Email letter dated May 23, 2012 (parts 1 &2)

May 23, 2012

Dear Family,

Oh man I am so sorry I didn´t tell you about our Baptism.....Our Baptism on Saturday is Ani-Leidi she is 15 (i think...) and she is a great investigator and a great person. Her parents have received nearly all the lessons with the missionaries before I got here but are having trouble with their marriage right now. We are hoping that Ani-Leidi´s baptism will help with some things in that area.

 

It sounds like it´s been a busy busy week. Sorry to hear about the Lacrosse tournament little dude....I know you played your hardest and in the fall you´ll be even better. Keep practicing you should have 2 sticks now right? get taft to practice with you.

Claire and Taft, it sounds like things are winding down for the both of you. Congratulations you´ve made it through another year of school and you´re still alive and I´m sure your grades are still off the charts.

 

I´m Glad Parker and Alaura found a new place, that´s exciting. Tell that big baldy to email me sometime, or better yet try to send me a letter. do you know their new address?

Katie is having a GIRL! how exciting is that?! She sent me pictures from their cruise and it looks like it was tons of fun.

Grandma´s surgery sounds scary.....I hope she and Grandpa will be alright.

Thank you for sending me the ducks and my recipe book. I wonder if you could send me my little red journal, it says ¨journal¨ on the cover. I got it the day of my baptism and want to use it to take notes. Sorry, you are probably tired of digging through all of my stuff to try and find my things I want......If you don´t want to worry about it that´s fine, I can get a journal here for like 3 bucks if I need to.

 

I testify that what you learned and heard about the daily scripture study is so true. I look forward to studying every morning. Not only because I need to for my lessons but because I need to for ME. I sent a letter today as well so hopefully it makes it home....i figure every letter I or you recieve will be like taking a time machine back a couple of weeks. kinda fun.

Work Hard. Play Hard. SUMMER IS HERE!!!!!!!

 

(part 2)

okay so Elder Johnson heard that if you interlaced your fingers together and put an egg in your palms no matter how hard you squeeze it won´t break. well........the egg breaks. hahahahaha I laughed so hard when he splattered himself and the kitchen with egg. haha. so funny.

I am trying to remember this quote that talks about the world taking the people out of the slums but Christ takes the slums out of the people and then they take themselves out of the slums. Can you help me remember it exactly?

I want to tell you about Miguel: he is a husband and a father and a less active member of the church. We were teaching his wife Clara yesterday about the doctrine of Christ. She hasn´t been very good at keeping commitments to read so we helped keep their son Isaac (who is our favorite little Dominican in the world!) so she could read and ask us questions. It worked perfectly! we were so happy to play with Isaac and help her understand at the same time. As we were saying the closing prayer thier table broke because she was leaning on it. Seeing an opportunity to serve we jumped into action. We deduced we needed nails and a hammer so we literally ran to a hardware store to buy nails and borrow a hammer. We were able to fix the table and get a little exercise at the same time. Que Suerte! After we fixed the table we were talking to Miguel and he told us how appreciative he is that we are his friends. He also said that he feels inadequate as a father because sometimes there´s not enough money to buy food for his wife and son......He wasn´t treated very well by his father and is trying to make a good life for Isaac and we explained to him that the most important thing is his relationship with his son and with Heavenly Father. The people are hurting here. There´s a lot of food on this island but there isn´t a lot of money to be had. He asked us for some money so he could buy some food for his family that night and he would pay us back on saturday. Elder Johnson gave him 200 pesos which is technically against mission rules but people are more important than rules sometimes and Miguel is an exception. Elder Johnson loaned him a little money before and he speedily paid it back. This rule will be difficult for me to keep all the time because I have money, in fact it´s more than I need. I´m not saying I´m going to go all robin hood on this place and give everyone all my money. But I feel there are exceptions. Faithful saints trying to make it in this country and it´s hard and if I can help a little and I know their intentions are good I will help them.

your missionary,

Elder Robinson

Email letter dated 5/16/2012 - "it's HOT"

