Mind Games

What's up?

            So, this week was something else! Ha Ha! Life is so crazy that it makes me want to pull out hair, but it's all part of the beautiful journey!

We started the week off with a bang, literally. On Tuesday, Elder Cottle was in another area biking, and while going a little too fast he hit a curb and crashed. He decided to just keep working, but the next morning he wasn't feeling well at all, so we ended up taking him to the E.R. As it turns out, he suffered a concussion! Oh man! Luckily, he was wearing a helmet. So, this week has been hilarious, to say the least. Sometimes I'm not sure if he has any idea what's going on during our lessons but I'm just glad he's alive. Seriously! I thought about asking the people at the hospital if they would scan my brain as well because I’d like to know if I'm really losing my mind (because that's how I feel) but I figured that wouldn't go down very well with the mission nurse sitting next to me.

Unfortunately, Wednesday morning in the hospital wasn't our only drama of the week. While Elder Cottle was getting his head checked, we got a call from Fabiola.  She told us that Diane was leaving for the Bahamas the next day, instead of the following week! Do you remember when I told you she would be getting baptized unless something crazy happened? Well, something crazy happened. Ha Ha. It was pretty sad. I don't know exactly what happened but there was some arguing and I think Diane got a little anxious about the baptism and didn't think she was ready, so without any warning she just took off. The whole thing was pretty sketchy. I was able to talk with her on the phone a little, and she said she would finish what we started in the Bahamas. So, I'm just praying that it happens! Then, to top off the sad news about Diane leaving, we confirmed that Fabiola and her kids, Mauken and Jamaiyah, are moving this week. I'm going to miss them so much! 

When situations like those with Diane and Fabiola happen, the Lord is usually testing us and He usually blesses us shorty thereafter. This week He definitely did because we started teaching some amazing people. Fabiola introduced us to another one of her friends, Jada, and she came to church on Sunday! We're also working with a recent convert named Marie and her 4 kids who are all from Haiti. Her oldest son, who is 17, just moved here from Haiti and he came to church on Sunday as well. We'll be teaching him this week and he's really excited to learn more about the gospel. The only catch is that he only speaks Creole and Spanish. His English is pretty minimal. So, we'll be teaching him with a translator.

On Sunday, Cleevens received his patriarchal blessing. He told us that it was a really positive experience. After the blessing, we were able to speak to the patriarch and he told us that Cleevens' blessing included promises about a mission, so Cleevens promised that he would pray about it and seriously think about serving a mission. He is something else! One moment he's asking for things like a patriarchal blessing and bearing his testimony to everyone, and the next he's re-thinking everything about the gospel. Can you see why I'm losing my mind?

Jacques and Nella continue to do well and they're progressing. Nella is SO close to being baptized, she is just waiting to get a confirmation from God about when to do it. So, we're being patient and leaving it all in His hands. We found out this week that while she was in Massachusetts with her best friend a few weeks ago, Nella listened to the conference talks we gave her with her friend, and… yada yada yada now her friend is baptized! Elder Cottle and I just thought, “Whaaat!?” Also, a couple months ago they had one of their daughter's friends, Wendy, and her two kids staying with them for a few weeks until they moved into their own place. While they were at Jacques and Nella's we taught them a few times, and this week Nella asked us to send missionaries to their house. Apparently, Wendy has been having dreams about learning from two kids in white shirts and going to church with them, and now she wants to attend church with her kids and be baptized. The whole circumstance is so amazing! The other day Nella commented to us, "I don't get it. Everyone is just beating me to baptism!" Elder Cottle and I thought, "Ya! Tell us about it!" It's amazing how quickly the gospel spreads and blesses lives!   

At the end of the week on Saturday, we had a lesson with Mauricio and Kimberly's 28-year-old sister, Jeanette. She's been in a few of our lessons but has always had to leave in the middle of them. However, she called us this week and asked us to meet with her alone, so we joined with a member in our ward and taught her at the church. She opened up to us about some difficult times she's been going through and explained that about a month ago she moved in with her family. Unknown to us, when she moved back, she promised God that she would get closer to Him and whatever He sent her, she would follow and never slip away. Well, a month ago is when we started teaching the family. So, when she met us and heard what our purpose was, she knew it was God's answer to her prayer! That's why she came to stake conference with us a week and a half later, and now she is really committed to changing her life and becoming closer to God and learning ALL that she can. She committed to be baptized on June 7th with her little sister Kimberly! The rest of the family is doing really well too! All of them, besides the dad, Mauricio Sr., have received pretty dramatic answers to their prayers and they know that the gospel is true, but they can’t commit to a baptism date. And, trust me, they're MORE than ready to be baptized. It’s frustrating, to say the least. But, Jeanette came to church on Sunday with Mauricio and Kimberly so that was promising!

Finally, my parents asked if I had any advice for teaching the youth about how to prepare for a mission.  This is my advice: Stop caring about how many “likes” you get on your Instagram posts and read the Book of Mormon a little bit more!

I love you guys so much! Thank you for everything you do for me!

21 months down...LOTS left to go.

Elder Roderick