Love And Patience

Hey everybody!

     Great to be writing ya'll again this week, it’s been another crazy week like always. This week has been just another normal week. Lots of walking, lots of tracting, lots of a little bit of everything to say the least. Right now we basically have no investigators and we've been contacting all week long just hoping to find someone. We find potentials, set up appointments, and they continue to cancel over and over. Hoping we'll find some here quickly. This week I also got to receive my Korean driver's license. Crazy right?? It's not like Emery County though... there's actually cars on the road. So it's been a week of learning to "re-drive" again. It's been fun to pick it up again. This week has been really simple, but really enjoyable. Me and my companion travel all over the mission a lot visiting other missionaries and meetings. It's been such a great learning experience. I'm learning so much from all of those around me.This week I was on exchanges with another missionary, and had an experience that I'd like to share.

     Growing up, I always struggled being around kids. It was something that I never really learned how to do, or really understood. Growing up they annoyed me at times. It was hilarious for the people around to see how I reacted around kids because it was just hard for me. As I grew older, I got a little better, but still had a lot to learn about it. This week we had to teach two young little kids in another area. One was 8, and the other was 7. We went in there and sat down and the kids would not behave. They were yelling, and screaming, and throwing food, and wrestling, and wiping food all over us. We were trying to teach one of them, to prepare him for baptism, but he just wouldn't behave. I was trying the best I could to relax and teach, but inside I had had enough. I was ready to get out.

     My companion, who was a Korean, handled the situation soooo well. As the kid tried kicking him again, he lightly, and lovingly chastised him, and told him that he needed to act better than that if we were to teach him. We left the appointment, and I asked my temporary companion how he handled the situation so well. He told me, "Elder Roper, when I was little, I was abused by my parents, and I made a goal that I would never treat other kids like I was treated."

     I've thought a lot about that statement, and what that means. It's been on my mind a lot. Not only are we supposed to love kids with a perfect and Christlike love, but to treat others as would like to be treated, or more importantly, as the Savior would treat us. Even though I was able to make it through the meeting with the young kids and keep my patience, I learned that treating others and loving others comes in thought just as well as deed. In that appointment, I can guarantee that my companion had perfect love while I was anxious to leave. It was a great moment of learning for me. 

     I know that Christ has a perfect love, and a perfect patience for us as well. He loves us so perfectly that He's willing to work with us, love us, and push us forward, despite our challenges and our weakness. I'm so grateful for that. I'm grateful for the examples of other missionaries, and how I can grow closer to Christ through other people. I love this gospel, and I love the concept of change that we get to go through as we grow closer to Christ. I know He lives, and He's always near us. I bear my witness of that.

     I love you all, and I'm so grateful for the letters, love, and support. I love and miss you all so dearly. Thanks for everything talk to ya'll next week!

Elder Roper