First P-Day email from DR MTC, dated 3/22/2012

March 22, 2012

 

Hola

Today officially marks 1 month in the mission! Wow a lot has happened. Just a week ago I was still in Utah just 15 minutes away from my house. And now I am on a beautiful island in the carribbean. Everyday is a beautiful day here.

It's just like we all said: rice and beans all the time, and I LOVE IT! The food here is great, better than Provo although it still does strange things to my body...hopefully I will adjust over time....

 

We just got back from the temple and we did an endowment session and participated in sealings of sons to parents. It's a really neat ordinance. The temple here is definitely my favorite of all the temples I've seen and been to. Unlike most temples in Utah that have wood trim and a lot of woodwork inside (don't get me wrong I like that) it has a lot of stone work and it is beautiful. The Celestial room has all my favorite elements: big window, big chandeliers, amazing detail on the walls and everywhere. I love it here.

 

We are teaching "investigators" again and our lessons have gone really well. I feel like Elder Relf and I get along well and we work well together as well. To be honest I'm really glad I'm no longer in a trio, it's way easier to just deal with one other person. Elder Relf is a really good example to me: he is always studying no matter what is going on around him, which I struggle with, and he is so happy all the time. I want to be more like him.

 

I need to have more faith. I get stressed out and don't know what to say or what to teach and I just need to let go and trust in God more. It's something I'm working on.

 

One lesson that we had with our investigator Jorge went really well: the spirit was strong and we taught by using the scriptures and asked a lot of really good questions to lead him to his own answer. We felt really good about our lesson and afterward Hermano Rodriguez (one of our teachers) took us aside and told us that it was a really good lesson and we did a really good job of inviting the spirit. We invited him to be baptised and he said it was too fast so we asked him if after he reads the book of Mormon and prays and learns for himself that it is true if he will be baptised and he said yes. He also prayed for the first time which was really good. So that's my uplifting spiritual tidbit of the week. Anybody else have any really cool experiences with the gospel? or just life in general?

 

Snow huh? good ol' Utah. I remember a year when it snowed in July.

 

If there was one thing I loved more than anything in scouting it was the campouts and adventures we had outside. Way to go noah! How are the merit badges coming? how is Taft doing with the eagle? is he gonna make it? Noah go to the powows and actually do the homework and get the badges it's the easiest and best way to do it. Don't be like me, whe I was in scouts they called me "partial man" because I would start all these different merit badges but never finish them (I eventually did finish them all and got my eagle so in your face haha)

 

Good for Claire! I know she wanted so badly to make the top choir in the high school. I also know a lot of her friends are older so now she can be with them and won't have to deal with as much drama (hopefully). Good for you with the solo, I know you will be great, don't stress just put in the time and practice and you'll be amazing I know it.

 

Taft, it sounds like your life is as busy as ever and it's never going to stop. Keep working hard and have fun. There is time for work and time for play. I know that I was a stick in the mud in high school and wish I had been more involved in this or that or the other. But I know you are different and are involved in many things whcih is probably why you are so busy which is not a bad thing. The point is find time to have fun, especially with Claire and Noah. you're the oldest sibling in the house now, don't waste the time you have with your brother and sister watching some dumb t.v. show. Go do something. you're smart and creative I know you'll think of something.

 

Mom, you are awesome! presentations and work and teaching and carpooling and just everything. The list is a thousand miles long. One thing that I really appreciate is that throughout my whole life no matter what was going on for the most part there was always a homemade dinner for us every night. No matter how busy you were or how many crazy and important things you had to do you always made time to make dinner. That's something I've been missing a little. I lvoe the food here but to have a home cooked meal is something I've thought about on more than one occasion. So thank you for making that a priority in our family it does not go unnoticed by me or the rest of the family.

 

Dad. You are a spiritual giant in my eyes and as I teach these lessons I wish I could concoct those deep penetrating questions that really make you think just like you do. I remember discussing doctrine with you and I try to remember how you said things and how you asked that question. Asking the deep soul searching questions is the key to teaching and I wish I were better at it. I know you live as you teach.

 

yay for Katie. is she in the young women's in her ward?

 

Man when I read about Parker and his gig in Chicago I was so proud. I know that guy! He's my brother! He is so cool! There are actually a couple elders here that know him: Elder Blake Midgley and Jacob Jewkes, they were in the marching band at USU before coming on their missions. Small world. I know Parker is destined for big things. I'm so excited for him. Maybe he'll get to do a little more performing than he thought...

 

Did Alaura Claire and Nikelle go to Festival of Colors or is that this weekend? It's a lot of fun.

