Dear Home,
It's been a crazy ride, but my MTC experience is
almost over. This is my last P-Day, so I've got a lot to cram in here.
In case your watching your emails though, there's one thing I want to
hit first.
We got our travel plans! So we get up and report at 3AM, fly from
Salt Lake to San Fran. at 5:50(salt lake time), arrive at 7:00 (our
time). Then there we have a four hour layover, so that's when I'll call.
If you guys want to get together, I'll have plenty of time to talk,
President Shin just told us not to miss our flights, but other than that
we should be good. I have a phone card that should give plenty of time.
I know you guys have work and school, but if you want to/are able to
meet somewhere, just let me know which number to call. (probably through
dear elder)
From San Fran, we fly at 11:00 AM (our time) and arrive in Seoul at 3:00 PM the next day.
It's going to be crazy, but I'm looking forward to it.
Here's
some pictures. (note from Mom- I'll post them as soon as I can) I'll send another email shortly, but if you're reading
this pretty soon after I sent it, I might be able to see a reply before I
have to get off.
~Brb Elder Robarts
Alright, the rest of the letter:
So much has happened this week I
don't even know where to begin-- although that's partially because I
forgot that I sent a second letter last week and I don't completely
remember how much I wrote in there.
Anyway, the position of District Leader has moved on again, so I
might actually have time to get everything done that I need to. It'll be
crazy though. Right now Elder Sills is serving, just in time for the
final stretch. A part of me will miss serving. It was rough at times,
and it always felt like there was so much I needed to be doing or
thinking about, but I love the feeling that I get when I have the
responsibility to watch over some one else. I mean, we're always
supposed to, but it's different when it's part of a calling. You really
do receive inspiration for those you serve. I just love my district. We
mess around with each other, but you can always depend on them.
Anyway, I might not have much more time, I think most of it is in my letter home this week, but I love you guys!
Before
I close though, I just wanted to say how much I love the people of
Korea. Since the native Koreans came, I can honestly say I've never met a
Korea I didn't like. They're just so naturally friendly.
And oddly enough, we share a lot of traits. Not super emotional most
of the time (a trait I'm losing more and more it seems), they talk to
themselves a lot (they even have special grammar forms for it), they're
very clean and like things organized, and they have one of the coolest
languages ever. Hard, but cool. Get this, they use grammar forms a lot
of places where we use tones. Practical upshot, a lot of times they can
express in writing things we could never do with english. How cool is
that? I'm beginning to like the different endings for different people
too. I mean, why wouldn't you use higher speech when talking to Heavenly
Father? So fun to play with.
Anyway, my companion is waiting for the computer, so I gotta run.
Enjoy the pictures and everything. I'm sure I'm forgetting something
very important, but oh well.
As for the thought of being an hour
and a half away from home for four hours... Yeah, tempting. But they
said not to have family send you off, so a three or so hour phonecall
will have to be enough. :) Hope I can talk with a lot of you, but if
not, I understand. Thanks for your love and support guys!
~Elder Robarts
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
2012.10.09 snail mail
10-09-2012
Dear Home,
I wrote a bit earlier, but I wanted to write little more. Quick warning: This letter will be extremely unorganized.
Fun facts: These Korean Elders are incredible. I especialy like talking to Elder Kim. He's so fun. And with all of them, it's entertaining trying to communicate in Korean. One of them actually helped as teacher's assistant in a Korean class, so he's been able to help us a lot. But they're all awesome, one of these Elders is the sweetest guy I've ever met. He's so nice, I always feel good talking to him, even if we don't always understand what we're saying.
#2 My sketching is dreadful now. I was showing some old sketches to an Elder here when he asked about it and he asked for some tips. When I was showing some things I like to do, I realized that I'm out of practice. I've done a few sketches here, but not much. I'll send them home (pictures) next week.
Currently I'm working on a sketch of the district -- don't expect it any time soon. =D yeah..... I should work on that while I'm going over 딘 어 review. Anyway...
