Cambios

Haha. Hey guys!

All I have on my mind is cambios which means changes but it also means transfers. My companion, Elder Newby, goes home today. So I'm left companion-less. Haha. But tomorrow I'll go with my zone leaders to find my new companion. He's from Argentina and is called Elder Sierra. He'll also be my district leader. So that will be fun. And I'll have to get a lot better at Spanish! Woo hoo! haha. Wow... so how was everyone's Christmas? I hope everyone got that picture from the Christmas conference! That's the first time in over a year that the whole mission has gotten together. So that was crazy. Behind that picture was two really stressed assistants and a whole lot of happy and energetic missionaries. :) And a lot of time. It took a whole day to travel there to the conference and travel back. So it was kind of a bummer to miss a whole day of work. But it was fun. And my companion gave his final testimony so that was weird for him. haha. 

But... on Christmas I got to talk to my sister Charity and my parents through google hangouts and that was just amazing. That was the best gift I could have ever hoped for! I just wish I could have seen the rest of my family as well! But maybe for mother's day I'll just call one of my siblings. :) haha. Just kidding, Mom. I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas! And hope you all have a happy new year!

Pray for my new companion, Elder Sierra, and keep praying for Rayen and Dubal and the Vera Perez family. They need to get married. And I think Rayen and Dubal just need more time. And hopefully the new companion will bring some life into them. :) haha. As I said we didn't have a lot of time this week and the time we had my companion wanted to use to say goodbye to the members. Which I think is important too. But it'll feel really good to get fully back into the work again. Also, pray for the members in my ward to love my new companion, because sometimes Chileans have problems with Argentineans. :) But we are all members of the church so hopefully that bond transcends all other differences. :) Also we're gonna give the Gonzalez family a temple goal this week. Because they have a missionary daughter coming home and so they could all go and be sealed in the temple. And let me just tell you...if there's one thing I have learned more than anything else on the mission, it's the importance of families. It was such a joy to see my parents and sister on Christmas and be able to talk to them for a little bit. And I always find so much joy in thinking about my siblings and their growing families especially showing them off to anyone who will listen. And as wonderful as it is to be with them for this life... it's not enough. If it was just for this life that would make our relationships with our families shallow and lifeless. And without the life before it would just be random chance that we're with who we are with. But because we know that families are divine, and eternal it brings hope and life and energy into our interactions with our own families as well as others. The home really is the best place to start and cultivate those daily habits that make honorable men and women and to nourish our own habits and knowledge as well. I love my family and I'm so grateful that I can be with them forever and grow with them and learn from them throughout the eternities. 

I wish I had more time this week to write. But I love you all! I hope everyone has a great week and a happy new year! I'll let you all know how the new comp is next week and everything! Thanks for your love and support and remember to be obedient. And pay your tithing. We had a couple of experiences with tithing this week. It's really an easy commandment, and one that we can fulfill one hundred percent of the time. Plus the scriptures say that it opens up the windows of heaven to pour out the blessings that are waiting for us. And come on, who doesn't want that? :)

Happy New Years!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Robinson

Merry Christmas

The whole mission! Wow. Too many missionaries. :) I'm basically in the middle. On the right a little but my chin is covered. Good luck! :)

Love you all! Happy New year!

¡Feliz Navidad de la familia de la Misión Chile Concepción a la suya!

Merry Christmas from the Chile Concepcion Mission family to yours!

Dec 21-Dec 27

First thing in the morning we went to the mission office for internet service so we could get a map to find Leganes where we are speaking in sacrament meeting.  From there, Darlyn met us and went with us to Passi for a My Path devotional.  There were 44 there.  It was great!  My Path is a small booklet put out by the church to assist members with their budgeting, finding their talents and strengths and experiences to see what they could do better and to raise their income.  We arrived at our bungalow around 7:30.  We are exhausted but it was a great day!  The ward was so inviting and inclusive.  They want us to come to their Christmas party on Christmas Day.
Monday, after exercises and scripture study we went to Arevalo to send emails, then to the Atrium (grocery store and small mall) and finished shopping for a few ingredients plus poisons for ants, cockroaches and mosquitoes.  We saw a red striped dress and bought it, P750 which is around $18.  My clothes are not fitting well because there is no dryer and gravity while they hang to dry makes the clothes grow longer.  We also bought some 3M tape to hang posters in the Center.  We also went to Diversion 21 Hotel to order a chocolate Ferrero for Christmas.  Each piece cost P190 which is about$4.50 a slice.  Onto Mandurriao ward church to practice our missionary skit for the ward party.  Each companionship represented a house where people were too busy to let us (the couple) in...excuses: making cookies, playing video games, having a party...and Elder Kimball just said No.  Then he sang "I am a Man Forgotten" from Michael McClean's Forgotten Christmas Carols, another book I wish I had.  All the missionaries joined in on Let Him in...  Ray and I dressed up as Mary and Joseph going to each house and then went to a corner, rejected and had a baby white towel.  Anyway, it turned out well and gave an appropriate message for missionaries.  After practice, we came home, ate nachos, typed up the words to the song for the missionaries, read our advent candle, worked on our costumes and to bed.
Tuesday was district meeting, Elder Staples from Utah is our new leader.  After district meeting, we practiced our skit again.  The party is tonight at 5:30.  I got a note from Sister Walton, who has gone home to Texas now but will be going to BYU-Idaho soon.
Received the best letter of my life from my missionary son. So grateful The Lord looked upon us with special favor to have all eight children.  We stopped at the store for carrots, onions, and mangoes.  Fixed us lunch and made potato casserole for Christmas dinner, took a nap, squeezed calamari fruit for juice and went to the ward party.  Our skit went well and Roland summarizes it all for everyone:  let Jesus into our hearts every day, not just Christmas.  There was food and dancing.  Sister Hernaez gave us a gift of three large papaya and Geraldine gave me a key chain and a sweet note.  She is a recent convert, less than a month.  We took all the missionaries home.
Wednesday, I mixed flour and water and covered it with clothing, set it out for 24 hours to get a natural yeast.  It worked and I made sour dough rolls.  We picked up our half cake from Diversion 21 and received a mail drop call:  Eve Irene Robinson was born on her Grandma Wilson's birthday December 23rd!  It is over and it is just begun.  So nice to have Susan there to organize and take care of every needful thing except for what Mama Julie has to do herself.  Congratulations!  Next we went to the stake family Christmas party, stayed there until noon then came home, ate, made a cheese ball and crackers to take to President and Sister Aquinos' home for a Christmas Eve family home evening with 30 other missionaries.  At the stake party, Julie, one of the business group facilitators reported that her group is on lesson 5 and are doing better in their finances at home and in their business.  I was so excited!  That is the reason we are here.  So it was great news that it is working and people are doing well. They can see improvement.  We will attend her class on Saturday and make arrangements to visit their businesses to see what service we can be better at.  We went to Sorillas house first for a dinner party.  They have a beautiful home with a huge chandelier, long queen dining table.  It was amazing!  It would rate next to any American expensive home.  Then we took Elder Rios and the sisters with us to the Presidents home for fhe.  We played "beebo " at fhe and losers did a talent:). It was fun! We also did a reading of St Luke with narration in between by the President and also singing.  We ate.  They loved (presidents family) my cheese ball and crackers so they kept it in the kitchen:). Yes, it made me feel great!  Their son just returned a month ago from his mission and he will be leaving to attend BYU.  We took the four sisters home and came home.
Thursday, December 25, we received many Merry Christmas messages on the phone from Filipino people.  They are so nice to us. We went to LaPaz by 8 am for a "white Christmas".  Twenty eight people in North stake were baptized, there were two whole families.  It was incredible.  I sat by a sister who was just baptized three months ago.
She said we had the same surname (Robinson).  She was married to a man from England, he managed a hotel there but was killed in a car crash seven years ago.  Their baby is seven plus.  He was five months old when his father died.  Anyway, she asked my first name, I told her it was Teresa.  She said, "Are you sure?"  It was very funny but that was her name also.  Anyway, back to her story.  Before her husband was killed they would talk every night on the phone.  Sometimes she would hear noise in the background and she would ask who was there.  Always he would say it was the Mormon missionaries.  She never thought much about it.  He was going to tell her when he came back home. But he was killed.  He was baptized just before he was killed.  She didn't know until after she was baptized and someone looked up her husband and found out he was baptized and when.  Anyway, she feels his presence and they will be sealed as a family in a year or less.  Isn't that a great true story.  At twelve we had to leave the baptisms and pick up Elders to feed them an American Christmas dinner: potato casserole, carrots, and ham, plus chocolate cake and rolls.  Ray and Elders played Farkle while I cleaned up because we were to take the elders to their next appointment and we were going to Leganes Christmas Day Christmas party.  It was fun and we got home around 9 pm.  But we also talked with Nathan and Amy and they will have a brother for Nathan Rockwell in May 2015!
Friday Dec 26, the security guard let us in so we were on google hang outs with our missionaries!  It was a feast for my eyes!  Now it is 11 and we went home and did laundry, checked out another apartment, had lunch, and wrote this before we head to another party.  The party, dinner party was delicious, and of course, who goes first through the food line?  Us, the missionary couple.  It was a delightful party.  This couple with their little boy were just sealed last month in the Cebu Temple. The father is a seaman and a fairly new convert.  Janice, his wife is an obstetrician, but she quit her practice to raise their little boy.  She is amazing and her husband is so proud of his wife and their son.  He just glows since they were sealed in the temple.  To be working towards eternal families is a blessing.  It is work but the most noble kind of work.
Saturday we will go to Arevalo where I can send this long letter off and also, we will attend one of the business classes of self reliance.  Love to all, Mom, Sister Robinson
Catch the New Year challenge.  It will be there this new week for New Years resolution!

