Mondays

I’ll have to say I love mondays. We get to stay in bed until 6am, I get to eat breakfast, I have time to wash clothes, exercise my knee, and do some baking. AND find the missionary emails to read?!  

Monday April 29:  we rode the bike 5 miles

Tuesday: I had left my recommend in the temple and the presidency wasn’t there yet to let me in so finally a sister said she would go to the fourth floor, find my bag and get it out of my pocket. Ugh. Hoping to do better this week. 

I discovered one of the ladies here is related to Lucy Gibbons from Bountiful and Renee Packer—-they are all sisters, maiden name Wood. She said we are related to the Woods from Burley. Their father was Grandpa and Grandma Stokes bishop there. 

We, all the senior couple missionaries were blessed to attend an endowment session at 11:30 today. Right now there are only two endowment sessions a day. 

We rode the bike 6 miles today

Wednesday we rode only 5—6 turned out to be too much as I had a lot of swelling. 

Thursday we did seal some families, we were trained in the Nauvoo baptistery area, and Sarah sent me a dicky for my neck and it works great!  And after our temple time we went to Keokuk and had Mexican food. Their green sauce has lime in it and very different and yummy. We started our bike ride but got rained out in two blocks. We came home and played Chinese checkers!  Yay😂. Dad won. I discovered why I like to play———-I love the bright colors!

Friday, of course you understand I just tell the extra things we do. Every day we are in the temple. I exercised and rode the bike four miles. 

Saturday we rode about four miles and discovered a flat tire so we had to walk back. We are assigned baptistery on Saturdays so we were trained there again.

It was interesting because four Elders came in to do baptisms and there was a black girl that wanted to have it performed for her names in Haitian. The temple printed it up, laminated it and one of the Elders seemed to know how to read and pronounce it.  The girl was just beaming, her own native language!  After our session at the temple at 7:30 we drove over to Keokuk and purchased a new tire for the bike. 

Sunday after church, we drove to the old Nauvoo cemetery, dad took some pictures. Groberg’s stopped over and saw BYU tv on and asked dad to come make theirs work. He did and showed them how to do it. So that was fun. At 5:00, we went to Palmer’s apartment and broke the fast with them and two other senior missionary couples, everyone brought something. We stayed and visited until 8:00 pm. 

The weather here is perfect. We love you all. Btw, Brother Palmer served in the Philippines when he was an Elder.  That was fun for us to hear about. ❤️. 

Our sort of regular schedule

Tuesday we get up at 5 am so we can be at tHe temple at 5:50; we get our temple clothes on and report to our meeting at 6:20 on the third floor after we pick up our schedule for the day. Mostly we are rotated every 30 minutes. We work until 11:30. Then we may have a meeting after. When we get home we have lunch, take a nap( do dishes) and go for a bike ride. We are up to 5 miles now. Read scriptures I’d we didn’t get it done and relax. I make some kind of snack for evening and we go to bed.

Wednesday is almost the same but start is an hour later 7:00-12:15. This last Wednesday we biked to the sewing room and they offered to hem my temple dress and make a scarf out of the hem, which I will try to use for my neck and see if that works to ward off the air conditioning. Our neighbors, the Groberg’s, he is a documentary film maker, they know Raymond from the old stake.  They lent us his film on the Nauvoo Temple, “Sacred Stone”. It was really greatly inspirational.

Same schedule on Thursday except I left my recommend in the temple so I had to wait to get permission to go in and I forgot another dress since I had taken my other one to be hemmed, so I had to borrow one from the temple.  So you see what being upset set me up for for the next day.  

Thursday same schedule

Friday I made sourdough bread and it turned out perfectly. So I took some to the neighbors, Groberg’s and some to the counselor in the temple presidency. 

Our schedule on Friday is 2pm-7:15 pm (our schedule said) but after we got to the temple we found out that the second and fourth Fridays are two hours later because the wards and stakes have an extra endowment session for their conferences.  Before we went to the temple we had our bike We finish at the temple after 9pm.  But I had a wonderful day. A girl just came up to me in the celestial room and gave me a hug and made friends. Later the next day she was looking for me because she forgot my name and wanted it in her journal. Wasn’t that so nice!

Saturday schedule was 12:15-5:00pm. Dad had a neat experience in the sealing room.  He was asked to help there in a session and the patrons were Joseph Smoths third great grandson. That was really neat. 

