Simply a good week

This might have been the best week on my mission for the work because we have 4 people on date! We might have 4 more around the corner but it's just awesome having people that want to make these changes. The four that we are working with are all part member families and we love seeing families grow closer as a result. I love how the gospel can strengthen families now and forever! 

It's strange because it seems like the greater success we have with few people, the greater opposition we have wnmhen finding new people. We're still finding a lot of people regardless. Our time spent talking to people has been exceedingly productive and we shall soon see the result of bringing people to Christ. 

This week was Zone conference as well and that was Amazing! Since there were so many new missionaries they went to the basics and simplified everything. It was great to have that refresher and recieve more inspiration from that. We talked a lot about how the Book of Mormon truely is a tool of the Harvest. It will be one of the most vital defences against Satan and his traps. We also learned that we can "Shake the very powers of Hell" just like Captain Moroni. If all men were like him, Satan would have no power over us. I encourage those that haven't studied his attitudes to do so and see how that can help everyone. 

Something that really stood out to me this week was the firm testimony of members. There are many members here that have endured much hardship because of their belief. Many have had family members cut all ties from them and they haven't seen them for years. It's sad to see the power Satan does have over us to deceive us. That's why it's so important that we don't get casual in our day to day lives. One member has seen connections through the people in her life be strengthened so much. Her kind actions have had huge impacts on others because of simple acts of kindness. She has been given a gift of seeing how her kind actions have helped people find the gospel and it's so simple for her to see it.

I really hope everyone enjoyed their 3 day weekend while it lasts!

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson 

P.S.

This is a better picture of my zone and an awesome Jaguar I found walking around. 

Incoming UMO! August 26, 2019

This week was strange bacause I got hit in a lot of different ways this week. First, I got hit by an unidentified metal object (umo) while I was biking. I think it was on the road and was launched by a car driving by and it launched into my gut. I couldn't tell exactly what it was but it was solid metal and round thankfully. Then, I got whacked in the face with a stick. The Twins we are teaching are very wild and I was surprised I was only hit once. They're exceedingly smart so they still learn really easily. There is also something else happening that the central valley is Almond harvest. They shake the trees with a massive clamp and it feels like an earthquake is happening. The problem is that it shakes all the pollen into the air and then when they sweep up the Almonds, it brings up even more of the pollen that was on the ground. Needless to say, my allergies are destroying me and Elder Groves is mildly allergic to treenuts. He has to eat quite a few before he has a reaction though. Other than that, it was a fairly good week.

We had a ton of lessons this week! We've had a great time with the members as well. It's an older ward but the members are so fantastic! They always strive to help others, especially those in hard living situations. There's a lot of weird situations with homes but we're doing what we can. The greatest thing members can do for helping others is to simply be a friend to people. Weather they are returning members, new members or even investigators, just treat them like a great friend. I know I'm going to do all in my power to do so when I get home. 

This week has also made me reflect on patriarchal blessings and how precious they are. Something important to remember is that we only recieve the promised blessings if we remain worthy. Bring worthy and perfect are drastically different. We follow what commandments we are given and try our best. It really comes from that desire to improve. If we have this tiny seed of a desire to improve, the Lord can grow it into a magnificent tree. 

Honestly, this mission has already improved me so much. I still recognize my weaknesses but I have come farther than I ever would alone. This is the greatest task I will ever accomplish because this time will help others have pure joy and happiness. I know this will help everyone no matter what lifestyle people live. Even those that have had this gospel their whole lives have to recieve a witness for themselves. It's like the connection between a testimony and conversion. The first is the flame in a lantern and the second is the oil that fuels it. It must be added drop by drop and it will last us through the night.

I hope everyone has an awesome week!

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson 

P.S.

I found this awesome chart of Genealogy going from Adam to Jesus Christ! 

Bike Repairs August 19

This week was amazing but we had to go to the bike shop a lot. If we didn't have the car this last week, we wouldn't have been nearly as successful. My companion got a few flat tires and eventually he just got a new tread because there were too many small goat-heads in it and popped two tubes. By pedal came off and I had to get a new one. I got a few other things I fixed so I wouldn't crash as easily. I wish I could have done it myself but I just didn't have the tools. I'm so grateful we didn't have to walk because it would have taken us hours to do so. 

We had the most lessons we have had in this area for a while which was twenty! We had a lot of great lessons to progress our friends towards baptism and closer to Christ. Something I've had to learn to apply is teaching simply. It's so hard for me to do so with using all the words and understanding that I have because others don't understand it. Especially since we are teaching young kids we really have to teach simply or they definitely won't get it. I think that helped me realize that we make the gospel more complicated than it actually is. 

