Week 67 - We got robbed

Oh my. What a week. How do I even start? Well I guess I will start with how my week started.

I got a new companion on transfer day. Her name is Sister Clark and she is from Oregon. She is awesome and a ton of fun. We laughed a lot this week and had some really fun experiences. On other news, she is no longer my companion. She was my companion for a short 6 days because our week got crazy real fast.

I'll make this story shorter than it is for two reasons.. 1. To not freak everyone out and 2. Because it's a reallllyyyy long story and my fingers would get too tired haha. So basically our house here got robbed. They took a lot of things but things are things and our lives were preserved so that's a blessing. They only got in through the window because they could not come in through the door or maybe they were too scared too cause they must have known we all sleep in the living room so they would have woken us all up if so. But anyways, they took a lot of money, a camera, a wallet, a small bag, and a speaker. I did not lose anything but 3 of the people who are in my house got things stolen from them. The one who got the most stolen was the new trainee that had arrived literally the night before that then woke up her first morning in the field to all her stuff gone. We all feel so bad for her. But yeah the other part of the story is they have come back to 'visit' us three more times, so as of now, there have been Relief Society sisters sleeping IN our apartment and Priesthood holders are being paid to sit OUTSIDE of our house while we sleep. And there have been locks added and changed out and there are more grills being put on our windows AND we are searching for a new house to move into. There were multiple trips taken to the police station, and I made friends with one of the guys in prison hahha. We taught them the gospel so that was fun. The past few nights I have only gotten like 5 hours of sleep due to all the commotion of everything so my body and spirit are very exhausted but all is well. I am okay and I am safe and lots of precautions are being taken so don't worry about me. Only prayers are needed that's all.

That pretty much filled up my whole week. We had another successful attendance at church which was happy but at that point I was pretty distraught from everything that had happened the last few days so I probably didn't get to enjoy it as much as I could have. Mary Vic's baptism along with her two girls is getting very close and we are more than excited for that! Well at least I am because Sister Sta Barbara hasn't even met her yet cause she just got here on Sunday at 3 pm. It's been a whirlwind of a week but yesterday, President Sumagpao and his wife were sitting in our house and talking with us about our situation and Sister Sumagpao went around the room and asked what we had all learned from all that's happened and it was cool to hear the insights of all of us sisters. I said just what is in my subject line, "If we have faith, there is no fear." That is something I learned in the MTC and I haven't forgotten it. It's crazy to me that if I have fear, I am not having faith in the perfect plan of God. So that is really what I felt throughout this whole experience. There were very few times I felt fear because I just kept feeling the peace that Jesus Christ offers. Of course I feel an urgency to take caution but I just felt peace that God would take care of me. I know He is watching over all of us and there are lots of people praying for us so I have no doubt we will be protected. And I will carry around a whistle for extra caution(: I have faith in God's plan and I know that nothing bad will happen to me if I am following his commandments strictly. I love this work and I will give my all to these next 7 weeks and truly run through the finish line. Send your prayers for the La Carlota sisters!! We can never have too many prayers!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Sister Robertson

us at the police station with our friend we talked to while waiting for news about the robbery

Sister Gepulla!! we got to go on exchanges and i was so happy

my companions for a day when i had no companion. you can just see how distraught i was hahha

then it flooded

the sweet relief society sisters that slept at our house

us riding in a police car.. yeah they are way different here in the philippines hahha

the police which came at 3 am

here's how it looked from the outisde

here is how it looked from the inside

the police investigating the scene. i felt like i was in psych haha

the bed we made for the priesthood holders staying at our house

the scene was really pretty but my camera didnt do a great job at capturing it

Week 66 - I stayed!!

YAY!!! My dreams have come true and I get to STAY in La Carlota, but I am a little sad over here too because they took my companion from me:( We thought that if ANYONE was gonna transfer it would have been me and if I didn't transfer, neither of us would. But the unexpected yet again has taken place and I stayed and Sister Baczuk transferred to Cadiz up north (which is the area that she came from before she came to La Carlota). But now my new companion is Sister Clark and she will probably be my last companion here in the field considering this is now officially my last complete transfer in the mission AH time is too fast.