Week 7-Merry Christmas!

We went caroling to a Nursing Home on Christmas Day

This will be a shorter one because I'm about out of time.  Next week P-Day will be on Thursday as well since it is New Years Day.

The Caroling Activity went pretty well.  Actually it was a nightmare. Sister Barfuss and I were running around like crazy people.  Turns out other missionaries are not very dependable so we were a little disappointed in them but things turned out pretty well anyway!  We got some good feedback from members of the ward, and we had more people than we thought.  Somewhere around 100.  And we added an investigator because of it so we'll see where that goes.

Highlight of last Sunday was being shown the Piano Guys Christmas video.  Probably youtube search piano guys and then it will be called Angels from the Realms of Glory or something.  It is so awesome!  Apparently they got it together in about 3 weeks and broke the Guiness book of world records for largest live nativity, and at the end they direct people to the He is the Gift video.  That is some serious missionary work!  I was so excited at their enthusiasm in using their talents to share the gospel.  David Archuleta was in it so that was a treat :)  I've become super obsessed with him since my mission because his Christmas cd is the only semi normal music I hear.  It's pretty funny.

I have been VERY well taken care of this Christmas.  Somehow every Christmas tradition was provided for me, even away from my family.  I got See's chocolates from a member, and pajamas from a member, and we had soup for Christmas Eve.  The Lord is so mindful of us, even the little things.  The members have been extremely generous and I have been very touched by their Christ-like giving and service.  I love you all so much. 

Sister Robinson

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree . . .

Christmas Day!

Pic de Andalien

Here's our cute zone! and the picture of the Christmas tree! some members even gave us some ornaments! How tight are they! Also, don't worry. I have gotten a haircut since then. ;)

Whoo! Feliz Navidad!

Hey guys!

Today we went to the hospital and sang to the people there. It was so fun. I thought no one was even gonna pay attention. But there were a lot of people that stopped to listen and even several who took out their phones and recorded us. I mean, to be honest, we didn't sound very good. But the nice thing is that Chileans don't even know! Haha. Because they just don't focus very much on singing here. :) And everyone here thinks that if you're from Utah you can sing well. So that's funny. haha. But it's true. And I think it's true because at least once a week we get together and sing at least three good songs. Yet another blessing from being in the church. 

Also we had a yummy asado today (that's a barbecue) and played soccer. With the Christmas present that I bought with the Christmas money that mom and dad gave me! Some sick 'Messi' indoor cleats and a baby soccer ball (baby just means it's more durable and therefore better to use on cement baby courts which every church has here) so that was a blast. Also mom and dad sent me a package of some place in Santiago which was cool and delicious. It was food and chocolate and delicious Philadelphia cream cheese. Don't take good cream cheese for granted. I did. But now I know better. There really is a difference between good quality cream cheese and other lame boring bland cream cheese. But they have enough spices here (aji) that it doesn't matter what the cream cheese is like because if you put aji on that's all you can taste. :) haha. But it's actually pretty good.

And last P-day was just incredibly amazing. And since I didn't write about it last week I will this week. Because it was sweet. So basically we woke up way early and went to desembocadura (which is where the river Bio-Bio meets the ocean); it was beautiful.  Picture of that found below. And there was a sick Pirate's cave! (picture of that too) And we found the rocks that we needed to start a fire! But we didn't. But we did get the sparks. So we're basically self-sufficient now. Haha. And then we went to Chillan which is about an hour and a half away (everyone calls it the promised land of the mission). It's really pretty there and it's the best place to buy souvenirs to take home. And since my comp goes next Monday we got to go. President let's all the missionaries go to Chillan their last cambio (transfer) so it was basically a blast. And I got a sick chile selction jersey there. The white ones they used for the away games during the world cup. If you're into that kind of thing. If you're not, get into it. Soccer honestly might be the funnest sport to play unprofessionally.

