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Saturday, August 27, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Almost Free!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!!!
Start the countdown. It's real. Only two weeks left. And six days....but close:). Can you believe it??? Oh my heavens. I can't. I was at dinner the other day and someone asked us how long we had left, and I don't really keep track, so I just said, "Hmmm, I don't know. A few weeks I think...." And the sister next to me said, "Three weeks from today." And it totally hit me and I got all excited and made some kind of overjoyed exclamation and got all red in the face and excited. Sooo nuts.
Start the countdown. It's real. Only two weeks left. And six days....but close:). Can you believe it??? Oh my heavens. I can't. I was at dinner the other day and someone asked us how long we had left, and I don't really keep track, so I just said, "Hmmm, I don't know. A few weeks I think...." And the sister next to me said, "Three weeks from today." And it totally hit me and I got all excited and made some kind of overjoyed exclamation and got all red in the face and excited. Sooo nuts.
Last week we got new Thai missionaries! Three elders and one sister. It is soooo fun and so good for us as a district to have a few people to wrap our arms around and welcome into the Thai family. It's so fun teaching them words and answering questions. I love watching the missionaries in my district who've been here for six weeks help the younger ones. They (the older) are realizing how much they actually have learned over the last month and a half and they're realizing more and more every day the reality of the gift of tongues.
Okay, my weekly baseball story (I have to get my fill here because they don't know what baseball is in Thailand). So the Thais played the Cambodians this week (they're the classroom down from us and they also have twelve missionaries, except eleven elders and only one sister...she totally rocks). And of course beforehand we were kinda trash talking or whatever. And okay, I admit, they beat us by three runs. But whatever. Our language is harder. Haha.
Elder Whitaker, the elder from Kanosh (sp?), a little town in Southern Utah (holler, Jed!!), is such a cowboy and so American and so Republican and so hilarious. Anyway so then we have Elder Thacker, who is Australian and super sarcastic and kind of the opposite of Elder Whitaker. But they're buds, despite the differences. At dinner the other day, I asked ET how he liked his hot dog and the conversation proceeded as follos:
ET: "Ahh it'd be bettuh if it had some tomato sauce on it."
Me: "What? Sickers. Do they have straight up tomato sauce here that you can just drench your food in?"
ET: "Haven't you ever put tomato sauce on your food?"
E Whitaker to me: "He means Ketchup," and leaning over to Elder Thacker he said, "You're in America. It's Ketchup, not tomato sauce."
ET: "Calm down, cowboy."
Hahahahahahaha I laughed so hard at them. I love my district.
Okay, my weekly baseball story (I have to get my fill here because they don't know what baseball is in Thailand). So the Thais played the Cambodians this week (they're the classroom down from us and they also have twelve missionaries, except eleven elders and only one sister...she totally rocks). And of course beforehand we were kinda trash talking or whatever. And okay, I admit, they beat us by three runs. But whatever. Our language is harder. Haha.
Elder Whitaker, the elder from Kanosh (sp?), a little town in Southern Utah (holler, Jed!!), is such a cowboy and so American and so Republican and so hilarious. Anyway so then we have Elder Thacker, who is Australian and super sarcastic and kind of the opposite of Elder Whitaker. But they're buds, despite the differences. At dinner the other day, I asked ET how he liked his hot dog and the conversation proceeded as follos:
ET: "Ahh it'd be bettuh if it had some tomato sauce on it."
Me: "What? Sickers. Do they have straight up tomato sauce here that you can just drench your food in?"
ET: "Haven't you ever put tomato sauce on your food?"
E Whitaker to me: "He means Ketchup," and leaning over to Elder Thacker he said, "You're in America. It's Ketchup, not tomato sauce."
ET: "Calm down, cowboy."
Hahahahahahaha I laughed so hard at them. I love my district.