May 16, 2012

Dear Family,

Well I think I´ve told you all everything when I saw you on Sunday. But I can elaborate and tell you about some more things.
On Monday we went to La Casa de Queso to see if we could get some real milk from a real live cow and they had some! we bought a gallon for 90 pesos (2 dollars). We are very happy to have oreos and milk and to just have good ol from the cow milk.
Also on Monday we had a district meeting and the zone leaders had a big box for us which had many copies of the bible and book of mormon because we have had many people here ask us to get them things. Also in the box were my scripture cases!!!!!! They are sooooo cool.
We are teaching the Luna family and brother Luna was excommunicated some time ago and is working his way back to the church and we are teaching him and his family, especially their son Manuel who will be turning 8 soon so we´ll be preparing him for baptism. We went by their house to deliver the books and things they wanted: 2 book of mormon, 2 bible, and 2 movies (testaments and together forever). we felt like santa clause with all these gifts and things that we know they will use.
We had a combined zone conference with 2 other zones (Bonao and La Vega) yesterday and we talked a lot about the book of mormon and the talk ´filling the world with the book of mormon´ (that may or may not be the right title, I don´t know it in english so I´m trying to translate it...) by Pres. Benson. It is an incredible talk. LOOK IT UP EVERYONE. One point I´d like to emphasize is in the talk he tells us we need to read and study the book of mormon EVERYDAY. Joseph Smith testified that it is the most true book in the world and that we can become closer to God by reading and living it´s precepts than by any other book. And I add my testimony to this Prophet of the Lord that the Book of Mormon is true and that it testifies of Christ and the very purpose of the book is to convince all that Jesus Christ is our savior and redeemer.
One thing that I´d wished I´d done prior to the mission is research the catholic church and just learn a little of what they believe. I find it very interesting when the people here talk about saints and different things and I wish I knew a little more. I know it´s not a necessity and I don´t need to know about the other churches of the world to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true Church of God. There is great power in telling the people "I don´t know a lot about other churches but i can tell you what I do know, I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ and that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that My redeemer Jesus Christ lives. I´m so grateful for the knowledge that has been granted to me by my Heavenly Father through the Spirit. These are not things you can gain a knowledge of by talking to men, you need to ask God because these are things from and about God and there is no one better to ask than the source-Heavenly Father.
I am happy and grateful for everything that I´ve been given and I hope that the letters I have sent make it home and to their respective places.

Love

Elder Hunter Allen Robinson

Email letter dated May 9, 2012 - 'package and sore throat'

May 9, 2012

Dear Family,

This week has been great. we have taught a lot and had a lot of fun. I received the package that you sent to me way back when. Thank you so much, I loved the card and all the goodies. Elder Johnson also got a package so that´s fun. His family always includes something for his companion in their packages which is fun (hint hint). One thing I wish I had is my recipe book. Could you send it to me? Also something fun I thought of, could you send me my ducks, it would be fun to give them to the little kids here.
A little about Elder Johnson-he is adopted, he has one sister who is also adopted. He is from Sandy and he loves basketball. He loves coke, mountain dew, and toast. He loves toast so much he bought a toaster to make toast, to be honest I would have done the same thing. I love toast and am very thankful for that little chunk of metal. We eat pretty good and have a good time making food. He has many great ties and receives packages like crazy. He is a great missionary and a good man.
On Friday night I started to feel sick- sore throat and a headache. It progressed to a cough and my throat got worse and I lost my voice for a day. But now I am much better, we had a new missionaries meeting in Santiago on Monday and Sister Lee gave me a bunch of drugs to help-throat spray, cough drops, vitamin C tablets, pain killers and mucinex. She is Very versed in the ways of taking care of sick missionaries. I am feeling much better now, still have the cough and the throat is still a little sore and I´m coughing up shrek colored mucus all the time. My voice is really low so that is kinda fun. Im sure by the time I see you on sunday I will be back to normal. I´m trying to remember my username for skype.....maybe you could help me out?
on Sunday we had the opportunity to give a young man in our ward a blessing, I anointed in spanish and Elder Johnson gave the blessing. It was my first time in spanish, I was pretty nervous...It went well.
one cool thing that they have here are Rutas they are a bunch of cars that drive specific routes around the city and you can pay 20 pesos per person to ride the whole route, so it´s like a taxi but way cheaper and it´s really convenient. The thing is that they jam 7 people in a little 5 person car. But it´s cheap and convenient.
One thing that is really sad here is that just about every dog or cat you see is a stray and they look like they´ve had the crap kicked out of them. They are all skinny and ragged. The dogs that are pets are always chained up because no one has yards here. It´s very sad for me. I like dogs and cats but all the ones here are scared and hurt.
This is kinda short and scatter brained but I´m writing a letter that I´ll send soon so that will be good.
Look up the ¨mysteries of mormonism¨ by Bruce R. McKonkie it´s really good.

