Week 74 - The end of my Mission

I will just make this nice and simple because I WILL SEE Y'ALL ON THURSDAY WOW!!! Is this real life? Not sure but it doesn't feel like it. I feel like im in a dream. But I know ill be over the moon to see y'all!! I just have a lot of traveling before I get to that point.

I had my last baptism!!! What a FANTASTIC way to end my mission. She is one of the best people that I have known here to get baptized. She was so incredibly prepared and her story is one that I will never forget.

Angelica Maguad, and 18 year old young woman, has been beig prepared her whole life for a time that the missionaries of the true church of Jesus Christ would appear at her house and teach her the truth. There was never a moment she doubted the message we gave. She would always tell us that it "just sounded right." She really is a testimony that the spirit of Christ is preparing the souls of those who chose to follow the gospel of Jesus Christ even before this life. Her soul felt the familiar ring to the gospel she had already heard before she came to this earth. We met her through a member that had gotten baptized just earlier this year. It is her classmate and her friend and she always talks about her religion to others and Angelica was touched and wanted to know more. So her friend sent us. From the first lesson to the moment she got baptized, she soaked up the information we taught her like a sponge.

My favorite part of her story is when Sister Sta Barbara figured out she was going to get baptized and she needed to go on a mission. We, the previous time we went to her, had given her a pamphlet about the Plan of Salvation. We went back and just followed up on her reading if she had read it. Just to mention, usually we give these pamphlets to people and barely anyone actually reads it, let alone understands it. When we asked her if she had read it, we sat another 30 minutes amazed as she said yes and then proceeded to explain every detail of the plan of salvation to us. She explained everything from the premortal life until the three kingdoms of glory. Sister Sta Barbara and I just sat there with our jaws dropped. We barely had anything to add of our own to her explanation and testimony. She is amazing. She is brilliant. The moment we invited her to get baptized, she happily accepted and did everything she needed to do to prepare herself. When she was interviewed for her baptism, our district leader pulled out his pen to sign her baptismal record after the second question because he was so amazed at her spirit and her answers. He didn't even need to finish the interview, although he did, to know that Angelica was more than ready to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

The day of her baptism was absolutely beautiful. Her testimony was so amazing. I think her testimony as a new member was stronger than my testimony when I got on my mission!! She explained that she knows that this church is true because it is different than any other church she ever encountered.because only here were all of her questions of her soul answered. She felt from the very first time we taught her that we were teaching truth. She expressed that she knew this church is true because it is built on the foundation of a living prophet, living 12 apostles, and they hold the priesthood. She testified of the truthfulness of Russell M. Nelson and Joseph Smith and expressed her gratitude for our loving Heavenly Father who sent His only Begotten Son to save us all. Angelica is gold and how incredibly lucky we are to have gotten to help harvest this soul. We are hoping she serves a mission because she would be the best. We love Angelica so much!!!

Thats all ill say right now but ill tell yall everything else on thursday!! it was way sad saying goodbye this week. like super. but its just a see you later not a goodbye. I  will be coming back to Negros(: I LOVE YALL!!

Sister Robertson

I love these two so much. I'm incredibly heartbroken to leave them.

angelica the elect

elder cardona got to baptize her!

angelica's baptism!!! with her mom and her brother

all these people came to church to say goodbye to me... ahhh i miss them already

AHHH GOODBYES ARE HARD. these people are getting baptized but i wont be able to be there:(

angelica is now officially confirmed a member!!

two RM's in the branch. more goodbyes:(

the hardest goodbye

Week 73 - See you next week!

This week was a very busy one just as usual. I got to go to the departure meetings which made everything feel so real that I am actually going home super soon. There was a family home evening on Monday and then I slept in Bacolod and then on Tuesday, it was like all day of people talking about our plans going home and how to move back into the world of technology and dating and everything that we really haven't dealt with for 18 months. We set a lot of goals and talked about all the ways we can keep up daily discipleship even though we have gone home and don't get to wear a nametag on our chests every day. It was good but I'm gonna be real it was really weird to do all that and then realize I had  two weeks left cause they geared it towards the fact that our mission was done but for us leaving for school, we still had two weeks left. But it was good because it reminded me of how much I need to give my all to these last two weeks in the field. (Now it's only 1 week left in the field WHAA)

So yeah this week was kind of just a week of trying to give my all and trying to figure out how I feel that I literally only have a week left in the field and only a couple more weeks in the Philippines. Aw man am I heartbroken but God has been helping me find ways to accept it and just be incredibly thankful for my time here that he has given me. Now it is in His plan for me to go home and start on a different mission!

