Feliz Año Luevo - Happy New Year!

Pig alive

Pig dead and me

Laura and the cake. The screen behind Laura is what Reggie Skyped on.

Me, Comp, Elder Dalton y Elder Sanhueza

Presents from home

Feliz Año Luevo etc and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MITCHELL!! haha It was also the bday of an old man in our branch. He turned 86 ha.

It was gr8 to talk to u guys! Wow it's hard to speak in English haha! I'm glad my accent lasted the whole time this time. It was ¨goooood¨ haha. Everyone was saying how pretty u are all. I did eat some of that cake and I'll throw pics to u cuz I know how to now hahaha and of the pig etc. It was gr8 to see gma y gpa Smart. u guys look gr8. That was pretty cool that gma did all that pig thing with her dad haha. And the Holdstocks wahooo! I'll keep my eye out for Chelsea jerseys and Messi is the best haha. The baby belly is awesome. We were shopping today and I was like ¨Oh what day is it? oh no they have a few more days til u find out the gender of the bebé.¨ I'm stickin with the boy guess. Wow Alyssa's already half way done. And Lucy's awesome. Keep walkin her.

Tonite we l have more asado with familia Videla. They're gr8! I'll ask them what they want. Noelia for sure 1d thing and Laura, she's a Celtics fan so send her a Kobe somethin haha jk. I'll ask her and Agu y the parents. Their facebook thing is for the whole fam so you can talk to them. They talk to all the families of the mish haha. The oldest daughter of theirs is here for the new yr and she has a 3 month old baby. Wahoo Alyssa. I think the people will be more crazy tonite cuz there's not a cloud in the sky.

haha yesterday we gave the talk in Sun school or no the priesthood and women with everyone together on mish work. We did good. We had a days notice. It was pretty easy haha. No for real it's kinda like bball, you manage it with what the people say and how the game is going. We used a lot of Preach My Gospel. But in English, don't ask me haha. It was a gr8 meeting. The branch pres talked a lot from 2 Nephi 31:13&14 &20 that we shouldn't deny Christ and have a firmness in Christ. I think that may be my fav scripture ha and also the natural man in Mosiah 3:19. A less active went to church yesterday. lil by lil wahoo! The other elders had their baptism of the family of 5 with the parents tatted up. It was gr8! That fam has changed. One of the daughters that has 12 yrs asked me,¨How come the mormons are such good people¨ I said, ¨Cuz we're trying to be like Christ.¨ Everyone notices us members even if it doesn't seem like it. And an 80 yr old man here who was the bus driver for the members to Santa Rosa for conferences etc said, ¨Your church building is beautiful and the members are terrific your church has to be the true church.¨ He said that from just being around the members… we're workin with him when he comes back after holidays. His name is Juan.

We're still workin with the ward less actives etc. Helping them lil by lil. But I love it here and workin for the miracles!

merry christmas and new yr happy 2013
Che Chalo como estas en Perú, usted es de que parte en perú ?Lima? cuidensen jajaja sen an argy thing jaja

con Amor
Elder Reginald Grant Roberts

FELIZ NOCHEBUENA Y FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

HOLA FELIZ NOCHEBUENA (christmas eve) Y FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

This morning we killed a pig for the Asado (Argy barbeque) that we will be eating tonight with the Videla Family (the awesome fam). It was pretty cool. I took pics and everything. It weighed like 90 kilos. Pretty big. It was squealing. Bro. Videla or hueso tied the legs and Hermana Videla and Agu, the son, and we dragged it to a table thing where hermana did work putting to sleep the pig haha. We had to hold it down and everything haha. Pretty sweet! Maybe once in a lifetime thing. Flia (family) Videla always do this every year cuz basically that is what all Argys do on Christmas Eve is asado for the night and then wahoo fireworks at like 12:00 to 2:00 a.m.ish. Our street is on a main street so it'll be cool to sit on the lil porch and watch people haha. Then on the 25th Argys just kinda rest and eat more haha. After this we are going to Flia Videlas cuz we can't really do much today ha or tomorrow. I agree with Gma Merlyn in that it's pretty weird having Christmas in S. America  haha. Doesn't feel Christmasy.

