Week NINE in New Jersey!

I am Samuel the Lamanite,

I fight for what is right.

I will prophecy of the coming of the Lord.

…excerpt from a song that we listen to every day.

What's up people from the West Side?  Letter from whoa, WEEK NINE!  I have been in Jersey for nine weeks!  That's nuts!  So, let's hop onto this update.

Monday, 9/17/12

Typical "Pday".  We went to BJ's for shopping.  I bought some new ties and we ate lunch at Pizza Hut buffet.  We finally found Alex again.  I was so stoked to see him and talk to him again, after four weeks.

Tuesday, 9/18/12

Today, at District Meeting we did a personal accountability with the Lord.  Man, was that a spiritual experience!  I have done that twice now and every time I do, I cry.  Don't judge me.  We were also able to have Junior come to Sister Castro's house and have dinner with us.  He gave a better explanation of why we make covenants than I could ever dream of giving….He is SO prepared.

Wednesday, 9/19/12

Today was a smack in the face.  Alex's dad told us not to come back anymore.  It makes me sad when the ignorance of some people gets in the way of other people doing what's right.  I know with all my heart that someday Alex will be baptized.  Then I made Gensuka (an 11 year old girl that we teach) cry.  I told her that we were here to strengthen her relationship with Heavenly Father so that when we leave she can rely on him and not missionaries.  Then she said, "You are gonna leave?"  I said, "Yes, Elder Heward goes back to Utah in four months and in two years I will do the same thing, then she cried.  On the bright side, we gave Elizabeth a blessing.

Thursday 9/20/12

All of our appointments juked!  LAME!

Friday 9/21/12

Today, President Jeppson came by and talked to us.  Then we did exchanges and I was able to go with Elder Christensen (I was looking  forward to that cuz me and Elder Christensen are pretty good friends) we taught Gensuka the greatest plan of salvation lesson ever!  Just when we thought we couldn't do better….We taught the greatest restoration lesson ever, to Kevin!

Saturday 9/22/12

Today was nuts!  We had Zone breakfast and training.  That lasted until noon and then we taught Junior the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity.  It was pretty good.  At first he was reluctant to commit to it,  but then he did and I was so happy to see him do that!  We met Jesus (hey suess, not Jee sus)  He was a media referral for us but we decided to let the other elders teach him because we thought he would understand better in Spanish.  I got soup all over my shirt and my brand new penguin tie and I was super unhappy about that!

Sunday 9/24/12

We went to church but Elder Heward was sick so we came home. ;(

That was our week, hope you enjoyed.

Peace from the East!

Elder Rodeback

September 17, 2012

Holla!  From the East Side!  HaHa!  What's up people of the West Coast??  So, today instead of doing the typical update, I wanna bear my testimony to the people reading this.

Not a whole lot happened last week because we had district meeting.  I had to go to leadership training which is in East Brunswick.  That is an hour south.  It started at 8am and ended at 4pm and to top it off I had to pick up Elder Estipona who is in Newark.  So, we woke up at 4am on Wednesday and Thursday and didn't get home until 7pm both nights.  It kinda stunk.  We also did a deep clean of our apartment on Saturday which took all day.  Even though we didn't teach as much as I would have liked to, I know that because I attended those meetings and did the things that were asked of me, Heavenly Father will bless me.  Wanna know how I know that?  Well, Friday we got a media referral and on Sunday (last night) we contacted him.  He is now getting baptized on October 21st!  He accepted everything we taught him.  We taught him about how the authority to baptize was taken from the earth and that we had received it once again through John the Baptist.  He said to us, "So, it's really like I was never baptized at all!"  We even talked to him about the Book of Mormon and the Bible, about how they teach the exact same thing.  Then he said, "If you believe the Bible, you would be dumb not to read and believe the Book of Mormon, they say the same thing."  I know that because of the faith and work that Elder Heward and I have been doing, the Lord blessed and blessed us with the opportunity to teach one of the sacred, elect people who have been truly prepared to receive the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know God loves and listens to every single one of our prayers.  He is the light and the life of the world and in Him and in our Savior, we are strong.  We can do anything.  I know the love of Christ is all encompassing.  I know that when we cry, the Lord is there holding us and crying with us.  I know that my Savior, my hero, my brother lives and guides every one of us.  I know without a doubt in my mind that the reason we are here is because Heavenly Father loves us so much.  So much, that he is willing to let us come here and grow so that we can be just like him some day.

I love you all and while I miss all of yo' ugly faces, it's nowhere near enough to bring me home.  Please be safe and do everything you can to always remember our Brother and our Father.

Keep the thug passion alive!  West side all day!

With much love,

Elder Patrick Garret Rodeback

September 10, 2012

"Early in the mornin' I rise up from my bed,

Get down on my knees and pray that im not dead.

Got to find the reason, the reason I'm still here.

Got to find the reason that the Lord needs me today."

Missionary remix of Sublime's ,  "What I got!"

