New investigator!

We found a new person this week!  It was cool.  Sister Naylor was fasting to find a prepared person.  I would have joined her but I can't fast because then my headaches get so bad I can't work.  So...I decided it's better I don't.  But anyway as she was praying she kept having the name "Lucille" come into her head.  So she started praying for Lucille.  We talked about it and thought of Lucy, the neighbor of a newer member of the ward.  We decided to go see her.  She let us right in and we just got chatting with her and asking about her religious background.  We explained some things kind of more as friends.  Such as historical context and background of the Book of Mormon, and the need for a restoration.  She already had a Book of Mormon that she had purchased from a used book store a while back.  She said she would read some and we have an appointment with her Tuesday!  So it's exciting.  On the way out of her house I asked her if Lucy was her full name.  She said, "No, my name is Lucille."  And then lots of mental screaming and freaking out happened. :) But it was all in my head, no worries.  So we found Lucille!

Eva wasn't all that excited when we called her but we're still hoping.  

This weekend was a little crazy!  We had to babysit another missionary.  Her name is Sister Jones, and she has had some health issues for a long time and decided to go home. She also had serious problems with her companion so it was a bit of an emergency to get them away from each other.  So she flew home today, but spent the weekend with us.  We had to get a bed dragged in our room and it honestly was babysitting.  She was so done with being here and also was pretty emotionally unstable so we just worked to keep her happy.  I think we really helped her though, so it was good.  We had fun with her.  Yesterday we came home from church after sacrament meeting because my head hurt too much to stay.  I was in bed most of the day. :( It was lame.  The chiropractor this morning gave up on being able to fix me since there's been so little improvement.  That was a little discouraging, but it will all work out!

The deaf sister is going home this week.  She spoke in church.  Which means she signed and her companion spoke the words.  At the end she did her best to bear her testimony with her voice.  I understood most of it.  It was pretty cool.  She's a great sister, it's been fun to see her impact others.  Today we are going to play bubble soccer!  Look it up on google, it should come up with something.  Basically we are all in plastic bubbles and run into each other trying to play soccer.  Should be fun!  I may not be able to play long because it will probably hurt my head...but I'm gonna try!  Pictures next week.  Love you all! Oh and transfers are next week so I will write on Tuesday.

Sister Robinson

New investigator!

We found a new person this week!  It was cool.  Sister Naylor was fasting to find a prepared person.  I would have joined her but I can't fast because then my headaches get so bad I can't work.  So...I decided it's better I don't.  But anyway as she was praying she kept having the name "Lucille" come into her head.  So she started praying for Lucille.  We talked about it and thought of Lucy, the neighbor of a newer member of the ward.  We decided to go see her.  She let us right in and we just got chatting with her and asking about her religious background.  We explained some things kind of more as friends.  Such as historical context and background of the Book of Mormon, and the need for a restoration.  She already had a Book of Mormon that she had purchased from a used book store a while back.  She said she would read some and we have an appointment with her Tuesday!  So it's exciting.  On the way out of her house I asked her if Lucy was her full name.  She said, "No, my name is Lucille."  And then lots of mental screaming and freaking out happened. :) But it was all in my head, no worries.  So we found Lucille!

Eva wasn't all that excited when we called her but we're still hoping.  

This weekend was a little crazy!  We had to babysit another missionary.  Her name is Sister Jones, and she has had some health issues for a long time and decided to go home. She also had serious problems with her companion so it was a bit of an emergency to get them away from each other.  So she flew home today, but spent the weekend with us.  We had to get a bed dragged in our room and it honestly was babysitting.  She was so done with being here and also was pretty emotionally unstable so we just worked to keep her happy.  I think we really helped her though, so it was good.  We had fun with her.  Yesterday we came home from church after sacrament meeting because my head hurt too much to stay.  I was in bed most of the day. :( It was lame.  The chiropractor this morning gave up on being able to fix me since there's been so little improvement.  That was a little discouraging, but it will all work out!

