Amazing Temple Trip

We had the opportunity to attend the temple this last week, it was amazing!!!!!!! We were there to see a couple be sealed and were also able to witness baptisms and do confirmations,  as well as go through a session. It was a great experience.

Unlike many of the temples I have visited, the Manhattan temple is right in the middle of the city.  As you can see from the picture, it's busy outside with traffice and noise, but once to step inside it is so quiet and peaceful.  Really quite amazing.  If you weren't paying attention to the building you probably wouldn't know it was a temple if your just walked past.

We have been stressing lately, as our teaching pool in small and we are trying to find new people to teach. Right now we have 3 solid investigators. Domonic who is being baptized the 10th, and Damien who we started teaching yesterday.  He already has a love for the Book of Mormon . We also are teaching a man named Gary.

We are absorbing the Cherry Hill mission on the 1st and we are having a mini transfer the 7th. More missionaries and the possibility of a new area or companion on the mini-transfer.  Who knows what will happen. Everything is going well.  Keep us in your prayers.

Elder Roque

New Blog

I thought I would get a new blog up and running for Zach.  I want for his mission experiences and photos to have their own venue.  So, here we go.  I just want to clarify that Zach is not posting this information, I am. 
I know it shows at the bottom of the posts he did, but I set the blog up with his name for his info.  So just in case anyone thinks he is blogging from New Jersey, he is not.  I am still posting for him, and thoroughly enjoy it. 

It has truly been a blessing to have him serving as a missionary.  It has been hard as parents to have him so far away, but the growth he has experienced, and the miracles he has seen and been a part of has made it all worth while.

Thanks,

Lari

Transferred to Bayonne 6/7/10

I am now in Bayonne. I have really seemed to have come into my own and am now teaching more powerfully than I ever have. It is amazing when you prepare and are obedient, how well the spirit works through you. My new companion is Elder Brasga, we served in the MTC together.

I do like Bayonne. It is another walking area; keepin the weight off. The branch we serve is very smal, we average 20 people at church each week. Even though it is small I know with the Lord's help it will grow tremendously.

We are teaching a lot of teenagers and I have been pretty bold in calling them to repentance, but it is exactly what they need. Elder Brasga and I have been working our tails off. Yesterday I taught about 18 teenagers at the park. I taught them the whole restoration and the whole plan of salvation. We are going back tonight to teach them again. We get to go to the temple next month!!!!!!! I love the temple. It is such a blessing in our lives. I love You all And you are always in my prayers.

New Area

I am now in Bayonne. I have really seemed to have come into my own and am now teaching more powerfully than I ever have. It is amazing when you prepare and are obedient, how well the spirit works through you.  My new companion is Elder Brasga, we served in the MTC together.


I do like Bayonne. It is another walking area; keepin the weight off. The branch we serve is very smal, we average 20 people at church each week. Even though it is small I know with the Lord's help it will grow tremendously.

We are teaching a lot of teenagers and I have been pretty bold in calling them to repentance, but it is exactly what they need. Elder Brasga and I have been working our tails off. Yesterday I taught about 18 teenagers at the park.  I taught them the whole restoration and the whole plan of salvation. We are going back tonight to teach them again.  We get to go to the temple next month!!!!!!! I love the temple.  It is such a blessing in our lives.  I love You all And you are always in my prayers.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was wonderful.  Ivan did his homework, and helped the kids with a present for me. I received a Barnes and Noble "NOOK" e-reader.  So cool!  I know that it probably annoys my family when I fall into a book and read non-stop, but I truly LOVE to read. One problem; my aging eyes cause me to make some rather unflattering faces when trying to read the rather tiny print in many books.  This in turn causes loud laughter, and what can unequivocally be termed "evil speaking" directed at my rather funny faces. I suppose I should be thankful that I make them laugh.  At any rate, the nook allows me to increase the size of the font of any book that I download, so, I hoping that loud laughter will be a thing of the past.  (At least at my expense!)

I do have to say though that the icing on the cake was speaking with Zach on the phone. It's amazing to hear the change in his voice.  He is truly enjoying his time in New Jersey,and loves those he has been called to serve.  He has grown both spiritually and temporally.  The mission experience has given him the opportunity to view the world through truly unselfish eyes.  This time has been set aside to serve the Lord and those in the communities he labors in.

I know that these two years, although a sacrifice when it comes to education and other desires; will prepare Zach more effectively than if he had chosen not to serve.  The experiences he is having now cannot be replicated at any other time in his life.  The joy in his voice when he shared recent experiences warmed my heart.

