Because I'm White

September 24, 2018

This week was another great week! Of course lots of challenges but the longer I’m here the more I’m loving those. Sorry for how unorganized this email will be, I will do my best to not ramble too much.

We had our first Skype lesson this week. It was such a great experience! My companion and I taught a family who lives in Taiwan. They were super nice and loved getting to talk with the missionaries. They took a picture with us through the screen because I’m white, so that’s pretty funny. I was really thankful for this opportunity, for all the opportunities that we have to teach here. Love getting to meet and spend time with people all over the world. Hope that they have been able to come closer to the Savior as we have met with them!

This week was just filled with tons of blessings. For our Tuesday night devotional we were visited by Elder Anderson! First off I am so excited for General Conference, it is going to be a great one! Elder Anderson talked about a lot of different things but he strongly encouraged all of us to focus on spiritual things rather than physical things. He said to focus on the eternal things and not as much on temporal things. He said " Your spiritual experiences in life will make you who you are and who you need to be." This was a very good reminder of what is important in my life and why I am here doing what I am doing. Again so thankful for this opportunity!

At the end he walked around and shook a bunch of hands! Everyone always sings at the end of devotionals and the spirit is so strong. As he walked around I had an overwhelming feeling of how much love our Heavenly Father and Savior have for each and every one of us as individuals!

Chinese is still coming slowly. That is ok though. Its hard everyday but its really fun. We shared stories in Chinese one night this week for class. It was really funny! It’s also really funny now that we can talk and have no one else understand us haha. Not that we talk bad but you just don’t realize sometimes that not everyone can understand Chinese.

We have met a few people this week. My companion and I have started to pick up a lot of phrases in a handful of languages so that’s pretty cool too. Still have lots to learn with my language though so focusing really hard on that cause my time left here is really short.

We have been going to the gym a bit more which is fun. We have so much food in our room now its ridiculous. The closets are just filled, so its good we have time to workout or else it would be really bad.

So I have been built up a lot this week and don’t really like it.  Apparently I am always smiling. According to everyone. Which is nice I guess. I try to be happy, I am happy, even though it’s hard. And it’s so ridiculous all the elders talk about my chest. haha. They don’t stop ever. They attribute everything good that happens to my chest. ‘Oh we got in a short line, its because of Mao's chest.’ Haha so ridiculous.

I got to do a lot of interviews this week too. That was a lot of fun! My district is so willing to share and they all have such strong testimonies. They have taught me so much. Kindness and a positive attitude can go a long way. Its awesome how one person will help lift up the rest of us and then within a short time it is someone else doing it! Being DL is good. All that it really means is more chances to serve which means it’s a blessing to me. I think about that a lot. Everything we do ends up blessing us back. Heavenly Father has rigged the system to always bless us. It’s so crazy! Actually mind boggling.

Christmas is this Friday, means we should get our flight plans. So that’s cool. Will most likely leave right after conference, which is also super cool. It is going to be a great Conference!!! Everyone should watch!!!!! At times I feel I’m not ready to leave. I have so much more I want to learn. But that is selfish so I will go and be happy, of course I’m excited to leave!! Feels like a bubble a lot here. All at the same time it is so crazy to think that I’m already almost 2 months in. It’s scary. Mission life is pretty much a constant roller coaster. Sometimes you are on top of the world and others you feel like the world is on you and will never end. Luckily that is what the Savior is for.

One last thing, so I heard a message from Elder Patrick Kearon this week. On LDS.org he has a video called ‘To Love Them All’. My invite for this week is to go on and watch that video!! It’s a good one. I love this Gospel and am so thankful to be a missionary! I hope you all have a great week and know how much I love you!!!!:)

Elder McRoberts 

This is the best district ever at the the best place ever! Love love

love going to the temple

Astonish the World

September 17, 2018

This week was another great one to be a missionary.

So every Monday at the MTC they bring in fast food from the places at BYU. Its always a great time. This last week it was Taco Bell! It was a pleasant surprise. So after dinner every night we have class. I want to start by saying how much I love my district. They build me up so much and help me feel the spirit a ton. So on Monday we were having a good class, we all like to talk and have a good time but know when to be serious so it works out very nicely. Anyway we go down to say prayer and right in the middle of prayer we hear this loud noise. Needless to say the prayer was ended very shortly after. Turns out Elder Card could not hold in his taco bell! It was a great way to start this week. Lots of laughs to say the very least.

We had a devotional I really liked this week. Elder and Sister Gay came to speak to us. Favorite quote from it " You have the power to astonish the world!" I think that applies to everyone. It picked me up a lot this week to think back on that. I know that as we try our best and give everything all that we have that this statement really can change lives. So don't forget it, the little things that you do can change the world for the better.

