Week 86 - Oh the joy of missionary work

Hello family!

Hope everyone is doing well and had a great week. This week was a good one for me for many reasons! One of the biggest is the amount of love i felt from y'al!! Thank y'all sooo much for the packages and letters. [Elder Robertson's 21st birthday was on January 19] I'll respond to them today as best I can!!

This week was kind of slow cause Elder Speer was super sick so it was kind of a hindrance to some things. He was dead one day and throwing up everywhere! pobrecito! But luckily it doesn't appear as if it's been passed onto me which is really nice! We also had an awesome zone meeting this past week. I love being able to train in meetings. I know that might be weird but I do. I love the preparation that goes into it and all that I learn from that and I just love being able to stand in front of people and testify of truth that I hold dear to my heart!!!!

So the main story of this week is the about a family we're teaching. They are the biggest miracle ever!!! So I'm on an exchange on Tuesday night with Elder Bean (one of my old companions). We were wrapping up the night and hadn't found anyone new to teach which was kind of the focus of the exchange. We kept praying that we could find someone and especially that it would be a family. So we go to an investigators house in hopes that we can atleast get a lesson in and find someone to teach through our investigator... well they weren't home.. So we reluctantly but faithfully turned back and headed back to the truck.

There was a hispanic lady right there unloading her car and talking on the phone. As we passed I heard her say, "okay okay, buenas noches" and hang up the phone. PERFECT! I turned and talked to her and asked her how her nights going. I handed her a pass along card with the Savior appearing to the nephites on it. I asked her if she believed in Jesus Christ and she said yes. I simply responded with "Perfecto! Cuando piensa que podamos pasar y compartir un mensaje increible de el?" Her face lit up. Not usually how people respond to us asking when we can come over. She responded with the coolest response ever. She said oh right now!!! Let me go ask my husband if that's okay. She runs off into her apartment and comes back out quickly and super excitedly says come in come in! We then had a beautiful lesson on the restoration in which they all accepted to be baptized.

The mom had actually been to church a ton growing up in Hondurus but never knew why she had liked it so much or why it was different. She had just gone to all the young women activities. After hearing about Joseph Smith she said that she knew the reason that church stood out to her growing up was because it was the true church and Joseph Smith was a prophet!!!! It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard. It brought me to tears... Which is a big deal and doesn't really ever happen. I then shared with them how the Lord had led us to them because of an answer to our prayers as we were seeking people who needed to hear of the gospel and were ready to!!! The lesson ended beautifully with the father of the family praying for the first time in his life. Oh the joy of missionary work. There is nothing like it. The Lord is so good and I love doing this!

I know that Jesus Christ lives and that he wants nothing more than for us to access the Atonement and live with him again. I know that this is the true church. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and had the priesthood restored to him. I know that without that priesthood we would still be lost and have no access to the Atonement of our Savior. Oh how great is our God and his plan. He truly loves us and gives us everything we need to be happy here and to love with him again someday. I love y'all so much and am so grateful for all the support y'all give me. Hope y'all have a wonderful week!!!

Love,

Elder Robertson

El pastel que me compró la familia Mesa! Era tres leches!!! Yee. Y me preparó hermana Mesa tacos durados de papa y queso que son mis favoritos!!

Week 85 - It's amazing to me how "soft" I've become

Thanks for your letters! They always make me happy because there filled of so much of your testimonies. with the gospel. I even tear up sometimes now!!! Which is super weird. Just a small little insight on the life and times of Elder Robertson. hah.

Mom, I totally talked on Sunday too in my ward. We got given the assignment the night before! We were baffled by why so many people were coming up and saying thank you and all, cause it wasn't just the usual oh thanks for your talks they were good type of thing. We realized that it was simply because we just taught doctrine and testified. It's amazing that people try so hard to do more than that and say the most "profound" thing ever when in reality all they need to do is teach the doctrine. It was a cool realization for me.

A little excerpt from my letter to president of my recent learnings:

I, as well, have been loving the counsel and admonition to teach repentance and baptize converts. It's amazing to me how when the Lord wants me to get something he truly makes it apparent in every aspect of my life. I've been seeing that a lot lately during my studies. It's been a perfect line up as I've been reading through Alma and the great missionary stories of the sons of Mosiah. Wow did they know how to teach repentance and baptize converts! If only we could continually find, teach and baptize people like King Lamoni and recent converts of the same magnitude.  

