Hurricane Rain

Good afternoon!!!

The hurricane was wonderful!!!! No injuries. I loved the rain and light wind and well, the flooding that occurred! Of course, none of our stuff was damaged because we live on the 4th floor of an apartment building. We were told Saturday afternoon to be at a member’s home around 7pm and we had to stay there until the "all clear" to go home. We spent the night at a members home Saturday and Sunday nights (it was really, really weird) and all day Sunday we were bucketing water out of basements. Our member’s basement flooded. I’ll send pictures of everything!

I live in Hackensack, here’s my address: 5 Pangborn Place apt, 4H

Hackensack, NJ 07601

I forgot to send it last week. Anyway the most damage i think in Hackensack was a power outage for less than 3 and 1/2 hours. There might've been flooding but i wasn’t there for 2 days so I’m not sure what it looked like.

so my area isn’t strong enough to support 2 companionships, 1 eng/ 1 spanish so they mix the ward (english and spanish attend at the same time) and only 1 companionship of "spanglish" it's awesome!! So yes it is a Spanglish comp. because the work will not be done properly without it.

Wow! Super-hot! I’m glad I’m not there!! Ha-ha actually i miss it but i love the weather here right now. It feels AMAZING!!! The fall is coming on and summer is going away. I pray that the weather cools off there too and that the heat will come here for November, December, January and February, at least enough to keep the snow from blocking the roads forever. And I’m glad you're feeling and doing better. I think I’ve finally gotten over the sickness i had. Hopefully i won't get sick again this year. And with the iPod, I’m starting to have the desire to buy a new electric shaver..... Any ideas on which would be a good one to buy? The one i have is super old and starting to not work too well (and yes i clean it). I still haven’t sent my tithing.... I’ve slacked so much on getting it sent. I’ll do it eventually. It’s in the envelope waiting. That’s all i can think have for now.... thank you so much!!!

So i am safe and sound. I’m not hurt/injured and the work will continue as normal as if the hurricane never hit. Most of our investigators are doing well and weren't affected too much by the hurricane. The wind and floods all came after the hurricane so we did have some strong winds but not too much. The flooding didn't all clear up until yesterday sometime. Grandma Roberts i love you too!!! Thank you for your care and concern and all you and grandpa have done for me. Grandma Lloyd thank you for all you do for me too. I love all of you and i am grateful for your influence in my life! Have a great week! Be safe. Stay cool! I know Christ lives. I know families are forever because Christ overcame death. They love us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His life for us. Whenever we are in need of comfort or happiness or joy, turn to Christ and Heavenly Father. They KNOW how to "succor our pains and afflictions" and help us be joyful in all we do. I know that to be true! I love you all. Thank you for everything.

Love Craig

New Area and some photos

Good afternoon!!

So I’m in Englewood NJ! I cover around 16 cities, i think. It’s a huge area. So of course we have a car and we bike one day a week. And the best part about my area is its "Spanglish" meaning my companion only speaks English and i speak Spanish and English. It’s awesome! I feel bad though because my companion isn't always involved in the Spanish lessons. He’s used to it though. He’s picked up a few Spanish words/phrases in his mission so he'll say something here and there but i do most of the speaking. Compared to NY, there is some country and some city. It’s really a good mixture of both. I love it. And I’m still on the Hudson front. I can't seem to leave it as this is my 3rd area next to the Hudson (or near it). My companion is elder Gardner. I’ll send pictures from NY and with e. Gardner since I’ve slacked on that. He’s from enterprise Utah. Born and raised on a farm and loves hunting. Played sports and loves basketball. He’s awesome and younger than i am in the mission. He has just under a year being out. So with the package, don't open it. Leave it until i get home. I didn't send my tithing with it. I’ll send that today in a separate letter. And with the SD card i don't need one yet. I’ll let you know when i do. I still have decent space to take more pictures.

The work is going well. We have a few people who are closer to baptism and more serious about it than my last area. We have an awesome ward mission leader from Jamaica who speaks really good English and lots of sisters who speak Spanish but their husbands don't. It’ll be fun getting to know them.

