August 28, 2013 "Transfers..."

August 28, 2013

Dear Family,

First off, sorry for not writing last week. We had a special meeting with President Anderson (caribbean area president) and his wife on Wednesday so we have to use a different day as p day. The meeting with President Anderson was amazing and we were able to be there with 3 zones here in Santiago and we learned a lot.

He shared a story of when he was a mission president in Mexico. at taht time he and his wife still had 3 little kids and they hired a mexican lady to come to the house and teach their kids spanish. sister Anderson, being a sneaky mission president´s wife and a good missionary, asked Irma to use the book of mormon to teach her children spanish. she started using the book of mormon and as the kids learned and read ans asked questions she began to have questions of her own. one day she went to sis Anderson and asked her ¨what is this book?¨ sis anderson explained a little about the book of mormon and told her there were a few young elders that could help her learn more. She loved talking with the missionaries and began attending church and loved everything about the gospel. it came to the time when the missionaries felt she was ready to be baptized and they invited her to be baptized several times and she kept saying she wasn´t ready and then one day she asked the missionaries not to come back.....Irma was still teaching the kids spanish and had regular contact with Pres. Anderson and the elders asked him to talk to her to try and find out what happened. she said that she felt pressured by the missionaries and didn´t want to be pressured. Pres. Anderson told her. ¨the missionaries aren´t tryhing to pressure you. they are just inviting you to do what God has commanded and expects of us. Now, if the missionaries invite you to do something you can say no. In fact you can even say no to me if I invite you to do something, but if God invites you to do something you cannot and you should not say no.¨ these words really hit home and she was baptized shortly after.

This story really helped me remember that I am a representative of Jesus Christ and I need to work hard to help investigators and members to know and feel that it is really Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ that are inviting them to study the book of mormon, pray, attend church, have family home evening, family prayer, magnify callings.....it was very powerful for me.

today is transfers and I am with yet another companion...I really wanted to stay with Elder Alvarado one more transfer but it looks like the Lord has other plans for me. My new comp is Elder Garcia from Honduras. He was in my district about 5 months ago when I was in La Vega. first impresssion is good and I think we´ll be just fine. I´m now district leader. I´ve always kind of dreaded the thought of having a leadership position in the mission because there are so many things that we have to do just as regular missionaries and when you stack responsibility for other missionaries and their areas on top of that it seems stressful but I feel good and I feel up to the challenge and I know that God will qualify me for this calling.

Life goes on. I love the mission and it freaks me out that I´m in the last quarter. I have become so used to being a missionary and this lifestyle that it scares me to think about going back home and haveing such an abrupt change. I love you all but it is a weird feeling.

Elder Hunter Allen Robinson

August 14, 2013 "P-Day Santiago"

Dear Family,

it´s p day santiago and it has been a very sweaty crazy rushed day. We´ve ran around like beheaded chickens trying to get everything on our lists done which we did not.....there is just never enough time or money to do what you want to do......unless you´re a cheese head in Wisonsin that has Grandma Rekow and all the members cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. man I´m so jealous about some of the things in his mission. A lot of the time I don´t eat breakfast or dinner because I´m busy studying, dead tired or there´s just no money....

Life is good. still sun burned. I would try to use sun screen but it is so hot that there is really no time when I´m dry enough to be able to put it on.....I´m so tired of being red!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

is there some kind of sun screen/tan lotion that I could try that might help me be any other color other than pink or red?

As of yesterday I officially have less than 6 months left in the mission and I´m kinda freaking out! I feel I have so much to learn still and so much  to do! It´s definitely true that it takes about 2 years to become a good missionary and then when it´s over the mission is over and therefore are prepared for mission work back home. Justice you better be ready for me in 6 months cuz here I come. Don´t worry I´m not gonna go all crazy R.M. on you but I´m going to try my hardest to help you in any way I can and be your friend.

Thinking of goals and things I want to do and accomplish in these last 6 months of this adventure and I really have a strong desire help many come unto Christ.

Hold Fast. Keep the faith.

Elder Hunter Allen Robinson  (I have to type out my whole name now because there are 2 of us now ya´know?

August 7, 2013 "Walked to Death"

Dear Family,
 

Licey is a HUGE area. on Saturday we walked what seemed like the entire area but I know it wasn´t because I still haven´t seen the whole area yet and I´ve been here for 3 weeks. My legs are constantly tired and I´m walking like gumby every time I get to the house at night.

We are trying to find some new people to teach and are brainstorming ideas to help the members get excited about church and to not be sunday members.

