October 20, 2014

Hello Friends and Family,

I cant believe another week has already gone by. It feels like just yesterday I was emailing, but I will try to tell you a little bit about what I did this week.  

Wednesday I had a great lesson with James. I don't know if I have told you about him yet but he is a 13 years old and is a friend of a recent convert family. He has come to church 3 times and loves it. He is already going to young men’s every week and I think he likes that.  In the lesson we went over the Restoration and started to go over the Plan of Salvation. The spirit was so strong and I know he felt it.  He has several questions about the word of wisdom and we get to go over today and tell him more about it.  I can’t wait.  He is on date for baptism for November 22 and I hope he will make it.  He is totally ready but just doesn't like to read the Book of Mormon so most of the time when we go over we just read with him and help him understand it.  But every time we do that he learns something new and gets a little bit more excited to be baptized.

Thursday was such a tender mercy day.  We had a ton of appointments and lesson prepared and not a single one went through.  Every person that we tried to talk to didn't want to know more and most of them were just rude. My comp gets stressed pretty easy and he was just done, but I hate going back to the apartment before 9 so we decided to run to the store because he forgot to buy some stuff on p-day.  While I was driving to the store I said a prayer that we could see someone or help someone that was in need.  While we were walking down the shampoo isle of the store this lady stopped us and asked where the nearest church was.  Obviously we told her and then continued to talk to her for 30 more min.  She called herself a "jack Mormon" and through her tears told us lots of stuff that had been happening and she said she was just in need of some help.  She told us that she prayed earlier that day that she could see someone that could help her.

We are planning on seeing her later tonight and I cannot wait to bring the light of Christ back into her life and help her understand the importance of church attendance. This probably sounds so simple to those who read this but this was a huge answer to my prayer and to hers.  Prayers really do work and I rely on them Everyday.

Friday was just awesome.  All the missionary's in the ward got to go split wood for 4 more hours which was just so fun.  The Adams family (the family we split wood for) agreed to have a lesson with the sisters tomorrow and I am so excited to see what comes of it. They are like a perfect Mormon family and need the gospel in their lives. 

Later that night we got to go to the Thurston’s (an awesome active family in the ward) to have a bon-fire with the Craig’s an investigating family that the others elders in the ward are teaching.  It was so much fun and we all had some great laughs and heard some great stories.  At the end we had SUCH an amazing experience.  We decided to go around the circle and share our testimonies. The spirit was so strong and everyone was crying.  When it got to Jimmy (the dad of the family) he got up and through some tears told us what he knew was true. He was a Marine and is just an all around amazing guy.  He told us that he hadn't felt this way and hadn't cried in a long time.  Libby (the mom) also got up and shared some things that she knew was true. Moments like these are SO worth the hard times that I go through on my mission. It was so awesome.

Saturday Jimmy and Libby invited the 4 elders in the ward to go over and help them paint their house. It was so much fun. I love jimmy and we connect in so many ways. While we were painting they asked us if we wanted some coffee.  So we talked with them about the word of wisdom. They dink coffee all the time so we gave them the challenge to not drink it for 3 days. They agreed but then said to us that if they were giving up something that we too had to give up something.  We agreed and said we wouldn't drink any carbonation.  So I might not be drinking carbonation for the rest of my life if they join the church. ha-ha 

Sunday was awesome.  It was the primary program, which was awesome.  I never really realized what the primary program was for but through the whole thing I felt the spirit and now know that those kids are just up there singing there testimonies about the church.  It was all about families. I am so grateful that I was born into a eternal family and LOVE talking with people about how theirs can be eternal too.

This church is so true and watching someone feel the spirit is like the greatest thing ever.  I am loving Ohio and my ward.  I feel like I already have a ton of friends and look forward to seeing them every week. 

Thanks for all of your letters and emails, they help tons. 

Love Elder Roper