Week 70 - FELIZ NAVIDAD!!

Another email coming at yall from down here in the DR. I have a Little bit more time today so I am going to explain a few things.

I have really been trying to focus on living in a way Jesus did. I have been coming to realize that I am in a one in a lifetime situation here on my mission, if nothing else just for the fact that I am a literal representative of Jesus Christ. There are very few callings in the church where this is the case and I feel honored to have that title for this time of my life. I was talking with the other zone leader this week and we felt impressed to focus more on that in the zone. The biggest thing is to have a work ethic like Jesus had. Where he was perfect in completing all of the requirements of his Father. He is the perfect example of perfect faith and enduring to the end. It doesn't matter what he faced or who he had going against him, he was perfect in completing what he had to complete. It is now my responsibility to apply that in my life and do everything in my power to live how He would live and do what He would do. I know there are so many people here waiting to hear this message and God will trust me with his children if I am doing what he needs me to do.

President Smith is an awesome mission president and is definitely inspired by the Lord. I have really enjoyed working with him over the past few months. It has been fun to see really how the Lord calls his servants and qualifies them for the exact work that he calls them to. A lot of people were really worried when President Corbitt went home and didn't really know how everything was going to go with the change in the mission president. I wont lie I was one of those people that was a little curious and we have definitely seen changes and reactions but I now have a firm testimony that President Smith is the man that the Lord has chosen in this time to lead our mission. President Smith has received a promise through revelation for the following months. In the month of November he has received the promise that every area will have at least one baptism. We have been focusing a lot on receiving promises and revelation for our own areas. It is awesome because instead of just putting a random goal for our own area that comes out of our own head, we really seek to find the will of the Lord and if we receive a promise from Him then we know it isn't just a goal that could or might now be fulfilled, we know it is something that is going to happen if we put in our part. In our zone we have prayed and received a promise that everyone in the zone will baptize at least one person in the first 2 weeks of November so we will see what happens! The Lord made his promise now it is on us!

This week was super good! Fun story we were walking down the raod one day and Elder Baird told me he saw some dude laying on the ground and I just thought "Oh that is normal, there are a ton of crazy people here who just sleep on the side of the road." But when we looked back he was dressed nicely and it kind of worried us, so we went over and were trying to figure out what was happening and see what the problem was. We checked and made sure he was breathing but we were looking around him and we couldn't find anything that would have signaled to why he had passed out. We tried to wake him up but we couldn't. But then upon further inspection and in a ditch nearby we found an almost empty bottle of alcohol and realized probably what had happened. But it wasn't safe for him there so we called some people over and they called an ambulance and it was just a fun experience of what happens here in the DR.

Other amazing experience, one night Elder Baird and I were walking and our appointment had just fallen through, and we didn't really know what to do. (Side note, I don't know if I have told yall what a colmado is, I am pretty sure I have but a colmado is basically a tiny store on just about every street corner that sells just about all the basic things you need to live. It is kind of just like a gas station, without the gas. It is the same thing Christian described as an almacen but we call them colamdos, they are always playing music and almost always showing some type of baseball game.) Elder Baird and I were walking past a colmado and we saw on the TV a giant American flag. Like one of those huge ones that they pull out that goes across 30 yards and they have to have 50-100 people on each side holding it. It obviously caught our attention so we went a little closer. As we were approaching I saw someone on the TV and it was obvious that a baseball game was just starting and they were about to sing the national anthem, but lo and behold one of my favorite country singers, Brad Paisley, pops onto the screen and sings just one of the best national anthems I have heard in my life. I had kind of a weird feeling after for a few reasons. Number one is because I haven't really heard country music at all here on the mission and so that was a strange feeling hearing him sing that, and two is I was sitting there in the middle of the Republica Dominicana, in a little colmado surrounded by people who only speak Spanish, listening to the Star-Spanlged Banner and without realizing it my hand had made its way over my heart and afterwards I just had a little "God bless America" moment. Elder Baird and I kind of just sat there and then we looked at each other, said that it was one of the most amazing things we have experienced together, and then went on with the night. It has been super weird having an American companion, considering the last one I had was in my first transfer over a year ago. Before I never really thought about a lot of things back home because no one could ever relate with me. But now having a companion from Utah is just a whole different scene. I have loved it! But it definitely makes me miss the United States more. So that was a fun little experience that we had this week.

