Well this week was a lot less interesting than last week. I mean it was still amazing but definitely not as eventful. We spent most of the week in the area just working. There is so much potential here! Elder Arnold and I were talking and we decided that we really have to narrow down who is going to progress and who is not. There are a lot of people here who say they are interested but who we feel aren't really going to progress. We have a lot of other people who are so close to getting baptized but all of them have a few things holding them back.
Yesterday we kind of had a funny experience, Familia TR came to church for the second time but they showed up a little late and sat back in a couple open chairs near the back. We were sitting there listening to a talk when out of nowhere this older lady who I have never seen before, who was sitting right next to them got out of her chair and kneeled down and started praying... OUT LOUD. She was down there for like 10 minutes! Elder Arnold and I were standing in the back and we just looked at each other because there obviously wasn't anything we could do but I actually think it wasn't a bad thing because the wife used to be super evangelica and that happens a lot in that church so I think it made her feel a little more comfortable, so way to go old lady!
Question time!
What have you discovered by living in the Dominican Republic that will change the way you live when you are back home?
This is kind of a loaded question because I have learned a lot of things. I think most of the things that will change the way I live are things that I have learned by being a missionary and not so much by living in a different country. The thing that will change when I get back home most from living in the DR will be not taking things for granted. I have been so spoiled my whole life. Dad has worked crazy hard to always provide for the family and I never really thought much of my life and actually at times I was a little jealous of other people and what they had. I never realized just how lucky I was to even live in a good house with air conditioning, hot water, and always have food in the house. The amount of people here who have all three of those is I would say about 5 percent. I don't think I will let small problems bother me or waste my time worrying about things that don't really matter and try to use my time on what really matters. I want to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. I want to have a schedule in my life. I obviously want to study the scriptures more often and I want my life revolve around the gospel and not just have the gospel as one of the parts of my life.
What are the goals for the last six (now four) months of your mission?
My only real goal is to learn how to seek the Lord's will in my life and follow through with it. I have spent too long thinking that with my own strength I can get things done. I feel like if I can learn to seek out the Lord's will and follow it, that will help me for the rest of my life.
Which of your friends have you stayed the closest to on your mission (via emails obviously)?
Is it a surprise? Christian and Zach, we haven't gone one week without emailing each other #bffs
Which of your friends do you feel you have grown further apart while on your mission?
Casey. We talked a little bit at the beginning of my mission but I don't really have a clue what is happening with him.
What attribute of the Savior has meant the most to you while on your mission?
Wow this is such a hard question.
The answer is all of them really. Throughout my mission I have strived to because more like my Savior. I have tried to learn and teach and live as he did. In doing so I have studied and restudied all of the attributes of Christ. One of the most meaningful (and probably one of the hardest for me) would be humility. Before I came out on my mission, and like I said before because of the situations that I have been in, I don't think I have ever truly had to work for something. I have worked in sports and school but I have never had a moment in my life where I have been on my knees and had to turn everything over to the Lord. Most of my life I have had a pretty prideful mindset of "I can do this myself." Learning to submit my will over to the Lord has probably been one of the hardest things for me to learn. It is easy to say yeah I want to do it but it is another thing to actually do it. But I know that if I do and really humble myself, the Lord will change me. Last week when Elder Renlund came with some other authorities, the wife of Elder Kearon shared her testimony and gave advice to all of the missionaries who are in their first two transfers. Now I know that I don't fall into that category but I do feel like her advice applies to me and to all people. She said "The Lord loves you exactly the way you are right now, but he loves you enough not to let you stay that way." If we let him, the Lord will change us and always help us to become more like him.
Well, that completes all of the questions that Dad sent me a while ago. If yall have any more yall can totally send them my way! I love to know what yall want to know!
This church is true! I don't have a doubt in my mind about that! I love yall and miss yall! Have an amazing week!!!
Love,
Elder Robertson
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