 

Thanks for the notes from Evan's talk it sounds like he did well. And mom you're not wordy I love to receive mail in any form and it lifts me up every time. I love to hear about my family. I'll try and send a letter so we'll see how long it takes...

 

The MTC is small and is 50 yards away from the temple. After every meal we go walk around the temple just for fun and to get out of the building for a minute. We are the minority here. There are about 30 haitians here and we have learned a little Creol: Pul se bon means this chicken is good. como ye means how are you. It's fun to try and communicate with them. I had my harmonica out last night and they really liked that. I'm going to try and learn to play the hymns from the hymns made easy book. Apparently in some places they don't know the tunes to the songs and basically chant the songs together "singing" the same note the whole time. So if I can at least learn the intro to some of the songs it would be good. We play basketball and volleyball in gym. P-day is going good. It ends at 6 and we teach and have class tonight so not a lot of time...But it is good and it's the life of a missionary.

 

I'm hapy to be here and happy to be a missionary. In 3 weeks the Haitians leave to go serve their missions in Haiti and about 40-50 latinos come so we will have a lot of practice speaking spanish.

 

On Monday we went outside the walls of the MTC and picked up trash at the university down the road. It was a good service project but here there is garbage everywhere so you could spend your whole life picking up garbage. We get to go back tomorrow and try contacting people and give out pamphlets. Wish me luck!

 

It's been a busy week and it seems like we just got here. Elder Relf said something I like: A day seems like a month and a month seems like a day on your mission. So true.

 

Life is good and I Glory in my God

 

Elder Robinson

Translation of Spanish in 3/16/12 letter :)

Hello! I'm in the Dominican Republic now! I love this place is very nice and the temple is my new favorite. Our first day is fine. I have a new companion is Elder name Relf. He is very friendly and very intelligent.

Email letter-1st from DR MTC, Dated 3/16/12

March 16, 2012

 

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Hola! yo soy en La Republica Dominicana ahora! Yo amo este lugar, es muy bonita y el templo es mi nuevo preferido. Nuestro primero dia es muy bien. Yo tengo un nuevo compañero su nombre es Elder Relf. El es muy amable y muy intelligente. My spanish is coming along but since getting here last night I realize that I'm far from being able to actually understand when the natives and others speak. There are 8 of us that came from Provo here. There are also a bunch of Haitians that are here who are going back to be missionaries in Haiti in 3 weeks. The MTC here is very small, it's a single building which is literally 10 steps away from the temple: it's on the temple block. The building we are in doubles as a place for people to stay when they come to the temple: they come from across the country or from other countries and stay in one of the rooms provided and go and do ordinances in the temple. The temple is so beautiful, the stone it's built of has a pink hue which is so beautiful. I can't wait to go on Thursday. Thursday is also my P-day so that will be good. Lunch is the big meal here and the food is great! Way better than the food in Provo (granted I've only had 3 meals but still). i'm so happy to be here. I got a stamp in my passport and I've officially left the United States.

 

The plane rides were awesome: I saw an amazing sunrise and the great big snow covered mountains, Clouds that reminded me of "How to Train Your Dragon," The Everglades in Florida. How cool would it be to have your own little personal lake in your backyard? 

 

The accomodations here are way better and more homey. It's small so everyone is really close and I'm looking forward to getting to know all these Elders better.

 

Did you like the pictures? I'll try to send home a memory card soon so you can see the experiences and journey to this beautiful land.

 

Upon arrival last night I met President and Sister Glazier: Mom you work with their daughter Stacy right? They are amazing people and I'm so excited they are my here. We had dinner last night and to our surprise there was a lizard climbing on Elder Larsen's back. I took some pictures and caught him and put him in a plastic cup. He was really little and so cool! He got away but kept coming back to say hi to me so in the course of trying to catch him and put him outside he perished due to a misplaced plastic cup........I was very sad......I'm sure I will see many more.

 

When we got to our room there were only enough sheets for two of the four beds so I decided I'd go without until today and be just fine. Well I wasn't. I was so cold! In the middle of the night I got out of bed and dug around in my bag to find one of my sheets and I found one and a towel so I wrapped myself up and it was a little better but not by much. So my first night here was a little rough but I am very happy and optimistic.

 

We don't have to wear suit coats all the time here like we did in Provo which is nice. It also means I can wear my other pairs of pants! Wahoo I especially like my green ones. Yesterday the button on my pants fell off and this morning I sewed it back on. Thank you Mom for teaching me basic skills so that I can repair my own clothes. I'm quite proud of myself.

I am safe and happy and so incredibly excited to be here. Thank you all for helping me get to this point and this place in my life. I know the Lord blesses us more than we will ever know and I hope I can be an adequate instrument in his hands to bless the lives of others.