Also last week a less active guy we've been visiting gifted us a real Christmas tree to put in our apartment. Apparently it's illegal to cut them here now. But we just decided not to ask him how he got it. Also I eat oatmeal for breakfast almost every single day now. So that's pretty messed up. But it turns out it's really good with a lot of sugar and peanut butter and jelly. Like really, really good. haha. Anyway...

So what happened with Dubal is that he didn't get baptized. Rayen didn't either. Rayen won't because she's afraid she'll go inactive sometime. So... we're working on that. Dubal wants to and felt ready and we had the interview and everything and then... he didn't pass. He hadn't told us but it turns out that he's against tithing. Haha. Can you believe that? A 14-year-old boy not wanting to pay tithing. Sounds strange but wait... it gets even better. He doesn't agree with it because of a verse he read in the Bible. I don't really remember where it is. But it's the one that talks about how God doesn't require money or worldly things from us, only that we come to him, repent, and be baptized. But I think it will be easily resolved this week and he will receive an answer through prayer and feel all good and be baptized this Saturday. Please pray for him and Rayen that she may be able to stop fearing and have the faith to move forward and that he will receive an understanding and answer about tithing. Also we have a really promising new investigator. His name is Andres, unfortunately he is not married and is co-living with Marcela and they have one son together and he had one before they met. But they both want to get baptized and married and eventually sealed in the temple. They got all ooey gushy when they talked about being together forever. So that was awkward. And good that they want that. Who doesn't? An eternal family sounds sick! :) Also they are really financially stable so we're hoping we can encourage them to get married civilly in January. So pray for them this week that they'll have the courage to do the things they need to do get married. They told us that they both know that they need to do it, and to do it soon. Plus the members love them. They're just a cute little couple that loves family and in every prayer they say they thank God for showing them His way. It's incredible.

My heart is filled with puro gratitude this week. As I had some time to reflect on Christmases past during church yesterday and seeing families all around me and feeling guilty because I was thinking about my own huge, beautiful, amazing family. And then I realized that even though I was thinking about them, and treasuring them and loving them up in my heart, it wasn't distracting me at all. But actually making me even more determined. The love and happiness and joy that I feel in thinking about my family is incomprehensible. Seeing my older brothers and sisters go through their new struggles with their children and seeing the joy in these growing families. And thinking about the Christmas traditions that they are forming and the family bonds that are getting stronger with every trying and bonding moment, which are almost always together. Maybe always. And remembering Christmas mornings with my mom and dad, Mom being so excited to read us this year's Christmas book in our new Christmas pajamas, and Dad reading us the Christmas story and teaching us about Christ. As much as I loved and appreciated it then, I appreciate it even more now that I see the difference loving and teaching and exemplary parents like mine can be. It's so amazing to see the less active families improve their lives tenfold by having daily family prayer and scripture study. 

I love you all! I hope you have an amazing Christmas! Enjoy time with your family! And sometime this week, if you can, go do some service with your family. Something my family would do on Christmas eve is go to the the nursing home and do a musical program for them. And it was honestly fun and building for me and my family. Service is one of the best ways to strengthen family bonds. Even though you might not be talking to each other as much during service, you grow closer to each other as you serve side by side. 

Merry Christmas!

¡Feliz Navidad!

Elder Robinson

Week beginning December 14

Sunday 8am we headed to Passi; it is about a 2 hour drive from Iloilo.  We attended Sunday School and Priesthood/Relief Society and then spoke in Sacrament meeting. There was a wonderful spirit about the Ward.  After we spoke, we met with the Bishop and a counselor and they set a date for next Sunday to have facilitator training and "My Path".  They are very receptive to the initiative from the modern day prophets sent to them here in the Philippines.  We hurried back to Iloilo to watch the First Presidency Christmas Message.  Then we drove President Insigne to the airport and were so happy to be able to give him some service.  His mother died and he was joining family in Manila for the funeral.
We returned to our bungalow to make final preparations for the Institute class about developing talents and abilities which we will substitute for President Insigne at 6:30 am Monday.  After the class, we had 8:30 workshop with the outgoing missionaries. There were 15 going home, mostly Americans, 2 Filipino, 1 American Samoan.  It is always a fun experience and then Butch invited us to his house for "mango float", which is somewhat like a mock cheesecake layered three times with mangoes, very tasty.  They also gave us "I'm a Mormon" notebooks that he designed.  Then to the mission office for internet for emails.  Next to pay car payments, put in some wash, and made reservations at INJAP Hotel for New Years Eve.  We were invited to join two other families.  We are told that fireworks smoke is very bad and makes it hard to breathe in houses.
Missionaries left on Tuesday, Elder Ortiz, and Sister Walton from our district were among those who left.  Another batch that we will miss.  We also had a combined district meeting because of our loss of missionaries. Then we had lunch and went to the wharf to pick up Erwin Boiser who came from Bacolod.  He works for the Church and he is going to have a meeting with our volunteers and specialists and church service missionaries.  We took him to Diversion 21 Hotel and visited for a while and then went back to the Center until after the meeting.  We did some cleaning in the Center.  Boiser did some facilitator training, then cleaned up, and returned him to the hotel and took Butch home around 9:30.
Wednesday we made two more car payments so we are caught up through January.  We picked up Boiser and had some organizational layout of self reliance people.  We went to the mission office to check out new apartment arrangements and how to get in early the day after Christmas for our phone calls with our Chile and California missionaries.  We shopped a little for food supplies, read the scripture advent candle, plus one of President Monson's Christmas stories "Christmas Gifts, Christmas Blessings" and Jesus the Christ.
Thursday we did another load of laundry, the cleaning lady came. Wow, that is a luxury I have never had.  It costs about $4.50 to have the bathroom cleaned, the floors swept and mopped, two area rugs washed by hand and the counters washed and the fans taken apart and cleaned. And we pay her better than most.  We finally were able to have time to call Angela and Rachael at the mission office.  Transfers were today and the building was just buzzing.  Next we went to pay our water bill, Ray answered a few phone calls from Bacolod.  At night the Iloilo Stake had a couples Christmas Dinner/dance at the Diversion 21 Hotel.  The food was great, fish, tender beef, noodles and rice and fruit salad.  It was all very beautiful and we were the show of dancing, we did the box, also the waltz and jitterbug.  Funny huh? That we would be the show offs:). It was very fun and people kept talking to us about it the next day.
Friday I made 16 mini loaves of banana bread and then went to the Center to clean and organize.  We delivered our banana breads to Sister Tumbus (90 yr old) our neighbor and Butch and President Insigne.  We received the news of the impending loss of a pregnancy of our daughter and we were so sad but it was interesting in our sorrow, the scripture advent candle was John 14:26-27, The Comforter.  It made me feel as if The Lord was aware of her and of us away at such a distance.  I am grateful that our married children have two sets of parents.  And that in the scheme of things, the answer is always Him, to whom we look for all things.  This is His season of all seasons in the year and it is to Him where we look in all our trials and tribulations.
Saturday our scripture reading was Joseph Smiths testimony and Oliver Cowderys.
"These were days never to be forgotten--to sit under the sound of a voice dictated by the inspiration of heaven, awakened the utmost gratitude in this bosom."  Oh what joy it is to serve a mission for The Lord Jesus Christ, to represent Him.  I hope to be a worthy representative.  We ate breakfast and went to Arevalo for  a stake Relief Society conference.  Then we shopped at Robinson's Mall for a few items for Christmas and we found some sour cream!  No one has had any for a month.  Yeah!  We ate some thin Greenwich pizza, picked up two games, and went to Arevalo to call Nathan and family.  Back to bungalow and sometime in our comings and goings we met another neighbor in her car who introduced herself, Mrs. Nanette Burano.  So that was fun.  Also as we were preparing for bed, the Leganes Bishop called to see if we could speak tomorrow, so we hurried and adjusted our talks including the Saviors birth in our messages.  What can we give Him?  Give Him my heart!  Merry Christmas!  With all my love, Sister Robinson, Mom, grandma