We had a ward picnic this Friday as well and we brought thirteen friends! We almost had more friends than members there. After that we found even more people to teach!

The members have also been a huge help this week. One in particular is going above and beyond to help us and has done so much for the missionaries over the years. He owns about two hundred almond trees and has a friend with an awesome machine. It shakes the while tree until all the almonds come off and then it sweeps them up really fast. Aparently, almonds have two skins on them too. He even showed us the plant they take them to for deshelling them.   He doesn't even do it for his job, he's an electrician. He's just been a great help with the work as well. He's also awesome because he does his best to fellowship those we bring to church even outside of church. He has such a kind heart and just wants to serve and help others. 

I also saw a prey manias outside of our apartment for a few days and we also found out there's tarantulas here. As long as they leave me alone I'll be fine but I still don't like them. Not sure what purpose they serve but I hope they do it well. 

I hope everyone has been enjoying school and has a great day!

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson 

P.S.

The Prey mantis and my companion and me!

The Zone!

Modesto! August 12

I love it here so much! The members here are amazing and are down to do all kinds of work. Every one of them is exceedingly busy but they are still there for us. The people here are also great because they give blunt answers most of the time so those that want to hear the gospel will! 

My apartment is gigantic! I'm very surprised there aren't more missionaries there with us. It's also awesome because we get a car! Only every other week though.

My new companion is awesome! Elder Groves does not stop working no matter what! He is a very strong country man that loves the gospel so much! 

Apparently before I came in, there was an Elder Robison. He just to happens to be from Colorado as well. Loves video games and classic music like me. He's just way better than me. He just went home too so I've got a very long way to go compared to him. He will be an essential part in the work of the Lord in the days to come. 

There's also a lot of Elders from my District in Turlock so that's awesome. There's someone we are teaching that grew up there and it hit my with a massive throwback. I can't believe that was only three months since I was there. 

This area is awesome too. Some areas are better than others but I like it. Most of the city is very compact and small, but there are some areas that are nice. I found out not too long ago that a cheap house here is way too expensive. Everyone still manages really well though. 

Enjoy the beginning of the School year! 

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson 

Aug 5 sushi is awesome!

I love sushi, specifically the Green Dragon roll! We went for Elder Cheney's birthday on Friday and he showed me what true sushi is. He used to go in Albuquerque to all the Sushi places to find the best one. He doesn't remember which one but he spent a lot of money. I didn't realize how much sushi was until I got there but it was worth it. Just earlier that morning we helped some people at a service project. They were handing out backpacks, giving tons of coupons for fre food in them and giving out bike helmets. We got a picture with a lot of the cosplayers that were there for the event. My companion loved it so much.

Thursday we went to visit some friends and one of them knew it was Elder Cheney's birthday and we had some of the best spaghetti for dinner and then he got a cake! He also got a lot of presents of food because he will eat everything in front of him. 

I had a ton of flat tires this week and it was always the same one! We had to put slime in the tube to fix it because we don't have any patches. We had a few really long walks back to the apartment but it was good. 

I helped rebuild an engine for a member and he taught us a lot of things to do for cars. It took a really long time but it was very educational. I am apparently really good at finding things that get lost or where hoses connect. After we rebuilt it, we found out there was an exhost leak so he had to take it into the shop to fix it. 

We're also getting doubled out of the area so I'm going to Modesto! Our area is closing and the Sisters are taking over. Elder Cheney is actually going to Turlock! Literally one area over from mine. We'll see each other in a few weeks so that will be enjoyable. 

We also went mini-golfing today. We ended up having a lot of fun just messing around. I'm not too bad but I haven't played in forever. The Fresno heat will not be missed, though.

Have an awesome week and prepare for school!

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson 

P.S.

1. Car engine we helped rebuild 

2. Sushi bar

3. Friends house for cake

July 29 Street Ball?

There was a lot of strange things that happened this week but it was all really fun. So first, we were walking and we saw someone with a basketball and he said he was going to the public park to practice. It was later at night and we found out that he played college basketball and he was just there for the night. After shooting some hoops for a little bit, we played on teams with the people there. It was so much fun but it was really hard because they were really good. I actually made a shot ,for once, and we won! That was definitely lead by the Holy Ghost because I can't play at all, but we did get his information thankfully.