 

A happy Missionary in the Army of God,

 

Elder Robinson

MTC - Dominican Republic

Elder Hunter Robinson
Dominican Republic MTC
Avenida Bolivar #825
Los Robles
Santo Domingo 10106
Dominican Republic

Letter dated 3/13/12

Dear Mom,
I already wrote in the email a lot of what i wanted to say but I wanted to send the pictures and wanted to write a little more.  Be the time you read this I will be in the Dominican Republic!! (Actually, Hunter, not quite!)
It sounds like it's crunch mode at home with plays and school and reports and all the things that come with the end of another school year.  Here it's always crunch time - constant study and enlightenment by the spirit.
On Saturday we had the opportunity to teach at the TRC - Teaching Resource Center.  How it works is people (mostly members) volunteer to come be taught by the missionaries and they don't act and they aren't given a role to play.  They come as themselves.  Well we taught the best we ever have: we taught with unity, and our Spanish was pretty good.  We taught about prayer.  I've really been stuck on prayer lately and I realize that Heavenly Father is telling me I need to pray more and with more conviction.
Also we taught one of our 'investigators' Antonio (it's one of our teachers pretending to be someone he taught on his mission.  It's not a real person but the Spirit, feelings and commitments are real).  It was our second lesson and it went really well: we taught him to pray and about the Plan of Salvation.  He gave his first audible, kneeling prayer and committed to baptism!  It feels so good to know that we are helping others come unto Christ and we are fulfilling our purpose.  And even though it's not real and it's only practice.  I know we've all come closer to Christ because of it.

My new address:
Elder Hunter Robinson
Dominican Republic MTC
Avenida Bolivar #825
Los Robles
Santo Domingo 10106
Dominican Republic

Sorry I should have included this in the email.  I'm pretty sure this is correct.  I'll email to confirm when I get there.  ( I checked the address online - it is correct...Mom).

So next time I write it will be from the Dominican Republic - stay tuned!!  Thank you for all the good examples and all the love,

Elder Robinson

Photos 3_13_2012

My Comps and I at the Big Map

District 51-E

My Comps... Ready for the day!!!!

Letter dated 3/13/12

March 13, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

Well the time has nearly come to leave this great country to the land of heat, humidity, and spanish. I'm very excited and a little nervous but I know the Lord will provide a way for me to over come all the difficulties and succeed.

Mom I 'm not sure if you are aware but you used the word legit in one of my letters. I just thought that was so funny. my mom is hip and happenin. haha.

Thanks for not sending the jacket, I would have just sent it right back home. The last week has been really nice. It's another warm day and it's official: Spring is on the way. I have printed some pictures and will send them home today. The rumors are true I will be able to call home in the airport. this is my flight schedule:

Thursday 3/15/12

 6:05 a.m. leave Salt Lake

9:50 a.m. arrive in Dallas

11:30 a.m. leave Dallas

3:10 p.m. arrive in Miami

7:05 pm leave Miami

9:10 pm arrive in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic!

I think these are all the local times of where I will be. I will call home during my lay over in Miami so sometime in the afternoon so get ready. I'll call mom's cell phone. I bought a pay phone card so I'll use that. This is very exciting and i can't wait. I'm going to start packing today.

 sounds like the D.R. group mom is a part of is really cool and very informational. Thanks for all the advice and info. I'm sure it will help a lot.

  Katie sent me a letter and unfortunately  I don't have her address. But it sounds like all is well with her and the baby is fine. She said something about a tornado which is scary and fortunate that it did not come any closer to them. Sounds like they are working hard and living the life. Thank you Katie and Gabe  for the letter and all the love. I'm sure Gabe is right and I'll learn much faster in the Dominican Republic.

Claire guess what?! I found someone here that knows the turtle song and he gave me the rest of it: "my turtle swims sideways your turtle swims upside down, my turtle swims sideways your turrtle is dead..." I like our version better because turtles are cool and I want them all to live and we just laugh hysterically after the first line. I cut that part of the box out and kept it. It's on my desk in my room.

I'll talk to the rest of the clan in my handwritten letter I'm running out of time and I want to share some spiritual things:

I've been receiving a lot of personal revelation about prayer lately. It seems that no matter what class or what meeting  I'm in we talk about prayer.

