Elder Robertson's Christmas Message

December 16, 2013

Thanks for the poem it was awesome!!!!! 

I got my suitcase at zone conference, I just forgot to tell you.  Guess what!  I got the Christmas package!!!!  All the Skittles and Starbursts are gone and most of the Chewy Sweetarts and most of the oatmeal also.  But I'm saving most of the graham crackers!!!!!  Thanks for the Christmas tree it's beautiful!  And the sticky things :) ha-ha my house is prettyfied for Christmas.

This week was ok, we didn`t teach a lot but we had three super-awesome investigators in church!!!!  That was exciting. 

Yeah, I stay pretty warm.  Do you know the saying, "if you don't like the weather in Utah stay for awhile?"  I've changed it to apply to Punta Arenas.  If you don't like the weather in Punta Arenas stay for 5 minutes. ha-ha  The days are crazy.  It will go from rain to blue sky to snow to wind to blue sky, rain, snow, wind, sunny, cold, hot.   I just described the weather every hour :) it's awesome, I love it.

The picture I sent of the family last week were members, we helped reactivate them!  They were really fun.

Skype will be the 23rd, 24th, or 25th.  We have to talk to the guy in our ward and I don`t know the time yet.  I can`t believe how close it is!

Glad things are good in utah! 

Les amo mucho! (I love you all a lot)  All you guys are awesome.  Thanks for the package, it was awesome!  Tambien, I got your letter dad from your talk it was super-AWESOME.  I liked the quotes a ton and the comic was hilarious!

Sorry this isn't super long, this week was uneventful until the weekend when we had awesome lessons and got people to church.  Picture time!!!!!!!!

This is Erica and her youngest son, Sebastian.  He is 17.  They are super, super, awesome.  We have been teaching them for a while, they came to church on Sunday!  The man is a retired doctor in our ward that goes on splits with us. We helped them with their tree!

Here is the Poem that Kyla sent:

A Missionary Christmas:

I skipped the sales after Thanksgiving, the thrill just wasn't there.

No pictures taken with Santa Claus, my decorating has no flair.

His presents are shoes, shirts, and ties, two suits and socks....no fun.

I've bought him all white clothes because....

This year I'm giving Christ my son.

I've spent more time in the temple, my testimony stirred.

I've reread November's Ensign, felt strength come from His words.

Our family prays more frequently, my tears are quick to run.

Abraham seems closer because....

This year I'm giving Christ my son.

I wonder how those Lamanite mothers, gave their sons to war?

Or how the pioneers chose Zion, their sacrifice was so much more.

My loss will be his presence, I'll miss his smile a TON.

For two years we will pray for him....

I'm giving Christ my son.

I stare at his face when he's not looking I memorize his eyes, their shine.

He's always hungered for the part of him, that makes his soul divine.  

The stories and lessons he always heard, His choice and mine are one.

I'll put my faith in God's hand....

This year, I'm giving Him my son.

Past gifts have lost their glitter, I think I finally understand

Christ's birth should be celebrated by giving Him a hand.

It's because I know Christ lives and reigns, that all his packing's done.

My gift has taken years to make, this year....

I'm giving Christ my son.

I know there's One who understands, the sacrifice I'm making,

For He had done it all before, Greater Love there could be none.

For years ago God gave to me....

His only begotten son.

The hands I washed, the hands I held, the hands I taught to pray,

Now knock on doors to find the ones, who will listen to what he'll say.

Because I know Christ needs him, until all the gathering's done.

My gift has taken years to make....

This year....I'm giving Christ my son.

December 9, 2013

We had investigators in church but none this week so that was a bummer.  So the ward mission leader asked me to give a spiritual thought about missionary work.  I just thought in the gospel principles class.  So when I got to church the first counselor came up and asked if I was speaking!  Turns out I was giving a talk in sacrament meeting! HA-HA  But it was good, I just talked about missionary work.

Zone Conference was super-good.  I got some chocolate and socks.  Afterwards we sang some Christmas songs.  That was funny.  Not much exciting happened this week, I'm kinda bummed everything just kinda fell apart.  Oh well, we had a ton of super awesome lessons.  One menos activa familia we are working with is coming to church and talking to the Obispo (bishop) about the Melchizedek priesthood and being sealed in the temple!

I need to take more pics with people. sorry:)  I'll take more.  I haven`t seen any ropes (to hang on to in the wind) but there are lots of rails to hold onto.  So far I haven't eaten seafood at all.  I know some of it is dangerous and so we can't.  But people feed us chicken and rice usually. Ha-ha, usually about the same everyday :) but it's good and I enjoy it a lot.

