Pictures

Youth doing service

San Jose missionaries

Letter May 5-11, 2014

Family hey how are you all doing.  Probably really busy other than I believe that mom went on a cruise last week so maybe not to busy.  The spuds should be about in the ground now just have to get them to grow.  When I watch the way they farm here it amazes me the difference.  I don't think any of us would complain ever again about having to go to work.  They are in the fields all day picking by hand for about 100-200 pesos about $2-5 and thats their life.  They just keep going.  Very few people have tractors just the few rich people.  It really makes it hard for us too because alot of them are out in the fields.  Its alright we will find a way.  So on Monday we didn't have p--day just a regular day of work.  We went out had a good day not alot happened actually just went finding all day.  Tuesday was our p-day.  We emailed and just the regular then came and hung out at the house.  Every p-day we eat at this mexcian place.  Its pretty good.  It is random there is a mexcian food place here.  It helps give a change to the food so Wednesday had a good day.  Apolo introduced us to some of his friends but two of them punted us and he felt really bad about it.  We ended up teaching about 5 lessons that day.  I wish we could just get people to progress none of them want to do anything.  Thursday we ahd a good morning with 3 lessons before lunch.  The rest of the day not another lesson all day.  We had a FHE for a kid in the branch that is leaving on a mission.  Friday had a rough morning no lessons then we had lunch.  Then weekly planning after that we had another meeting with all the missionaries in the branch.  We do that every Friday to coordinate what will happen that week.  The meeting gets over at like 5 then back to work.  We did meet two new girls to teach they were friends of Apolo.  Apolo said next time don't hide cause it hurts if you do.  He is really funny and blunt.  Saturday we had our national day of service.  We went and cleaned up a Mongon school.  They are the native people that still wear loin cloths.  It was fun though.  I love to do service projects.  We got back at two had lunch rested for a bit and then went back to work.  All we got was one lesson in.   Sunday we had church two random investigators showed up to church so that was good.  We had training for the branch missionaries then Apolo came and worked with me and JR with my comp.  Apolo is in a wheelchair so I pushed him around to all the appointment.  People really stare at a white guy pushing a special Filipino around.  He is really funny.  So that was my week nothing crazy.  We got some good service in and what not.  Hopefully we can get those two people that showed up to church progressing.  Well hope your all doing well.  Thanks for everything have a good week.  Love you all.  Love Elder Robison

Letter 3/28-5/4/2014

Family hey how are you all doing.  I hope really well.  I believe Kandice had her baby this week.  Thats the last thing I heard so I hope that all went well and I guess I will hear whether or not mom made it back in time from her trip.  I will also expect to see pictures soon.  Other than that I don't know what else is going on.  The longer I am out the less I hear from people but I am sure its normal.  Your all just busy.  I hope everything is going good on the farm.  I hope everything stays good.  Its time you all start to get some use out of the cabin and what not.  Things are probably all starting to turn green again and look nice.  For us here nothing ever really changes its always green.  Another week has passed by so time is still flying by.  Monday was our p-day I didn't think anyone would email because mom was gone but then Rachel surprised me when I was on there.  After that just went and did some shopping and then went back to the house.  We had some stuff to try this one balancing push up and then the 4 man push up.  The balance didn't work but the 4 man push up did.  Tuesday just a regular day of working but a very slow one thats for sure.  Taught 1 lesson all day and walked a lot.  Wednesday another day but we actually taught some people.  We had 5 lessons.  We found a new investigator.  She came to church last week so we will start to teach her.  Apolo worked with us for a little while.  Thursday we went on splits.  I worked with Elder Geogun from New Zealand.  Him and Tipene knew each other before.  He is pretty new and still learning.  We had a good day set up and then we taught one lesson then got punted the rest of the day.  All we did is finding ha he was new and still kind of shy.  Friday we had a typical Friday full of meetings and planning and stuff.  We then got a good two lessons and that was Friday.  Saturday another day taught some lessons in the morning then the rest of the day was no good because we had no priesthood to work with us and all our appoinments were with woman and their husbands were not home.  Sunday just the regular day of church had lots of people show up today so it was good.  After the ward missionaries came and worked with us and we got some good appointments in but nothing to crazy.  So that was my week just normal nothing to exciting but next week I will go to Manila so that will be a nice little break for us.  Go and eat some fast food hahah we don't get that out here.  Well I hope your all really good and enjoying life.  Keep me up to date on everything.  Mothers day is next week as well so we will talk soon.  Thanks for everything have a good week.  Love you all.  Love Elder Robison

