Two letters showed up today gotta love the Philippines Mail system

May 12, 2013
Family hey everyone I hope everything is going really good. Sounds like you have all been really busy on the farm. That's good at least you finally got Brenan to go to work j/k Now that everything is planted I am sure your going to spend some time in Island Park so that's always fun. I finally got the pictures you sent. Renlee has gotten big. She wasn't even walking when I left. She will be pretty old when I get back that will be crazy but that's forever away it feels like. Well today is Mothers Day here but not until tomorrow at home so I get to call you all tomorrow. I just pray that the skype thing works out good and that everyone is there. I really miss everyone from home. My life at home just feels like a dream. I can't even imagine walking into the front door of the house. It's weird and it's only been 4 months so who knows what it will fell like in 20 more months. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. So anyways a little bit about what I have been up to. Just the same thing everyday. This week started out with our zone activity at Daranock Falls. It was a cool place and would have been a lot cooler if we weren't missionaries so we could of swam but it was still fun. Then I just had a normal week. We met a 13 year old kid who wants to be baptized so that's cool. His mom is already a member. Those 4 new people I wrote about last time didn't go as good as we wanted. One didn't live in our area, two are lesbians together and the other had like 3 kids with different people so not really the best investigators. Me and Gillette have decided to focus on some of our less actives who could go through the temple. We have 4 people and I think that is bigger than baptism in a way if we can get them to go through so that would be really cool. We got to take a tour through our church that is being built. It's huge and has AC so it would be nice. I hope I am still here to see it when it's done. I think our area would take off if it was finished. People have to travel so far to go to church right now. There are a lot of people who can't afford to get here so we could have a lot of success if it was done. Hopefully soon. It seems like President DeLaMar doesn't like to leave people in area's very long so who knows when I will get transferred. So out of all the branches in our district we lead in baptisms and number of Priesthood holders. We have over 200 members in the branch. We could be a ward but we have to wait for all the other branches to be ready so we can become a stake. That's kind of the goal for our zone is to become a stake. The rainy season is getting close to starting so that will be interesting. I guess we will see how that all goes. Well so that's about it for what I have been doing. I hope tomorrow works out good and everyone is there. I can't wait to see everyone. I love you all. Thanks for everything you do for me. Have a great week. Love Elder Robison.

May 20, 2013
Family hey how is everyone doing at home. I am sure you are doing good. It was really good to talk to everyone on Monday. it feels like it's been forever. I haven't seen anyone I know for over 4 months now it's crazy. I kind of wish time would pass by a little bit faster. It feels pretty slow. I still wake up in the morning and think it's crazy that I have to do this everyday for 19 months. It's just hard it gets very repetitive and it feels like nothing ever changes. It's the same old thing everyday. I walk the same paths everyday and the same people that yelled at me the day before do it again. Nothing seems to be changing I guess but it's all good. So a little bit about my week. Monday I called you guys then after we talked we ran to the market and bought our food for the week. We got done there at like 3:30 so we headed back to the apartment. We just hung out for a little while then I washed some clothes. Tuesday nothing to exciting happened just went out and worked. Same thing on Wednesday just went out and worked. Those two days were good we got to teach everyone we planned to teach so it was good. On Thursday we had an interesting morning. The other two elders in the apartment left to do some service in their area. Elder Gillette and I were upstairs studying. We leave the door open to try and get some air flow in the house so it's always open. We could hear the other Elder's were home so we went downstairs to talk to them and then Elder Sabawil went into our back wash area and we hear him yell "What the heck" and we look and there was a little kid hiding back there. He was in our house. We think he was stealing stuff and then got trapped in the house and couldn't run out because they came home so that was a surprise. Sabawil just chewed him out in Tagalog and that was it. Friday was just a normal day but we only taught 2 lessons because everyone was asleep or gone so not the best day. Saturday was a lot like Friday. For Sunday we will just go to church then go visit some people. P-day is on Tuesday this next week because it's transfer week. I don't really want to be transferred I would like to see the progress of our area when the church is done but I have been in this area the longest out of everyone so I don't know what will happen. Hopefully I stay at least one more transfer. Well other than that nothing to crazy this last week. Just keep me updated on what's going on back home and how everyone is doing. Thanks for everything you all do. Love Elder Robison