It's amazing to me how manifested the principles of a mission are shown through the scriptures. I've been learning a lot lately as I've been searching my soul for how to be able to do things differently in 2016 as well as how to make this area what it needs to be. Elder Speer and I are giving a training tomorrow in Zone Meeting on "As For Years". I'm stoked. I'm starting to realize how when we live our missionary purpose that is one of the foremost principles that will be apparent. It is when we become servants of the Lord and not merely ourselves that we are able to say that we are serving "as for years".  

I'm dedicated to making sure in all times and in all places that I am serving the Lord so that the hastening of his work can go forward not only in the Hanford 1st area but in all the places that I set foot.

I've been loving the missionary chapters in the Book of Mormon. I think I've finally become humble enough for the Lord to speak through the scriptures to me and it makes my studies incredible.

This past week was transfer week so we were running around kinda crazy helping everyone. We have a worldwide training coming up though which is SUPER exciting. I'll let y'all know all about it next week. I'm excited to turn 21. It's crazy that it's already here. Thanks for all of your birthday wishes and love! I love y'all tons!! Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Robertson

Week 84 - Holding ourselves to a higher standard

Interesting week this last week. We came off of the last week ready to go and then digressed a little bit this last week due to appointments constantly falling through. It was kind of a bummer. I noticed an incredible principle though. Elder Speer and I, around Thursday or so, were talking about how our week so far had been kind of crummy. We knew we were doing what we were supposed to be doing and working hard but the results weren't where we thought they should be. We then looked at our totals as far as numbers go for that week and realized we were right on track for a "normal week" in the Hanford area. We were shocked.

The line from Preach My Gospel came to mind that says (roughly), "When you lower your expectations your effectiveness decreases". This works for the opposite as well. When you raise your expectations and your vision your effectiveness increases. We have started holding ourselves to a higher standard of missionary work and in turn think the work is "crummy" if we are not hitting that expectation. I feel like I didn't explain that super well but I hope you understood what I was trying to say! haha. Basically just that when you raise your vision you raise the average quality and effectiveness of your work by default.

I also realized how much more I need to rely on the Lord. I have loved my studies as of late as I have studied some in the Old Testament. It is amazing to me how much the prophets of old relied on the Lord. They went to him for all things and always acknowledged His hand in the miracles and blessings they saw. I know that it is the exact same with this work. It is so essential for us to rely on the Lord. He is the one who is going to make this work go forward. Our job is to be worthy, obedient, committed and focused enough to be a part of that work. I love my Savior and all that He's done for me. It's amazing to me how inadequate I am for the things He has called me to do. In the same breath, it is amazing to me how strong I am with His help and His guidance.

Hope y'all have an amazing week and love y'all so much!

Love,

Elder Robertson

An awesome rainbow we saw! Sorry I haven't been very good at taking pictures.... I'll try to take more haha

Week 83 - Teaching just makes missionary work what it's supposed to be

This past week was a good one! We got to teach a lot which was awesome. We taught more than any other week since I've been in Hanford. I loved it! . It's something I'm going to miss greatly. There is nothing better than entering a home and feeling it fill with the spirit of God and to testify of our Savior to the family that so desperately needs Him. It's the best.

I also got peed on by a stinking dog. Let me just rage for a second. I like dogs and all.. But they're not my favorite things in the world. Especially as a missionary because of how many of them we have to deal with. Plus..... they should stinking know how to control their urinary functions!! Just cause their excited doesn't mean that they need to pee on everything.. But non the less there is this puppy of one of the members that we were visiting and it came up and put its paws on me and peed all over me. I was a little upset to say the least. It's pee reaked as well! I had to change into some pajama pants and look like a slob while we were visiting with them. It all got figured out though so it's okay. It was a pretty funny story though and the whole ward knows about it now so oh the joy!

We had an awesome MLC this past week to start off the new year. It was super awesome to meet with the leadership of the mission and president and to counsel together. I love that man. He definitely a role model of mine. We went into some awesome new things that we're going to implement into the mission. It's also cool cause there's a world wide missionary training broadcast on the 20th of this month. I'm stoked for that. It's with the 12 and we are going to learn so much! = I know what the Lord would have me do I just need to do a better job of diligently doing it!

I love y'all so much and hope that y'all have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Elder Robertson

Me after the "incident." Elder Speer couldn't stop laughing.