I can say days now...

     So 2 years ago I decided to take this picture because Chrys wanted it. When we got them from Chrys' friend Robin I cried. I knew it would be a 2 long years before I would see this face again. People who are not in our church do not realize we can't call our kids. We can see them if we are on a business trip and their mission president allows it. But we get 4 phone calls and emails once a week. Then you send packages and snail mail. So really your contact is really little. You cherish your phone calls because you miss their laugh and the sound of their voice. But at the same time you know that their service is the most important thing they could be doing with their life. You wouldn't change anything about it. So here we are at the countdown. We can say we are on days, 27 of them. I haven't asked him anything about coming home yet. I haven't told him what he's talking on even. He is aware of his time. He doesn't need any distractions from his work. I am so grateful for his service and all of the missionaries of the world. Now lets get to work and be ready for this warriors return!!!

 Dear family,

Wow Jacob is leaving already? That's crazy! I'm so excited for him. He is going to love it! Bummer that i won't be able to see him for 4 years though ha ha. Give em' Heaven!


This past week was awesome. It was the best week we've had here, and it is only going to get better! We found an awesome guy named C. He lives right next to an investigator that we were going to see. We were talking to a lady outside his apartment and he came out and said,"You guys look like you're dressed up like Mormons!" and we said,"We are Mormons!" and he was like,"Oh! Well i love that book of Doctrine and Covenants. I love what it teaches." ha ha we were like what the? Then asked if we could come in and leave a blessing on his home and he agreed. Well it turns out that he was baptized in the church in 1985 with his wife but after their divorce he went back to the baptist church and hasn't been back since. He was baptized back in the Baptist church so he may or may not be on the records still, and we're still trying to figure that out. But he is such a cool guy and so humble and sincere. He came here 3 years ago because he felt like he needed to and says he hasn't found why he is here yet. But before we left we had a prayer and left a blessing on his home and he said,"Man i feel good right now. I feel like something good is happening inside of me." So we then explained to him that it was the Holy Ghost and you could definitely see a light in his eyes when we left. It was awesome. We will be going back tomorrow to have a lesson with him.

After that we made contact with the investigator, K, that lived next to him and set up a return appointment for Saturday. This kid is awesome. He is 16 and is a cancer survivor! Such a boss. When we got there he had company but had 15 minutes for a lesson. We taught him about church and why we come to church and read out of Moroni the sacrament prayers and he committed to come to church! The member we had with us offered to pick him up and everything. It was awesome. The only concern he had was that he didn't have a shirt or tie, so we ran back to the apartment and i gave him a shirt and one of my ties, and in the morning we brought over some cinnamon rolls for him to make sure he was still coming. The member brought him to church and took him to class with him and everything, even invited him to dinner at their house and to a fireside last night. The members here rock. So this week we will be going back and will hopefully teach his mom as well which will be cool. As a mission we are focusing on getting 100 people on date for baptism, so this week we are hoping and praying that he can be one of the 100.

A AND T GOT MARRIED!!! We had a simple little service after church in the young men's room and it was just so amazing. The whole thing was in english and was translated into french by the one of the members. It was just too cool. The joy was felt and shared by everyone and it was touching to see the members come out and love and support them. Seriously one of the coolest moments of my mission. So this week we will be finishing up the lessons and everything is set for Saturday! Us and the Ward Mission Leader are working on putting the service all together and having it all done in french so they won't have to worry about not understanding anything. I AM SO STOKED. They are just so amazing and i feel so much love for them. I am so grateful to be able to help them make this covenant. I love being a missionary. This work is the work of God and i love it. There is nothing else like it.

This week is going to be crazy busy with all that we have to do, but i wouldn't rather be busy doing anything else. I know that the gospel is true. I love my Savior Jesus Christ and I know He lives. I love being on a mission and it makes me so excited to see all the new missionaries coming out and others preparing to serve. The harvest is great!

Thanks for all you do! Have a great and safe week- Share the gospel!

-Elder Chrys Robinson

Letting the Elder talk...

     So this week you get to hear from the Elder. His p-day was late and I am late. So next week will be better! Have a great week!!

 Dear Family,

Well howdy hey. I have almost no time today so this one will be kind of short.

