WEEK 18

we had three kids who were baptized (see pic) and a christmas devotional. I had to dress up as nephi, i thought my days of acting were over after elementary school. Well the cycle is almost over, and my endurance is almost over (hopefully) then i get to start again! hopefully. updates next week on the happening. This week teaching wise was pretty good, we have one girl on date for december 29 and a mom and a daughter on date for the 12th of januarys so hopefully those will happen. It is requiring sacrifice though, it takes a whole day to teach those two lessons and costs 100 pisos to travel there and back but if they get baptized it will be worth it. We also got to go to the first presidency christmas devotional, i was especially touched by pres uchtdorfs talk about being good recievers, no problem there for me especially when every letter and package is like manna from heaven haha. Also our ward is planning a christmas party, yeah it is going from 2pm until 7 pm, they are going all out for this thing and apparently all they do is sit around and talk. filipinos love to just linger and chat. one of their favorite things. and it gets annoying cause they are always late because they talk. but patience is a virtue haha. so to conclude this letter this week i will include part of the newsletter from the mission, it is quite the story and i was susrprised it worked out but cool all the same.

Christmas Love

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Pageant."
The time for the performance came and I filed in 10 minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as Christmas, I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment - songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So, when my sons' class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly taken aback by its bold title.
Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright beanies upon their heads. Those in the front row-center stage - held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing, "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas Love."
The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down... totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".
The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But, she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her "W." Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear:
"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"
And, I believe, He still is.

Love ELDER ROBERTSON!!!

elder Robertson and the 3 kids he baptized with companion

WEEK 17

It is crazy hot here especially for december apparently. Well this week was a pretty good week, and this next week should be good also. we have three brothers being baptized. Angelo, Ninyo, and Andrei. They are 12, 10, and 9 respectively. They are excited especially since their older siblings are already members so that should help them. We also have another 12 year old, ganela, on date for december 29 and an older sister named sonia who will probably be baptized sometime in january! However transfers are next week on the 13th so i may be gone, hopefully not cause I like it here and i want one more cycle here. especially since it is christmas here.  we have a christmas devotional this week, and they are making me sing, i have to sing a bass part of a christmas song that i don't know, with wondering awe. i am screwed and they choose me because i am american and they automatically think i can sing. Terrible. Well this week was just more teaching and sweating and enduring with my companion, who is about as prideful as can get. but oh well. submit cheerfully to all things the lord sees to inflict....quiz: what scripture? Well this week was the first time i rode in a jeepnee, the back of a dump truck and eat bread that looks like a pig....see the pictures haha. Hopefully everyone is enjoying school......just be thankful cause kids here start at like 7 and get out at 7 with a two hour break at noon and 4. that would stink. This week in the book of mormon i was reading in ether 2. The lord is talking to the brother of jared about the promised land, and he says like 4 times that it is a blessed land and the people will prosper unless they forget the lord and turn to iniquity. That is true. I was also impressed in Alma 62, pahorans response to captain moroni's letter in which moroni was really bold and chastizing. He was incredibly patient and understanding of the situation, moroni did not know the circumstances of pahoran and the fact that he was under siege. The natural man would fire back and probably complain back but parhoran was able to overcome that and patiently ask for help. So in our lives, we should not be quick fire back at people. they may be justified and sometimes they may just be looking for an arguement, but as true servants and follwers of christ we should overcome the natural tendencies and exercise patience. I must say I have become really patient here, i would say it is becoming one of my stronger traits haha unlike the last 19 years of my life haha.

Mahal Ko Kayo,

Elder Robertson

This is an email from the Shaners a senior couple in elder Robertson's mission

 

In the mission, we are in the middle of our Christmas Devotional programs and last night, we drove to Tuguegarao to present to their two stakes. We always utilize the local 'manpower', the Elders and Sisters, to play the 'parts' and Sister Carlos chose your Elder for Nephi!! Thought you would enjoy seeing what he has been up to. He is doing great, has a positive attitude, always a smile.

Sister Shaner



this is bread that looks like a pig with some kids



Elder Robertson in the middle dressed as Nephi with 2 other missionaries

Elder Phippen and Elder Mousley in the back of a dump truck

 

 

 

