Scripture Power!

So, how's it going!

haha. This was an awesome, crazy week! It was a good time, though. There was a specialized conference that the assistants planned, and President Arrington asked me to prepare a powerpoint to teach the song scripture power in spanish to all the missionaries, so that was a dream. haha. But we said scripture power in english because that's how they wanted it. It was honestly a blast, and I got to make a really fun powerpoint and this week I get to send out the music to all the Zone leaders so they can sing it as a zone. Talk about a fun party for me! But to be honest it was pretty stressful, we got to help with all the logistics of the conference: food, tables, silverware, a survey about how the missionaries wash their clothes and a lot of other stuff. And it was so cool because one of them was out in the country in Chillán and it's pretty out there. 

Also, we have a sweet investigator, Giovana, she's the mom of Hna Viviana, she got baptized like 2 months ago. Giovana is awesome, she went to church last sunday and she's commited to go tomorrow, she's not married, but her boyfriend of 32 years has proposed to her before and she said no (also her bf is an inactive member) But she commited to talk to him about getting married and him getting active in the church again and we'll see how it went today! 

We found another new investigator named Elsa, but she's kind of blah, but we invited her to go to church, and if she goes I think there will be a good chance that she's awesome. :)

Also, there are definitely perks to being in the office, like driving, and the assistants are our best friends so we got to go see a beautiful place this morning! So you'll see some sweet pictures of that!

As a mission we are reading the book of mormon together, as I believe I already mentioned maybe, and also are memorizing scriptures together. This week it was john 3:16-17 For god so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son, that he who believeth in him would not be lost, but would have eternal life. Or it should be close to that, some things get lost in translation probably. But the point is that there is a strength that we find in the scriptures, our testimonies have more power behind them, our feelings about the Savior and the restoration of His church are deepened and our understanding of how to live and teach the gospel become broader. I hope and pray that you are all "treasuring up the words of eternal life" every day, and I pray that I never forget to do it again. I love you all a whole bunch and hope you have a fantastic week!

