PDay 6-27-2011

Dear Family & Friends,

 We've decided to jettison our investigators who cancel appointments (when we ALWAYS call to remind them the day before). We've even walked with members to appointments. We taught 4 lessons for the whole of last week! A weekly goal for a companionship is usually 20 (which isn't always easy)! Our District Leader knows that we're not the kind of missionaries to hang out or nap. We're out from 11:00 am after study and working until (9:00pm) with one hour for lunch and another hour for dinner.

We pretty much called Uber after walking in the 'mad' humidity, and getting rejected by his rude friend, our purpose for arriving being that he had told us that he would be there for the lesson at 1:00, and said to him that when he finally has time he can give us a call.

We dropped Raul too. We may drop Esperanza.

Luis Rios cancelled on us for Sunday at 8:00 am and didn't arrive to attend church; Julian and Felipa are occupied with work in Queens, etc....

However, we fortunately have arranged appointments for next week with people we've 'fearlessed' on the street. 'Fearlessing' is when you contact people by talking to them about the Gospel. It certainly requires being fearless.

Fearlessing is usually done anywhere! In the Subway (classic) surrounded by people everywhere, on the bus, on the street, in apartment buildings, etc...

We fearlessed two familes. One of them, I fearlessed yesterday, and managed to obtain her number, address, etc... We have an appointment on Wednesday. The others, we have an appointment on Saturday.

It was completely different working in Long Island in contrast to not having a car and working in the city. Instead of being at appointments in 15 minutes with a car, in the city you must talk to people everywhere because it often takes 30 minutes to 45 minutes to reach appointments and literally thousands of people are available to you.

I couldn't fearless when I first arrived here in Brooklyn. It's one of the skills many city missionarieshave. I wasn't much of a city missionary then....but it took a lot of practice. I didn't mind at first knocking and talking to people! That was easy! The reason being, if you talk to somebody on the bus or on the train, people are staring at you and watching everything that you say!

It helps also to bear your testimony often and promise blessings....you will feel greater desire and will learn how to make promises to God....that your family can live together beyond the grave!

I can't say that I'm that good but I try to be very sincere.

People also become interested by the distribution of English Class fliers. We teach English classes for free on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday at 7:00 pm.

Our day to teach them is on Thursday. It's fun! I learn a lot and my Spanish has become much more fluent!

Raphael and Carmen are going to be married on July 2nd...then, Raphael will be baptized the next day!

I'm going to see if I can visit them for the baptism because I'd taught Raphael for a while. Elder Leal and I baptized their children.

I can't wait until they're married in the temple....in a year! It's difficult to believe that I'll still be on my mission. There's no doubt that I'll be there for that! It certainly would be a fulfillment of my mission.

This girl that Elder Leal and I also taught was baptized. Her name was GG.

Because both the District Leader, Elder Tyrell, and my companion, Elder Figgat, and Sister McEwen are all dying in the middle of next transfer....I'm probably going to be companions with Elder Davis and we'll probably have to split the area here in Brooklyn somehow. I don't know. I highly doubt that either Elder Davis or I would be transferred yet! I've been here for almost 6 months! I love the area though! I love it! I simply can't wait until we FINALLY baptize somebody here! We're trying really hard! President Nelson told me that he was proud of what I was doing. I'm glad! I hope that if anything, I can be trusted.

After here, I'd prefer to serve in the City still....although, I wouldn't mind returning back to the Island....but I certainly would prefer to go to Bushwick or Ridgewood(upper Brooklyn), Woodside, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Jamaica, or Flushing (in Queens), or to Staten Island!

What am I talking about?!! I've still got lots of time!

Speaking of Staten Island! We took the Staten Island Ferry from Battery Park, Manhattan to Staten Island, passing by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island! I want to go back soon! It was a blast!

There's this site on the tip of Staten Island that has Two gigantic stone envelopes pointing directly to the site of the World Trade Center (now the Freedom Tower-under construction). In between the envelopes are the names and PROFILES in stone of the firefighters, police and other workers who perished in the disaster in 9/11 who were from Staten Island. Very solemn and reverent memorial...especially when one can see their faces.

The Staten Island ferry is completely free and I would love you guys to come after the mission! Especially if I serve in Staten Island (my companion's previous area was Staten Island).

Also, we visited the New York Transit Museum gift shop! It's in the middle of this abandoned Subway! They have really neat shirts. I'll have to go back next week when I have money to buy one! Happy Father's Day!