We're not allowed to email other missionaries in the mission so I don't know about Elder Parsons, I'm bummed! We have tons (of work) but people work a ton!!!!!!  One guy we are "teaching" is here 6 days and works outside for 26.  3 here and 13 outside!  There are jobs here but very few.  Punta Arenas is houses and not much else.  People work in big factories and ships that are all super spread out.

Dad, it's time to get a truck and give "old red" to Dallin (after putting some wheels on it).  Everything is going super good down here just work work work, I'm so tired!!!!  Love ya tons

Elder Robertson 

Me and the Perez Family from Valdivia

Elder Parsons and I

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

December 2, 2013

We have a ton of people to work with!  I don't even know them all.  People’s schedules are crazy here. Lots of the people work on big fishing factory ships and big factories on islands way far away.  One guy takes a boat to his work and, when the weather is perfect, it takes three days to get there!  Normally it takes about 8 days!  People are busy!  This was a good week, we taught a lot.  I was bummed we had a bunch of people I thought would come to church but they didn´t.

Hahaha so about it being summer here in Chile...doesn't apply to Punta Arenas :).  It snowed twice this week!  Ha-ha, and the wind!!!!!!!!  There have been a couple times I thought the house was going to get ripped apart!  I don't remember if I mentioned last week but most of the trees grow sideways!  There have been a couple of times I've almost been blown off of my feet!

Sounds like Thanksgiving was good!  I'm still kinda scared to eat meat :).   I'm glad testimony meeting was really good.  I love testimony meeting here; there a lot of really good members.  The bishop here is awesome he is brand new but does a great job.

Football is great!!!!! The Colts are going to win it all!!!! Ha-ha sounds like BYU basketball is doing freaking great!

Feel free to send letters also.  It's expensive to print and I don't think letters will take too long compared to packages.

I have a family challenge!  Everyone has to read the talk “The Book of Mormon: Keystone of Our Religion” by President Benson.  It's super, super good!

We have a ton of investigators!  You could pray for Carlos, Magdalena, and their daughter Evelyn.  They need to come to church! :)

Our heater is vented to the outside but I'll be careful, it's not on during the night.

This week is Zone conference!  That should be fun!!  Well, that's all for now! Love ya tons!!!!!

We live in a tiny part of the house to the left.

November 25th, 2013

Hey!!!!!!  Punta Arenas is awesome!!!!  Super cold at nights and pretty cold during the day because of the wind; the wind is freezing!!!!!  The sky is massive here!!!!!!!  It is so cool.  The sun is blazing when it's out!  So bright you can't even look up!  The package was awesome!  The beef jerky was great!...so it was gone really fast..  Punta Arenas is great, it is so beautiful and its right by the ocean! 

My new sector is massive!!!!!  All the wards have two companionships except ours and I'm pretty sure our ward is one of the bigger ones!  It's crazy, I don't think I've seen half of it.  It would take 45 minutes to an hour to walk from one side to the other!  haha  It's awesome though, I love it so far.  The ward is awesome, it's pretty big I think around 70 people! 

Elder Sanchez is awesome!  He is a really good elder!  I realized this week I don't speak Spanish at all.  It's coming along, we can communicate mostly. ha-ha.  We carry a dictionary around though.  He is from Columbia but not the same mission Wensel is going to.  He lives on the west side of the country.  The name of it is really long and weird so I don't know it!

The food is really good, it's super similar to Valdivia.  Chicken with chicken with some bland chicken sauce without flavor.  We eat a ton of chicken.  I eat a lot of cereal too :) haha some of it is American too!!!!!!!!!!  The food is normally pretty bland with about a gallon of oil.  I wouldn't be surprised if they eat their cereal with oil instead of milk!  I have all of my winter stuff.  I usually wear my big coat and a beanie, it's not bad.

(Answer to a question about getting his hair cut) It's pretty expensive and it's not that long! haha 

I left my card reader in the house, sorry, lots of pics next week :)

I talk to Aaron quite a bit he is doing really good!  Tell Kraig Congrats!!!!!!!

Dang, crappy week for football!  Lame!!!!

It will take two weeks to a month for my bag to get here.  It's shipped through a bus company.  They ship it over land.  It's the same for mail and packages too, I think.

Don't put off what you can do today until tomorrow or it will never get done! :)

Tell Dallin I didn't leave the house haunted, I promise.

This sector is awesome, it's so big we have tons of investigators.  We are always sprinting around.  Yesterday we got a family to church.  They are really cool and we're hoping they get baptized on the 21st.  Things are super awesome here, I love it!  The people are so friendly its wierd! 

Tell everyone I love them tons and miss them!  Tell Nana I didn't have time to write her again so sorry and I love her tons!

Nos Vemos!

Elder Robertson

November 18, 2013

I got your package!  With the beef jerky!  Thank you so much!!!!!!  It was all great... was.... its all gone now:)

But I have bad news, it's going to take a long time for packages or letters to get to me for awhile....

