Week # 49 CRAZY WEEK

October 28, 2014

Crazy Week!

So this week we have our P-Day on Tuesday because we had a conference with one of the guys in the Presidency of the 70 so that was nuts. He talked with so much power and I don’t know, I just felt so stoked to be in the presence of someone that is that successful, and also just has all of his priorities in check. It was so good for me. A lot of what he said really stuck to me, and I can’t get his words out of my head. A couple of the one-liners he said that were so sick were:

1. If you aren’t hungry to change, your life will be long, difficult, and poor.

2. Diligence beats intelligence every time.

3.When you have problems stop looking for excuses and start looking for solutions.

I think that it will be super cool and super difficult to get home and put all these things that we learn in the mission into action. I love the mission, and I am learning so much everyday. Sorry for the short letter but I am going to be writing shorter because I feel like the long ones nobody reads.

But anyway I know that this time in the mission is the most important time of my life, and that we should love every moment of it. I know that the church is true and that God speaks to our prophet, Tomas S. Monson. I testify that Joseph Smith is the man that has done more for humanity (other than Jesus Christ of course) than cualquier other man that has ever lived in this world. If I didn’t know these things for a fact I wouldn’t be here dedicating 2 years of my life. I love you all and I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Rodabough

Week # 48 BACK TO EGYPT I GO...

October 13, 2014

Back to Egypt I go…..

So after one change in Tlalnepantla I am getting changed back to the other side of the mission. To the zone called Coacalco. I am so glad to be back by the mountain because I hate the city air... Way cleaner here. So, I have no clue why I got changed. I’m not a district leader anymore, so after 6 months as a district leader I finally go back to being normal. So that’s cool but also sucks because I feel like I’m not really living up to the expectation that everyone thinks. So I’m going to change a few things and work harder than ever.

My companion is Elder Treviño he is from Monterrey. He’s a short kid that likes to smile a lot, we have the same time in the mission, and we are both ready to kill it here in this area. The time is flying by, and the changes don’t really faze me anymore. I am the master packer now. I was a little sad to leave Tlalnepantla and my comp Elder Cancino cause he was super cool.

Everything is all good with me right now. Grant heads out this week to Honduras, and I’m stoked for him! He is gunna kill it in Honduras. Well guys love you and be safe.

Elder currentlyresidesinegypt

Rodabough

Week # 47 BEST P-DAY EVER!!!!!!!!

I GOT TO SEE MY BEST FRIEND FOR 10 MINUTES!

October 6, 2014

Best P-day ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So literally I can’t even begin to think about how blessed I am about my life as a missionary. God is always blessing me and protecting me and giving me TONS of tender mercies. Let me share one with you.

So as you know Grant is in the MTC here in Mexico. I have been terrified these past 5 weeks cause I haven’t had the opportunity to see him. I knew he was going to leave soon. But, I had an opportunity to see him at the visitors center tomorrow on Tuesday but we have our meetings at the exact hour that he was going to be there, so it would’ve been impossible to see him. All hope was gone. But, I was talking to an elder about it and he’s like dude my companion is going to the mtc to take photos with one of the branch presidents there. So, I found my way in. Well long story short I was able to see my best friend for like 10 minutes, probably one of the best ten minutes I’ve had. It was so hard to say goodbye though, knowing I wouldn’t be seeing him for another 2 years... But, it’s better than nothing that’s for sure. Just super grateful...

General Conference was amazing!!! I had so many personal revelations come to me. It was nuts. I love conference so much and there is always the greatest depression after it ends. It was the 3rd one I’ve had in my mission, weird. There were so many things said that inspired me to do better. I have a lot of room to improve, and I intend to, thanks to all the inspiring talks. We really need to stand firm in these hard times cause they are about to get crazier. 

I can stand as a special witness, that we really are in the last days. Christ will come soon. Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess. The church is true and I have never been so glad in my entire life to be a part of it. Love you all!

Elder Standsinforeigncountrieswithgrant

Rodabough

Week # 46 Tlalnepantla gangsta

 

September 29, 2014

Tlalnepantla gangsta 

So this week was a really good one. First off we found 6 new investigators and they are reading the Book of Mormon, and came to church so that was sick. We are also teaching an old man called Jaime Vazquez he got baptized 2 months ago, and since then his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease... Lots of time spent on my knees for that man. So sad to have the one person you love forget who you are. He is so strong. He doesn’t work he just takes care of her all day everyday, such a strong man it blows me away and he has such a strong spirit. Also, we have a new family that we are teaching and they are one of the funniest families I have ever met. If you thought that my dad, and Jason Nielsen are teasers, you would die laughing at these guys in this family. We talk about the funniest stuff. They just barely wanted to start talking with us after 3 months of knowing the missionaries, and they finally wanted to talk gospel with us, which is amazing!!!

My hemorrhoid’s aren’t getting better which sucks a little even after having almost a week on the medicines haha, (I feel violated every time I use the medicines which is the worst part) and I got hives for some weird reason last night all over my back. I’ve never had hives before but they literally covered all of my back, so I did an old Mexican trick, and blended garlic and milk together and drank it like a smoothie, and in 10 minutes it was gone so that was dope. I love little tricks like that haha. But other than that a super good week I love the gospel. I am growing to love the gospel more and more everyday, super stoked for the general conference, #3 baby! 1 more to go haha. Love you all have a good week!!!!!!!!!