Fun other things that happened, I got my hair cut and the guy didn't know what to do and he just used thinning scissors so now I hardly have hair and look like I am balding, I very much miss my hammock, Elder Baird has a coke addiction, we baught chips and salsa and it is amazing, and the Christmas season has already started here. It starts super early and everyone has already started putting up Christmas lights and Christmas trees soooo….

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!

STILL A HUGE BYU FAN AND LOVE THE WIN!!! (My comp showed me a Utah shirt he has and this week I will be burning it.. Pics to come)

HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!!!

Love,

Elder Robertson

Week 69 - I love interviews with my Mission President

This past week was great but kind of stressful! We have a promise from the Lord that every companionship will baptize this month. It has been crazy because we have been working so hard to find people who are ready to be baptized. We found a completely new part of our area that we didn't know existed and we spent most of our week in that part just contacting. We found a ton of new people who have a ton of interest. Especially this one girl who just had a ton of questions and didn't understand why all of the churches seem to interpret scriptures based on their own knowledge and she thinks that those interpretations should only come from God. She was very interested to hear about revelation today and Prophets and people chosen to guide us and help us understand those things. We will be starting to teach her a lot more in this week. She is just one of many people who we found in this new part. It was a pretty successful contacting week.

But like I said it was stressful because out of the 7 companionships in our zone, only 3 have had a baptism. And two don't really seem to have possibilities. We have been working really hard trying to find the people who the Lord is preparing. This week is going to be amazing and I can't wait to see all of the people that we find in the zone. We have to work really hard and be even more obedient.

The other big thing that happened this week was we had interviews! I love interviews. I love having the opportunity to sit down one and one and talk with President. They were kind of fast this time because he didn't have a lot of time but I would love to share an insight that we talked about. As I am reading the Book of Mormon I am focusing on the principle of Faith. President and I were talking about that in our interview and he brought up an interesting point. Lehi had no idea where he was going. The Lord just commanded him to leave but didn't tell him where to go. Lehi straight up just left everything he had, packed up his family, and left into the desert without the slightest idea where he was to go. It seems that early on he actually thinks he arrived in the Land of Promise which was actually just a few days journey from Jerusalem. What example is that? Are we just as willing to follow the Lord's commands no matter if we see the outcome or not? It has been really interesting to study this because it is definitely something I need to have. I know the Lord will prepare a way for us to complete with all of the things that he has given us, I need to do all I can and follow to the very best of my ability.

I love yall a ton and I can't wait to share all of the miracles that happen in this week! Have a great week!!!

Sorry I didn't take any pictures this week. I will try better.

Love,

Elder Robertson

Week 68 - I got hit by a car

This week has been super awesome! Not a ton happened. I kind of feel bad because since Elder Baird got here we have just been getting rejected a ton. Like more than I have ever been rejected in my entire mission. But it's alright because we aren't letting it get to us. I have actually been laughing a lot more than I have in my mission.

The highlight of this week was Zone Conference! Pretty much the entire topic of the Conference was the Book of Mormon. It is crazy how much the mission, coming from the area presidency, is changing its focus to the Book of Mormon. We have agreed to fulfill the vision that President Benson had where he said that he saw the world being flooded with the Book of Mormon. We have now agreed as a mission to always, at all times, be walking with a copy of the Book of Mormon in our hand and contact everyone that we contact with that book.

I had to give a talk yesterday in church and they didn't really give me a topic to talk about so I got to pick my own. As I was thinking about what I should talk about I got the feeling to talk about why we should even share the gospel. It has been on my mind a lot lately. What is the point? Joseph Smith said once, "After all is said and done, the biggest and most important duty is sharing the gospel." (that is translated so I don't know if it is the exact quote.) I love that quote but I started thinking about why it is the most important. I thought of my personal motivation that I have shared with yall before but basically it is because of the Plan of Salvation.

