Matthew Becomes a Father and Stanley takes the Plunge

HEYYYY Y'ALL!!

Hope everyone's week was great!! I had an incredible week full of miracles and awesome experiences. Let me tell you about them.

            First thing's first. I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER!!!! Ha Ha. This is missionary slang meaning, “I'm going to be training a new missionary” and I start on Wednesday. I'm sooooo pregnant right now it's unbelievable. I'm expecting in the next couple days. I think it'll be a boy, but you never really know. I guess it's “the blind leading the blind”...poor kid. Ha Ha. I'm really excited though. 

Since I'll be training, I'm going to be staying in Hickory Flat for 12 more weeks! I'm really happy about that. So my address is going to stay the same (4105 Walden Crossing Dr. Canton, GA 30115). The mission office has asked us to tell everyone to send letters and packages to our apartments for the next couple months because the mail will be so busy from the holidays. So, if you want to send me a letter, you should send it to my apartment and it would be much appreciated!

            This week we had a miracle. WE HAD A BAPTISM!!!! SURPISE!!! It was so awesome. Here's the story: I've told you a little about one of our investigators named Stanley. Stanley was scheduled to be baptized on November 9th but backed out at the last second because he didn't really have a testimony and wasn't ready for the commitment. So, we committed to meeting with him 3-4 times a week to read from the Book of Mormon with him. In no time, Stanley was reading multiple chapters each night by himself and confirmed to us that he knew it was true. On Thursday we went to share our weekly reading with him, and then we extended the date of December 14th for him to be baptized. He looked at us for a solid 10 seconds, then he said "Boys....LET'S DO IT." It was awesome! So, we were about to walk out of his house, and Stanley said, "Now aren't two of you going to be leaving next week?" We confirmed, “Yes. Elder Gilliat and Elder Auaea will be transferred next week.” He replied, "Well it looks like I'll just have to send you a picture of me soaking wet then." My companions and I looked at each other and we were all thinking the same thing.  So, I asked Stanley if he would just like to be baptized on Saturday instead. He said he didn't care when it was, as long as it happened! We were so stoked!!

Elder Gilliat, Elder Auaea, Stanley and Elder Roderick 

So for the next couple days we did our best to get a program together and let people in the ward know about the baptism. By Saturday afternoon, we had a good amount of people there and everything was ready to go. It didn't even matter who showed up though, because Stanley's great-grandkids surprised him and showed up. I've never seen anyone so happy! It was the sweetest thing in the world to see this man, who had been away from his grandkids for a couple months, pick them up and kiss them on the cheek. I didn't even care what happened after that!! The program went really well and long-story-short, Stanley was baptized baby!! Since Stanley has back problems and other physical conditions, all three of us had to get in the water and help him down and out of the water. That was a really neat experience too. The next day Stanley was confirmed and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. The last two days have been some of the happiest days of my entire life!!

            With his long, gray beard and hair, and a house full of boxes and cluttered junk, Stanley is someone who I never would have approached and talked to if I wasn't a missionary. In fact, three or four months ago I probably would have avoided his presence. But, being a missionary gives you the opportunity to talk to everyone, and because of that, I was able to meet Stanley and he has become one of my newest and best friends. I've spent hourssss getting to know him and talking with him, and I’ve found that there isn't a kinder, more tenderhearted man in the world! This experience has opened my eyes to the realization that there are so many people we can connect with, but we never find them if we are afraid to get out of our comfort zone and talk to others. This week, I challenge each of you to try and talk to someone you normally wouldn't. Just try to be their FRIEND! You'll be surprised by how many amazing people there are in the world. They need you in their life, and you need them in yours.

            I hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for each of you!! Eat lots! 

LOVE Y'ALL!!! 

Elder Roderick

Joke's On You!

Hey everyone!!

We had a great week in Hickory Flat! My companions and I are busier than ever. Transfers are next week which is a disappointment because we're having way too much fun and the ball really seems to be rolling for us right now. We have a lot of promising investigators and it would be a downer to have to go somewhere else and start all over again. I'm hoping I get to stay here for a little while longer, but I'll go wherever I’m told.

            This week I'll hit my 3-month mark! I swear it was yesterday that I was writing about how I had been out for 2 months. Sure, it's not very long in the realm of a two-year mission, but time has seriously gone by so fast. I've realized that time goes by 10x faster for missionaries than it does for the people back home. Even though I haven't been out very long I can see why missionaries say it goes by in a snap, and it seems like foreverrr for the people back home. It's crazy! “Time flies when you're having fun!”

