December 30, 2013

Skype was awesome, it made my Christmas.  Christmas was fun, we sang to some members, sat in the house reading/studying, and went over to the 1st counselor in the bishopric's home, that was fun they are an awesome family.

Sounds like you had an awesome Christmas!  Dallin and Ellie are the luckiest people in the world!  Pillows! I would die for a good American pillow. ha-ha

Spanish is going good.  I like it, it was really good having Elder Sanchez as a companion.  I learned Spanish pretty quick!  I don't know if I dream in Spanish because I don't remember the last time I had a dream!  Thanks a ton for the quotes, I like reading them.  They are all good, solid, spirit filling advice, I love reading them a ton.  I'm learning a ton on the mission it's so great, I love it.

Cambios are this week on Wednesday!  My new companion is going to be Elder Mcdonald!  I'm excited, it will be good.  Elder Sanchez is going to a city called Puerta Natales and is going to be a district leader!

Well, I'm doing good.  Not sure what else to write!  Don´t worry about another package!  I'm doing good.  I think that's all for today. Love you tons!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Elder Robertson 

Me and our ward mission leader, hermano Jorge Diez

This is Miguel on my right and Obispo (Bishop) Pablo Millapinda on my left!

This is the son of Miguel, our investigator.

This is hermano Bruno and his wife.  He is the 1st counselor in the bishopric.  They are an awesome family.  We spent Christmas with them and we are going over again New Year's Eve.

I'm just changing sooo much. hahahahaha

When people get frustrated with their computers in Chile.

December 23, 2013

This week has been great!  One of the Seventy came and we had a conference with him. All he did was give us palos about not having baptisms.   We are going to try and work with our ward a lot because all we have is a bishop, a first counselor, a young mens president, a relief society president, and a mission leader, that's it. We need some callings!  It's crazy, I can't believe the ward functions!  Wow, I am frustrated, ha-ha oh, everything will work out.

We had our ward Christmas party Saturday, that was really fun.  We had an investigator and tons of menos activas.  I'm super excited to Skype!!!!!  It's going to be tomorrow about 4 or 5 my time.  Not sure what time it is there.  We are going to use a member's computer in our chapel.  I think it has good internet so hopefully it works well.  We have 45 minutes!  I'm really excited.  If you guys want, you could write out questions or you don't have to write them just in your head.  But things you want to talk about so we have things to talk about!  I'm super excited!!!!  We can call for 5 minutes if it doesn`t work out to situate it but we can't talk if it doesn`t work.  Just have to do it another day if it doesn`t work out.  Mañana a las 4 o 5 in la tarde para Skype!!!!

This week was a lot of walking!!!!  Tons and tons of walking!  We had some pretty good lessons.  I had another inter-cambio con Elder Dower.  He is from my group in the MTC.  He is way cool.  It was really good for me cause I was forced to do almost all the talking.  Spanish is good, I'm working crazy on vocabulary.  It's so hard because I can't remember anything. haha Bakàn!!!  I love getting letters, it's cool!  I think it takes about a month for letters to make it down this far.
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The weather has been really nice this week i've just worn a long sleeve shirt a couple times.  For p-day we usually clean after studies and then email.  After that, we shop and buy food.  The past few weeks we have gotten together with the other elders and played ping-pong and basketball.  Today we are playing ping-pong again.  I love ping-pong so much!

I've had a lot of really cool realization moments (I think he means "Enlightenment") where I learn a lot in a cita (appointment) or when Seventys are angry.  I have learned so much through the spirit this week and the past couple of weeks, it's cool to be led by the spirit and have opportunities just pop up.  The food is pretty similar to Valdivia, a lot less beans and potatoes here but more chicken.  THANKS FOR THE ONERA tambiem (also) it's so good, I put it on everything, FLAVOR!!!!  It's awesome, I think Punta Arenas is pretty modern, it has its nice parts and its not so nice parts.  I've figured out what a developing country really means.  It means people can live like Americans if you have bucketloads of money... so nobody does.  It's strange, the houses are either giant mansions or slums.

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