I didn't really realize this before I got here but I would consider it to be the most misunderstood concept between the mix of religions. Because of the apostasy, the doctrine of the perfect plan that our Father in Heaven has for us is now so unknown. In reality, the plan is perfect and the more I learn about it the more I want to share it. I shared that in my talk and then encouraged everyone to think of their own reasons why they were seated in church that day and why they loved the church, then I encouraged them to think of one friend who needs that same reason in their lives and then make a plan to share in with them. I want to encourage all of y'all to do the same. You don't have to go out and invite all of them to church or any of that, but this week, think of the biggest reasons why you love the church and your motivating factor for why you get up every Sunday and go to church, and then share that with the person that you are thinking of right now!! DO IT!!!

Now that y'all are still wondering what the heck my topic was about, yes I did get hit by a car this week. It wasn't bad. A small moving truck was backing up on a one way street and I was looking the other way obviously. Right at the last second I heard it and lifted up my arm. Luckily it was only going a few miles an hour and knocked me back but really it just hurt my arm a little bit but I am totally fine, Elder Baird and I were just joking about how now I could put the topic of my letter that I got hit by a car.

Another hot week done in the DR. I imagine by now things all over the United States should be cooling down. That still isn't the case here. It is kind of weird now to think that the weather can be anything but super hot and rainy. In fact right now I am sweating writing this. But I am happy for all of y'all who are enjoying the nice weather.

This week we are making plans to have some awesome experiences so I will update yall on all of that next week!

I love yall!!! Have an amazing week!!!!

Love,

Elder Robertson

We have been challenged to flood the earth with the Book of Mormon.

Week 67 - The Book of Mormon is good

I hope everyone had a marvelous first week of October! I can't believe it is already here!! This year has been going by sooo fast! This past week was an AMAZING week!

Training has been really interesting. Elder Baird is a natural and is doing amazing. He is still frustrated with the language but he is learning a ton. I am learning even more from him. He has been teaching me so much! He loves to bear his testimony to everyone he can. I don't really feel like I am training. I mean I am helping him with Spanish and answering a few questions but for the most part we are just going at it.

Fun quick story about Spanish. I remember a little how stressful it is to do everything is Spanish and something my trainer did with me is that we always said our nightly companionship prayer in English and I loved it, it was a nice little break at the end of the day. Well last night it was my turn. And I couldn't do it. Elder Baird was dying of laughter listening to me pray and saying so many words wrong and not remembering words in English. When you are learning to pray in Spanish a lot of times you say as much as you can but if you don't know something you just throw it out there in English. I had to do that exact same thing but the other way around. I guess that is what happens when you haven't had an American companion for over a year.

Okay the last story, this is about the importance of the Book of Mormon. I am growing to love this book sooo much! We have almost completely changed the way we teach, the way we contact and the way we do missionary work to focus on the Book of Mormon. We met this one lady who was from a different church and when we started talking to us she was nice but told us that she really was not a big fan of our church. She said that she had visited the church before and that she had talked with the missionaries a few years back. She respects the religion but she said her biggest problem is she doesn't like "our book." We tried to explain and clarify a little bit because, lets be honest, if someone has heard of the Book of Mormon and doesn't just absolutely love it, it is probably because they don't understand it. In the end she agreed to have ONE appointment with us but only one.

We went back a few days later and her husband wasn't there and she started making excuses. But just as we were about to leave and really sad that we probably missed our one opportunity her husband got home. We started the lesson by asking them to completely forget everything they had ever heard about the Book of Mormon and act as if they were hearing about it for the very first time. What Elder Baird and I had decided to do was ask about how much they knew about Jesus Christ. Obviously they knew just about everything there is to know in the Bible and they happily shared with us what they knew. But when we asked if they knew that Jesus came to the Americas they both looked at us puzzled. We then had an opportunity to read 3 Nephi 11 with them and share our testimonies about the divinity of our Savior and explain what the book really was. We could both tell that they were feeling the spirit. It was one of the best lessons I have ever had. He explained to us that he had heard and visited with many missionaries but none of them had ever presented the Book of Mormon in that way and he had completely misunderstood what it is.