I´ll see you on Sunday!

Elder Robinson

Letter from Santiago Mission President, Hunter has arrived!

OFICINA DE LA MISIÓN SANTIAGO

Plaza Alejo 2-B
Av. Estrella Sadhalá
Santiago, Rep. Dom.
(809) 241-1145

April 27, 2012

Mr. & Mrs.
Charles y Lisa Robinson

Dear Brother and Sister Robinson,

Just a note to let you know that your son arrived safely in the Dominican Republic Santiago
Mission. We are pleased to have him with us. His trainer is Elder Austin Johnson, from
Ogden, Utah. He is an excellent missionary and will take good care of your son.

We appreciate so much the enthusiasm and desire your son has to serve his fellow man.
Likely never again will he have the opportunity to serve with the vitality and energy of youth,
donating 100% of his time to the Lord. We ask you to help him cherish his mission – to work
hard, to fight discouragement, and to love his companion and the people he is serving.

Please do not worry about him. He is in the Lord's hands, but he will need your
encouragement and support for he will experience many trials that will strengthen and profit
him eternally. Weekly letters are very important in maintaining a missionary’s enthusiasm.
We would request that your letters to him be uplifting, spiritually edifying, and mission-
centered. Please keep him free of unnecessary worry about home and family. Details of
every little problem or challenge at home are an unneeded burden for a missionary trying to
devote himself fully to his Lord and Savior.

We know that you can help him give himself fully to the work through your inspiring letters
and words of encouragement. We will do everything we can to help ensure that your son
serves a successful mission. We thank you for having the faith to entrust him to us and,
more especially, to the Lord. May the Lord bless you.

Sincerely,

Miguel A. Lee
Mission President

April 25, 2012 - 1st letter from Santiago

April 25, 2012

Dear Family,
I am in el campo!!!! My p day is now on wednesday. And my new companion and trainer is Elder Johnson, he has 9 months in the mission and his spanish is excellent and I know I will learn a lot from him. I am officially born in the mission. And I was able to go on exchanges with my grandpa (the dad or trainer of my trainer) Which was really fun. It was good to finally get out of the mtc and be here! I´m very excited to be out doing the work. Our apartment is a lot nicer and bigger than a lot of the ones I have seen on exchanges. President Lee is a very kind and strong man. I´m glad to have him as my president even if it´s only for a few months
Please call Nikelle and tell her sorry for not sending her a letter (i ran out of stamps) and that I will no longer be able to email her but that I will send letters. I also found out the best way to send me letters and packages is through the Florida address, do you have it? I don´t have it with me right now but I´ll try and get it to you next week.
thank you for sending me the package! how cool that we have those little connections! Why didn´t I hear from Taft....I´m glad to hear you are all doing well and are all happy. My friends were all very glad to share my treats thank you. And thank you for the stamps!!!!!!!!
My first day has been good: we rode on a bus for what seemed like all day to get to santiago yesterday to get to the mission home and we stayed the night there. I was the only north american elder in the group from the mtc going to Santiago which was kinda weird....Then today we rode another bus for forever to get to San Francisco (my first area). I was sad to leave Elder Relf, he is very cool and I learned so much from him and I admire him a lot and I know he´s going to be a killer missionary. I want to be friends with him after the mission, he lives in sandy and will be going to uvu so it´s not impossible.
I don´t have much else to say right now..........
I love all of you and pray for you often.

Elder Robinson

p.s. anything happen with Justice: do you know if he received my letters? have you reached out to him at all?