#4 David A Bednar came last night! He's defiinitely one of my favs, especially after watching some of his talks he's given in the MTC in the past. (They show talks about once a week on Sundays, I think we've seen three from Bednar so far. All awesome. So now we've seen four. =D )
Talk about spiritual talk. We were exhausted by the end of it. But he talked about learning from the living prophets, and really studying the talks during General Conference. One pattern he likes is looking for three things.
- doctrine/ principles
- invitations
- promised blessings
Personalize it. Dont write what they say, write what you feel. Anyway, we practiced with G.C. clips, and the difference was very noticable..
Such a good talk, and one thing I failed to mention. For the past four weeks, our district has camped out early to get good seats. (I like to bring a blanket to lay out on the ground that we can sit on. Purpose not much, but it's fun to do things as a district.)
Anyway! we got split up in the push to get seats, but my companion and I were fourth row, dead center. He looked straight at us a couple times, crazy. Awesome, right. But it didn't stop there.
That evening, District meeting was really powerful. We each shared what we liked, and we ended up talking a lot about something we heard that night about testimonies and conversion, and how we don't want to come home the same people we were before. We don't want to go back to that. Already we've grown so much.
I had the opportunity to bear my testimony that night, and I know the spirit was there. I've come to see those missionaries as my family here. It's getting harder and harder to think of saying good-bye.
I've come to know them, I've heard their testimonies. I told them I know that if all they could do was bear their testimonies, that would be enough. We would be successful missionaries. Because spiritually, I know they're ready. If they can hold onto the testimonies the've borne here, there's no way they'll lose sight of what matters once we get home.
They say that almost 50% of RMS come home and aren't active, but you won't see any from District 28-G. This Sunday I think I get released. Not sure, since there's only a week after that, but probably. I've loved serving these guys. I'll miss being able to have those interviews and ask them about life. I'll still be able to have talks with them, but it won't be the same. I've got a good district. Every now and then there's a district that feels like you've known everyone in it all your life.
I love you guys. The closer I feel to these guys, the more I'm reminded of my family back home. It's been two months since I've seen your faces, if it wasn't for the amount of things we have to learn and do here, that'd be unbearable. Luckily though, I happen to be in the Lord's service, and He knows how to lift His servants when they're down. And He's lifted me a lot.
Don't worry though. I'm not too homesick. I can always focus on what I need to do.
It's so crazy to think that we're going to Korea in less than two weeks. I'm excited, especially after spending time with the Korean Elders. Gotta sign off again, but I'll try to think of something clever to write.
10-11-12
Alright, unforeseen aspect of being DL, baptismal interviews. I guess we do those with our progressing investigators. (We would have with 강혀체님, but since I'm District Leader it would have had to have been our Zone Leaders, and they had class at a different time or something) It was a good experience.
Gotta wrap this guy up. But before that, couple more things. We expected our travel plans today, but it turns out we've got to wait until tomorrow. oh, well, you win some, you lose some.
But one fun thing I wanted to mention - Korean charades. Pick a vocab word and explain it without English. (Fine, it's more like Taboo) Pretty fun though. We did a little today. We also shared stories in Korean -- by the way, Sister Wadsworth is one of the best story tellers I've ever seen. She makes little hand puppets when she does conversations, switches spots, vocalizes and does actions for thoughts during the story. And it's all in Korean. Really awesome.
~~
Today went from good to bad, but not because of something that happened to me. Sister Hunt got called out of class today, and when the Sisters came back we learned that her grandmother had passed away from cancer. It was a hard blow to take, and it was hard to see how much she was trying to go on like nothing had happened. But she said that they'd been really close before. Anyway, if you could keep her in your prayers, I'd really appreciate it. I know she'll be ok, she's strong, anw we're all here for her if she needs us. I just wish there was more I could do to help.
~~
It's so hard to write when you only have a few minutes at a time. I want to get this in the mail today though, so it looks like this is it. I love you guys. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. If you think I'm ignoring you, I don't mean to, but you may want to ask again. It's impossible to remember what you wrote or what I wanted to write.
Just know that I do love you. I look forward to chances to write to you. I just have a lot on my mind.