It´s really sad to have investigators that attend church, read the scriptures, and have the desire to be baptized but are unable to due to their marriage circumstances...we have 2 investigators, that are dying to get baptized and are ready but can´t because they are not married and their husbands are not the least bit interested in learning about God or the church and are even less interested in getting married...

And then there are just the investigators that we have no idea what´s going on: we can´t find them or haven´t talked to them in over a week, or they are ready but for whatever reason just don´t want to be baptized right now...so we´re at a stand still for now with several people.

Time is really flying.

well the internet center people are kicking us out because they gotta close so I guess that´s it for now.

Elder Robinson

July 31, 2013 "The Water is Back Baby"

 July 31, 2013

Dear Family,

On thursday they got to the point where they could connect the water to our house again so we spent the morning deep cleaning the house and it was great! We now have water and I can now bathe myself out of a bucket in peace.

On Thursday or Friday Elder De La Cruz called me to tell me that Victor´s baptism might get called off because as Elder De La Cruz reviewed the baptismal interview questions with him he discovered that he had participated in an abortion some time ago. In cases such as these the investigator usually needs an interview with the mission president but Elder De La Cruz called Pres. Douglas and told him the situation and Pres. Douglas simply asked him what he thought. Considering all the factors and especially the fact that Pres. Douglas had had an interview with Victor on Sunday Elder De La Cruz told him that he felt good baptizing him. so Pres. Douglas gave the green light.

So on Saturday july 27, 2013 Victor diaz loreno was baptized by the first counselor in the branch presidency-Franqueli Quiterio. Victor had originally asked me to baptize him but Elder De La Cruz helped him choose Franqueli instead. Which I´m happy about because it´s always better to have a member baptize investigators so they can have that support. I would have done the same thing. Although I´ve helped a few people get baptized I personally have only baptized one person-enmanuel luna july 7, 2012- and I´m okay with that. if I can help every investigator choose a member over me that´s a win win for me because the member has the spiritual experience and connection of baptizing that investigator and the investigator will always have that member by their side.

it was really cool to see the folks of Conani again.

we played basketball this morning and I played 3 hours straight. feels good to run! i was an idiot and didn´t put on sunscreen that I had brought with me so now I´m reder than a tomato and some dominican guy actaully yelled at me ¨hey americano don´t go out in the sun as much!¨ I guess I never learn... I´m always pink but now I´m bright bright bright red......it hurts...... you never notice while you´re playing and it´s only afterwards that you regret or rather I regret my foolishness...

crispy

July 24, 2013 "The House, the Water and the Sun"

July 24, 2013

 

Dear Family,

 

My first week here in Licey has been less than ideal, and quite comical if you ask me. when I first got here a week ago I thought that I was in a really nice house but looks can be deceiving...

my second day here it rained really hard and despite the fact that I closed my window next to my bed water still got in due to the gomer pile that did a shoddy job sealing the window. it got my blanket wet and sleeping that night wasn´t as comfortable.

That same day our water pipes to the house got cut due to the construction on the street right in front of the house. We´ve not had water in the house for a week. We have had to travel to other missionaries houses to shower and wash clothes and have even gone to the mission home to shower...on saturday we learned that it´s jsut our side of the street that doesn´t have water and thanks to good dominican neighbors that know what it´s like not to have water that live across the street we were able to fill up every water jug, 5 gallon bucket, and garbage can in the house. generally speaking here in the D.R. there is at least one day in which the people don´t have water or at least a few hours in a day and just as all our water ran out our friendly neighbors took their turn on the don´t have water shift...we had to walk quarter to half a mile to find someone with water and fill up all our jugs again. I almost killed myself trying to carry 2-5 gallon buckets at the same time. the construction guys say that they´ll start puttin in the water pipes today or tomorrow so hopefully we´re seeing th light at the end of the tunnel. I don´t write all these things to complain rather to help you all share these hiloariously ridiculous experiences with me.

I had forgotten how much hotter it is here in Santiago...The sun is very hot and I´m more sunburned.....

On Sunday I got a call from Elder De La Cruz and he told me that one of the investigators that we taught together in Conani is getting baptized on Saturday! He had to have an intgerview with Pres. Douglas because he was involved in a big gun fight 10 years ago and someone was killed. he had a gun and he fired a few shots and it all happened so fast that he is unsure if he killed the guy. there wqas another guy that was convicted for the murder and that whole thing has been resolved for a long time. nevertheless he still felt uneasy about it and it´s necessary for anyone that has killed a person to talk with mission president before being baptized. The good news is that he didn´t kill anyone and he´s getting baptized. in the interview the investigator asked Pres. Douglas for a favor: that I can go to his baptism! President said yes and I called our investigator after talking to Elder De La Cruz and he asked me to baptize him. it´s a very humbling thing when asked to baptize someone. It´s very special. In my mission I´ve only ever personally baptized one person and it was enmanuel in San Francisco. My comp and I will be making a trip to La Vega on saturday.