The weather is cooling off. With the end of august comes the fall in September. Temperatures will start dropping to 70's and only drop from there on out. Soon it will be winter and snow will cover the earth once again. We’ve had rain the past 3 nights and sometimes during the day. Lots of crazy thunder and lightning. I don’t know why we keep receiving it and not AZ. I’m glad the rain came though; to az. it is better than nothing.

That is sad you've been released. You’ll do great with your new calling. It’ll be a challenge at first setting things up the way you want them (as all things are difficult to set up at first) then they'll start to run smoother and smoother. And like you said blessings are in store. You have 2 sons growing up quickly and you'll be able to work with them closer and closer and they progress and advance in scouts and you'll play a huge role in helping them get their eagle long before i got mine. It’ll be the best thing you'll experience at that time in life. You’ve helped me tons and I’m ever indebted for it. Thank you. And i didn't know anything about Austin and having a girl waiting for him!! That is a total surprise to me but I’m glad he's engaged. I don't know if he sent an invitation to me but will you please keep one he sent you for me when i get home?

So changes come and go. I’m used to them to a degree however they can still be hard. if we press forward with faith praying to know our purpose in receiving a change we receive love and comfort and peace to our hearts and minds knowing that there is a reason. We may not see or understand the reason(s) until later but we know we are doing what God wants us to do. He is our Father. We are His children. He has a work for us to do. We can do anything He wants us to do because He's going to give us the help and guidance as we seek it, not only asking for it. The only road blocks we have are ourselves. Once we "lose ourselves" we find our purpose. I know this gospel is true. It’s not only true, but it works. It solves everything. And as we learn more and more about the gospel we find ourselves with more happiness and peace in life. Turn to the Lord in everything and He will direct our paths (proverbs 3:5-6).

I love you all. Thank you for your love and support and encouragement. I truly would not be here without you! Have a great week! Stay cool and stay safe!

Love elder Craig Roberts

Good afternoon!

So this is going to be short and quick. I don’t have much time....

So i am being transferred. Good bye New York!!! Ha-ha so it was fun while it lasted; I’ve gone from the south to the farthest north and back down again. I’ll let you know next week where I’m at.

I’m glad all went well with school and the kids and your anniversary. I’m glad they are excited to be in school. I’m sorry i haven’t sent any pictures yet. I either forget my cord to connect to the computer or i run out of time to send them. I’ll get them sent next week, hopefully (and i might need another SD card for the camera.....)

I don’t need headphones or any of that for the iPod. I’ll be sending home a box full of books tomorrow (and I’m placing tithing money in one of books -it'll be in the front cover of one of them).

That’s about all the time i have. I got sick last week and am still getting over it this week. I’m doing better though. I love you all. Thank you for everything! Have a great week and good luck in everything. I love you all!!

Love elder Craig Roberts

Good morning!

So the summers over eh? haha well it was fun while it lasted. I don’t think the schools here will start until September... I’ll know soon enough. Julie that will be very nice for you to have the time to yourself now!! And happy anniversary!! That’ll be nice to have an entire day together. I want to let you know I keep you in my prayers (and that’s everyday, about 20-30 times a day if not more) and that I love you. I appreciate everything you have done and do right now and will do for me later. I truly wouldn't have made it anywhere without you. I still remember one night when we were still living in the house on Wilbur I had just about fallen asleep (I think you and rob had just married a few weeks or months or however long it was and maybe you weren't married, I don’t remember, anyway) you came in and kissed me on the cheek and were making sure everything was safe at the home. I want to thank you for showing your love and care for me even as a younger kid not knowing everything I know now. I love you

Mason, tanner, and gemma - I love you! Have a great week getting ready for school! Have fun meeting new kids!!

haha wow Emily and Shelby off on their own (well kind of...) that'll be exciting for them. I didn't know matt and Staci had another son!!!!! When did that happen??? Wow so many kids being born I don’t know what I’m going to do when I go home.... I’m not going to recognize any of them.....