Take care everyone! I'll write again soon.
좌/ㅏ추 장조
Dear Home,
I wrote a bit earlier, but I wanted to write little more. Quick warning: This letter will be extremely unorganized.
Fun facts: These Korean Elders are incredible. I especialy like talking to Elder Kim. He's so fun. And with all of them, it's entertaining trying to communicate in Korean. One of them actually helped as teacher's assistant in a Korean class, so he's been able to help us a lot. But they're all awesome, one of these Elders is the sweetest guy I've ever met. He's so nice, I always feel good talking to him, even if we don't always understand what we're saying.
#2 My sketching is dreadful now. I was showing some old sketches to an Elder here when he asked about it and he asked for some tips. When I was showing some things I like to do, I realized that I'm out of practice. I've done a few sketches here, but not much. I'll send them home (pictures) next week.
Currently I'm working on a sketch of the district -- don't expect it any time soon. =D yeah..... I should work on that while I'm going over 딘 어 review. Anyway...
#4 David A Bednar came last night! He's defiinitely one of my favs, especially after watching some of his talks he's given in the MTC in the past. (They show talks about once a week on Sundays, I think we've seen three from Bednar so far. All awesome. So now we've seen four. =D )
Talk about spiritual talk. We were exhausted by the end of it. But he talked about learning from the living prophets, and really studying the talks during General Conference. One pattern he likes is looking for three things.
- doctrine/ principles
- invitations
- promised blessings
Personalize it. Dont write what they say, write what you feel. Anyway, we practiced with G.C. clips, and the difference was very noticable..
Such a good talk, and one thing I failed to mention. For the past four weeks, our district has camped out early to get good seats. (I like to bring a blanket to lay out on the ground that we can sit on. Purpose not much, but it's fun to do things as a district.)
Anyway! we got split up in the push to get seats, but my companion and I were fourth row, dead center. He looked straight at us a couple times, crazy. Awesome, right. But it didn't stop there.
That evening, District meeting was really powerful. We each shared what we liked, and we ended up talking a lot about something we heard that night about testimonies and conversion, and how we don't want to come home the same people we were before. We don't want to go back to that. Already we've grown so much.
I had the opportunity to bear my testimony that night, and I know the spirit was there. I've come to see those missionaries as my family here. It's getting harder and harder to think of saying good-bye.
I've come to know them, I've heard their testimonies. I told them I know that if all they could do was bear their testimonies, that would be enough. We would be successful missionaries. Because spiritually, I know they're ready. If they can hold onto the testimonies the've borne here, there's no way they'll lose sight of what matters once we get home.
They say that almost 50% of RMS come home and aren't active, but you won't see any from District 28-G. This Sunday I think I get released. Not sure, since there's only a week after that, but probably. I've loved serving these guys. I'll miss being able to have those interviews and ask them about life. I'll still be able to have talks with them, but it won't be the same. I've got a good district. Every now and then there's a district that feels like you've known everyone in it all your life.
I love you guys. The closer I feel to these guys, the more I'm reminded of my family back home. It's been two months since I've seen your faces, if it wasn't for the amount of things we have to learn and do here, that'd be unbearable. Luckily though, I happen to be in the Lord's service, and He knows how to lift His servants when they're down. And He's lifted me a lot.
Don't worry though. I'm not too homesick. I can always focus on what I need to do.
It's so crazy to think that we're going to Korea in less than two weeks. I'm excited, especially after spending time with the Korean Elders. Gotta sign off again, but I'll try to think of something clever to write.
10-11-12
Alright, unforeseen aspect of being DL, baptismal interviews. I guess we do those with our progressing investigators. (We would have with 강혀체님, but since I'm District Leader it would have had to have been our Zone Leaders, and they had class at a different time or something) It was a good experience.
Gotta wrap this guy up. But before that, couple more things. We expected our travel plans today, but it turns out we've got to wait until tomorrow. oh, well, you win some, you lose some.
