Week # 17 Talking to my family

December 30, 2013

Well this was a super duper hard week for me started out way good had tons of plans and stuff. I was gunna talk to my family, and tons of good food, and service, and it was just the climax of my mission experience thus far. I had the fiestas, and service and I got the best Christmas present ever being able to talk with my family, the gorgeous GB, my best friends Stephen and Grant. And it was such a picture perfect moment for me. I bawled my eyes out for probably half the time we talked and idk man I just love my family and friends so much it can’t even be described. It couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect time for me. So glad I had the chance.

           But it was so sad when I had to say goodbye cause dang that’s a long time to wait to get to talk to my own family again. The week after that went so slow and I just kept hearing my families voice and stuff it was freaky. I’m almost back to normal now so that’s always good. The mission is really going by pretty fast, and they say the first 6 months are the slowest, so that’s a little crazy to think about. Well anyway I love Christmas and its weird that I only have 1 more left... So I’m pretty stoked. I’m getting pretty good at my sick YO-YO I got for Christmas. I’ve been playing soccer about 3 times a week which is more than most of you back home, that’s cool ehhh.

      Sad I didn’t get to talk to my homeboy Elder Nielsen, but maybe next time!! He’s doing great and helping convert many lives, so that’s super cool to know. Taylor and Austin are killin it I’m sure, shout out to Jaleisa idk if your still in the MTC, but welcome to the ranks kid. Man its good to have friends that are out serving the Lord too. Changing many people’s lives is the best thing we could be doing right now in this crucial part in our lives.

Well everyone love you all so much, happy New Year, and I will see you in 2015! Love you all, Keep writing me!  Thanks to all for the support and love I can feel it and it means a lot! 

Elder Rodabough 

Week # 16 Hammock

December 23, 2013

Well gosh I cant believe its already Christmas! Where did December go??? I could swear yesterday was October. Its so crazy how fast the time goes. I already have 5 months in the mission. The time is literally flying especially during this Christmas season. Its so sketchy we cant even go out of our house past 6 o’clock because everyone drinks and dances in the streets, and explosivos (Fireworks) just so sketchy so that kinda sucks, but kinda cool también but yeah anyways. Everybody says that usually this is the slowest month for everybody. Doesn’t seem that way for me. I’m just stoked out of my mind to talk to my family!!!! Gosh so ready!

            This week was one of the best weeks of my life; I finally got to taste a little bit of the fruit of our labors. Karina and Anayeli got baptized this week. Even in Mexico I had a very very White Christmas! I had the opportunity to baptize Karina she is my hommie. We just go kick it at her house at 7 o clock every night, and eat tamales, and teach a lesson answer her doubts and just chit chat with her she is so SiiiiiiCK. She has come such a long way and it is so great to see the changes she has made in her life. I can see the change in her demeanor and in her spirit. She has had such a hard life, the toughest life that I have ever heard. Her story breaks my heart, but now is her time to have a great life and what better way than to live her life in the happiness of the gospel.  Her little kids already want to serve missions and they are 5 years old and 7 years old. It is so cool to be the bearer of this great news haha. Anayeli didn’t have to change a single thing in her life she was the most prepared person to receive the gospel it was amazing. So cool. They are both so converted to the Lord its not even funny! So dope!

Well family and friends I love you guys and I hope that you are having a very merry Christmas! Jesus Christ lives and let us not forget the true meaning of Christmas. The Lord our Savior was born into this life only to give it for us ladies and gentlemen. Let us not forget the greatest gift we have ever received and will ever receive. Love you all and hope you have a great holiday season. Talk to ya’ll next week.

Blowing ya’ll kisses, from Mexico.

Elder Rodabough

Week # 15 You Only Get To Do This Once

December 16, 2013

So I just read Austin Measles letter and I literally just laughed for 5 minutes straight while I read it hahaha, Sounds like my area kind of. The Mexico MTC is like 1 billion times nicer than anything in my zone haha. But it makes me feel a little bit better knowing that I wasn’t the only person to get smacked in the face by the culture shock. But man is the work worth it, I felt like I could never do this for the first two months, no lie. But now you just get used to "the suck" I cant believe people live like this their whole lives, dang we are so spoiled in America. I get to go home to my king sized bed, my air conditioning, my carpet, my dyson vacuum, my car, and a hot shower in about 19 months. It seems like a long time but from the moment you step into the MTC you cant say I have 2 years left of my mission. 

