Humans

Haro!

So this week was pretty busy! So my bike pedal stripped out the leg and the whole crank had to be replaced. Rough life. I shed a few tears. My poor steed. But he will be repaired! So we will be back in business!
Other than that lots of people were just not in the mood this week! But the excuses are getting creative and sometimes really weird! For instance, we said hello to this lady and she said "sorry I can't talk I'm going to buy some coffee and alcohol" so that one was weird, then there was this guy who turned his head away so fast I think he hurt his neck. Silly humans.

We had a good experience with this woman, she was pretty sick, and was very sad because she felt like her family had abandoned her. She was very down and said she was also struggling with depression. It was pretty sad. As seems usual out here on the mission, she tells us missionaries (two teenage strangers) her life story and all her struggles and cries. But we were able to say a prayer with her and teach her and we have another appointment with her.

We talked to a lady named Ana, well actually she talked to us because we knocked on a potentials door, she came out and asked why we hadn't knocked on her door. So we went and taught her. Later during another lesson she told us how she heard us knock on the other door and wanted to know what was going on so she opened the door and then the thought came to her I want to learn more about Jesus. So she invited us in. Oh whitewashing.

Other than that though the week was rather normal! But I loved every bit! I end by saying be thou an example of the believers!

Life is good! So is food! So send me some! That rhyme was dumb. love you! Elder Rollins

El Serreno (part of my area)

CD in a Tree

Wasabi!

So this week was pretty good I guess, nothing too exciting happened.  We had a ton of lessons getting rescheduled repeatedly so now we are again waiting on those. They should happen soon.  It was a rather uneventful week. However we did have 2 exchanges, one with the zone leaders and the other with some elders in our district, the first one was fine, nothing to exciting or anything. We did get to use these
public toilets which have automatic sliding doors and clean themselves.. Still completely disgusting but it was a good try. They will suffice in emergencies. Sort of. But the second exchange was pretty funny.

The elder I was with is Elder Phoomphuang, he is from Thailand. He came out at about the same time as me but he spent two months in the MTC learning English. But his English is still a little broken. That just makes him all the more funny. For instance, he tried to ask a little Chinese girl "how are you doing?" And she immediately burst into tears and ran away. I'm pretty sure he said something offensive somehow. Because the parents looked at us like we were crazy. Or they just saw who we were. But I'm sticking with offended. Also we wrote a song called Cd in the tree. Because there was a tree with a cd in it. He thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Well got to go shop for a bit but I was reading 3rd nephi 18, I would recommend reading it. It is a good chapter. Jesus knew what he was talking about.

love you all lots!

Elder Rollins

Picture from a member!

Elder Rollins and Elder Hislop in South Pasadena.
Elder Hislop is a friend of Josh's cousins Jacob, Kass and Conner!

Howdy!

Well howdy!

This is your favorite elder!

So south Pasadena, a pretty great place, we had a decent week it was full of lots of surprises and hills! Lots of hills, good news is is that I don't have to ride on them until later today. Well we have had a good week missionary work wise. We are meeting with this guy Michael. He is pretty cool. He is trying to get his masters degree in math and he's dating a less active member Natalie. They are a really cool young couple. That's the weird thing about south Pasadena, everybody is young, even their dogs, super young. It's super weird. In sacrament meeting there were crying babies the whole time, and moms and dads kept getting up to leave, it was pretty funny. What is super weird about the ward though is I haven't seen so many white people in forever. I forget that they exist, and they all like BYU here, so it's a good thing I came to get them back onto the straight and narrow, obviously got a few nuts and bolts loose around here. 

We taught Michael a good lesson and as usual with he had a few questions about Mormon doctrine.  For example he doesn't see the need for Joseph Smith because he doesn't think that there was an apostasy, (Amos 8:11-12) and some other things.  But he asked us to come back! 

There is also this guy named Louie.  He is a good guy but didn't come to church  but we had a few good lessons and he took us out to dinner. That's about it, a good amount of teaching considering white washing.

I learned that there is no better way to have a fantastic family than to raise them in the gospel, I got to see two very different people, one being raised in the church, and the other not having a religion or really any parental guidance, neither had been to any church in 15 years, but one was so super nice and had a positive outlook, and wanted to go back to church and be made right with God. They just didn't see how. The other hated God and blamed him for everything wrong in their life, two very stark differences. Of course it isn't always the case, but the nice one attributed all their good qualities to having been raised in a righteous home, it was refreshing to see. So thank you, mom and dad for raising me in a raucous..er.... righteous home. I appreciate it. I can see that you actually did want the best for me, and hopefully still do. Heh.

A word of Rollins boy wisdom
Whatever you do, don't wear a jacket, and pants are of the devil.

Another word of Rollins wisdom
You might as well laugh about it.

A word of motherly wisdom
Jo..Aa...Jon....Al...J!!!! Get up here right now!

A word of fatherly wisdom
...........sweet..............

A word of Elder Rollins Wisdom
Don't jump in puddles in Sunday clothes.  It is bad.

Love all of you! Smile! Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present!

Open it up and see what's inside!

LOVE YOU LOTS!!!!

Elder Rollins

Holay

So I was totally in an earthquake..... 4.3.... It was pretty weird. But there is a good story with that. So we are in an in n out... And the bench we are on starts shaking. And I think that it's elder Low. So I kick him to tell him to stop and he looks at me and tells me That he thinks it's me, then we think it's the guy behind us. Well, it stopped. Then we went to a members house and they told us it was an earthquake. So that was the earthquake.Super boring.

Anyways I got transferred! I am going to South Pasadena with elder Shumway. And we are white washing the assistants area. That's why this email is so short. South Pasadena is in between Alhambra and Pasadena. So now I have the whole set. I finally get to serve around elder Hislop again! It's been over a year!

This week I pretty much knew I was getting transferred because I kept telling people I didn't really want to. So, of course I got transferred, but I got to say goodbye to everybody and Gore (an investigator) even thanked me for helping him come closer to Christ! So that was very refreshing. The ward said they would miss me and when I told them that I was getting transferred there was a reaction in the congregation. I told them I wasn't dying. I didn't know that the ward liked me so that was also very nice. I told them I would visit some day!

Well, I have got to get going sorry it's short. But I do know the church is true! And always will be!

Love you all! You're great

P.S.  totally ran into a tree while walking. I've stooped to new lows....

Elder Rollins

Pictures from Members (looks like he is being transferred!)

Sister Rollins, it has been a great pleasure having your son serving in our ward.  He is a great example and has a light that has been reserved for these latter days to serve on this earth.  Thank you for raising a great son.  Brother Peck.

The Creekside Ward (City of Walnut), Hacienda Heights California Stake, bids farewell to our Elder Rollins. He was assigned to our ward in July 2015 and were blessed to have him! Elder Rollins is being transferred tomorrow, Monday, January 4th to South Pasadena. We love and will miss our missionary! #ElderRollins #CaliforniaArcadiaMission   posted by Brother Orozco