Late June email

I can't remember where I left off last month and I'm too lazy to find the email to check. So there you are future posterity, your mom/grandma is lazy. So I will start with the street party in celebration of the Queen's Birthday. It was a ward party and they really went all out with classic British games, and timeline of the Queens life, and a cute photo booth.

My first "day off" here I took the train to London to see the Tower of London. Miraculously I made it safely there and back. I got rather lost in the beginning but some sweet older lady stopped me and directed me correctly. People are so thoughtful here. Every time we go out someone stops us and offers to help haul the stroller up the stairs or something of that nature. Just helpful, kind people. The Tower of London was pretty cool. My favorite part was the Crown Jewels. It was just so fascinating the history behind them and watching the film of Queen Elizabeth's coronation. There was a lot of interesting similarities to religious ceremonies. Overall a really intriguing experience. It made me want to learn more about British history. Pretty gruesome stuff with all the executions and things. Cole has warmed up to me now so that is pretty fun. He reaches for me sometimes or just comes over to give me hugs. He's a sweet little thing.

I've had more time for reading than I've had in ages so since I have been here I have read The Scarlet Pimpernel, My Name is Asher Lev, and North and South. I went into London and did a House of Parliament tour. It was interesting to learn how their government runs and to see all the historic art and architecture. Then I took a long walk past the London Eye to get to a place for dinner that was near the Mermaid Theatre, where I met Amy and India to watch the BYU Ballroom Dance team perform. Kind of ironic I had to come to England to do that but it was a pretty fun show. Priscilla Hobbs was in it, so that was cool too. We ended up having to RUN to catch the next train home or we would've had to wait an hour. Thankfully we made it and we got home around midnight. I've had the opportunity to do some last minute filling in for callings since the ward is small so everyone has several callings. One week Amy was teaching Relief Society but also supposed to play piano for primary and Nathan had to make a guest appearance at Primary so I got to play the piano. That was pretty fun. A couple of Sundays ago I ended up with an hour's notice to teach Young Women's. That was good to remind myself how to teach on the fly haha.

Last week I got to traveling trips, so, bonus! I went to London and saw Matilda on stage and wandered around a plaza/shopping area called Covent Garden. That was pretty fun, probably my favorite trip to London yet. Then we went with Amy's cousin and family on the weekend to Stonehenge and Bath.

This week I went with a girl that has been here nannying to the Cliffs of Dover, Dover Castle and the Canterbury Cathedral. It was pretty fun! Canterbury Cathedral was pretty amazing, I thought it was worth the trip. We went to Evensong there so we got to hear the singing echo around those high ceilings. Awesome. Saturday we all went to Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. That was probably my favorite place so far, I thought it was pretty cool. I stayed with the kids Saturday night while Nathan an Amy went on a date and they were actually really good. I bribed them with chocolate. :) So that's my life! Pretty amazing, I'm super spoiled. Love you all!

Charity

Happy Independence Day!

Hello everybody!

I hope that if you haven't seen Independence Day 2, that you can go and see it because it was really good! ;) haha. Just kidding. But I've seen some nice-looking posters of it, it looks nice enough. Anyway....

Manuel is progressing miraculously! He told us on Thursday that he thinks he has taken long enough time thinking about it and that he feels that he should be baptized on the 9th. That's this Saturday!!! Yay!!! So that was pretty amazing. I've never heard anything like that during my whole mission, so that was pretty special. We didn't even have to ask him if he had recieved an answer, he just told us. So he will have his baptismal interview tomorrow. But the members are finally starting to talk to him and he is adjusting well to his new ward family.

Camilo... is fine. But I think he might need a little more time to prepare for his baptism. He hasn't smoked or anthing like that for 4 weeks now, but he just doesn't seem to understand the importance of the Sabbath Day yet because he didn't go again this Sunday. So we'll see how he does in these next coming weeks.

What a cool thing that p-day is independence day! haha. And we get to go have a special 4th of July lunch today with a member that invited us, so that's pretty fun. I feel so blessed to be a citizen of the United States. A place was prepared so that the gospel could restored and Zion could be established. And now her stakes are being established in the whole world, thanks to the example that the US government set of religious freedom. God truly is wise. 

I saw a funny bumper sticker the other day, it said, "I'm not the owner of the world, but I'm the child of the owner." I thought that was pretty cute. haha. 

And President Catala is really cool. He has a lot of fire and love for the work and he gave us a new rule to sing in ever lesson. No problem here. :) haha. And he has a really high vision for what he wants us to achieve and I think it's time, and I believe the Lord will give growth now in preparation for the temple here in Concepcion, if we can just get the local leaders on board.