Love,

Elder Robinson

Week of July 31-August 6

Friday we cleaned another fan and finished scrubbing two bathroom walls--2 left to scrub.  When the owner hired someone to clean the apartment for us, they painted the tile and the floor.  Well, of course, the paint is peeling off the floor from the shower water.  The owner scrubbed some of the paint off the tiles but it still needs scrubbing.  One tile was still completely white except where the water drips.  We received an email from Charity.  The topamax that the doctor gave her for the headaches is not working.  After a week, she woke up with her face tingling.  The good news--no more drugs.  She may have to return home for a complete neurology work up.  We went to the Center and waited for Cushings' call.  We picked them up at Ortiz wharf and went to SM for Belgian waffles.  I had garlic tuna with cream cheese and a chocolate hazelnut one for dessert and Ray got us a buko shake.  We walked the Esplanade.  It is a beautiful river walk in bricks and beautiful flowers and trees.  Then we went to Arevalo to pick up boxes for Cushings and for the Guimaras missionaries.  Perry baby, Kenneth Rob Perry born this morning!  I may have repeated some of this.  I just noticed.  Sorry.  Maybe the second time is more interesting😜. We took Cushings to our apartment and ate beans, guacamole, sour cream and chips and played Rummicube.  At 4:30 we took them and all the parcels to Ortiz wharf.  We drove a new road (just made and just partially opened).  They are in a constant improvement mode here.  This is a progressing economy.  Then we went to McDonald's for chicken, apple pie and caramel sundae.  We will re-listen to April conference and go to bed.
Saturday we received the baby news but in the states it was really Friday...well, I don't know.  It was the 31😀.  I have struggled since February with a frozen left shoulder.  And answers came today in an email from Ranae yesterday and in my reading in Philippians 4:6, 11, 13. Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  11 not that I speak in respect of want:  for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.  13. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  And then Ranae's letter came saying that it would take past my mission time to heal.  I am exercising it from information about frozen shoulder on the Internet.  I feel encouraged.  We went to the Center, came home for lunch, brought in the wash, went back to the Center; talked with Butch about a fireside and came home 5:30.  Fasting.
Sunday Mandurriao church at 8:00.  We took all six missionaries with us.  We had an interesting experience during the sacrament. It was stopped halfway through.  The water was bad.  Yes, we got some of the bad water but it didn't make us sick.  It was a different experience having it interrupted and then re-prepared, re-blessed and then passed to those who had not had it yet.  We received Andrew's email today.  His p day is now his Saturday, our Sunday.  He's pretty excited about his situation.  At the same time a sadness weighs on my mind and heart for Charity.  After Mandurriao church we made a quick bagel sandwich and went to the Center to talk on the phone where we can get good reception to President Jardine.  Then we went to San Miguel group--2 investigators, 1 convert.  President Garcia attended and bore a strong heartfelt testimony.  I led the music, Ray said prayers.  Home at 4:45.  Looked over some church videos to show to Quennie and Brakie for f.h.e.
Monday we went to the Center.  We were asked to teach Institute again Wednesday.  We showed Quennie and Brakie "Joseph Smith, the Prophet of the Restoration."  We fed them rice and my Filipino version of jambalaya and corn flake treats (rice  krispie treats but with corn flakes).  We don't find rice krispies said here.  Received email from Rachael.
Tuesday we talked with President Jardine and they will try a physical therapist for a couple of weeks and see if that helps.  We had a district meeting in our apartment.  Everyone was up on their scripture reading, NT 1512 so Ray and I cut up dragon fruit, papaya, guyabano and made cinnamon roll pancakes with cream cheese glaze and four seasons juice and pineapple/ orange juice.  One, Sister Serveza said she didn't like cinnamon but that was the best pancake she had ever had.  It was lots of fun.  Unfortunately, I ate half a pancake with all that sugar and I had eaten an almond snickers bar (hard to find); They are usually with peanuts:  yep, sugar overdose.  Now I have my first illness in eleven months:  head cold, sinus, sore throat, fever, chills.  Good news: experience is a good teacher.  That's why Heavenly Father sent us here.  Sometimes we learn and relearn from experience.  Whoa! This is about Wednesday.  Back to Tuesday, after district meeting, we had the car washed and did a little shopping at Robinson's across the street from the car wash; we went to the Center, then 2:00 home for lunch; then back to the Center where Ray helped a sister from Leganes get on the website for "Starting and Growing My Business".  Home 7:30.  And I'm having chicken broth with onions, whole cut up lemon, and vermicelli noodles.
Wednesday, yes, I did my exercises and I believe my shoulder is responding--there is less eye closing/stomach sickening pain.  So I'm happy with some more progress.  This afternoon we taught Institute again.  The students came back for a second round of us😜.  It's a great group of single adults, with two return missionaries in the group and one preparing to go.  2 Timothy 3:15-17. There is a way to salvation in these latter-days.  Thanks to all who are reading from the scriptures and having prayers daily.  "You lift me and I'll lift thee and well ascend together."  Try it.  Back to back.  Arms linked at elbows.  Lean against each other and see if you can rise together.  It works but there is a learning curve.😀. Class went well.  We came home by 5:30.  I feel awful.  I had onion, garlic, chicken broth with rice soup.  Ray made himself a cheese sandwich.  Goodnight.  I have all day to rest tomorrow.
Thursday we to the Center until 1:30 then back to the apartment for the day.  My voice is gone and my energy.

Tripanionship pic

Trio with the Morgan's. They're the best :)

Big decisions

This is Sister Miller!  Also, this week has been kind of crazy because there is a possibility that I will need to go home for a time to resolve these health issues.  The last medication they put me on gave me some side-effects the doctor was concerned with, and he had already told me that was the last thing he could do for me.  Salt Lake is officially saying it is too big of a risk and I need to go home and see a neurologist.  President Jardine talked to me and said that if I pray about it and feel I should stay he will do everything in his power to keep me out here.  It's been a struggle, it makes me just so sad to think of leaving, even if I get to come back.  I don't want to!  I don't want to leave!  It's been a hard, hard week.  As I've prayed about it as much as I hate the answer I feel like I am supposed to go home.  When I talked to President about feeling conflicted he pointed out to me that my conflict is me second guessing the answer I've received because I don't like it.  So I asked if there was an option three.  If perhaps there is a way for me to stay out here and try something else.  So today he is calling mission medical and trying to figure out if there is something else that can be done.  If not then...ugh as much as I hate it I really feel like that's the answer and I have to be willing to act on the answer I'm given.  This week it has been hard not to check out of missionary work since I just got here and it seemed likely I'm about to leave, but I pulled myself together and remembered something that Elder Evans taught when he was here with the iPad conference.  It's what is written on the sticky note in the picture.  I have felt since I got my transfer call that here is where I need to be.  It's the strongest confirmation I've ever had that this is where I was supposed to go.  So I decided that even if it is for a short time, I am supposed to be here for that short time.  So I wrote the sticky note and have been using it as my iPad wallpaper as well.  I am reminding myself that whatever I do here, even if it is only for a few days, I was sent here for a reason.  So far I have had some great experiences bearing my testimony to less active members and members, as well as one recent convert.  And I'm going to just keep acting as though I'm going to be here forever!  It's been a really big, good learning week for me.  In the event that it's determined I am going "home," I am going to try to make it so I stay until there is an appointment with a neurologist set up already so I don't waste time waiting for one.  So that's the news.  It's been hard, but I have been very blessed.  I've felt far more peaceful and happy than I could have possibly imagined.  Love you all!  Keep praying for me.