Love you! I'll talk to you next week! Bye!

Pdat 6/22/2011

Dear Family,


It's quite a blessing to be a member. It surprises me the Youth here in our ward of Dyker Heights. Brian is preparing to serve a mission, another missionary (I haven't met him....I can't remember his name now) is serving currently in Colorado Springs, Colorado. When we ask any of the Youth in the Ward about serving missions....it's always, "YES!" Brian's sister, Nicole, desires to serve a mission when she's 21 as well as all the active Youth! Stephanie Barajas, Rachel Barajas, Alejandra Espana, Mitchie Espana, Estiv Tolentino, Yamel Tolentino, etc... Our single ward is so small too....

An 18 year old boy from Argentina arrived for the first time in church last Sunday. I figured that he wasn't a member of the church or a less active. He apparently moved in a week ago to Brooklyn; the first Sunday, he had a friend (non-mormon friend) drop him off at church! I'm supposing that because Brooklyn doesn't have as many members of the church and they have to travel sometimes 1/2 hour on foot or subway to church they regard church as a higher priority instead of when they drive past one every 5 minutes.

While serving a mission, I've developed a desire to maintain my activity in the church all my life and to aid the missionaries....because I've realized that it's truer than day....I've found evidence of it in the BOM; also, I've realized how much help the missionaries need, how jubilant Active Members are in contrast to Less-Actives, ETC...

I'm not a great missionary...but I certainly strive to be. I work hard.

We had one evening when ALL of our appointments (which were set) cancel....not one lesson....so....because there was nothing else....we called EVERYONE listed in the Area Planner.... called probably 40 different telephone numbers of non-members and inactives....with probably no more than 5 answer....and all those numbers didn't even know it was us! How?! Julian and Felipa even cancelled on us! I called somebody we had pre-arranged an appointment probably 5 times (and continued cancellations)...called him and he said he was at the Beach....I was kind but obviously disappointed in him. We taught no more than 5 lessons the entire week last week.

Not to mention....I talked to somebody on the street who was INTERESTED in our message and she lived in the other Elders' area. We referred her to them.

Fortuitously, Luis Rios....who has no time during the week to meet because of his work schedule....his only available day being Sunday....attended church again! We had an appointment at 8:00 am before church....didn't make it for the appointment...but came to all three hours! We tried to teach him after church, however, he said he really had to go. I really desired to teach him because we haven't yet taught him the first Lesson....if we could....we'd ask him to pray about whether the Book of Mormon is true and then give him a Baptismal Date to prepare and pray for. He doesn't yet understand that this is like no other church....but he can't meet until next Sunday! It amazes me, everyone else we seem to teach understands more...yet are 'too busy' always to attend at least one hour of their week.

We attended a Fireside in Woodside, Queens last Sunday. Two members of the Seventy were there....also many familiar missionary faces! I love the mission! I saw Elder Simkins, Sister Jewkes (from Brentwood-Bayshore many months ago), Sister Alvarado, Elder Warren (sat next to him on the Airplane over here), Elder Howard, Elder Kinikini, Elder Casperson, Elder Gootee, Sister Young, etc...and President Nelson!

Last Monday, I couldn't e-mail because we had a Mission Conference. As a result, we had P-Day another day....we couldn't yesterday because we were booked yesterday with appointments (most cancelled anyway...except Julian and Felipa's)...so it's today. I learned much and wrote notes of things to use in our lessons with Julian and Felipa....we were bold last night with them....we told them that if they wanted an answer, they'd have to attend church, even if it be only Sacrament Meeting...."I, the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise". I really needed that mission conference.

Anyhow, I have hopes that Luis Rios will be taught, receive his answer through the Spirit, and be baptized! I simply don't want to wait until next Sunday to teach him.

We've decided that, today, we're going to visit the New York Transit Museum or Museum of Art.

Also, I need to send stuff home for Fathers' Day! Sorry that it's so late....lately, we've been so occupied with trying to find people!



I really do love serving in Brooklyn though....it's my favorite area so far. I enjoy talking to people on the bus and the Subway.



Hope that everything goes great this week! I love you!

Love,

Elder Roberts.