One of our instigators, Maria Liz (sounds like Lisa without a haha) is reading in the b o m. She's kinda busy with work etc, but says she's been reading a lil and she wanted that we give her a chapter. She says she'll be pretty busy for the next few days, so I hope she reads and can gain a testimony. Roberto is kinda crazy and doesn't want anything with us. Marta and her kids are in Buenos Aires for a lil cuz her bro is sick or somethin. There is a 12 yr old who is the granddaughter of members and she always goes with them to church and her mom is the daughter of them and we're trying to work with them cuz for real she can get bapt Saturday if she wanted. She doesn't have any lessons or anything. Her Gma mentioned how she wasn't a member and we were like, "WHAT! haha How come you haven't told us?" lol But hopefully this week we can teach them wahoo! Other than that there's not much. We found some pamphlet things on the Proclamation to the World bout the family and we thought in giving that out to less actives, members and investigators. We wrote like iFeliz Navidad from the missionaries! Hopefully it can help someone. We're workin on the less actives, cuz there's not many that go to church and it hurts! Yesterday we had 4 men including us with the priesthood. The big one, haha forgot what its called, wait I lied, 5 with someone from the stake. But the branch Maracó is the only branch in the stake of Santa Rosa, so I feel pretty cool being chosen to be here ha. But hopefully we can get things goin here. The ward here, where the other missionaries go, or their area, they have baptisms this weekend. It's pretty sweet. They've known them for three weeks and they've completely changed. It was a reference from members. That fam asked for the missionaries to give a blessin to a daughter, then they started listening. The mom and dad are tatted up like A.I. ha, but they've completely changed. The dad has almost finished reading b o m. He's read the gospels principles book!!

I've also been reading some Liahonas, well like always, and I've noticed, I've seemed to read lot bout enjoying the lil things. I read the talk from Pres. Uchtdorf in a young womens conf bout ¨forget me nots¨ it was gr8! Read it if you haven't and read it if your alive hahaha. Also today read in conf from El Ballard bout finding the gold chips and not just looking for gold nuggets in life. If that makes sense to you ha. A thing that I'm trying to get better at is enjoying life and haha on that note - on my bus ride to Santa Rosa to the Christmas party I sat by a 19 yr old who was going to Santa Rosa for his friend to enjoy life. Wow that kinda hit me. It's been like a theme of my week lol. Enjoy life! If not no one will for u.

I will be waiting after El Dalton talks with his family. He's talking at 3:00 Argy time. Then me.

Love
Elder Reginald Grant Roberts
ps thanks Aaron Facer for the email!! and I think I have every package Gracias!!

Remember the birth of our Savior

Hola Amigos

We just got done teaching a guy in the street just a lil bit ago. He said, "I was thinking bout Jesus Christ and how no one preaches that we should prepare for when he comes." And then we walked by and he was like, "Hey hey!" and started talkin to us. He says he knows bout the church and has some family that goes to church in Santa Rosa (capital of la Pampa 2 hrs away from Pico) etc and wants us to come by his house. The other missionaries will teach him cuz he lives in their area, but oh well as long as he gets baptized. :)

It was pretty cool this week. We've seemed to contact the right people. We talked with a lady, Maria and her 15 yr old daughter and they've been to church etc cuz her son is a member and her daughter. I think they both went on missions. To bad one's less active, but the daughter that's 15 wants to get bapt. They stopped going when she was like 7. Maria said, "Nnoo I don't want to get bapt...for now." ha

Also we contacted a less active fam and one of the daughters, also 15ish, isn't a member. And we also contacted a lady that went to church with her mom when she was sick. The lady's not bapt. It was pretty cool. Now we need to capitalize on all these chances :)

My talk was good. There was going to be 3 of us speakers and I noticed the young woman wasn't there. I was like uh ohhh lol but then her mom took her spot and talked a lot, so it was sweet. I think I peaked 13 maybe 15 min idk. I talked bout the mish work and shared some stuff from the talk David F. Evans in April 2012 gen conf talk, called Was It Worth It. I explained how we have the blessing and responsibility to do missionary work as members to non members and less actives. And also people just need an invitation and they might say yes. We didn't have many at church boooo. Last week Sunday there were some less actives that came and that Saturday we went by their house and basically told them how much we need them in church and they went wahoo! But this week they were in Mendoza. I got those ideas from you guys. Alyssa told me a story where a bishop had a ward of like 12 then when he was done there was 200 sahweeet!! We haven't seen Marta in a while. Don't know whats up boo! Roberto has been sick this end of the week. He's gr8 and needs baptism for real. That will change his life. He's had a tuff week. Hopefully he can go to church Sunday. Pray for him!