1 week left in the DR MTC - April 19, 2012

April 19, 2012

Hello all,

This week has been kinda slow but it has been good. We have taught and learned much. I've learned that Faith is the key to everything: "If you lack faith you deny the Lord the opportunity to assist you." -drawing on the powers of heaven.  I need to have more faith and trust in the Lord. I've really been stressing out about leaving the MTC and going out to the real world and not knowing the language which translates to me not having the faith that God will help me. I've been studying and praying about this a lot and have been trying my hardest to be faithful and not become discouraged. To become discouraged is to have doubt that God will help me. Not only do I want the Lord to help me but I NEED Him to help me. I can do nothing of myself and I need to consult my Father in Heaven In all I do. I've also been studying how to be happier especially in the mornings because I am a zombie and look like I hate the world in the mornings. Dad once described me as a lizard that needs to go sit on a rock every morning to warm up. I know that Through study and applying the principles of the Gospel even this small thing that I don't really like about myself can be changed. All things are possible with God and ALL things can be changed through Jesus Christ.

We taught a really good lesson to our "investigator" last night about tithing and fasting and it was very powerful: we used the scriptures and taught with unity and the spirit was very strong. Elder Relf at one point during the lesson asked him to bear his testimony and it was incredible. That truly was revelation, it doesn't matter that it was just a practice the spirit is very real and the lessons are the true Gospel. I love teaching with Elder Relf and am sad to be leaving but I know that we will both be great forces for good in our respective missions.

Okay funny spanish goof up: so last night at family prayer (everyone gathers at 9:30 every night and we say a prayer) Elder Larsen was giving some announcements about how there is a little sickness going around: Elder Midgley has Bronchitis and Elder Montgomery might be getting it too. Anyways, he was trying to say that we need to use the sanitary wipes in the computer lab to wipe down the mouses and keyboards so that no one gets sick and he said "sanitary towels" in spanish which is "Toallas sanitarias" which literally translated to english does in fact mean sanitary towels but the translation in spanish is actually like a maxi pad like femnine products so all the latinos and Dominicans laughed their heads off. It all made sense to us so they explained and we all laughed a little and Elder Larsen was very embarrassed. I'm sure I'll have something like that happen in about a week.....

The audio files attached are from Elder Relf he makes me laugh all day long. The first and third ones are movie quotes. any guesses? The first one is kinda tricky.....

The second audio file is just Elder Relf being the boston gangster Juanny B.

I go to the mission field on Tuesday. Not sure what time but I'm sure it's going to be a long  bus or car ride and another long travel day....But I am totally ready to get out of here.

I'd like to acknowledge that mom used the word "poned" in an email to me hahahahahahahahahaha. My mom's hip how 'bout yours? haha. but seriously that made me smile. sounds like all is well with my family in good 'ol P.G. So glad to hear the baby shower went well and all had fun. And that all then men were able to sneak away. haha. Tell Katie and Gabe to wave to me on their cruise. I'll be thinking of them as they float by this weekend.

Dad! how was running outside? I love to run outside and I love to run outside as opposed to inside. It's more beautiful and a lot more fun. I'm so proud of you. I had a weird thought: what if you didn't send me any pictures of you my whole mission and when I got back it could be a surprise and my Dad is skinny?! Kinda sounds cool right now but thinking more about it I definitely want to see pictures of my family. Just a cool thought.

I'm so happy for Noah and that he has found something he likes to do and that he intends to keep doing it and it's something that I've always wanted to do....Play and practice for both of us little dude! I still want to see a picture with you all decked out in  your pads and stuff.

Megan is going to Panama?! cool! there are several Elders from Panama here in the MTC. August 1....seems like a long wait.....It'll be so good! Good for her!

I'm glad you all could laugh at my "Caribbean man talk" I didn't send it to you mom initially because I'm a little self conscious about it and I don't think it's that good but I know Nikelle likes it and I kinda thought she was biased a little. But then I felt bad she got to hear my voice and you didn't so I'm glad she sent it to you. Anyways I'm sure I'll have many more silly things to send to you.

I'm so glad you got the memory card! I was so worried it wouldn't get there or something would happen to it: I've heard horror stories of memory cards being cleared by some machine at the post office....I'm glad you got them.

I would not send anything to the mtc anymore.  there is no way it will get here before I leave. Send stuff to the mission home in Santiago. I think I gave you the address last week....I am in need of some  more stamps...so if you could help me out that would be cool. I'll probably try to find some here but I'm not sure how successful I'll be so if you could send  me some in a letter to the mission home in Santiago that would be great!