The next day, we went to a group gathering with an investor. They were all from the same church and really wanted to ask questions about revelation and prophets. Faith was also something that was talked about a little bit. We ended up having to Bible Bash (when people try to prove us wrong with the bible) which was just annoying honestly. They had the ultimate anti book to reference and it was sad they were turning to that instead of actually reading and seeing what we say. It just proves that they are searching for a reason to not change honestly. We could feel the Holy ghost with us for some of the time so someone there did need to hear what we had to say.

The next day, I broke my glasses trying to clean them. I honestly was so mad because I didn't do anything that could have broken them. I should be fine though. Superglue is amazing. 

Friday we had a leadership meeting to go to and I got to experience being an office Elder for a few hours. It was weird because they were dealing with all the mail and food for meetings and checking cars. Later that day, we attended a funeral for a friends father. It was really weird attending because the things talked about were really odd. It's so comforting to know about what happens after we die instead of just guessing or assuming. We are going to do all we can to help that family. It's great to know how to help everyone, but it's only if they want to be helped.

Then we had our appointments fall through for the whole day and we ended up teaching with one of the Assistants to the Mission President. We talked a lot about Adam and Eve a lot and we could tell that was something he was trying to wrap his head around. He's really trying though so I like that about him. 

Another great thing that happened was that some other Elders had four baptisms all at once! It was weird because there was a guy running on the street right in front of the church and six cop cars pulled up and arrested him. We were worried it was going to disrupt the baptism but they were in and out really quick. 

It's also been really hot here! It was basically over a hundred degrees the whole week. The thing about Fresno is that when you're biking, the wind itself is hot. It was strange though because it got really humid for two days and just disappeared. Cold water has been such a blessing to have right now.

I hope everyone has a fantastic week! Don't get heatstroke, ok?

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson 

Blessings!

This week was really cool. So, Monday was weird because we didn't have time to pick up any food. Literally the next day, the sisters call us and they give us three huge boxes of rice, orange chicken, and Jimmy John's sandwiches leftover from a YSA activity! It was so awesome! Then the zone leaders were able to get us even more food as well just to make sure we had milk and bread. Everyone here is just phenomenal! 

I got my letter from the Carroll Clan and I loved it! I'm so grateful for all the support and love that I'm getting for being out here. I guess I got puppies too according to the card so I hope to see them when I get back! 

The work has been really progressing here. We met two solid people who want to learn more and actually do what we ask them to do! Its amazing! We had to stop teaching a few other people because they either weren't doing anything or we simply can't help them because of their mental condition. I feel so bad that I can't do anything to help them. I really hope everything works out in the end for them. 

We also got to spend a few days with Elder Townsend! He was one of the assistants when I got out and now he's tracing between companions for the last six weeks of his mission! He is awesome! We had a weird few days with him because it seems like even more crazy people came out when we were with him. 

I found out that my parents are moving! I promise to come and visit those that I can when I get back!

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson 

P.S.

The first one is the letter I got, then we found the pony just in someone's front yard that's been there for 15 years, and the last is with Elder Townsend and Elder Cheney.

Zone Activities (July 15)

We have had an awesome time spending time together as a missionary zone. Last week we we made tie dye shirts that turned out really well. We almost stained the table but we sacrificed our clothes to save the table from being dyed. It was actually really fun.

This week, we are at President Mackay's house for our activities and it is awesome! He has a huge house and is doing great! We played pingpong for a little while and then we did around the world. It was really crazy at first and then we got it down. We when had a tournament and I was up against President Mackay. I almost had him, but I eventually messed up. We were playing until seven and we went to twelve because we had to win by two. I got fairly good at pingpong when I was with Elder Settle and it was to much fun. 

The work hasn't been going too well. We are still trying to set up appointments that won't fall through and people just haven't been interested. We have been really persistent though and we have a few of people we hope we can meet with this week. Most of the people we are trying to contact are really busy and we haven't really found a way around that. 

We were able to help some Nuns this week! As we were biking we noticed a green PT Cruiser that had a flat tire and they didn't know it. We had to bike exceedingly fast to catch up to them. When they did realize it, they didn't know what to do so we helped them out right away. We found the spare on the bottom of the car and got it changed really fast. The lady driving the Nuns tried to give us twenty dollars but we declined and helped them to the nearest gas station to fill the tire up with air. We asked someone for some quarters and the man we asked was glad to help. Sadly, no one was interested in the gospel but it was really awesome! 

I hope everyone has a safe week and enjoys summer while it lasts!

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson

P.S. 

Presidents house and the zone and me with an exceedingly old car from a former investigator 

Happy Fourth of July! (July 8)

I hope Everyone's Fourth of July was Awesome! We were ab;e to spend our holiday at the Lakatani's. Brother Lakatani has been a personal trainer for missionaries for years. We go over every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to work out in the mornings. He himself is able to lift an tremendous amount of weight so, it works. We were able to see them set off some fireworks and have an awesome conversation about his family history. His grandpa apparently used to hunt wild boars when he was ninety-four!