A highlight from class this week was during the grind. The Grind is Wednesday to Saturday. Lots and lots of things to learn and even more opportunities to teach. It’s actually very fun and makes me work for sure, so that’s good. Anyway my teacher said that you can boil all principles of the gospel down to love! She said this at a time where all of us in the district were struggling a bit with the Chinese. I’m very thankful for my teachers here. They are all very inspired and know just what to do when we or really I need help.

Trying to focus on loving this coming week. I know that language and everything else will come as I learn to truly love those who I am and will be serving. The love that keeps me going everyday is the love of our Savior. I’m so very thankful for Him!

My invite for the week is to pray for help with the things that you need. I know that as you do your part you will be blessed beyond what you can think.

Saturday was my last night as the service coordinator person. So that is kind of a bummer but I’m happy to serve wherever and however the presidency needs me to. I learned a lot during the past few weeks. A big one is that many hands make light work. With our zone we were able to turn the gym into a conference center in about 30 minutes. Pretty cool if you ask me. So I was asked to be the district leader this week.The older elders who got here three weeks before us left. Sad times.  

We have played volleyball more this week to help bring the zone closer together. The newer missionaries have grown on me a ton! They are all super great and have positive attitudes all the time. I am thankful for their examples and the chance to spend time with them. Very thankful for the opportunity that I have to serve the Lord and be a part of this great work!!! I love you all so much and I’m thankful for all the support:) have a great week

Elder McRoberts 

Elder Ginn and I in class

 This is my favorite wall at the MTC! 

I got another haircut  

 This is Elder Card and I. He keeps me sane haha

This is my great district. Love them all so much!!

Middle hair parts

Monday September 10th, 2018

This week has probably been the biggest blur so far. We did a lot of things but it’s so hard to remember, but I will do my very best.

Lets see, so probably the biggest news of the week is Elder Ginn got a concussion. It has been a learning experience for all of us to say the very least. It happened last Saturday when we were playing basketball. No good. We have all been taking turns staying with him at the residence while he is trying to recover. Lots of prayers and fasting have brought us close this week as a district and a zone.

The new elders in our zone have opened up a bit more which is really nice. They are all pretty funny and have great spirits!

We played volleyball with them this week. It was our zone against theirs! Now no one is very good and so it’s very entertaining. Can see a lot of different personalities come out when we do things like that together.

I’ve been trying to work really hard at everything this week. Luckily I have a lot of people around me trying to do the same thing so it makes it a bit easier. I can't say enough how thankful I am for my district and zone! They are all so hard working and here for the right reasons.

Needless to say we still have some fun. One day this week we all decided to do our hair the same to help us feel more unified. I really think it worked;)

This week I was blessed a lot to be patient and trust in the Lord. My time at the MTC has been really great so far. Made it to half way sometime this week, which is really strange. As much as I would love to go out and start teaching I’m so thankful for the plan God has for me.

At times this week I felt like I was falling into a trap. A trap of being too comfortable. I have new challenges everyday especially with the Chinese but things just seemed a bit predictable. At one of our devotionals one of the speakers was talking a little bit about this. How we are where we are, when we are, for a reason. That hit me really hard. I was able to realize many more blessings in my week after that, all the little things that I wasn't thinking about before. God's plan for us is better than any plan we can come up with for ourselves.

So my challenge or invite for this week is to be patient in the Lord's timing. I know that He will bless you in ways you can't think of. I know that as we are patient we can see His will more clearly and because of that can make the most out of our time.

Another huge blessing I saw this week was in teaching lessons. My Chinese is still bad but I do my best to just focus on having the Spirit and being really happy. It has gone pretty well. Great reminder of how the Lord works because really I’m not the one teaching! So thankful for that. ha-ha.

So my name in Chinese is Mao Zhang Lao. It just means Elder McRoberts. But anyway it’s really strange to hear my name in English and its even weirder to hear my first name. Takes me a second to respond when its not Mao zhang lao haha cause I don’t realize it’s me people are talking too.

We have got to the point where we can guess what the meals are going to be so that has been pretty fun as well. They have a nice variety of food that is alright but we all have days that we like more than others for sure. One night this week we had cereal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner because the MTC has so many missionaries right now and we had to get back to class. And because we didn't want to wait in line for an hour cause we all get hungry rather quickly ha-ha.

This week school started at BYU so we got to watch a bunch of people move into dorms. We could also hear the football game. The outside world seems so strange these days.