            My companion who is waiting for his visa to Brazil, Elder Gilliat, and I have started to play a little game where we pull pranks on each other throughout the week. It's been hilarious to see the things we do to each other and it's so much fun. So, I decided to take advantage of the fact that Elder Gilliat is absolutely TERRIFIED of spiders (worse than a young teenage girl). Well, Georgia is not a good place to be if you're scared of spiders because they're everywhere and BIGGER than anything you'll ever find in Utah. So, Elder Gilliat hasn't had the most pleasant time here, as far as that goes. The other day he pulled a pretty good prank on me, so it was time for me to get him back. While he was in the shower, I walked outside and in no time found a harmless daddy long leg. The daddy long legs here are about as big as the palm of your hand. Haha. So I picked it up, and carried it inside. I quietly slipped into the bathroom and then lightly threw it over the top of the shower curtain. I walked out of the bathroom and three seconds later heard this scream that was probably the loudest scream I've ever heard in my entire life! Ha ha ha. Elder Gilliat came running out of the shower screaming and yelling and whining, all the while forgetting to grab a towel. I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER LAUGHED HARDER IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. Sure, I probably went a little over the edge with that prank, but it's been so fun to have a couple companions who know how to joke around and have a good laugh with each other. In my opinion, if you're not having the most fun you've ever had on your mission, then, you're doing it wrong!! That probably wasn't the story you guys were expecting to get this week but, hey what do you really expect from me. I work hard and play hard.

            I've been so blessed to get letters and emails from so many of you! You make my life so much easier and less stressful. I really appreciate your support more than you know. Since transfers are coming up and I don't know if I'll be staying or going, this week please SEND LETTERS TO THE MISSION HOME INSTEAD OF THE APARTMENT. The Mission Home address is:

 1150 Cole Drive SW

 Lilburn, GA 30047

I'll let you know next week if I'm staying in the same apartment or being transferred.  Thank you so much!!! 

Have a great week y'all!!

Elder Roddy

The “Mormon Angels” Experience a Flood and Have a Sleepover

"The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning" in Georgia

Hey y'all!!

Yesterday all of the libraries were closed for Veteran’s Day so every missionary in the area went into a freak-out-panic-mode and the President had to call us and tell us we could email for a little bit today. We don't have much time though, so if I wasn't able to email you this week then I promise I will next week!

            So this week was pretty crazy! An hour after emailing last week, we got a call from the mission office with some horrible news: our water heater in the apartment broke and EVERYTHING FLOODED!! We hurried home and sure enough, we found half of our apartment soaked with water. It was crazy! In the midst of getting everything fixed, I decided to make the best of the situation and made a little slip 'n slide in our living room. The floor was wet enough that we could run and slide on the carpet and water would go everywhere. Our President sent us over to another area to sleepover for a few nights. So, five Elders were in one apartment. I can see now why they don't let us do that unless it’s an emergency because it was wayyyy too much fun!

When the floods rise up, the Slip 'n Slide rolls out

            Things are going great for us right now. We're getting close to transfers and our tri-panionship doesn't want to separate! We're pretty busy right now, but we've been struggling with investigators dropping us. It's been happening pretty frequently. So we're trying to figure out what we can do better.

This week we had a really neat experience with one of our investigators named Opal Dodd. Opal is about 60 years old and she's the sweetest lady in the entire world! She had a grandson named Tate who drowned when he was only 4 years old, and ever since Tate's passing she's had a really hard time coping and looking for the bright side in life. We've been teaching her for a while now, and in her own words "we've been her little Mormon angels." This Wednesday I called her to set up an appointment, and in tears she told me how she had prayed about everything, and she decided that she wasn't going to change churches. She had been reading every day in the Book of Mormon from the chapters we gave her, but she felt like the Bible was all she needed and she wasn't ready to make any changes in her life. So instead of giving her more commitments, I decided to just ask Opal to open to a random page in the Book of Mormon and pray about it one last time.  Then, I promised her that on Friday we'd come by to talk to her.

So, on Friday we went to her house, and Opal eagerly let us in the door. She sat us down and told us how she had read a random chapter in the Book of Mormon like I asked her. It turns out she read Moroni 8. Well, this chapter is all about how infants are not required to be baptized and how they're always under God's watchful eye. Amazingly, this fit right in with Opal's situation with her grandson Tate. This is the only chapter in the Book of Mormon where it talks about infants and baptism, and I didn't even know it existed. Opal told us, "After reading this chapter, there is no way that this book isn't true. God wouldn't lead me to read that chapter if it wasn't a true book." It was seriously so amazing to hear this and to see the way that God is involved with each and every investigator around the world. Now that she has found the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, we are working with Opal to help her understand what else is true.