Letter 5/5/13 & pictures

Family, How is everything going back at home. I hope everything is going good and your all enjoying life. Right now is early Sunday morning here so I thought I would hurry and write you before church because tomorrow I won't have time. Tomorrow for P-day our zone activity we are going to Daranack Falls. I guess there are some really cool waterfalls here so it might be a late email day sorry about that. I think you guys should be just crust busting the grain right now so I am sure dad is back to stressed again. Tell him if he needs extra help Camry will come drive. I trained her good last year j/k So I guess I'll tel you about what I have been doing. Just a normal week. It's been really hot so I have been sweating like crazy. My shirt one day was completely wet so it was gross. I am probably going to have all of my clothes refitted because they are all to big now. My pants won't stay up unless my belt is tightened all the way and my shirts just look huge on me now. I was actually thinking that unless I gain all my weight back my suit won't fit when I come home so I might have to get one made like a month before I go home. Anyways we had a branch party on Friday. It was at a swimming resort so not very fun for missionaries but Filipinos love to karaoke so they did that there. They all are terrible at singing but it was just nice to go and relax for a little bit. Last night we met a huge family. It's like it was meant to be so we had met this kid at the market one day and he gave us his address to come and teach him but we couldn't find his house. Addresses are kind of pointless here because they are impossible to find. Anyways so we couldn't find him again so then last night we were walking to an appointment. This lady said hey Elders and started talking to us. She said she was a member but her family wasn't and that the missionaries just stopped teaching them a long time ago. So we said well where do you live and we will come teach you so they she walked us up to their house. It was way back in this tight little alleyway. There was no way we would of found this place so we get there and the first person we see is the kid from the market. it was his sister that took us there. They all seemed pretty interested so it was good. The whole family was there. We already know that they all have some problems to overcome but we will hope for the best and just pray that they progress. That is mostly it for what has happened this week. June if when the wet season starts so that will be a change. It doesn't sound fun though everyone hates the wet season. Well I hope everything is going good at home. It's about summer time so I'll bet your at the cabin quite a bit. I love you all have fun and thanks for everything. Love Elder Robison

Daranak Falls

People swimming at Daranka Falls

People cliff jumping

Our zone at Daranak Falls

Me and Gillette

FHE

FHE with the Peras family

Our little friend Angel

Laundry Room

Bathroom

Gillette in the kitchen

Our new front door and gate

Our study area

Lost a little weight just 30 pounds

Letter 5/5/13

Family, How is everything going back at home. I hope everything is going good and your all enjoying life. Right now is early Sunday morning here so I thought I would hurry and write you before church because tomorrow I won't have time. Tomorrow for P-day our zone activity we are going to Daranack Falls. I guess there are some really cool waterfalls here so it might be a late email day sorry about that. I think you guys should be just crust busting the grain right now so I am sure dad is back to stressed again. Tell him if he needs extra help Camry will come drive. I trained her good last year j/k So I guess I'll tel you about what I have been doing. Just a normal week. It's been really hot so I have been sweating like crazy. My shirt one day was completely wet so it was gross. I am probably going to have all of my clothes refitted because they are all to big now. My pants won't stay up unless my belt is tightened all the way and my shirts just look huge on me now. I was actually thinking that unless I gain all my weight back my suit won't fit when I come home so I might have to get one made like a month before I go home. Anyways we had a branch party on Friday. It was at a swimming resort so not very fun for missionaries but Filipinos love to karaoke so they did that there. They all are terrible at singing but it was just nice to go and relax for a little bit. Last night we met a huge family. It's like it was meant to be so we had met this kid at the market one day and he gave us his address to come and teach him but we couldn't find his house. Addresses are kind of pointless here because they are impossible to find. Anyways so we couldn't find him again so then last night we were walking to an appointment. This lady said hey Elders and started talking to us. She said she was a member but her family wasn't and that the missionaries just stopped teaching them a long time ago. So we said well where do you live and we will come teach you so they she walked us up to their house. It was way back in this tight little alleyway. There was no way we would of found this place so we get there and the first person we see is the kid from the market. it was his sister that took us there. They all seemed pretty interested so it was good. The whole family was there. We already know that they all have some problems to overcome but we will hope for the best and just pray that they progress. That is mostly it for what has happened this week. June if when the wet season starts so that will be a change. It doesn't sound fun though everyone hates the wet season. Well I hope everything is going good at home. It's about summer time so I'll bet your at the cabin quite a bit. I love you all have fun and thanks for everything. Love Elder Robison