These past few weeks have been crazy and really productive. We have been meeting with so many people and have had to drop even more people than ever. I really want to help people, but if they don't do anything it is impossible to make lasting change. We do have a lot of promising people so your prayers are paying off. We are meeting with Kenneth tonight, we have a lot of hope for him and the first lesson we had with him went great. we could tell he felt the spirit and things made sense.

I am so sorry that I have not been able to Email for a long time but the keys to the family history center were lost for a time. I don't like making excuses but, what happens, happens. 

There are earthquakes happening here! we only felt it for probably twenty seconds but it was awesome! The earthquakes are coming from down south and a lot of houses were destroyed but from what I have heard no one was hurt too badly. I really hope things stay that way. 

I did discover something interesting this week too. English isn't the hardest language to learn. The reason why people say it is is because the roots of some languages are similar or totally different. same with the sentence structure, too. Really, the difficulty of the language depends on what language you start with.

There is even a Native American language that is really odd. You can write a sentence and then mix and match the words, but it will mean the same thing. Its really awesome how it works but I don't know the name of the language.

I hope everyone has a safe week!

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson

Olympics! June 17, 2019

So many things have been happening this week and everything has been so draining but it is very awesome!

For missionary work, this week has been really slow. We tried by so many people and most were with appointments, but they were not there. We have been running around everywhere, trying to call and visit and help. The visits we did have though were great! they were fairly long but we were able to get to know them more and address more of their needs for future visits. 

We have been running into a ton of people that want help, but only the physical help. It is truly heartbreaking having to not help them because we don't have money for them and they don't want to address their spiritual needs. Some people just want to talk and vent about stuff but then when we try to offer the gospel, they turn us down. 

This week was super busy but next week I will be sure to set aside many hours to make sure I can communicate with everyone. I love all of you and I will see you next week.

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson

Pondering Week June 3, 2019

Hello! 

So, this week has been really chaotic but it's been a good time so think about everything I'm doing right now. 

There have been a lot of very interesting questions about everything that we do, both as missionaries and as church members. The thing is that there needs to be a balance when doing this because if you focus only on questions, you will get lost and worry about the unknown too much. on the other hand, if you think that you have learned everything, you wont be able to answer every question that comes up no matter how much you know. Its like walking on a tight rope and one side is the knowledge one already has and the other is questions one has. Only when you find that balance are you able to gain knowledge, especially spiritual knowledge. I've felt the extreme of both and you can't do that, especially as a missionary. 

We have met a lot of new people this week and they have a very genuine interest. We have a lot of people in our teaching pool( people that made a lot of progress) but we think that some people are loosing interest so sadly we might have to stop teaching them. We really don't want to but we only have a certain amount of time to teach and we need to make sure people are making progress. We are here to get people to the temple and they can't get there without change!

The weather has been getting hotter this week so that has been fun with biking around. I actually broke my bike and I've been riding a full suspension bike from the 90's. The back axle broke in half so I don't really know how long that has been broken for. The rod also bent and a spoke spoke broke and the gear shiftier (not sure what its called) broke too. I was just riding and shifting the gears down and the chain got stuck between the gear and the wheel again. I'm annoyed because of how many times that has happened so I will see how I can fix that. 

I heard that my cousin, Nate, got his mission call to Mesa, Arizona!That is awesome! I'm so grateful for his example despite him being younger than me. The mission field will greatly benefit from having a diligent servant. If all missionaries were like him right now, there would be three times as many members! Go tear up that area Nate! 

I haven't really spoken much about my companion yet so I will now. Elder Cheney is a tall, handsome and very athletic person. He did like four different sports before coming out and even then he was working out until midnight. He loves cars and can point out just about every model there is. He's very set on being a pilot but he's not sure what rout he wants to take. He is a very hard working missionary and I'm grateful to be serving with him. We have also noticed that we are able to teach very well together with bouncing off one another and asking good questions that help people answer their own questions.  

I hope everyone has a awesome week and enjoys the end of school!

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson

Technology!! May 27, 2019

Note, I received three pictures, with nothing else. It seems Paul had written a long email, including this explanation about the pictures, but it seems to have been lost somehow.

I honestly thought I sent the words but I guess my phone was glitching somehow. 

