2013.04.14 email

Dear Home,

CONFERENCE!!! WOOH!

This was the one time I've been Behind you guys. Man, I love Conference. So short though. I don't have much time, but I loved everything. I especially loved the tag team of Scott and Cook talking about Peace. Powerful stuff. I love you all so much. I wish I could share the feelings I get when I hear conference, but I imagine you all feel somewhat similar.

Words of living Prophets. Literally God speaking through His chosen servants. When they open their mouths, its clear that isn't a mistake.

I am a missionary. I see miracles every day. Yesterday I saw two. There's an investigator I've taught for a couple transfers now. Her and her father. Very little religious background, so we have to go slow, but they've been slowly opening up to the spirit. But the Father has been getting busy. It's hard to meet them together. And the time we meet is hard to bring a male member. There's another person there, but as I've thought more and more, I got the impression that I should let the sister missionaries help. I've prayed a lot that this would go well. And I saw an answer yesterday. She came to conference. She had a great time. She met the sisters, made a lot of friends at church, and she told me at the end that after hearing conference, she understood better why we do what we do as missionaries. A miracle, nothing less.

Later that night I saw another. Knocking doors. Not common here, but I believe in it. I've seen miracles through it, and I saw another today. A door opened. We shared the first lesson. She's had questions exactly like Joseph Smith. Her husband wasn't there, so we just talked at the door, but she asked us to come back.

There are people everywhere, looking for truth. It's hard to find them sometimes, but not hard to look. And that's all God asks. When we do that, He'll make the two click.

I sadly have little time. My comp writes and finishes in about 10 minutes. I feel guilty making him wait.

Just know that I love you more than I can possibly express.

Love you guys, sorry to be brief. But I kind of haven't been. One day I'll have a long winded companion and I can write to my heart's content. (Within our hour limit...)

By the way, the video cut out a lot first session of conference. Super cool experience having the prophets voice stop and our mission mom and mission president's voice cut in without a break, reading from the talks on their phones. Crazy part, when the video came back, it was always super in sync. Powerful experience. What could have been sad, turned spiritual.

Have a good one!

~Elder Robarts

snail mail 2013.003.25 week 21

Dear Home,

So many unsent letters this transfer.  I start writing and I forget it's not my journal.  (Using the same paper at the moment.  Need to find letter paper.)

Anyway, new transfer is about to start.  And a new companion.  Elder Espin, he's been out three months longer than me, and he's my first foreign companion.

I wonder if companion relationships will be different. Can't see how they wouldn't.  I've learned so much about culture since coming here.  We as humans share many of the same needs, but so much about us is unique.  Understanding how a person thinks means everything.  That's wehn you can make an impact.

But I'm excited for this transfer.  The one I'm finishing now was only frour weeks, but it felt a lot longer.

I'm hungry to get on the street and talk to people.  Hungry to explore this area.  There are so many places we haven't worked yet. 

There's a lot I look forward to.  A lot I hope for.  I feel like this might be my last transfer here in (something in Korea), I want it to be special.

There's a lot I've written that I wish I could share, but it wouldn't really be useful.  This has been time for me to grow, but a lot of the things I've learned I can't really express.

God is real.  He speaks to us in the way that is most comfortable for us.  Not always visions or trumpets.  Would you be comfortable in that situation?  (It'd be crazy.  Hard to focus on what He is saying.)  There are other ways, ways that can speak more clearly.  Help our faith grow more.

To me, He speaks through (indecipherable) and ink.  Through my friends, through words of loved ones.  Through scriptures, and the records of my own hands.  Past impressions.

And He speaks through the temple.  Oh, I long to see it; to simply sit within the walls of th House of God.  To feel the sacred power of the Priesthood at work in incredible ways.

I've asked for other signs before. Ive gotten answers, but not the ones I expected.  He shows His love, leads me to what I need.  And He reminds me that signs and visions alone aren't enough.

I've felt things in my life that confirm what I know to be true.  I've received witness enough that doubt cannot linger. It tries to enter so often, but it cannot endure.

For me, at this time in my life, there are other ways, ways that have greater impact even than visions.

Namely, I get to see miracles.  What greater sign could you ask for?  I see lives change.  I see people placed in our path, or us placed in theirs when reason wouldn't have had it happen.

I have yet to see an angel.  But I've seen a lot of their work.  And I look forward to the opportunity.  Just to say thank you.

IIf you are like me, you've put a lot of thought in to your own faith.  Is it enough? Is it strong?  Is it real?

If it bothers you, I submit this suggestion.  Remember, I'm willing to wager He's already given your answer.  He did for me.

