourselves in situations where temptations are. The key is preparation and the humility it takes to make that preparation.

 

     Another piece I absolutely loved was the pattern of helping others to use their agency, or freewill, to become spiritually self reliant. In our church personal prayer and scripture study are emphasized and there are no paid clergy. This is because God expects all of us to be anxiously engaged in learning of Him and gain our own personal revelation. As missionaries we are not out to hand out fish or spiritual knowledge, but to help others to learn how to fish. We are out to teach others to become spiritually self reliant, or able to find the answers themselves, in other words to "ask God" and not rely on the wisom of man.  We are to remember that men, even when God places them in positions to influence His children and attend in the affairs of His church are not the teachers, the teacher is the Comforter, or the Holy Spirit. We are only conduits for that influence and we best cultivate that influence as we are agents, as we exercise our free will in being actively engaged in learning of Him and doing His will.

 

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of Jesus Christ. I know that Thomas S. Monson is His Prophet on the earth today. I know that families truly can be together forever through the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and that He knows and loves us. I have a tesimony of prayer and the power in the Atonement to both cleanse and strenghten us. These things I testify of in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

With Love,

 

Elder Roberts

Transfer 7 Week 4

Dear Everyone,

    This last week has been a week of miracles. My companion and I are fairly new to the area and we ended up lost. Well, we ended up visiting with a member nearby and received some referrals for his neighbors. Well, the next day we me with one, the Ortiz family, and were able to teach a first discussion. I was able to use some of the Spanish I have learned to translate for the mother since she was not as proficient with English. We will be able to teach them again this Friday. We tried to stop by the other referral, but everything fell so that we were not able to do so. Finally, we were able to meet and teach the Olivarez family and that went extremely well. We found out that Brother Olivarez is only available on Mondays and then it clicked that we would not have been able to teach them if we had contacted them on any other day. That was a pretty neat experience.

    Last Wednesday the Ward Mission Leader, Brother Bragg, informed us that we had talks to give the following Sunday. So, we prepared and gave those and they went pretty well. I gave a talk on using Preach My Gospel in various ways. One way is to teach the doctrines of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those of baptismal age, so that they understand the teachings of the church before they become members. That way they can also seek out and gain their own testimony beforehand. One may also use it to prepare priests to become full-time missionaries. They can study it and learn the lessons and practice teaching before they are called out into the field. Another use is to equipped members with the doctrines of the church so that they are able to be effective member missionaries and to focus them on the work. One of the doctrines I highlighted in my talk was that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. Since we have this knowledge our attitudes and behaviors to our fellowmen should be drastically different. Having this knowledge and understanding the basic doctrines as taught in Preach My Gospel helps members to overcome the three main problems that I have seen in memeber missionary work: lack of interest, lack of confidence and lack of focus.  My companion talked about how members have played key roles in the conversion of part-member families and in the baptisms of non-members who needed a little extra support. I have a testimony of member work, I know that we, as missionaries are called to teach and have all the tools available to make us effective teachers. I know that members are the best at finding those who would be the most receptive and best benefited by our message. I know that as we work in harmony with one another and in harmony with the standards of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we will have the Spirit with us in this great work and we will see miracles.

    I know that we are engaged in the work of the Lord, we are preparing and establishing the Kingdom of God on the earth. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, I know that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet of God and is His mouthpiece on the earth today. I know that we have twelve Apostles and that God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ lead and guide this church, just as it was lead in ancient times. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and is a testament of the divinity of Christ and evidence that we do indeed have a Prophet on the earth once more. I know that if anyone reads this book and asks "God the Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true, and if [they] will ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it unto [them] by the power of the Holy Ghost." I know that if you "ask in faith" and show your desire to receive an answer you will receive one. I have received an answer myself, I know these things are true, without a doubt in my heart or mind I know. That is the power of the Holy Ghost. That is the effect an answer from God has, stronger than angels or visions, it is pure truth being witnessed to the very core of your spirit. Of these things I bear witness, in the name of He whom the prophets testified shall come into the world, who has and will come again, even Jesus Christ, the savior of us all. Amen.

With Love,

Elder Roberts