WEEK 32

This week was pretty good, I had a cold for most of the week an it sucked but we had an investigator at church! Her name is melody vicente and she is married to a less active guy. They finally came to church after two months of Elder Coleman and myself teaching them! It was super cool! Teaching investigators really is the best part of the mission. We are working hard to find more people to teaching and are really gonna hit this one area this week to see if we can get some more investigators. Transfer week is getting close and we have 24 new missionaries coming in, . I enjoy working with Elder Coleman and have really learned a lot from him. The area here in aritao is progressing, slowly, but surely. We are working hard and just trying to talk to people which I actually kind of enjoy now that I can speak the language haha. Less actives are tough cause can take months to build their faith but that is the focus cause attendance is only 32% here. So plenty of work to do. I enjoy working, yes it is hot and sometimes it is really frustrating but getting in good lessons really does make it worthwhile and I feel accomplished. I hope this attitude can apply to after the mission as well, in school, in work, in church callings, in family stuff. it really just does feel good to think at the end of the day that I accomplished something.
Something cool that happened this week. So president was going to Baguio to do a training thing with the senior couples. And our apartment is right on the highway about halfway. So president shows up at our apartment at 10 am but elder coleman and I were already walking to an appointment so they called us back. turns out they brought us krispy kremes! all the way from manila!! Apparently the area presidency brought them a whole lot of them and they in turn gave some to us! they were super delicious! and even better when president was coming back to the mission on saturday he brought us kentucky fried chicken!! Also very delicious and super cool. My mission president is the coolest and the nicest and really has cool things to show you that he loves his missionaries. It will be a sad day when he leaves. But I am excited for the changes to take place. Well thats about all I have for this week.
Mahal ko kayo!
Elder Robertson

WEEK 31

We had a couple of good lessons with a couple investigators. Sister Irene and Sister Melody. They are progressing pretty good and reading the Book of Mormon but haven't come to church yet so that is a big goal of ours. We will contact a couple of more people this week that we got referrals from so hopefully that turns out good. Other than that it really just is day to day. This is an extra long cycle so we still have about two and a half weeks of this cycle left. Elder Coleman and I are working hard and getting along great. We have fun and are teaching really good lessons. March is a month where really not much is happening. Hopefully we can get some investigators close to baptism but i feel that it is not my job here in aritao. I feel like just planting seeds right now and then someone else will come in and harvest all of them. oh well, keep working hard. Might as well right? Well thats about it except I am learning how to make adobo so I will be able to cook that for you guys when I get home to show you what I have eaten for the past year and the whole next year haha.
elder Robertson

WEEK 30

we had some good lessons with investigators this week. We had one with this girl who said she would rather stay catholic and she just wants to know god better and we were kind of caught off guard with that but thanks to the spirit and some discerning we were able to teach her about god's love from the bible and why he sent Jesus Christ for us and why we need to follow the comandments and what not. It might of been the best lesson I've had on my mission and the spirit was so strong because by the end she was crying and I felt the pure joy of the gospel. We also have a couple investigators that are actually reading the Book of Mormon! It's a miracle and we are contacting a sister of a recent convert this week and when we talked to her she seemed really interested and excited to hear about it. Hopefully things keep getting better cause Elder Coleman and I are working harder than ever to get this area really going 