But one fun thing I wanted to mention - Korean charades. Pick a vocab word and explain it without English. (Fine, it's more like Taboo) Pretty fun though. We did a little today. We also shared stories in Korean -- by the way, Sister Wadsworth is one of the best story tellers I've ever seen. She makes little hand puppets when she does conversations, switches spots, vocalizes and does actions for thoughts during the story. And it's all in Korean. Really awesome.
~~
Today went from good to bad, but not because of something that happened to me. Sister Hunt got called out of class today, and when the Sisters came back we learned that her grandmother had passed away from cancer. It was a hard blow to take, and it was hard to see how much she was trying to go on like nothing had happened. But she said that they'd been really close before. Anyway, if you could keep her in your prayers, I'd really appreciate it. I know she'll be ok, she's strong, anw we're all here for her if she needs us. I just wish there was more I could do to help.
~~
It's so hard to write when you only have a few minutes at a time. I want to get this in the mail today though, so it looks like this is it. I love you guys. I'm sure I'm forgetting something. If you think I'm ignoring you, I don't mean to, but you may want to ask again. It's impossible to remember what you wrote or what I wanted to write.
Just know that I do love you. I look forward to chances to write to you. I just have a lot on my mind.
Take care everyone! I'll write again soon.
좌/ㅏ추 장조
Friday, October 12, 2012
2012.10.06 snail mail letter written Conference weekend
-->
Dear Home,
Times are changing. I see it everyday. All of you have no doubt heard this already, but this morning we all got a big surprise. As of now, missionaries can serve as young as 18 for Elders and 19 for Sisters. It's crazy thinking about how much that changes.
For Elders going out now, they don't have that awkward year of waiting anymore. They can go right away after high school. For me, I loved having that year to prepare, but I know that a lot more missionaries will come out because of that, especially since Elders and Sisters will be closer to the same age. It'll be interesting to see what happens next.
But this has been in the works for a while now. They've been working on building more buildings for the MTC, and they've been working on improving teaching resources to cut back the time we spend here. They've been trying to up the capacity this place can handle. No surprise, I guess, but it looks like the game is changing. The world is moving, and we're getting into the last stretch.
Exciting times to be serving in. Crazy though. I might be a trainer for an 18 year old. That just seems so crazy. This announcement got me thinking a lot though. I've got a few friends waiting for that call, and a few others who are almost there. In addition to that, I got a letter recently asking what I thought about Sisters serving missions. It also asked about going on a mission even if you're shy or quiet. It got me thinking and I want to share a little of my testimony.
I know that this isn't my work. It's so much bigger than anything I could imagine, but by the tender mercies of Christ, I'm blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of it
All my life I have wanted this. I've seen the Gospel's influence in my life, and I want to share that with anyone I can. I know what the Lord can d with us when we devote our time to Him.
Because of this, if anyone has the desire to serve, I don't think anything should hold you back. As long as you're doing all you can, there'll be a way. Just make sure you're doing it for the right reason. If you're doing it out of love for God and His children, you won't go wrong. But if you really want to know, you need to find out for yourself. Read D&C section 4. Especially verse 3. If you feel your heart burn, you won't question whether or not you're meant to go.
And if you do want to serve, but you're afraid either you're too shy, or don't know enough, or are scared of leaving the home you know, remember whose work this is. Ether 12:27 He'll do more to help you grow than you can possibly imagine.
But going back to the original question, I agree with what the Brethren have said. Sisters are by no means required to serve, nor should they feel like they are. But I've seen the strength of sister missionaries. They're incredible, and their testimonies are strong. If you feel good about it, go for it.
On that note, though, I wan to take this chance to extend a brief challenge. To all young men who read this: Don't pass this up. It seems hard, but it's worth it a hundred times over. To Ethan, Ryan, and Matt, especially, this new announcement means that your time is here. You'll never regret serving a mission. You know I love you guys, along with all the guys back home. Get excited for this. It's incredible. You're touching people's lives and changing the course of Eternity. I'm a missionary. A representative of Jesus Christ. I've felt the difference that call as made as I teach. Theres no describing that feeling -- and I haven't even hit the field yet!
