Okay so to start off this week, we went back to Jarira´s house. Luckily this time it wasn’t as bad though. Her daughter, I suppose, was the one who opened the door. We asked if Jarira was home and she just goes, “no viene” and every time we asked something she would just say the same thing over and over again.. we asked if Jarira was her mom or something and she just shakes her finger saying “no viene” while closing the door. I should’ve knocked again or tried to say something else because as we walked around the corner.. Hermana Jarira was walking around it and said hi to us hahaha, oh jeez. It’s a worse house divided than BYU fanned parents and a Utah fan son! #GoUtes hahaha.
Melissa and Facundo came to church, but we couldn’t visit them this week because they were adding on to their house, but they're doing awesome. More than anything, we are waiting for Juan's ex-wife to divorce him so they can get married and then wet!
Vilma is really sick right now and we haven't been able to visit her and she coudn't come to church. Hopefully she gets better this week so we can go visit her.
Also Steicy is doing awesome. She just turned 8 on the 27th. We taught her this week and I think she has finally opened up to us because this time she would talk to us and respond and everything and not talk through her mom (she's really shy.) She is so cute though, I love her! We brought her a present for her birthday and she came up to both of us and gave us a hug and told us thanks for being her friends haha, I died! She's so cute!
With Steicy and her mom.
Celebrating Steicy's 8th birthday
We visted Eli as well and confirmed his baptism date for the 24th, CHEEHOO! He straight already has a testimony about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. It's so awesome! He couldn’t come to church this week because a familiar (family member) passed away but he said he will be there next week. Love it!
We also have an investigator, Maruja (more or less 56 years old) who has a testimony and has the desire to get baptized. She makes AMAZING desserts and has to work Sundays because of clients she has! We found her last week from our registros (records) in "old investigators". We are working on her but meanwhile we are enjoying the desserts she gives us evey time haha, but yeah, they're all doing awesome, just little things mostly, but we´re working on it.
Yesterday was a great day. At lunch we made a bet with Ana´s (the pencion) husband Jose Luis. He has been a less active for most of his life and hasn’t been in a church in over 4 years. I told him if I ate 2 aceitunas (olives… no, not like in the states.. literally the worst things I have ever tried in my life. Their nickname is “mata gringo” - kill gringo) if I ate 2, he had to go to church next week! He said, “if you 4 elders eat 2 each, I will go to church.” Well ladies and gentlemen, anything for the salvation of souls!! All four of us almost threw up, literally! Each of us at one point were gagging and about to throw up… But! We did it! Jose Luis is coming to church ladies and gents!!! Hahaha it was horrible, but, you gotta do what you gotta do!
Jose Luis and Ana, our pencionista.
Below is the video of Elder Rokovitz and Elder Scott eating the aceitunas. This video was sent from Ana. Cory has a longer version with all four elders in it. They had to eat it with nothing else added, no throwing up and no spitting it out.
Also yesterday I was super humbled with one of our new investigators, Carmen, who is about 45 years old, who went to church this week. As we were in 2nd hour, we were reading a couple of scriptures in class. I had given my scriptures to Carmen to follow along with because she didn’t bring her Book of Mormon. The bishop asked her to read a certain verse. She looked down at the scriptures in silence, looking for the verse (it looked like). We sat there in silence waiting. Others started to point out the verse and others encouraged her to read it. I peeked over her shoulder and I saw her hand spread out over the page, finger pointing where others had pointed out the verse. I then realized why she hadn’t brought her Book of Mormon and why she wasn’t reading. It wasn't because she didn’t want to read, she couldn’t. She couldn’t read. She sat there, as I could see, trembling, and trying to make words.. I leaned over and asked, “Hermana Carmen, can you read?” She shook her head no. I then said, “Hermana, don’t worry!” I then read the verse. I could see a relief off her shoulders as they continued, but she was breathing fast and trembling for a couple minutes.. I just sat there in shock. I've had plenty of investigators before who couldn’t read, but it never really hit me before like it did yesterday.. we truly are so very blessed! We take advantage of such tiny stuff like that so often.
I invite you all, as the famous hymn says, to really "Count your blessings, name them ONE by ONE." I never really realize how EXTREMELY blessed I am. But as it says in D&C 82:3, ”For of him (or her) unto whom much is given much is required." The gospel is true. The Lord is our Savior. NEVER forget to thank your Father in Heaven for your many blessings. I love you all and hope you all have a great week!
Love, your favorite missionary,
Elder Rokovitz
Elder Rokovitz
This is Felicita and her two kids at her house on the beach. I told you about her a few weeks ago. The front door is behind us, their bedroom, with only a bed, is to the right and the kitchen is to the left, where their stove is. This is their house.
This guy climbed the pole to fix the wires. He climbed it with two ropes!
The moto fest. Celebrating 13 years as Red Motos.
Some pictures of our apartment, since I've never sent any. This is our "mud room."
Our study room.
The kitchen/non-kitchen. It has a sink but no appliances.
Our bedroom. My "closet" is on the left.
Our bunks. I'm on the bottom. (Mom: Wow, this picture must have been staged....or Cory has changed A LOT. I can't remember the last time Cory's bed looked like this haha.)
(This is how he left his room the day he flew out to Perú and how it looked most days during his high school years.)
Also I found this..... Just casually reading the Liahona magazine and would you look at that! AHLOOOOO!! There's Pablo and John Wayne (Christopher - Cory loves Christopher's middle name - Juan Wayne - after his grandfathers.) Hahahaha, I was like WHAT? I KNOW THEM!!!
(The Riboldi's used to live across the street from us and are favorite friends of ours. This is Pablo, the dad, and Christopher, their 8th child. Love this family so much. ~ The Liahona is a church published magazine.)
The following photos are a few that mom found on the mission blog from Zone Conference.
Cory is right in the middle of the middle row.