This week we had Elder Hallstrom of the presidency of the 70 was here in our mission and we got to listen to what he had to say. It was really good cause we also got to hear from Elder Teh who is the area president in the philippines also. There talks were good Elder Teh talked about growth in the philippines mostly and how that will effect the missions and everything. Elder Hallstroms wife talked about being patient and enduring trials because the lord does not try us above that which we are able. Elder Hallstrom talked about growth for a while and he said that by the end of this year there may well be around 80,000 missionaries. There will be 9,000 in the MTC this summer which will be just insanity. But he said that the purpose of this is to move forward with the work of course but to also get preparing earlier so the year between 18 and 19 we can save those who may have fallen away if left on their own. Then he also talked about having the spirit and just how important the spirit is in teaching learning and every aspect of our lives. Then he asked us a question that we should ask ourselves before every meeting of the church. What Do I want to get out of this today? It is a very good question and makes meetings much more meaningful cause if we have a question that we want answered then most likely it will be answered whether it's in a sacrament meeting from speakers, sunday school from teachers or whether the spirit just answers itself we will usually have a much better experience if we ask ourselves that question. One more thing I liked that he said was that if investigators cannot keep commitments then there is no chance that they can keep covenants. Very true, its tough cause I would just like to baptize everyone but they have to read the BoM go to church consistently and pray or else it is a guarantee less active here, even then they might go less active but I just try to do my part. He was a very good speaker and I enjoyed learning from him. I gave the closing prayer to haha.

Just one thing that I learned this week from my personal study. In Luke 9:52 where Christ says that "no man having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of god." I've been thinking about this scripture a lot this week, as servants of the master it is our duty to teach, to repent, to improve and become like Christ and cast aside our weapons of rebellion. I have been thinking a lot of what I could improve on and have been praying hard to become a more Christlike person. not just missionary cause if I were to go back to the old ways after the mission it would have all been for nothing. I hate that looking back is so easy but I know that perfection is not in this life. I am trying my hardest to get to where I want to be after my mission and have set some goals on what to improve on. So it should be good. I really like that scripture.

Love

Elder Robertson

elder Robertson and elder Coleman at a "grocery store"

a monkey elder Robertson saw

this is the monkey he saw but he said he could'nt get any closer otherwise it would attack him

 

WEEK 29

We had 24 lessons   I have learned a lot about the gospel and the apostasy and last days and what not from 2 Nephi. The last days are here, Christ is coming soon. My job right now is to cry repentance to the people and help them recognize their Savior. It hurts that they reject him so easily. Less actives most of the time know that the church is true they just won't go or won't have the seed of faith they need. It hurts every week when no one shows up to go to church and take the sacrament. Alma's wish "oh that I were and angel...." is so true, if everyone would just listen and take off the blinders and recognize their god who made the infinte sacrifice that we need to return to Our Heavenly Father. It is frustrating but it is also a blessing that we have the gospel in our lives. I can see the change that the gospel makes in peoples lives when they start living gospel principles but they seem to not notice it and refuse to come to the fold. We are so blessed to have been in the church for as long as we have and to have experienced the fullness of the gospel blessings all the way up to a forever family. Yes it is frustrating and disappointing but it is an awesome thing to be doing. It is totally worth it cause my own conversion is deepening and I am truly grateful for that cause deep roots make it harder to fall away. Satan is tightening his grasp but he won't get us as long as we read the BoM everyday, pray everyday, and go to church. That was pretty much my week.

This week we get to go up to Cauayan and listen to Elder Hallstrom of the presidency of the 70 so that should be really good, i will tell you about what he talks about next week. Also I heard about the new 58 missions opeing up. That is crazy! The MTC will be insanely crowded this summer. But it is cool to be out while all this is happening. Next transfer we get 24 new missionaries and there are 7 new areas opening so that will be fun. Also our new mission president was announced today. his name is George R. Rahlf and he is from Ohio. Should be interesting in July with the change.