This week has been good.  I feel kinda bad because Elder Parsons, I think, was pretty sure he was going to leave but it turns out he is training again here and I'm leaving!!!!!!  It's crazy, I am going to Punta Arenas!!!!!!!!  I'm so excited, I can't wait.  I have heard only good things about it.  I fly down there Wednesday!  My new companion's name is Elder Sanchez, a native from chile! Guess I have to learn spanish now.

 

Mom, in your card you asked about bon o bons.  Yes I have had them... imagine eating heaven :) that's a bon o bon they are so good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love them a ton.

We do a ton of contacting and we find a ton of people but usually we can't find them home or they aren't really interested when we go back.

That's crazy the bishopric is changing!  Bro. Glover will do awesome!  Glad everything is good in the ward and home.  That will be cool learning the piano!  I don't think I could learn to play an instrument, Ellie is going to learn them all it sounds like! :)

This week was good we found some new people, that will turn into something.  We had a super awesome lesson with A______ so I think he will start to come around again.

Not much else has happened this week I've been packing.  I just dropped one of my suitcases off.  It will be shipped down to Punta Arenas, so that will take 2 weeks to a month.  We talked to a lot of drunk people this week. ha-ha  We were contacting this house and a naked drunk opened the door, that was surprising.  We didn't stay for very long!  I'm excited today I'm going to a little town on the beach that has a big fort.  That should be fun. 

(FYI - As far as we know, Punta Arenas is the furthest south proselyting city in the world!  It is on the Strait of Magellan and is only about 800 miles from Antarctica)

November 11, 2013

This week has been good.  We taught a lot.  Saturday we had a family night set up with _______ and _______ (the young couple with 3 kids).  They are really cool.  The family night fell through and we weren´t able to teach them.  We just thought they had not really wanted to share with us anymore.  But we went over yesterday and found out it was ________ mom’s b-day so they weren´t home because of that.  So we talked with the wife for just a little bit and we were leaving and we just said we will stop by later. We started to say bye and leave but she just said, “Wait, when are you coming back?”  So I’m pretty sure they are really interested we just have to get them to church!  We taught a lot this week but didn´t find anybody too interested.  Yesterday a menos activa came to church we have been working with since I got here!!!!!!!! I was happy.  The guy we helped with his field, we haven´t talked to him since then.  We are going to try again this week.

Sunday is elections so that should be interesting; I’ve heard it gets pretty crazy.  It’s hilarious how many posters and stuff there is for all the candidates.  It’s people running for office :) every couple of feet on the streets and sidewalks and everywhere!  Something I forgot to tell you the past couple of weeks is that in Chile people just throw their trash everywhere.  And so the city has a company thing and they just go around picking up all the trash.  They have been on strike for the past 3 weeks so I’m pretty sure there is more garbage then ground ha-ha gross!!!!!!

Spanish is good, I’m learning.  I can speak ok and it just depends on the person how well I can understand.  Chileans pretty much have their own language; they have their own slang words for just about everything so understanding is really hard.

I don´t really know what I want for Christmas ha-ha, maybe American food!:) like super buttery popcorn :)

I hate the Rams (they beat the Colts on Sunday).

The Philippines sounds crazy!!!!! Did you know Nathan Watson.  That’s where he is!

The weather was really nice but the past couple of days have been super stormy!  I’m bummed :) I like the sun.

Ok, now funny/cool story.  About a month ago I left my umbrella in a collectivo.  Collectivos are how we get around, they´re a mix between buses and taxis.  When you leave stuff in them it’s gone forever!  Elder Parsons left our phone in one when I first got here ha-ha.  So we were walking back from a doctor’s appointment when a collectivo pulled over and waved us down.  We were kinda creeped out ‘cause that doesn´t happen.  So we walked over and he was like, “Hey, I’ve been looking for you.  Did one of you leave this in here a while ago?” ha-ha  It was my umbrella.  He has been carrying it around looking for us!  How awesome is that!!!!! :)  I’m still laughing about that!  This week has been really good.  This is my last week of training.  I can´t believe how long I’ve been here already!  I’m really excited if I stay here for another cambio (transfer).  I’m pretty sure I’m going to have some baptisms! Thanks for everything and keep doing what you’re all doing!  I don´t have time to write Dallin or Ellie so tell them sorry.

Love you tons!!!!!!!!!!!

Élder Robertson

November 4, 2013

This week has been awesome!  We taught 30 lessons!  We count investigators as anyone who wants us to come back.  I've been talking about progressing investigators.  They are people with a baptism date and who are keeping commitments and stuff.  This week has been busy.  We had a specialized training all about stress so I got to hear from the mission president, it was good. 