This letter is getting quite long. Hope you're all still with me! One last thing. I learned this week that I'm allowed to be patient with myself. And so are you, and everyone else in the world. It's not really something I'm good at yet, but at least I realized that it's true. I learned that when I am being impatient with myself, it's because I'm trusting in myself too much. I'm assuming I can and am supposed to accomplish things and accomplish them effectively on my own. But having patience means that I realize I am going to fall short not matter how hard I try. And that I must rely on the Savior and His grace. Ether 12:27 has taken on a new meaning. "If men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. And I give unto men weakness that they may be humble, for my grace is sufficient for all men who come unto me." I am so grateful for grace. I love this gospel so so so very much. And you. I love you all, too.
Love, Sister Roper
Love, Sister Roper
Friday, August 12, 2011
3 weeks and counting
I think I'm starting to fall in love with a mission. And I am so happy. This whole month I have loved and and learned so much every day, but there have also been some times when I think, "Oh it'll be kind of nice to do the old things I used to love doing. Like go running alone or take three hours cooking an awesome dinner or talk on the phone with people I love..." or whatever. I wouldn't dwell on it, but sometimes thoughts like that would sneak into my head. But there was a point this week when I thought, "I don't want to do anything else other than this. I love it. I love the way it works." I'm so grateful. I hope it magnifies when I walk off the plane in Thailand.
Thai is still coming. It is so much fun. This week I was reading the scriptures in script! It takes a bit longer and I have to look up lots of words, but it's exciting that it's readable now, those crazy curly symbols. Sister Carper suggested we memorize Joseph Smith's First Vision in Thai, so we did! And we've been using it when we teach about the restoration in Thai.
It's so fun to speak Thai all the time. I really love SYLing. Josh said in his letter of love before my mission: "If you don't speak the language, you won't learn how to speak the language. Duh." Haha. So true, though! But it is a pleasure to do it! Thai's not very hard. There aren't lots of exceptions or anything so it's easy to memorize things. We were playing volleyball with some Korean missionaries (Americans going to Korea) and we were speaking some Thai, like "Good job" or "Hurry!" or whatever. And the Koreans kept asking us what everything meant. At one point, one of our elders said (in English), "You rock!!" And one of them was like, "What does that mean? Probably something like, you stink, or something, right?" Hahaha we all laughed and said, "That was in English!"
This week I have learned so much about the power of the Book of Mormon. Power. I've mentioned this before, but teaching is one of the most challenging things I've ever had to figure out. And I think it might take the rest of my mission and the rest of my life to really master it, but I think some things are starting to click. We teach "investigators" (who are really our teachers acting the part of Thai people they taught in Thailand) almost every day in Thai, so we get lots of experience preparing and executing lessons. We learned very early on how crucial the Spirit is to teaching. "If ye have not the Spirit, ye shall not teach" couldn't be more true, regardless of how much we know or even how strongly we believe in something. This week we tried something a bit new. Instead of just assigning a chapter to read, we opened up the Book of Mormon and read WITH the investigator, together, out loud. Oh man. This book is so true. It speaks for itself. It testifies of the Savior as the Savior. It invites the Spirit so realistically and so powerfully. It's impossible to deny and I will never deny it. I love this book, so so much. It has given me all I believe about the Savior and anything else important. If you haven't read it, start today:). You'll never never regret it.
Okay. I loooove you all!
Sister Roper
Thai is still coming. It is so much fun. This week I was reading the scriptures in script! It takes a bit longer and I have to look up lots of words, but it's exciting that it's readable now, those crazy curly symbols. Sister Carper suggested we memorize Joseph Smith's First Vision in Thai, so we did! And we've been using it when we teach about the restoration in Thai.
It's so fun to speak Thai all the time. I really love SYLing. Josh said in his letter of love before my mission: "If you don't speak the language, you won't learn how to speak the language. Duh." Haha. So true, though! But it is a pleasure to do it! Thai's not very hard. There aren't lots of exceptions or anything so it's easy to memorize things. We were playing volleyball with some Korean missionaries (Americans going to Korea) and we were speaking some Thai, like "Good job" or "Hurry!" or whatever. And the Koreans kept asking us what everything meant. At one point, one of our elders said (in English), "You rock!!" And one of them was like, "What does that mean? Probably something like, you stink, or something, right?" Hahaha we all laughed and said, "That was in English!"