We rode our bike and went to a restaurant that opened the day before on Main STREET. IT WAS HAMBURGERS AND HOT DOGS. funny. We went to Groberg’s with the other two couples that live in our building, the Wilkerson’s (he had a PHD and couldn’t get a job except teaching high school). , the other couple are Whittier’s from California.  He started with his dads company and it was going out so he was clever and made a new company out of it. We visited and played a game “ Buzz Word”. It was a lot of fun

Sunday we went to church in the ward we’ve been assigned 9 am in Nauvoo.  It was Aprils birthday and we were invited to Groberg’s for dinner (roast beef, potatoes, carrots, peas, gravy, rolls.  😊. I know you were waiting for the food😊. And I took dessert:  lime truffle pie.  It turned out yummy👍. Between church and dinner, we drove to Carthage and went to the jail and enjoyed our time there visiting the sight of the martyrdom.  It was a precious week.  I’m very grateful to have my own picked companion of 54 years almost. Since were the longest married in the family, I’ll say that it gets better.  Hold on during those times that feel difficult—this shall pass away.  A covenant relationship is the true plan of happiness. We’re all becoming, not arriving.  We love you all, Mom, Grandma

Repentance by Grandma Robinson

 I guess this is why I come on missions so might sins can become clearer to me.  So as in bountiful the temple leaders stress being kind, loving kindness—no matter what someone is wearing or looks like AND we want to accommodate everyone as we are able. Everyone is doing their best.

On Monday we were given the opportunity to participate in an endowment. I didn’t wear my ear muffs or my neck fur, thinking that it wasn’t hot yet so the air conditioning wouldn’t be on in the temple. Since my surgery on my ear in 12th grade, my ear and neck have been sooo sensitive. I was miserable in the session.  My neck and ear hurt so that I wrapped my hands around my neck as best I could.  We’ll, on Tuesday I now knew that I needed my neck fur and ear muffs.  We’ll, within an hour, I was taken to the clothing and asked to remove my fur and substitute a shawl. I was embarrassed and upset (hurt). No explanation of why I wear it—just that it was distracting.  My response outside was good but I had troubled feelings. This did not jive with what they said.  I knew I had to repent. These leaders are Gods servants, ordained and set apart.  

Now my insights from October 2022 general conference, Elder Kevin Pearson:  speaking of the sacrament “that they do always remember Him”. My notes:  no matter—joys or sorrows, ALL things bear witness of Him.  It’s my challenge to find Him and let all experiences show me how to be like Him.  I can trust His plan to help me change and become. I can feel joy in the tempest, knowing and trusting, He will change my heart and sanctify me through the process.  Hurting can purify me. Joy can bring me strength and hope. 

Be in holy places—no matter where we are; keep Christ as our companion, our goal. 

So this was a big one for me.  The couple was doing the best they knew how.  They were set apart.  And I can thank my Savior for letting me see my own weaknesses and repent. I haven’t change overnight but at least I know it’s my opportunity and it’s up to me whether it’s a blessing or a curse.  (I’m working through it). 

So this is just to bless your lives when you come upon a hurt.  You can turn to our Lord Jesus Christ. He can purify me.  I’m so thankful to know where to look for my own “troubled” feelings and where I can turn to be purified and sanctified.

We are still going through training. And making friends and riding bikes 4 miles plus.  

PS. The next day after, I lost my recommend, I forgot my temple dress and I had an earache and neck ache and I had left my packet where we were not suppose to leave it. Knowing I wanted to repent and getting there is not immediate yet but I’m on my way. 

I love you all. I’m so thankful for your testimonies. Do all the things you learned in primary and we’ll find ourselves all together with Him here and hereafter. 

Grandma Robinson

Nauvoo Temple Mission News

We started packing for this mission as soon as we got our call. You would think we wouldn’t forget anything😔Our purple pillows!  We tried sleeping on rolled up blankets. Ugh. We ordered new pillows and they came today👍👌💕

We were set apart Sunday at 4:30 by President Kevin Eubank with Bishop Bills, Nathan and Jonathon assisting. That was so nice. We were blessed that our family at home would be blessed and taken care of.  (So watch for the blessings and tell us about the ones you see with the Lords hand. ). We were promised we would be protected in our travels. We were told that we had been chosen for this particular assignment in this particular place. People will be drawn to us and those on the other side of the veil, their presence will be felt and known by us.  Our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren will be influenced by our example.  This service will bless our family around the world.  We will come to know with even greater clarity of the mission of Joseph Smith and the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any challenges will be resolved and will not interfere with our service.

We stayed overnight in motels Tuesday and Wednesday and swam and walked in both pools and soaked in both hot tubs. We stopped Thursday and purchased fresh food before crossing the bridge into Nauvoo.  Our host couple, Elder and Sister Whitney met us at our apartment with the key and helped us unload the car and fed us a wonderful dinner. 