I did an intercambio (exchange) with the zone leaders, that was really fun.  I also did another one with the other elders in the district on Saturday.  But I ended up getting a migraine so that ended fast.  It was a pretty bad one too!  I couldn't see and my arm and mouth went numb.  I have the weirdest migraines, ha-ha, oh well it went away I'm all better now.

We are going to try really hard this week to have a baptism at the end of this month so I'm excited for that.  It has been so hot!!!!!!!!! it's crazy.  Today or next p-day I think we are going out to this small town on the coast so I'll take lots of pics.  I bought spider spray and I took extra money out just because it costs to do it, I wanted to make it worth it.  I sprayed a lot and I haven't seen any spiders.  Except one we have as a pet, ha-ha, it's between our sink and oven.

I can't believe I have two weeks and my training will be over and I'll probably have a new companion!  It's weird, I'm pretty sure I just got here yesterday.  Spanish is coming along alright I guess.  My Chilean isn't though :)  This has been a super busy week so i don't have a ton to write.  It's been work work work!  For christmas I want to buy a couple of study manuals from store.lds so if you could make sure there is a little money on my card that would be cool. Not really sure what to ask for, you could send me some short ankle socks, I miss those!  What did you guys ask for for christmas?

Glad your work is going good mom!  How is teaching going, dad?  Thanks for the updates on football, now I'm almost positive the Colts are going to win the super bowl!  Sorry dad, there is always next year for your Broncos.  Well, things are good here thanks for all you do.

October 28, 2013

This week has been great!  Something I forgot to put last week was that I’ve given a couple blessings!  It’s really cool, I love it so much.  It was really a neat experience!  We did even better this week then last week.  But it’s still frustrating, we don´t have investigators!  But we are teaching a lot so that’s good.  We have so many citas with people but they usually fall through.  We do have a couple that we teach, they are really cool and I’m positive they are going to get baptized they just need understanding and time!  The husband works everyday so we can only teach him Saturdays.  They are 22 and have 3 kids!  So super young but really good parents just trying to figure the world out still.  They read the book of Mormon everyday it’s just hard for them and they don´t understand it.  Good thing we have the truth and we have the spirit!  I don´t know how you´d teach someone sin el espiritu (without the spirit).

This week should be fun; I’m doing two intercombios (working with a different missionary) on Tuesday and Saturday. I’m excited they are really fun.  Yesterday was funny, we had a meeting with a ward leader but at those meetings he just messes around and doesn´t get anything done so we just figured we could be late.  So we went contacting on a street and got swarmed by 5 or 6 dogs, ha-ha, it was funny.  We went to the meeting, I took it as a sign.

I didn´t feel the earthquake, still waiting! ha-ha Thanks for the updates I love hearing about football! 

The package thing doesn´t matter a ton, it’s expensive.  Some elders get a lot others don´t get any.  You can send stuff whenever you want but don´t feel obligated.  That’s a word right?  You don´t have to though.  Things of the world are awesome and really nice but don´t matter. 

Funny story; I need money to buy spider spray.  Earlier this week we were getting ready to go chop wood and it was pretty early so it was chilly.  I was wearing my shorts and I had my Utah State sweater on and, just to be safe, I threw on another jacket.  So we were ready to leave and we were by the door ready to pray and I kept feeling something on the back of my leg.  I just thought it was my shorts but I looked down anyway..... ha-ha  It was the biggest spider I’ve seen in Chile so far!  It was about the size of a 50 cent piece!!!!!  Then I realized the giant web all over my jacket.  During the night it had made a web all over my jacket and when I put it on it crawled all the way down me!!!! ha-ha I’m proud to say I did not scream like a little girl :), I waited patiently for it to crawl off and elder parsons brought it outside (he did let me kill it). I’m pretty sure I had a heart attack and a stroke and all of the other major trauma to my brain and heart that’s is known to man.  That was scary, so I’m going to buy spider spray and spray our house!

It’s a bummer grandma is so sick. I’m glad she is doing better though.  I’m excited to send you pics!  I hope I get the SD card reader soon.  Just put pictures of Mary and baby Jesus on the package, I’ve heard people won´t steal it if you do that.

Me and elder parsons get along great.  We work really well together.  We’re good about talking about stuff and not keeping it in.  My training will be finished November 16, I think, and the next combio is November 30 so he should leave and go to a new sector and I’ll get a new companion but you never really know it’s all different.

Last p-day was really cool, we went down to the river and saw sea lions and walked through this huge open market with fish and all sorts of things it was really cool!  To email, there are a couple internet places we go to, it is super cheap.  It’s about a dollar and a half for the hour I’m on.  It’s really weird, I have no idea where October went!  It’s crazy.

October 21, 2013

Super glad everything is going good!  I liked your pictures from the ward Halloween party.  The colts are probably going to win the Superbowl, I think!  ha-ha.  How is Andrew Luck playing?