Zach was transferred the Wednesday following Mother's Day to a new city called Bayonne. It looks like it is just across the water from Newark.  He is still in a walking area, and has lost about 20 pounds. I am thinking that he possibly might lose more weight as the summer is upon the Jersey Shore.  Zach says it is hot, hot, hot and very sticky.  So, from extreme cold to extreme humid heat. GOOD TIMES!

Amazing experiences

This past month has been really good. We have had some amazing experiences.  Alexandria Garner recently was baptized, following in her mother and Savior's footsteps.  She told us it was the happiest day of her life.  It is wonderful to see what happiness following Christ can bring into someone's life.

Recently, on our way home, Elder Stettler and I were stopped by a young man in his 20's.  He was speaking to me in Spanish and I really didn't know what he was trying to say to me.  So, I said a prayer with him in English, asking for guidance and help so that I could communicate.  After the prayer, the young man began speaking in Spanish again, and I'll still didn't know what he was saying.  When he finished I began to respond to him.  As I did, I realized that I was speaking Spanish!  I had no idea what I was saying, but it seemed to touch him and brought tears to his eyes.  I finished speaking and he started speaking to me again in Spanish.  Once again, I had no idea what he was saying.  But, at the end I understood one sentence.  "Because of you brother I want to be a better person and stop drinking."  AMAZING!  I couldn't tell you what was spoken, but I know through the Spirit I was able to communicate with him and hopefully help.  I saw a miracle at work through me.  The Lord uses us all to answer prayers of others.  (I guess the 2 years of Spanish I took was worth it...)  I feel so close to the Lord and I have learned so much and continue to learn every day.


This week was AMAZING! we had a chance to have Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the seventy speak to us at zone conference. The spirit was felt so strongly. We talked about having a change of heart and truly becoming diciples of Christ. It is amazing how smoothly the work goes when your emersed in the Spirit. Elder Stettler and I have been truly focusing on being dedicated to the work. No talk about anything other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. It has been a blessing to be obedient; although it is difficult, the price is worth the reward. We have truly been tools in the Lord's hands. Its amazing to see that the things we promise investigators and members are happening. We find power in stating that we ARE disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and the message we share changes lives.

Easter & Conference

Recently, Mackenzie and I attended a volleyball tournament in California. She stayed in a room with some of her teammates, and one of them saw her scriptures (she has quad; and abridgement of the KJV of the bible, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants all bound together) and asked what it was. When she answered, the young lady responded that she couldn't believe in the Bible and the Book of Mormon at the same time. Mackenzie explained that both testified of Jesus Christ, but were written on different continents. This did not dissuade her friend from her point of view. The conversation got a bit heated and Mackenzie felt VERY uncomfortable. We spoke about it later that evening and I told her that the best way to handle a situation like that was to bear a firm testimony, and let the spirit do the rest. Contention drives the spirit away, but testifying of our Savior will invite him in. In the letter below Zach responds to the situation.

Lari

My Easter was good. I was in a chapel almost all day listening to conference. On Saturday I was at the chapel ALL day from 10 to 10. This conference was amazing. I really enjoyed how so many of the talks focused on love and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

We had some investigators attend and they really enjoyed it. I personally was touched by the talk about the young man who was had been ill with a condition for some time and passed away rather unexpectedly, and how both he and his brother were both "called to serve" on opposite sides of the veil. Missionary work is on going in this life and after. It was a very spiritual weekend and by the time it was over I was exhausted. I love the fact that the spirit can be felt so strong even when the speakers are 2000 miles away.

This last week we have been posing a question to investigators and members... "If you could ask Jesus Christ one Question what would you ask?" We had one young woman say "What is my purpose on this earth?" The Golden Question! We are now teaching her the discussions and she is eating them up! Her name is Karina and she is a friend of a less-active member who we have also recently reactivated. It is amazing to see how one question can have such an impact. Elder Stettler and I have decided to take a look on our progress an refocus our efforts. As we do I know we will see a tremendous improvement. As we are obedient, the Lord will send blessings. "There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated; And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience that the blessing is predicated" D&C 130:20-21. I know that Jesus lives that he watches over us. I can see his hand in all we do.

Tell Mackenzie that there are many people who believe that the Book of Mormon is wrong but the Lord himself has said that the book is true and that they are his words. "And he has translated the book, even that part which I have commanded him, and as your Lord and your God liveth it is true" D&C 17:6 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:9

I love you all and you are in my prayers.

Elder Roque