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

Week 98

God uses both good and hard

What a week!

I gave a talk on Sunday and really studied change through Christ for this talk. I read a lot of Elder Bednar and Renlund's talks from General Conference and Moroni 7 and 10.

I loved an insight that I learned from the Spirit. It has been said before in General Conference I'm sure but I would like to say it again. Words I know are true!

God sees weakness and sin differently. Don't condemn your weakness and hide from God because you think that weakness is separating you from Him. In reality, that weakness is the key to becoming a better disciple of Jesus Christ! It is that very weakness that can bring us even closer to Him. Trials, hard times, and good times. As we choose to let Christ in at every opportunity, He will come! Knock and ye shall receive, ask and it shall be given unto you.

One of our big potentials sent us a long text and said she wasn't interested so that was a little sad, BUT we have another friend that we started teaching! Her family name is Urata. She has loved praying everyday and really liked reading about Joseph Smith's first vision! It's been special to see her progress. She really wants to form a relationship with Christ and we are so excited to walk with her in Christ!

We got to meet our mission president in person! The Sano's are amazing! Love them!

Love you all!

Elder Robertson