Other news- Sister Gepulla who I follow-up trained, CAME to my house so now she is companions with someone in our house and I am so happy. I don't think a better thing could have happened here. She is my best friend here on the mission and I literally thought we were not going to be able to see each other again before she went home and NOW we get to be together every day before I go home YAY! Seriously God is so gracious. So yeah this transfer is one I especially need to focus on giving my all 1- because it's my last and I need to run through the finish line and 2- because God granted wishes of mine so I need to show him how thankful I am through giving Him EVERYTHING this last transfer. Holy smokes guys I can't believe I come home in 2 months. I am totally freakin out!!! Time FLIES in the Lord's vineyard.

This week, Sister Baczuk got pretty sick for a few days this week and we couldn't work so I got to clean the house a lot and clean my bed sheets and stuff so that was fun hhaha. But the other half of the week was SO good! Oh my goodness there were just no end to the miracles we saw. We got to do some exchanges too and then I got stressed over my head about transfers and I had a mental breakdown but all is well. We had 8 of the people we teach come to church which is the biggest miracle ever. We have been struggling for a long time to get people to come to church, like even though they would be reading the Book of Mormon everyday and praying and keeping all their commitments but coming to church just felt so impossible for them. But we saw and witnessed miracles yesterday and then Sister Baczuk got extra sad that she wouldn't be able to see all these people through, but of course the plan of God is perfect and she knows that.

I don't know if I have told y'all about them, but the Aponte family finally came to church which was the best feeling in the world. Dexter and Rose Aponte are married and they have two kids that are young still. They are both teachers (which here in the Philippines is the busiest job someone can have and they have no time to even breathe). But from the very moment we met them, they ate the gospel up like it was food their soul hungered for. They understand the doctrine so well and just really want to get sealed in the temple as a family forever. They have been trying to come to church for so long but every time, there was something that unexpectedly came up and they couldn't make it but this last Sunday, THEY CAME!! And they loved it. The minute they walked into the church, everyone knew them and everyone, as in everyone, fellowshipped them and just got so excited. It was so fun to watch and enjoy that we didn't have to work hard for him to feel comfortable, but rather the members did our work for us. I loved it and he immediately said he wanted to come back next week. So if all y'all back home could add the Aponte family into your prayers, I would love that. And they would too(:

That's all I got. Sorry my letters are shorter now because I no longer have the keyboard, but it's okay cause anything I miss out on, I'll just tell you all in person in 2 months!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!

Sister Robertson

this is the most filipino picture ive taken my whole mission. here is a bunch of filipino women working in a rice field holding umbrellas so they are protected from the sun. they were only working with one hand so they could hold their umbrellas

my family aw

this is us eating on the floor thought yall would like to see

the gals(: hahha sister baczuk's eyes hurt so she looks like a blind woman but its okay

sunday best

my tongan friend sister kalamafoni!

my love sister dansie she is so sweet and lovely

Week 65 - Modern Revelation Continues

Hello family! What and uplifting week it was! General Conference was awesomeeeee. I loved it so much and am STOKED for the next general conference! We HAVE to get tickets! 

Also this week I got to go on exchanges with Sister Tagpuno!!! My trainee!! That was sooo fun. It was so cool and fun to see the progress she has made and how strong she is right now. I was a proud trainer for sure. I would just sit back and listen to her teach and focus on how much she has grown. It was so fun also to be back with her. I love her so much and really think the world of her and it felt like old times again. It was cool too cause she got to see how much I have improved as well. I had a great time(: I love my trainee!!

My story this week is the cool miracle of Mary Joy. She is a member of Iglesia ni Cristo and for the longest time has been fighting herself over where the truth is. She has come to church before at our church but was kind of discourages because it was kind of loud when she came and ideas were contradicting at that time. But we have kept visiting her and we showed her the video of Joseph Smith's first vision and she said "Sisters I felt it" She explained that as Joseph Smith saw the light descending upon him her whole body got goosebumps and she felt the power and truth of the scene. Then she finally came to church again even though she didn't have anyone with her, and she got to watch a session of General Conference. It was the perfect session for her to watch cause it answered allll her questions!!! She was crying a lot of the time and you could just see the light in her eyes. We are excited to follow up with her because we really believe she felt the truth!! 