This past week has been great. Lot's of things are moving along! It was pretty hectic though. Some of our translators for A and T were out of town and so for a couple days we were frantically trying to find someone to go to lessons with us. It all worked out, and they met with the bishop on Sunday and they now have their marriage license. Woo! So they are planning on getting married right after church on Sunday by the bishop. THEN they will be baptized the following Saturday! We are so excited for them. They are amazing. Really. OH and they called us on Saturday and A said that she needed to talk with us and that she needed us over as soon as possible. So a little scared of what was going to happen we got a translator and went over. Well, the news was that she is going to have a baby!! So we had a little joyful party there. Ha ha. She was concerned that it would interfere with her baptism, but since they are getting married then all is well! It was pretty exciting.



The mission got their first 18 year old today. How awesome is that?! Things are moving so fast. Almost weekly the mission is setting new records for finding or people at church or baptisms, ect. It is so awesome to be a part of. The Lord is Hastening his work. It is so incredible to see. It's incredible to feel as well. I love being out here as a missionary. Because of all the missionaries coming out our mission has changes transfers to 5 weekers starting with this one, so i will be home a week early. It's kind of a bummer but that's ok. This transfer is going to FLY by. I will not let up or slow up until i have stayed up, stored up, and stowed up for the cause of Christ. I know that this work is true and i know that it is the work of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that is changes lives. It teaches so much of how we can better our lives and use Christ's Atonement. I am so grateful that i have it. I am grateful for families and the knowledge that they are forever, i know that is true. Heavenly Father loves each of us and is anxious to bless us. His work is our happiness.

Thank you for all that you do for me, I love you all so much! Have a great week and share the gospel!

-Elder Chrys Robinson

Getting Excited...

     Well I was just going to post the Elder's letter, but when I opened my email I had his flight information. My heart skipped a beat. Wow, 6 weeks from today he will be back home. The first year seemed like it would never end. Then it started going faster. By time Christmas came it has just flown by. Now my head is just not in the game and I'm not ready. Really?!?! Bad timing on my ears! But to keep the sweet missionary spirit going we fed our local missionaries. It's such a great thing to hear their stories. They both had great stories of how they came to the decision  to serve. The work is very important and won't stop. The changing of the ages for both young men and women has proven that. Missionaries rock! Now if I can just get my head back into working order I would be a happy person!!!

 Dear Family,


Oh man mom! That really makes for a fun week when you ear drums burst. Sheesh. What now? And Sinaih is having another! That is so awesome!


This past week was a pretty good one. It started off strong and finished strong. I also had 2 of the best meals i have ever had on my mission. Biggest and best ribs ever, and home-maid Raising Canes. WOW.



A and T haven't come to church for some legit reasons, they are experiencing some hardcore opposition and T was in an accident last Saturday which put him out of work and he was too banged up to make it to church. This week they were sick, and they had no way to church because the car was still messed up. T is the only one with his green card so he is the only one that can work, but his troubles are that he can't find a job. On Saturday they ran flat broke and had no food in the apartment so they couldn't eat, and they barely ate anything on Sunday. We didn't find that out till yesterday. The member that we were with sent an email out to ward council last night about that, but at our dinner last night we just mentioned that they were struggling and they immediately stood up and started putting food in boxes to give to them. The B's are so sweet. I love these members. They are so willing to help out any way that they can. It was awesome making that delivery to them. :) I love them.

Our new investigator for the week is D! Oh man this guy is so sweet. He looks a little crazy, but is pretty solid. We were on exchanges with the spanish Elders when they found him. He is just awesome. We taught him part of the first lesson yesterday, and all throughout it he kept saying things like "I just want to change." and "I want to man up and do what is right". So as we were talking about the Savior and His earthly ministry, we felt prompted to move to talking about His baptism. About how His life was an example for us, and that it was a commandment to be baptized, and that by being baptized you access the Atonement. Man he was all for that! The lesson kind of stopped there, but we felt that is what needed to be taught. We have a lesson set up for Tuesday with him and we will be putting him on date for the beginning of next month. I just love being a missionary. It is so COOL!