Mahal Ko Kayo,

Elder Robertson

WEEK 28

This week elder coleman and I decided to go out tracting cause we have been struggling investigator wise. So we took an hour on tuesday to try to find some people. And second house we tried we got in, her name is Irene and she is really cool and had a lot of questions and is really looking for answers. So we are trying to slowly answer her questions during lessons by answering them with the content we are teaching. I realize that we don't have to answer some questions right away and a lot of answers will not make sense unless they actually pray about it cause the best way to get answers is from up high. I realize I am only 20 and trying to speak a different language and I bet most of my answers don't make sense but with planning, the spirit (obedience) and the investigator keeping their commitments they will get their answers. Also sometimes conversion takes a while, We can't expect everything to just fall into place with everyone. Every person has their own concerns and problems. Everyone has a different way to find the gate to the path and as missionaries it is our goal to guide them lovingly and patiently to the path. It could take years for conversion, it could take a couple weeks. I hate dropping investigators because I feel responsible for them. Unless we have done everything we can, they have no questions and really no excuses to keep commitments then I drop them reluctantly. But if they have questions, progress is being made! I just try to keep a humble attitude and patience, getting impatient will not get anyone anywhere. I am reading the new testament and really paying attention to christ's teaching style. He never snaps back, never loses his temper, understandingly answers questions and what not. If I could be like one thousandth of a teacher that christ is would be cool. Lots of prayer is my way of trying.
Elder Robertson

Elder Robertson drinking coconut milk

 a duck head

Elder Robertson just wanted to show a picture of a dog

WEEK 27

We had one cool lesson though that is worth mentioning. We were teaching this teenager and she is a typical investigator, scared to commit to anything so elder coleman and I planned this lesson around the importance of being baptized and following christ and being cleansed of our sins. Since her grandma is a member she has been working with us also to get this girl baptized and going to church and keeping commitments. So we get there and taught this solid lesson. We asked questions that we hadn't planned on asking and she really came out with all her concerns and why she won't commit we were able to teach in such a way to have the spirit confirm to her that this is what she needs to do and this is right. I even felt the spirit confirm to me that the atonement really happened and this is what is the most important thing I could be doing right now. It has been interesting to realize the ways the atonement can help me. Yeah he suffered for our sins and we can be forgiven but like elder bednar has said, there is the enabling power also. There is nothing so deep or infinite as the atonement but it is also very personal. It really does work in every aspect of our lives. Out here being a missionary the atonement helps me get up in the morning when I don't want to, it give me the ability to put a smile on  and it gives me the patience i need to learn this language and with other peoples conversion. Most of the time I don't think I know I am drawing on his power but looking back I really need it every day to get through it. When I feel the spirit I feel as if christ is in the room with me. It really is the most sensitive time to feel the spirit. Disobedience can drive it away in a heartbeat but being obedient is way better cause it brings understanding and just happier attitude. I don't really know how else to say it but you kinda just have to experience it. It's hard for sure but it will probably be worth it. Thats about it.
love you all!!
Elder Robertson

WEEK 26

We also went to Zone Conference this week in Santiago which is three hours from my area so we had our whole zone which is 14 of us fit into a 8 person bus so yeah it was an uncomfortable six hours but the zone conference was good. president talked about being obedient and how conversion won't happen unless investigators and less actives have a testimony of the restoration and the Book of Mormon. which is oh so very true. Then sister Carlos talked about how we need to love the people. If we love the people then we will WANT to be obedient and what not and so I have been praying hard this week to better love these people cause it is not very easy to just love them, but I am trying.

So an interesting experience this week and this is all I can really think of. On saturday we were having a tough day, Our investigators all flaked out and three of the five less actives either were not there or were drunk so we just walked around and tried to talk to people but no one was having it we really struggled and got back to the apartment at like 8 to do nightly planning. And ever since i have been with elder coleman we have sung a hymn before nightly planning and on saturday we sung I need thee every hour. And during the 4th verse I felt the love of the savior so much and felt really close to him. It seems that when the mission is hardest and I turn to him then I feel his love the most. It really is a great experience and he does give me the hard days to keep me humble and what not. I realize I cannot get through this unless I rely on him completely and it has been hard but I am really learning on submitting to his will 100% and I am getting better at it. This is a great work we are involved in. I realize that wherever we are on missions we will have a hard time, its mission life. But if we are obedient and really know why we are out here we will learn and grow and be able to help others. I don't know what else to say today other than time is flying by it's February already! Well have a good week everybody!

christmas skits at a mission christmas party

Elder Robertson