WEEK 41

We just played basketball this morning and had a rare treat at mcdonalds. We call it the embassy cause in our mission there are only 5 macdos and that is the most american style of food you can possible get and the most expensive restaurant too. All the americans love it but all the filipinos don't cause they don't serve rice there haha. So this week was actually pretty good. After tons of tracting the past like 3 months, we finally got a couple referrals! One we tried to contact but they weren't at home so we will try later in the week and the other went to church yesterday and was introduced to us by a member and she seems interested so hopefully it will turn out to be good. It took a lot of patience and work but we finally might have more than one investigator we can teach haha. Our progressing investigator right now is Melody and she is on date for baptism on June 15. Thats about all area wise. Mission wise we get a chinese kid from mainland china to our mission in june, no one knows if he speaks english and most likely he will not know tagalog so it will be an interesting experience with him. Weird how we get the first missionary from Bangladesh and another from mainland china (not hong kong).

So in my study of the new testament this week I was reading in James. Usually we just think James 1:5 and thats it. But In my study of the whole epistle there is so much more. A lot of the book is about pure religion. We must me doers of the word and not just hearers only. And Faith without works is dead. Really though the book of james absolutely kills the belief that believe and be saved thing. I guess people think that keeping the commandments is too binding and doing whatever they want is much more fun. But as christ said "the truth shall make you free" and it really does. If we follow the commandments we live a guilt free life. No worries about dishonesty, medical and addiction problems from word of wisdom, no worries about getting caught and the guilt if we follow the law of chastity, and of course the promise that if we follow the commandments we will be blessed "both temporally and spiritually" (Mosiah 2:41, ironic mom mentioned that in her letter today) which I have used in every lesson this week trying to show that be obedient really is just easier. I have learned so much in my study of the new testament and when studying the new testament and the book of mormon both in one hour I really have learned so much more about the gospel. That and reading other books, jesus the christ, the miracle of forgiveness and others. Good stuff.

Love you guys!

Elder Robertson

elder Robertson and elder Taer

elder Robertson cutting a coconut in half