Well that's about it for this last week. I always feel like i leave stuff out. Oh well. OH! We have our Zone Temple Day this week, so i will be in the temple on Thursday. So excited to go, i love it there. I'm looking forward to this week, it's going to be a good one. We have some great lessons lined up. I definitely feel a difference from all the prayers and fasting, thank you all so much. I love how much the gospel has become real to me. It's so interesting how a witness from the Holy Ghost becomes something that i guess could feel more physical than something that is actually physical, and yet it is so hard to describe and put into words. But man am i so grateful for it. I am so grateful for my Savior and what He did and continues to do for me. I love Him so much. I'm grateful for this time my Heavenly Father has given me to be a missionary, it has been the greatest time of my life. I'm so looking forward to the next few weeks. Find teach and BAPTIZE!

-Elder Chrys Adam Robinson

What a week.......

     I should have posted earlier and maybe I would've felt more like it. Then again, maybe not. Just a few more weeks and who knows, I may become a here and there blogger. Lets just throw this out there, we all hate this flu! It comes around and makes you just feel yucky. You get better and it comes back around to visit again. Really?!?! Who said it could do that?? I feel so bad for James. He has missed so much school. His teachers are really nice, but there is only so much you can do if your not there. You can do the work, but part of your grade is being in class. Then there's the my ear hurts really bad! Now my other ear hurts really bad! Your doctor says your rare for bursting your ears. I say thanks and walk out with meds. Blah. But guess what? I don't have to answer my phone because I can't hear that good. Sometimes I can't hear it ring. People talk to me and I don't even know it. I have a really quiet world. How long has it been since I lived in a quiet world. There are small blessings. So I will take the quiet and my meds. Try to be patient. Another test on that one because I haven't learned it all the way. Thank my Heavenly Father that I will hear again. Love my husband for loving me through this. I also hope the tv isn't turned up too loud.......

Dear Family,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER AND CHUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I only have a few minutes today, so this one will be short. It seems like every week there is less and less time and more and more things to do.

Last week was pretty good. Pharrin and Megan are still preparing to be baptized but on the 23rd of February instead. Pharrin and her Husband are getting married on the 20th to be able to do that. They are amazing though. Pharrin LOVES the gospel and can teach it just like any member could. She is constantly reading and making changes to her life to be baptized, and it is so wonderful to see. Megan is becoming more solid as we continue to meet with her. She is now reading on her own and her understanding has really improved! I'm so blessed to be able to teach them. I love them.

Arelett and Toussaint are doing so good! They are some of the most solid investigators I've seen. I learn so much from just being around them. Even though they speak french and little english, i realize more and more that there is something stronger in our lessons than words. We can understand each other by our feelings rather than by words, it's amazing. I just love going there and being with them. Last night we had a lesson with them which unfortunately i wasn't able to be a part of. I was called into a mission conference call for the old missionaries that will be leaving in the next few months. But Elder Watkins and the member taught them about the priesthood and gave them blessings. Toussaint was in a car accident on Saturday so he was a little banged up and needed one, but he is doing just fine. They said the spirit was so strong that it was impossible not to feel it. I feel SO blessed to teach them, which in reality i feel like i am being taught.

I need to get going, but i just want all of you to know how much i love you and how grateful i am for all of you. I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my life and on my mission and i am just so grateful that my Heavenly Father has given me so many opportunities to learn and to grow. I love the gospel and my Savior so much, and i love these people that he has given me to teach. I love the feelings of the spirit, and how it is possible to have it with you at all times if we let it. The Book of Mormon is true and it does bring us to Christ if we are willing to follow the council it gives us and the doctrines it teaches. Jesus Christ did suffer for us and He does live. We do have a living prophet and he does receive divine guidance for this the true church. I am grateful for my testimony and i look forward to continue to change and become more like my Savior.

I love you all, thanks so much for all you do for me. Have a great week! Share the gospel!!

-Elder Chrys Robinson

P.S. It hurts to be bit by a squirrel. They are also not fun when in your apartment. (s.i.m.a.= squirrel's in my apartment.)

Making Lemonade out of Lemons...

     So I went with Chet this week to drop something off to his client. It was one of the owners of Doug Smith Auto in American Fork. I turned the car off and waited. A few minutes later Chet sent me a text saying he was coming out. So I see him and start the car. He gets in and the car starts smoking. I turn it off and pop the hood for him. The radiator hose cracked and we lost a lot of fluid. We sat in the car and said a prayer. My car was still not working from being frozen and was also in Lindon. When we were done I looked at Chet and said "Aren't we sitting in front of a car dealership? Don't they have parts?" Nathan worked for a few years as a service writer here so Chet went and ordered the part. Fast forward 10 minutes later with a borrowed screwdriver we pulled into a back stall and he changed it out. We also laughed when he found the gallon of anti freeze behind my seat in the car. So it took us a total of 20 minutes to get the part, change it and get on the road again. The blessings were huge that day!! So yes we took our lemons and made lemonade!! What did you do with your lemons?