To my eleven year old Scouts, and all the other young men who still have a time before you're called, get excited and prepare for this now. As a missionary, you have the same purpose and title as the General Authorities. You're called Elders and carry the name of Christ on your chest. When I get home, I'll miss that. I'll miss this spirit -- and I've felt it often.
I can tell you that there's now way we could learn a language this difficult without His help. Not this fast.
Serving as district leader these past couple weeks, I've talked with other missionaries a lot and asked about their concerns. Almost all of us have days where we miss our families, but out of all of them, none of hem doubt that we were each called of the Lord.
I bear solemn witness that this Gospel is true. I've felt the Spirit confirm to me that Jesus is the Christ, and that His church has been restored. Joseph Smith was, and is, a prophet of God. When I recite the First Vision, especially in Korean, I feel a fire burn inside of me. Read those words, know those words. Pray about those words. That'll tell you everything.
But you've heard enough from me. You've had prophets bear witness of missionary work. It' s real. And it's important. I love you all. I'm proud of you young men, and I hope to see you guys out here soon.
Okay! Done with pep talk.
I'm doing great out here! 16 days till Korea, and I'm stoked. So much happened that I want to talk about.
From the top: Last P-day, I finished the last of the family names that I brought with me, so until I get back, the work is yours. I may ask for a name later when I go through Seoul, but I've got two years before then.
Later that night we held a district meeting and talked about doing district practice sessions for Korean. The meeting was great, and since we've started practicing, it's helped us a lot. I've really been learning how much more a District Leader can do. It's up to us how much we limit ourselves. But I've seen a huge jump in our district, we're doing great. There've been a couple health things that have come up, but there's been improvement over the past couple days. And it's helped me remember to keep a watchful eye.
Other awesome news: Our first investigator was baptized!!! Bittersweet though, we learned that he has to go back to Korea soon, so we won't be able to meet with him again. Sad day, he was my favorite to teach. So now we're practicing tracting. We'll see how that goes.
I feel great. Conference was incredible (day 1 anyway, still waiting for day 2)
I just get so pumped on the spirit here. It's hard to believe we've only been here 10 weeks. (ish) (Typical time warp rant -- I've written it enough, you know what I mean.)
Some fun things: #1. I sleep on the floor every night -- feels great. #2 My companion wakes up to anything. So I've been practicing methods to get around that. (My snoring is a lot better I hear. The folded pillow techniques worked great.) #3 God will be your alarm clock if you ask in love. (see #2) I like getting up early to study. My companion needs sleep. Awesome blessing to have a God who hears you. #4. My cereal collection is getting out of hand. Excellent snack food/chopstick practice though. #5 I've got my mile speed down to 6:30. Still a long way to go, but I'm beating my MTC-fat-self back into shape. #6. I actually like conducting meetings now. It presents a fun challenge keeping everything focused. #7 The weather is getting cooler. Loving it!!! I've been missing crisp mornings. #8 Be careful when you ask God to help improve your leading skills. #9 (Something I (Mom) could not quite make out. Maybe SVL? ) is so fun -- you talk half as slow, say about a tenth of what you would normally say, and understand about half of that. And yet, all things considered, that’s a miracle. #10 I just got a bunch of papers wet. Sorry about that. #11 Lights out. Tomorrow.
10-07-12
I’m not really sure what else to write about. I’m starting to get used to this place, and even this new calling. It feels like I hardly have time to study, yet I’m understanding things and retaining then so much so faster. I was talking with the Zone Leaders yesterday, and they felt the same way. The Lord is definitely blessing us, there’s no doubt.
I guess I never realized what this calling meant. So often we just do the basics, but there’s so much more potential. I’ve poured everything into this, and I’m seeing things change. Since we’ve started doing district practice, we’re starting to get more comfortable using the Korean we know. It’s such a little thing, but it helps a lot. And our district has always been close. That’s why this works. But we’re more untied now. We’re not just friends, we’re a team. I can’t express how good that feels.
