Caption TBA :)

Letter from October 12, 2014

We were finally able to view conference today and really enjoyed it. We had listened to some of Conference during the week because I was able to download it.

Elder Holland’s talk had great meaning to me this week as we had a couple experiences that I will share. We went to a hospital with the Elders to see if we could find a sister that Mother thought was going to be there. We went to several Wards looking for her because we did not know if we had her name right and we didn’t have her child’s name. We never did find her but we saw a lot of the hospital. The hospital facility and equipment were rather shocking. It reminded me of a war zone hospital pictured in the movie Gone with The Wind. There were hundreds of people in there for many different needs.

We also went to visit a less active member of The Church. This Sister, Lita, has been less active for a few years and has two sons and a daughter and a husband who are all members. We went to read some of the Book of Mormon with her. She was fun to visit with but was a little embarrassed that the Elders had brought a senior couple from America. The area where she lives is right across from a nice big mall. We would not have guessed that the community was even there because you can’t really see it from the road. The narrow concrete walk way winds around and around in several different directions. The houses are built like children’s forts with just plywood and tin or whatever they could come up with. No windows, some curtains, some electricity and I don’t know about the plumbing. There were bamboo fences lining the walk ways, which made it kind of pretty. In some areas where we walked there were little shops made in the same fashion as the homes. A lot of people use the front of their homes to display and sell food and snack items. Their only possible customers are their neighbors in the small town within the city. Not everyone lives quite like that, but thousands do live like that.

Elder Holland said that he doesn’t know how the poor feel or why some are so much more blessed because of where we are born and have greater economic and education opportunities. I am sure that I don’t know much about that either, but the people seem generally contented and happy. There are pretty good education opportunities now which may not have been available to everyone in the past and I think that more and more are rising from poverty.

I am so thankful for the many blessings, comforts and opportunities that I have enjoyed throughout my life.

I love you all. It is great to hear about what is happening in your families.

Love, Dad

Lost Opportunity

Sunday we attended our Mandurreo ward.  It was fast and testimony meeting.  A sister bore her testimony and said it was her last here.  I had made friends with her.  Her English is very good.  So we were anxious. To talk with her to find out why.
Another sister spoke and she was holding a baby and said she was a return missionary with four children. This would be her last.  She has not been to church in ten years.  I saw her talk to the Bishop afterwards and I tried to visit with her but her baby started fussing so I didn't want to detain or keep her from taking care of her baby. I indicated to her that she didn't need to let me interfere with her care of her small baby.
I then looked for her in Sunday school, then in relief society.  She was gone.  I checked with the bishop, the stake president....help me find her.  One of the missionaries at zone conference had her name and some information. We spent half the day at the Mandurreo hospital looking for her.  The missionary understood that her baby was having surgery on Tuesday.  No luck.
My thoughts:  she came to church to be ministered to and was sent away.  The bishop told her she belonged in a different stake.  I sent her to take care of her baby.  Why didn't I put my arm around her and go with her to bounce her baby then take her to the meetings, then to our bungalow to feed her then to transportation or to wherever she needed to go next.  I failed but hope to be more sensitive and aware next time.
It reminded me when Elder Packer saw a little boy steal sacrament bread.  He looked for hungry children ever since.
STOP!  Don't rush off.  The Lord would not.  We cannot be His hands if our minds and feet are hurrying away.  Yes, I feel to repent.  I hope I still can find her in the next year.
Monday we washed the truck at a car wash:) and then went to the self reliance center and visited with President Insigne.
Later we shopped at SM and dad bought a hammer at Ace Hardware and a policeman walked the hammer out to our truck.  It is considered a weapon.  We needed it to put the desk together that the mission purchased for us.
We had f.h.e. from Preach My Gospel, we read (dad was Alma and I was Amulek) from Alma when Zeezrom was being deceitful and being deceived.
It poured super hard rain after we got to our bungalow.
Tuesday we had zone conference.  It was great.  Both zone leaders will be leaving next month.  They both had extended.  After zone meeting we went to the Robinson Mall (yes, everyone teases us that we are the rich Robinson mall people).  We also picked up a repair kit and one of the Elder Leon showed us how to fix the scrapes Dad had made on the mission truck.  Dad felt great relief when it was all fixed.
Then we went with the Elders to Sister Lotas home.  She was baptized 10 years ago but is inactive.  Her daughter 15 was baptized in May but no one comes.  They need friend-shipping.  The ward is very poor and very rich.  People don't home or visit teach.  Sister Lotas is darling, someone I would choose for a friend.
Today is Wednesday.  elder a. Robinson is in Chile now.
We send our love....Group hug!  Did it hurt?  It is from me then:) Sister T. robinson

I'm home!

