The Power of the Priesthood, Hastening the Work and Becoming a Better Person Each Day

Hey guys,

We had an awesome week!! It was definitely a lot better than last week.  As always, it was full of ups and downs but I've just learned to expect that becauseI know that nothing comes easy in the mission field.

On Tuesday it actually snowed again! It was soooo cold at the beginning of the week and the weather is just recently starting to get warmer.  Seriously, though, it was miserable to go outside. Every night when I got home it took about 20 minutes before I could feel my ears again. Ha Ha.

We had inspiring experiences this week! We had the opportunity to give Kenny, the investigator who I've told you guys about, a blessing.  Satan has really been hitting him hard and Kenny has been having a lot of trouble with some of the things he saw and experienced in his past. Elder Pena gave him one of the most incredible blessings I've ever heard and the Spirit was so strong. By the time it was over Kenny was just bawling because he felt so much better!  A few days following his blessing, we visited Kenny again and the difference in his countenance was like night and day. He asked us how we were able to “do that” and make him feel so much better. We told him that we didn't do anything. It was the Lord! He looked at us and said, "You know what...you're right. It had to be Him because two boys couldn't possibly make me feel the way that I did.” That was pretty amazing to hear! The power of the Priesthood is REAL!!

            After backing out of his baptism, we've really been focusing on Max and trying to help him progress. The reality is, Max wasn't ready to make the commitment of baptism and the last thing we want is for him to get baptized and never come to church again. The good news is he's very motivated to find out for himself if the church is where he wants to be and he genuinely wants to meet with us. Hopefully some miracles will happen soon!

            For the past couple weeks, Elder Pena and I have been planning a "mini mission" for the youth in our ward. Last night, they all came to the ward and were surprised to receive mission calls, including personalized nametags, and companions. We split them into groups and role-played a little "MTC experience”. The ward members taught them about the area where they were called to serve and we taught them how to teach the first discussion. This week at school they are wearing their nametags and carrying a Book of Mormon around with them.  When it comes to missionary work, the dedication and excitement of these kids is amazing!! When they come back for youth night on Thursday, we are going to have fake investigators (ward members) for each companionship to teach. The mini mission idea has motivated our entire ward to get busy with missionary work and they’ve even been asking us for Book of Mormons to share with their friends.  Because of their help, we’ve been able to set up appointments with many of the ward members’ non-member friends. The plea from the First Presidency to “hasten the work” is getting everyone excited, which should result in a lot of success for the missionaries!!

I just want to let you all know how much I appreciate the love and support that each of you give me! I was reading in the scriptures this week about Amulek and how because he was preaching the gospel, he was literally betrayed by all of his friends, each of his children, and even his dad. I thought about what I would do if that happened to me.  To be honest I'm not sure I would be able to keep going every day, especially when the times get tough! Thank you all for motivating me to be a better person every day! I hope I can do the same for you.

Have a great week y'all!!! SO LONG SUCKAS.

Elder Roddy

The Battle Continues... Stay Tuned!

Hey y'allllllll,

Man what a week! Let me give you a little insight on what's going on in Roddy's life right now.  This was probably the most difficult week on my mission so far. Satan really decided to come out and mess with our investigators. I hate that guy!! The week actually started off very well because we had a ton of investigators and I was still riding on my emotions from an awesome previous week. I guess I needed to be humbled a little bit! We started off the week with plans to continue teaching about 15 investigators, and now we're down to 4, maybe 5. As you can imagine, losing so many investigators was really hard for me and I don't think I've ever been so frustrated as I have been for the last few nights. It's hard for me to not take everything personally and wonder what it is that I'm doing wrong that’s causing people to fall off.

I've been praying and thinking hard about our loses, and I had a little “flashback” to a video I watched a few weeks ago called Missionary Work and the Atonement. In the video Elder Eyring and Elder Holland speak about the difficulties and hardships of being a missionary. In order to get some insight about why everything seems to be crashing down on us, I watched the video again. The part that really made an impact on me was a section where Elder Holland speaks about the Atonement and all that Christ endured for each of us. He says something to the affect of, "How can any of us expect to be representatives of Jesus Christ if we aren't willing to experience just a LITTLE of what he went through for us". That really took me back and made me realize that in order to experience the joys of a mission, you have to go through the trials and hardships to get there!!

I'm glad you all like the videos that I sent home a few weeks ago. Ha Ha. For the last few P-Days Elder Pena and I have been working on a special video with one of our members that we plan to show at the next ward party. It's going to be called "The District...Southern Style" (with inserts from Twilight). Don't worry, I'll send it home as soon as it's finished. Stay tuned!

I love you all so much! Thanks for the endless support and motivation! When life gets tough, just remember it could be worse! You could be one of the opossums or pigs or raccoons that I see every day dying on the side of the road!! Until next week....so longgg suckaaaaas!

