March 24, 2014 ~ Power of prayer!

So this week was really great!  We met with a lot of members and had some really cool experiences with investigators.  So our favorite (the one who will be going to dixie state in the fall), we will call him A, came with us to stake conference (the saturday night session) and it was really awesome.  He's super cool.  He really likes everything wants to be a part of it, but his dad is not the most suportive of it.  We have really been praying hard for him and his dad this week.  We were planning to go to pushkin today (a nearby city) with him to see katherine's palace, and I called to change it to next week and he told me over the phone that his dad gave him permission!!!!!  I know it's weird cause he's 25, but he lives with his parents (that's not weird in Russia, it actually seems to be pretty common since housing is so expensive) and he really really respects his dad and has already told us that he's seen a pattern in his life, when he does what his dad suggests, everything turns out great and when he doesn't then everything turns out bad.  Anyways when he told me this I was just a little bit in shock and didn't even know what to say.. but I know that was a answer not only to our prayers, but to his!  Prayer works!

The next thing, we were meeting with A this week (at the church) and half way through, our 2 other investigators (the 2 from sacrament meeting that I talked about last week) just walk in.  Apparently they tried to call, but we didn't answer.  They wanted to meet.  So they joined our meeting with A and we also had one of the members there and it was a really great but strange meeting.  A helped us teach and explain things to the others and it was super cool.  Really awesome. 

Then we met with a former investigator this week and she came with us the next day to stake conference - but we had to give her to the sisters cause she lives in their area...

And stake conference!!!!! It was awesome!!! Super strong spirit there and it was awesome for multiple reasons.  First, we had investigators at both sessions:)  next,  I was even more convinced than ever that the people we should be trying to find and teach are families!!! Although you probably couldn't ask me to do a more terrifying thing that walk up and contact a family on the street (I've had not so good experiences).  But of all the people that were there at conference (and the whole hall was filled btw, not going to lie I was a little surprised) it was all couples and families!!!  It made me so happy! And I know that there are wayyy more members here than that, but those who are active and actually came to conference are those who came with their husbands and wives and families!!!  Families are the key!!  So, I have been trying more to talk with mostly families.  It's way harder cause usually one will stop and the other will pull them away, but we will find one some time.  And the 3rd reason that I loved conference so much:  I GOT TO SEE ALL OF THE MEMBERS FROM PETERGOF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I was so excited I was almost jumping up and down when I saw them!  I love those people so much!  After conference I went up to talk to them and they all gave me big hugs and it was the best ever.  Ever if I never get to serve there again (although president promised me he would try and get me back there) I think that will always be my favorite branch because they were my family in that branch.  It was so awewsome to see them all , and people from other wards that I've been in.  It was really just a great end to a great week!  Living the dream here!!

Elder Robison

March 17th ~ Good ol' contacting

Well, since we are both new in this area and really don't kow anyone, my companion and I spent a lot of time just on the street this week.  We had a couple interesting experiences.  We were walking in kinda this shady part of the area and this guy stopped us- he and his friend were standing behind a store smoking and drinking... anyways long story short the friend finally left after a while of not being the nicest person I've ever met, and we started walking away too cause I didn't really want to talk to this guy anymore, he wasn't really listening, but he followed us and continued talking and so we stopped again and must have talked for another like half an hour with him.  He was totally different after his friend left, he opened up about his life and started talking about how he just really didn't like who he was and it was a really awesome experience to be able to testify to him about the atonement and the power of it and how when applied, it can literally change people.  The spirit was so strong and it was awesome!  He seemed like he really wanted to know more, but was convinced that he couldn't change or anything would get better.  He wouldn't give us his number, but we gave him ours and told him to call us.  Not sure if he will, but we know where his hang out is so we will be going back frequently to try and find him.

Also in this ward we have a ward mission leader!!!! And he is so awesome!! He is super intense and really just excited about everything and I love it, he's so cool!  I actually met him yesterday and was impressed so that's why I'm saying about that.  Also in church we had a miracle!!!  One of the eternal investigators who the elders had actually been working a lot with (who came to chuch last week drunk) didn't answer his phone all week.  We went to their appartment and the mom just said that he will come to church on sunday.  And he did!  And was pretty sober!  And brought his girlfriend!  And she is the miracle.  It was her first time and she loved everything!  All of it she just loved.  We had just like a missionary lesson during the second  hour with the sisters and one of the members (this ward btw is just filled with rockstar members) and it was awesome!  She was really actively participating and it was just so great!!  She lives in St. Petes but apparently lives/relaxes here in Kolpino on the weekends and she gave us her phone number and really wants to meet next saturday when she will be here.  We aren't really sure who is going to be teaching her, us or the sisters, but she's great!

