Called to Serve - Osorno, Chile

Elder Keenan Robertson is serving in the Osorno Chile Mission as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Elder Robertson left on July 16, 2013 and will return sometime around July of 2015. Missionaries have a limited time to respond to all the E-mails and letters they receive so we will include here some of his letters home so that friends and family can keep up to date on how things are going for him and his ministry among the wonderful people of Chile.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

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.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

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!