Dear family,


It's great to hear from you all! And to hear that everything is going good! Thank you for all the packages! Everything is so great!! The pants and everything are so nice, thank you so much!


Well i don't have much time today. We have a member waiting for us to take us shopping. But this past week was great, we got a lot of things done and a lot of things movin! Pharrin and Megan are now on date for baptism! February 23rd! We had a lesson on Monday with them and the stake president here, and boy it was so awesome. Pharrin is incredibly solid, it's so fun teaching her! She is reading her Book of Mormon all the time and she recently downloaded the Mormon Channel app and is watching all sorts of great videos and reading her scriptures along with the Book of Mormon videos. She even has recognized the adversary fighting against her decision to be baptized, and that has effected her greatly. But in the positive. She reads and prays a lot more because of it. Man she is awesome! She is a great influence on her whole family and Megan too. Megan is doing pretty good. She has a hard time understanding a lot of things because she hasn't been a part of any sort of religion since she was 6, but all in all she is doing good. The ward is taking them in so well and loving them in to the gospel. What a blessing it is to be able to teach such great people.

So, our area is also covered by the Spanish Elders which is super confusing at times. Last month we received a referral for a french speaking couple from Congo and Elder Watkins was sick so they sent the Spanish Elders (who are also English Elders) to contact them. Since then they have been teaching them and it has been great but hard because they have been going to our ward and not the Spanish branch, so the bishop made the call to transition them to the English Elders-us! We had our first lesson with them on Saturday. Wow they are amazing. They hardly speak english, so we have a translator from the ward with us. It is so cool. Just in one lesson i learned so much about teaching from the heart. Testifying from the heart. Letting the spirit guide the things we teach. It was amazing. We finished the Plan of Salvation and the spirit was so strong. We finished with talking about how families can be together forever, and as the brother was translating i felt prompted to show a pass along card with the picture of the Salt Lake Temple. The spirit was amazing and reconfirmed to my heart what i already knew and confirmed our words to their hearts. In french she said, "Just as we were talking about the temple, i feel a strong desire to go there. I want to go there." And we told them that that was the spirit and that they needed to get there. They are now on date for baptism on February 16th and are doing so good! I am so grateful and i feel so blessed to teach such prepared people. Gosh i love being a missionary, there is nothing better in the world to be.

Well my family, i am out of time. Thank you so much for all that you do for me. I love being out here, and i don't want this time to end. It is a blessing to have this gospel, but i feel it is a greater blessing to be able to share it and see others embrace it. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that because of Jesus Christ that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father and be with our families forever. I love him so much. I feel so blessed to know these things.

I love you all! have a great week!!! Share the gospel!

-Elder Robinson

It must be January Blah......

     So I sat here all week thinking about what I should write. Should I write about how cold it is? Should I write that Chet and James shared their love with me and I just loved how my stomach felt this last week. I sometimes feel that even though January is a new start to a new year it is also a blah month. It's cold, everyone gets sick, there's not a fun holiday like Christmas, it's January Blah. I guess I will let the Elder talk about his adventures in a new area.............
 
Dear family,


What's up with all the sickness over there? Well i guess it's over here too, but man! I hope you all get feeling better! I'm glad to hear all the reading that's going on! 2 Nephi is great! I just finished Alma!

I don't have much time today so this will probably be short.

This past week was pretty good, our investigators are great! Our most solid ones are Pharrin and Megan. They are sweet! Pharrin was found a few months ago by some other elders and just loves the church, and the ward has really taken her in! The only thing that has kept her from getting baptized is that she lives with her boyfriend. But that is all changing!! We dropped by on night and she answered the door and she was like, "Hey sorry guys i've got company over and we're all planning a wedding. We're planning on getting married on Valentines Day!" We were pretty shocked at that ha ha but we are so excited! So the ward now is taking over and planning everything with her. Megan is a friend that is staying with them for the time being and we just started teaching her last week. She hasn't been very religious in her life but is super open to it! And has so many questions! We dropped by last night to set up a time to meet and she handed us a paper with all her life's questions on it. We will be having a lesson tonight and we will be focusing a lot on answering those and helping them commit to baptism. It's going to be a great night.