Zone conference was great! ipods have been allowed as well as musical instruments. If you would be able to send the ipod back out it'd be super nice. Transfers are next week and it is possible I’m going to be transferred. If you send it before next week please send it to the mission office in Parsippany. Thank you!! Also I’ve thought a lot about how much I’ve lost not playing the sax. I’ve decided I want to start playing it again so I was super excited when president Jepson allowed musical instruments. But don’t worry I’m not going to ask you to send one out to me. I’ve asked mom to do that.... haha not really. I’ve asked her to only send me a mouth piece and a reed or two so I can get my mouth into shape for when I get home I will be able to pick up my sax and start playing. I miss it so much... I’m really sad I dropped it in 8th grade. It is something I truly regret! Anyway that’s the news or changes from last week.

Nothing crazy has happened to us this past week yet we have had small miracles! We’ve been trying to find and meet less active members, one in particular. We’ve gone by many times every week and never could we catch her at home. So one day we go and knock on her door and a guy we've never met or seen answers the door. We ask his name and if he's ever seen us before. His response "ya I just got back from serving my mission in Florida".... it was a miracle because it's his mother we have been looking for and he just came back from Idaho from school. He’s been trying to figure out why she's inactive and she really doesn’t want to talk about the gospel or anything so even though we haven't actually met the mom we now have a trustworthy connection to help us get in contact with the mom. And the same rm came out with us yesterday to Alexandra, a mother of 2 from the Dominican Republic (the husband is still in the Dominican Republic but should be here soon and a cousin of theirs is lds) who is super super smart and progressing well. we talked about the plan of salvation last night because we were answering her questions and we got to the point of before earth life shouldn't there have been some kind of war between good and bad..... That was Alexandra’s question, well one of them. Crazy huh? It’s the first time I’ve heard that question from an investigator, non-member or member since I’ve been out.... it really surprised me. It was a great lesson and what made it better was when it started to rain and lightning and thunder.

So times up. That’s the news for the week and well I’m so grateful for your love and support, from everyone, and the encouragement. It truly is a "needful thing" as a missionary. I love you all and am grateful for everything you do for me. Have a great week and stay cool!!!

Love elder Craig Roberts

Good morning. Happy august!!!!

Wow time is flying by. Fall is coming and summer is going. I don't know what's going here...... it goes way too quickly and one doesn't realize it until it's too much time has passed.

Anyway I’m glad the kids had some time to enjoy at the ranch. What ended up happening with the wires there?

That’s so cool Austin enjoyed his mission so much. I’m super happy for him.

Emily wants to move out.... well it makes sense and I’m not sure if Shelby has been living at home too or elsewhere but it'll give them both their dream of living together or at least in the same home. It’ll be a hard change but a good one if it happens.

Ha-ha yay!!!!! I’m so happy all went well with the birth. brea (is her name pronounced like "bree" or "braya"?) lynn roberts.... wow. I’m super excited. A new nephew and now niece when i go home. I’m so excited!!

The story- so we were in nyack passing out "mormon.org" cards to people who were out and about. If you don't know, mormon.org right now is really big and the church is really pushing its advertisement. I gave a card to a guy (he only spoke English) and we started talking. We talked for almost the entire time we were out giving out cards. long story short he told me our doctrine was the most sound doctrine he's heard in a long time and he told me i was "visually healing" him.... i think that’s what he said. He’s blind in one eye and the other was supposed to be blind too. It was weird. He called a few days later though and said he didn't want to learn anything and we had no way to contact him and he didn't give us an address to go to. In the future he'll see missionaries again and be touched by them.

So everything is going well. Transfers are in 2 weeks (the 14th) and this week we have zone conference. We’ll be told what rules are being changed and iPods might be allowed once again..... I thought about that too late.... i could've held onto the iPod and waited until now but I’m glad i just sent it home. I’ll let you know on Monday.

I love you. Thank you for your love and care and encouragement and support and testimonies and everything!!! I’d not be able to do it without you and the family. I love you all. Thank you for everything. Have a great first week of August!!!

Love elder Craig Roberts