#25 Transfer to Labogon

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Hey Everyone,

This week was transfer week.  I got to my new area of Labogon which is very city, it is crazy.  We have a grocery store here called “Save More” and it looks so much like Walmart inside. It is very clean and it has so much American food.  It was very shocking for me on my first day.  I am in a very city area which is part of Mandaue city. My new companion is Elder Ramada.  He is from South Luzon.  He is one of the best missionaries I have met.  He has been in the mission just a transfer longer than I have.  He is very nice and very fun. .  My companion and I live in a house together by ourselves but we have lots of fun together.  This morning we went and played basketball with some Elders in our district.  I have not gotten the package you sent with hymnbook yet.  Also I want to ask a favor. Can you send me another Ironman watch sometime.  I have two watches right now but my companion really likes my watch and his watch isn't very good.  I am just going to give him my ironman watch and use my other watch for now.  I don't need another watch right now and I can always buy one here but I really like my Iron man watch.  It holds up better than the other watches here.  For the language I am still kind of struggling with it but that is from my perspective and I can only compare myself to my filipino companion.  I am learning a lot but I still have so much to learn.  I love the work here though. I have met some of our investigators and members and everyone here has been very nice. A lot of the members are RM's and they love the missionaries.  One experience that I want to share with you is about Randolf  Cabase.  He is an eleven year old kid that is not a member.  His father and older brother were baptized a couple months ago but my companion said that he wasn't ready at that time.  He said that he never listened in the lessons and he just was crazy.  Right now we are teaching him and he will only listen to me.  He has a baptismal date set for the 25th and I know he will be ready.  I also got to teach his Sunday school class which was super fun.  I guess the teaching swim lessons was just practice for teaching him.  This will be my first baptism for my mission and I am very thankful to God that He prepared me to be here to help him.   I am loving the work and I can see how God puts us where he needs us.  I know that God knows us and our talents, and our aspirations.  He also knows our potential and he will do what he needs to to help us reach that potential.  I know that God loves all of his children very much and has a plan for each on of them.  He wants us all to return and live with him.  

Love

Elder Roskelley

          Barangay Labogon, Mandaue City(Mandaue City, Cebu)

#24 Happy New Year

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Hey everyone

Happy New Year! For new year's eve we worked until 5:30pm and then we went to the church and watched two Disney movies.  The first was Despicable Me 2 and the second was Frozen. So this week has been a little crazy.  We found out that our area is going to be split and that sisters are going to take the new area.  I also found out that I will be transferring tomorrow to Labogon.  I don't know much about it but I will let you all know.  Also on Sunday I had the opportunity to teach 4 Koreans that a member had brought.  They are english students so I had to use very simple english.  I taught the plan of salvation.  To be able to teach I thought of how I would teach it in Cebuano and then I translated it into english.  If I were to teach in just english I would have used to deep of words for them to be able to understand.  It was way cool.  Today we got to go see some waterfalls, we went to this place called Danasan.  It has a cool adventure park with atvs and ziplines.  We went on their waterfall hike. It was beautiful but it rained a lot and the hike was pretty hard.  I am very tired and I will definitely sleep good.  New Year’s here is actually bigger than Christmas.  All night fireworks were being lit off and it was a little hard to sleep. I love the work here and I know that the Savior loves all of his children no matter where they are.  I know that the savior will always love us and he wants the best for us.  Sometimes we will experience trials and change but that is what life is for.  I love everyone and hope all is well.  

Love Elder Roskelley

Kind of wild turkeys they just roam around but someone does own them and 

everyone  in the area knows who it is so they still go where they want

Heading to an investigators house

A mystical hike

Elder Davies and Elder Murdock, both from Tacloban. One is my

 Zone leader and the other is my District leader. They are two of my favorites.

Me and my companion. It was kind of weird to find this sword in this little house.  The dad is just a motorcycle taxi driver, but he is the first counselor now and his son would usually work with us.  

These investigators gave us these fresh coconuts. He really likes our teaching

 but he hasn't come to church yet. Some sister missionaries are now teaching him.