Sister Robinson

Filling in the details

This week was just crazy! I am going to send some more details about the last week in Del Campo because I had so little time to write last week I didn't do it justice.  I'm just going to steal the details from my old companions email. :) Last Tuesday we had almost all of our appointments for the rest of the week. We met with Pat Thompson, a sweet little lady that is neighbors with one of the members, and with Emily Galassi. We had an awesome lesson with both of them.  With Emily, the spirit was there and she knew it, but she still doesn't think that she knows enough about it to make the commitment of baptism. We also had a lesson with Michael and he was doing awesome. We talked about prophets, Jesus, and the great apostasy. Then we talked a little more about the Book of Mormon and he is doing great on not smoking so that is definitely a plus.  Wednesday District Meeting turned into testimony meeting and there was a box of Kleenex being passed around. We were also told that transfers would be different this time. Calls would be made to people who are being transferred or put into leadership on Saturday, if you didn't get a call, you didn't change. Then on Monday morning, everyone who is affected by the transfer gathered at the mission office with all of their stuff and met their new companion to head to their new area. That night we had a come to Jesus lesson with Michael and he told us that he was having trouble with the not-smoking. We told him that it would be okay, but that he had to be honest with us or we couldn't help him.  We promised to pray and had a nice discussion on the Atonement.  Friday we had our last actual lesson with Michael and talked about the plan of salvation. We actually went through the whole thing and he seemed to get it pretty well.
Saturday morning we knew was potentially the last day in Del Campo for one of us (surprise! it was the last day for all of us!)  11 days before the end of the transfer we set a goal as a district to teach 100 people about the Book of Mormon and give them a copy before the transfer was over.  Saturday was essentially the last day, and a companionship of elders texted us and said, "Sisters, we're calling you out!  Let's see who can get out the most copies of the Book of Mormon today!"  Suddenly I discovered I do, in fact, have a competitive side.  We went out on bike for the cooler morning hours and were able to place two copies of the Book of Mormon. Throughout the day, we had several people planned and we talked to everyone on the way. We added two new investigators, had a member present lesson, and handed out eight copies of the Book of Mormon. At the end of the day, we were so tired, but so thankful for the many miracles that we had seen that day. The district ended up getting out 97.  SO close!  But still, it was AWESOME. After we got the call that all of us were getting transferred we may or may not have yelled at our Zone Leaders...oops.  Sorry Elder Parker!  We thought he was messing with us and it was NOT funny.  Don't worry, we apologized.  I ate almost an entire carton of ice cream.  Nope, it wasn't a pint.  It wasn't pretty.  But unexpected benefit, ice cream has been significantly less appealing since then.  So perhaps I will get skinny! :)  After we got that call we came home to our door having been adorably decorated by our STL's.  It made us cry even more, but it was so sweet and made us feel loved for sure.  Picture at the bottom.

So now I am with Sister Miller. She is 14 months out and from Riverdale, Utah. She's aight. I'm trying to figure out how to work more effectively with her. We get along just fine but she's very senior companion-y and I always have a hard time finding balance between pushing for things I feel are important and respecting the seniority, thereby avoiding contention. Not that it's been contentious, because it has not.

Elk Grove is nice. I've already made some Galt connections so that's fun. Everyone keeps giving us their garden veggies so I'm eating some healthy fresh lunches and loving it. Tomato sandwiches all the way! 

We had an awesome lesson with a less active lady in the ward that is wanting to come back. She is recognizing how hard it is to change years and years of habits. We read in 3 Nephi, "Will you not come unto me, that I may heal you?" She was really touched by it. It was a special moment for me getting to testify to her of the happiness of keeping the commandments, and of the enabling power of the atonement. The gospel is about change, but we can't change ourselves. Because of the atonement, with Christ's help we can change.