I've not received the package or letters that have been sent and I'm sure it's more frustrating for you than it is for me. haha I am ever hopeful because,  hey, today could be the day and if I don't get it here they will send  them to me out in the field so all is well.

Life is good I'm growing in Faith every day and I love all of you and pray for you every day.

Elder Robinson

P.s. cool quote "I can promise you that the spirit is a whole lot more anxious to help you than you are to be helped." -S. Dilworth Young

April 12, 2012 Email Letter from the DR MTC

April 12, 2012

Saludos!

Esta semana fue bien. Nosotros continuamos a aprender y enseñar mucho y es un buen tiempo y tenemos mucho divertido. Fuimos al campo misional ayer y teniamos intercambios (exchanges) con los misioneros en el oeste mision. fui al San Geronimo y fui con Elder Tyler de California él tiene veinte meses in la mision, el español de el es muy bien. Tenía la oportunidad a dar mí testimonio a tres o cuatro personas en lecciones cual muy bien. No estoy muy bien a hablar español o entender español pero pienso que sí puedo entender las lecciones pero cuando fue mí oportunidad a hablar no sé que decir....

I hope my spanish isn't horrendous....I'm still learning and it is difficult for me to put together sentences longer than a couple words. Don't scrutinize too much...

What I said was that yesterday we were able to go out to the west mission on exchanges with the missionaries there. We drove out to San Geronimo (don't ask me where that is cause I don't know). I went Tracting with Elder Tyler and we were in a more "rich" area. All the houses had gates and fences so we would holler from the sidewalk "saludos" or "Buenas" which is just to say hello. The people would come to the door and we'd introduce ourselves from the sidewalk and ask if they wanted to listen to what we had to say. It was very hot and I sweated a lot....I don't think I got sunburned though! It's a miracle! We were able to teach an old Investigator that Elder Tyler had and we shared some scriptures and asked if he'd be baptized and he said he would then we asked if he would come to church and he said he couldn't because he has some sleeping disorder where he doesn't get to sleep until 3 in the morning.....Apparently that is the stigma (right word? I'm going with it): the people say yes to everything but don't really do it. It's pretty annoying. So we're not supposed to read to much into if they say yes to baptism. We taught a couple others and when I say we I mean Elder Tyler. I didn't understand very well what was going on most of the time but I think I could follow the lesson more or less. He would turn to me and I'd give him a blank stare and I didn't know what to say so he'd continue. He was nice and pretty cool. The last person we taught I finally got to talk a little bit and I shared James 1:5 and the First Vision account from memory and bore my testimony of how we can all know if the church is true if we pray. I felt good about it but don't know if anything will come of it because his wife is a pastor for another church.....regardless a good experience.

On Sunday we had the mission presidents from: the Puerto Rico mission, Haiti mission, West Indies mission, and Jamaica mission here and they talked to us along with their wives about the ressurection of Christ and the President from the Jamaica mission told a story that really illustrates it well: Philip was a little boy in sunday school and he was slightly handicapped. The other kids would make fun of him now and again and the teacher was usually pretty good at correcting them and helping Philip. On Easter Sunday the teacher gave all the little kids a big plastic egg (the kind pantihose come in haha) and told them to go outside and find something that represented new life and all the little kids went out and found different things. when they came back and the teacher was opening the eggs there was a butterfly, a flower, some grass.....when she opened Philips it was empty and of course the other kids laughed and the teacher was trying to explain that Philip just hadn't understood the activity but as she was trying to explain Philip was tugging on her skirt saying "It's empty, It's empty!" and then the teacher realized that Philip had brought back the best thing to represent the Ressurection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: an empty egg representing the empty tomb. A few months later Philip passed away and the little sunday school class went to view their friend, as they left they placed a plastic egg in the casket next to him and his mother saw it and opened it just to be sure, yes it was empty. When He told this story I was beside myself. It's so touching and brings my focus back to Easter and it's true meaning. Share this story with all you meet and help others come closer to Christ. Every member a missionary.

Later on Sunday President Glazier gave a great 2 hour devotional on the last 24 hours of Christ's life and it was great. It's always a struggle because we are the minority now and he speaks in spanish and translates as he goes for us gringos. Spanish has gotten much harder: Grammar stinks in all languages....