The deaf sister is going home this week.  She spoke in church.  Which means she signed and her companion spoke the words.  At the end she did her best to bear her testimony with her voice.  I understood most of it.  It was pretty cool.  She's a great sister, it's been fun to see her impact others.  Today we are going to play bubble soccer!  Look it up on google, it should come up with something.  Basically we are all in plastic bubbles and run into each other trying to play soccer.  Should be fun!  I may not be able to play long because it will probably hurt my head...but I'm gonna try!  Pictures next week.  Love you all! Oh and transfers are next week so I will write on Tuesday.

Sister Robinson

I'm basically famous.

Haha. So here in Chile, I'm basically famous. :) haha.

This week the ap's called to ask if I could help train a football team here in Concepción. They had heard that I played for a year in high school and I was one of three missionaries in the mission that had ever played receiver on a team. haha. I played for half of a season. :) but it was awesome and the whole team treated us like kings. And after every run they were all asking me for advice and what they could do better, so I took advantage of their receptivity and shared a spiritual thought with them. It was awesome. It was really fun. 

Also, although my companion is still in a lot of pain, he has been able to work all day every day this past week, so things are looking up. Your prayers are working, thanks for the help. :)

We've had some good progress this week. We have two investigators with baptismal dates, and the members are really stepping it up to help us out and we have a less active family with a temple date this year! Woohoo!

 And the weather's been really nice this past week, but they say it's gonna rain this week, and when it rains here... you better hope that you have a really bright pass along card because there is no one outside because there are little rivers in the roads. But the good thing is that all the Chileans have to buy bread daily. The daily bread scripture works really well for them. So we just have to go into the little negocios to contact them while they're buying bread. Bread here is second to nothing. Not even water. So there's a little culture fact.

This week we had a talent show in the ward, and I sang a song with the other missionaries in the ward (it was Demons by Imagine Dragons), and there were several families that had stuff prepared. It's really funny, because from what I understand, the same people do the same thing every talent show. haha. One family danced the cueca (which is the national dance of Chile) and that was really entertaining. It was a really fun time. :)

I've seen a big impact done this week by example. People always talk about the importance of leading first by example. Preach the gospel; if necessary, use words, right? Well, I saw it this week. There's a mom in the ward that isn't baptized, Nancy, the investigator that changed houses. And her two daughters are members, one less active, and the other recently denounced her atheist beliefs. But Nancy is always telling them that they need to believe and have faith and go to church and do the things that correspond to their baptism. But now that she can get baptized she has doubts, which is natural. But she finally accepted a baptismal date this week. So that was good. But I just saw so clearly in her daughter that she was really following her example. I had seen it before in the good example part, but never so clearly in that it works the other way around. So if you want your kids or your spouse to be more helpful or more loving or fight less, or clean more, be the example - spirit begets spirit likeness. It's really true.

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week and that my letters aren't too boring. :) Thanks for your love and support, it honestly makes a huge difference.

Love,

Elder Robinson

P.S. Please pray for me that I may be an example and a worthy representative of Christ.

pictures

 

I am holding a cashew nut here. The small thing on the bottom is the nut and the yellow thing is the fruit. The fruit is edible and it is kind of sweet but I  didn't like it very well. There are other cashew nuts on the tree that do not have the fruit with it. It is pretty labor intensive to get the nut out without just smashing it. I guess that is why they are so expensive.
We are going to the north part of the Island this week for a YSA conference for the whole mission. they expect about 500 people. We were asked to give a workshop on "Self Reliance". We will see if we can keep it interesting for one hour. I will let you know how it goes.
Mother is reading the Sneeches to these children. This picture does not show all of the children, there were about 30 of them.