On Thursday I attended my first zone conference. Our zone and the Roswell zone met at one stake center and the President and his wife came and talked to us for the afternoon. I'll have 8 zone conferences on my mission, so 1 down, and 7 to go! Since there are so many missionaries here, there were literally 80 missionaries just from two zones. It was crazy! Anyway, at the conference Sister Wolfert told us that one of the senior missionaries, Elder Hall, who works in the mission office, had just been diagnosed with cancer.  From the day I met him, Elder Hall has reminded me of Grandpa Gary. I don't know what it is about him but he just does. Sister Wolfert told us about his diagnosis and that as she spoke he was receiving chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Because both of my grandpas were once in Elder Hall’s situation, the thought of this man being treated for cancer hit me really hard. I'm not exactly sure why it affected me so much, but it just did! While Sister Wolfert was talking, I was sitting in between my two companions but at that moment I felt Grandpa Gary and Grandpa Bill's presence so strong!! I felt like they were the ones sitting beside me and not my two companions! The feeling affected my so deeply that I was brought to tears. I know that my grandpas are always watching over me and protecting me. Sometimes it just takes a little reminder to prompt me remember.

Because of the flood, the rest of the week went my very fast. We were able to do service for people every day of the week. As a missionary you might as well have "free labor" written on the back of your shirt. Ha Ha. We only moved two houses and two pianos this week! I honestly love it though. Service is my favorite part of the work!

Halloween 2013
Elder Tonga and his harem of Sister Missionaries

Have a great week everyone! I love you all!!

Elder Roddy

A Homemade Skirt and Optional Shirts

Hey y'all!!!!

This week in ATL was very...interesting! It was probably the hardest week I've had in the mission field but at the same time it was enjoyable and I still had some great experiences.

The week started off very slow. We met with Stanley, our most promising investigator (at the time). He is scheduled to be baptized this Saturday. But yada- yada-yada long story short, he's not going to get baptized for a while, if at all! Stanley has some physical disabilities that make it hard for him to read, so he hasn't even read any of the Book of Mormon and hasn't developed much of a testimony, which is entirely our fault. So, I wasn't very surprised when he dropped his baptism, but it was very discouraging nonetheless. After meeting with Stanley I don't think I said another word the entire day because I was so mad.  My companions and I decided that we're going to meet with him 3 times a week so we can read with him and hopefully help him develop a testimony. Whatever happens though, Stanley is “my man” and he makes my day whenever we go visit him!

            This upcoming week looks very promising. We have a lot of appointments with our investigators and I'll let you know how they all go!

            Halloween in the mission field is sooooooo crazy!!!!!! Just kidding. It's just like any other day. Ha-ha. Our Mission President made us stay inside on Halloween night and we couldn't dress up or anything. However, the ward had a Halloween party on the night before Halloween and no one ever said anything about costumes on the the night before....right?? So, ten 10 minutes prior to the party, Elder Gilliat and I decided to dress up as the sister missionaries in our ward. We had nothing to dress up with besides what was in our apartment. I found an old wig that someone bought at Walgreens.  It looks nothing like a girl but hey, it worked. Then I took my blue button up shirt and unbuttoned the top button, then took my bed sheet and made a skirt. It was pretty creative!! I looked nothing like a girl but the ward got a kick out of it, and I think the sisters are still mad at us for it. Ha-ha.

            Last night we went and knocked on one of our potential investigator's door. His name is "Freddy J or Sargent Jones". Freddy J is an ex-marine general and he's a big, straightforward black dude. He opened the door, stared at us for about 5 seconds then said, "Now listen boys, now is not a good time. I'm right in the middle of my slicin and dicin!! (dinner) But, Iisten up. Call me on Wednesday around 15 or 16 hundred (3 or 4 o'clock) and give me a ringer and we'll catch each other on the block!" Then he shut the door. Ha-ha-ha I was laughing so hard! For those of you who are wondering what the African Americans are like in Atlanta....Sargent J will give you a pretty good idea.

            Whenever we knock doors, we try to find the most low-income and humble neighborhoods because the people who live there are the most receptive. This week when we were knocking, we had about 5 people in a row answer their doors without shirts on. I'm not sure if this is just how it is in the South or what, but I would rather not see any of those guys with their shirts off ever again. They could use some P90x ab workouts, to say the least. In the words of Elder Gilliat, "The poorer the area, the more optional the shirt." Trust me, it's true!

            Have a great week my little children. Remember God is watching you.....and Satan is too. *don don donnnnnnnn*

Elder Roddy