I'm going to send you a Christmas card with fotos or somethin this year to save money. I hate spending money haha I'll buy stuff in a few months.

We leave to Santa Rosa tonight at 9:30 Argytime to go to our mission Christmas Party thing. We'll get there at 11:30-12ish. Then we take a lil bus with other missionaries to Bahia at favring 4 a.m. haha and will get at Bahia like 9-10ish a.m. then go sing or something at the hospital til idk. Then we have a lil devotional and talent show. Then we return tomorrow nite ehhhhhhhhhhh haha Pray that the bus driver can be awake haha. Will be home here probably like 3 or 4 a.m. Wed haha ughh lol.

Hhmmm what else? I think Pico has the record for the most Christmas lights up haha like 5 people haha it's weird.

But it's a gr8 time of the year to remember the birth of our Savior and his life. It's really hit in the mish how gr8 the atonement is and how we can be cleansed of our sins. I always love it in gen conf talks when they always say it's never to late to repent and change. Also, how aware God is aware of us. It's true. I love that story from idk exactly his name, a conf talk, I think Elder Cornish, where he was having a pretty ruff day and remembered there was a drumstick sale, but he lacked 25 cents. He prayed to God that if it's his will, if he could find 25 cent he said he doesn't need it as a sign or anything but would really appreciate it. And directly across the street from the drumstick place he found 25 cents. He then went on to say the lil things are important to God as they are to us and how much more important the big things for us are to God. Also he understands us! It's awesome!

love everyone of u
Elder Reginald Grant Roberts

Love Teaching

Sups
Everything's good here. Transfers were the other day. We didn't have any changes here. Comp's still with me. He's in his 5th transfer here, like I was in Tandil ha.

So yeah, when they told me the new release date, it was thru an email from the secretary. That's how I got informed. Everyone in the mission will have 3 weeks less, except for those that go home in March. They have 3 weeks more ha and he also wrote that we hope you understand and get released at that time.

Elder Howard from Grantsville (his family now lives in Mt. Pleasant) was with me the other day. We did divisions. It was pretty cool haha and weird. He's a gr8 missionary and awesome guy!

For the Christmas party thing we will be going to Bahia Blanca and singing at a hospital for some people and I think there is like a princess/queen, someone special, and we'll sing for them or somethin. They said there will be cameras from like the news or somethin, then like a talent show and somethin spiritual. Pretty cool. Too bad I don't sing good haha.

It rained this morning, but thankfully now its hot again. Wahoo! It's still a lil weird in this time of year with hotness.

Pablo received the priesthood yesterday, wahoo! So hopefully next week he can pass the sacrament or bless it yeaaaahh! He seemed pretty pumped after he received it.

Marta's boy was sick this past week, but is better now. We couldn't really meet with them last week, but we're hoping this week we can really help them! Also, we were talkin to a man in the street, then we saw a guy on his bike and he was lookin at us kinda like he knows us or he's a member. After we finished talkin with the first guy we talked to the guy on his bike. His name is Roberto also haha. But he said like 11 yrs ago or 8, he can't remember, he listened to the hermanas missionaries and liked it. But he then went to jail for like 5 yrs and now is trying to get his life back together. He's got a son who is 8 wahoo! And Roberto is pretty excited to be meeting with us. He's kinda in a hard moment too. His friend died and his wife lady left him and it's a perfect time to be teaching him. He seems to have a lot of pain inside and just wants to feel good. He's an awesome guy. Also, with Elder Howard and comp we found 2 youth men. They're studying here and we taught them the other day. It was a pretty good lesson. We talked with their friend the other day and he gave us the reference to their house. There's like 6 of these friends, teens from Buenos Aires, and lil by lil we hope we can baptize them. They had interest in the lesson and I just hope at least one of them can really feel the spirit cuz if one of them goes to church for sure they'll be going with their friends. So I hope and pray that they can accept it. It'd be like 6 more missionaries :) haha.

Thanks Grandma Merlyn for the donation and when you're in Peru and find a Julius Morales. He's awesome! We were in Tandil together.

Oh, also this week Pres. challenged us to a ¨Celestial Week ¨ where we just basically go all out and give this week as a special gift to the Lord and Pres. promised that we'll see miracles if we do it!!