This week I have learned so much about the power of the Book of Mormon. Power. I've mentioned this before, but teaching is one of the most challenging things I've ever had to figure out. And I think it might take the rest of my mission and the rest of my life to really master it, but I think some things are starting to click. We teach "investigators" (who are really our teachers acting the part of Thai people they taught in Thailand) almost every day in Thai, so we get lots of experience preparing and executing lessons. We learned very early on how crucial the Spirit is to teaching. "If ye have not the Spirit, ye shall not teach" couldn't be more true, regardless of how much we know or even how strongly we believe in something. This week we tried something a bit new. Instead of just assigning a chapter to read, we opened up the Book of Mormon and read WITH the investigator, together, out loud. Oh man. This book is so true. It speaks for itself. It testifies of the Savior as the Savior. It invites the Spirit so realistically and so powerfully. It's impossible to deny and I will never deny it. I love this book, so so much. It has given me all I believe about the Savior and anything else important. If you haven't read it, start today:). You'll never never regret it.
Okay. I loooove you all!
Sister Roper
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Week 6
Family and friends!!!!
Okay on P-Day we don't have gym, but it's okay because my heart rate shoots up when I'm emailing you because time is so limited and the computer will kick me off if I run out of time and there are like 7 billion things I have to say and I just get all excited and shake-y...so it totally counts as my exercise for the day:).
So the Phii Thays (the district of 8 elders who'd been here for six weeks when we arrived) left to Thailand yesterday....Closest to tears I've come since I came to the MTC. Everyone was crying but me. I think something happened to my tear ducts....Anyways it was so sad and so happy and so sad. And it made it seem so much more realistic that I am on a mission and going to Thailand in five weeks from tomorrow. We are only here for 9.5 weeks...they're kicking us out early because we should be here for 12. But I'm not complaining. So we played baseball the week before they left for old times' sake. And there were a few home runs...but not by me. Bases loaded and I was one of the load-ees (...what??? haha) and the elder who hit the home run totally caught up with me before I even got home. Hahahaha so funny. Daddy we maybe need to work on baseball when I get back...because they kept telling me to "stay square" while I was batting but I didn't know what that meant. But I at least made it to first each time. Yay!!
Oh yes and sleep talking...I woke up the other morning and two of the sisters in my room were laughing and kinda talking soft and I thought, "Shoot, what did I say last night?" Haha. And so I asked. Sister Carper said, "Uhm, Sister Roper, thanks so much for the lesson on repentance last night! I learn so much from you, even when you're sleeping!" Oh my goodness. I was in denial for 28 seconds until Sister Monterrosa, another sister in our room said she's heard me too. I guess I said something like, "Repentance is a really important thing to do....Now how do you feel about repenting?" Or something. Hahaha oh my goodness. I took it as a sign that I need to do some more repenting, which can never hurt:). My only question is...how do you stop sleep-talking??? May ruu. (I don't know).
Everything is great as always. My district is getting more and more unified. The six elders and six sisters all get along real well and always find out interesting things about each other, like the other day Elder Whitaker taught me about irrigation and different kinds of sprinkler...like rotating ones and ones you have to sleep under at night so you can move them.... And Sister Carper said "Hallelujer" last week and I about died laughing.
I love Thai more than ever. I can't wait to get rocked in Thailand for a few months, though, where the people don't speak as slowly and clearly as our teachers. I bore my testimony to Sister Cluff this week and her eyes got a little misty:). She's the best. She brought me lemon bars and pb bars and she always gives me a huge mom hug. I love those.