10 days til Christmas!!!!

Hey everyone!

First of all, sorry! I don't have any time today to write anyone individually but I should have the regular amount of time next week! It's because today we went all over the place in the mission and just barely got back and we start working at 6:30. We were running like crazy and didn't even get to buy food so... that's how it was. But it was amazing. And you can expect lots of cool pictures and stories in next weeks'' email!

Also I got a package from someone today but I didn't have time to go get it. But I just wanted to let whoever it was know that I got it. It says fragile on it. So thanks so much! and I'll thank you individually for it next week. 

Updates on investigators are few but exciting. 

Rayen and Dubal are progressing well and if all goes well they will be baptized this Saturday! But Satan is working hard on them so they need your prayers and thoughts. They've received an answer they just need the courage to take that step. A new promising investigator, Claudia, she's 18 and just graduated college. But her grandma that she lives with is a member and so that's really helpful. She's accepted the invitation to be baptized the 10th of January. So luckily we still have a lot of time with her to teach her and to strengthen her Grandma's testimony. She only got baptized like 5 years ago and she still has some doubts about the church. But she is a faithful and devoted member. We've left Daniela and the crew mostly but we still go by once a week. Because they can't get married February because of money issues. But they're still doing well and she still wants to get baptized after she's married. She reads and prays every day so she's cultivating her new found seed very well. Oh and Mario. I'll tell you more about him next week. He's cool. 

I know this church is true. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and our reason for hope and happiness in the world today. I know that the family is ordained of God and that the home is the best place to cultivate and grow ourselves and our families closer to our Savior. I know that He is the center and the focus of this Christmas season. And I am grateful to be a servant of our Lord in these times. We run into an atheist about once or twice every day and as soon as we start talking about religion they get shaky and nervous. Imagine how it would be to have to defend your unbelief every second of every day, when all the world around you is proof that there is a supreme being and that He is our loving Heavenly Father. I love you all! I'm so pumped for Christmas! The challenge this week would be to give something to someone in need. Food, money, love, anything. Help someone feel the love of Christ through some act of service. No matter how small. 

With much love and prayers from Chile!

Elder Robinson

P.S. 10 days til Christmas!!!!

December 14

I thought of the story of “The Christmas Box” this week. In the story the lady (Mrs. Parkins?), I can’t remember her name, asks Richard “what was the first gift of Christmas”. Richard responded “Was it a necktie?” Richard thought he was being funny but Mrs. Parkins didn’t laugh. Richard has dreams which disturb him and he tries to come up with the answer to “what was the first gift of Christmas?”

I was surprised that I didn’t come up with the answer at first, but Richard finally did. “It was a child.”

“For unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.”

“God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The first gift of Christmas was a child.

We went to our mission Christmas “conference” party this week. It was done on two days for different parts of the mission and we attended part of the second day as well as the first day. We had skits and games and entertainment prepared by the missionaries, a gift exchange and a catered dinner with the whole roasted pig and all. It was a good time.

We also went to the "model” Self Reliance Center in Bacolod, which is on the Island of Negros Occidental.

We took a boat that holds about 200 people and travels at about 40 mph. The trip takes about one hour. We were able to see how that center operates and we were taught some things that we haven’t learned before such as how to help someone through the process of applying for a Perpetual Education Fund loan.

Today, Sunday, we went to Passi to speak in their ward. It takes about 1.5 hours to drive there. We were received well and they want us to come back next week to help them get started in the “My Path” training for Self Reliance.

Well have a great week. I love you,  Dad

Week 6

I finally have funny stories to share!  It's been a pretty eventful week.  With a huge announcement yesterday!  We'll get to that later.

First thing, investigators!  Joe is not really progressing.  He was our only investigator up until this week, when we added four in one day!  That was super exciting.  And basically unheard of--around here anyway.  Not that it's anything we did, but we're being very blessed.  We are not ready to drop Joe yet though because he is awesome, and we don't feel we have done everything we can to help him progress.  So we're going to give it a lot more effort this week and see what happens.  So our four new investigators were all a miracle in their own way.  I don't remember if I've talked about Michael before, but we re-added him.  He is a former that basically just didn't see why he needed to talk to the missionaries.  So he's been studying on his own and keeps coming to church.   We finally just stopped by his house and had a lesson planned for his doorstep.  We went straight to baptism and asked him what he knew about it and why it was important.  He said, "So I can have the Holy Ghost?"  We figured that was close enough. :)  But we explained more and taught about baptism and it's importance as a step in following Christ.  We asked if he wanted to follow Christ and he said yes, "but shouldn't I finish reading the Book of Mormon first?"  This kid is a senior in high school, and he knew NOTHING about Jesus Christ or the Bible or anything a few months ago.  He is amazing, and I admire his efforts to follow Jesus Christ so much.  We're really excited to continue teaching him and helping him progress towards baptism. (We told him to pray about being baptized January 17, so pray for him! And for us. We need all the help we can get to be guided by the spirit).