WEEK 16

How is everyone? Glad to hear the Thanksgiving went well. All the Americans in our zone went to Macdo (mcdonalds) cause it is the most american place and all got apple pies haha.That was about it for my thanksgiving. Other than that, this week we had a couple of referrals we contacted and we were 2 for 2. they committed to baptism! They live a long ways away though and it will be interesting if they show the faith to go to church for the required 4 weeks in a row before they get baptized. But it was such a moral booster for me, the last few weeks was just mostly less actives and an occasional investigator but now we have a potential 5 baptisms coming up so up until yesterday I wanted to get transferred but now I don't caude I want to see these people through to the end! Other than that just another week in the mission. I was walking down a street and these kids were playing so I walk by and the hoop is like 9 feet, so they give me the ball cause they think every american can ball. So they give it to me and i hit 3 15 footers and the are freaking out cause they never take a shot outside of 7 feet. Then they are like Dunk! Dunk! So i go and just throw a two handed 180 on this little 9 foot hoop and then they go crazy and i swear if i had asked them they might have got on the ground and worshipped me. It was hilarious.
So it is terribly hot here, it literally hurts when I walk outside the first time everyday and it never seems to end. NEVER. it is insane and now i realize that i miss cold weather, like 45-55 degrees. just cold enough for a sweatshirt, not to mention that now I drink hot chocolate in the morning cause it is so poular and cheap here. And I am seriously going through basketball and golf withdrawals. When I play bball I just destroy people with my moves and golf is even worse cause I can't play it. My competitiveness is at an all time high and I am on a mission, what a coincidence haha. Transfers are coming up so there is a possibility that I might be training.....ayaw ko (i don't want to) but i am up for going to nueve viscaya where the rice terraces are so that could be fun. The mission just keeps growing and going fast, it is crazy how different missionary work is on the other side, as the missionary. there are so many meetings and changes and stuff but in the end the ultimate goal is to convert people. It is the best work cause seeing someone baptized is all worth it. So that's about it for this week
Maha Ko Kayo!
Elder Robertson

elder Robertsons thanksgiving dinner

backpack a man made for elder Robertson

WEEK 15

 I really miss american food. So I challenge you all to be thankful for living in the promised land. In the book of mormon it says that if ye will keep his commandments then ye will prosper in the land. And I was thinking if that applied to nephites thousands of years ago why can't it most definitely apply to us today? If we keep the commandments and try our hardest to live the gospel and do our duty as saints (which means becoming self reliant, tithing, missionary work etc.) then we will prosper in the land. Meaning we will have enough to meet the needs of our families and enough to have an abundant life and enough to move the work forward. Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful that we are prospering in the land haha. I hope you are getting the food from meadow cause that was the best!! And have fun golfing on our new tradition haha.
So this week was pretty good, we havent had much success with investigators the past few weeks and so I focused and prayed for some new ones. We got a couple referrals yesterday at church and we met a lady who wants to be taught and now we have two kids on date. So hopefully before I leave this area (which will prolly be on december 14) We can have some more people on date to be baptized and a few more investigators to teach. But we did find 3 new less active families and trying really hard to get them back to church and trying to get our new converts solidified in the gospel so they don't fall away. It was funny this week cause we asked one of the new less active ladies why she is inactive and literally all I heard was blah blah blah blah blah blah...offended blah blah blah haha dang people are always offended which means that they are not truly converted so we are working with them. The best is to see the youth, I love the youth because if they can start with a firm foundation while they are young the chances of falling away are significantly less! we try to get them to work with us and the ward tries to have lots of activities for them. When they grow up I think that the church will run much more smoother here because more and more of them are being born in the church which is good and more and more want to serve missions! Time is flying and soon it will be my 6 month mark! Crazy!
Mahal Ko kayo! Masayang Thanksgiving!
Elder Robertson

elder Robertson wearing an asian hat

elder Deriada (elder Robertsons companion) in an asian hat

WEEK 14

The weather was insanely hot this week. Even the filipinos were complaining that it should not be this hot in november.. It has been crazy the last week. But we are still working hard. So this week we just taught a lot of less actives. Other than that it was a pretty normal week except for what happened saturday. So Elder Phippens ward had a half day mission which is where the memebers go on splits with the missionaries and we teach a few less actives. So we did that and after we went to a members house for lunch. But elder phippen was not feeling to well. And he didn't eat lunch so the members were concerned. So the come out with a hot mug of water with some leaves at the bottom and said "this is an herbal remedy to cure anything." And since we americans don't really trust that stuff we were skeptical but thought it would be a cool mission story if he tried filipino herbal remedies. so he takes a sip and says it is really bitter but takes a gulp, he hates we can tell and then he asks for a cup of juice to wash it down. so he takes a second gulp. still hates it but it looks like he will be able to finish it no problem since there are only like two gulps left. so he goes for a third gulp and this time he accidentally does a double gulp. he looks like he might die from the taste but he will be ok. all of the sudden.... his whole stomach is on the floor. it was like watching a fire hose of puke. it was sooooo funny! all over the floor and then round two came out of his stomach. and then the families dogs came in and ate it all up. Funniest thing I have seen on the mission so far. It was a classic. So how is everybody? Thabksgiving is coming up and I am really going to miss eating all that food and the traditional movie. What is it going to be this year? Is it super cold there? People here are like trying to make it cold by listening to tons of christmas music, yeah they can do that all they want it still is like a bizillion degrees here. Next week should be interesting. My companion is a little trunky and hopefully he will still work hard this week. All the americans here are saying they will extend their missions for 4 years haha.
MAhAl Ko KAyo!
Elder Robertson