This week I've been learning a bit about charity, the pure love of Christ. And how sometimes we have to sacrifice what we want to say to someone or do to someone in order to receive the gift of charity. I learned that it's a commandment, not just a nice suggestion. 2 Nephi 26:30 says, "The Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they have charity they were nothing." It's important to lead with charity, in a companionship, in a district, in anything. John Gooden, some important coach apparently, said, "It's better to lead with a banner than to chase with a whip." The greatest, the GREATEST motivator in life is love. It is so, so true. I love love:). And the millions of good things that come from it.
So....I know we are all capable of finding and setting our own goals. But may I suggest one for this week: pray for charity. And then operationalize how to receive it. Find something to love about someone you don't like. Or even remind someone you love that you love them. It is a gift that only comes when we ask for it and work for it. D&C 11:10:).
Okay I love you all. Thank you for being easy to love:). And for finding something to love about me.
Love,
Sister Roper
Friday, July 29, 2011
Happy Pioneer Day
Thank you all so much for your emails, letters, and packages. I loved all of them more than you know.
Well a wonderful week, once again. Just to make sure I remember the most important things, here's a little outline:
1. I love my family and am so grateful for them.
2. "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul"
3. Pie Jesu
4. Temple
5. Fire Alarm
Ima start with 5. Okay....so sleeping well and soundly isn't too hard for me. Until last night when someone pulled the fire alarm and 100 groggy sister missionaries stumbled their way outside....except for the six sisters headed to Thailand whose alarm slash flashy light was not functioning. Thankfully, there wasn't really a fire. Otherwise you might not be getting an email today:). Hahaha
1. Okay. So this week was Pioneer Day and so we heard a few talks and songs that were pioneer themed. Oh man I love music so much. Many of the songs reminded me of how much I love my family and music and family music. Like "Come, Come Ye Saints" by MoTab is soooo powerful. It's soooo humbling to know that people are praying for me. I don't deserve all those prayers. But I can feel them. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support.
There's a sister in my room, Sister King, whose brother is in the MTC right now and she can't hug him. Ohhh that would kill me. So I decided I'm so grateful that none of my family is in the MTC right now:).
Also, in a leadership meeting on Sunday, a member of the Branch Presidency said that the greatest motivator in life isn't guilt or hard feelings. It's love. That is soo true.
I also heard this week that people can't see what's on your heart. So I just want to make it clear for the world, in case you can't read my heart, that I love my family more than anything, besides the Savior. I want so much to live as an eternal family and I am so grateful that we can. We can!! I love each and every one of you and I pray for you every day.
2. So I didn't expect to be able to sing here, because they need more pianists and everyone sings, and that always happens to me...I end up being the accompanist. Which is fine most of the time, except sometimes I like singing, too. So anyway, on Saturday night, they asked us to put together a musical number. It worked out and I sang "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul." It's a solo song but I made up a harmony line and sang it with Sister King who has a Soprano voice and it was great. I love that song so much and what it is about. Look up the lyrics of you don't know it:).
3. Jordan. I will give you 10 million bahts (sp?) when I get back if you arrange "Pie Jesu" for a piano, vocalist, violin, and harpist.....See where I'm goin?:)
4. The temple finally opened today so we went this morning. Oh my goodness. It was such a beautiful experience. I am so grateful for the temple and the way I feel so close to Heavenly Father and the Savior when I go inside. I learned a few things that I'd never thought about before. I was praying about a few specific things, and I realized that the answer to all my questions or concerns was the same thing: the Atonement. As a healing power, as an enabling power and as a purifying power. My purpose as a missionary is to invite others to Christ and share with them the only way to find the maximum amount of peace in this life...through coming unto the Savior. I love Him so much.
I love you all more than I ever ever have.