Other than the Presidents coming and exchanges it was an average week in the life of Elder Robinson. We did teach a lesson on Chastity for the first time which went really well mostly because our investigator (keep in mind this is our teacher acting) was already keeping the law of Chastity. It'll be really fun to teach that one to someone who maybe has issues with it....

We have taught the Latinos for practice and it's been pretty rough: we don't understand them very well and speaking is still hard. the really surprising part is that the Hermanas are really immature and ruthless (did I talk about this last week?) oh well any ways the hermanas have torn apart the north American missionaries that have taught them: They flat out told Elder Montgomery and Elder Midgley that they taught the lesson wrong. They laughed out loud at Elder Jewkes and Elder Larsen for their pronunciation. And the way it works is that one companionship teaches the others acting as investigators and aparently when Elder Jewkes and Elder Larsen taught them they thought they chose to be too difficult as investigators and decided when it was their turn to be investigators they would be mormon haters. in my opion they need to grow up. They obviously don't understand their purpose as missionaries let alone the purpose fo the practice activity.

It's been good. I've still not received any physical mail or the package but I am ever hopeful. I need more stamps but I may just need to find a place to buy them here because it seem that if you try to mail me some I may never get them.....

Elder Relf and I are working well together and having fun. We pray after every lesson we teach to thank our Father in Heaven for granting us the words to say and the ability to speak and the spirit He grants to us in our lessons Alma 29:9.

Well that's the update, I've been slacking on pictures lately I need to take some more. Did you get my letter with the sd card in it? It had like 300 pictures on it....

it's good to hear everyone is doing great and that Katie is there. i'm so proud of Noah for sticking (pun intended) with lacrosse, It's not easy and the first few games are always difficult. Keep it up and don't give up! keep practicing! i know you can do it. Send me a picture.

Claire got braces? wahoooooo. so how do  you feel about them? I know were excited before and now you're excited that after they are off you will have better teeth but how do you feel right now?

It sounds like progress is always being made on the house which I'm always happy and anxious to hear about. Send me some pictures! dad's new office, my old room, the pictures all arranged on the wall, the basement. Is the basement all clear now?

I love the temple mom. We go every week and I only get to go one more time for the duration of my mission, i am going to miss it. We went today and we did initiatories and a session and it's always interesting because it's in two languages. we have little translators which is nice. But for a couple of the names I did for initiatory they did in spanish and they talk so fast and it's hard to really know what's going on..... The temple is the best and I love to go and I will go every week when I get back home.

In the words of porky the pig: "that's all folks"

Elder Robinson

April 5, 2012 Email letter from the DR MTC

April 5, 2012

Hola

This week has been good. Last Thursday when we went to the Colonial Zone we learned a lot about the history of this place and the significance of all the really cool old buildings and landmarks around Santo Domingo. We went to the oldest Catholic church in the Americas which is over 500 years old. I wish I knew more about the Catholic faith, it seems very interesting to me. We also saw museums and the house of Columbus' brother. Really cool. I took a bunch of pictures but my battery on my camera died about halfway through the day...I sent the sd card home in a letter which had about 300 pictures on it. Did you get it yet? I've not received the package yet but I am ever hopeful, maybe today. One thing that helped us all remember that we are missionaries is while we were at the colonial zone Elder Montgomery was expressing how excited he is to be in the mission field (the colonial zone is in his mission boundaries) and President Glazier said, Oh yeah, how many people did you talk to? And we did not talk to any about the gospel...Be prepared is what we all learned from that experience, no matter where you are there will always be an opportunity to share the gospel.

On Friday we were supposed to go contacting at the university but apparently there was some huge political riot going on there. Apparently they happen all the time. Have no fear we didn't even leave the MTC and all is well.

General Conference was amazing. It's always good to hear from the brethren and leaders of this great church. There was a big emphasis on families and teaching them to have spiritual experiences so that they can learn to exercise their agency properly. I related this to investiagors: we need to teach them simply as children and provide special spiritual experiences for them. Now that conference is over SO WHAT? What are you going to do about it? We have just heard inspired words from God through His chosen servants and now what are you going to do about it? I've realized that too many times I've watched, listened, and read the conference talks and just said "that was a good message" and done nothing else. That is not what conference is for. The inspired servants of God have given us messages that God sees are needful for us and we need to act on them.

