Week 102

MAOPAY NA KALOP SA BUONG MUNDO

Hello peoples. Musta mo? I got transferred! I'm back in Samar! I'm excited to keep working here as it's been half a week here in Calbayog! My companion is Elder Fernandez and my kabahay is Elder Bullo and Elder Theurer. They're awesome. The house was a little messy when we arrived but nothing this pday didn't fix. We cleaned a lot and were able to get most everything neat and tidied up. The area we are in doesn't have any progressing people and the maps are all wrong. But we have seen many miracles. Here's one exactly that we sent to the Zone!...

"Maopay na aga Elders and Sisters! Ini an daily miracle namon kakulop!

Yesterday afternoon we went to a far area to find a member and interested friend. They were both punted/ we couldn't find them. We decided to go finding and we went into a village and 5 min later we stopped at a house and started talking to a sister. She originally said she was busy, but then it started raining and she said we could come inside. As we talked, we found out she was a part member (her family are all members but she's not) and we had a great BRT and little lesson! We really felt the Spirit during that time. By the end she was asking when we could come back!!!

There's always opportunities that the Lord has prepared for us everywhere. Keep looking for miracles Elders and Sisters! And feel free to share as well!"

The Lord has prepared a way for all to accomplish the things He has asked of us. I like what a great missionary said here: that as we use our agency to choose God and not ourselves or our wants, God will use us and we will have the confidence that we are being guided. This is especially what we need right now as we are in a challenging situation. 

My biggest focus and want right now is to be an instrument for the Lord. To be an instrument that the Lord wants to use (musical instrument, I'm thinking trumpet in this scenario). Then we need constant care for it, use it often and shine and clean it,.. why? Because out of all the trumpets in the world we need to be as clean as can be so the Lord can use us and also be shiny for the rest of the world to see and listen to the beautiful sound of God's love for them.

And God will use us if we choose to and prepare ourselves everyday to be an Instrument in the Lord's hands. It's been a great week and I hope the best week for you all. Love you all and remember that Heavenly Father loves you more than anyone. Think of ways to share this love this season! One thing we did was sing a Christmas song for the Branch on Sunday. It was one simple way of spreading the Joy of Christ. 

Hinay kam pirme! Lublub.

Temple Taxi

Week 101

Ako moadto ug mobuhat sa mga butang nga ang Ginoo nag sugo.

Hello my beloved friends and families around the world. I write to you this day of my adventures across the sea in the tropical Philippines. Our purpose is greater than any other, to bring others to the truth of Jesus Christ. He is our Redeemer, Savior, and King. And that only through His eternal invitations can we gain the blessings of eternity. It is amazing to think with all He has and is doing, our purpose in His whole plan. He really wants us "to become all He is." - Brad Wilcox. 

So everything we do must have a purpose? Well surprisingly our choices have outcomes, even eternal. It also depends what purpose we have. There are infinite possibilities of choices and outcomes. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God's plan for us to receive eternal blessings. If our purpose is centered on Jesus Christ. We will make the Eternal decisions necessary for eternal blessings! So many have inspired me as well about this. 

My 2 favorite speakers of this are Jesus Christ and our living Prophet, Russel M. Nelson. Our Prophet has said simply, Think Celestial! And of course the writer of His message, Jesus Christ, had said long ago for our purpose to be with an eye single to His Glory. If our eye is single on something it means we are headed towards it or it's our sole focus. Why would the Lord provide a destination (His Glory) without allowing us to arrive? I know God loves us and has given us a way to become all He is. Let us focus our purposes on Christ and His glory and then he will support and provide. 

This week we had many miracles and were able to set a baptismal date for sister Evangaline! This Jan 11. Sister Chin² passed the interview and will be baptized this Saturday and then Sister Charito will be baptized the next Saturday. I am very excited for them and am grateful for all the Lord has helped us with, and that we were so privileged to be a part of their conversion. 

I will be transferred so won't be able to witness their baptisms in person, but still excited!! I will be transferring to Calbayog City. In Samar. We are whitewashing (replacing both missionaries) and I will still be a Zone Leader and will be training Elder Fernandez on how to fulfil his assignment as a Zone Leader.  I was kind of worried about it but when I remembered what I talked about earlier I realized my purpose is the same. I just have to give my best for the Lord! 

I will miss Elder TaringTing. He is a great companion and friend! Here's his email if you want to send a friendly message to him. He is from Pampanga! Nicko. taringting@missionary.org . 

I also ate some great food! I can't wait to cook all these things for you. Especially rice! Amping ug kaon kanunay aron dili mamatay!

Week 100

Going Forward

Well I got back home! 

It has been quite an experience being back home, but I feel I am transitioning quite well. 

So last week ended with Shikoku Karst and pictures from that. We went to a member's house for dinner which was great. 

Tuesday was really my last day with a full day of missionary work. And we set our friend on date for baptism! Such a rewarding experience. She is set for the last Sunday of August. Her name is Sister Urata. So please pray for her! I was not expecting that experience at all, but it was a great blessing to have that on one of my last days in the field. We also had two members participate which was great. The member sister asked in the very beginning what she wanted to learn about and Sister Urata said baptism! So we taught about baptism and set a date together!

I also said my final goodbye to everyone on Tuesday night at our weekly ping pong activity. One family brought a friend from work and we had a great lesson afterwards! 