I finally made it to Chile! My p-day is on monday! Right now I'm in the mission home in Chile and I get to meet with the President in just a few moments! Love you guys so much! Chile is beautiful and so interesting and different! The plane ride was fun and I placed a book of mormon on the plane! I'll tell you more about that on Monday! Love you all! Just wanted to let you know that the journey went well and I am safe and healthy and so so happy! and almost left my passport at my house in mexico! But I'll save that story for Monday as well!

Mucho Amor de Chile!

Elder Robinson

Letter from Oct 4, 2014

It has been an eventful week. We attended our first district meeting on Tuesday morning and then met up with Elder and Sister Green who serve in a different mission but have an assignment on several islands that were affected by the hurricane (Yolanda ?). Our island of Panay had the northern part damaged quite a lot and the Church provided some “emergency relief”. I am not sure what all has been done but the part Elder Green is working on is to provide group education opportunities for members in those areas. The curriculum areas were sewing, hair dressing, electronics, baking and carpentry and others, to help prepare for particular self employment. At the end of the course a “tool box” is provided so that they can go right into business. These are done by loan but the people only pay back a percentage of the total. We met and had dinner with the stake presidents and many of the stake council. We discussed the contracts with the schools and what needed to be done to get the classes started. It was all very interesting and some difficult problems came up with payments and supplies and such. We will not be working directly with this program but Elder Green and other leaders wanted us to go so that we could follow up when needed.

The trip took four hours to one city and then three hours to another city and then four and a  half hours back to Iloilo.

The island is beautiful with lush vegetation everywhere. Some of the area is hilly with palm trees growing all the way to the top. I expected to see dinosaurs around every corner like in Jurassic Park.

We stayed at two different hotels which were quite nice. I expected to see the ocean at several points because we were close on the map but we never did see it. Most of the roads and places where people live are away from the ocean.

A lot of people lost much in the typhoon. One couple that we talked to had some kind of internet business arranging travel plans for people and lost everything in the storm. Equipment was ruined and there was no internet available for several weeks so they were pretty much out of business. The people are still happy and their families are safe.

Mother is attending the General women’s meeting in the chapel here and I am here trying to remember what all happened this week. The members here get the meetings a week later and play them in the chapels. We have our Fast Sunday tomorrow and General Conference next Sunday.

D&C 104:15 “It is my purpose to provide for my saints”. Heavenly Father loves his children and loves it when we love one another and serve one another.

I love you, Dad

District picture

Elder Andrew Robinson with his district at the Mexico City MTC

Week Sep. 27-Oct. 3

Monday we grocery shopped.  It was very interesting.  And we bought some 3m hooks, garbage can, bucket, mop, bleach... And we bought some nacho cheese and salsa from the Atrium store.  It is very hard to get to so we won't be there often.  But we had nachos for our dinner and that tasted good. We were a little tired of Filipino food.
Tuesday was district meeting. The Elder who gave the lesson did a great job.  It lasted 2.5 hours.  I couldn't believe it.  It was so great!  We have 2 sisters and 4 elders and us.  It was so fun to talk over each investigator and find ways to include ward members with friendshipping by asking primary or mutual etc. presidents for families to participate.  Later that day we went with Elder and Sister Green, from another Island in their car and we rode with them to Roxas and Kalibo to meet with stake presidencies, rs and yw stake presidencies and others to get acquainted and to find out how they are doing. These areas were hit by tropical storm Yolanda last year.
We really had a nice dinner and visit together in Roxas and stayed in a nice hotel there.  We visited some schools in Kalibo that are serving our saints to improve their education and skills.  And ate at Annie's, stayed at another nice hotel ($45) only.
Thursday, we picked up Sister Annie and went shopping for materials that our students needed for their courses....like beauty supply stuff, mechanic stuff etc.  it was really an educational experience.  When we were done, we had mango shakes to go from Annie's and then drove to the boat pier where the boat takes the Greens and their car to their island and we took a cab back to Iloilo where Aquinos were waiting for us at our house because they had heard we didn't have water and they were worried about us.
Friday we did our studies and went to the self reliance center but no one was there.  We visited with our stake president.  He is in CES.  He reminds me of Tim.  Great man!
I will get to watch r.s. Conference tomorrow at 3 .  We get everything a week later.  I think we are off to a good start. Love, Mom