September 09 2013

Date: Mon, Sep 9, 2013 at 11:57 AM

My dear family and friends, this week was great. Today we had changes in the mission and once again I recieved a new companion haha. He has about 3 months in the mission, he is from Peru, and him name is Elder Diaz. He is really small and really nice, im excited:) I am still senior companion and am still in La pincoya. Everything is going great here, sadly our baptism fell through yesterday but we have our hopes high for the future. I cannot believe how fast time is going....This past week I was and still am sick but im still happy!

I love the mission, it goes by so fast, I cant believe how much I have changed and learned. Our sector is great, not much has changed, still ghetto and still awesome haha

 Well to answer a couple of your questions:

-My favorite food here in Chile is probably fried fish and rice orrrr i dont know haha the food here is pretty similar to the food there. I Miss all the chocolates and goodies in the states here there are candies but they are lame haha.

-Craziest thing that has happened so far--you dont want to know (Mom)...until im home :)

Family and friends, God lives, I promise you he is always there and is more involved in your life than you can comprehend.  Sorry I dont have a lot of time to write, they reduced our time to write, now and in the future we have a half hour less... :/

Elder Roberts

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September 02 2013

Date: Mon, Sep 2, 2013 at 12:44 PM

Mery mery (Hello in Mapuche) mi famila! This week has been great here in our sector. Last week we went to the zoo for our p day it was awesome. The sector is great but pretty scary at times haha I always tell my companion that we are two tiny lights walking in complete darkness. The 4th and 11th of september are protest days and are very dangerous. We have to go home early both days, the people have to lock and close everything and seal their houses with tape to avoid the gas bombs and smoke! Sketchyyyyy haha but were safe! Some of you have asked me how it was leaving the island...it was rough but a peacefull moment, when I was in the boat leaving I just looked back and felt at peace, I know I will never forget those experiences or those people, it was a fast yet rewarding time. My companion has no idea when his Visa will come, he is from Chile and actually lives real close haha. This week we had our investigator be comfirmed and if al goes as planned we will have a baptism next week! Here we are seeing miracles, I cant believe the power of prayer, through saying a prayer specfically each night for a lady we are teaching we have seen her change completely...My testimony is definetely growing! I love my mission and I love my sector, its the most dangerous but it is the best! It just makes me sad seeing how the standards of the world are degenerating so fast. There are so many fatherless children, drugs, fights, swear words, drinking, and smoking...actually I heard a quote a couple weeks ago that was really strong about alcohol, a man told us that "Alcohol is the death of my father, the pain of my mother, and the hunger of my brothers and sisters" its true, never drink!! well keep praying for my protection please, I know your prayers go a long way, I love you all so much, ill try to send pictures today!

Elder Roberts

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August 27 2013

Date: Tue, Aug 27, 2013 at 11:36 AM

Another week down in Chile, Things have been going great. On sunday we had a BAPTISM!! It was an awesome experience the lady who got baptized has and is going through so many trials in her life, it is so rewarding to be able to see the gospel change people and bless them so much more. Me and my companion are doing great, each friday we have sushi in our house which is weird because before I hated sushi but now I love it. The sector is great, the people here are so kind and so helpful. A little dangerous at times haha a few times we heard gun shots really near, and there are big pit bulls and drug deals on every corner. But the nice thing is that the gangsters here have a kind of respect for the missionaries and they generally dont do anything, It has been really weird being back in the city with cars and people and no ocean but I love it here. My spanish is still improving each day and that makes me happy! Yesterday we had interviews with President Essig and he told me thanks for my service on the island and that between him and me the island is the hardest sector in the mission, and we did a lot of great things there. Here it has been really hot lately and cold at night. My health is good :) I still havnt gotten any packages from anybody haha so hopefully the ones you sent me are still coming and werent robbed. Also this week we saw more miracles, a lady who was 100 percent catholic is now preparing to be baptized in the ONLY true church, she has stopped drinking tea and has stopped smoking. MIRACLES! Anyways I love you all, once again thank you for your testimonies and your support!

Elder Roberts

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August 19 2013

Date: Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 1:06 PM

Well well well I am finally back on the continent!! My plane ride was very smooth and the boat ride too. I am in my new sector and I LOVE IT! My companion is so amazing, he is 25, he has about 8 months in the mission. A week before he left his father passed away, he is the only convert in his family and nobody writes him, what an example he is! His name is ELder Henriquez, he is currently waiting for his visa so he can go to his real mission in Venezuela, he has been waiting 8 months! My new house is really nice and really new, we live in apartments. My sector is awesome, its a little interesting in some parts but im safe:) This week we worked really hard and had a great time doing it. We have someone named Paola who is going to be baptized next sunday! She is so amazing and so prepared. Recently her husband committed suicide and she found him. It has been a huge trial in her life but it is so amazing to see the Lord and the gospel changing her life and giving her the peace she is looking for. Here the weather has been perfect, sunny but not too hot. Everything has been going so great though I am super happy in my new sector, were going to see a lot of miracles here in this sector. Thank you for all your letters and all your support in my mission. I couldnt do it without each one of you. I love you all and I cant wait to see you all face to face again. 

l also I randomly got a message from one of my converts, from Nacho (Ignacio)  who was like my brother in my first sector....He told me thank you for all I did and that he started his papers to serve a mission....wow. When we first met him he didnt want anything with the gospel....and I remember specifically we gave him a blessing and in the blessing said he would serve a mission. wow the lord is working miracles, I have never felt so happy in my life!!!