In 1 Nephi 2 verse 1 i think (trying to hurry here) it says that Nephi "spoke with God" and I have found myself too often talking at God rather than co nversing with Him. I 'm not confident that  many of the prayers I've said in the past have made it past the ceiling of my room because I just rattle off a bunch of routinish stuff. I want my prayers to penetrate the heavens and make it all the way to Heaven. As I've been trying to do this more I've had great experiences so I want to challenge all of you and ask you When was the last time you SPOKE with God? the last time you really and truly bore you heart and sould to God and like the King of the Lamanites Cried Mightily unto God. he was  willing to give all he had just to know if God was real and he was not disappointed and I know that God will answer our prayers when we cry with all our might unto  God.

Dad you were right there are many that are here are not ready and not in the right state of mind to be  missionaries. It's difficult to work with these individuals because they just don't understand. It 's frustrating and I'm not ruling myself out either. I need to  be better and eliminate distractions in my life and stay focused and it is difficult.

out of time again!!!!!!!!!!!!!! gRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.

I will tell more in a written letter  which by the time you receive it I'll be in the D.R.

Love Elder Robinson

Letter dated March 6, 2012 (2)

March 6, 2012 (Handwritten letter)

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you all for the packages and the letters you have sent.  I love to receive mail and it seems that I have too much to read.  There's just not time.  I tried to just email this week but there's just not enough time!  Mom and Dad thank you for your many encouraging words and experiences.  They lift me up.

I never thought trying to stay together as a companionship would be so hard.  There are 3 of us so that makes it that much harder.  But Elder Montgomery kinda lives in his own little world and goes off with Elder Timmons a lot.  We could potentially get in a lot of trouble.  I've talked to him about it and we are communicating better.   Elder Shimamoto talks a little more and is going to be starting the lesson tomorrow.  I made flashcards for him and we've been working on memorizing words.  Right now we are trying to teach and work in unity so that we all have an equal presence and not one person (usually me because I know more Spanish) dominates the lesson.  It's gonna take time to figure this all out but I know we can do it.

Okay now it's time for me to tell you about a couple funny language hiccups.  In one of the lessons with Hilario, Elder Timmons and Elder Taylor were talking about baptism and they asked him if he would be baptised.  And when Elder Timmons asked him, he asked him if he'd be baptised tomorrow.  Haha.  He responded "Oh, muy rapido!".  In one lesson we were teaching I committed him to come to church but when I asked him I asked if he would come to church on Saturday.  Haha.  I'm sure there will be many more stories like these later on but I thought you might like that.

Thank you for being such good examples to me.  The temple is amazing.  I've been able to go and do an endowment session and when we came out there was a beautiful sunset.  I took pictures and I will send some soon.  I think about all of you all the time and know that we will all be blessed as we strive to keep the commandments of God.

There have been some tie trades and I was able to acquire a nice semi-slender red multi-tone striped tie.  I traded my orange striped one for it.  Elder Shimamoto has a nice green paisley tie that I'd like to strike a deal for but he seems hesitant.  We will see...

Just 9 more days until I'm leavin' on a jet plane.  If the rumors are true I'll get to call home the day we travel but we'll see.  I love you all and pray for you daily.

A Dios (to God)
Elder Robinson

Letter dated March 6, 2012 (1)

March 6, 2012

Dear Mom,

My p-day is Tuesday but I only have one more here before we leave to go to The Dominican Republic!!!! I did get your Dearelder letters and I am very thankful for them. I feel so loved and i think about my family everyday. Thank you for the girl scout cookies and the other package I got last week. Sam sent me a package with a bunch of good in it and he also sent me a letter so that's nice.

This past week has been alright. More learning and more stress. I'm working hard and trying not to be a stick in the mud: we're all missionaries but even servants called of God try to bend the rules. Elder Shimamoto is learning more spanish and opening up more. He is now the senior companion and it's been going well. Elder Montgomery isthe district leader and has kinda been abusing that power: you're allowed to go on exchanges with another missionary for temporary illness, and exercising during gym time but he's been going off with Elder Timmons a lot which is frustrating because we are supposed to be with one another all the time. It's difficult to be exactly obedient when your companion isn't on the same page. We've talked about it and it has been better.

Elder Holland came last Tuesday for the devotional. It was amazing! you should all try to look up that devotional and watch it. He is so powerful when he speaks. Some quotes: pull up your socks to your armpits and go to work.

When you come back I want this to be so ingrained and imprinted in you that nothing will ever take it away.

Be your first investigator and your first convert and don't you dare come back without being changed. And don't you dare hang up your mission like a used towel when you get home.

"This is Real Life, this is the closest you will ever get to REAL LIFE!"

Alex Boye came on sunday and shared his conversion story and he sang for us. It was so cool. He is so amazing and funny! you shoud try and look up the fireside so you can watch it. it was sooooo good.