But the part that has helped me grow the most has been talking one on one with other missionaries. Asking about their concerns, what not. Making sure they’re okay. Back home, I always felt drawn to help people, but so often I’d take on their pain with them, rather than only supporting and helping them. I wanted to understand them. But coming out here, having 8 other people to be mindful of, constantly watchful for worries or concerns, for the first few days it was hard. That got in the way of helping a lot of the time. But since then, I’ve quickly learned a few things. I don’t have to experience part of what they’re going through to understand or help them. Someone far better than me already did.
That changed everything. I feel so much lighter, more confident in leading and taking charge, at the same time knowing when to stop and listen. I learned early in that the beat leaders don’t always shave to talk. They get others to participate. That’s why this district practice is going so well. They're having great ideas, and they’re involved with what we want to do.
I’m sorry I ramble so much about this, but it’s been on my mind a lot. It’s important to me to do all that I can.
But I think now it’s time to wrap up. You have my love. I hope you enjoy these last sessions of conference. You guys are the best.
Times are changing. I see it everyday. All of you have no doubt heard this already, but this morning we all got a big surprise. As of now, missionaries can serve as young as 18 for Elders and 19 for Sisters. It's crazy thinking about how much that changes.
For Elders going out now, they don't have that awkward year of waiting anymore. They can go right away after high school. For me, I loved having that year to prepare, but I know that a lot more missionaries will come out because of that, especially since Elders and Sisters will be closer to the same age. It'll be interesting to see what happens next.
But this has been in the works for a while now. They've been working on building more buildings for the MTC, and they've been working on improving teaching resources to cut back the time we spend here. They've been trying to up the capacity this place can handle. No surprise, I guess, but it looks like the game is changing. The world is moving, and we're getting into the last stretch.
Exciting times to be serving in. Crazy though. I might be a trainer for an 18 year old. That just seems so crazy. This announcement got me thinking a lot though. I've got a few friends waiting for that call, and a few others who are almost there. In addition to that, I got a letter recently asking what I thought about Sisters serving missions. It also asked about going on a mission even if you're shy or quiet. It got me thinking and I want to share a little of my testimony.
I know that this isn't my work. It's so much bigger than anything I could imagine, but by the tender mercies of Christ, I'm blessed to have the opportunity to be a part of it
All my life I have wanted this. I've seen the Gospel's influence in my life, and I want to share that with anyone I can. I know what the Lord can d with us when we devote our time to Him.
Because of this, if anyone has the desire to serve, I don't think anything should hold you back. As long as you're doing all you can, there'll be a way. Just make sure you're doing it for the right reason. If you're doing it out of love for God and His children, you won't go wrong. But if you really want to know, you need to find out for yourself. Read D&C section 4. Especially verse 3. If you feel your heart burn, you won't question whether or not you're meant to go.
And if you do want to serve, but you're afraid either you're too shy, or don't know enough, or are scared of leaving the home you know, remember whose work this is. Ether 12:27 He'll do more to help you grow than you can possibly imagine.
But going back to the original question, I agree with what the Brethren have said. Sisters are by no means required to serve, nor should they feel like they are. But I've seen the strength of sister missionaries. They're incredible, and their testimonies are strong. If you feel good about it, go for it.
On that note, though, I wan to take this chance to extend a brief challenge. To all young men who read this: Don't pass this up. It seems hard, but it's worth it a hundred times over. To Ethan, Ryan, and Matt, especially, this new announcement means that your time is here. You'll never regret serving a mission. You know I love you guys, along with all the guys back home. Get excited for this. It's incredible. You're touching people's lives and changing the course of Eternity. I'm a missionary. A representative of Jesus Christ. I've felt the difference that call as made as I teach. Theres no describing that feeling -- and I haven't even hit the field yet!
To my eleven year old Scouts, and all the other young men who still have a time before you're called, get excited and prepare for this now. As a missionary, you have the same purpose and title as the General Authorities. You're called Elders and carry the name of Christ on your chest. When I get home, I'll miss that. I'll miss this spirit -- and I've felt it often.
I can tell you that there's now way we could learn a language this difficult without His help. Not this fast.