A different letter than my jovial ramblings, but I'll end here.   God bless you.  Love you guys.

signed  in Korean

Current events and concerned family and friends - An email from the mission president's wife 2013.04.09

Sister Robarts,

 

Like everyone, we continue to watch the news about North Korea's actions. For the past three the years the church has asked us to have emergency plans in place, and again emphasized that.  The embassy is asking people to be cautious.  Each year during the spring the US does maneuvers here, and North Korea always starts their chatter.  Also every five years South Korea gets a new president and North Korea tries to flex their muscles and see where the new fence is.  North Korea also has a new leader, so the combination is making much more noise than we have had in the past.  The Korean people are watching the situation closely of course, but life goes on very normal here.  We pray and appreciate the prayers from each of our missionaries families that this will settle down quickly.  Like you, I have full confidence that  our missionaries will be safe and their presence is very reassuring to the Korean church members.

 

Pres. Furniss and I will be returning to the United States in July.  We are delighted that the missionaries will have a wonderful new president whom they already know from the MTC.

 

Thank you for your prayers

Sister Furniss

email 2013.04.07

Yeah, this is one of the few times I'm behind. We haven't had Conference yet. Next week. But I'm looking forward to it!!

 

It's so awesome! So, basically it gets translated and sent as a DVD to each of the stakes here, we watch it together. So next week we'll be at the stake center, inviting investigators, you know the drill. Gotta remember to bring some ice cream. The 30cent ice cream here is the best...

 

Anyway, I've got a fun companion. Kind of a combination between Joe and Andrew. Math Genius, always working on these ideas for functions and what not, he's seen a lot of things I have, he knows about XKCD even (that's for you Joe) But it's fun. When we have down time it's fun to talk about ideas. Story and plot ideas, Andrew knows about my MtG (Magic the Gathering) spinnoff idea I kind of shelfed a while ago, but we've had a couple good conversations coming up with ideas for that.

 

But to be honest, we've been kind of busy. Lots of phone calls, lots of first meetings. We've met so many awesome people on the street... Hard to keep up. Thank goodness for Elder Park. My trainer was a pro at this. I didn't get it then, but I'm starting to see how he did it. Priorities...

 

Anyway, lot's of practice with first meetings. Super hard. Setting expectations isn't easy, especially in another language. I always had a Korean before. They made it comfortable at least, but here it's a little different. Lot's of practice.

 

Awesome people, no time to talk about all of them. But I wish I could.

 

GENERAL CONFERENCE! I'm so excited. But as for personal study and everything, yet again the Lord shows His hand. If you want to know what I'm doing here, follow our family scripture study. Almost every chapter I've seen something that's applied. Patience a while back, faith, and now Ammon and the gang showing us how HBT is done. Crazy. And I've found so many great scriptures for investigators from FSS (Family Scripture Study).

 

Love it.

 

But There's something I have to say that I don't think a few people will like. I've been starting to think a lot, and I'm starting to be able to see myself come back here in a couple years. Do some school, then come here to teach English and pay off some student loans, explore, study a little more. From the sounds of it, it pays really well, especially if you have the right degree and can speak Korean on top of it. It's.... tempting. But It'd be hard to be from home again. I'd have to find a way to visit. But that doesn't matter. Right now I'm a missionary. That stuff will all fall into place later. It's not what I need to focus on.

 

Fun fact, I'm now faster at texting in Korean than English. Their keypad is So much better...

 

Yep, love you guys. I promise I'll try to write more. Haven't had much chance lately. Didn't get a letter sent last week... Sorry. I need a bus where I don't have a list of people I need to call...

 

Anyway, that's it for now. Gotta go. Might be taking a trip up to that Buddhist temple again.

 

 Love you!

2013.03.31 email

Dear Home,

Anyway, this new transfer is crazy. My new companion is Elder Esplin, my first American companion. He's pretty young in the mission, although technically two transfers older than me. Right now we're serving as "co-seniors" (Do they have those in the states? I wasn't sure if it was just a foreign language thing. Hadn't really heard much of it before.

Anyway, he's awesome. Lot's of faith, wants to work hard, like me still learning. Of the two of us, I think I feel a little more comfortable with the language and coordinating things, last transfer helped me a lot. It was hard not being able to work, but I definitely learned how to do it, and I got a lot of ideas to try. Between that and the fact that I've been in the area longer, I've been taking lead a lot, but we should be starting to find

We're seeing a lot of success right now. For the past four weeks, I've been praying hard for 유성  to do well, especially with how hard it was last transfer, but we've been seeing the floodgates open. In the past four days, we've places 6 copies of the BoM with people who were interested in learning more, received some odd 18 phone numbers to call and try to meet again, and had a ton of chances to testify of the Gospel.

