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