WEEK 13

So it was transfers this week in the Cauayan Mission. I am still in Cataggaman area but am done with training and have a new companion, Elder Deriada he is also filipino and it should be an interesting cycle because we will have to find some new investigators. I am leading the area and it is hard because I have to do all the talking when we first get to appointments and what not and I still cannot understand a lot of what is being said but it is going fine so far. Played some bball this morning and and practicably looked like black mamba himself out there on the court. The filipinos cannot guard me cause I have an outside and inside game, all they have is drive to the hoop and throw up some weird layup and pray it goes in, sometimes it works. But americans just destroy them. I got the package this week! goldfish and granola bars are awesome! I also got grandpas package and the beef jerky was amazing!! The magazines are still the greatest thing I can get though. Gramps gave me one with every college basketball team preview and it was like 200 pages, not done yet but I read the SI really fast and will go back and read them from time to time. So this week i noticed that the 4 converts that were baptized the last two cycles have been member referrals and usually they have a member in the family or they live really close to a member. And from their example and the fact that they have just a more positive attitude makes them have a desire to be like the members. We really just clarified and guided them on what they were feeling and what they could feel and the potential that god sees in them as people and the greater purpose of life. Those are the converts that last forever. Ones who will have a friend to help them and also a responsibility, the three young men that we baptized are planning to serve missions and they have the aaronic priesthood now so we are trying to get them to bless and pass the sacrament if they show up early enough. But hopefully ericson and rowel will go on missions next year! Members are the best tool for conversion, we as missionaries only teach them for however long we are there in the area. But if the new member has a friend and a responsibility and is nourished by the good word of god (ie home teaching, visiting teaching, mutual, church etc.) falling away is not likely (President Hinckley said that). Sometimes we have to leave our bubble and talk to people. Whether they be less actives or investigators. Everyone wants a friend and the church is all about befriending everyone! We are all gods children and it is our duty as active members of the church to see that everyone gets home. Sometimes we might be rejected and a little embarrassed but that's the world. When we reach out we are scoring points in heaven which is worth an infinite times more. So this week see if you can go the extra mile and reach out to those looking for the truth or have fallen away cause as the song goes "doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure" you will really feel really good that at least you tried if you get rejected and if not rejected you could do one thing to save a wayward soul. Well that's what I have to say since not much exciting happened this week. Just here in the philippines. Have a good week everyone!
Mahal Ko Kayo!
Elder Robertson

WEEK 12

How is everyone! It is sure an exciting week for the Cauayan Philippines Mission! President announced that we get 100 new missionaries by next year! most of those will be sisters too haha. So right now we have 148 missionaries in the mission, by next year we will have 250!! they may have to split the mission! And the philippines in general gets another 1000 missionaries by next year!! apparently this time of year there is 700 applications but this year there have been over 5000!!! So yeah the church is definitely growing here. It should be exciting! So this week we just focused on less actives and finding people to teach because tranfers are this week. So I should be staying here but I could get transferred so next week i will update you guys on that. but this week we had some fun harvesting habaling, the beetle larvae that I tried a few weeks ago. we have a less active family in our ward who does it for a living and we helped them for 4 hours, hopefully you can watch the video. and see the pictures. but lets just say doing that everyday would suck. I am definitely going to college now cause manual labor is no fun. But for one day to say that I harvested beetle larvae it was fun. We also had stake conference this week and the missionaries had to go to EVERY session and every session was two hours and always started and hour late. I would say i had a spiritual experience but the talks were all in tagalog and it was hot and i didn't feel like trying to understand what was being said...so I just fell asleep. Other than that stake conference was pretty good. And it rained a solid two days here and I was wet the whole time cause our roof leaks. And since all souls day (philippines halloween) is coming up everyone is seeing ghosts and demon possesions all over the place... apparently a sister in our zone was attacked by an evil spirit for half an hour. These people are very superstitious. There are stories all over the mish about evil spirits in apartments beig cast out by the mission president. So yeah that's whats up in the philps. Having some fun and working hard. Happy Halloween!!  Have a good week everyone!
Mahal Ko Kayo,
Elder Robertson

elder robertson harvesting beetle larvae

beetle larvae

elder robertson eating a beetle larvae