So, the first one is of my foot after I had two warts cut out of my foot on Preparation day. I had tried to get rid of it many times but he said that they had to be cut out because it had penetrated all three layers of skin. The hole is about the size of a dime and has been healing really well. It was cool because after the doctor was done cutting them out, he used electricity to cauterize it! It was so cool! It was weird because it seemed like my foot was being welded and it even had the smoke and everything, just no hood needed. I've been on crutches this last week and it was very humbling. I should be fine after this next week.

The next picture is of me and my last companion's tags on the last day we were together. It was fun being with him and I hope that he gets along well with his new companion. 

The last picture is of a car from 1930 and has been restored. it was so cool to be in it and the member took us to get these really nice doughnuts. He was a bit older,but he was doing fairly well. We did give him a blessing to help him with his cancer and that he will be comforted by Jesus Christ with the Infinite Atonement. That's what I love about the Atonement too, it covers so many things that are unfair in this life and makes it so we can be happy no matter what situation we are in. 

I did get to go to the zoo today,but my phone was dead so that was a bummer. I'll get the pictures latter but it was amazing. I hope everyone has a great week and I'll be sure to tell more next week!

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson

In what universe is Fresno better than Paris? May 13, 2019

Mine, because I'm getting transferred there! I'll be serving with Elder Cheney. From what I hear he's awesome! I'm really going to miss Turlock though. So many things have happened here since I've arrived and I hope that the people are taken care of. Elder Yancey is definitely capable so I don't have to worry about that. I'm really going to miss the ward too. There's a lot of awesome members that I hope to visit again sometime soon. 

This week has been super crazy for so many reasons. We've been working with some less actives as of late and have come to find that many aren't really less active. Its weird how similar the stories are. A lot of great people have to end up taking care of their mom's and dealing with marriage problems. It's really sad but I know the Lord will forge them into who they need to become.

We ended up doing a lot of service for a member. She was moving from one small room in the house to the garage. She had a few big things moved like the bookshelf, the fridge, and the cabinets. I had to figure out how to disassemble the Samsung fridge. I got the door off on one side but then the other one had a ton of wires and water hoses. I didn't know if I could take them apart or if it was permanent. We ended up having to wheel the gigantic fridge through the backyard and to the garage. It was ok for the most part but the side of the house had a lot of holes and big rocks. It was still awesome though. We'll be helping some of her friends because of that service. We didn't even know we would have that opportunity to teach so many! They all speak Philippineno though so we will heed the member there with us. It'll be a great time though!

We went on a team up with a member as well, Brother S. Let's just say that he LOVES his deep doctrine. He's extremely energetic when it comes to the gospel. It's really cool to see. I learned a bit from him but he also just needs to dial it back a bit. I love him but if he were to do that then he'd probably be the perfect missionary. 

We also saw Bob and Alice this week but they were busy. In the few seconds we talked we found out that he was studying Come Follow Me! He's also doing a lot of reading in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine & Covenants. I really hope that the Spirit helps him learn. I know Elder Yancey will definitely keep helping him a lot though. 

I really hope that this week was a great one and this next week Will be an amazing one!

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson 

Paul liked this Castle that he lived near in Turlock

Mission Conference!!! May 6, 2019

Minnsion conference was this week! For those who don't know, it is a once in a mission meeting where all the missionaries from all the zones get together and meet. It was on Saturday. One of the Twelve Apostles were there! It wasQuintin L Cook ! It was awesome. I got to shake his hand as well! I had the CTR ring that my Mom and Dad gave me before I went out on my mission and the Robertson tie that my Father gave me. He said a lot of Sacred things that simply confirmed to me that this is the True Church. This means that I have seen 3 of the 12 apostles, other than general conference of course. Dieter F. Uchtdorf at the cultural calibration for the Fort Collins Temple, David A. Bednar at the MTC, and now Quentin L. Cook here. 

This week we also had Zone conference. President Mackay helped us realize what we could be doing better as a mission but also the fact that we are doing extremely well. In the last few months we have almost doubled the amount of people found, going to sacrament meeting and people with baptismal dates. We just need to get them in the water to be baptized and confirmed after. We also need to talk to people based on their needs which is something I've been striving to do. Sharing the gospel isn't about checking off all the lessons one at a time until they're over. Everyone has needs that the gospel can heal, but they won't want to listen to more if you're just reciting what the first lesson is. Like if someone you know is struggling with the loss of a family member, telling them about the Great apostasy won't help them. It applies to all of us though. I know that after my mission ends that I will not stop to share the gospel. That will be apart of my being no matter what. I have a lot of growing to do, but I have grown a lot since being here.