I still might get the package but who knows!  It might slip through.  It's weird not seeing planes all the time in the sky.  I could probably count on one hand all the planes I've seen, its weird.  I'm glad everything is going super great!  Everybody sounds happy.  I was worried about grandma but it sounds like that went good.

I like Alma 37 a ton!  I also really like 1 Nephi 18, we use it a lot.  And I like 3 Nephi and 2 Nephi 31...  I just like the whole Book of Mormon!  It contains the fullness of the gospel like 20 times. ha-ha

It's weird being a missionary because people think I'm a lot more than what I am.  People have asked us to interpret dreams and stuff.  Not sure what to do there, I just tell them to read the scriptures and pray for guidance.

This week was great!  We taught a ton of lessons and found some new investigators.  It rained one day this week but, other than that, it's been super, super sunny and hot.  One family we are teaching is really awesome they are around 22 years old and have 3 kids!  They are super awesome and receptive so I'm excited to teach them.  We have found a few other people but haven't had the opportunity to teach them for a while.  

It's funny we haven`t taught _______ for a couple weeks.  Our last lesson was the super awesome one I told you about that he got super close to baptism.  I'm pretty sure we scared the heck out of him.  He talks to us all the time but he is always busy when we go to teach him.

There is a lady in the ward who is super awesome but her husband isn't a member and he kind of hates Mormons.  We have been helping him mow and rake his field so he is way more friendly.  It was awesome because he kept asking me if i had ever lived on a farm or if I worked out in fields and stuff before because I was trying to work super hard.  He didn't really believe me that I haven`t.  Thanks for teaching me to work hard!  It helps a ton.  Thanks for everything you and mom are awesome and I love you tons!!!! 

Elder Robertson

p.s. GO COLTS!!!!! ha-ha and tell everyone in the ward I said hi and to be obedient! Obedience helps just a little bit! :)

October 14, 2013

This week was good; we had 6 lessons on Tuesday. Everything else the rest of the week fell through, that was a bummer.  Lucas moved so we don`t have anyone committed to baptism again.  I’m bummed about Lucas but we found some more people to teach so I hope that works out.  Things have been pretty good around here. I hope grandma’s surgery is good.  I think she is in surgery as I’m writing this so I hope that’s ok.

No package yet, hopefully tomorrow.  That’s when our zone gets together so I’m hoping the ZLs (Zone Leaders) have it.  The mail is pretty good here it will just take time to get to me.  It really warmed up this week; it was really hot the past 2 days. 

For Christmas I can Skype.  So what I was thinking is have you and dad set everything up like my account and all that and just send me the login and password.  Then when it gets closer we can set up a time and then if that doesn`t work for some reason I’ll just call.  It’s not too expensive. 

The thing I have found out about less active members is they usually have 1 problem holding them back.  If you solve that, with lots of love, they`ll come back.  And then you just have the super angry people.  They are harder :)

My stomach is off and on I think it’s just certain foods that do it.  Glad nana is doing well.  Everybody is having surgery.  I got the pics, I’m glad she is ok! I think it will be at least another week before I send my card we found this dirt road that’s super, super pretty that goes way far out.  We found some super, super huge houses.  We want to go hike out there ‘cause its super pretty.  We were going to today but its super cloudy and a little rainy we didn`t want it to get worse and then we're stuck miles out in the wilderness.

That’s crazy the priest’s quorum is so big!  ha-ha  You should definitely focus on preach my gospel.  Get all the priests super familiar with it and how to use it.  That will help make them awesome missionaries.  Football sounds awesome!!!!!! I’m glad Utah teams are doing good this year!  Utah actually won a game that mattered!!!!  That is so cool!  I hope the colts do good this year they need it!

I can get anything in packages but fruit, vegetables and meat. So no raisins, nuts, or beef jerky or anything :( ha-ha oh well.  I can`t think of anything I need but if I think of anything I will let you know!  Actually I thought of something... graham crackers!!!  ha-ha those sounds good right now. 

Thanks for everything.

October 7, 2013

Conference was awesome!  All the gringo elders got to watch it in English!  It was so good!  I learned so much.  All the talks were awesome but I really loved Elder Holland’s and my favorite was Monson's talk Sunday morning.  I think the package will take a little bit to get out to me from Osorno but I’m hoping Wednesday because that’s when cambios (companionship changes) happen so there will be elders coming from Osorno.  I’ve heard the mail is really reliable.  I did get some letters from some people in the ward and that was really cool not sure who sent them all because it was from different people.  But it was really nice I liked it! 