The same day we were going to try to see a potential investigator that neither of us had met before.  When we got there a guy answered the door (we were looking for Estella).  He said he didn't know who Estella was, so we asked him his name.  He said it was Josh, and then Sister Barfuss said, "Wait, did I meet you about a month ago?"  Well long story short, she had but it was during exchanges and she had thought he was out of our area and in passing him off he had fallen through the cracks.  So it was a total miracle that we found him and we had a short lesson with him and set an appointment to go back tomorrow!

That night we had an appointment with the Noriegas.  Alberto Noriega is the father that hasn't been to church in years and basically doesn't remember anything.  We had an appointment and he had his sons there, who know nothing about the church or Jesus Christ or anything.  So we added the two sons as investigators.  They were all very attentive during the lesson and it went really well.  We love them so much, and are so excited that they are learning together so that they can progress together as a family and have that support.  At the end we taught them to pray as a family, and we are excited to see how that has blessed them this week.  The mom/wife, Veronica was there, but never came out.  Pray for her!  They need to be all together so they can be an eternal family.  So here's a funny story, when we were teaching them Sister Barfuss asked what they knew about prophets, or what they thought of with the word prophet.  Kevin, the older son, said "gain."  We were very confused.  Then we finally realized he was talking about "profit."  Haha We laughed really hard.  Hope that didn't make him uncomfortable but it was just funny.  And a good reminder to be really clear when we ask questions.

We also had exchanges this week.  I am NOT a fan of exchanges.  It was so stressful and uncomfortable!  I was the one to stay in our area so I was basically senior companion for the day since I was the one that knew the people and at least kind of knew the area.  But it was probably good for me I guess.  Anyway we had a lunch appointment instead of a dinner appointment, and they had a cat.  This cat seriously loved me or something.  Actually all the animals do.  And I'm just basically screaming in my head as I try not to offend people by telling them that I hate their pets.  Ha anyway the cat was just adamant about sitting on the lap and then was putting its face up to mine and I was just awkwardly trying to move my face away.  Ack!  I will never have indoor pets!  Plus I'm allergic anyway so that seals the deal.  I really wish I could have seen my face though because it was stressing me out but I was trying to be polite.

Last funny story, last night we were caroling/tracting and went to a less active member's house.  His door was just kind of open partially so we started singing and then he came to the door and interrupted with, "sorry wait just one second I'm not dressed!"  And then we realized that he was holding his pants up in front of him.  Ahhh!!! Awkward.  This is not the first time people have come to the door without being fully dressed.  It's so crazy!  But we just had to laugh.  I guess his door was partially open because of the dog so that's why that happened but ya.  It was funny.  Why don't people wear clothes?!  Men are weird.  It's always men.

Also, big news!  We were gathered last night for a whole mission conference call.  We were all convinced we were finally getting iPads so we were super excited (we're the only mission in CA that doesn't have them and they would be super helpful).  Well, it wasn't iPads.  There is going to be a new mission created in CA, the Modesto mission.  So they are taking 3 areas of the Sacramento mission and I think three from the Fresno mission and it will become the Modesto mission.  So probably around 75 missionaries from my mission will be reassigned to the Modesto mission in July.  I am not one for big changes so it's stressing me out a little bit, but I know that whichever mission I end up in it will be for a reason.  Lodi, the zone I am currently in, will be in the Modesto mission so technically right now I haven't even served in the Sacramento mission ha.  I don't know if that makes sense to anyone but hopefully.  So everyone was very disappointed about the iPads.  It was really funny because President Jardine knew that's what everyone thought it was.  We are supposed to have more details on the new mission and how that will all work in January but I guess it won't be "opened" or what not until July.  At which point I will be about 8 months into my mission I think.  It's so crazy.  But exciting that California is just bursting with missionaries! 

This is the Zone all gathered for the mysterious conference call.

Well it's been a little harder than normal for me the past few days, but a lot of it is just me being frustrated with myself for not being perfect.  I have super high expectations of myself, which is good, but it makes it hard when I fall short.  Which happens multiple times every day.  Sister Barfuss had me read D&C 67:10.  "Of you it is required to forgive all men."  That includes forgiving myself, and forgiving myself as immediately as I expect myself to forgive others.  We aren't perfect, but I am coming to trust that Heavenly Father can and does work with me even in my imperfection.  And he will work with each of you as well.  His plans cannot be frustrated, so just do the best you can do (which varies from moment to moment) and He will make up for the rest.  Love you all!

Sister Robinson

oh and p.s. I won't be writing on Monday next week because P-Day is moved to Christmas day.

Three months! Wow, we are not getting enough done. Time is flying . . .

Sunday was fast Sunday and we took dinner to our neighbors whose husband and father just died.  They keep his body in the living room in a glass top casket.  He looked really great, but I was surprised to see him there.  He will stay until they bury him Dec 27th.  They put out a temporary porch cover and that signals that someone has died and people stop by.
After this, we picked up the young men's president and the ward mission leader to give them a ride to the San Miguel group where Geraldine was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Only sacrament meeting was held today because of the typhoon threat.  Everyone is quite anxious.  Last year was a bad surprise so everyone is overly cautious.  The typhoon landed north of our island on Samar.  We have a missionary serving here who is from there and he felt some concern.  We understand 23 people have died.  But we had a very little light rain---no wind and very peaceful.  We feel The Lord has answered prayers and He has tempered the elements.
Christine Maximo came to the Center on Monday and we did Job Search lesson 3.  We came home and listened to what we thought was the First Presidency Christmas Message but it was last years', I guess.  Anyway, we enjoyed it.  We see this years' next week sometime.  We also lit our candle and had our scripture advent reading time.
Tuesday was district meeting.  Each set of missionaries took turns having a problem and another set helping the mock investigator, another set of missionaries work through the challenge.  The challenges were about chastity, the word of wisdom, tithing, and keeping the Sabbath day holy.  It was really great!  This was Sister Walton's last meeting.  She returns to Texas next Tuesday.  After meeting, we had the truck washed, ate lunch and went to the Center. We had our meeting but mostly there was a lot of work to be done, three people wanted help doing resumes and one man was asking about getting a PEF loan for a masters program.
Wednesday we went to Arevalo, the mission office to test missionary for English, but we couldn't get the computers to work.  In the afternoon was a Mission Christmas Conference with four of the zones. We played games, did zone skits, had dinner, had a gift exchange, had some solos and duets from different missionaries, and watched parts of the David Archuleta Christmas Show of three years ago and the President gave us all mission t shirts( we can wear on p day or when we get home), and then the office elders did a "fire show"!  It was all very fun.
Thursday am was another community service project but we spent an hour and a half trying to find it and had to give up.  We went to the Center and waited for Johnny, a return missionary who served in Tacloban and did not get his English test and wanted to take it.  Our internet was down so we took him to the mission office where he was tested along with three others and then we gave him a ride back to his college.  We went to our bungalow for lunch and then to the Mission Christmas Conference with the other three zones.  This one was the missionaries from Roxas, Iloilo south, and Antique.  Their skits and singing was all very spiritual.  We left early at 7:30pm to get ready for our trip to Bacolod tomorrow.
Friday we took the truck to Jalandoni so it would be under security behind locked gates and then we caught a taxi to the wharf where we boarded a fast catamaran boat to Bacolod.  Boiser picked us up after an hour and took us to the Center where we learned how to do PEF loans, and some other things.  Then Boiser took us and his staff to lunch after which we had some more training and then Elder and Sister Green took us to their beach front home with warm water, regular taps, three kitchen sinks plus a dummy kitchen behind a door off the pretty kitchen.  Wow and big glass windows looking out over the ocean with all the little fishing boats.  This house was amazing!  That night we met another member/leadership office couple missionaries who have been here 23 months and are leaving next week to return to Wellsville, UT.
It was very interesting but I guess neither couple that are leaving have a replacement.
Anyway, we had dinner at a Hotel Restaurant.  It was the best I have eaten here.  We had a real lettuce salad with apples and fruit and a honey mustard vinaigrette dressing.  We don't usually eat fresh vegetables unless they can be peeled but the couples we were with knew it was safe.  So it tasted so good.
Friday am we had breakfast and enjoyed the Greens company and amazing ocean view and prepared for a self reliance family party.  I helped make a seven layer bean dip, and fresh cut up vegetables and a dill dip.  They swam from 10 am until 1 pm and then came in and ate grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, potato salad...  At three pm Greens took us to the boat wharf and off we were back to Iloilo.  When we arrived we were not able to get a taxi, so we started walking until we found a motorized tricycle.  We had a way fun ride to Jalandoni!  It was so fun!  The street view is so good from those tricycles.  Anyway, we picked up the truck and stopped at McDonald's for Apple pie a la mode with caramel sauce and then to our bungalow.  Another great week!
Love Mom, Sister Robinson III. :)