Love Elder Givesthankstogarlic

Rodabough

Week # 45 VIIIIIIVA MEXICO!!!!

September 15, 2014

VIIIIIIVA MEXICO!!!!

 So maybe you all don’t know but I am amidst the most drunk people I have ever met, haha. Today and tomorrow are the “independence days” for Mexico and it is nuts haha. Mexicans go ham with beer and alcohol here. I literally have seen 20 dudes passed out on the side of the street. But, other than that everything else is super amazing! There is so much food, parties, and traditions its sweet. It will be interesting to see how crazy it will get when it gets closer to the El grito (the yell) where everyone just screams VIVA MEXICO at like 11 at night haha its so sick. 

Well as far as the work goes its going good the mountain man that I told you about last week that climbs and stuff that was excommunicated? He went to church for the first time in I don’t know how long, and hasn’t had alcohol, and is really changing his life around. Our ward has a lot of problems with rumors and stuff, and love to tattle tell on the missionaries. They think we cant have fun, like play soccer, play with the little kids with nerf guns and I don’t know, its just stupid. But oh well we are working on reuniting the ward and everything but there are only a few people who are dumb other than that the ward is so sweet!!

Other than that not, much more to tell you. I will have more about how my days of independence are here in Mexico.

But love you all, 

Elder Singswithmariachi

Rodabough

If you don’t know what mariachi is look it up haha

Week # 44 Tlalnepantla is siiiick

September 9, 2014

Tlalnepantla is siiiick

So word up everyone, sorry I suck at writing lately. I guess thats kind of just what happens when you have 13 months in the mission, you forget that you have family and stuff haha jk jk. So this new area is soo sick we have Wal-Mart, Costco, and Sams club, and I have already spent my whole months worth of money at Costco and Wal-Mart. But, its okay cause I bought beef jerky and krustez pancake batter, so I am pretty much set. But I had a super sick experience this week that I want to share.

So this week I just had the question if God really knows where I am, and what I am doing (I know probably a stupid question but I wanted to know). So, we went to help the sister missionaries one night, and went to visit a guy who was excommunicated. We knocked on the door and this 86-year-old man answered the door and he just like told us to follow him inside so we did. We were walking through a whole bunch of garbage, and over these wooden planks and under this tarp (thought it was his house) and walked under it and into this 2-room apartment. I sat down and noticed that all his walls were covered with posters and a whole bunch of random tools… until I really noticed that all the posters and all the tools where pictures of climbing stuff, and all the tools were ancient climbing gear. Ice axes, ropes, carribeaners, climbing shoes, boots, tents, and just anything you can imagine. 

So when I finally asked him about it he lit up, he was like freaking Mr. Miyagi, but like a climbing version. He’s climbed all the biggest mountains in Latin America, and we talked about climbing for literally hours one night. But it was just really cool because he wasn’t listening to the sister missionaries but when we started talking about climbing he opened right up. I was able to help him a lot and I was also able to learn a lot about life from him. It was just really cool to see that God knows who I am, what I like, where I’m going, and why I’m here. God lives and always is with us and is always watching over us! It was just a super cool experience.

Well next Monday is Mexican Independence Day, so it will be nuts here. My area is so rad and my comp is sick too. Love you all and see you all soon!

Love Elder Ródaba (thats how the Mexicans say my name haha)

Week # 43 Changes Kiddy Kats!!!

Septmember 1, 2014

Changes Kiddy Kats!!!

So sorry I suck big time. I was super busy last week and didn’t have enough time to write an email. Today I was changed areas, to an area called Tlalnepantla, ward Tlalli. So I am here now in the area and we literally just ate at a five star restaurant with an anethsteeeeeziologist hahahaha. I have no clue how to spell that. And I ate a 21 ounce ribeye steak for the first time in a year and a ceasar salad, and it was a restaurant from Spain. My companion ate ribs but they were from a baby goat. I had a lemonade and I don’t know, it was just unreal so I think I am going to love this ward. The area is sick it’s got Costco, Wal-Mart, Sams club, and like tons of shops, and its all flat so I’m pretty stoked. My companion is Elder Cancino he is super sick, he likes soccer and playing the guitar. We live like 10 minutes away from a turf soccer field that the missionaries like, so we are gunna go play every morning for our workout from 6 to 7. It’s going to be so dope to play everyday again.

Well it was also insanely sad. My eyes are so dry and red from crying so much and saying good bye to my Mexican family, Hermana Gabby, Hermano Alejandro, Pamela and jessy. They have changed my life, and I am forever grateful for their hospitality, and love that they showed me and Elder Penagos. I miss them like crazy... They are family to me. But they are going to visit me here soon hahaha. 

But super stoked for Grant to be out on his mission, it will be cool to know we have the same purpose and we are doing the same thing even though we are gunna be freaking way far away. He is gunna kill it and everybody should spank his bottom before he leaves:)

Love

Elder Rodabough