Week 87

May 11, 2014
Hey fam!
So here it is. the last week. The last two years has been quite the
experience. Lots of ups and downs. Lots of lessons learned. All rolled
into one little black badge with the name Jesus on the front. It has
been such a privilege and a blessing to be serving and sharing the
gospel with the people here in the Philippines. Beforehand when yall
ask how was my mission this is how it was "It was the best two years
but took place on the other side of heaven but hotter and no ocean."
It really was like that. At different times in my mission I felt like
all 4 of the elders in "The Best Two Years". But its been good.
Definitely been the hardest two years of my life so far. It pushed me
to my limits mentally and spiritually for sure. The walking wasn't too
bad just the fact that it is so hot makes it hard. It really showed me
what kind of person I am and I noticed things that I need to change. I
feel like I have definitely grown and become a better person than I
was when I left. I finished the Book of Mormon for the last time of my
mission. By my count the BoM has 3901 references to Jesus Christ,
Lord, God, and any other title of His, that's like 7 times per page He
is mentioned. He is directly quoted in 723 verses and there is a
direct reference to the atonement in 103 verses. There is no way
Joseph Smith could have pulled this book out of a hat. It is just as
true as it is today as it was back then. I am grateful for the
opportunity I have had to really study the scriptures. I really took
them for granted before and I really want to keep the habit of
personal study every day when I get home. That and personal prayer. I
did that at home but not so much with the real intent part. I really
learned to pray with real intent out here. Cause I couldn't get by on
anything less haha. I could go on and on about lessons I learned from
my mission but I will save it for my homecoming talk. Anywho, I will
see yall next thursday at 2:30!!! Have a great week and a half
everyone!!
Love, Elder Robertson

Week 86

May 4 at 9:42 PM

Hey Fam!

This week was more of the same. We taught lots of less actives and a
few investigators. The weather here is weird right now. It will be
crazy hot and sunny until about 4 in the afternoon then the storn
clouds roll in and it will rain like crazy starting at about 6. The
rain cools down the place which is nice so i can sleep better at
night. But it brings out the mosquitos. i am getting bit like crazy. I am trying though to avoid a repeat of last year where I got dengue
fever my last week in my second area so i am using lots of bug spray
to avoid that. Other than that it is just finishing strong! I will
prolly finish the book of mormon for the last time on my mission this week. Its hard not to think about coming home cause my comp tells everyone i am coming home when we sit down to teach them. The members are more trunky than I am!

Well have a great mothers day next week! Have a good time skyping Kelci! I will just see yall in a few weeks haha its a pain to find a place where the internet is fast enough and has headphones that I can use to skype haha. Love yall!
Elder Robertson

Week 85

Apr 27 at 10:38 PM

Hey Fam!
Well, its May this week.......holy moly the last month haha. This week was ok. We taught quite a few lessons and worked on finding. we are trying to go back to former investigators to try to teach them again. And less actives.

The branch had a branch council this week. They spent quite a while trying to figure out what they can do help less active return. I suggested a branch activity. They eventually came up with the idea of having the branch council and their families visit 15 less active families and have a family home evening with them in the less actives house. To me a branch activity would be cheaper and all the less actives could go and so could all the active members but its their branch not mine haha anywho.

It was crazy hot this week. like so hot that at night i slept with no sheets my fan on the highest setting and still woke up sweating.  Man I thought i may get used to the heat. Wrong. it has been constant sweat for about two years now. I am so done with it haha. Well thats all i have to say.