Sounds like the Robinson home is hopping as usual with guests and school and all the other things that make our lives beautiful. It sounds like Taft has acted on what he learned from conference with deciding to do trek instead of the play. I know that must have been a tough choice. I'm not even that in to theater and I want to be in that play. Well done. You have your priorities straight and know what is truly important. Keep up the hard work and continue to involve God in your decisions and you will be blessed and he will help you. Don't stress about the tests just study hard and try your best.

Claire: Keep singing blondie, fill the house with your beautiful voice and let others feel your spirit when you sing. I want to try and use my hymns made easy book to learn how to play at least the top hand of some hymns wish me luck! Clear Creek sounds like fun, I never went but some of my friends did and they always said how cool it was. do it! Almost at the end!

Noah: I'm so happy you are playing lacrosse, do you love it? how do you play? what position do you like? are you using my stick? how's my room treating you? it's pretty cool to be downstairs huh? I know lacrosse can be hard because there is a lot of running but I know you can do it! I always wished I had played lacrosse. Score one for me. How was your first game? Keep up the hard work and continue to play cuz your a kid and that's what you're supposed to do right?

So happy Katie gets to be home for a little while. That should be a lot of fun, she sent me pictures and she looks great and I saw the ultrasounds too. That's my nephew!

The Latinos speak fast and usually just give up on us and tell us to tell them in english if they understand a little english. We will be persistent and speak spanish and get made fun of I'm sure.

On Monday we were cleaning up the temple grounds for service and there was this guy there basically soliciting us to buy leather personalized scripture cases. Well I got some: One for my triple combination, Bible and himn book. All for get ready to crinch........$90.....It seems like a lot and it is but they are really nice and I've seen R.M.s with similar ones and have always wanted some... I'll send pictures when I get them. On Tuesday we had the opportunity to go to the store and buy some things with our pesos! it was fun I got some soap and other essentials and some gym shorts and two nice ties. I spent about $30 on all of it which in my opinion isn't bad. But when they were ringing me up at the cash register and it said $1520 pesos I thought I was rich or something. It's about 38 pesos for every American dollar. Things cost a little less or about the same here. After we had purchased our goods we were waiting for our ride and I had brought a couple restoration pamphlets (be prepared remember?) so elder Relf and I taught someone while we waited and he seemed interested and started reading the pamphelt as we walked away and said he would call the phone number on the back. Cool Experience.

The Temple was good today. I only have 2 more times in the temple until I come home because since I'm in the Santiago mission I won't get to the temple once I leave the MTC, the other missions have the opportunity to go every once in a while and if they have a family or a couple that they teach come to get sealed they make arrangements so the missionaries can come and be here at the temple for the sealings.

It was pouring rain when we got out of the temple which is fun, I love the weather here. People keep telling me that I'll tan and I can honestly say that I don't believe it for a second.

I've sent a couple letters to Justice, any signs that he has received them? Will you try to reach out to him and befriend him? I haven't been a very active friend the last few years and I know that it has had an effect on him. Please do all you can to help him know he is loved by many people around him and that God loves him.

Don't send anymore physical letters or packages or anything to me here at the MTC chances are if you do they will get here after I have left. I don't know my address for where I will be yet. Unless it is the mission home for the Santiago mission which I have but not with me right now, maybe you can look it up online.... sorry I know that's not much help.

Well another week has gone by and there is much work to do.

I love you and think about you and pray for you often

Elder Robinson

March 29, 2012 email letter from the DR MTC

March 29, 2012

Hello all,

It is a beautiful day here in the D.R. just like everyday here. seriously I've not had a single day that I've looked or walked outside and not said "today is a nice day" whether it's raining or there's not a cloud in the sky it's always nice. Rain here is fun. It rained last Thursday like crazy. We went to the botanical garden here in Santo Domingo which was really cool I took a bunch of pictures. They have the biggest tree I've ever seen in my life there. It was really beautiful and we were able to get out of the white walls of the MTC and see a little bit of the city. We also drove past the Dominican equivalent of the white house and the national bank. Pretty cool.