I know that this church is true and is guided by a living prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I know that Jesus Christ lived and died for us, and that through His everlasting love, we can be perfected in Him. I love you all and hope and pray that you can all feel His love, and help others to feel it too.

Have an amazing week and Happy 4th of July!

Elder Robinson

P.S. Some pictures of our lunch last p day and goodbye President Arrington​

Goodbye Pres Arrington, Welcome Pres Catala

Hello everyone!

This last week I had my last zone conference and I gave my last testimony. Haha. It was fun. It seemed really early, but it was fun to hear the testimonies of all the missionaries that came with me, the whole mission was together for the last conference of President and Hermana Arrington. It was really nice. They gave us all coasters with the Mission Logo and we all signed a chilean flag for them. It was a really spiritual and sentimental conference. They have been really awesome and it will be fun to reconnect with them after. And this wednesday President and Sister Catala will arrive with their 15-year-old son, so we'll have another conference with them on Friday. That will be fun as well! :)

This week was really fun and flew by. Manuel went to church again! Which was really awesome, and there are several members who have already made really good friends with him, so we feel really happy about that. In his prayer this last week he prayed and asked God to permit him to be part of His church. Miracles never cease. I felt so nourished and strengthened by his growing testimony. It really is a delight to teach him and see the positive changes in his life. He is still progressing toward his baptism on the 9th of July. Please continue to pray for him that he will receive strength beyond his own and be able to recognize and follow the answer (or answers) that he is receiving.

Camilo went to church! So that was awesome, but he won't be getting baptized until the 9th of July, please pray for him so that he will continue to study the scriptures and say his prayers to be strengthened as well.

Today has been really fun, too! Chile won the Copa America AGAIN! yesterday. So a member invited us over to eat a chorrillana which was really delicious and we also played what are the odds which turned out to be really hilarious. :) 

It's a pleasure to serve, and when we learn to love to obey His command, is when the light of the gospel really starts to make lives change. 

Love you all! Have an amazing week!

Elder Robinson

All the elders from my group at the conference on Friday!​

Hello everybody!

Well, since I wrote way late last week, we decided to write early this week! :) haha. This last week was pretty cool. I had an exchange with a Brazilian elder who got to the mission 2 weeks ago! I couldn't understand him way well, but he was learning Spanish pretty quickly. His name is Elder Ribeiro. He's from the northern part of Brazil. It was a cool experience, though. 

We also had zone conference this last week, and we had it all by ourselves! haha. It was still really fun, though. And we had tacos again, because they were really good, so I'll send some pictures of that. :) And this week we have another conference for the farewell of President and Sister Arrington. They leave next week, and the new President, President and Sister Catala, will arrive on the 29th. So then we'll probably have another conference to meet them! But that's for next week.

We found a totally golden investigator this week! His name is Manuel. He went to a baptism that the sisters had here in our ward, and he went to church yesterday. He accepted and committed to a baptismal date for the 9th of July! He needs your prayers. He's really awesome, though. A nice guy, and a gentlemen. He doesn't drink or smoke, or drink tea or coffee. Así de dorado. So we're pretty excited to continue working with him, and he was actually a reference that we received from Camilo! So that was fun. But Camilo actually didn't go to church yesterday, sad times, please continue praying for Camilo so that he can receive the strength and make decision to repent and be baptized.

I love this work. I feel so humbled and grateful to be a part of it. I hope that everyone can find the joy that we have all felt, because I know that everyone has felt the pain and hopelessness of being alone. And what a joyful opportunity we have to help them feel the love and joy even as Alma did. "18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death. 19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. 20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! 21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy." Alma 36

Have a beautiful week! I love you all a ton!

Elder Robinson

Zona Tomé!​

​The game we played in zone conference​

​And here's me and Elder Hartvigsen (he came with me) at a private beach in my area. :)​

Jesus Christ is ALWAYS nearby

Hello everyone!

I don't have a ton of time today, because we had a really long zone activity. It was really cool, though. We went through a long tunnel to get to a private beach. It was cool, but the tunnel was really dark and we couldn't see anything, but some people had brought flashlights, so we were saved. Hurray! :) 

Camilo went to church yesterday! So that was pretty awesome. And he didn't smoke for the whole week! Impressive. So please please continue to pray for him so that he can be prepared for his baptism on July 2nd, and so that he can continue to progress towards eternal life afterwards as well.