Haha, What's rockin' people of the West Coast!  Last week was a hard week for me, won't lie.  But it ended in miracles!  So, let's act like a frog and jump in!

Wenesday, 9/5/11

So, today was a slow day.  I will share a crazy awesome experience and a NASTY one!  During my personal study, I really wanted to continue my BOM reading but we were teaching Junior that day and we really wanted him to progress.  I prayed with everything I had that I would be able to do both.  I prayed that in my personal reading I would find what I needed to be able to help Junior.  And, I did!  Because I allowed myself to be a tool in the Father's hand, I was able to put together the dream lesson for Junior from my personal reading.  Unfortunately, he juked our appointment.  We did however move Angel's couch that had been peed on  countless times by two dogs and it was dripping with urine. I kid you not peeps……. UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Thursday 9/6/11

We did weekly planning and Elder Heward and I, again by the direction of the Spirit, concocted the perfected dream lesson for Junior.  He juked our appointment once again.  Along with that, it was the worst walking day humanity has ever experienced!

Friday 9/7/11

Today we had a sit down lesson with Elizabeth and it went pretty well.  She is super nice and said she is gonna be baptized, she just has to get better first!

Saturday 9/8/11

We played some solid sports with Lyns (Laventures cousin) and it rained like crazy.  After sports Elder Heward and I were sprinting through this rain and I stomped in this puddle that soaked both of my legs from hips to toes!  It was magnificent!  We taught Kevin today and he is finally coming around again.  He had struggled when his buddy died but it is lookin' a lot better now.  Hopefully he keeps pushing through.  Junior juked appointments today and yesterday. L

Sunday 9/9/11

It was a typical Sunday.  Did our studies and again we prepped to teach Junior and also taught a lesson at church.  We even taught Marlon (a less active member).  Later we went to Junior's apartment complex and……..HIS CAR WAS HOME!  Elder Heward and I looked at each other, said a prayer, and sprinted up the stairs.  We had a member with us and we sat down and began the dream lesson with a prayer and a hymn, "The Spirit of God".  The lesson was amazing and to top everything off…..HE COMMITTED TO BE BAPTIZED!!!!!!  He asked if he could be baptized in two weeks?  Just so he could be 110% ready.  We told him that he could be baptized in three weeks.  We asked him if he would prepared to be baptized on the 30th and before Elder Heward could finish the sentence, with excitement in his eyes, he said YES!  Not Yeah, or OK, but YES!  All he taked about after that was how excited he was and how it just sounded right.  The Lord works in mysterious ways.  I know that, without a doubt in my heart!  I know that as we put everything in the Lord's hands, nothing will go wrong.  Faith in Christ makes anything possible.  As Sister Miller says, "Faith casteth out ALL fear."

I love you guys!  Thanks for tuning in on the bright and wonderful day!  Hope all y'alls out there are keepin' things as thugged up as you can!  Westside all day! ;)  Be safe my friends and watch out for each other.  Remember if you avoid doing hard things, great things will avoid you.  I love you all!

Elder Rodeback

September 4, 2012

Yo, my peeps what up? Another day, another update from Elder Ricky Ricky Rodeback.  Haha, hope life is holdin' up solid for all yalls out ther'.  I have finally been sleeping so that is a SUPER PLUS.  I forgot

my  journal today, so I will just give a brief over view of my week.

Monday, August 27 - Sunday, September 3, 2012

Today we did the usual "P" day stuff.  Elder Montes bought a Sentinal Prime Transformer which was cool!  We also went to Union City and was able to see …….New York City!  That was pretty slick!  I barely had enough time to write letters and I didn't get to send the one to my mom so I was super bummed about that.  Good day though.

As for the rest of the week, truthfully without my journal it is really hard to tell you what happened on each day.  Let that be a lesson to everyone…..write in a journal!  The reason I remember the events on "P" day is because it stands out from the rest of the week.  I'm just gonna summarize my week and hopefully that will be good enough for you.  If not…..TOUGH NUGGETS!!!!  HAHA!

So, last week we went to teach Alex and when we got to his door, some guy drove past and said, "He won't be back for two weeks, he is in Newark with his mom."  So Elder Heward and I were like, "Alright, let's go know on his basement door just in case he is in the basement and this guy is a nut."  So, we did.  As it turned  out the guy was Alex's dad and he got mad.  I just played it off as "We didn't recognize you!"  We taught Kevin and then he juked us.  We finally taught Carline again.  She has been working hard even though we haven't seen her in three weeks…..lame.  Well, that's all I can remember at this point…..I know, how lame of me.  I will repent and it will all be fine.  I know that this Gospel is true.  I know that through Christ, all things are possible.  The most taught principle in the scriptures is "Ask and ye shall receive."  I know that my Redeemer lives and all that we have to do to know that and feel his love is to ask. 

Keep strong peeps.  Remember you future missionaries…..Called to serve, here to Love!

Peace from the Hood,

Elder Rodeback