Here is part of a letter I sent home this week:

“…This week we had a really neat experience with one of our investigators. We were in divisions and my district leader and I went to go visit this lady named Rosario. When we arrived there we noticed immediately that she was very sick. She could hardly speak but she de modo invited us inside. After singing a hymn and saying the prayer it was my turn to start the lesson. We had already had something planned to teach but before I could open my mouth the thought came to my mind to teach on a topic completely different.

The thought came saying, “Enseñe sobre el sacerdocio” translated, “teach the priesthood”. With that I decided to go with it and I changed the topic and we taugh on the priesthood. It was amazing. She being an investigator obviously had never heard of it before. At the end of the lesson I explained that we have this authority and for those that desire we can give them blessings for their health. But we just cant go around offering blessings to everyone because it first it requires faith from the person so they have to ask us. But if they ask us con gusto lo haremos.

When she heard that she was so happy and told us, if you have the power to do this for me, for sure I want a blessing. With that we gave her a blessing. It was a moment so special in which and the end of the blessing she had tears in her eyes. The Spirit nos tocó duro! I am so grateful for the Priesthood! I am so grateful for this gospel and the blessing we have as missionaries to adapt the message to the investigators as the spirit indicates.

So to end this letter I just want to say that the church is true, I love you guys. Sigan adelante! And tomorrow cumplo 6 meses en la misión! Thats a quarter of the pie. Man, time sure does go by fast….”

And here is a little bit of a letter that I sent to a good friend who had questions about the Quetzaltenango mission:

“…You asked me if we always start with a hymn and a prayer, and the answer is no. We try to but we dont always have the opportunity. I mean a lot of times we dont even have the opportunity to enter in the homes for which ever reason but the people will let us talk to them at their doorstep or through a gate, in these cases obviously we are not going to start with a song and a prayer but we can still give them a lesson right then and there. Like I said we always try and do it though, it really helps to invite the spirit and set the mood.

Life here in Guatemala is pretty great. Different obviously from the states but great. It only like really messed me up the first 2 or 3 weeks. I got sick really bad but since then my body has adjusted and I have been just fine. You are right, coming to Guatemala I kind of had an idea what I was getting into, kind of. The thing is all the places I had visited before were with relatives who well in comparson (I cant spell anymore) to the average Guatemalan are really rich. Right now I am serving on the coast in a city called Retalhuleu. One thing that really did shock me is the poverty. That was something that I had never really been exposed to so seeing it for the first time really was eye opening. The first time I entered a home of nothing but a tin ceiling and tied up boards for walls no larger than the entry way to our home which housed a family of 9 was something I was not ready for. And when the parents told us of the desires their little girls have to study but dont have the money to let them continue, yeh, that brought tears to my eyes. We really are exaggeratedly (if thats even a word) blessed like we are in the good ol happy valley.

The people here are so nice. So loving and almost everyone believes in God and Jesus Christ. So very humble. About a fourth of the people I teach can´t even read from a lack of studies so its hard because they cant even read the Book of Mormon to put it to the test. They love to hear us but its hard to get them to make changes in their lives like the gospel of Jesus Christ requires.

The food is great. For the most part its all stuff I had been exposed to. One thing that is amazing is all the different types of tropical fruit we have. Mangos just fall from trees like it was garbage. I absolutely love it. The only thing we have to look out for here is the water. No good. Oh and milk from pigs. Supposedly if you drink it, it literally frys your brain and you end up crazy.

About the language. When I first got here it was soooo frustrating for me because I understood what everyone was saying but I didnt know how to respond. Now having 6 months in the mission I can speak and I dont have too many problems. Having had only latin companions really has helped and being raised in a bi-cultured family sure has been a major blessing in more ways then I could describe…”

God lives. Jesus is the Christ. He is at the Head of this Church guiding us through the means of a living prophet. How blessed we are to know these simple truths.

CON AMOR,
Elder Roberton

Last note: I uploaded a couple new photos. You can see them in the photo gallery under 2006-03 - Reu. Cuidense.

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