Letter 4/28/13

Family, hey everyone I hope everything is going good at home. You should be about done planting if not finished I think so I bet dad is less stressed for about a week then the grain crusts a little but it's all good. Sounds like you guys use the cabin a lot so it can't be to bad. I miss everyone a lot. I really miss being on the farm a lot but it's alright I am here for the next two farm seasons. Well this week has been another slow week with 0 new investigators. We go out tracting and people say to come back the next day and we do and then they will hide from us in their house. We actually had a lady answer the door see it was us close the door and then she never came back out so we are struggling in our area. Since we were both new when we cam here we don't know any of the less active members. We have made plans three times with our ward mission leader to come work with us and all three times ha has cancelled so we are just stuck. We only have 1 progressing investigator right now and we need about 10. We haven't received a referral in like 6 weeks for us so not much going on. On Tuesday we did get to go to the temple and then to this huge mall so it was fun. Everyone was buying pearls and I couldn't spend that much money so I didn't buy any. I don't know why but I really struggle to buy things here. We only get 4000 peso's every two weeks. It's almost $100 but we have to pay bills and transportation and for groceries. Then on Thursday we had a devotional from the area authority Elder Ardern. Elder Gillette and I had to do a roll play with the guy so that sucked really bed in front of the whole mission. I got to see everyone from the MTC again it's the first time since I got here so that was good. I think I am the only one that has had a harder area out in the province. They are all in the city part and they said their houses are all pretty good. It's all good for some reason I feel like my next area is going to be in Mendoro the island. I don't know why if it is I won't be able to send letters ever probably just email and we only receive mail every 6 weeks out there but who really knows. Everyone seems to love it out there. I told you in the email that Elder Smith knows Kandice's sister Kendi. He said they met up at college. I think he has a crush on her. I told him where Camry went to school and he was like I know a girl from out there and he was like Kendi Stoneberg. I laughed and told him how I know her. Small world. But anyways thanks for everything I love you all a ton. I love you all and miss you and pray for you all. Tell Bishop we have some similar journal entries. a and tell him thanks it was funny to read. Thanks for the letters love you all. Love Elder Robison

4/22/13 Letter

Family, well I hope everything is going good at home. Your probably getting ready or already started planting spuds. I am sure your all really busy. Well once again not a huge week here. I did get to build a house or more like a fort for some old guy to live in. Ha Elder Jensen said he needed our help so we show up and it's like a little shack that he lives in. By the time we finished it was a little better but really it was like a fort. The tools we used were a saws-all and a chain saw. That's how we cut all the wood so that explains the quality of the work but it was good to actually be able to work on something like that. I got sunburned pretty bad on my neck for the first time. So when I put my shirt and tie on it rubs pretty bad. Other than that just a normal week. Yesterday on Sunday we got Dan to church. He is the kid from the bakery so that was good. We will see what he thought when we go over for dinner on Wednesday. Yesterday we also got everyone confirmed so it was a good day everyone is finally done. church here is very different the people kind of treat it like a hang out place and there isn't much order here. I don't know what Dan thought but I am sure it's good. Tonight Fina invited us to Danica's birthday party so we will have dinner tonight so that's good. It helps us save money and it's just nice. Last week I lived the whole week on $6 so I saved a lot of money. Tomorrow is p-day and we get to go to the temple so that's always good. I love the temple. When I go there it's the only thing that is close to what home feels like. I almost feel normal. The one bad thing is we have to wake up so early to get there. Our zone and area are so far away so it takes like 1 1/2 hours to get there. We will get to go to some mall so that's good. I don't like how it messes up our email time though so you probably won't be awake this week. Anyways let me know about what's going on at home and how everyone is and how farming is going. Keep me up to date on everything. So thanks for everything sorry the letter is short. Everything has just been slow so not a lot of details but thanks again! Love you all so much. Love Elder Robison