You only get to do this once. It is such a rad feeling knowing that you are standing with the only perfect person that has ever lived when you serve a mission. This is a really humbling time but man so worth it. I only get to put on the tag like 550 more times... then I will never be able to do it again. With my wife yes but thats different haha. 

Well I will have 3 baptisms this week finally! I will be baptizing one I think if my prez gives me permiso. So all our converts call us "mi elderes" and it is such a weird feeling I love it. Seeing the change in people’s eyes, and spirit. One of our investigators the one I will baptize has stopped drinking, smoking, broke up with her boyfriend, all from the things that we have shared with her. I can tell you people seeing people change not for you, but because they can feel the happiness and peace that it brings into their lives. I love seeing people change, into better, cleaner people. I could not ask for more for Christmas. 

Well people next time I send out an email it will be the 23rd wassup so stoked I think me and my comp are gunna go caroling if that’s even how you spell it. I suck at spelling. But yeah I love singing and it would just be dope I think, but yeah you guys should go caroling so fun!!! Love you all until next week. 

Saluting you all from Mexico City -Elder Rodabough

Week # 14 Till next Monday

December 9, 2013

Sup familia y amigos! Another dope week ladies and gentlemen. I feel like my letters are getting lamer and lamer by the week haha. Well I have really good news and good new and bad news... which one first okay okay I will tell you the really good news first.

Really good news! We finally had our first baptism this week, which was dope!! She pretty much just cried the whole time. Her name is Janet and elder and I started teaching her English and gradually got into the gospel gosh we are so smooth. We taught her all of the lessons and then we realized she is out of our area so we had to let the hermanas teach her the rest haha. But yeah she wanted us to baptize her so that was really awesome. We should be having 3 more baptisms on the 21 of Dec. What a great way to celebrate Christmas!!

Good News- I bought a hammock and it is probably the best thing I have ever purchased. It is hand made and it is the softest most comfortable thing ever. I sleep in it every night and I think I will for the rest of my mission, possibly my life, it literally is the bomb I am so stoked!!!!!!

Bad News I love Christmas and I miss my family and setting up the tree. And the music and the family, and the dinners and the family, and the lights ohh and did I mention the family? But yeah only 1 more time I have to go through this so that is good. But I’m loving the mish don’t get me wrong!!!!!

So yeah all the Mexicans and other elders talk smack on me cause I just kick major trash at soccer here in Mexico, and all the Mexicans think they are soo good when I just wreck them so thats always fun. I play probably more than I did when I was back in the states! Its great. Well I love you all so much and here is a photo from the Baptism with Janet. Have a good week all my fellow brothers and sisters!

      Throwin up the dueces till next monday -Elder Rodabough

Week # 13 Feel Free To Write Me Tons

December 2, 2013

I am pleased to announce I have left the nest ladies and gentlemen. I am now a man. (Mom please don’t cry)I am no longer a greenie in the mish, I am just another missionary wahoooooo!!!!

Well fetch I don’t even know what to say I don’t want to bore you people to death. I am doing really well the work in my area is booming we have great investigators we should have a lot of baptisms in December if the people will fetching go to church haha. The time is really flying, like no manches really fast, but at the same time if get a pit in my stomach because I have 20 months haha, seems like so far away, and its really hard because its Christmas time and all I have is little Elder Ahumada to spend the holidays with haha.

It brings me a lot of peace thought to know that my most of my best friends are serving the Lord with me. I pray for the health and the safety of the people I love that are out serving the Lord or are preparing to serve. I also pray for the safety of my family and friends, always be safe we never know when we will be called back to our Heavenly Father. But I know that if something happens I know that we would see each other again. But yeah I just love my people ya know!!!!

We had a 3-hour lesson with Karina yesterday. My comp literally didn’t say a thing. We just cried because she doesn’t want to change, but we just talked about the atonement and she noticed a lot about how much she has changed already, and yeah she decided to change so now she has stopped smoking and other things. She really is so gosh dang strong; she has been through heck and back no lie. She will be baptized really soon and I cant wait to see how far she progresses we are also teaching her boyfriend so that is dope too. Hopefully all turns out and she can go to the temple one day!!!!! That would rock my world.

Well folks I’m out for the week feel free to write me tons, love you all and until next time!!!!!

Elder Rodabough