Letter 2/21/13

Letter 2/21/13

Family, this is the last letter I'll be writing from the MTC. It's crazy that I am leaving next Tuesday. But it sounds like your all doing really good and having fun. I am running out of stuff to say about this place. I am kind of tired of the same thing everyday. I sent my schedule home in Camry's birthday package. I actually don't have anything to send home so don't expect a package from me. I am really excited but way nervous because I don't know hardly any of the language. As for here it's all the same. We still go to 6 hours of class. On Thursday we have infield orientation that's a 9 hour training so I don't know what to think about it because that is a really long training. Then on next Tuesday I have to be at the travel office at 5 in the morning. We leave and I'll call from like 10:15 to about 12 from Portland. Make sure to answer. My letters I hope get better when I get there. They should be more exciting I hope. It will be good to have some change in my life. I just hope I get a good trainer and a good area. I can't wait for my first progressing investigator. A real one. The other day we had another one commit to baptism but she is just an actor so it made me happy but I want a real one but I also don't want to screw up my first one to the point that they don't like the church. I hope I do good. I should get some good pictures when I am there. That stinks for Sara that her first Sunday she had to do all that but she will do good. Oh and on Wednesday I am hosting and my friend Quinn Nelson is coming in. Ask Camry about him he is the funniest kid. So hopefully I'll get to host him in. Other than that that's all I am doing here so I can't wait to call you all. Thank you for all the support I am getting it's great. I love you guy's so take care (Inaat). I'll send my other SD card when I get mine back. So there isn't very many pics so sorry about that. Love you all (Mahal po kayo)
Mahal Elder Robison

I actually got a call today from Kaden and they changed their travel plans so he now leaves Monday at 11:00 instead of Tuesday. He sounded good but nervous.

Letter 2/14/13 (Week 4)

2/12/2013
Dear family
It's P-day today and I am really bored because there is nothing to do here other then sit in our rooms but I am good with that. 'll take any little break I can get. I hope everything is good at home and your all enjoying yourselves. Let me know about the snow and snowmobiling.Also who pays for the warehouse and did anyone get hurt when it happened. Just wondering I feel like I am not ever part of the world anymore. The only thing that I get from the world is two comic strips and the weather that Grandma Gwen sends me each week. Mom I expect the house to be completely cleaned out when I get back and keep Brenan out of my stuff. Here at the MTC it's the same old, same old. We teach two investigators and they are just our teachers acting like people so it's nothing to crazy. We have one committed to baptism and the other isn't so accepting, but she is getting better. Our schedule doesn't change until the sixth week here and then we have an in field orientation that is 9 hours long. I have heard it's good and bad from different people. I am sure my letters will be better once I get to the field and things are different. Tomorrow we are getting 24 new Elders in our zone. It's crazy this place is like a zoo. By summer there will be 8000 missionaries here and I feel like there is no room right now so I am glad I won't be here when that happens. Thanks for being on when I emailed today. I like that even though it's only for a short time. I think I am good on stuff for now. I don't need to have anything specific sent in but if I do I'll write ya next week. The devotional on Sunday was really good it made me excited about my mission and to have the opportunity to help people achieve their true happiness. I am glad you like your temple job. We go to the temple at 6:30 on Tuesdays so we have to wake up early. It's so worth it. I am hoping to see an apostle but I don't know if I will. I told you about those kids I met they said everyone knows English so I don't know how fast I'll learn tagalog. I wish I knew it already that would be so nice. Well thank you for the package and the letters. I you have anymore questions let me know. Thanks again love you all.
Elder (Ingat) Robison

Letter 2/8/13 (Week 3)

Family
Well today is P-day and I emailed but you weren't on so we didn't get to talk. That's alright we have been really busy just going to class trying to learn the language. Me and Sara talk all the time she is on my floor so that's awesome. She says Abby loves her mission now that she is out of the MTC. I hope that's how I feel because Matt and Kendall were right this is a bad place to be in for very long. You really feel like you are in prison. The whole place is fenced off and there is a huge mountain out of my class window that reminds me of snowmobiling every day. Friends do help make the time go by. I actually have made friends with this huge Tongan. Every time he sees me he always comes up and like hugs me. he is huge like two of me. it almost knocks the air out of me every time. He just says whats up friend. We play volleyball in gym together. Gym is the only time you feel like a normal person here. It will be over soon and I will be in the Philippines and I am really excited for that other than the heat. Our teacher says when the power goes out in the night your fan turns off and you wake up in a puddle of sweat. They also said you will be lucky to see one snake especially in my mission. Oh and I will just have to send my SD card cause they don't print pictures so just send the pics back and I will write on the backs what they are. This is a short letter because nothing new ever happens so I love ya all thanks again for everything. Mom I know you have been waiting for this but I really appreciate all that you do and have done for me it's been a big help so thank you. Love Elder Robison