Keep smiling. There are so many reasons to smil
Well a wonderful week, once again. Just to make sure I remember the most important things, here's a little outline:
1. I love my family and am so grateful for them.
2. "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul"
3. Pie Jesu
4. Temple
5. Fire Alarm
Ima start with 5. Okay....so sleeping well and soundly isn't too hard for me. Until last night when someone pulled the fire alarm and 100 groggy sister missionaries stumbled their way outside....except for the six sisters headed to Thailand whose alarm slash flashy light was not functioning. Thankfully, there wasn't really a fire. Otherwise you might not be getting an email today:). Hahaha
1. Okay. So this week was Pioneer Day and so we heard a few talks and songs that were pioneer themed. Oh man I love music so much. Many of the songs reminded me of how much I love my family and music and family music. Like "Come, Come Ye Saints" by MoTab is soooo powerful. It's soooo humbling to know that people are praying for me. I don't deserve all those prayers. But I can feel them. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support.
There's a sister in my room, Sister King, whose brother is in the MTC right now and she can't hug him. Ohhh that would kill me. So I decided I'm so grateful that none of my family is in the MTC right now:).
Also, in a leadership meeting on Sunday, a member of the Branch Presidency said that the greatest motivator in life isn't guilt or hard feelings. It's love. That is soo true.
I also heard this week that people can't see what's on your heart. So I just want to make it clear for the world, in case you can't read my heart, that I love my family more than anything, besides the Savior. I want so much to live as an eternal family and I am so grateful that we can. We can!! I love each and every one of you and I pray for you every day.
2. So I didn't expect to be able to sing here, because they need more pianists and everyone sings, and that always happens to me...I end up being the accompanist. Which is fine most of the time, except sometimes I like singing, too. So anyway, on Saturday night, they asked us to put together a musical number. It worked out and I sang "Savior, Redeemer of My Soul." It's a solo song but I made up a harmony line and sang it with Sister King who has a Soprano voice and it was great. I love that song so much and what it is about. Look up the lyrics of you don't know it:).
3. Jordan. I will give you 10 million bahts (sp?) when I get back if you arrange "Pie Jesu" for a piano, vocalist, violin, and harpist.....See where I'm goin?:)
4. The temple finally opened today so we went this morning. Oh my goodness. It was such a beautiful experience. I am so grateful for the temple and the way I feel so close to Heavenly Father and the Savior when I go inside. I learned a few things that I'd never thought about before. I was praying about a few specific things, and I realized that the answer to all my questions or concerns was the same thing: the Atonement. As a healing power, as an enabling power and as a purifying power. My purpose as a missionary is to invite others to Christ and share with them the only way to find the maximum amount of peace in this life...through coming unto the Savior. I love Him so much.
I love you all more than I ever ever have.
Keep smiling. There are so many reasons to smil
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Immunizations are like the Gospel
Four shots in one day...in one minute!! But despite the stinging needles and sore arms the next day, it was okay for four reasons (thankfully):
1. Sweet Carolyn Cluff (a longtime family friend) held my hand and distracted me by asking me questions about Thai.
2. I had a peach sucker to suck on, which is my favorite flavor of Dum Dum, which is my favorite candy besides chocolate.
3. Now I know for sure that I will never contract Typhoid, Hepatitis, Polio, or Tetanus.
4. You can apply it to the gospel!! Yes! I'm figuring out that you can really apply anything to the gospel. Let me tell you how. Sometimes things happen that are kind of hard...harder than others....and while you're going through these things, eventually the thought hits you: 'Hmmm, maybe this is what they call a trial.' Like feelings of inadequacy, or wondering why you can't automatically be a fabulous teacher even though you've tried your whole life to really get to know the gospel, or wondering if your companion is totally annoyed with you speaking Thai in your sleep or being too enthusiastic in class. Or lots of other things. We're all human, so I hope you can relate to these 'harder-than-other-things-that-sometimes-decide-to-pop-into-your-life-when-you-don't-want-them-to-but-when-you-actually-really-need-them-to.'
But before I do....THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for your letters and love. I want to hear how all of you are doing and I love every little detail.