Love u all! Keep praying for me and everything and that we can see miracles this week :)
Also I have to give a talk Sunday. Pretty sweet. It's my 1st in the mish. I've seemed to get lucky in that lol. I'll try to beat 12 min. maybe haha
Love Elder Reginald Grant Roberts

Making room for all the new missionaries!

Some crazy news, I will be ending my mish 3 weeks earlier, not cuz I'm bad haha. It's cuz of all the new missionaries with the age change.  The MTC can't really hold them all or something. So my, what's it called? Relieved date is May 7th 2013 awwww! I thought for sure I could make it to 2 yrs hahaha. But wow it's kind of a surprise. Kind of a bummer. Time really does fly and in one day I lose 3 weeks ha. But everything is in the hands of the Lord and he know's what's best. So Dad and Scott, you'll be, technically, the only two 2 yr missionaries  in the fam. Pretty crazy! So in a few days favre I'll hit 5 months left.....ughhh! gjissiroujrshlihgr that's my head hitting the keyboard!

Wow I don't even know what to write now ha. But it's fine. I totally understand. I'll just have to work in the nights to get double the hours or somethin ha. We do have a mission Christmas party thing on the 18th. I think we'll be going to Bahia. I love the holidays in the heat. Yesterday it was 93 yeah and comp was shade jumping like vampires hahaha. All the Christmas things are in the store and it's weird, but it helps you stay focused good cuz it doesn't even feel like it.

We have some investigators! Their named Marta Hernandez and her 2 kids Dalma 14 and Tomás 10. They're really cool. They have a lot of interest. She really wants to get to know the members, but it's been kinda hard with such few members and their schedules etc. They really want to go to church. We were talkin with her b4 we met her kids and she's like lately they've been asking me like whats after death etc and she's like I don't really know ha! I just give them the answer I have but idk if its true. We have an appointment with them today with members! Hopefully it works out!

Yesterday I got to bless the sacrament and i loooooove doing it! I always feel the spirit strong when I do it! I love it! I'm thankful for the sacrifice that Christ did for us, that we can be clean of our sins. It's also amazing, the idk the word in english, wait I just remembered, the mercy of God that a person can change thru repentance. Like that 65 yr old man. In a week and a half went to church. The next Sat was bapt and he's one of the most faithful members in Tandil. 65 yrs of sins and thanks to the mercy of God, he can change. He also bore a good solid testimony of the BOM. He doesn't know how to read, but he's received an answer from God. I love that guy!

I was also reading bout the anti-Nephi-Lehites today in Alma 24 and how they buried their weapons and sworn not to take them again. Also, that is a lot bout the mercy of God.

Well thx for everything. I love you all! I love Alyssa's pic with the baby bump. Oh, the other day, wow we taught a lady and she was like due for her baby to leave. She had a favring watermelon in her stomach! But she didn't look sick or anything haha. I was thinkin of Alyssa haha.

I'll try to send fotos. Hopefully it will be a lucky day
keep praying for me love yall

Elder Reginald Grant Roberts

Pablo y Claudia got BAPTIZED! Wahoooooo!!!

Holas!!

We had a baptism wahoooooooo!!! of Pablo y Claudia! It was great! We had it at 11 in the morning probably b4 all of you guys were awake on Saturday. I baptized Pablo and comp baptized Claudia. They're gr8! Now we need to keep them active forever. Claudia's been progressing good. She has a lot of interest in the temples and fam history. She seems to be more interested and excited bout the gospel. We were talkin with her when Pablo was changing, I think it was like Tues, and we were like, "You ready for Saturday?" She was like, "Who said I'd get baptized Saturday." haha But then she was like, "idk why, but I feel like I should get baptized this Sat (2 days ago)." She originally had planned in her head for the next Sat, like the 1st of Dec, but we didn't know ha. But I think she did some praying and received an answer wahoo! We're going to be workin with them with family night and to get started in the church. I was telling them how my parents were such a good example for me and going to church etc (they have a 3 yr old daughter). And I was like I don't remember not going to church and that their daughter is at a young enough age that she will think it's natural to go to church every week. I think Claudia really liked that haha.