Anyway, spiritual stuff:

Alma 15 has quickly become one of my favorites chapters. Zeezrom is awesome. But I love a comparison you can see here. Look at Alma 36 and Alma 15. Zeezrom is having a similar experience as Alma, only he didn't have quite the same knowledge of Christ. Look at what Alma says to him. He's not just talking to him. He's speaking from experience. Just plain incredible. I wish I could share so much more, but alas, I have no time.

Also, I ran out of pages in my study journal. Gotta start a new one. Figure it's a good chance to review what I've learned. When sharing the Gospel, it's important to focus on three things. Catch their interest, bear personal testimony, and invite them to action. You do that, and they'll feel something. I've seen it. In the past four days, I've seen it /a lot/. Yuseong is on fire. :D

This transfer is going to be so much fun. So far, I've always had Korean companions. Hard to help out sometimes, but lately I've had so many opportunities to take lead more. I learned something. I'm not scared of Korea. A couple days ago, I took us into a part of our area I've never been before. We have no maps of. And in this crazy amazing place we call Korea, we found everything. I finally feel like I know how this place works. I can communicate, ask questions, find things. It's incredible. I don't feel like a greeny anymore. The Lord has been helping us so much. If you rely on Him, everything is okay. ^^

    

Yeah, not much time. Another companion that's fast at emails, and he's already had to wait a little. Love you guys, I'll try to write more soon!

 

Yuseong is seeing miracles. Possibly the biggest one I've seen on my mission. So incredible.

 

PS: Took part in a Priesthood blessing in Korean, I performed the annointing, and I had an incredible experience.It was another language, but it was the same. That coursing feeling, like your veins are alive... Impossible to describe. But the Priesthood is very real. Yet again, I wish I could share...

 

So much. The spirit is on fire here. But the work calls. See you guys soon!

 

~Elder Robarts

2013.03.18 week 20 snail mail

Dear Home,

So, I haven't found new letter paper yet.  Trying to find something distinctive, fun.  This is just journal paper.  (Which I also need to restock.  I write a lot.)

So, I have a Babylon companionship right now-- (they exist in Korea! who knew??) [note from Mom - in a Zion companionship, companions share shopping, cooking and eating.  In a Babylon companionship, although they go shopping together - they are together 24/7 - they each shop for themselves, and cook and eat their own food individually] And it's actually not bad.  Eating better than I have my whole mission.  복음밥 (fried rice), ㅈ지 괘, pancakes with fresh strawberries, usually getting in some veggies instead of constant just rice and meat.

Potatoes, onions, 김치 (kimchi), lots of good stuff.  I'e been able to stock up a bit little by little. I've even got fresh strawberries! (great with jam and toast at night)

Good snacks, too.  I'm a munchy guy.  Found a 30(I think cent sign there) ice cream place.  ^^ Between that, choco pies, toast and strawberries, and hot chocolate, I'm set.

I found some cereal for under 2,000w, so I got some of that too.  Ate it with strawberries. First time in literally months that I have eaten cereal.  Pretty fun.

So yeah, Babylon isn't too bad.  When you don't buy a ton of meat, our budget is actually pretty nice.  And Korean food is awesome.  (You just have to remember to set aside living expenses. Travel, grooming, you get the idea. My comp doesn't like eating out, so we save bit there. Just lose proselyting time always having to come back home.  : /  (Kind of far from our area.)

I don't know why Koreans don't like sandwiches. ... Eating on the go doesn't fly here.  Eating is a social thing.

Anywho, that's my food life.

I am actually really healthy right now.

Plus I'm seeing miracles again! Lot's of them.  My companion has trouble with his leg sometimes.  Makes it hard to 전도 (People generally speed up a little when we say hi) A couple times he's had to tke a rest at a bench wile I 전도 nearby.  Not quite as easy doing it alone, can't really talk to as man people.  I've gotten a little discouraged about it sometimes, but I've beenpraying alot.

Once we had to go to a (physical therapy) hospital (more on those later) so afterwards we were going straight to English class at the church.  About 3 to 4 blocks.  that week it'd been hard to get outside and talk to people. So I prayed.  I just wanted to find one person.  And he came.  We talked about church, I introduced the Book of Mormon, he accepted a copy, and now he is investigating.  No English interest too.  Those are hard to find.