 

Wow! A lot of writing but it all went so fast April 18-April 24 2015

Saturday -yesterday I found an ant in my scriptures, today I found two, quote Ray, "sweet is the word."😄. I guess.  It is very hot now and it does not cool at night.--at least not enough to sleep well.  We went to Jalandoni at 10:00; Sister Cagape brought us lunch and at 1:00 a career counseling fireside was held with speakers from two government agencies, DOLE ( Department of Labor and Employment).  There were about 50 people who attended.  The lady from the government put her hand under my chin and told me, "You are so beautiful."  That felt great!  Usually everyone is calling Ray "guapo" meaning handsome.  At 3:00 there was a stake self reliance meeting.  At 4:00 there was choir practice.  They recruited me because there were no sopranos.  Today with me, there were three of us; four altos; 6 tenors; 4 basses; this is stake choir.  It was fun.  The two sopranos got on both sides of me so that they can keep in tune.  They think I'm good.😜. After choir, we went straight to Mandurriao for 3 baptisms!  7:30 home.  It has been a great week.
Sunday (3rd-fast) We went to Mandurriao for church then home to end our fast.  Next we went to LaPuz business class--they were so excited to have us come!  (It was like a double Perry Family welcome)!  They wanted me to tell stories to inspire them.😊. I told them about how I use to put eggs in 12 egg cartons and I was so careful not to break any but my dad must have thought I was too slow.  He told me to use both hands.  I would be twice as fast.  After the class, we hurried to Jalandoni for choir practice.  This time many sopranos showed up but only one alto and she was a first-timer so I moved to alto.  Late others came but still I was needed in the alto.  They served pamahow(snack) in the middle.  It was a hot ginger drink that they make and dip biscotti, a not too sweet dry cracker-like cookie.  It was good and healthy, I think.  I am going to learn how to do it so I can serve it to my family when I get home.  We finished at 6:30 and hurried to Arquolas where we were invited for a 7:00 pm farewell dinner for Sister Haun--last Sunday--leaves Monday afternoon.  They served shrimp, chicken, pork soaked in oyster juice.  I was taken by surprise after I ate two bites of pork.  I will have to more cautious .  My lip had a small swelling but not for long.  The Lord has truly protected me.  Home at 8:30.
Monday 8:45 we picked up Sister Haun and Sister Daroy.  Sister Daroy will meet her new companion today.  Sister Haun and Sister Smith fly out tomorrow for home in the United States so we took the for a buffet luncheon at the Promenade so they would experience a fancy restaurant in the Philippines.  We returned them to the mission office and let them use my iPad to write their last emails for the last time from the mission.  After all our business, we gather our things that we needed...s speaker, computer...to take to Cozzens for fhe.  We will show them "Meet the Mormons".  We were surprised when we arrived.  They had invited her sisters and brothers families also.  Dinner was had after.  They live all in the same corner of the baranguy.  Four families came to join to watch from the small Apple computer.  It turned out great and testimonies were born.
Tuesday we did the departing missionaries career workshop.  We returned all six missionaries to Arevalo for their departure to the airport.  We went back to Jalandoni and had pizza with Sister Cagape while we waited for Boiser to call to pick he and his wife up at the wharf.  After picking them up, we returned to Jalandoni to leave the church vehicle behind locked gates no the four of us took a taxi to Ortiz wharf going to Guimeras.  Cushiness picked us up there and we checked out three places to stay overnight but they were all full.  It is mango festival time, so we eventually found a fourth place and stayed there.  In our driving, we found TESDA and stopped and visited with them about schooling our members and partnering up with them for the benefit of all.  They were very eager.  Our hotel was nice because it was not far from where Cushings live and they are graciously driving us all around.  The six of us went to the Pit Stop for dinner along with the new District Presidency and their wives.  We had a private room where we could have a meeting and Boiser explained about  the "My Path" initiative.  He also talked about the poverty rates among Filipinos at large and the rates under members and active members.  It was 9:00  pm before we finished and returned to the hotel.