Elder Davies messing with my camera

Merry Christmas-Skype

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Today we got to skype at Grandma and Grandpa Giles' house. Everyone was there, all of the aunts and uncles and cousins.

#23 Merry Christmas

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

That sounds awesome that you are in Utah .  I was able to get both boxes that you sent and my companion did like his present.  He doesn't show too much emotion.  I think he is still a little sad that his family didn't send him anything, but all of the elders have been sharing our stuff with him.  He has probably eaten more of our food and candy than we have but that is ok.  He is a good guy even though he is hard to understand sometimes. It is Christmas here,we played basketball and opened presents with everyone. We played some Uno with the other Elders in the house. It has been a lot of easy fun.  I can't wait to skype you tomorrow and see everyone, that is going to be crazy.  I also did get your letter and it helped me a lot.  I am also going to try to send you the picture of me with the merry sign.  We have had a lot of rain this week so I hope you like it.  

Love Elder Roskelley

#22 Helping in Bogo

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Hey everyone,

  Finally got back to a normal schedule for this week with my P-day on Wednesday.  We also got to go to the temple this morning so that is why I am emailing so late.  It is awesome here.  It is starting to cool down a bit and rain less.  I have seen so many beautiful sunsets and ocean views but a lot of the time I forget my camera but I will go back. This last week we got the chance to go up to Bogo and help some of the members rebuild their houses.  Many people were badly affected by the typhoon in this area.  There is still lots of garbage all over the place but the city is running ok.  Almost everywhere has electricity back but they are still working on that.  This week has been a lot of learning for me.  I have had to be more patient.  I don't just get the results I want.  We always have to keep working diligently and patiently.  This life is one of those things that works that way.  We have to work everyday even if we can't see our growth right now.  We just have to trust that our hard work will pay off and the Lord will bless you.  I know that the Lord loves everyone of his children and he has a plan for each of us.  We just have to trust him.  

Love,

Elder Roskelley

P.S.  I just got two packages, a Halloween package and a Christmas package.  None of them looked like they had been opened or anything.  Just a little squashed.

Bohol

#21 P-Day changed again

Monday, December 9,2013

Hey everyone,

So these last two weeks have been amazing.  For Thanksgiving our mission president actually had us over for a dinner on Sunday so we kind of had a Thanksgiving.  We had a mission conference with Elder Echo Hawk who lives in Manila now and is part of our area presidency of the Philippines.  That is why our p-day was changed. He was amazing to listen to. He and his wife are actually converts.  They have known each other since the fourth grade and Elder Echo Hawk was the attorney general of Idaho in 1992 when the capitol burned.  Besides this the rest of the week has been basic missionary work.  We have taught many people and seen many miracles in people’s lives.  I have to write in my journal every night because there is so much happening here.  One thing that I have really seen this week is that if you will put the work in then the Lord will bless you. I see the atonement at work every day in so many lives.  It isn't always the repentance process but I always see the transfer of love.  God and Jesus Christ love us so much and because of that love we should be willing to follow there commandments.  It is the same with our parents.  Every holiday all they say they want is good kids.  That is all God asks too and then he gives us so many more blessings.  One question that I found that helps me is "How can I show the Lord that I love him.  What am I doing today to help?"  Everyone can ask this question and I promise that you will never have a wasted day.  I know that God lives and he loves us so much. I know that know matter at what stage in life we are at we can always become better.  I love everyone back home and miss you.  

Love 

Elder Roskelley

P.S. Right now I have 3 other missionaries living in the apartment I am in. We always make sure that we feel the Christmas spirit so we play Christmas music every morning and we hung up any sort of Christmas or snow pictures we had. Don't worry even though there is no snow we still have lots of Christmas spirit.  Actually probably more than most.  We are doing great here and learning so much.  My Grandma asked me if people here wear coats and I told her, People here actually do wear coats but it is because they don't like to get a lot of sun.  They all wish that they could be white like Americans.  It is pretty interesting.  It is just like the Doctor Seuss story about the stars on the bellies.  

#20 Different P-Day

Monday, December 2, 2013

We had our p-day changed this week. 

We get to ride motor scooters a lot and this is usually my view