Have a good week everyone!
Love,
Elder Robertson

Week 84

April 20, 2014

Hey fam!
So last week for pday was amazing! we went to manila! We had to get
our fingerprints for those of us leaving the country in may. So it was
me, my mtc comp and another missionary who all went. It was great! We
ate ihop and pizza hut and 7-11 and wendys and krispy kremes and
cinnabon in the 24 hours that we were there. It was depressing to come
back to rice and hot dogs for dinner haha. I wrote out my last two
letters on paper but they are really long so i will just give some
highlights.
Conference was amazing. Great talks! Elder Holland's, the olympic guy,
Uchtdorf on gratitude, Monson mentioning jabari parker, the guy about
not saying mean things, Eyrings baseball one and Bednars spiritual
loads were my favorites. I made some goals to be 1. grateful of
circumstances not things. 2. Don't complain or get angry 3. Pray with
more real intent. Really spiritually uplifting for me that conference.
This week we had a zone conference about the Book of Mormon and
Easter. Also very spiritual. President talked about Joseph Smith and
the Book of Mormon then Christ and the Book of Mormon. He points out a
lot of details that I have never thought about. Then He and Sis Rahlf
shared about the last week of Christ's life. Very spiritual, very good.
They just talked about His last week and really just narrated the New
Testament but they are such good speakers the spirit was so strong! I
really learned out here that the impression of the spirit cannot be
denied. It really is true what it says in Luke 16 "no man having put
his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the kingdom of
God." You really can't cause you can't deny the spirit you felt. you
can make excuses that it was just something about something but you
can't deny it. That is a big part of what happened to me these two
years. That foundation of faith has really become deeper. I can't say
like Elder Holland that I know Jesus is the Christ more so than he
knows that the 20,000 people are sitting in front of him. That was
something else. and Packer straight up saying I know Christ. those are
giants among men. I'm not there yet. But I can say i am more fully
converted than I was two years ago. Well those were the highlights!
Have a good week! 4 weeks na lang!!
Love, Elder Robertson

My favorite part of Zone Conference: this is an Elder Holland quote: "'Why is this so hard President?'  I have thought about this a great deal.
I offer this as my personal feeling.  I am convinced that missionary
work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience.
Salvation never was easy.  We are the Church of Jesus Christ, this is
the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head.  How could we believe it
would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him.  It seems
to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a
few moments in Gethsemane.  Missionaries and mission leaders have to
take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary.  I'm not
talking about anywhere near what Christ experienced, that would be
presumptuous and sacrilegious. But I believe that missionaries and
investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know
something of this price that has been paid, will have to pay a token
of that same price.  For that reason I do not believe missionary work
has ever been easy, nor that conversion is, nor that continued
faithfulness is.  I believe it is supposed to require some effort,
something from the depths of our soul"

Church is true!!

Week 83

April 13, 2014
Hey fam, don't wait up for me. Goin to manila!!!! I'll explain when I
get the chance but its nothing bad haha. Maybe tomorrow when I get
back I will email haha. Love yall!!

Week 82

Hey Fam!
So we went to some waterfalls today. Waterfalls meaning a trickle of
water falling down rocks haha. It actually wasn't that bad. I would
take pictures but my camera broke haha. We had to take a tricy to the
mountains then hike up them for an hour or so. Made me want to swim
so bad. Only 6 weeks! Is the weather looking up there? Or is it still cold. I also went to a career workshop on Thursday for those of us who are going home in April and May. It was good, they just talked for six hours on how we can use skills from the mission in getting a job and what not. I learned a few things. But it was mostly for the Filipinos and getting them a good job.
We worked this week but not much happened. It was the Mallig fiesta. So a lot of people were involved in that and of course more farming. just tough. Just finishing strong. Have a good week everyone!! 
Do you guys want any souveniers from here? tell me if you want anything and I will hook you up.
Love yall!
Elder Robertson

Week 81

March 30, 2014
Hey fam!
It was insanely hot here this week. I thought I was used to the heat 
here then this week happened. Not used to it. Basically this week 
we spent more finding. We have almost tracted the whole area 
which is impressive cause it is a big area (walking wise) Everyone 
is still busy in their fields and don't really care to listen right now. 
We had a few lessons where I could tell the people could care less 
about the message. they just want more money. I even had one 
guy think that I am a treasure hunter and he tried to sell me some 
World War 2 forks haha he said he dug them up in the mountains. 
It was funny. Well I'm working hard finishing strong. Its a little 
hard to believe I only have 7 weeks left. Its like running a race 
but I can't see the finish line cause there is still a big hill to 
climb haha. 
Love yall!
Elder Robertson