On Saturday we had a baptism! His name is Israel. Obviously we had nothing to do with it because we just got here. So we taught him a lesson on Wednesday and then he was baptized on Saturday. He is sixteen and he is just so awesome. I wish I would've gotten to teach him and watch that process. After he was baptized the closing song was, "I Am a Child of God," he just started crying. And after the prayer everyone got up to get cookies and chat and he just sat there and kept crying. It was the cutest thing. He looked so so happy, and he already has plans to serve a mission. He bore his testimony in church yesterday. He knows it's true.  It was cool to hear his stories of how he came to recognize answers to his prayers, and he knows that when challenging situations come up, to turn to Heavenly Father in prayer.  The kid is solid.  He's going to be converted for life.  It's so fun to see.

There are exciting things going on in the missionary work here.  As a zone we are working on becoming more consecrated missionaries, and becoming more converted so we can have the spirit with us more fully and be more effective.  Based on D&C 64:34 we are working towards offering a broken, willing, and obedient heart to the Lord.  Love you all!  Have a great week!

 p.s. the pictures are an adorable pink Pixar lamp reading light that Sister Christensen bought for me because it is adorable, me and Sister Limb being dorks (picture was taken because I wanted a picture of me wearing that super cute skirt that S. Christensen let me borrow--then she gave it to me because she's the nicest), the door the STL's decorated, and then me with the Morgan's David Archuleta cutout.

 Galt connections! Sister Barfuss and me with Sister Gale from Galt. :)

What's up Saturday?

So say hello to my new p-day!

It feels way weird to be doing this on Saturday. haha. But that's just how it is! It was a nutso week full of fun surprises! Like, I have my own phone and people are calling my #alldayeryday asking me to do stuff. Which is way fun now that I know how to do them! At first it was lame because I was just like... "Elder Anderson?" After every phone call. But now I'm starting to get it. It's fun stuff. Plus on Tuesday, I got to help receive all the new missionaries that came in this transfer and one of them was... Thomas Regis! One of my friends from Bountiful High School! So that was way fun to see him. 

I also got to watch a safety video about driving, because I'm now one of four missionaries in the mission that gets to drive. How fun is that! And that means that if I crash, we've got problems. And Chileans drive like maniacs, so I'll get way good. Part of my job is to do whatever people call and ask me to do, area maps, new name tags, and all the other missionary materials. Also I get to send in all the baptismal forms every week and every month make a numbers report to send to every stake in the mission, also taking pictures and stuff of the activities and conferences and doing other stuff. But it's a good time. And I live in a house with 6 missionaries! Imagine that. And it is pretty fun, and we have 2 showers, so it's not a problem. And we live with the Assistants, so we just get to be buds. 

I hope you guys are all enjoying Autumn! I love Autumn! We're going into spring here, but it's basically the same as winter. Rain, mist, random sunny days. Also, last night we found a new investigator! And she's committed to go to church tomorrow! She's the mom of a recent convert and they are Peruvians. They're really nice, and they do speak a lot differently than the Chileans. It's a lot clearer. 

My companion is awesome, his name is Elder Anderson, he's from Las Vegas (his full name is Justin Kace, funny right?) and he comes from a family of 11 or 12! I don't remember. And the last 6 are all adopted. That's way sweet, right? And he has a scholarship to play Lacrosse at UNC. He's jacked. And so I'm taking advantage of his know how of #gettingshredded so I'm basically gonna get huge. 

I haven't been able to meet that many members yet, but the ones I've met are way nice and helpful. There is a ton of ysa's in the ward, because it's University Ward (that's what it's called) and a lot of recent converts as well. And we teach English every week, it was really fun. Also, if you have any fun didactic ideas to memorize scriptures, they'd be helpful because we're memorizing scriptures together as a mission. Sweet, right?

I read a talk by David A. Bednar that's called Because we have them before our eyes or something but it talks about scripture study. Three ways to study the scriptures, cover to cover-which gives a general knowledge, by theme- which deepens your understanding of every topic, and by connection- which gives you to understand the breadth of the topics as well. That's not word for word, that's just what I remember. I just want to give you all the challenge to read that talk and make the commitment to improve your studying of the scriptures. I just started this week and it's already helped a lot. Teaching in the Savior's way really is the key. But to be able to really do it, we have to obtain a knowledge of His word deeply connected to our hearts through the Holy Spirit, and then we can teach and live in a way that is clear and can open the way for others. Families, spouses, children, friends, whoever. 

I love you all a ton, I hope you have a fantastic week! Take advantage of all the end of summer sales! :)

Love,

Elder Robinson

P.S. Please pray for me that I may be able to see the opportunities for creative service and take them. 

P.P.S. Shout out to my main girls/sisters Sarah (for having a cute little boy) and April (for her baby that's coming in February)!