One of my teachers: Hermano Russell said something that I thought was really profound: "That badge is the heaviest thing I've ever worn, but the hands that hold you up are the strongest." He is so wise and is a really good teacher. Spanish is still hard and I don't know if that will ever change. But I'm determined to work hard and learn as much as possible.

I got my travel plans and we leave March 15. We fly to Fort Worth Texas Elder Montgomery's home town) then we fly to Florida then to Santo Domingo. So I'll get to write one more time before I leave. Don't send any letters or packages unless you know for certain the will make it to me before I leave. I assume they will send me an email with my address in Santo Domingo but I'm not sure. I will let you know. I'm so excited! This is really happening. I know it will be hard because this will total and complete immersion into spanish like I've not experienced. It will be good though.

So our first investigator that we taught probably 5-6 times has now become our teacher. Hilario is actually Hermano Defigueiredo who went to Nicaragua on his mission and taught, converted, and baptised, the real Hilario. It was a cool experience and good practice. we are now going to be teaching Hermano Russell who will be playing the part of Antonio who we assume he taught on his mission. This place is awesome. They really have this whole teaching thing down to a science.

Well i have only a minute left to send this email. I only get 30 minutes every p-day. so I will send a letter as well with more information and less rushed, scatter brained thoughts.

Elder Robinson

Letter - dated 2/28/2012

Hola mi familia!
Almost a week in and the days seem like weeks.  I've been working hard and doing my best.  I've learned a lot and have taught 3 lessons in Spanish to an investigator.   I always get really nervous and scared.  I need to have more faith that God will help me as I do His will.

It's strange to think that not even a week ago I was in the temple with Mom and Dad.  Time has really flown by.

This has been the craziest, most difficult, hard and emotionally draining thing I've ever done.  It's this crazy emotional roller coaster and at one moment I'm so happy to be here and the next I'm about to cry because they just told me I was teaching in 5 minutes.   Needless to say I find myself being humbled all the time.

I know more Spanish after 6 days in the MTC than I learned in the 2 years of Spanish class I took in high school.  I memorized the missionary purpose:
"Invitor a las personas a renir a cristo al ayudor las que recibeh el Evangero restaurado mediante lafe en Jesu Cristo y so edrianion, el arrepentimiento, el bautismo, le recepcion del don del Espirito Santo y el preseverar hasta el fin."  (please excuse the spelling, etc).

I'm working on memorizing the first vision.  It's a little harder and longer.  I've learned to pray and to bear a basic, simple testimony.

Mom and Dad, thank you for the letters, and everyone else too:  Alaura, Mom, Dad, Noah, Nikelle, ... I feel so loved by all of you.  I got 11 letters yesterday.  Well, it was 11 separate sheets of paper that had continuing letters on them.  The point is I love to hear from you all and I promise I will write back to you.

Did you go see Fiddler on the roof?  How did Jeremiah do?  How is school going for everyone?  How is Katie feeling?  We're almost in the last term of the school, right?  Are Taft and Claire still getting 4.0's?

Doctrine & Covenants 31: 1-2.  This is a good scripture for me because it helps me remember where my focus needs to be and to trust in Heavenly Father.  Yesterday one of the MTC teachers from the class next door came to our class and got me, Elder Shimamoto, and Elder Montgomery because she has a trio companionship in her class and they needed to practice teaching - which we were okay with...then she said that we would teach them too.  This was all in Spanish by the way.  When she said we would teach we all rejected the opportunity and shied away from the chance to teach.  She kept saying "Where is your faith?", "Where is your faith?"  She told us we could teach in English so we said we would do it.  We went and taught and were taught and it was a good experience.  Elder Brusco taught me some really good things about the Atonement:  I need to let go of all my pride, fear, nervousness, anxiety, discouragement and any other negative feelings I had and give them to Christ.  He atoned for me: my sins and my negative feelings.  He will help me every time I just have to ask.

We have a devotional tonight.  Every Tuesday night one of the General Authorities of the church comes and gives a devotional.  I'm very excited for this. 

So far I have done well in heeding everyone's advice: I haven't drank any orange juice, and I haven't had any ice cream bars (apparently they are like potato chips and you can't have just one).  I'm working hard, studying hard, and having some fun.

To save paper, postage stamps, and envelopes I included my letter to Noah and now I will include one to Alaura and Parker, assuming they'll be able to view it on the blog:

Parker and Alaura,
Thank you for the letter.  I will serve Heavenly Father for you and our whole family.  I'm doing well.  Please write me again, I love to hear about your lives in the beautiful Cache Valley.
Love,
Elder Robinson

I love you all and will keep you updated on my life and the spiritual growth I am receiving.  May God hold you in the Hollow of His Hand.

Elder Robinson