This week of General Conference as I said was the best!! The spirit was so strong as I listened to our living Prophet and his apostles talk to us. I loved the talk about sharing the gospel (f course cause I am a missionary) in simple ways. I remember he told the one story about the girl who always was smiling. She just made it a goal to smile at everyone and let them see how happy she is. This one time she was sitting on a bench when a guy walked up to her and said "What are you smiling about?" And she simply just said "I am smiling because I am happy." And he asked "Well what are you so happy about?" And she simply and boldly proclaimed, "I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and that makes me happy." And then she simply invited him to church on Sunday, in which he did come. I just love that story because as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we can feel joy in any circumstance. We can have joy because we know God's plan is perfect and Jesus Christ's Atonement is complete. We know that because of and through Jesus Christ, we can return to our loving Heavenly Parents once again as families. That definitely makes me happy. That definitely is the reason that no matter how hard missions get, I seem to end the day with a smile because I know that I am giving that same happiness to other families here in the Philippines. I love this gospel. It's true. Our Savior gave up his life for us and then rose again the third day, so that we can do the same. I want to give my life to my Savior for that is what he has done for me. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on the earth. I know it's true and I will not and can not ever deny it.

Also this week I finished the Book of Mormon again!! I have a goal to read it one more time before I go home so y'all should do it with me!! I love the ending of the Book of Mormon. Every time I have finished it, I have redone the commitment and promise that Moroni gives to all of us and I love every time I get a reassurance the the Book of Mormon is true and contains the fullness of the gospel. I got a clear answer as I kneeled to pray if the book is true that it is without a doubt true! I love that book with all my heart and everyone in the whole world needs to read it!! 

Well this Saturday is transfer calls so pray for me lots and lots because I have super anxiety over it because I really don't want to transfer and I feel like this is going to be a hard week waiting for it so I need prayers!!! 

I love you all. I miss you all.

Sister Robertson

here is my friend

my child!!! i love sister tagpuno

my district(: the two white elders are my batch

my filipino family with my child!

the Catin's family's goat had two babies!! so cuteeee

okay so this was a burger at a place named Zark's and it was one of the best burgers i have ever had!! it was kind of like a hopdoddy's burger but way less expensive. soooo good

Week 64 - BACOLOD TEMPLE!!!

Magandang umaga pamilya. Sana mabuti ang lahat dyan sa inyo!

OH MY GOSH FAMILY AH AH AH AH I CANNOT EVEN EXPRESS HOW HAPPY I AM AND WE ARE HERE IN THE BACOLOD MISSION THAT WE ARE GETTING A TEMPLE AHHHH WHEN WE HEARD YESTERDAY THERE WERE TEARS SHED AND SCREAMS LET OUT AND WE WERE JUMPING UP AND DOWN!!!! So yeah you could say yesterday was the BEST DAY OF MY MISSION!!! There is no other more successful feeling than to be a missionary and hear it announced that there will be a TEMPLE added to your mission!! We have not stopped telling EVERYONE members and nonmembers alike. Anyways, I am the HAPPIEST girl ever. I have never loved news more in my life.

But yeah this week was crazyyyy busy! We started off with leaving on Monday night to go to Bacolod cause we stayed overnight in Bacolod so we didn't have to get up super early on Tuesday for Mission Leadership Council. Then on tuesday we had our MLC which Prsident Sumagpao focused a lot on obedience and how pride gets in the way of all obedience and humility. He is really trying to build this mission after how the Lord would build and run His mission if He were here today. He focused a lot on how we can do things our own way and may come out successful sometimes, or we can do things in the Lord's way and come out successful 100% of the time. It really helped me contemplate on how I can be stripped of pride and it made me think of that scripture in Alma 5 that simply asks if we are stripped of pride and if we were to be called to die right now, if we are ready. It really helps me think about where I am in my life and if I would be ready to stand in front of God with a clean heart.

I shared that principle in one of our lessons to three of the people we teach that have been taught for a long time but don't seem to really GET why we give them commitments to keep. I asked them if they were ready to face God if they died tomorrow and they all said no and then I was able to help them understand that the only way for them to feel comfortable in God's presence is to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ. It reminds me of Brad Wilcox' talk named 'His Grace is Sufficient' where he talks about how we often think of "judgement day" as God checking off on a clipboard and adding up points to see if we 'made it' or 'had enough points' to get into heaven. Sometimes we imagine ourselves as begging Him to let us into heaven and to forgive us for our few points short of enough just to get in. But Brad Wilcox explains that it won't be US begging to get into heaven. If we are not worthy enough to get into the Celestial Kingdom, it will be us begging to get OUT OF heaven because we won't feel comfortable in his presence. He explains it way better so go read that talk but it's something I think often about. I want to live in such a way that I will feel comfortable in the presence of my Father in Heaven because if we are falling short and not following his commandments, we will beg not t be in His presence for longer than needed. And that is the message I relayed t these children of God we were teaching and they really understood it and want o change their life and start being serious about the gospel.