This ward is awesome, it's been a great experience serving here already. We got a call Saturday night by the ward clerk asking us to speak on Sunday, so both of us were able to speak. That went great! I don't remember telling you, but i also got to speak 2 weeks ago in Batesville. I was informed that i was to be the last speaker right before the second to last speaker was announced in sacrament meeting. So that was fun! ha ha. So this time was nice to have more than 10 minutes to prepare. This ward is so good at giving us things to do and names to visit, i love it! They are pretty missionary minded and very proactive. It's just great to be surrounded by people who are so willing to serve and help one another, what a blessing.

Well i need to be headed off now, i am out of time. This gospel is so true! I love being a part of this great and wonderful church. I love the Book of Mormon and the guidance of modern prophets. Jesus Christ does live and love us and His Atonement is real! The Gospel is how we access it and it is how we can be changed. I love this work and i love being a missionary.

I love you all! Thank you for everything you do for me! and for keeping me warm! :) Have a great week!!!! Share the gospel!

-Elder Chrys Robinson

Oh and we feed squirrels outside our apartment. It is AWESOME. I will get pictures.

Getting Organized sort of..........

     So when Chet and I really looked at the calendar and realized we would be putting 2 people in James' room we kind of went GAH!! It's not bad, it's just reorganizing it for more room. We gave away some levi's that didn't fit James or Chrys. That helped the closet out! We need to make sure under the bed so it can fit his luggage or maybe the closet. We have shelves set up for them to share. We need to decide what to get out of storage of his. I'm not sure if his drums will fit here, but I really want to get them. My mind is just on overload on fitting everything here. We don't have a lot here, but it's just being creative. Then there's the figuring out the little snacks to feed everyone when the homecoming happens. The plans, the plans........did I mention the flu came to visit and kind of messed up the organizing?? Yeah, there's that too.........


Dear Family,


HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHELSIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you!

Sounds like everything has been good! Thank you for the notes on the talks our neighbor gave. Pretty sweet! And tell TJ hi for me!! Poor Dad and James getting sick! That stinks! I hope they are all better!


Yes it is true. I am back in the Ohio. It's weird actually to be back where a lot of people live ha ha. I guess i got more used to Batesville than i thought. It's great here though. I'm not too far from Pickerington! Actually i get to go tomorrow for a training at the old Reynoldsburg building! So that will be fun! It's been a long time since I've been anywhere near it. Elder Watkins is great. This ward is pretty great. We're in a district with a Spanish companionship and some sisters. Pretty sweet! I've never been in a district with either. They're great missionaries too. So this may be news or not, if not then i wish it was, I'm in a bike area again. Ha ha. IT'S SO COLD. But so fun. I was met by lots of snow and ice which made me cry, then the tears froze on my face which made me cry more. But it's all good. ha ha. It's a learning opportunity, and i am grateful i get to serve here.

The ride to transfers was awfully fun. We left at about 7:45 to get there on time -2 and a half hours away- and by 8:45 we were stuck in traffic. We were stuck in it for about an hour, so there was already no way were going to make it on time anyway. But then we started to hear squeaking coming from our car in the middle of traffic, and Bishop Phaneuf was noticing that when he let off the gas that the car would stop by it's self. So needless to say after being stuck in traffic for an hour, were stuck in a shop getting our breaks fixed for an hour. They completely locked up and the mechanic could barely get the truck into the garage. But after that the next hour was smooth sailing. So we completely missed the meeting by like 45 minutes ha ha it was pretty funny. We had our own little transfer meeting in the parking lot.

I don't have too much to update you all on because that is pretty much all that happened. I gotta say, i miss Batesville. I love those people. But i am glad to be here and to have the opportunity to serve others. This next transfer i feel is going to be so great! We're going to work our guts out! or our soles off. Either way, we're going to do some WORK! I love this gospel and the power of the Atonement. I love the knowledge that the scriptures give and the questions that it answers. I love the spirit that testifies of truth and leads us along the way. I know the Book of Mormon is true, there is no doubt in my mind of that. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and i know he loves us.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you!!!!

-Elder Chrys Robinson