This is a good area. It is huge and we walk a ton but it´s good.

Despite all the difficulties and challenges I am happy and we are working.

Elder Robinson the second is in the MTC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need his email.

Elder Robinson

July 17, 2013 'On the Road Again'

July 17, 2013

Dear Family,

So on thursday President Douglas called: Elder Robinson I know you wanted to stay with Elder De La Cruz one more transfer but I have need for you somewhere else.¨ He then told Elder De La Cruz that he will be training this transfer. He´s a little nervous to train but I know he will be great.

I am now in my new area Licey A in Santiago. I´m back to the city baby! My new comp is Elder Alvarado from El Salvador and he´s 23 years old. He´s a pretty cool guy and I think we´ll get along just fine. He has just 3 months in the mission which means I´m his step-dad (second comp in the mission field) for the second time. from what he tells me the area is big and we´ll walk a lot and we have several baptisms coming up! It is a ward not a branch which will be a good change I´m sure.

I didn´t want to leave Conani mostly because of my amazing comp, seriously Elder De La Cruz is my best comp, and for the investigators. One has a baptismal date for the 27 and didn´t smoke a single cigarrette yesterday! The couple we have been working with are strong in the church and are working toward marriage and baptism. We held a branch council and all agreed to chip in to give them the 2000 pesos they need to get their little business up and running which will facilitate getting back on their feet and getting married. I have no doubt that they will get baptized but I really wanted to see them enter the bonds of marriage and the waters of baptism... I feel that I worked hard in Conani and am able to say that I am leaving the area better than when I found it.

Transfers always helps me realize I have way too much junk. I´m gonna get rid of a ton!

Happy and sweaty

Elder Robinson

July 10, 2013 "The Triumphant (and soaked) return to San Fransisco'

July 10, 2013

Dear Family,

I am currently in San Francisco with Elder Johnson. He goes home next thursday so today was our last chance to come. the hurricane would have stopped us but it was the last possible chance to see Elder Johnson and visit San Fran before he heads home. We were able to visit a couple converts (anny leydy and the luna family) and it has been good. We are wet and cold and I may or may not get sick due to all the rain I´ve absorbed today. There´s lots of rain and lots of lightning and thunder and we are currently waiting for the bus to fill up so we can go to La Vega......

The hurricane is here and everything is very wet. Nothing too bad from what I´ve seen but lots of rain and some flooded streets. I think of many people I know that live in poor circumstances and know that they probably won´t have a warm and dry place to sleep tonight.....

As far as the car wash for our investigators' wedding is concerned it´s a no go. We suggested the idea and he is a strong and independent man that doesn´t want help. the also say they arent´ready to get married because they want to get back on their feet enough to move out of his mom´s house and get some money together to be able to be independent. So we´re at a stand still with them....

My birthday was great. I invited Elders Fabian and Mercedez to come and celebrate with me and my comp. I got the package and baked the cake and we had a good time together singing and goofing around. thanks a lot for the package it had a lot of great stuff. I´ll probably be able to use all the party gear again because Elder Mercedez´s birthday is coming up.

Transfers are next week and I told Pres. Douglas that I want to stay in Conani with Elder De la Cruz.

the work goes on and we are constantly trying to help the members get animated about mission work and try to maintain the sheep that are already here.

Elder Johnson is going to try and make a trip to PG before Taft leaves so he can meet the family. he seriously is my best friend from the mission.

Elder Robinson

Email letter dated July 3, 2013 " July!? What the Heck?!

July 3, 2013

Dear Family,

It's already July?! Man, I feel like june just barely started yesterday. Time really is flying.

I would like to apologize for not sending pictures for so long...I did try a few times but as you probably know Gmail changed a few things about the website and I just barely figured out how to upload pictures effectively. I know I'm slow....

I realized that by the time I get back and am geting ready to go to college it will have been 4 years since I was in school and that really freaks me out because I'm scared that I've forgotten everything I learned.....I've "helped" a couple people with homework and I know I'm in trouble when I see math that know I learned but don't understand any of it....I'll need to do some serious reviewing.

HAPPY 4 OF JULY TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have planned to do the Car Wash on saturday the 13 of July to raise funds so our investigators can get married!!!!! I'm a little nervous that they just want to get married to be baptized and that they don't truly think/wish their marriage to last forever. It's something we gotta check up on.

