WEEK 21

So tonight is new years here and it should be interesting. Their fireworks are mostly just giant firecrackers with gunpowder in them. and sounds like a gunshot or louder going off and apparently it sounds like a war zone after 6. So president carlos put a curfew tonight for 6 o clock and we can't leave after that so we will prolly go out into our front "yard" and watch the fireworks in the field across the street. We will prolly also watch 17 miracles. So yeah should be a fun New Years.                          We have had a good week although it was hard to teach this week because people flip for new years here. We had a really awesome lesson with a less active yesterday, we got her to go to church and apparently in sunday school they learned about the temple and the branch is having a temple trip in march and she really wants to go. So we were going through her covenant she made at baptism and the sacrament prayer and the importance of church attendance and how she can be clean every week if she repents. And out came her cigarrete problem, she smokes 3 packs a day but she wants to quit so she can go to the temple in march. so I told her she has to quit by january 15 if she has any hope of passing her interview and so she said she will quit by the 15th of january. We will prolly offer a priesthood blessing and then go over the rest of the temple interview with her, should be interesting because I don't know the requirements of the temple interview very well. especially word of wisdom. We have a few new investigators and hopefully they will turn into baptisms although one is hard headed but we feel like her grandma is key because she is a recent convert of two months and has so much enthusiasm for the gospel and it is rubbing off on the granddaughter so hopefully we can baptize her.

WEEK 20

                                         excerpt from the conversation we had with elder Robertson

 

 

Mom: - how did your first full week go in the new area?

 

Elder R:  good we had like 26 lessons which was pretty good for opening an area

 

did you tract into people? Do you have follow up lessons? Do you walk everywhere?

 

Elder R:  yeah mostly, and then less actives and recent converts

how is this area different than your last?

 

Elder R:   This area has a lot of mountains and is a branch not a ward

how was the Christmas celebration?

 

Elder R:  it was ok, we just drove all day and that was no fun cause they tried to fit 14 people in one van

did you get our package? what did the carlos feed you?

 

Elder R:   just rice and chicken and vegetables

 

how was the branch sunday?

 

Elder R:  just a normal sunday. the church is way different here

how?

ElderR:  it's still new and they have weird "rules" cause they misunderstand the red handbook cause they can't read english very well

that's funny! Do you guys help teach the leadership or just kind of along for the ride? Do all 4 of you go to the same ward?

 

Elder R:  branch, yeah we do. we can't really do anything cause they will just be offended and then go inactive

How's Your companion and roomies?

 

Elder R:  good, we work hard and have fun. it's how a mission should be haha

 

 

 SO do you still eat at bakeries? what do you eat?

 

ElderR:  yeah, panedesal its way good! its like little rolls. you should see if they have a recipe and try it! so good!

 

 

WEEK 19

so last week we went up to solano for a christmas devotional (again) and president carlos gave the closing remarks at this one. He started off by describing the massacre in connecticut and how terrible that was and the sadness and heartbreak of that at a time that should be happy. Then he talked about that the purpose of this time of year is to celebrate the fact that christ loves us so much he came to earth as a mortal. I was reminded of 1 Nephi 11 i think. where the angel asks nephi "knowest the condescension of god?" I never really gave much thought about that until i read the infinite atonement (I reccomend that to everyone) where it talks about that he did not need to come down, he was infinite and eternal. he was the god of worlds and was all powerful and he came down and suffered more than a finite mind can comprehend. The atonement is what makes christmas special, the condescension of god was complete and our salvation was guaranteed. So when we sing joy to the world the next few weeks and reenact the nativity story, just think that he loves us so much that he came to svae us from physical death through the resurrection and spiritual death through the atonement. We just need to endure to the end and try our hardest to become like him through the gospel. we can do it! That is the good news of christmas is that there is always hope as long as he is on our side. I testify of that everyday here in the philippines.
So transfers were this week and I left Cattagaman, I am down here in Nueva Vizcaya in bambang zone in aritao area, it is the farthest south area in our mission. My new companion is Elder Coleman. He goes home in march and is from Utah so my first american comp of my mish. I think we should get along great. We live with two other missionaries as well, and one is american so it should be way fun for a while. The branch president here is way rich and really loves good missionaries so we are lucky to be opening an area is a good branch, apparently the one of the best branches in the mission or says president carlos. So I am lucky because we will have a good christmas and new years haha. I don't have pictures yet because we have been getting moved in and what not but hopefully i will remember this week to show next week.
Mahal Ko Kayo!
Elder Robertson

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