Had another experience like that. 전도ing at a park while m companion rested, talked to 13 people before I found him.  Originally Buddhist, now Christian, diligently studies the Bible but hadn't heard of the Book of Mormon, wanted to learn more.  (Lives in Seoul though, so gotta pass contact info up to them.)

It never fails to amaze me how the Lord works miracles everyday.  It's those times I'm most discouraged, closest to giving up, showing the most faith that something happens.  In 핌택 it happened a lot. The same thing is starting here.  It's incredible.

It's His work.  I know it.  This transfer it has been really hard to do missionary work.  But He's lifted us up.  Helped us. 

What a blessing it is to know the Lord is our Savior.  Personally involved in our lives.  If you pay attention, you can see it.

The gospel is true.
As a missionary when there is nothing more to say, this one statement cancarry your testimony to the hearts of those you teach, even to confirm to yourself what you know to be true.  It makes you ask why, how do you know?

And then you remember the experiences that led you to that testimony.

(Don't try coming back to a half written spiritual thought.  It comes out really weird. Point is, be grateful you have this in your life. [If you don't, check it out.  It's super cool.]) There, that's about it.

A brief discussion on hospitals.
Before coming, I heard people hang out at hospitals here.  Found out why.  They're a little different. Lots of small ones.  Evaluation set-ups and physical therapy mostly.  Big cases are referred elsewhere.

So people go to relax, have heat lamp, that kind of thing.  Kinda fun, I guess.  C

Culture. = D  Lots of pharmacies too.  Essentially vitamin shots.  Some bigger stuff, but that usually needs something from the hospital.

Wrapping up now.  Love you guys.  Having fun.  Living the Gospel.  Finding my inner peace. 

초 바트 ㅈ아로     

2013.03.11 snail mail week 19

(disclaimer - sometimes Elder Robarts writes a word in Korean.  I found a virtual Korean keyboard and will TRY to copy it.  If you know Korean, you will certainly find errors! - Mom)

Dear Home,

So, I've written a couple letters I haven't sent this week.  More thinking to myself than anything else.  But I learned a few things while writing them that I wanted to share.

I am exceptionally happy right now, even though there are a lot of things happening that I wish I could change.  I'm simply learning the lesson that happiness is a chosen attitude.  While thinking about it, I realized that "happiness" wasn't under the Christ-like attributes in PMG. Wondered why, until I realized.  It's a by-product of Christ-like living.

Regret, sorrow, disappointment.  Those are more deadly than any other dart the adversary uses.  Because he's so good with them.  He makes us doubt, worry, give up.
 
But we don't need to feel them.  We can choose not to.  So why is it so hard  at times to make that choice? I think it's a matter of faith.  Not faith in God, that's easy.  You can always rely on Him.  No, I think it's faith in ourselves.  That can be hard.  With such great potential, we forget that it's natural to be imperfect.  That learning takes time.

So yes, hard times come.  Sometimes  very hard times come.  But just as in Mosiah 24:15, we can be cheerful.  And life is better that way.

Anyway, we had a nice p-day to day.  No legendary Tie Lady (to missionaries, everyone knows her) couldn't find the shop.  -sigh- But I bought some potatoes and strawberries.  Korean prices change a ton by the season, so right now strawberries are getting alot cheaper.  Yeah!!  Happy camper.

Also what appears to be seafood sausage. (It was cheap) Tastes a little wierd, but not bad.  Potatoes make everything better.

Why do I always talk about food? Everyone loves food.  Anywho, loving life.

So, I am pretty much out of what I wanted to say.  Email covered it. I'll save some room in case I think of something.

PS: This is the last sheet on this pad of paper. I guess I need new letter paper...

Time for something deep or inspirational.
Going to a zoo next week maybe.  Zone activity.  Should be fun.  Kind of a short transfer, wasn't sure if we'd do anything.      But zoos are fun.  I've been really depressed about animals lately.  Not always treated well here.  = (  Maybe this will help.  But when I get home, I kind of want to spoil the first animal I see with love and affection.

Animals and handicap people.  Both have it hard here too often.  Be grateful for the blessings you have, guys.

I'm so happy with the relationship I've formed with the Lord lately.  So long I'd been busy stressing over improving.  This transfer hs made me stop and lean on Him more.  He's given me a lot more peace than I thought I could feel now.  He always looks out for me.  Hard to wrap your head around someone so amazing.

Growth is great, but really depressing or lame in letters.  Don't worry, I'll have more upbeat stuff next transfer.  = P

초 바트 ㅈ아로                          

Odd way to end a letter.  sorry, folks

Rest assured, by the time you read this, my problems will be long gone.  And also know this.  No matter what happens, God has looked out for me.  Cool, heh? =D