Our other investigator is doing really well at leaving behind cigarettes. He used to smoke like 20 a day but now he is smoking 2-5 a day which is a big improvement. The goal is 0.

our branch mission leader is entering the Santiago, Dominican Republic mission today so we will be without a branch mission leader so we are going to have to help some of the members get active and excited to be a branch mission leader.

Life is chugging along at an amazing pace and I am happy. A little tired and stressed but that's good because if I wasn't it would mean that I'm not working and that I don't care about these members and this branch.

I really hope that Pres. Douglas lets me and Elder De La Cruz stay together for another transfer. transfers aren't until July 17 but we work so well together and get along so well I don't want to get split up.

Elder Robinson

Email letter dated June 26, 2013 'Stayed in La Vega'

June 26, 2013

Dear Family,

Well friends the great return of Elders Robinson and J to San Francisco was canceled due to diarrhea and vomit. on Elder J's part. We got up at 6 this morning so we could catch the first bus to Santiago but while we were getting ready to go Elder J called me an told me that he has diarrhea and is throwing up.......so we went and played baseball instead.

I pride myself in being able to hit the ball. I can't catch or throw worth a darn but I can at least bat and get on base.

We are trying to help some investigators get married and we are thinking about doing a car wash to raise funds. We could just give them the money to get married but we don't want them to think that they can turn to the church to get money. They need to do everything possible to do their part and then we can step in and help if it is needed. I think that if they can put enough money to buy soap and sponges and towels and come and help wash cars and motorcycles then it would be a valiant and worthy effort. We still need to run the idea by the branch President to get authorization. I think it's a great idea. We'll see how it works out.

We have another investigator and I'm not sure if I've talked about him....he's very humble and he wants to change hsi life. He smokes and that was one of the first things he told us when we met him: "i want to quit smoking" we hadn't even taught him yet and he could maybe sense that the gospel is what will help him with that. He has kind of a strange goal to live to be 120 and quiting smoking will definitely help him with that. haha. He has a baptismal date for the 20 of July and we are really working hard to help him get there.

Another investigator is stuck in a tough spot. He knows what he should do but he's not sure if he wants to do it. He's young and has a lot of decisions to make and is fighting to know what to do. We are trying to help him but sometimes it seems he doesn't want to help himself...

we were able to see the worldwide broadcast on sunday and it was incredible!!!! so inspiring!

I'll be honest and say that I felt a little discouraged as we watched the videos of huge success taking place in the world with the members and missionaries working together because it just doesn't happen like that here. but I realize that it is that attitude and discouragement that will prohibit things to change to be like those successful branches and wards. so I'm trying to focus on the inspiration I felt during the devotional. and praying to know how we can help this branch become a successful strong branch.

Elder Robinson

Email letter dated June 12, 2013 'Elder De La Cruz'

June 12, 2013

Dear Family,

Wow this week has been amazing. Ever since the day I received my new comp Elder De La Cruz one week ago things have been great. There´s always a little fear when you receive a new comp that you won´t get along or he´ll be disobedient but I´m pleased to say that Elder De La Cruz and Í couldn´t get along any better. We are great friends and we only have a week together. The best part is that he and I both have the same expectations for ourselves and for one another. We work well together and teach well together. I´m technically Senior Comp but I am learning a ton from my comp who has a little over 7 months in the mission. He is Dominican so he is familiar with the problems that are here in the D.R. as far as the church is concerned and he has had callings and experience in fixing the problems and it appears to be his attention to detail that makes all the difference. We are working hard and are feeling the spirit strongly everyday.

I am the most obedient and the most happy that I've ever been in my mission. 

On Sunday President and Sister Douglas came and attended church here in Conani which I´m pretty sure was a big surprise for everyone because I think they came unannounced. Sister Douglas plays the violin and she always brings it to play the hymns wherever she goes. It was fun to see everyone in the congregation mesmerized and in some kind of trance as they watched her movements as she played her violin. There were 75 people in church which is the highest number of people that I´ve seen attend church here in Conani. Ramon and Rosi and Gabriel came and it was awesome. Elder De La Cruz gave an awesome gospel principles class for the investigators and the spirit was very strong. 

I was so happy that day I couldn't help but smile really really big. It was the strongest I've been able to feel the spirit in this branch.

The work is going forward and we are working really hard to find new people to teach. Elder De La Cruz is 25 and he definitely came prepared to the mission. He is strong and is super knowledgeable. 

keep on keepin on and smile every day because I know I am.

Elder Robinson