February 26, 2018 - Sweet Week with an Interesting Day!

This last Tuesday we had Zone Conference. It was my first actual Zone Conference because the one last transfer was a talent show. Zone Conferences are sweet! It's a time where all of the missionaries get together and learn! Our Mission President and some of his assistants do a bunch of training. So much to learn from those zone conferences. This whole last week it has been pretty cold and rainy but it makes things more fun! A member in my ward told me that for every time you go out and work in the rain while on your mission your wife gets hotter. So maybe I ought to go out in the rain more haha. Yesterday (Sunday) was a very interesting day but it was one of the best days. For church it was Stake Conference. The heat was out in our building so everybody was bundled up in blankets but we never got the memo about that. But the Stake Conference broadcast went out and so it turned into a testimony meeting with about 4 wards there. It was so awesome and I learned so much from lots of the stories told. Elder Ward told me I should get up but they cut people off and ended it earlier. There was a line for people wanting to bear their testimonies. Maybe one day I'll get up there....

We had a great meeting with two of our investigators, Heather and her dad Ron. Hopefully both of them will be on date to be baptized soon! Some more of our investigators Skip and Jina have been doing so awesome this past week. Jina is already a member and Skip should have a baptismal date later tonight and a wedding date too for them! The Gospel of Jesus Christ had been changing their lives! Then we had a lesson with a new investigator named Charlie. (Met him outside of his house.  He's a super cool guy!) He is amazing and has such a strong faith in Christ. He loves meeting with us and we love meeting with him. Last night we put him on baptismal date for March 24th! So excited! The kids I baptized a couple of weeks ago have been doing amazing and are loving church even when it's freezing cold in there. Their parents are making progress. The dad will have a baptismal date set tonight and hopefully mom is soon to follow! (The parents have told us the impact that we have had on their lives and I have seen the change in all of them!)

This next Saturday we get transfer calls. I'm hoping I don't leave because I love the people here but I'll go where the Lord wants me too. I absolutely love it here in Oregon. It’s so beautiful. Even though some of the people are rude, the one who are nice to you are the ones I’ll remember in the end Sorry I don't have any pictures from this last week. 

Love you all! 
-Elder Robbins

Other info from Tyler:)

• Our ward is one of the best wards:) They spoil us with a ton of food and we have dinners every night. I've been very blessed to have this as my fist area. Brother  Graham, the ward mission leader has taught me so much since I've been here. It's going to be hard once I have to leave but I know that the Lord will put me where he needs me. 
• I've learned so much this past transfer and I think I'm starting to figure out how this missionary thing works lol.
• I've realized this last week that you are always going to have and impact on other people. You are always being watched.
• I always heard that while your on your mission you'll be tired for 2 years straight and I think it's true...
• I hope I don't get transferred because Elder Ward and I have been getting along really well but President Tateoka likes to move missionaries around a lot. He's an amazingly smart guy though so he's got it figured out! haha.
• I've got a lot more confident since I've been out here. Not in a cocky way but I have more trust in myself that I can accomplish the things that I need to do.
• Through God's help we can overcome obstacles sooner. I have seen this first hand. When our investigators are doing the things they need to (church read and pray) their attitudes are completely different they treat each other differently and just how they look and act is so much better. It really does make an impact. 
• Everybody has a lot to improve on. One thing I've realized while I've been out here is that Christ could have just come and performed the atonement and then left but he was here for 30 something years and met people and made an impact on them. He was baptized and did many other things. He set the example for us and that is what he has been trying to make us into. 
• I don't remember any of the testimonies from yesterday but one got me thinking about a boy scout trip I took up to Yellowstone a couple of years ago. the stories goes like this and I'm sorry if it's long but I promise I have a reason for telling you it!

So I believe I was 14 years old and we went to Yellowstone for this boy scout trip (Steve was also on this trip). And I remember it was July 19-24th because we were there over my birthday. Basically what happens is we go to this lake and our plan is to canoe across this lake up a river a couple of miles and then half way across another lake and then we are going to camp at the upper lake. Now remember we are all a bunch of 14 and 15 year old boys, so we are kind of crazy. But we head out across this lake and we get out about half way and we notice that these two boys were struggling to paddle and keep up. So the leaders split me and my buddy and one of us went in their canoe and one of those boys came over in my canoe. Now this was difficult because we were still on the water and canoes aren't very stable. We almost dumped it but we didn't. So we head across the lake again and my new partner sucks at paddling... I was getting so frustrated with him because I was doing all the work and he would just sit there most of the time. Then we got to the river and we had to paddle up it until we couldn't anymore then we had to get out and walk a couple of miles up the river pulling our canoes and the water was cold but it was so fun! Then we made it to our camp site. On our way back after a couple of days it was easy to go down the river and it was so fun! But when we got to the lower lake there were huge waves everywhere that would just come over the front of the canoe and eventually would have sank us. So it forced us to pull over and we were sitting there for a while and then we had the idea to say a prayer. So 14 boys and leaders all got in a circle freezing cold and said a prayer. We waited a little longer, then we went on our way. The waves hadn't got any better but we went anyways. We had the idea to stay close to the bank and just go quickly. As we were going about half way across, the wind started to die down and the waves weren't wanting to kill us anymore. Then near the end the wind ended up pushing us and we made it back safely.