Elder Roberts!

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August 12 2013

Date: Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 9:29 AM

Well as you all know I entered the MTC on the 22nd of August 2012, but my mission cut back each missionary two weeks in his mission, SOOO Today is pretty much my one year mark! Crazy, I cant comprehend time. In case you are all wondering YES I am still on the island haha im still waiting for a flight. This week will complete my 4th month here on the island, time flies! We have been working hard this week, we have so many responsibilities here its crazy! This week me and my companion wrote an Emergency plan for the branch, bought food through internet for the Elders that are coming to replace us, we had a branch activity, and on sunday I (2nd counselor in the brach) Had to direct the sacrament meeting, give a talk, and teach a class in the elders quorum, and on top of all that we are doing missionary work! I am definetely learning a ton here and learning how to manage my time a lot better. Last week we had an amazing P-day! We went on a hike and found ourselves alone in the middle of the woods, it was very quiet and very peaceful. We came to a spot that we named "El lugar santo" = The holy place because we felt a peace very strong there and it was surrounded by trees, we both had the impresion to say a prayer, So we both kneeled down and I began to say a prayer out loud....As soon as I began to pray we heard a ton of really weird noises....like people walking around us, and we heard the sound of a huge bird flapping its wings, we both felt scared and really uneasy, I began to pray harder and asked for protection and for peace and immedietly the noises stopped, and we felt a peace that surrounded us and filled our souls...we felt a gentle breeze and and heard nothing, complete silence. We felt the presence of angels around us.. I know without a doubt that the adversary is real and that the power of prayer is amazing. Through that sacred experience me and my companion learned a little bit more just how Joseph Smith felt. It was an experience I will never ever forget.

God lives my dear family and friends,

Elder Roberts

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August 5 2013

Date: Mon, Aug 5, 2013 at 9:37 AM

Dear Family and friends, I am STILL on the island haha, I am still waiting for good weather and a flight to take me back to the continent.  This week we worked really hard. I am excited to get to me new sector and begin adjusting the life in Santiago again. Here on the island has been pretty cool this past week, for some reason there schools of little fish by the dock and they attracted all the big fish, every morning people have been catching huge fish and a ton of them, so were going to go try our luck today:) Life is great, yes I still hate the fleas here but everything else is great. Me and my companion are pretty much chefs now. Last P day we did the biggest hike on the island, we went to a mayan monument (Or at least thats what they say- Many think its just a big rock) It took us about 6 hours to leave and return. Ill send pictures :) My spanish is definetely improving, I havnt spoken english for like 3 or 4 months haha so hopefully you can understand what I write still. Thank you for all your letters, they truly brighten up my week! I cant believe how amazing the mission experience is, I am learning sooooooo much. I cant even imagine where I would be without the things I am learning. Yesterday was a great moment in our small church building, hearing the stong testimonies of the people here and reflecting on all the changes, challenges, and miracles that we have noticed here. I will never ever forget the experiences I have had on the island, I cant wait to tell you all everything I have seen! Ill send pictures today. Thank you for all you are doing, for your letters and prayers for me. I love you all! Sorry I dont have much time to write today,

Elder Roberts

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July 29 2013

Date: Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 9:34 AM

I HAVE NEWS! A couple days ago President Essig called us and informed us that we will both be leaving the island. I am being transfered to a new sector called Recoleta Oriente and I will be senior companion for the first time :) Here is the interesting part (Mom please dont freak out) Recoleta Oriente is inside a part of Santiago called "La Pincoya" La pincoya is one of the most dangerous sectors in Chile...... They generally send the big football players there but even then things have happened. Haha Im not a big football player so keep me in your prayers please! I will be going there sometime this week, I am just waiting for a flight to leave the island. I was a little nervous when President announced the changes, I began to say a prayer " Heavenly father ive never been senior companion, I am nervous to go o la pincoya, please help me..." As I said my prayer I felt the warmest most peaceful feeling, I knew in that moment that I need to go to this sector. I know the Lord will ´protect me and that he has a specific purpose there for me. Prayer works! This week I also had a strong experience with REAL POWER. Let me explain. We were in a lesson teaching a man who has very very little education, He is a strong believer in the bible and did not want to hear one thing about the book of mormon. As he was discrediting and speaking strongly against our beliefs I looked him in the eyes and said "Oscar Charpentir, in the name of Jesus Christ I promise you that the Book of mormon is the most correct book on earth, and the second you read it, it will change your life" He went silent.....We ended with a prayer and left. Now, I have never felt so much power, the Lord has so much authority that just the name of his son confounds people. I witnessed something amazing that night, and I will never forget how I felt, so full of the spirit, so invincible. Cool experience. Well I love you all, I leave me strong testimony that god lives, I feel in a way like Alma or Amulek, or Abinadi, or a ton of the prophets in the book of mormon. They all preached in dangerous sectors, but they all left with power and the spirit guiding them :)

I love you all!

Elder Travis Roberts

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