Friday we woke, read our scriptures, ate sourdough pancakes with blueberries and blackberries and lemon curd syrup and bacon. Stirred up crumpets for the rest of the week and went for a bike ride 2 miles. Whitney’s showed us the mailroom, sewing room, and checked out the goods at the winery (grape juice, crackers, popcorn…). 

Saturday read scriptures, toured the newly acquired Red Brick Store. All the things are gone but the dialogue by the missionaries is better than candy , Dad said.  We went to Keokuk for a few more groceries. 

Sunday our church is at 9:00 in Nauvoo and at some point we’ll have a primary assignment there.  Our new friends, the Grover’s live next door and have the same assignment. We had them over to eat on Sunday lunch and we were all set apart by a member of the Temple presidency. 

It’s been busy and fun!  Love Grandma Robinson

Week of 21 March - 28 March

We arrived in Seattle from Hawaii 8:55 am Saturday morning.  The airport in Seattle was almost empty.  We rode an airport train to our next plane for Salt Lake. We arrived in Salt Lake around noon.  Now we are under quarantine for 14 days because of the corona-19 virus pandemic.  The mission in Hawaii has been chaotic. New information arriving twice daily.  President and Sister having meetings over the phones to give more information, more updates. So many young missionaries having to return to their own countries along with any senior missionaries returning home because of the age the virus seems to like best. First it was announced that we MAY go home; 12 hours later, you will go home.  This was the order of things daily.  Now no young missionaries can go out of their apartments except to get food or exercise. And senior missionaries are home. Well, those who had a place to quarantine.  Others who had people living in their homes or who had sold their homes, went to places they found to rent to quarantine.

Our stake president, President Jackson had already contacted us to make sure we had a place to quarantine and ask if there was anything we needed.  We are so blessed.  We have an apartment where we have been quarantined, our dear, wonderful children put food in the cupboards and refrigerator, wash our sheets, cleaned...Raymond and Julie, Mike and April, Jonathon and Charity have been bringing groceries, bringing food all prepared.  It doesn’t get any better.  Unless, there could be 5 more children and families living closer also.

Sunday it was nice we could hear the service upstairs as the piano played in Robinson III home.  We had popcorn which made our day as we poured butter on skinny popcorn. 

Monday I began to call some of you and we settled in more, washing and cleaning.  I probably mop the floor every day because I’m just watching it   Then today I HAD A BREAK THROUGH.  The thought came to me that I could do something for someone else:  read a story every day to my grandkids! 

Tuesday I started reading Mary Engelbreit fairy tales, one a day.  How this has cheered me!  I definitely am getting the most charge to my spirit this way.

Wednesday the Mueller Park Tenth Ward found a way to welcome the missionaries home with isolation and social distancing going on, they drove their cars to the church parking lot with signs saying “Welcome home, missionaries” and drove by our place ina nice long line honking everyone.  Yes, that was a huge boost to our spirits.  It is difficult coming home and not being able to gather and hug.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday has been more adjusting.  It is very lonely for two people shut up.  But groceries and food keep coming and it’s starting to feel like we could get use to this life. Dad came up with an idea to drive around temple square and look from the road to see what we could see happening.  Outside walls are coming down, south visitors center is gone and work continues on making temple square even better.  Interesting that it is also being made more earthquake ready.  On one of these days, we felt another earthquake as I sat in my fat reading chair.  Dad was bouncing so he couldn’t tell. 

We are over halfway of quarantine but we can’t see how much will change after that; we just will be sure we’re not carrying the virus. We have a sweet peace between us and are grateful to have each other.  

I also called my mother, Grandma Stokes during the week.  I don’t think she remembered we were gone and didn’t even say when was I coming over?  She and Harold seem to be settled and happy at Jamestown courtyard now.  That felt wonderful.  Harold expressed how glad he was that we were home from Hawaii.

During the week, a sister from the mission department called and talked with Dad, asking all kinds of questions and then told him we were being put on “leave” status so we can be called back up to serve.  

We’ve come to the idea that it doesn’t matter where we serve but that we serve.  Service by itself is its own reward and then when we get to teach the gospel by example or by training, or by assisting, the Lord labors with us as we keep His commandments in His vineyard.  

Love you each one, Elder and Sister Robinson (we have not been released yet).