Steven's Post 20th Birthday e-mail

Dear Family,

WWWOOOOWWWW!!!!!!! Aaaawww.....thank you!!! I finally opened my packages. I managed to pick them up on Tuesday when we were at the mission office in Rego Park for Transfer Meeting. All the members knew Elder Figgat from before; he didn't want to me make any mention of it to the ward. What a surprise! After last e-mails, we visited the ORIGINAL Nathan's Hot Dogs. Had you ever heard of them before? I had never heard of Nathan's before I came here to Brooklyn. Apparently they're popular here....but we visited the original! We afterward walked on the beach.

Elder Simkins is going to e-mail the photos on his camera to me. It's replete with the photos from Brooklyn bridge (two times), Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Coney Island, Prospect Park, Brooklyn FUN in general.

Elder Figgat's almost finished with taking ACCUTANE! We had to go to Manhattan for his blood drawing and then had a Doctor's appointment the following day (last Thursday) in Manhattan too.

I've become a really good planner and have written down absolutely everything and all the calls that we need to make to people.

My new companion told me that he wasn't going to bug me about it but he thought that it would be a marvillous idea to open my gifts on my birthday, so I did. Wow, what a surprise! Thank you! Also, my companion woke up early and laid decorative paper in front of the doors of the apartment and my desk chair. He taped a paper to the wall in front of the wall which said "Feliz Cumpleanos" 20 and stuff! Opening the presents was what I did first.

This week's been very busy. We've visited many, many people and we've walked a lot. I'm pulling the lead because of my updated planner. Yesterday, however, I left it on the Subway and it's lost! I'm so frustrated because I have to rewrite a lot of information and a little bit of that information, that which was new from this week that Elder Figgat hadn't yet written down-appointments for this comming week and numbers/addresses for people, was lost. My companion was very patient and we even tried to reach it where they clean out the cars from the end of the Line of the D-Train station in Coney.

Nothing! I hope somebody has a heart and calls or the train workers don't jettison it. I have the number for the Lost and Found and I should call it right after this to see. It would save a lot of time. I'm starting over with my planner and, fortunately, we have the Area Book and the Area Organization Planner to copy down addresses....but I had written in NEW things that we had discovered (some people have moved, changed numbers, a less active who moved from Staten Is., etc...) and I intended to update the Area Organization booklet with that information soon....except, it's gone! This also means we're going to call a lot of people over again or those we've talked to to re-arrange appointments and confirm times. We have an idea where we've met some new Potential Investigators.

I didn't recount the dog-woman yet, have I? Yeah, we saw this woman board the train last Tuesday on the way back from Queens through Manhattan to Brooklyn. She was overweight and had strange clothing on but nobody thought anything at all. It was all quiet and this woman began to bark like a dog and say 'woof' repeatedly. My companion and I were trying not to laugh. Everybody else in the train car was still. She then started to sing weird songs, make noises, I have no idea! She'd occasionally bark like a dog again.

Saturday was the longest day ever! We planned loads of back up appointments (in case, and very often, of cancelled appointments) and we attempted to visit lots of people. Not ONE lesson!! We've probably perinegrated all of Sunset Park!

Have you also heard of what's happened with the Broadway Play, "The Book of Mormon"? It won 9 Tony Awards last night! Last week, President Nelson promulgated to the mission at Transfer Meeting that the Play had become massively popular! The Church didn't take any stance in regards to the blasphemous play! Instead, from TODAY until September...the Church has launched a massive Advertisement Campaign! Starting today, there's a Mormon.org and advertisements from the church on a Digital Billboard in Time's Square along with 8 Advertisement stands within the same, named square; 11,800 taxi cabs with advertisement pyramids for the Church; also 3 Subway Cars.

We saw and took photos with a parked taxi, ready to go for today, with Mormon.org on it!!!!

Now these people are finally going to reject us, call a taxi or walk to the Subway, and see more of us!!!!!!!! Mwahahaha!!!!!!!!! The Church is the richest church in the world.....but not the LEADERS! It's time for the heavy artillery....and the bombardment will not stop until September!

One person already asked us who we are and what we do! The interesting thing is that he talked to us right after we saw the taxi!

Anyhow, it's time for another interminable week of work, but God's work!

One man came to church yesterday whose girlfriend in his native country of Honduras is a member of the Church. He decided to investigate the Church apparently and showed up early for church. Came for all three hours but he lives in the Sisters' area. Still awesome...I hope that we find somebody though soon. I must seem really selfish to everyone but we really need somebody who's not going to cancel every appointment with us besides just Julian and Felipa (who can't come to church ever because of work).

Anyway,

until next week,

Elder Steven Roberts.