I could tell the story much better in person but the moral of that storiy is that the blessings don't come until after the trial of our faith. We could have waited on that bank all day and night but nothing would have changed. But because we trusted that God would protect us, we went on our way with that faith and hope that he would deliver. So remember whenever you are going through a hard time and wondering why isn't the Lord doing what you have asked of him see where your faith in him doing it lies. I remember Brother Jolley in the MTC saying to have "stupid faith" or "stupid hope". And I absolutely love it. Because Christ has always worked by faith. Whenever he is about to heal someone, he asks if they have faith to be healed. God works through faith still. God is the same yesterday today and forever. So always have "stupid faith"!

February 19, 2018 - Make The Little Things Count

McDonalds! Elders Eldredge, Robbins, Ward & Allen

This last sacrament meeting a girl gave a talk but she read a story. I couldn't find it so I'm just going to say what I remember from it. I learned a ton from it though. The story was about this miracle man and the people got so excited because he was coming. They expected this great man dressed in white but down comes this man in raggedy clothes holding a chicken. He rents the crappiest house and people don't believe that he could be the miracle man. The house that he rents has a bunch of stones out front and is super run down, but everyday he would get a stone from out front and polish it then trade it for some flower seeds and he would plant them. And he would get 1 egg that the chicken laid and trade it for some food for him and the chicken. 3 people came to him at different points throughout the days and asked him how they could become happier. He gave all 3 of them very simple advice and it all had to do with helping others. The people were mad because they were expecting him to work miracles for them. They were mad yet they still did what he'd asked  them to do and their lives were blessed because of it. And they blessed others lives who then passed it on. The town became a much more efficient town and the people were much happier because of what he had done. He then made them realize that he had done nothing but plant seeds. He used his home as an example. After polishing stones everyday and planting flowers, the stones disappeared and the flowers grew and it was a beautiful home.

We can all be like the miracle man or the people he helped. We all have the ability to do more. Every single one of us can work miracles in our own ways, we just need to serve others. I learned that is what true happiness is, serving others.

This past week has been a great week. We had a lot of lessons and have been talking to a lot of people on the streets! I'm loving my mission out here in Oregon. Today for p-day we went and hiked Silver Falls and it was soooo pretty. I hope you all have a great week and thanks for all of the support!
 -Elder Robbins

Silver Falls

SNOW!!!

P-Day Spike Ball

Book of Mormon challenge: The last talk that President Monson gave to us was about the Book of Mormon and how important it is to read it. The book of Mormon can help you and can also help give you guidance. I know I study it a lot but some of my investigators really struggle with reading because it takes up a lot of time. But we asked them to read just start by reading one verse a day but they read and that's the important thing. The change that I have see in their lives is amazing. Try to read a little bit everyday! It only takes one verse to change your day into a great day! 

February 12, 2018 - What to write?

So I'm really not sure what to write about.... so here it goes This past week the weather was super nice outside so we were outside all week! we talked to a ton of people and found a lot of new investigators! it was a super good week. we had a super cool experience happen the other day. We were walking out of one of our investigators home that we were talking with and there was this guy across the street we went and gave him a pamphlet that talks about our church but then didn't pursue it too much. We had the impression to go back and give him a Book of Mormon so we did. Turns out he had just got out of prison and his cell mate was a Mormon and had been teaching him about our religion and he had already read some of the Book of Mormon!! golden investigator! It was sweet because he was the one who asked if we could meet.

The Book of Mormon has so much power to it. I have almost finished it once since being out on my mission and it has changed y life and I know it can change yours too! also the parents of the kids we baptized last Saturday their dad is figuring out a date to be baptized and the mom is too! I am so excited for them! anyway I'm pretty much out of stuff to talk about so have a great week you all! -Elder Robbins

February 5, 2018 - BAPTISM WEEK!

Fresh hair cut!  And dinner with a member:)

This past week was soooooo busy but we got so much done! We had lessons every day and were busy with that. We cleaned off and redid a rotten deck. It's so moist here that after 10 years just by stepping on it it would about break through. And the best part was the baptism! The baptism took a lot of preparation, we had to call a lot of people so everything would be ready for them! I had the opportunity to baptize all three of them! My favorite part about the whole thing is that on my fourth day here in the mission field Elder Pouwer and I found them! They ended up being 40 minutes late for the baptism but they made it at least! The parents aren't ready yet to be baptized yet but they are soon to follow! I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to show them the gospel but also to learn so much from them.

When I first came out here I was expecting to change lives. I've realized that the only life I'm changing is my own but I have the opportunity to show others where theirs could be. As I have learned more and grown further in the church, I have learned how much of a blessing it is to be involved in it. It has changed my life immensely and I am so thankful for that. I've had the opportunity to see it bring families closer together and that's why God sent us down here. To learn and grow but the best way to learn is through our families.  I hope you all have a great week! Love you all!  -Elder Robbins

FROG!

Some daily planning

Other info this week:
- It's soo green here I miss the mountains though
- I miss my truck haha. It's hard not being able to work on it at times because that's how I relieved my stress and I'm still trying to figure out how to do that out here. But I wouldn't want to be anywhere else either haha. I have learned so much and can't wait to keep on learning. 
- I have been making a tie haha. There is a blanket that was in the apartment that had been here forever so I'm making one out of it! It's almost done and it looks pretty good too!
- Growth doesn't happen when we are comfortable and I have for sure learned that while I have been out here. 
I'm doing really good. I have been tired but that means you are working hard! 
- For church, We just go to whatever one we want haha we move around. We help out sometimes. We teach gospel doctrines some weeks.
- Didn't watch the Superbowl but heard all about it though from the people we were at dinner with 
- We went and played Frisbee golf this morning there is a course right across from our apartment. And now we are at the church hanging out with some other elders. It's been a pretty good day! 

Monzo Family

Skip

Gina