So let me explain why immunization are like trials. Trials are the best. they're so great that I don't even want to call them trials. They're like...hmmm....ookaads...opportunities. To improve! To get better! To be refined! To discover your weaknesses and learn how to melt them away. I memorized this scripture: "For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh FOR us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Corinthians 4:17).
I've learned so much more about the Atonement being an enabling power. Christ felt the guilt that I feel when I make mistakes, as well as sadness and inadequacies. So that means that I can turn to Him not just when I need to repent, but also when I need encouragement. By thinking of Him and seeking His love and His guidance and praying so hard for it and for His Spirit, He sees our desires and answers our prayers. He does. I know it. I know that He loves me and wants so much to help me become a better teacher and companion and Thai-speaker and missionary and person. We are all so unequal to the task before us: life. But we can do anything with His help. I love my Savior and I know He is my Savior.
The shots stung a little and like I said, my arm was sore the next day. But because I endured a little, I am safe from all sorts of sickness and pain and difficulties in the future. Trials (opportunities) are just like that.
I love you!
Love
Sister roper
Monday, July 18, 2011
Call the 'Topes"
*Topes is the Isotopes-the local baseball team in Albuquerque
Just don't mention that I had to ask the Elders to make sure that's what it was hahahaha. Bases loaded. I got up to bat (but it was kickball, so would you say "up to kick"?). The pitcher rolled the ball. I kicked. Shouts of excitement, and what seemed like an eternity later I was finally running through home panting, "My dad is gonna be so proud." Everyone laughed, mostly because I think they were just as surprised as I was hahaha:).
Well, first things first. Or is this second things second?? This week has been so fabulous, once again. For a few reasons as follows:
1. Oh my MERCY I have the best family and friends EVVVERRRR!! Thank you so much for all your letters and love and support! I love hearing from all of you (Friends, too! Thank you so much!!) and your support is so uplifting.
2. Another reason this week has been so fabulous. Sister Carper and I (my companion) are learning and growing so much together. Working with her has taught me so much about how much Heavenly Father loves me. And her. And you. For example, we are picking of the language at different paces. When we would study, I'd remember vocabulary words easier and she started to get discouraged because it was harder for her to remember. I didn't know what to do because I didn't want her to feel discouraged. So then a few days later, we started working on script, which is the Thai alphabet, the curly stuff. And she caught right on! And it totally boosted her confidence. Script is much harder for me than vocab is, so she has the opportunity to help me and quiz me on it. Wow, I have NEVER been so grateful for having a hard time at something haha. It was such a blessing. Another example: we are pretty different in personalities. I'm pretty red, and she's pretty yellow. I'm also more idealistic and she's more realistic. We decided that we both needed to work on looking for the positive. So we made a goal to look for "tender mercies" (1 Nephi 1) and oh my goodness how it has helped out relationship and attitudes. Some of them have been as simple as not getting locked out of the residence hall even though we forgot a key. Or being able to translate the title of Preach My Gospel from script into English. Simple little signs that Heavenly Father cares about us and is involved in our lives and want us to be happy. Sister Carper is kind of like a treasure box that is really hard to open. But whenever she lets a little bit out, I'm always so grateful. Like the other night while we were evaluating our companionship, she said she was grateful for me:). It made my world because she doesn't say stuff like that very often.
3. I'm learning more and more the importance of being obedient with exactness. There are lots of small rules that seem unimportant at times. But I'm realizing more and more every day that those little things are just more chances for us to show Heavenly Father how much we love Him. By easy little things like not chewing gum, or not calling each other by nicknames. That's been a challenge, a little haha. The other day when our branch president was telling us the importance of that rule, of referring to each other as Elder and Sister, Sister Carper said, "How 'bout ya'll?" Hahahaha she keeps me laughing.
I am learning so much every day. It's like Christmas. And my birthday. Times twenty five every day. I love repenting every day. It's such a joyful thing. I love learning how to better listen to the spirit. I love the chapter in 1 Kings that talks about the spirit being a still small voice. (Read it.) I love this gospel. And i love you all.
Love,
Sister Roper
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