Email 2/5/13

 I just got out of the temple we did initatories  today so that was good after we go to the temple we get to eat the temple breakfast which is really nice because the food at the mtc is pretty bad i have lost over 7 pounds when I weighed last. We haven't had any apostles come talk to us yet but maybe today we will, who knows but everything is going good I still dont know the language yet but I guess that's fine.  I would like to be leaving to the Philippines but I have 3 more weeks.  I hope you are all doing really good it sounds like the snow is awesome.  Hopefully I will be able to send pictures soon but I need to find out how to do that.  Some one said there is only one building that you can print them at so I will try today.  There has been about a foot of snow here but it is starting to melt.  So Shaylee is pretty excited I am sure me and her will get home around the same time so that will be cool.  My missionary visa expires on the 1 of January and if it expires I either have to renew it or leave the country.  Mine is different than a lot of kids.  Mine is two weeks less that everyone else I don't know if its a good or bad thing I guess we will just see.  Did you talk to Austin and is he getting excited or nervous or what. Tell me about like when you guys go do things with the Jacobs and how they are doing. I haven't got a letter in almost a week from Camry so I just figure your all really busy. Not much has happened here nothing too exciting.  I just sit in class all day and only study the language so I feel like we don't get to learn anything about the gospel so that kinda sucks but I guess this is what all people do. Since we are on the 6 week program we have so many things we have to do in the day and please fax my immunization record so i don't get stuck here for even longer that wouldn't be good. Well i don't think you are going to email back today.  Sorry it was early it might be like this for the next few weeks. Oh and I talk to Sara all the time she still hates this place it sounds like but I like to talk to her cause it helps me to see someone from home everyday. Love you I'll write a letter and send it today and write back as soon as possible love you bye.

Letter 2/4/13

Family, well everything is going mubuti, other than I am not getting the language at all but it's fine I guess. Not much changes from day to day, other than Elder Holmes our District Leader has to go home to get surgery on his shoulder. The whole district all sang the song God Be with You till we Meet again. he is going straight to the Philippines in 8 weeks. It was a pretty cool experience. he started crying. Normally he would of been able to stay but we have so many more missionaries coming they don't have room to let him stay. he is really bummed out. By summer there will be about 6500 missionaries here double what there are now. I will be glad to be out of here by then. Really I would like to be gone now but the next three weeks are to prove myself to Heavenly Father so he can bless me. Faith without works is dead is a good quote about that. Everything is good. Thanks for everything. Love you all! Love Elder Robison

Letter 1/31/13 (Week 2)

Family
It sounds like everything is going really good at home. it seems like I haven't seen you all in a long time even though its only been a few weeks. it sounds like everything on the farm is the same as when I left with everyone just standing around. it's really good to hear from you guys. Your letters always help make the time pass quickly. I have met some really cool people here that have really helped strengthen my testimony. I met a kid named Elder Winterson. he has a full ride scholarship to the U. He told us this story after we gave Elder Holmes a blessing. he is our zone leader. He has a hurt shoulder and might need surgery. in the blessing the kid said to have faith to be healed. After that Winterson was crying a little and asked if he could share a story that happened to him. He said before he received his scholarship he got hurt the second game of the season. He broke his collarbone. He said it crushed him. The U wouldn't give him the scholarship if he couldn't play so he was way down. One night his mom read him a scripture on faith and when she did he decided to leave it up to the Lord. His dad told him this quote he said "work as if it all depends on you, and pray as if it all depends on your Heavenly Father". He worked really hard and within 4 weeks he was able to play the rest of the season and still got a full ride. This is a good example of faith. Well it sounds like everything is going good. We haven't heard any big speakers yet. We missed Elder Holland. He was here the Tuesday before we got here. I can't use that picture site here because we don't have an internet thing. Thanks for the letters. Love Elder Robison