Wednesday was packing day. I sold the bike and we cleaned up the apartment. Elder Noda and I wanted to go streeting, but with all the packing and cleaning we actually didn't get any done. But we got the apartment nice for the next Elder, Elder Fairbanks. We then headed off to Okayama! We had a 4 hour and 40 minute train ride so I sent a ton of messages saying bye to all of our friends and branch members and telling them thanks. It was sad, but nice to be able to thank everyone. We then got to Okayama at around 8:50, ate dinner and then went to bed. 

Thursday was also crazy. I went with Elder Bennett (another Elder heading back to the states) to the office in Kobe. That took another 3 hours haha. We didn't have wifi, but we made it. We then went out to lunch with all the elders and got Kobe beef hamburgers, they were so good! We got our stuff in order: passports, mission phones, and money and then had our goodbye devotional! Then an amazing dinner with the Sano's and then a very long interesting conversation in bed with all the elders in the office ;).

Friday was the big travel day! Had breakfast and then got to the Itami Airport in Osaka. A family from Hanayashiki (Elder Eddington's area) came and the mother-in-law said that her grandson met me or that we were relatives. Haha I was so confused. But the family got there and they were actually relatives! Their names were the Robertsons :). So the dad is actually a fourth cousin of mine. Direct descendants of the same Robertson brothers that all converted to the Church a long time ago back in Scotland! Cool to see us meeting in Japan. We then flew to Tokyo, met the Halvorsons (so awesome!), and then I said bye to Elders Eddington and Bennett. They flew to Seattle and I flew to Atlanta. 

I made it a goal to practice being an everyday missionary while traveling and God blessed me with those opportunities! 

1. First flight talked to my seat buddy for an hour and got his LINE so we could text more!

2. Talked with this guy that has seen bunches of missionaries and we talked in the Atlanta airport about family history!

3. Talked to a Japanese couple about my service in Japan!

I got to Washington 1:30am on Saturday, SO late. It was amazing to see the family and it was great. We then woke up again early and drove to the stake center and I talked with my Stake President and got released. Then with my mom and dad went to the DC Temple. It was great to go to the temple again. I know that it is God's house!

Sunday was also amazing. Gave my homecoming talk and my friends Dan, Xander, Jordan, and Jacob were able to come. So grateful for that experience! It was just honestly great to see everyone at church and to catch up after 2 years. 

Now, I can't list everything I learned. I think I have just become what I have learned. My new habits, my new heart, my new way of thinking! It all came from Christ. So I plan on continuing to live this way. 

My mission ended with a lot less tears than I thought. I'm a softy ;). But I have been filled with peace and a sense of direction. Just merely another change. 

Thank you so much for reading all of these emails. I'm so grateful for this time as God's missionary and I'm grateful for my time as His servant hereafter. I'm so grateful for my parents and my family and leaders. I'm so grateful for the people of Arizona and Japan. My companions and others. The list can go on forever! 

I testify Christ lives! He leads His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Feel free to reach out anytime on my personal email

robertson.clark@gmail.com

OR my Facebook

Clark Robertson

Love you all! Thank you all for everything

Elder Robertson

Week 99

It's not the end!

Wow look at the email title! It's like I've been on a mission for a while or something 


. 

My cousin Katie Bartholomew said in her last email a couple months ago, "blink and you'll miss it!".

What a week! We exchanged in Matsuyama which went well and I got some fun pots :). And the biggest highlight was that we taught our friend Sister Urata and she wants to strive for baptism! It has been amazing to work in Uwajima with Elder Noda these past three months. Uwajima has about 75,000 people I think, but we worked a lot in 3 different categories. 

Streeting

Housing

Technology 

We streeted as much as we could and from walking from place to place. We also used media as a background finding tool so while we were working during the day our posts were up being seen by locals. We then started housing at the beginning of the transfer which has brought us a lot of leads and miracles. 

But as I have said before. God led Sister Urata to us by Facebook! What a blessing and a miracle!

We then had Eikaiwa (English class) which was great and then a lesson with a high schooler in our area who is going to BYU-H! We met again the next day and gave him an English Book of Mormon which he seemed to understand better.

On Saturday our Mission President came to release a missionary that came back to Uwajima Branch and President and Sister Sano were there which was fun :). 

I bet some of you are wondering "Wait is this Elder Robertson's last email? Doesn't he end soon?". You would be right that I am ending my 2 year mission, but in reality, I'm not ending a lot of things. I have learned SO much. And I'm not sad, not trunky, not scared. I have honestly have found the way I want to live. That way is God's way. Not mine. And His way is so much more beautiful, challenging, and rewarding. He has taught me that He always keeps His promises. That His Son, Jesus Christ, died for me and suffered for me. This is a crazy world, but I know the peace that comes from following the commandments of God. I have met many people who aren't and they have fallen into "strange and forbidden paths". They don't have that hope. And just looking at how things are, we need not just a testimony, but conversion to Jesus Christ to get us through these times. 

So like what I said, this isn't the end. I am a Disciple of Christ. I am a Son of God. I can say that God has inscribed Christ's name on my heart. And I hope to reflect the rest of my life through Christ. He is my hope! I testify He lives!

If you want to hear me speak, I'll be speaking at church in the Harrisonburg 1st Ward on July 23rd. Church starts at 11 (I think).

Here's the address.

210 South Ave, Harrisonburg, VA 22801

And lastly, I will be doing one more email. Some may stop here, but I still got another week to record and to share with you all :).

There's no end in Him!

Elder Robertson