Christmas letter from the Philippines

We are in the best situation of our lives for Christmas!  Andrew John is Elder Robinson in Concepcion, Chile, Charity is Sister Robinson IV), in Sacramento, California Mission and we are Elder and Sister Robinson in Iloilo, Philippines Mission.  The four of us are having warm Christmases.  The day will come to us first since we are always living in the future as we look at the world clocks.
We had a Christmas party with the younger missionaries last night and again tonight.  We enjoy the associations with them, but find it really sad when they take part of our hearts with them as a batch leaves every six weeks, but we do get the last word with them as we get to have them for four hours before they leave to go home to do a career workshop with them to serve them in getting jobs as they arrive home for the rest of their lives.  We do mock job interviews, help them build thirty second power statements about themselves, teach them a little about writing resumes that are good advertisements of themselves, and have some fun with them.
We also start the wards and stakes who have invited us to have My Path devotionals so the Filipino people can either choose to take a course in Starting and Growing MY OWN Business, Education for a Better Job, or Job Search.  It is an amazing initiative for these people from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by revelation from our Father in Heaven through His appointed servants.
What a great blessing to be a member of His Church and to have an opportunity to serve a full-time mission for Him to whom we owe everything!  And then we serve and discover that once again we are the receivers.  We love the people here and we continue to love and pray for each of you, Love Elder and Sister Robinson
      MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Week 5

So I have heard a lot of people say that they came to appreciate and love their families so much more on their mission because they realized how blessed they were.  I kept thinking that wasn't going to happen to me because I was pretty sure there was no way that I could possibly love my family any more than I already did. :)  I was wrong, of course!  I love you all so much, and miss you lots.  But mostly I try to stay focused.

So last Monday I had my first bike crash!  It was super dark and we have lights on our bikes but obviously they aren't that big.  I was riding on the sidewalk and there was a hole in the ground that I couldn't see until right before I rode over it so I fell pretty hard.  I have a pretty solid bruise on my upper thigh but overall I was protected!  It really could have been so much worse.  I was very blessed, that's for sure!  It hurt a lot but I was not nearly as sore as I expected and it all worked out pretty well.  It definitely scared me a little though but I was tough. :)

We have been doing a lot of less active visits and a while ago we contacted a less active named Alberto Noriega.  He was SO nice and we set up an appointment to meet with him.  On Tuesday we went to his house and miracle of miracles he came right out and opened up the gate to let us in!  This is mostly a miracle because the majority of our "appointments" are never home or ignore us when we get there haha.  Anyway he let us right in and we just went in and got to know him and had a little lesson with him.  We went with the McDougall's, our ward missionaries.  They are super sweet and have been incredibly nice to drive us around to some of those country areas that are too far for us to bike in (plus they are scary and full of people with guns and big scary dogs).  It was a bit of a challenge to have them in the lesson with us though because they kind of dominated the time with chit chat sort of questions, but maybe that is what Brother Noriega needed.  Anyway he was baptized around 10 years old but hasn't been to church since high school and he is in his forties so he could just as well be an investigator for how much he remembers.  Sister Barfuss and I just both felt so much love for him.  We have a return appointment this week and he said he wanted to have us come at a time when his family would be there, so that was really exciting since none of them are members.

We've been working pretty hard on this Community Christmas Caroling event we are putting together.  I don't remember how much I told y'all about it but we are basically using it as a community outreach to invite everyone to come sing hymns about Christ and we are going to show the He is the Gift video at the end.  Hopefully people will feel the spirit and want to learn more!  And also it's a good thing for members to invite friends and neighbors to and get more comfortable just inviting people to get comfortable with the church so we can teach them. :)  We've been hanging up fliers everywhere and the whole zone is inviting their members and just everyone.  It's super exciting.  We've had really good responses from people we've invited.  The general response has been along the lines of it being nice that it is so inclusive of everyone and it seems to open people up to conversation, which is what we want of course!

Last thing I want to share is about Donovan.  Donovan is an American Indian that we contacted at the park a couple of weeks ago.  He gave us his address and said we could come talk to him more sometime but we hadn't gotten around to it until this week, on the day of the ward Christmas party.  It was right before the party and we had invited tons of less active members and non members so we were hoping to have lots of opportunities to teach.  We were heading to the church and then Sister Barfuss just randomly said that we should go see Donovan so we went straight there and he was home and came out to talk to us.  We talked to him about how Heavenly Father loves us and has a plan for us, that Jesus Christ is central to that plan and that following that plan can bring us happiness.  We expressed to him that whatever struggles he may have in his life, the gospel of Jesus Christ can help him and strengthen him.  We said a prayer with him and invited him to come to the Christmas party, even though it was happening basically right then.  We also set a return appointment.  So we were super happy that we had a new investigator, and then we went to the party.  About 20 minutes in he showed up and brought his daughter.  Seriously I was SO happy!  It was awesome.  And the members totally delivered.  They brought friends, and we spent the whole time meeting non members and less actives and talking to Donovan and sending people to fellow-ship him!  It was so great.  And we also took him on a tour of the church and his daughter went up with the primary when they sang.  After they sang I found her and asked if she needed me to help her find her dad and she gave me a hug. :)  It was so cute.  We invited them to church and they didn't come, but hopefully next week!