Sorry but just like dad said, I have an urgency or want to just make these letters short and tell you all everything when I get home in personal, so my letters have been short lately. I just feel like telling it in person sounds so much better(: But this last week we did get to prepare Angelica, an 18 year old GENIUS, for her baptism. She is so spiritually matured and wow we have just over enjoyed our time teaching her. She will get baptized this Saturday- my last Saturday on my mission. What a fantastic way to end my mission! She is seriously so prepared, I can't even describe how amazing she is. She is one of my favorite people I have taught on my mission. Everytime she answers our questions, Sister Sta Barbara and I just sit there with our jaws dropped amazed at how well she understands the gospel and deep doctrine. Seriously, I have absolutely loved teaching her and I can't wait to see her accept the gospel through baptism by water and by the Holy Ghost! What a great work I am a part of!!

And this next week is CRAZY CRAZY busy with us in Bacolod today and then coming right back tomorrow and wednesday for MLC. Then I will just be spending this week saying goodbye to everyone so for sure it will be crazy rollercoaster of a week, but I just want to enjoy every moment and soak it all up for my last week in the field. I love you all and am so excited to see you all!! It's so close!! SEE Y'ALL NEXT WEEK!!

With all my love,

Sister Robertson

Me and Sta Barbara

Beautiful Sunsets here

Week 72 - Staying in La Carlota

Well, it's officially transfer day. I did not transfer so thank goodness for that so I can spend my last two weeks in La Carlota with the people I love and with the companion I love. But I have been scared of this day for a very long time because this means I only have 2 weeks left in the field. Wow. Where in the world did time go? I feel like I just got here but now I'm going home? That's crazy. I heard dad bore his testimony and talked a lot about me so I know y'all are over the moon excited to see me again, I am also very excited to hug all of you and to see the people y'all have become in 18 months and for y'all to see the person I have become through giving my whole soul to the Lord for 18 months.

This week has been crazy busy but a very happy week. I really keep getting happier and happier in the work of the Lord. Honestly, it hasn't sunk in that my time is almost up in the Philippines but I know it will break my heart if not now, the minute I get onto that plane. I love these people more than my life and I can't imagine leaving them. I know that my time as a full-time missionary has to end but it's way sadder to me that my time with the Filipino people has to end. I have come to love these people as my own. I am also thankful for modern technology that makes the world so much smaller that I will be able to talk to them when I come home. But of course it's not the same as being with them.

I have less and less to report every week as I get close to coming home because a part of me just wants to wait and tell you all in person! But this week, we were able to extend 4 baptismal dates to 4 people to help them become closer to accepting the waters of baptism. We are really focusing in our mission on extending baptismal dates only when the spirit directs us to. So we haven't had any for awhile but this week the spirit was strong and let us extend to 4 people! They will probably all get baptized after I leave, but that just goes to show that the song titled "It's Not About You" is so true. The whole mission really isn't about me. Everything I do here is so that others will come closer to Jesus Christ. I eat to have nourishment to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ to people. I sleep to have enough energy to go out and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. Literally everything. I don't study with myself in mind, but rather others so that I know how to better help them come closer to Jesus Christ. What a wonderful opportunity I have here to forget myself and get lost in the work. I love every day I have here and I had a really fun week.

Today I am in Bacolod because I will be attending the Family Home Evening for those departing in December. Tomorrow, I have the Departure Devotional as well so it'll all get real really fast. And then I will probably start packing this week and get all my letters done so that next week I can just focus on saying goodbye to all the people I love and I can just work my tail off to end my mission the best! If y'all want to pray that I will be able to be healthy and energized enough to give my all to these next two weeks, I would appreciate that.

That's all I can think of right now. I love yall so much and will see yall in a short 2 and a half weeks!

Sister Robertson

if anyone wonders what cacao looks like when it isnt chocolate this is it!

sister kalamafoni!!

The gals (:

happy because we aren't transferring

if i had room in my luggage these would be the people i would take home with me!!!

we went to a mall named Ayala and it had the biggest christmas tree!!

house bonding in bacolod!

my other child sister gepulla!!!

here is an old map of negros

museum!! some mask things. Negros is famous for their masks

here is a better picture of the video i sent a few weeks of the burning sugarcane field after they harvest and right before they plant more