I was able to meet with Elder Settle for a brief minute and it was great! I can't believe it's already been 4 weeks since I've seen him! I miss him so much, but I know he's going great work and that the Lord needs him elsewhere. I also got to talk to Elder Hair, one of my MTC companions. He said that when we were in the MTC playing some intense 4-square that he broke the arch in his foot! He'll probably be going home to have surgery but he will be out soon after. He is such a fantastic Elder. I really hope to see him again soon.

This week was super busy as well! We met and taught a lot more people. We were able to meet with Jose a lot this week as he went though a lot of hard times but he's getting better. We've worked with him a lot and we know it will help him.

Everyone else is basically exceedingly busy or not interested. We've been working harder though and we have been going but the spirit and we've been giving great opportunities to accept the gospel and that's all we can ask for. 

We had a lot of great meetings with the Members this week, especially on Sunday. We're gaining more trust and they are helping welcome all of the friends we bring into church. We were able to get Albert, a returning member that went less active soon after baptism, a come follow me manual.  He loves it and we've been helping him a lot lately. We also gave one to Bob because he was there at church for both hours this time! It's a slow process but we're working with him. His wife, Alice, wants to become a member but is afraid of what will happen because of her marriage. That's what we're here for! I know it seems odd but we have pondered it and we are acting on the answer we got.

I hope that everyone has an awesome week and enjoys as many blessings as possible! Sorry, no pictures this week...

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson

Monday April 29, 2019

This week has been crazy! Everyone is busy or having some emargency happening. The weather has been really nice and calm here though. 

So, the situation with N is that her mom was arrested and she's going to jail. We won't be able to teach N anymore but we're praying that things work out for he and her family. A lot of others have been busy still so we haven't been able to see them. 

We did meet a member that hasn't been in a while but he wants to come back and he came to church on Sunday! He is an ex-marine who left because he was disabled. He's got some mental problems but he's got a good heart and is willing to work hard. He's awesome!

We did meet with Bob and Alice this week and they seem a little more interested. We got talking about church services and ours seems to be drastically different. I didn't really realize that until now. Honestly it sounds kinda fun for some of them. I still enjoy our Sunday meetings a lot more because of the spirit there and because the power of the sacrament. Before I honestly didn't know why we took the sacrament or what it did to help us even though people told me plenty of times. It holds a special place in my heart because of the importance of it. I had to learn it for myself but it was worth it. 

I'm so happy for this gospel and for the infinite love that our Heavenly Father has for us. I've been pondering this week as well of why we call him father. Of all the titles he posses, I think that Heavenly Father is my favorite. I look forward to seeing him again after this long life to experience a complete sense of joy! I love everyone has a great week.

I'll work on getting pictures this week, sorry.

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson 

Happy Easter Indeed! Monday April 22, 2019

These past few weeks have been crazy! Elder Yancey and I have been working our tails off just to keep up with the work we've got. The family situations we've run into are just so weird.

So, we've been trying to meet with Jose for a few weeks now and we found out he got a new phone but that he's also been really busy with family medical emergencies... So first a few weeks ago his mother was put into the hospital to battle cancer and then the next week his son was holding a fire cracker and it blew up in his hand! He's missing a finger now but he should be ok. Then the next week we found out that his mom that was battling cancer passed away. We have been praying for him and we hope we will be able to meet with him more often. 

We had another situation go down with someone else we're teaching. So, N is 11 and wants to be baptized but we haven't been able to meet with her for months. We had some awesome members offer to give her a sleepover and get the lessons done. Her mother, A, is a recent concert and has allowed her to take the lessons but she's been busy all day every day. When we had another member, Juliana go over to pick up Nyema, she said it was so bad that she took all of the kids from A. I don't want to say what it was because I'm not sure but the family is going through a lot right now. We hope to help the family but we don't know how right now. 

Everyone else is either not responding to our texts or is dealing with a family medical emergency. It's been really tough to teach right now. We also seem to be finding all of the people that are disabled. I really want to help them but because of accidents or something we won't be able to. Either that or I don't know what to do. 

The wind has also been really strong here and it's getting really hot really quick so guess who's finally losing weight! I've dropped a few pounds so that's really good. My allergies have been pretty bad though. I'm working through it though. 

So this week our members gave us lbs chocolate rabbits! And my companion doesn't want his so I don't know what to do with it. I guess I just have chocolate that will last a good month. 

We finally had someone come to church! His name is Bob and he's Lutheran. He's very strong in his faith but he agreed to go to church for his wife. She's not a member but she's been investigating the church for 33 years! She wants to know everything about before joining. She's the most dedicated learner I've ever seen. She's also got a photographic memory so that helps her a lot. 