It's been funny to me to see my perspective change.  I am sorry to admit that I used to wonder why people came to church if they smelled like smoke or things like that.  Last Sunday when I was on the stand to speak a man walked in wearing street clothes and he had long hair and a long beard and I just grinned.  I was SO happy to see him at church!  I think the biggest miracle to me right now is how the Lord can change me, and help me become the servant He needs.  I don't do things nearly as well as I wish I did, but I know that I am receiving strength beyond my own.  I know that I am to some degree experiencing the love that Heavenly Father has for his children when I have those moments of joy at seeing people come to Him.  Love you all so much!  Keep writing, even if I don't have time to respond I do read them. :)

Sister Robinson
 

very rainy day

flyer for our caroling activity

Pic of the beach!

Siga trabajando fuerte! Gracias por todo!

Elder Robinson

Hey guys!

Hope everyone is well and that Bountiful is beautiful and snowy as ever! There's now snow to be seen here in Concepciòn. But there are a lot of Chileans anxiously awaiting the gospel. Which is almost better. ;) haha. Me and my trainer opened our area, but we are already seeing success and the ward members love us. It's honestly a blast. We gave some less active families in the ward a Christmas present containing a candle and a list of scriptures to read every day of December until Christmas about the life of Jesus Christ. It comes from a tradition that my family has and someone bore their testimony about it in Church this fast Sunday. So that was gratifying, but hopefully the members that didn't get one didn't feel bad. I only had eight candles. The food is really pretty good. And similar to ours. But they have their big meal at lunch and then just have a little snack before bed. This guy in our ward, we call him fruit guy, gives us a bag of fruit every Thursday because that's the day that the 'feria' opens. That's basically a place where all the people with gardens go to sell their fruit and vegetables for super cheap. And it's really good too. Our mission president is from Clinton, UT President Arrington, and he's a sweet guy. He'll be here my whole mission except maybe my last month or so. And can you believe Christmas is basically already here! I heard the Muppets are gonna be performing at the Christmas concert on temple square! Don't miss out on that. Have an amazing month! Enjoy the snow for me! There's not much of it here. In fact we went to the beach today to play volleyball as a zone! It was really pretty. And we buried a dog in the sand and made the sand around it look like a dolphin. Haha. That was satisfying. Much love to the best ward in the best stake in the best city in the best county in the best state!

Elder Robinson 

Easy week

We needed a little respite this last week, what is amazing is that The Lord arranged it for us.
Received Happy Birthday song and family cheer from the Thanksgiving crowd!  It was so very fun.  Yes, I showed it to everyone who would look or listen...that means, of course, all the missionaries at zone conference.
Sunday we attended Mandurriao ward and Sister Geraldine came with her three year old boy. She left after Sunday School.  She will be baptized this Saturday.
We broke our fast after church then went to San Miguel Group church.  The elders spoke.  Elder Staples from Utah gave his talk in Ilongo about gratitude in any circumstance from a conference talk.  So at least I knew the talk.  Elder Bacay talked about his life.  His father was a bishop; he got skin cancer and died when elder was 15.  He is the oldest child and his mother was expecting their fourth child when his father died.  He talked about how he grew from this experience.  And tied it in with being grateful in all circumstances. He is our district leader and he is really great.
Then we went to our 90 year old's house and took her a candle with scriptures to read Dec 1-Dec 24 advent calendar-like.  Her daughter copied the scriptures and bought candles and gave to her inactive brothers and sisters, nine of them.  We went to the Center after that to receive emails.  Bungalow last, our landlords have gone back to Guam now.  We will miss them.  Helen gave me her sisters' address to give to Charity because she lives in Sacramento.
Elder Andrew asked if I felt at home yet?  You all might be interested in the short answer:  home is where the heart is, where hope and love abound.  Home is where warm circling arms go all the way around.  Home is where Ray is and each of our children.  Family gathering, even with one, is Home.
I will have to add that the people and the missionaries have taken their place in our hearts.  We feel attached to them all.
Monday we did wash and went to the Center.  We got to speak with Amy and Nathan and hear some children's voices.  We were also able to speak with Sarah and Tim and hear some more visiting...Dallin did some computer lighting outside, Lillie played the piano and told about some school activities, Lydia thought about reading:), it was all wonderfully delightful!
We went to the mission home to give them a candle.  They have a 9 year old girl that will love lighting the candle each night.
At the bungalow, Ray and I sang "I need Thee every hour" and read Dec 1 scripture about raising the daughter of Jarius.  We are also reading different stories every night.  The last week we read A Christmas Carol together.
Tuesday was zone meeting and we sang "We are all enlisted" and of course, I thought of Elder Robinson and Sister Robinson (the younger) and all of my children. Our new zone leader drew a magnifying glass on the board and talked about how the glass must be focused on an item along with the sun(Son) in order to generate heat or to raise the temperature.  Like the magnifier, we must be focused(heart, might, mind, and strength) with the Son to raise the children of men to a higher state.
We read emails and took care of Christmas.  We went to our 6pm meeting all prepared with song, inspiration, etc. but no one came, one sister texted us that she would not make it.  We went home and lit our candle, sang and read.
Wednesday, I cooked a pork roast and started soaking beans.  I washed my pink skirt because it got butter on it, I forgot to wear my apron.  We went to the Center and visited with Bernard Magbanua.  He lives in New Zealand now but he and his wife were born and raised here.  He works for Hewlett Packard.  They have a daughter who will enter the Provo MTC in January and serve in Thailand.  We stopped at a grocery store, but no one has sour cream.
Thursday our meeting with Boiser was cancelled because of the typhoon.  Life is pretty cautiously quiet.  Our neighbors' father died.  President Insignes mother and whole family met the week we substituted for Institute.  They met in Manila.  They all live in the states now except him.  Anyway, when his mother got back from the gathering, she died.
Saturday Geraldine was baptized and I got to give the talk on the Holy Ghost.  I used L. Tom Perry's 2014 address about training horses and being obedient to the driver, who is Heavenly Father, and the bit and reins being compared to the Holy Ghost.  When we know who is in charge, it just takes a gentle tug of the Holy Ghost to direct us, of course, we must still lift our feet.  This was in connection with always knowing what is right and wrong.  It was a wonderful baptism.
Love to you all, Sister Robinson, Mom

December 7, 2014

 

I just wanted to send some pictures  showing what we usually see each day. The cities are pretty busy. The picture with the brick looking driveway is at the front of the Church where our Center is.

