This was a very difficult week, but I've learned a lot. I think that it is weeks like these that strengthen me more than any other kind of "good" week.
Roger and Chelsea both did not get baptized this week. Roger got antied by his brother and we've not been able to contact him as much as we were able to in the past. We were able to visit with him once this week and work out some of the issues that were brought up. It is amazing how Satan will try to deceive people. Roger also got antied by one of his classmates. Roger's classmate told him that Joseph Smith was assisted by a man named Peter Tosh in writing the Book of Mormon. It was something that I had never heard before. I was sort of excited to have heard something new, and more feasible than "Joseph wrote it himself." This time he had help with someone that I've never heard of before. During the lesson Roger looked up Peter Tosh on Google on his phone and could come up with nothing. Apparently Peter Tosh was a pretty good reggae musician... That's the only Peter Tosh he could find. It is incredible to me to see how Satan will work to deceive people with complete lies to stop them from making a covenant with their Father in Heaven. I know that God sent us to Roger in his time of need. In the upcoming month Roger's wife will be put on hospice. The Savior's hand is out stretched still to Roger.
Chelsea has been preoccupied helping her Mother find a place to live. Chelsea's Mother and Father were divorced awhile ago. Chelsea's Father is a very successful business owner, and her Mother is living in poverty. Chelsea had a lot on her plate this week. We are still in good contact with Chelsea. She enjoyed Church this week. Please pray for her.
I don't know what to write about. This week has really just been a blur. I've spent a lot of time on my knees pleading with my Father in Heaven to help these souls be protected from the adversary. It is incredible how much you can love these people, and how much your heart breaks to lose them. I just don't get it. Just imagine how our Father in Heaven feels. He loves Roger and Chelsea more than I can even imagine.
Every now and then I ask myself the question, "What is the Lord trying to teach me?" I feel like this is a valuable question to ask yourself. It is much easier to view something as a lesson than a punishment. I have realized that the mission been designed by God to teach certain lessons to his children. Some of those lessons are specific to the missionary, and some of those lessons are general for missionaries. I would like to talk about one that I feel is general for missionaries. I've noticed that the mission is difficult, at least it's been for me. The hardest days I've ever had have been here in Georgia. I've had sleepless nights worrying about people and things. Days where it feels like the whole world is against me. Days were it feels like I've been forgotten. Heart breaking incidents I've wondered if I'm really doing any good. A lot of just very tough days. Are these days really necessary? I believe that they were. And I am more grateful for these days, than I am for any success that I've had on my mission. Because it is through these days that I've learned what I believe to be the most important lesson that I've learned on my mission. That lesson is that I COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT ON MY OWN. As I look back I've realized that I've never been alone. I have never been alone in my trials. If I was truly alone, I would have been crushed and would have gone home months ago. I can accomplish nothing without my God, but with him I can do all things. That is a lesson I have come to know for myself after passing through trial and tribulation.
I love you all so much.
-Elder Ryan Romero f
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