Here a few people have cars but most people walk everywhere they can. It’s a bummer the weather is getting crappy!  It had been getting so nice!  There have already been a couple days I’ve worn just a short sleeve shirt!  It’s awesome!!  I got super sick Sunday but it went away when conference started. The food is all really good but some of it doesn`t like me very much.  I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say I’m not going to get fat here! :)

I hope grandma’s and nana’s surgeries go well!  Make sure they get blessings.  I hope they can help Aunt Carla too.  I hope it’s not too serious.  Make sure she gets a blessing also.  Things have been good here. I’m going to take a bunch of pictures today and then send my SD card home.

Chile is beautiful!  This week we hiked way out into the country side to where some super super super rich people live and it was awesome.  It’s all rivers and streams and beautiful swamps, it’s so green! Elections are coming up so there are signs everywhere for politicians and stuff!

Teaching has been good we have been doing a lot more contacting and that’s helped a lot. We taught a young couple that was really nice.  Familia ______, I’ve told you about them, they have a 10 year-old boy that lives with them that we committed to baptism at the end of this month, that was cool! Fam. _______ is really starting to turn around it is so cool to watch!

Did you ever find my house on Google Earth?  If not, try adding “Fundadores” on the address, that’s my neighborhood.  So the address is something like Felix Garcia 965, Fundadores, Valdivia, Chile.  Lots of streets have the same names and stuff.  It’s really confusing but I’m starting to get a hang of the area!  I can`t believe I have been out for 6 weeks already, it’s flying by so fast!  6 more and I’m done with training!

Your prayer really helped, we found some new people to teach this week!!!! Thanks!  Our numbers are getting better every week, it’s been awesome.  I try to do a lot but I can`t really so I have to rely on Elder Parsons sometimes!  Ha-ha I’m at a point that my head is so confused with Spanish and English that sometimes I can`t think of words in either!

Chile is awesome and I love it here so much, I can`t believe how fast time is moving!!!!  Glad everything is going well, I pray for you all a lot.  You better all stay safe and healthy! :)  I pray about you guys a ton!

September 30, 2013

This week was really good; we started the week off awesome.  We taught a ton of lessons but by the end of the week it slowed down again.  We had six citas (appointments) Saturday and all of them fell through but one.  The one cita was really the only time we even talked to people.  It’s crazy ‘cause we probably contact 60 o(or) 70 houses in a day and probably talk to 5 o 6 people.  It’s crazy!  Our whole zone is struggling number-wise.  We don`t stop working though!  It would help if people listened a little more ha-ha.  Oh well, the lesson we had on Saturday was really awesome, it was with a menos activa (less-active) family.  It was awesome; I taught most of the lesson in half decent Spanish!  I realized I had been talking a ton so I stopped and looked at Elder Parsons so he could talk and he just said, “No, keep going!”  It was cool.  The spirit was cool ‘cause the lesson was really aw some and the spirit was strong and I don`t even know what I was saying most of the time!  Elder Parsons said it made sense though so that’s good.

I’m excited because I might get to watch conference in English!!!!!  Maybe I could get something out of it!  I’m guessing three temples in Utah!  President Monson is going to announce at least 20.  I`ve started working out a lot more rigorously in the mornings and it helps me feel way better throughout the day.  It’s starting to warm up so I’m hoping for basketball soon!

We had a super, super awesome lesson with our only real investigator ______ the beginning of the week and the spirit was so strong, his wife was in tears ‘cause she was bearing her testimony so much (she’s a member).  He was so close to accepting a baptism date but he just said, “someday elders, someday.”  We are working really hard with him.  This week we are going to focus on finding new investigators so I hope that goes well.  We teach a lot of menos activos and it’s been really good.  We usually have a few menos activos each week in church. The family I mentioned earlier has been coming a lot so that’s good.

The weather has been great here, still sunny!!!!  I smashed my finger good this week, that hurts quite a bit.  We chop wood for service a lot and it’s really fun.  Things are good here I’m starting to feel kinda healthy so hope I stay that way!  I’m pretty sure I’m definitely not going to gain weight ha-ha I always get a little sick after lunch and I don`t eat too much outside of that.  I’m excited, when I’m done emailing I’m going to go beat a bunch of elders at ping pong. :)

I think I’m going to buy vitamins, they are expensive but it will last almost a year.  I think vitamins will help just because I pretty much eat basically the same :) meat rice meat beans meat soup meat noodles and oil ha-ha.

For the fleas we just bought a bunch of spray, it’s called Tanex.  It’s like raid.  It worked pretty good.  They’re not nearly as bad.  Everything is super awesome we teach a lot of menos activos and a lot of them are starting to come back!!  Spanish is coming along really well.  I’m talking a lot more and that’s how I learn.  Tell everyone to keep sending emails I love reading them so much!!!!!  I’m just not good at responding.

Nos vemos!!! or in Chilean, No Vemo :)

September 23, 2013

Well, the food finally hit me.  The human stomach can only take so much oil!!! haha  Not sure how Chileans are alive...My stomach was pretty upset for awhile but it seems to be getting better.