Pictures

Teaching at a lesson

On the beach

Elder and Sister Horsley on the beach

She is only 2

Selfie after President Uchtdorf said it

Sister Heywood

Easter dinner with no power.  My first candlelight dinner

carabou

water buffalo

National day of service

Letter 4/12/14

Family hey how are you all doing. I hope your doing great and have had a great week. You all got to watch conference this week but we haven't yet. We will get to next week. Well I hope you all enjoyed it up at the cabin but back to work. Hopefully it dries out and you can get back to work and finish up planting so dad can chill out again for a little bit at least. As for here they are harvesting the onions so there are lots of them on everything. Its whatever I guess I am used to it now. I bet you all never thought that would happen but it did. I have just been out enjoying my time here on the island. It really is like a gift to be out here. It really gives a change to the mission for me. When I was on the main land things are the same in every area but here is so different. Kind of like we are our own little mission. I really enjoy it and the transfer has flown by. We are 4 weeks in so it flies. This week started with p-day and a brown out for 6 hours. That is why email was weird the power kept going out. We then came home and cleaned the house. Tuesday we worked in the morning then this guy we are doing a Book of Mormon project for wanted to meet so we could print these things out and get them ready. We thought it would only take a little while nope 7.5 hours sitting there so no work just watching a very slow printer. Then he bought us food for dinner. Wednesday we had a good day. We taught a few lessons to some new people. They are inviting us back but not progressing yet. Then we had a dinner at the second councilors house. There grand kid is so fat she is only 2 and is like 65 lbs so that is fat. Thursday ha what a day. We got punted so much that day. It was bad no one was home at all that day. It didn't matter what we did we couldn't get a lesson. Friday was a day full of meetings. In the morning we finished our project then had weekly planning then missionary meeting then met with the branch president then taught one lesson to a family that aren't really progressing much, the Brother has a drinking problem. Saturday we went and took the Book of Mormons to all the hotels in town. That was our little project thingy. Each one has a testimony in them from a missionary. We then had a baptism for the sisters. Their investigator chose me to do it. A special guy and not a light weight by all means but we got it done in one try. We then had to figure out record issues for the Branch President so no work that day. Sunday just church. Apollo and JR got the priesthood. They came and worked with us. I went with JR. He was nervous. It was his first time he did good though. He wants to go on a mission in one year so its good practice for him. So that was my week. Nothing crazy just busy is all. Time is really flying by. Each week is faster then the last. Well I hope your all doing really well. Enjoy planting and the spring time. Thanks for everything. Love you all. Love Elder Robison

Letter 3/24-31/14

Family hey how are you all doing back home.  I am sure your all busy trying to get the grain planted and what not so your break is over now its time to get back to work.  I will expect to see some pictures from planting and just what your all doing.  The time is really starting to fly by.  I am really enjoying the weeks are flying by.  The hot season is starting here and the season for brown outs.  The power shuts off for about 2 hours everyday.  The other day we had one for 6 hours it was so hot and it was on pday while we were emailing so I might of just randomly stopped emailing.  If that happens it just means the power went out and I'll be back on because they have generators so it just takes awhile.  Thats the only thing I don't really enjoy is the brown outs.  Its all good we can deal with it.  I'll tell you about my week.  It started with p-day on Monday just a normal p-day.  We emailed like normal then went and had some shirts made by a member for us.  I had to buy a few things and then that was it we came and sat at home is all we did.  We had one appointment and it fell through so nothing for teaching that day.  Tuesday regular day of work for appointments then had to go finish a project thing for this one guy that is putting Book Of Mormons in all the hotels here.  Wednesday we taught some good lessons and found some new investigators nothing to crazy though.  Just normal day.  Thursday I went on splits with Elder Malmarose in his area.  His area is really province there is nothing out there but rice farms and very few houses and the ocean is also there but we walked so much and did lots of finding which was good.  Elder Malmarose is a good kid and has a really good attitude about the work.  His branch president fed us dinner then we went home and I was ready for bed.  We walked forever.  Friday we had meetings and weekly planning then a branch FHE that night and it was just a lot of youth.  The youth are really strong here so it looks good for the future.  Saturday we also found a guy that tried to kill an elder once and we aren't supposed to be in that area but we didn't know that.  He liked us so it was alright.  Saturday we had a good day went back and taught some of the people we tracted.  They were really nice and invited us back so that was good.  We also had a service project that day early in the morning we went and cleaned the road by the church with all the members.  Sunday we had church then we had some youth work with us and we went to this one less active and she asked us to give her sister a blessing and so her sister pulled off her hat and she was bald.  I though cancer but it turns out her hair got caught in the prop of a boat and scalped her.  It was gross to touch.  She blamed it on witchcraft, kind of a weird thing so that was Sunday and my week.  Sorry my letter is short.  I was really busy but thanks for all you do.  Have a good planting season.  Hope it goes well.  Thanks again tell everyone hi and love you all.  Love Elder Robison

Email 4/13/14

hey i am doing good things have been great had a really busy week with going to manila for 3 days for meeting then president came back with us and we had interviews witch were really good. He said that i was put out here to help the zone and fix it and change other things that had happend in the past here so he put alot of trust in me. I guess that is whey he put me out here. I really do like it out here its our own little mission. He didnt have time to work with us because his flight was the very next day so he didnt work with us. kinda glad i really like him though lately i have got to know him better so thats nice. we Didnt really get any work in our area this week because of conference and meeting and just lots of stuff we have had 10 elders in our house for like 5 days which is fun but alot to. We had our zone activity earlier today which was good just went to the beach and played games. I got my packages thanks for the shoes and the step counter but already lost it cause it dont stay in the thing good so it fell out somewhere so my bad. so thats about it this week nothing to crazy just busy and lots of stuff to do but we got through it and it all went well no problems this week should be more normal and we will get some work in but thats it thanks for all that you do. love you have a good wee