Elder Roddy

Fighting the Battle

Hey y'all!!!!

This week in Hickory Flat was so awesome!! It was super busy which meant Roddy got all stressed out, of course, but that's just the life of a missionary!!

            We had a lot of amazing experiences this week! I'm going to tell you about a couple that really standout because they are so inspiring.

            For the last couple weeks, we have been teaching a kid named Kenny Morris. He is extremely intelligent and he knows the Bible like no one else. He has an intellectual and in-depth way of thinking and he hates it when we just teach him the “basics.” Ha Ha. He wants to know EVERYTHING. For the last few months, Kenny and his sister, Amanda, have been living with some members in our ward. When they were in high school, their dad took his own life and their mom was addicted to drugs, which led them to have crazy lifestyles of their own because they didn’t have any support from home. Kenny ended up in jail, which is where he actually had his first conversion to God and came to understand His importance. When Kenny got out of jail, he and his sister were homeless and they walked the streets of Atlanta in search of food and shelter. He also spent his time preaching to the homeless people and sharing his wisdom with them. Ha Ha. Well, through Facebook, Amanda found the Wymans (the members) who invited Kenny and Amanda to live with them. Teaching Kenny has been hard because it's always complex and he's stubborn about a lot of his beliefs. This Thursday he called us and told us to hurry over to the Wymans. So, we did. He sat us down and told us that the night before while he was praying to find out if what we were teaching him was true, God spoke to him as if he was right next to him and told him that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was His kingdom on the Earth and that he was to be a priesthood holder one day! It was the most amazing thing I've ever heard!! We all had a huge group hug in the living room.  Ha Ha. We set up a baptismal date and everything, but then I got sad news from my Mission President that Kenny couldn't be baptized until he was off of probation, which is in a LONGGG time. So, who really knows when Kenny is going to be baptized? In the meantime though, he is coming to church, with holes in his shoes and all, and he plans on being the best "member" he can be. I can't wait to fly back to Hickory Flat one day and see him get baptized into God's church!

            I had another inspiring spiritual experience this week. Right now we're teaching the bishop's next doors neighbors, a family named the McFaddens. They are Catholic but don't really know much about what they believe and their children are especially interested in learning more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the parents not so much). Anyway, we taught them on Saturday and after our lesson we went next store to talk to Sister King (the bishop's wife) about our experience. Sister King ended up sharing her conversion story with us, because like the McFadden children, she was once a 12 year-old Catholic girl who was able to find truth in the Mormon Church. I won't tell you her whole story because it's personal, but she said something to us at the end that will stick with me forever. She explained that the McFadden kids have so much potential to be great in our church, and Satan knows it.  So, he will do everything he can to stop us from converting them. She said, "You guys have to realize that the adversary is going to do everything possible to draw those kids away from the Spirit. He knows their potential. Once, that was me over there.  So, I know their potential too. Every time you walk over to that house, you are going to battle. It's you against him, and he knows he can't win." Do I need to add any commentary to that?

            I'm so grateful that I have this opportunity for a couple years to represent Jesus Christ and bring people the happiness of the gospel! I know the adversary is always trying to stop us and distract our investigators, but it's a battle that I'm happy to be fighting in because I know I'm fighting on the right side!!

Have a great week everyone!! Love and pray for you all!!

Elder Roddy

The New Year brings a SWING, a SONG and a SLAM DUNK!

Elder Roderick welcomes the New Year with a SWING, a SONG and a SLAM DUNK.  View his latest adventures by clicking the link below:

http://youtu.be/BO1P4DYqEeE

HEY Y'ALL!!!!

Happy New Year!! I hope you all had an awesome week! My week in Hickory Flat was so amazing. We had transfer calls today and I found out I'll be staying here for six more weeks to finish training Elder Pena. I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to leave this ward! The members have become like my family and I can't imagine serving in another area. I guess that's what the experience is all about though. Also, apparently my Mission President will put anyone in a leadership position because until I get transferred I'm going to be a District Leader. This poor, helpless district...Lord help them all!!

            The New Year started out right because I've never been so busy during my mission! This week we visited a million people and we were able to make a ton of return appointments for the upcoming week. We’ve been working so hard that sometimes during the last half hour of the night Elder Pena and I will be headed to an appointment and I feel like I'm going to pass out because I'm so tired! Kinda like Lehi when he passes out from feeling the spirit so much except, I'm not really a prophet or anything.