Serving as district leader these past couple weeks, I've talked with other missionaries a lot and asked about their concerns. Almost all of us have days where we miss our families, but out of all of them, none of hem doubt that we were each called of the Lord.
I bear solemn witness that this Gospel is true. I've felt the Spirit confirm to me that Jesus is the Christ, and that His church has been restored. Joseph Smith was, and is, a prophet of God. When I recite the First Vision, especially in Korean, I feel a fire burn inside of me. Read those words, know those words. Pray about those words. That'll tell you everything.
But you've heard enough from me. You've had prophets bear witness of missionary work. It' s real. And it's important. I love you all. I'm proud of you young men, and I hope to see you guys out here soon.
Okay! Done with pep talk.
I'm doing great out here! 16 days till Korea, and I'm stoked. So much happened that I want to talk about.
From the top: Last P-day, I finished the last of the family names that I brought with me, so until I get back, the work is yours. I may ask for a name later when I go through Seoul, but I've got two years before then.
Later that night we held a district meeting and talked about doing district practice sessions for Korean. The meeting was great, and since we've started practicing, it's helped us a lot. I've really been learning how much more a District Leader can do. It's up to us how much we limit ourselves. But I've seen a huge jump in our district, we're doing great. There've been a couple health things that have come up, but there's been improvement over the past couple days. And it's helped me remember to keep a watchful eye.
Other awesome news: Our first investigator was baptized!!! Bittersweet though, we learned that he has to go back to Korea soon, so we won't be able to meet with him again. Sad day, he was my favorite to teach. So now we're practicing tracting. We'll see how that goes.
I feel great. Conference was incredible (day 1 anyway, still waiting for day 2)
I just get so pumped on the spirit here. It's hard to believe we've only been here 10 weeks. (ish) (Typical time warp rant -- I've written it enough, you know what I mean.)
Some fun things: #1. I sleep on the floor every night -- feels great. #2 My companion wakes up to anything. So I've been practicing methods to get around that. (My snoring is a lot better I hear. The folded pillow techniques worked great.) #3 God will be your alarm clock if you ask in love. (see #2) I like getting up early to study. My companion needs sleep. Awesome blessing to have a God who hears you. #4. My cereal collection is getting out of hand. Excellent snack food/chopstick practice though. #5 I've got my mile speed down to 6:30. Still a long way to go, but I'm beating my MTC-fat-self back into shape. #6. I actually like conducting meetings now. It presents a fun challenge keeping everything focused. #7 The weather is getting cooler. Loving it!!! I've been missing crisp mornings. #8 Be careful when you ask God to help improve your leading skills. #9 (Something I (Mom) could not quite make out. Maybe SVL? ) is so fun -- you talk half as slow, say about a tenth of what you would normally say, and understand about half of that. And yet, all things considered, that’s a miracle. #10 I just got a bunch of papers wet. Sorry about that. #11 Lights out. Tomorrow.
10-07-12
I’m not really sure what else to write about. I’m starting to get used to this place, and even this new calling. It feels like I hardly have time to study, yet I’m understanding things and retaining then so much so faster. I was talking with the Zone Leaders yesterday, and they felt the same way. The Lord is definitely blessing us, there’s no doubt.
I guess I never realized what this calling meant. So often we just do the basics, but there’s so much more potential. I’ve poured everything into this, and I’m seeing things change. Since we’ve started doing district practice, we’re starting to get more comfortable using the Korean we know. It’s such a little thing, but it helps a lot. And our district has always been close. That’s why this works. But we’re more untied now. We’re not just friends, we’re a team. I can’t express how good that feels.
But the part that has helped me grow the most has been talking one on one with other missionaries. Asking about their concerns, what not. Making sure they’re okay. Back home, I always felt drawn to help people, but so often I’d take on their pain with them, rather than only supporting and helping them. I wanted to understand them. But coming out here, having 8 other people to be mindful of, constantly watchful for worries or concerns, for the first few days it was hard. That got in the way of helping a lot of the time. But since then, I’ve quickly learned a few things. I don’t have to experience part of what they’re going through to understand or help them. Someone far better than me already did.