On Friday we talked with one of the most favring interesting mans in the world (however u say that in good eng haha) We went to get copies from a kiosco (lil store) and we started chatting with this guy and he was telling us bout his friend who is a member and how he's in Utah now. Then he was like, "I was in USA in Houston and DC cuz I worked with NASA." I guess he invented some favring magic computer thing. He was working in NASA with his computer and he bought a house, car, etc thinkin he would stay. But his fam was in Argy and didn't want to leave so he had to choose from NASA and dolla dolla bills or his fam and like the good book says go with the fam. So he did and left everything. His computer thing is still in NASA. I think he said he had lunch with Pres. Clinton and his fam and also his lil computer helped lead into the internet. He said Bill Gates and his lawyer came to him to work with him in the states and the Pres. of NASA went to his house one day and the man wasn't home and his wife kinda like brushed him off haha. Also had a passport that could get him in and out of states when he wants cuz of his job. But his wife hid it from him cuz she didn't want him to return. He's also been to space and is one of the closest persons thats been to the Sun. I've talked with some weird Argys. Said he never studied much, but just expanded his imagination!! Call him crazy, haha. He was telling all of this stuff and comp and I were like wow!! And you can just tell he wants to go to NASA again. He's got that look on his face, like I was there, I was this close. So I met a guy who helped make internet, sort of and, been to space, etc. That dos aquis most interesting man commercial guys got nothin on Jose Maria Rivero, the man. He's also been to another galaxy.

So yeah, this week consisted of prepping Pablo y Claudia. We cleaned the font, etc. I forgot to do Usain Bolt haha.

The confirmation blessing to Claudia was good, actually gr8. Said she needs to be strong and an example to everyone. Her sis is member, less active. Pablo has 4 less active bros. He was actually baptized, but lost his records when he was 8. So he knows a lot bout church etc. His bro served a mish. We were eating with a fam and they were like, "When's Thanksgiving?" And we were like…."Today." haha forgot. The fotos look good. The beards are awesome haha.

Weather's doing good. Think I had a record week of people asking me if I'm Latino :) People automatically ask comp if he's from USA cuz he white, then they're like, "Where you from?" Some people think I'm Brazilian.

Yeah Jake! Spanish wahoooooo Esapñol es de 10!

I love baptisms and want more. I know this church is true and the gospel can bring peace in our lives.

love yalls thx for prayers y todo keep em up
Elder Reginald Grant Roberts

Prepping for baptism's are like prepping for the Olympics

Hi

Wahoo Pablo y Claudia went to church yesterday yeaaaaaaaahhhh!!

We had lunch with them on Saturday and we got there and Pablo was like, "I'm sick. I don't feel good. I've been up all night." And he's like, "Can you give me a blessing?" So we did. I got the privilege to do it and said that they'd be good enough to go Sunday to church and they did! Which means this Saturday they can get baptized!! We're prepping for it good. Hermana Parreño said that we should prepare for baptisms (the services, etc) like were preppin for the Olympics. She made a good point how they prep athletes all their lives for that, maybe, one moment and we need to help the investigator feel golden haha. Which means b4 I'll have to be doin the Usain Bolt dances haha jk.

I could feel your prayers bout understanding the gospel. Wow, it was incredible. I read in Alma 42 and I was like woaaah. It makes sense today. I could feel your prayers.

Haha Alyssa asked me if I'm lil trunky and No way Jose haha! I feel more focused and just ready to work cuz I know that the time isn't mine. It's like you're in the 4th quarter. Just give it your all. For all I know I have a year left cuz that's what I tell people. The best way to forget bout yourself is talkin with others. For me it is. hasta el fin No regrets! Tons of work to do. I don't want to be a trunko missionary.

That's cool that Thanksgiving's coming up. I remember last year, right as I wrote Thursday in my journal at night I was thinking like hmm somethin is today ohhhh thanksgiving lol. So I told Elder Stewart happy day haha. He was like ooooh yeeah. Pretty cool how we forgot  I hope we forget. I love that part bout the mish. That you're just completely taken out of the world. I heard a Christmas song the other day and I was like weird ohhh right one month left haha.

Thanks Aaron for that letter. I love the 24hr challenge 24 hrs without complaints or critics. I'm going to defiantly do the challenge.

What else to write umm. Keep being awesome, going to church and the temple and prayers. Thanks for all the help you do. And pray that this baptism can happen! And that I can always be focused.
I'll try to send fotos to u
Love
Elder Reginald Grant Roberts

ps jake u have been called to serve in wyoming wahhoooooooo!!!!!! luv ya bro