            We had some promising lessons and contacts this week! Our top investigator Max will be getting baptized on January 25th! We thought we were going to have some trouble because he lived with his girlfriend, but it turns out they are married. Ha Ha. Don't ask questions. It's "complicated." Okay? They came to church with us this week and it was great! However, during the sacrament hymn the power went out. Ha Ha. It stayed dark the entire time they were blessing and passing the sacrament. I can't imagine what they were thinking. I had to assure them that it wasn't planned. Mormons seem weird, I know, but not that weird!                                       We also had some interesting contacts with some random people. Sometimes during my conversations with people I forget that I’m the “missionary” because they end up trying to convert me to their church. For example, we bashed with a guy who graduated from Oxford with a major in theology.... Now, that was fun.   And, I’ve gathered pamphlets and all sorts of invitations to different churches.   I consider these conversations the perfect opportunity to get the full southern experience!    On Thursday it snowed here in Georgia for the first time in three years! It also snowed a little this morning. When I say “snow”, I mean ten little snowflakes falling from the sky and disintegrating in mid-air. Nonetheless, school is canceled for the next two days. What's up with that?

            In other noteworthy Georgian news, I witnessed a pig dying because it had been hit by a car 10 seconds earlier.  That should tell you a lot about where I'm serving. Gotta love Georgia baby!

            If I had to choose the main things that I've learned so far on my mission, it would be patience and humility. Day in and day out I am humbled to be doing the work of the Lord. I have the unique opportunity to talk to everyone and hear their life story and witness their situations. I’ve realized just how blessed I am because I have a loving and supportive family and a group of friends on whom I rely.  There are so many people who are alone and depressed and need the gospel more than ever, and it's humbling to know that it's my job to bring it to them. The knowledge that the LDS Church has is incomparable and it can solve every problem. If only more people would listen!! Unfortunately, it's easier said than done. I've also been blessed to work with two companions who have come from some rough backgrounds and don't have near the resources or support that I do.  As I try to adjust to their needs and abilities, I’ve been required to be very patient, but I learn from them every single day. Basically, I hope you realize how blessed you are!! That's something I always took for granted.

            People, the Church is true. See you in two. I mean nineteen months. Who's counting though? I LOVE IT HERE!!!

Have a great week Y'ALLLLLLLLL.

Elder Roddy

Wonder Woman Uses Her “Gift” of Strength to Strike Down Zeus

MERRRRRY CHRISTMAS Y'ALL!!!!

Wowwww!! Who said being on a mission for Christmas was hard? Ha Ha. This Christmas was honestly a ton better than I thought it would be! I mean, obviously the year I got my Gameboy SP was the best year ever, but this year was still awesome, for different reasons. Your support made being away from home a lot easier. It was also nice to have a Christmas where I didn't have to get caught up in the busy “stuff” and instead I got to focus on my Savior and be relaxed! So, to each of you, “Thank you!” I have the best family and friends in the world!

            

            Skype.... what an experience that was! Ha Ha. I've never had my mind go so completely blank before. Seeing my entire family was so cool and it was so amazing to talk with them!  It’s an experience like “Skype” that makes the Christmases you spend on your mission so memorable!

            

            The rest of Christmas was week so much fun! During our weekly District meeting we had a white elephant gift exchange and then we put on fake mustaches and went out to eat at a Mexican Restaurant. Apparently, when you work at the restaurant, missionaries in mustaches are not too funny. I mean, c'mon guys, where's the humor? Laugh at us, would you? No tip for that waiter.

           

          A few days after Christmas we went to the Dustin's house (members in our ward) and prepared a “little” post-Christmas BBQ. We didn’t have any pie in the face moments this time, but as long as Elder Pena and I wore aprons, the Dustins let us grill all the food.

           

           This Sunday my man, Stanley, blessed the sacrament! It was so awesome. The ward members have been so supportive by helping him progress in the gospel and he is feeling comfortable and making huge steps forward. We’ve also been teaching a less-active member who hasn’t been to church for five years.  She came with us to church this week and it was so exciting because she loved it.

            After church, we went home teaching with a member to visit a less-active family who has a dog named Zeus.  No lie, Zeus is bigger than a pony. I mean, this thing was HUGE. When they opened the door and I saw it I nearly peed my pants and ran away. We got inside and the stupid dog kept barking in my face and biting my arm so, when the parents weren't looking I slapped it. Ha Ha. THAT WAS THE END OF ZEUS. Sorry guys, I promise I love animals. I especially love them when they're deep fried like the turkey I ate on Christmas (just like on Thanksgiving).

            

             During the Christmas season, my Mission President asked us to study "gifts" and to think about the importance of the gifts that each of us have in our lives. It was very humbling to study and understand all God has given us and then, to realize how little He requires in return. Through my study what I really came to understand is that He has given each of us gifts that are unique to us and that we should use our gifts to bless the lives of other people. Each of you has gifts and qualities that others need! So go share 'em!

            I love y'all! Thanks again for all of your support! HAPPY NEW YEAR

Elder Roddy