Our mission president shared part of Elder Renlund's talk with us from the last general conference. I'd like to share it with you: 

"The closer we are to Jesus Christ in the thoughts and intents of our hearts, the more we appreciate His innocent suffering, the more grateful we are for grace and forgiveness, and the more we want to repent and become like Him. The sacrament truly helps us know our Savior. It also reminds us of His innocent suffering. If life were truly fair, you and I would never be resurrected; you and I would never be able to stand clean before God. In this respect, I am grateful that life is not fair.

At the same time, I can emphatically state that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, ultimately, in the eternal scheme of things, there will be no unfairness. "All that is unfair about life can be made right." Our present circumstances may not change, but through God's compassion, kindness, and love, we will all receive more than we deserve, more than we can ever earn, and more than we can ever hope for. We are promised that "God shall wipe away all tears from [our] eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." No matter where you stand in your relationship to God, I invite you to draw nearer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, the Ultimate Benefactors and Givers of all that is good. I invite you to attend sacrament meeting each week and partake of the holy emblems of the Savior's body and blood. I invite you to feel God's nearness as He is made known to you, as He was to the disciples of old, in the "breaking of [the] bread." As you do, I promise that you will feel nearer to God. . . . As we draw closer to God, the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ will come into our lives. And, as with the disciples on the way to Emmaus, we will find that the Savior has been nearby all along."

This really touched me and reminded me that Jesus Christ is always nearby. I love the picture of Jesus knocking at the door. He seems to be listening as well. Attentively listening to hear if we will come, and hoping that we will. 

I love you all and I hope you have an amazing week and remember that He is always nearby. 

Love,

Elder Robinson

Testimony

Hey guys!

Well this week went by really fast! And it was really cold. haha. We got lost a couple times because it's a really big area and I don't have very much time yet in the area, so that was pretty great! haha. But it actually wasn't bad. And there were some pretty incredible breakthroughs and we saw some unexpected miracles. 

Well first off, I want to give a shout out to Susan, for participating in the missionary work. It was really incredible. There's this guy named Camilo, and his twin's name is Matias, and they love the missionaries. Matias is a member, and he is waiting for his mission call. Camilo is not a member, but he's read the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, and just has not been baptized because he's scared to leave his old life behind and make the decision. He's been listening to missionaries for 2 years now, and this week we decided to just light him up a little bit, we taught repentance, and committed him to stop smoking and to prepare to be baptized on the 2nd of July. I've never taught so boldly I don't think. And he accepted and committed to go to church. He showed up right on time but didn't want to go in because he was on his way to lunch. I was really sad, so I told him that I felt deceived and sad, and let them go. He called yesterday evening but I couldn't answer, and then he called again today. ( new paragraph for a long story )

I answered and he told me that he had been talking to Susan on Facebook and that she had shared her testimony with him and I think a scripture as well, and he said that it touched him that my niece already knew it, and that he knew it too, and said that he is going to make the decision now and be baptized; he has been 3 days without smoking now and is reading the scriptures. Please pray for him so that he may be blessed by the joy of this amazing gospel.

There was another cool miracle too, but I don't have time, so it will have to be for later. But I love you all a ton and I hope you all remember the importance and power of testimony. 

Con Mucho Amor,

Elder Robinson

P.S. Here's some pictures from this last week! We ate pizza and played soccer with the zone today! And one with my comp! Elder VARGAS!!!

Well the first half of this month was covered in my missionary emails so I will go from there. Returning from my mission on the 21st was surreal. It was strange how normal it was. It felt like I never left and that was odd since I felt like I had an entire life' sporty of experience in that time. I had some fun family time at the family reunion and enjoyed following everyone around and snuggling babies. The rest of my time was spent frantically trying to get everything in order to go to England. I ended up not packing for it until the night before. I made some poor packing choices--I'm freezing here and will have to buy some sweat pants to keep warm. So that's all of May but I guess I will go into the first week of June so there' something actually worth reading haha.

Attending a celebration for the Queen's birthday this Saturday. Stay tuned on that. Today in testimony meeting one of the sisters lept out of her seat to bear her testimony. I was wondering what was so urgent she needed to talk about. She proceeded to bear her testimony as follows, "With the Queen's birthday coming up this Saturday I have been thinking of how blessed we are to have a Royal Family (Spirit fingers here). I hope we are all pondering on that and thinking about it this week. That's all I'm going to say. Amen." Ha! Oh boy. So I hope this Queen's birthday programme (look, I'm already spelling wrong) lives up to the expectations we've been given.

We went to the Science Museum in London as well as Tower Bridge. Tower Bridge was cool, a portion of it has a glass floor so you can stand on it and feel like you are going to die haha. Today we walked around a gorgeous garden and castle ruins. Living the dream! I get some pretty fun snuggles from the Portia. Fun!