That changed everything. I feel so much lighter, more confident in leading and taking charge, at the same time knowing when to stop and listen. I learned early in that the beat leaders don’t always shave to talk. They get others to participate. That’s why this district practice is going so well. They're having great ideas, and they’re involved with what we want to do.
I’m sorry I ramble so much about this, but it’s been on my mind a lot. It’s important to me to do all that I can.
But I think now it’s time to wrap up. You have my love. I hope you enjoy these last sessions of conference. You guys are the best.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
2012.10.09 email
Dear Home,
So much to write, so little time! So, I actually got a letter written Sunday, but because of Columbus day I haven't been able to send it. I might write more, but that talks about most of it. Most of all, Conference is great, life is going well here, I said goodbye to my favorite investigator, and we're all learning a lot.
I do want to get some pictures sent though. I'll try to do that now. (My camera is about to die...)
...
Anyway, letter!
I'm afraid most of it will have to wait.
I'm loving this place. It's stressful at times, but it's incredibly fulfilling. I never would have thought it'd be this good. This place is going crazy about the new announcement. Pretty intense. (More later)
For now, I may just have to be content with saying that I'm doing well. Being District Leader has changed a lot, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm loving it. Being able to grow and help others. Even just looking for new ways to improve as a district. It's humbling, especially when I see how much I need to learn still, but I've seen the Lord help me.
Gotta run. I hope you guys all had a good conference! Sorry these emails are so short. It's hard to write when you know how hard it is to wait for these computers. Until next time, I love you guys. Look for my letter in the mail.
~Elder Robarts
So much to write, so little time! So, I actually got a letter written Sunday, but because of Columbus day I haven't been able to send it. I might write more, but that talks about most of it. Most of all, Conference is great, life is going well here, I said goodbye to my favorite investigator, and we're all learning a lot.
I do want to get some pictures sent though. I'll try to do that now. (My camera is about to die...)
...
Anyway, letter!
I'm afraid most of it will have to wait.
I'm loving this place. It's stressful at times, but it's incredibly fulfilling. I never would have thought it'd be this good. This place is going crazy about the new announcement. Pretty intense. (More later)
For now, I may just have to be content with saying that I'm doing well. Being District Leader has changed a lot, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm loving it. Being able to grow and help others. Even just looking for new ways to improve as a district. It's humbling, especially when I see how much I need to learn still, but I've seen the Lord help me.
Gotta run. I hope you guys all had a good conference! Sorry these emails are so short. It's hard to write when you know how hard it is to wait for these computers. Until next time, I love you guys. Look for my letter in the mail.
~Elder Robarts
2012.10.09 pictures!
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| Not the Sacramento Temple, but still one of the most incredible places I know (Provo Temple) |
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| Aside from Korean, the Cambodian Elders have to be the most friendly guys here. I love those guys. Anyway, one of them lied to me and said that they were leaving yesterday, so we got this picture. Oh well. |
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| So, I've seen a lot of different tie knots in my day, but this was a new
one. Not exactly something I'd wear very often, but I like it. It grows
on you after a while. |
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| No reason for this one, I just realized I never sent home a self portrait since I became a missionary. (plus I wanted to get another picture of this knot-- see #3) |
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| Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm loved. That's the stack of mail I've gotten since I got here. You guys are amazing. I just wish I could return the favor. I try, but there's only so much time for personal affairs when you're on the Lord's errand. |
Friday, October 5, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
2012.10.02 pictures
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| The elders of my district on our weekly Temple walk. We decided to do some studying while we were there. |
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| Our District with Brother Petersen. We all agreed to wear blue, but he's too cool for that. Man that guy is fun. In a very serious way. I'll try to describe him better later, but I love the guy. |
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| Elder Sills with his Temple smile. This is how he stays awake in the Temples when he feels tired, and we love it. =D |
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| Picture of Our District with one of our teachers, Sister Wadsworth |
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| Elder Gerszewski with a fun mask we got from the older district. We have fun with our cleaning time... |
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