My whole point in sharing this is there are so many people who have heard about the Book of Mormon but have no idea really what it is. It isn't a story about Joseph Smith, it isn't the Bible of the Mormons, nor is it anything similar, it is a divine witness that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer and through him and his Atonement, we can all be cleansed. If the entire world knew that and the importance of the book, imagine how different the world would be. It is our job to help them understand. A big part of it is how we present the book from the beginning.

I want to end with an invitation. One of the Elders from my group let me know that if we started reading the Book of Mormon today and read one chapter every day, we would finish the day we are scheduled to go home. I want to invite all of you at home to do the same. But don't read it just to read it. I would invite y'all to pick a topic of the gospel, faith, repentance, baptism, ect. Whatever it may be, and study especially for that topic. And study one chapter every day starting today.

I love yall a ton! I hope everyone is enjoying the fall! Have a great week! Share the gospel with someone this week!

Love,

Elder Robertson

It rained this week

A picture from my first day together with my trainee Elder Baird as well as with President and Sister Smith.

Week 66 - I'm a Dad

Wow what a crazy weird week!!!

So first of all let me tell you a Little about my new companions! His name is Elder Baird from Ogden, Utah. As most of you may be aware because I am his first companion out here in the field I am his "dad" and he is my "son." I feel kind of bad because his first week in the mission field was not a normal get to work kind of week. The meeting of new missionaries last Tuesday lasted a really long time and we didn't get back here until about 7 at night so there wasn't a ton to do. The next day was normal and we were trying to just go through the ropes. The next day we had a meeting that took up half of the day and we spent the rest of the day in another area in the zone trying to help them out with a few things. The next day we went to the Temple, and then the next two days were General Conference. It has been quite a first week but I am excited for the next week to really buckle down and get to work.

So first the temple. I love the temple so much and especially the temple here. It is crazy how much you can learn about life and your purpose here in life. I love to take my Patriarchal Blessing (shout out to mom for shrinking one down for me) through and reading it at the end. I have probably read that thing hundreds of times but this past time I read it I saw something that had new meaning especially for my life right where I am at. We are very priviledged in the mission because we get to go once every three months. Aparently a lot of other missions don't get to do that. The temple is so amazing and I want to make it a big goal to stay worthy and attend as often as I can when I get home and work to take my own names. That is so important especially in this time.

Okay now General Conference! Wow! This Conference was AWESOME!! I mean it felt a little different somehow but it was still amazing. I think a few of my favorite talks were two about the Book of Mormon. I love Elder Callister's talk because it was just so plain and now really nobody who was listening has any chance of denying the orignin of the book. He has also grown to be one of my favorite General Authorities just because I have read a lot of things by him and I like his way of talking. The other one was President Nelson's talk. One that completely answered one of my prayers on how to help one of our investigators. Two it is such a powerful self reflextion on how I feel about the book. The three questions he asked are very good questions to ask yourself very often to see what it means to you. What would my life be like without the Book of Mormon? What would you not know? What would you not have? My life would be completely different and lost without the Book of Mormon. I see so many different people here earnestly searching for the truth but don't know where to find it and sometimes have become so discouraged that they have stopped looking. I have been so grateful many, many times in my mission and life for the sure knowledge that I am a member of the true church of Christ. I love this Gospel so much and have a burning desire to share it with all of the people around me.

Man I love this mission and I love the opportunity to serve. I love General Conference and I love the temple. I am humbled by the opportunity to be able to train and am trying to figure it out the best I can. But I have a feeling that this week is going to be an amazing week!

I love yall!!!

Love,

Elder Robertson

Me with my new trainee, Elder Baird (that's him on my left) and some other missionaries.

Me with my new trainee, Elder Baird (that's him on my right) in front of the temple.