Last week in Hawaii Honolulu Mission

We let the Davis couple into the office on Saturday, March 14 to familiarize themselves with the housing files.  Then we enjoyed the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center as it will close after today.  We went to the different island exhibits, drank and ate a fresh coconut, had dinner at the Prime Rib buffet and watched the Ha Breath of life show.  While we were walking around, we went to a ukelele demonstration of how they are made and while there, we talked with a Filipino from Iloilo.  We spent at least an hour talking with her.  She knew everyone we knew.  It was so delightful.   Also when we went for dinner, our friends the Newman's from Jerome were taking tickets so we had a lovely visit with them.  They are serving at the PCC.  Tim repairs the boats used there and Fran works in the plant nursery.   

Sunday we were scheduled to speak in the Manoa Ward but church was cancelled because of the coronaviras-19.  We did have church at the President's home and were blessed to partake of the sacrament in renewing our covenants with the Lord and we had testimonies for one hour and then back to apartments.  Each zone in Honolulu repeated this on their own turns and time during the day.  How blessed we are to know and to participate in the sacrament, the symbols of the Lord's atonement, his sacrifice to allow us to be reunited with our Father in heaven, to be forgiven of every big and little sin, a time to ponder and become aware of what we need to know to become one, or to become like Him.  Every personal revelation can show us our own weakness and offer a chance to change .  If it weren't for Jesus Christ, there would be no hope, no resurrection, no repentance,...but He did come, He did die, He was resurrected and He lived that we might know His character and His works that we might learn of Him and adjust our behaviors and allow our hearts to look to Him and become more than we could without Him.  

Monday we had a senior missionary meeting with the President over conference call and learned that some seniors may go home—that's us...yes, because of my asthma.  By evening there were more directions:  all seniors will go home except office staff.  And we were just changed from office staff last week to mls (member leadership support).  

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday was constant change of direction going from more and more missionaries to return home.  It was constant change and our poor leaders could hardly keep up with the new directions, which seemed to come hourly.  The world was changing constantly:  countries closing their borders, requiring foreigners to return to their own countries, parents calling in panic, the constant need for reassurances ...

At the same time the calm reassurance for God's prophet that this will pass but how exciting to see the Lord's hand in all things.  He is in charge.  There is no need to fear but to watch in anticipation and faith, knowing we are preparing for the second coming.  Look to Him in all things.  All is well.  He is giving the world a chance to repent, including me and these happenings are a blessing to help us REMEMBER HIM , our covenants, His commandments and His promise that as we keep His commandments we will still prosper in the land.  We have an opportunity to come home and be families again.  That's what it's all about, being a family, learning to love Heavenly Father and His family.  We must start with enjoying our own family that we know but have been so separated by so many activities.  Now we have the chance to be home and learn to become together a family who enjoys each other and loves Heavenly Father.  

We had a fantastic meeting with Elder Klebingot of the Seventy who talked about the goal.  The goal is to become like Him, Heavenly Parents.  Living together, working together, loving each other, respecting each other—losing ourselves and looking outward was the theme in the mtc by Elder Bednar.  

Friday we went to the airport at 7:30 with masks on and flew to Seattle and then to Salt Lake arriving there around noonish.  Raymond picked us up.  We went to our apartment in Raymond's basement to quarantine and enjoy the "outward reach" of Raymond and Julie, Charity and Jonathon, and April and Mike as they have served us with cleaning our apartment, filling it with food, bringing us meals and leaving them at our door while we are in a 14 day quarantine.  We are still wearing our missionary badges.  President Jackson, our stake president called us before we left to make sure we had a place to quarantine ourselves.  Some senior couples have gone to air b&b's as they did not have places to go.  We have been so blessed, our apartment is wonderful and we can watch the children go outside to play and watch April and Charity and Jonathon and Julie bring us food.  The God in heaven has truly prospered us—what amazing children He has given us to bless our lives.  As we "contemplate" (gather) our children around us (in our minds and hearts).  Each one we fondly embrace, Each a gift from our Maker, God has such wonderful taste!

Sunday we had our own church meeting in our apartment but no sacrament until after the quarantine is over.  We love you are and are grateful that you each know to Whom to look for life eternal, peace, here and now.

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Aloha!

Well that's my shortest mission on record.  We have been strongly encouraged to go home. We leave Friday and are under quarantine for 14 days after our return.  Aloha!  The prophet is amazing!  He receives revelation for the Lords church.  All young missionaries who have been out 21 months will also return home.  The Lord smote Egypt; this is our turn to become humbled enough to hear His word.  What a blessing to serve as it says in Jacob 5:72...(paraphrasing) the Lord of the vineyard labors with them...  Though we will be returning home as instructed, He will still labor with us if we continue to seek Him and to do His will.  What rejoicing to be a part of His work, in the mission field or in our families, wherever He places us.  Elder and Sister Robinson