We are starting to see some effects of the typhoon but we don't expect  much more than a good rain here.

Love you all,  Dad

Week 4

Well on Wednesday I will have officially been on a mission for 1 month!  Crazy.  But just two weeks in the field.  Thanksgiving was definitely the most unique Thanksgiving I've ever experienced.  We wrote emails, then went grocery shopping for about 15 minutes.  We didn't want to waste any time of all day P-Day on groceries when we could shop again today so it was super quick.  Then we ate lunch at Jack in the Box because the yummy place we wanted to go was obviously closed for the holiday.  The afternoon was spent putting up a Christmas tree in our house.  Me and Sister Barfuss live in a little house with the Spanish sisters in the area and we found a Christmas tree in the garage.  It is kind of a sad tree because some parts are broken so there's a bare section in the back and it won't really stand up on it's own so we tied it to the curtain rod for support.  It was super fun though!

 

We had been told that we had Thanksgiving Dinner with some members in Ione that were going to feed the whole zone.  What I was expecting was some fairly wealthy, missionary minded older couple that wanted company.  This is proof that it is bad to assume things.  When we got to the address we had we were the first ones there and we were sure we were in the wrong place.  It was this back woods-y cabin tucked away in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of junk and weird furniture piled on the porch.  Then this lady walks out in her sweats and asks if we are Mormon missionaries.  We said yes and then she yells, "well then you're in the right place!"  It was so weird haha.  But it turned out we were in fact in the right place and she is a member and her husband just kicked his coffee habit and is working on setting a date for baptism.  Pretty much the whole day was right out of some redneck movie.  It was honestly the strangest thing ever.  This lady was super quirky.  But they were so super nice and fed us normal and good tasting traditional Thanksgiving food.  It was quite the holiday experience.  No one think I'm judging though, it was just really different from what I'm used to. :)  It was really fun talking to the other missionaries though and honestly this couple was just super nice.  After we got back to our house we just wrote in our journals and chatted until planning time and that was really fun.

So something I've noticed about people in Galt...they all have dogs.  And I mean plural, because most people have more than one dog.  And bad news, Sister Barfuss and I are pretty sure at this point that I'm allergic to dogs.  It seems to be getting worse.  I think I just never noticed a reaction before because I never really went anywhere that they had indoor pets.  So it's going to be fun to figure out how to deal with that because it's super distracting to people when I start sneezing and my eyes start watering and everything.  Going to try to get some kind of allergy medication today and see if that helps.

This Sunday, Sacrament meeting was focused on missionary work.  All the ward missionaries and the ward mission leader either spoke or prayed and I was asked to give a talk.  So yes, I gave a talk my second Sunday of the mission.  It was a little stressful but I knew it was a really good opportunity to get the ward members excited about member missionary work so I tried really hard to be directed in what I said.  I hope it reached at least someone because we need help!  We've been trying to come up with better ways to find people to teach because street contacting and tracting aren't really working very well, surprise!  We are working on doing a Christmas fireside as a community thing at the park where hopefully our members will invite their friends to come sing Christmas hymns in the park and we'll have some musical numbers as well hopefully and at the end we will show the "He is the Gift" video. (christmas.mormon.org, watch and SHARE!!!) :)  It's just beginning to be in the works but we're really excited about it as a way to invite people to have an experience feeling the spirit.  That's something I focused on in my talk is that members don't have to invite people to be baptized, just invite your friends and neighbors and people that already love and trust you to be part of activities where they can feel the spirit.  All of you need to listen to or read this talk called "The Missionary Next Door."  It's totally inspiring and has some great ideas on how to be a member missionary.

Well it's hard, but there are miracles every day!  Every day, without fail.  And I know that I am being blessed immensely.  There are vineyards around here everywhere, we drive past them all the time.  It's a sweet reminder to me of the blessing and opportunity to labor in the Lord's vineyard.  Love you all!  And I love hearing from you!  Keep the emails coming, I read them even if I don't have time to respond.

Sister Robinson

November 29, 2014

Happy Birthday to Sister Teresa Robinson

We had a fun Thanksgiving; I am sure that mother is telling you all about it. We had two sets of Elders and one set of Sisters and the Ward mission leader over for a meal at noon and then took three meals to families of their choice. One of the families is a lady who is going to be baptized on Dec. 6. We first met her at a “group “ meeting about four weeks ago. (a group, is an extension of a Ward we live in but they live a good distance out of the town where our ward is so they hold church meetings in a small room near the Elder’s apartment.). Sister Robinson made a connection with this sister and was holding her hands and the sister was crying. The sister so appreciated the encouragement that she received from Sister Robinson that on the next Sunday, Stake Conference, the sister found her and gave her a small gift that she had made. My companion sure has a way of connecting with people on a personal level.

This past week we gave talks in two wards. I will share part of the message from my talk. This talk was similar to one that I gave at Tia’s baptism. I still like what I learned from the scripture reference. (2 Kings 5) Some Great Thing.

The story is that of Naaman who was captain of the host of Syria, who had become a leper. I told the story in more detail than I will here, but when Naaman came to Elisha seeking a cure for his leprosy he was told to wash in the river Jordan seven times. Naaman was wroth and went away. He was expecting much more of a show of power in calling upon the Lord. Naaman’s servants “spake unto him and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?"

The words “some great thing” caught my attention. The words must have caught the attention of Naaman too because he then went into the river Jordan 7 times and became clean.

What would “some great thing” possibly be? Would it be to kill a lion or a bear or to lead in a battle and defeat an enemy of Israel? The truth is that there is no “great thing” that Naaman could have done to bring about the desired result of curing leprosy.

The story is like baptism but it was not baptism. Naaman was invited to do a simple thing under the direction of a prophet of God and act in faith.

We may know people who have done pretty “great things” but could they have done these things without having already been blessed by Heavenly Father? Such as strong body, good health, sound mind, and so forth.

I have come to believe there was only one truly great thing that has been done on earth and that is the Life and Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. He is the only one who could have accomplished that. He does not ask us to do “some great thing” to receive the benefit of His Great Thing. Like “baptism for the remission of sins”; how is it possible that that is all we have to do? It is not really all that we have to do; we need to keep his commandments and endure to the end but still it is an amazing gift.

When we take the Sacrament each week we can remember “Some Great Thing” that was done for us.

I love you all. Have joy in your hearts.

Love Dad