The dogs are crazy, haha, and i have have fleas!  We are going to try and buy some spray to kill them but all the missionaries I`ve talked to say they get them in the summer and they all die in the winter.  It's not too bad, thankfully, but they are annoying!  I have a funny dog story.  So on the street where I live there is this medium sized wiener dog that hates us but it's terrified of us.  So usually it stays as far away as it can from us.  But one day it got really close to us so we started running after it.  We chased it the whole street so it stays even farther away now! haha

The weather is still really amazing, it's nice and sunny.  The only bad thing is in the morning it is so cold!  When it warms up, we are going to start playing basketball with some other elders.  So I'm excited for that!

Thanks for the prayers!  I love prayer!  It helps a lot!

This week was super uneventful because we couldn't go out except to set visits.  Chilean holidays are just an excuse to eat and get as drunk as possible.  It was funny walking around and seeing people walking in zigzags down the sidewalk.  They warmed us about getting robbed but i wasn't too scared. :)

We meet as a zone every week and I think the zone leaders always have packages and letters and stuff so I'll get it on a Tuesday, just not sure which one.  Hopefully soon though, I'm excited, thanks for sending it!

Well, I think that's everything, I will try and start writing letters.  I don`t think it's too expensive.

September 16th, 2013

This week has been awesome, it’s been sunny!!!!! :)  Yesterday there was a rain storm that came out of nowhere it was tons and tons of rain and hail!  The streets were all flooded and it looked like it had snowed after!  But it only lasted for probably 15 minutes.  It’s been really sunny just freezing cold!  The catholic family hasn´t been there so we haven´t taught them again.  _______ is good he just isn´t sure about baptism.  This week is going to suck because it’s a huge holiday so I have to stay inside most of the week.  We have found a few people to teach but we have to wait until after el 18 de septiembre, it’s their Independence day and it lasts all week.  It’s cool seeing all the flags here.  It’s really neat!  It’s funny because, outside of septiembre, it’s illegal to have a flag outside.  In septiembre it’s illegal to not have a flag outside!  I was almost bit again by the same dog I told you about.  We were walking by the same house and didn´t see it so we kinda forgot about it and just kept going and it snuck up behind us and almost got my arm!  I’m pretty sure it’s possessed and hates missionaries.  We also have this dog that is really cool that’s been following us around, we call it cheesy, haha!  Yesterday these two dogs were coming at us and cheesy ran over and fought them both it was crazy!  Most of the dogs though on the street are nice and just scared of everyone; it’s the dogs behind the fences that are psycho.  

The language is good, I can understand a little and I can talk ok.  It’s definitely not what I learned in the MTC :).  Right before I left the MTC, President said the Spanish in the MTC isn´t spoken anywhere in the world!!! It’s super hard understanding Chileans sometimes because some of them don´t say their "s" so that makes it hard, and they like to mumble!

There is a siesta so we go out a little bit before lunch for an hour and then we have lunch for an hour and then more study time until 3:00 then we stay out from 3-9:30.  P-day we email, shop, and clean, and then just sit around ‘cause it’s raining, but today is sunny so we might go down to the river because sometimes there are sea lions, so that could be cool.  Every once in a while there are big zone trips but that hasn´t happened yet.  We run a little bit.  Lately we just stay home and do push-ups and sit-ups because it’s so cold in the morning.  We can´t play soccer :/ too many elders got hurt.  There is a Ping-Pong table in my church though!  Our heater is this dinky little propane heater that sucks.  It’s pretty cold most of the time!  But we have a propane water heater, so it’s all good!

Well everything is good, I love it here tons!  Thanks for the email.  I love reading everything!

September 9, 2013

Chile is freakin' great I love it!  I mostly stay in the city, my ward has two pairs of missionaries. My sector is pretty small compared to the mission but its still huge.  We walk everywhere and we use these cars that are like taxis to get everywhere.  They are called collectivos.  Spanish is awesome I'm understanding a lot more and I can speak ok...sometimes :)  My address 965 Felix Garcia.  I think you might not find it though because lots of places have the same street names.  It's super small though, it's an add on to a house so it's tiny.  I'll send pics but its kinda dirty.  The elders before left it destroyed and we just haven´t had time to clean it up, that's what we are doing today.

The place where we email is far away from where I live so i don´t print anything off and its pretty expensive.  So when I got here I got a jacket and rain pants which are super awesome but I've discovered my "waterproof" stuff is only waterproof for up to 4 days of nonstop rain!! :)  It was crazy, for 4 straight days it rained non-stop and so then everything was soaked, thoroughly.  I got tired of the rain so the fourth night I said a prayer that the rain would stop and it would be super sunny and no clouds.  Guess what happened!!!!  I woke up and there wasn't a cloud in the sky!  It was awesome, specific prayers work!  Make sure you all pray morning and night! :) Personal and family prayers.  And read El Libro de Mormon as a family! 

