November 11, 2013 "Scripture Power"

November 11, 2013

 

Hey,

It's crazy to see almost 4 months of my mission being finished. Last night I was sitting in bed thinking about all the experiences that led me to where I am now and was flooded with gratitude. This is the best opportunity and I want to be a missionary forever.

Our new investigator has a baptism date: November 23! He's been investigating for almost a full year now and gone through probably 6 sets of missionaries. It has been really cool to witness the changes and influence of the Spirit. When we talk about having that "good feeling" at church with us all the time he says, "you know, that'd be pretty cool". Ya, - it's awesome. So we're trying to get him to throw out the booze so he can be baptized in 2 weeks.

We've found more investigators in surrounding cities and have had a few first lessons with people. Most people say, "I'm interested in learning more but really don't think I'm going to join your church." Then, we hand them a Book of Mormon and if they read - everything falls right into place. Here's hopin'!
  

Our other investigator has been having some more health troubles and we continue to pray for her. When we talk about the scriptures with her she says everything just makes sense so we're hopeful that all will be well with her.

The chicken slaughter was last week and I had a blast. I had the chance to lop some chicken heads off, pluck them with a huge machine, and then gut them. It was the strangest experience - and one of the strangest smells - I've ever had. But, it was also one of the greatest; who knew I would be gutting chickens and grinding deer meat on my mission.

Grandma Rekow continues to try and set Muirbrook and I up with girls in the ward and members of her family. And so, we pull pranks on her: I slid down the woodchute to scare her and hid the 5 pineapples that she bought at the store.

This ward is awesome. Town of 586 and congregation of about 100 or so. We went to a dinner appointment with a family of all girls: Elder Muirbrook turned to me and said, "There are a LOT of girls here." (Yep, we're awkward missionaries.)

Keeping warm. Working hard. Laboring in the Vineyard.

--Elder Taft Robinson

November 4, 2013 "Halloween/Transfers??/Onward Ever Onward

 

November 4, 2013

Hey y'all,

It's been a crazy 3 months! I've just moved onto my 3rd transfer here in Wisconsin and it really doesn't feel like 3 months have gone by. I remember getting off the plane and wondering why my pants were sticking to my legs and why there was Packers stuff all over the airport. Already I have seen changes in my life and the lives of the people of this small town of 586 being changed through missionary work.

We've been able to work with a few family members in "Flooding the Stake with the Book of Mormon". Our stake president received a prompting that the Wasau stake needs to flood this stake with 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon - the same number of copies that were printed in the first edition of the Book of Mormon - within the next 3 years. In this year alone I think they are just over 1,000 so one of our goals is to plant as many copies as possible in our proselyting.

A lot of the work in this area is helping to reactivate those that have strayed away. We've been working with a family ever since I arrived in Gresham who has been wanting to come back for a while. We were able to give them priesthood blessings and that was an amazing experience. Having worked hard and acted in faith, they now have the privilege of going to the temple as a family this coming Saturday.

We had a lessons with our recent convert and were going to talk about temple attendance and working towards the temple - turns out, she already had her interview and is going on the youth temple trip this coming Saturday. She's awesome.

A new guy we've been working with is thinking about being baptized. When I arrived he wasn't sure if the church was true and didn't want to be baptized. In my second transfer he began to see his own conversion happening as he recognizes the power of the Holy Ghost influencing him on occasion. And now, the first thing he said to Grandma at church was, "I think I'm gonna get baptized." He's praying about a specific date that we talked to him about and we continue to work with him - I think this is the transfer he'll be baptized.

This mission can be a roller coaster at times; the adversary really is working his hardest to fight against our Father in Heaven. But the thing that I continue to learn and love is God's love and mercy towards each of us. God doesn't expect perfection; he expects improvement.

Thanks,

Elder Taft Robinson

October 28, 2013 "Mohican Pow-Wow"

October 28, 2013

Dear Family,

Our investigator is officially a member of the church! Seeing her confirmed was such a cool experience. I feel the joy that comes as I watch others join into the loving covenants of the Lord. She is getting along really well with all the people in the ward and she will have no problem jumping right into faithful activity in the church.

When we taught our newer investigator we have been looking forward to meeting with her again but it appears that she kinda dropped off the face of the planet. I pray that we'll be able to talk to her soon and set up another time to teach her.

We have an appointment with our convert's cousin tonight at the Stake President's house and we are hoping that Baptism will become a goal for him. He had a previous preacher, while he was in Alaska, that basically stalked him because he wanted him baptized into that preacher's church. So, we are hoping that as we teach the Spirit will communicate the importance of baptism to him.

I've just hit my 3 month mark as of this past week and am blown away as how quick it's gone. Some days I feel like I may never make it through and then other days just fly right by. Transfers are coming up and it'll be a strange experience if I get transferred out of Gresham but I'll go where I'm needed.

Dennis - Grandma's son - recently killed a buck and we got to watch him clean it out and carry it to the garage. It would have been cool to have been raised on a farm :) Never a dull moment out here on the farm.

This past weekend our new convert invited us to a Mohican POW-WOW on the reservation just out of Gresham. Did I mention that she is the Mohican Veteran's princess? So, we had the chance to walk in and be the only white guys there. :) We were introduced to all the Indian Elders of the tribe and were invited to eat with everyone. There were prayers and songs sung in Mohican and they gave each of us a small bag of prayer tobacco - what on earth do I do with it? One of the coolest things of the POW-WOW was listening to the drumming and singing; I don't think it is healthy that they yell and chant like that but man it sounds cool. She did a short dance and then we had to go. I'll see if I can get a picture sent out. We are literally among the Lamanites out here on the reservation!

-Elder Taft Robinson

October 21, 2013 "Harvest Time"

 October 21, 2013

Mom, 

Our Investigator's baptism was awesome! As she was baptized I thought about how Heavenly Father and Christ must feel about us being baptized. There was a huge turn-out for her baptism so we are looking forward to the members and ward mission leader working teaching her. She's so excited and we are going to have her confirmed on this coming Sunday. Bishop Haffner spoke of the promises of baptism: as we commit to live God's commandments we are promised to have our sins washed away. Sister Pleshek spoke on the Holy Ghost - the Holy Ghost never withdraws from us, we withdraw from him. 

  She invited her cousin to come to her baptism and he really enjoyed it; we were able to watch "The Restoration" DVD at the baptism so he had a glimpse of what the First Lesson is. He had a bunch of questions afterward and we were able to introduce ourselves, the Book of Mormon, and schedule a dinner appointment at the Pleshek's for tonight. Tender mercies of the Lord.

We had a lesson with a woman that has dodged appointments since I arrived in Gresham. She has lived a tough life battling cancer and other health issues and has always held to her belief in God. We have made it a goal as a companionship to always teach lessons with an emphasis on Christ's Atonement and that resonated well with her. In that 1 hour lesson the Spirit testified and we were able to schedule a baptism date of November 30th.

Thank you for your love and support. I can feel the Spirit more abundantly as I learn to best recognize the Spirit. Hey, so RoBuz Disneyland trip: August 2015? Eh? :) I hope the Busbys are doing well!

I pray for everyone back home - especially G&G Huntington. I love them. I love all of you and am grateful for this opportunity to serve. I really want to take Grammy Robinson to a dinner and theater when I get back - I know, I know, that's quite some time away.

I feel your prayers and love each and every day. The work is hastening and I am excited and honored to be part of this season of harvest.

Your son,

Elder Taft Robinson