Wednesday Ray showered and I was exercising and when I went to shower, there was no water.  Ray went to check on the situation and they said they were working on it.  A agh!  I can't get dressed without a shower.  Good news:  it was fixed within about 15-20 minutes.  Yeah!  It is good to have reminders of the blessings from the Lord.  Cushings picked us all up at 7:30 and took us to their house to have a grand breakfast--make your own fruit bowls with watermelon, cantaloupe, papaya, pineapple, coconut strings, banana, mango.  Plus boiled eggs, fried in coconut oil potatoes--it was a spread.  So nice of them.  After breakfast, we picked up Ren-Paul on our way to the boat ride  to the Marine Center.  There were fish that are male until three years old and they get big and turn into female.  And another fish that was just the opposite.  It was all very fascinating.  And a huge LaPu-lapu fish that we took a picture of as it put its face right at the top of the water.  After the boat trip back, we stopped at a monastery and then we stopped at a little shop for lunch.  Cushings took us back to the wharf for our return to Iloilo.  Boiser and Anne took a taxi to the wharf to Bacolod and we took a taxi to Jalandoni to get the mission truck that we drive.  We are worn out.  It is super hot.  Oh Wow!  The Sorillas are having us--the district for dinner at 7:00.  It is always delicious at their house.  And we so enjoyed their daughter, Kate.  She is a nurse.  She also studied in England for her MBA.  She is a really neat girl and we love to hear her talk about her experiences in England and the culture shock she experienced in coming home to the Philippines😊.  9:30 home.
Thursday we picked up our district leader, Elder Chapman.  He is very quiet and he has not been here for only one transfer, so he was a little uncomfortable about being transferred again.  But it turned out well.  He was transferred to Tigbuaun.  We took him to the mission office in Arevalo.  Transfers, 9 new missionaries...the excitement is always so fun.  Our zone leader, Eneja is going to Molo😓 but he will still be in our zone😃. Yeah!  We are a little attached to him!   He will be assigned a problem elder, but he is so fun.  Obedience feels fun with him.  He can do this challenge.  After leaving everyone at the mission office, we went to Jalandoni to work on our presentation for next week for the single adults on self reliance at a resort in Roxas.  Ray is not feeling well.  I ate.  The cleaning lady came.  It takes her about 1 1/2 hours and we pay her 200P which is usually a full days good pay.  It equals less than $5.  We returned to the center for a self reliance meeting.  Ray started the meeting with a song and a prayer and then a thought "Nay speak No Ill"-- one of the songs we will sing for stake conference.  It changed the mood of the meeting.  Whew...
Friday at 6:00am we arrived at the Plaza Libertad and had a csm (community service project).  Tomorrow is national service day.  I scraped all around the rods of a fence.  Ray painted them.  Plus many others were working.  There are two fences all around the plaza.  There were .many there from Iloilo stake and Elder Eneja was there and he started on one end and we met in the middle twice.  Three hours later with arms like rags, we came home, exercised, showered, and took a rest.  Then at 2:00 we went to Molo Ward to read to about 30 plus children and about six adults listened in.  I read Dr. Seuss:  Horton Hatches the Egg, The Sneetches and other stories, and Chrysanthemum.  It was very fun and they all loved it, especially me.  They asked me to come back next week but we are busy.  Next was Jalandoni and choir practice from 4-6:  "Nay Speak no Ill", "home Can Be a Heaven on Earth", and "How Beautiful Thy Temples, Lord".  Today we ended up having 8 sopranos,5 altos, 8 tenors, and 7 basses.  We are tired.  I made some ginger tea.  Ray has had a fever flu for three days and I just started with some mild symptoms but I think the ginger tea really helped me.  It has cooled some today which made it really nice for the csm.  Today is probably between 80-90.  It is more comfortable.  It rained last night.  Perhaps the dry hot/hot season will soon be over.
What a great blessing to be part of the Lords army in these last days!  God be with you until we meet again, Sister Robinson III, Mom, Grandma

Charity

Sister Robinson with President and Sister Jardine

Charity

Sister Robinson with President and Sister Jardine