Our service at the university continues. We go every Monday to do service and pick up garbage which is a futile effort because there is garbage EVERYWHERE. This past Monday we were walking back from the university and Elder Relf was wearing a blue shirt and a dominican man across the street yelled at him "hey blue boy why don't you pick up that garbage!?" Maybe you had to be there it was pretty funny.

Last Friday we went contacting at the university (yes I know this is very scatterbrained and I'm jumping around a lot but I'm typing like the wind! Gotta hurry) we went contacting and took pamphlets about the restoration and a Book of Mormon to hand out. The first person we talked to actually walked up to us and asked us what we were doing there and said he wanted to visit our church and had some time on Sunday and he even spoke in English! Kinda weird but exciting. we gave him a pamphlet with a phone number for the missions on it and we both thought it was a successful contact. We talked to several others but there are two that stuck out in my mind: one young woman we talked to was very interested and said she didn't know how to pray so we taught her and she prayed with us. It was cool. The other is this other woman we talked to who was very interested and Elder Relf basically gave the first lesson to her and the Book of Mormon we had with us. It was really cool, I'm excited to go again tomorrow.

We continue to teach our investigators and try to learn Spanish and the teachers just keep promising us that it'll come with time and practice but it's still hard. Our investigator José said that he has been baptized and that he believes that his pastor has the authority to baptize and perform miracles. We were really stumped on this for a long time because we essentially needed to tell him he's wrong and that his baptism isn't valid and that his pastor doesn't have the authority. We explained that miracles are wrought by faith using scriptures and that the authority to act in God's name can only be given by God. We tried our best to explain and eventually got to the point where we said: we have done our best to answer your question and resolve your concern but we aren't perfect teachers but the spirit is and you can know for yourself by the power of the spirit whether or not what we say is true and he said he felt different. He said he was having a feeling he's never had before. we told him it was the spirit and that he should remember this feeling and that through baptism he can have this feeling all the time and that one place where he can feel the spirit  more is at church and he committed to come to church on Sunday. It was very powerful and God answered our prayers.

It's been a good week and I've been struggling with the language and I know I need to keep working and trust in God. I want to have faith and I ask God to "help thou mine unbelief"

Elder Relf is a morning person and is always happy which is a blessing because I seriously need someone like that in my life.

The MTC is very small here: one 4 story building and we reside on the 4th floor I think all other floors are used for members who have traveled across the Caribbean to come to the temple. There are 8 people in my district: me, Elder Relf(sandy utah), Elder Midgley (morgan, utah), Elder Isaksen (oslo, norway) Elder Larsen(bentonville, arkansas), Elder Jewkes(taylorsville, utah) Elder Shimamoto (hilo,hawaii) and Elder Montgomery (fort worth, texas). I am still the only one here in the MTC that is going to Santiago but I'm sure that will change next week when all the Latinos come: there are approximately 40 Latinos coming to the MTC so we're going to get a lot of practice with Spanish. The Haitians also leave next week into the campo (mission field) in Haiti. If you look up the temple on google earth there is a building with a pool on the roof which is across the parking lot from the MTC. The MTC is the long building just above the temple on the map.

It sounds like everyone is doing well and everyone is healthy happy and working hard. It's good to hear Taft is alright and that he is more comfortable with his part is this Gaston or footloose? Break a leg and have fun.

Claire how did you like the festival of colors? pretty crazy and fun huh? did you get any of the indian food there? it's sooooo good. Was it Lori who went with you and Nikelle. Lori is super cool.

Noah Lacrosse?! where did that come from? don't get me wrong I totally support it and think it's awesome. I always wanted to play lacrosse. You can use my stick if it's the right size and it's what you need. Just remember not to become discouraged if you're not very good at first and never compare yourself to others. Do your best and work hard to be the best you can be in everything. Have fun and be sure to score one for me and send me some pictures.

I will be on the watch for the package thank you. I'm very excited to receive real mail in the D.R.! I think I'll get a letter from Nikelle soon too so that will be good.

I think of all of you  often and am surprisingly not homesick. I do miss you but it's healthy and normal to miss your family i think. I haven't had any homesickness thus far but the mission is young so we'll see......

I'm working hard to honor my God in all I do and to be diligent and faithful in all things I pray for you often

Elder Robinson

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