Its awesome to be tested everyday in the ways I am. I can feel myself improving and becoming who I need to be. The progress is slow but I'm getting better at so many things and learning my weaknesses and it's just been awesome. I have a solid testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the beloved Son of God. I know that he loves everyone including me and it doesn't matter how many times to mess up if you repent. His atonement is infinite so do not hesitate to ask for help. The best ways I have seen it take effect are through the small and simple things. I know this because if we are not willing to do the small promptings and things that we are commanded to do then why would we be able to be doing the big, significant things? 

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson 

My bike is the black one and its name is Starflight.

My companion, the rabbit and I

Everything is Awesome

This week I got a new Companion! Elder Yancey is awesome! Apparently he was roommates with Elder Settle in the MTC. We have been doing a lot of awesome work here. I'm very grateful he's my companion.

My dad is out if the hospital! I'm so happy he's ok. Really hope he gets better as soon as possible. I know Heavenly Father is looking over us and this is further proof. 

This week has had a lot of ups and downs for the work. We did find someone to teach, H. She is so awesome and wants to know more about The book of Mormon. We look forward to teaching them soon. Sadly, J is moving in with his father and doesn't want the missionaries over. We also had someone that was asking a lot of really weird questions. Ones like why do you ride bikes or if I show up to church and I'm not a member will I  get beat up and thrown out. Things like that. He was behind one of the screen doors so we couldn't see him but we did what we could. We also visited a lot of less actives this week and helped many with their concerns. Sister R is trying to come back to church and Sister T. They're awesome. 

We were able to make it to all the sessions of conference! It was amazing. I loved President Neslon's talk about repentance and how it's a change for the better. (link to Talk)  All of the talks were amazing though. We invited a lot of people to watch Conference with us but I think most just watched them at home. I look forward to studying these talks and applying them to my life even more than before. We do need to stay focused on Come Follow Me though. I love how much it has helped me and I hope it helps others even more. 

I hope that everyone has a great day. I want able to get pictures but I've set reminders to get some this week. 

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson 

Blessings upon Blessings April 1

This week has been awesome! We got a lot of people to teach that are truly interested and it's amazing. We have an exceedingly busy week ahead. Sadly, transfers are upon us and Elder Settle will be departing to Vicelia which is way south. I will be staying here in Turlock. I hope to see him again soon.

My new companion is Elder Yancey! I look forward to serving  with him. I've heard many great things about him. 

I heard that my Dad sadly is in the hospital. He was having stomach pains Sunday morning and asked for a priesthood blessing. When he sat into the chair though he fainted or had a seizure or something. He was rushed to the hospital and he fainted again and threw up a bunch of black bile. The doctor said that he had multiple ulcers in his stomach and that they have stopped bleeding for now. We hope he gets better soon and heals quickly. 

Please continue to do the small and simple things the Lord has commanded and He will bless you so much. Even if you have no time, make time. If you do I promise that you will be protected. You will not go through anything that you can't handle. 

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson 

P.S.

A picture of Elder Settle's bike. He named it Shrek...

Appointments... March 25

This week was very busy. Unfortunately most of our appointments fell through. My companion has had some struggles with his bike as well. 3 spokes on his back tire have broken so we're trying to get that fixed. It hasn't really had problems for a very long time so that's good.

We went out to the boonies this week as well. Lots of orchards, dogs and bees. Know that the smaller dogs chase you the longest. Most of the dogs were chained to something. There were some gigantic dogs that looked like bears! The fences are usually broken and patched up. 

My studies this week have been very good. Come follow me is so awesome! I hope its helping others as much if not more than me. There is a really awesome book that helps answer questions about the church called Day of Defense. It's very educational and really funny to be honest. We had to double check if we were allowed to read it and we are.

Elder Settle is so awesome. He's almost done training me, it takes 2 transfers to do so or 12 weeks. I can't believe I've been out for so long! It feels like I just got out here! I've only got 8 days with my companion! He's helped me improve myself so much and teach me. We get along very well for a lot of reasons and he's just amazing. He knows his doctrine and scripture points and really enjoys missionary work. He's also very funny and always making me and others laugh. I'm going to miss him when training is over. 

I'm so grateful to be here on a mission. Thanks for all the support, I will do all I can to fulfill my calling.

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson 

P.S.

The picture is when we were out in the boonies

Sick Week/Spirit World March 18

*Note from Mom- This week, Paul's Great-Grandma Helen DiFulco Passed away at 100. She lived close by his

 whole life, and he has a close relationship with her.