Then we had exchanges which were a VERY positive experience!! And I wore pants this week so that was exciting and hot but very protective and I am a fan! Go pants! I got to be with Sister Zollinger who is about to go home in a few weeks and I learned sooo much from her. We worked really well together and really enjoyed being super bold with love to the people we taught AND that family that we received that cool referral about when we had taught her already when we received the text with the referral in it, THEY RECEIVED A BAPTISMAL DATE!!! I felt really prompted to give them one (there is three of them- a mom and two daughters) and they totally accepted and are really excited to progress towards that because we taught them a lesson about temples and how they can be with their family forever. Mary Vic's (the mom) husband passed away a few years ago so she absolutely loved the lesson when we told her he still has the chance o receive the gospel and be sealed to her for time and all eternity. So that is why they want to get baptized- so they an be sealed as a family. So the Alimana family will hopefully get baptized on November 1 so everyone pray that I stay in this area to witness it!!!

Then we had Zone Conference, and a lot of announcements were announced!! The Philippines Bacolod Mission is officially getting smart phones!! wow!! But it will probably be after I leave so I won't get to experience it but that's big news. And then I heard about the huge announcement that omen and children can now witness at baptisms which is crazy awesome!! So I am praying I get to, with Sister Baczuk, witness the Alimana family's baptism. It will be cool now that I get to be a participant in the baptisms now!! I love it! And then apparently they just upped the standards to housing in all missions, where they ALL require air conditioning and water heaters WOAH so fancy!! So that means we all need to get the landlord's to start working on all of our houses as they are required to have those things. Again, may not be able to see that with my own eyes but exciting news nonetheless!!

Also, I have been reading Jesus the Christ for the second time and I just loveee it so much because it reminds me of how perfect the gospel of Jesus Christ is and how perfect our Savior is. I read about how God knows everything and has everything planned out to a T and I really enjoyed learning about our agency as people. God does not control us. He still gives us our agency, he just knows perfectly how our life will roll out because he knows us perfectly. Just as a father knows his child and see his weaknesses and how that may affect him in the future and what trials he may face because of the weaknesses he holds. This does not mean that the father is the one causing these trials if they happen, it just means he saw it coming. Just as our Father in Heaven does as well, but God knows us PERFECTLY so he knows perfectly how we will fall short and how we will make mistakes. He knows our weaknesses perfectly, because he gave them to us, and knows exactly what kind of trials we will face because he knows us exactly. That does not mean HE is the one to make all those things happen, it just means he knew what was coming. Anyways, it is explained way more beautifully in Jesus the Christ, but I just love that analogy because it makes so much sense to me. We still have our agency because God loves us, and he loves us enough to let us choose good and evil so we can experience, just as He did once, mortality and imperfection. After all, if we could not feel sorrow, we could not feel happiness either. So thank goodness there is heartache in this world because it makes the joys of life so much sweeter!!

This week, there has been some pretty heavy responsibilities on my shoulders as a Sister Training Leader, so let's just say I have a new respect for all bishops. Especially my dad! It's been a heavy week emotionally just dealing with some heavy problems of some other sisters that have been relying on me and who President put into my hands to help them. But I have seen as I have fulfilled and magnified my responsibility, I have been strengthened and the Lord has helped me to be qualified for the work!

But it was also a very uplifting week and I enjoyed myself very much. I am excited to video call with y'all later. We will be in Bacolod today shopping for backpacks and taking care of some things here so may not be able to talk for veryyyy long, but I love y'all and am excited nonetheless. I miss you all tons and tons and we are singing a lot of Christmas songs here in the Philippines and it gets me a little excited for Christmas at home with my family(: But still super sad I am leaving but I get home at a pretty awesome time to be with my family. I can't wait to apply the Light The World campaign here in the mission it sounds awesomeeee!! I love this gospel and I love this work!!

Have a fantastic week fam!!
Sister Robertson

i ate this. this is sugarcane

PANTS

exchanges with sister zollinger! this is a sketchy bridge in my area and dad would die crossing it it is so unstable

this is tatay rodolfo (my filipino dad) getting us sugarcane to try from the newly harvested sugarcane field

it was riza's birthday so we celebrated!

i saw sister regacho right before she is going home! aw man so sad

my housemates at zone conference

mary vic and her kids came to church for the first time!!! happy day!

proof that september is the start to christmas in the philippines