The dogs are insane here!  They are everywhere and some of them, I think, are satan.  But he is a snake so they are as close as you can get!  I've gotten pretty good at the fake rock pickup ha-ha that scares them.  Sometimes they don´t get scared and so I really have to throw rocks. There was one dog we scared running one morning and it full blown-out attacked us!  We had to kick it and run back the other way 'cause it was so mad. 

Things are awesome here I can´t wait to go shopping cause I love the food.  We don´t get a lot of money so breakfast and dinner are usually super small with a huge lunch!  The food is awesome we get a lot of meat and veggies. 18 de Septiembre is coming up and its their independence day celebration.  They celebrate a whole week and Chile shuts down.  So that whole week we have to stay inside!!  We can go to members' houses so we have a couple citas(appointments) set up.  They eat lots of empanadas and alfahors.  Alfahors are these little pieces of bread or cracker with this super amazing caramel stuff!  Sooooooo good.  I'm going to come home fat! :) haha.  Just kidding, probably not.  Other than lunch and holidays I don´t eat much.

Last night on of our investigators was super sick so we didn't get to teach him but we gave him an awesome blessing.  I anointed him in perfect Spanish!!!!!!!  I studied and prayed soooo much, but it worked! 

Thanks for the emails.  Things are awesome here and it rains.... a ton ;) and that's a huge understatement!  I love it tons.  I pray for all you guys everyday!  Stay safe and I love you all!!!!!

(Elder Robertson hasn't been able to send pictures yet, we sent him a memory card reader and so hopefully he will be able to send some pics soon.)

September 2, 2013

Well my first area is Valdivia!  I'ts the second most northern part of my mission.  My sector is Angachilla II.  There are two stakes in Valdivia!  My sector covers half of a ward so there is a pair of missionaries for the other half.  It is awesome here!  My trip went good, the flights were pretty boring but the food was freaking amazing!  I didn't think airplane food would be very good haha, but it was!  Flying from Santiago to Puerto Montt was awesome!  It is so green here and I thought I was flying into a picture of Scotland!!!!  Sorry I didn't call, the phones in Mexico were all broken and in Chile it cost $41 for the first 5 minutes and $5 for every other minute, in U.S. dollars!!!  So it was too expensive.

My trainer's name is Elder Parsons, he's awesome, I like him a lot, he has only been on his mission for 6 months!  He's cool and he is a good trainer.  It's cool here, I love it so much!  The weather is cloudy and rainy but I like it!  It's pretty cool temperature-wise.  But summer is just around the corner so its warming up!  Today is the first sunny day since I've been here, which is awesome, I love the sun! 

Valdivia is a pretty hard area right now, we didn't have any serious investigators until yesterday and Saturday. Now we are teaching a man named _______, who has been investigating the church for over 5 years but missionaries have never taught the lessons!!  His wife is a member which is good.  He believes everything is true but he has his concerns.  They're a really cool family I like them a lot.  We also found a catholic family that is super receptive but some of their catholic beliefs are pretty ingrained into them.

It's awesome here i love it!  I'm so exhausted at nights and I'm asleep before my head hits the pillow.  My schedule is nice, I go to bed at 11 and wake up at 7!  The people are awesome here and I love them!  We don´t have a mamita (like a maid, common in Chile) here but the members feed us everyday for lunch.  I'm going to have to get used to the eating schedule here.  Super tiny breakfast and dinner and then a monster lunch.  The food is super great and I like it a lot!

For breakfast and dinner I'll mostly eat fruit, after I'm done emailing we are going shopping.  Fruit here is awesome you can buy a kilogram of apples for about .75 cents to a dollar depending on where you go.  And it's awesome 'cause they have so much fruit!!!!!!!!  I love it a lot! :)   

The language is coming slow but its alright.  I can speak half decent but understanding is tough!  I'm pretty sure everyone here speaks a different language ha-ha.

Well I don´t have a ton of time on the computers so sorry this isn't longer.  I'm not sure if i'll be able to send pics because of the computers where I'm at.  The USB ports are melted so you can´t put anything in :/ sorry about that! 

The area I'm in is pretty hard, but the members are awesome and my ward is super great!  The city is cool and I liked walking around this morning just looking at everything.  The food's great and I love it!  Fruit is so cheap here it's awesome! :) Studying the gospel and teaching people has been great!  It's hard but worth it!

It's awesome here and I love it so much!!!!!!!!!! :) Love you tons!

(We didn't get any pics from Elder Robertson this time so we threw on a couple of pictures from the internet of Valdivia)

Just got a picture of Elder Robertson with his companion, the mission president, and his wife.