Anyway last night after the devotional we went to one of the "movies". We watched Testament. It was really good. It’s about Jesus Christ and his life ministry to all people. At the end it said something that I am so very thankful for! More than words can describe. It said, " Jesus Christ came to earth, and he will come again!" I know that this is true. It was a great reminder to me to live the very best that I can at all times. It gave me so much joy that I have the opportunity to go and share that message with others!! I’m so very blessed.

I love you all so much! Thanks for all the support! Have a great week:) 

Elder McRoberts 

So we all decided to do middle parts for some zone bonding with the new elders this week. Think it turned out great!

So this is the great man who gives us tickets to sit upfront at all

the devotionals. He is actually the best! Love him so much

 Me and the comp after class walking to the residence hall. He is the best!

Apparently I'm super big

September 3, 2018

This week was another good one. Still a lot of ups and downs. I had a hard time this week but I think its good because hopefully it means that I am growing. Going to apologize again because my email will be a mess. 

So to start I got a calling this week. I am the service coordinator for our zone. It's been super fun so far. We have service on Tuesday and Saturday nights. We turn the gym into a conference center. I think it’s pretty impressive. Not exactly sure why they decided to put me in charge. They make us set up everything perfectly down to the last chair. It's quite the process. Think I’ve mentioned this before but can't remember, but we have the best service here! Since we are here for 9 weeks all the people in charge are really nice to us. 

Another fun thing. So they let the international Elders and Sisters sit up front for devotionals. The man who hands out the papers for the seats thought my companion was international. Anyway long story short we sit up in the second row as a district now for all the devotionals! haha It is pretty great and we're not really sure why he likes us but he really does. 

He came into our class this week and taught us a lesson for a good hour. He taught about staying on the wall and never letting who you are and the things you stand for change because of others. It was really good. 

So this week our district got to host some new missionaries. I was able to host some international ones! It was super fun even though I couldn't talk to them much! I could feel their strong spirits. I had to take them to the BYU health clinic, which was really weird. It was my first time in the outside world and it felt wrong. It ended up good though and was a good change of pace from the regular schedule. 

So as I mentioned last week we had the older elders in our zone leave. It was sad but I’m so happy for all of them getting to go out and serve, they will all kill it! With that we also got two new districts in our zone this Wednesday. It's been kind of strange so far. Looking back on when I first got here is really interesting. Seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at the same time. 

The new elders are good. They are still getting used to it for sure. Most of them are very quiet but we are warming them up as fast as we can. Talking here is one of the biggest things. You have to open your mouth and be willing to talk. I love them all though and can't wait to get to know them better. 

We had another TRC and it went really well. The man we taught was a return missionary from Taiwan. He gave me a lot of hope and encouragement, which was needed for sure. We taught about the restoration and the Book of Mormon. We were challenged to bring all of our lessons back to Christ. This went very well. It's moments like that when I’m teaching that I feel extremely humbled. In part because speaking the language is very hard, and also because of how blessed I am to have these opportunities. 

Lets see what else. So I’ve actually been working out more lately, and I got a haircut. Apparently I’m super big now. All the elders are kind of obsessed with each other, haha, but in a good way. They ask what I did before the mission and how they can have a chest like mine. Its quite interesting but I’m happy to know that we really still haven't grown up. 

I’m so blessed to have my district. I think we are all very good at serving each other and being patient with each other. Don't even need to ask for help most of the time because it's just there. 

So my struggle for this week again has been the language. Big shocker there. One of my teachers said something that I really like. " Zhen jin bu pa huo lian " or 'true gold does not fear the fire'. This one really hit home with me. I know that as I struggle and go through the refiners fire I can come out even better than I could imagine. 

My invite for the week is to embrace all challenges whatever they are and to have faith instead of fear. This is something that I will be working on too. I know that through the Savior all things are possible. I’m so thankful for that! I’m so thankful that God has a plan for all of us! I’m so thankful for all of you and for all the love and support:) It is definitely needed and it definitely helps. Have a great week. I love you all

Elder McRoberts 

Lunch 

 Thought this was cool. They put up Ireland in the middle. 

So this is us after class one day. We take turns practicing parts for

songs to see who should do what and it’s pretty entertaining.

 We study a lot. 

 Made a hammock for our room out of an extra blanket. It’s actually very nice!

I’ve got a new friend who watches me as I sleep. 

 Our door keeps getting more random things on it so that’s fun.

 Not sure if I’ve sent this but this is my MTC card. Let’s me buy things and get into all the building and such. We get 6$ a week. Pretty great

 I have developed a problem with chocolate milk. Have it almost every morning. 

And this is me! Realized right now that I didn’t have any throughout the week. So my bad. I’ll work on that.