*Also, for privacy, I won't be posting the names of who he is teaching anymore.

Unfortunately, most of the missionaries have been getting sick here because of the season change. My companion

 got sick for the beginning of the week and we trued to work through it but it hurt too much. Many hours of studies

 were done though but we couldn't go out. We did get out as often as we could because we exchanged with the

 District leaders. They are awesome. 

We were able to meet with J and the family but we're trying to get a hold of E. She's got some concerns about her

 husband being there for lessons so we haven't been able to teach her. She has been talking a lot about the Book

 of Mormon with her friend that is a member so we know she still wants to know more. I wish there was more to report

 but that's about it. 

In truth, I'm happy for my great grandmother because I know she's in a better place. I love her so much and I know 

she's resting now. I know I'll see her again and with a perfected body. I know that she is precious to our Heavenly

 Father and that she strove to do good. I can't wait to see her, its a good thing this life feels short. I hope everyone has

 a great day and knows that Little Grandma is OK now.

Sincerely,

Elder Robertson 

New people!

We have people to teach! We had no idea the way so many people were open to the gospel. One person hasn't been to church in 52 years! All those prayers paid off. 

One of our friends is in an odd family situation where the grandparents are active, the parent s are inactive and the grandchildren are not members. We are working with one of these grandchildren, J. We just met with him this last week but we've been trying to get in contact with his Uncle, T. T moved out but J is with his grandparents right now and wants to go to church. He's 12 about to be 13 even though he looks 16...

J#2 is the father of a new family that the Sisters found and they passed them off to us. There are 5 children and the oldest is in 2nd grade so a lot of energy is in the household. The parents are very interested though and they've put a lot of time into keeping their house and their children. They are amazing and have a ton of potential.

We've been trying to get in contact with Ernie for many months now but we discovered that we were calling at the wrong times. There is a member that is close friends with her and she helped us get in contact with her again. We found out that she has also been reading the Book of Mormon on her own! She called and asked about the devils church so she has definitely been reading Nephi. 

D is the mysterious man that showed up to church and we found out that he already knows a lot of the members. He was excommunicated but he's coming back and willing to change. He's still a very awesome man that we look forward to meeting with. 

I hope you all have a great week. Please do not be afraid to refer friends to missionaries or just to be with them. We need all the help we can get! Even if you are just an example or if you're going out with them all the time just try to help if you can and the blessings will flow.

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson 

This week

Honestly this week was fun. Most of it was spent studying and learning how to talk to people on the streets or for door contacts. That is probably the hardest thing that I have been working towards. We have been trying to get in contact with people that have met with missionaries in the past but all of them haven't been interested. I actually enjoy when people dont want to listen because it means that I have more time to look for those that do. 

We did service for some people at another church. It reminded me a lot of the bishop storehouse. We helped get the food out to their car. We did that for a few hours and then after we were done, they offered to give us some of the bread and cakes. The more I refused the more they wanted to give me so I ended up with a pie, a few bagels and some apple turnovers. We had to have them hat day because of the exploration dates on them but we're fine. 

The easiest thing for me to do right now is meeting with members.Most of our meetings with members have been about encouraging them to do missionary work. We've been doing that a lot ever since I got into the field. I can't stress how import it is to share your testimony with those around you. If you are willing to speak about the gospel with your friend but you dont know what to say then just open your mouth and the Holy ghost will guide your words and thoughts. 

Our companionship only covers one ward but the boundaries are fairly large. There's a lot of less actives but even then we cover basically two cities. There's a ton of biking involved. We've made a couple forty-five minute bike rides so that's fun. I've basically been biking everyday so I've been getting all the exercise I need and more. 

Elder Settle is just amazing. He has been out for about a year and five months and he's been in Turlock for six months. Everyone in the ward knows him very well and it's very useful when meeting with them. He says the reason he loves doing missionary work is because he helps people so much. Its literally the only thing you do when talking with anyone is help them. He also loves his culture. He was born in New Zealand and with that he feels that it's his home despite living in Utah most of his life. His Aunt is also the Bearded Lady in The Greatest Showman! I had no idea until we were talking about it. Its awesome 

Honestly I do feel a little homesick just because I want to talk with everyone and have fun. I miss everyone but I know that Heavenly Father will bless everyone as much as he can and that comforts me. Hopefully he can also thaw everyone out of the mountains of snow back home! 

It was really freaky because I found the same pair of glasses in the church with an eyepatch next to it! I got a picture with it before we put them in the lost and found. 

I hope everyone has a great week and feels the blessings of our Father in Heaven.

Sincerely, 

Elder Robertson