And the last thing I want to talk about is one of my favorite investigators ever!  The guy I talked about last week who is moving to Utah in may to study at dixie state.  He is so awesome!!!  We met with him a few times this week and had really good lessons. He would be progressing really well if it weren't for his dad who isn't the most supportive person in the entire world when it comes to church.  He just doesn't really see why it's necessary.  And we've asked this guy a few times about maybe meeting his dad or something and really I think he's just scared of him.  But he believes everything and lives all the commandments and stuff we just have to pray for both him and his dad so that he can really start progressing.  His dad isn't against our church - he's been to salt lake city and likes everything, just doesn't really see a need for church in general... but that will change.  Anyways, this guy is so cool!  He will be studying there for 4 years and thinks that he won't have enough money to come home more than once or twice the whole time so I will definitely have to look him up, now that we live so conveniently close!

Anyways, we've already got a lot more appointments set up for this week, so I'm excited and things are great!  Also, so remember how I thought it was spring... it's snowed the past 2 days.. but the sun is out again today and missionary life in Russia is the best!

Elder Robison

March 10 ~ Колпино:)

Kolpino, Russia

So remember last week how I said that I wasn't super excited about the new area... well at that point I had never actually been here, but now I've been here for a few days and I love it so much!! It's great here and the ward is awesome (73 people yesterday)!!  More people at church yesterday than in the ward I was in in St. Petersburg.  And we have a rock star bishop and lots of families in the ward and one of the guys who works in the mission office is in this ward and he is so hilarious.  We had ward council yesterday and this is the most functioning ward I have been in on my entire mission (like they have presidencies for all the auxileries AND a representative from all of them was there AND we have a ward mission leader!!! finally a ward with one:))  Yeah basically I love everything here.  And we met one of our investigators last night who is super cool and really smart and really gets it, but here's the kicker - in may he is moving to Utah... he got accepted into Dixie State so yeah, he won't be here too much longer.  He wanted to go to BYU as his top choice (he's not even a member I don't know how he found out about it) but they didn't accept him cause they won't accept people going to get their second bachelor's degree (so basically our investigator is overqualified for BYU haha).  He's cool.  Another investigator of ours I met yesterday too for the first time - he came to church, but not sober...  nice guy though.  Apparently he's been around for a few years and has come close to becoming a member a few times, but just doesn't work out yet because of his addictions.

This week is the mission tour and President Malm (from Sweeden) came to do it and it was dynamite!!!  So good!  I loved the whole thing.  We had a really long conference with him on Saturday and then yesterday Presidnet Clark brought him to our ward!!  He gave a stellar talk and it really was just great!  And he sat in on Ward council too and guess who got landed the job of translating for him?.. yeah I did.  I had to translate for an area 70.  Not only did I have to translate from Russian to English for him but everytime he wanted to make a comment on something I had to put it into Russian (which I really don't like doing - too stressful).  President almost made me be the translator for President Malm and his wife during sacrament meeting (the only 2 speakers), but luckily a woman in the ward was brave enough to do it.   I'm honored that people seem to think that I am the most qualified to be the designated translator, but I really don't like it.  Too stressful for me.  But none the less the ward council was great!  The ward council members have a list of the missionaries and investigators and pray for them by name everyday.  President Malm asked how many on the 12 investigators listed were referrals  to us from the members. None of them.  Then he challenged them to have five people on the list of investigators be member referrals by the next ward councilin 2 weeks.  By the end of ward council we had already gotten 3.  The members all seemed super excited about missionary work and it's just the best ever.  And since this was a white wash, the notes that the previous elders had left had a list of like 6 different members that are regualrly willing to go and teach investigators with us.  I am going to really love it here.  This week coming up we don't have much of anything planned, but we are gonna start rolling soon cause we think we have most things figured out now.  I'm so excited.  And it's great to be back with this former comp of mine, he is so hilarious.  This transfer is going to be awesome!!

Have a great week!

Elder Robison

Kopino, Russia

March 3, 2014 ~ время летит!!

So we got transfer calls again this week and I'm moving... going to an area that I was never really super thrilled to go to, but I get to serve with one of my old companions that I really liked so I am happy about that:)  Had a pretty good week this week, lots of weird things happened!  On Saturday we were teaching an investigator and half way through his friend walked in (who he had brought to church before) and who we have actually been wanting to meet with for a while, it's never worked out - we thought she didn't like us, but turns out that's not the case - she was super into it!  she said she loved being in church and everything felt great and that she is really interested in learning more it was just awesome! 

And then we walked into church yesterday and there was this 16 yr old kid sitting in there talking to one of the members of the branch presidency. Apparently he ran away from home (some city out side of moscow) and hitchhiked all the way here to petro (not a super well known city at all).  He wanted help but wasn't really specific about what kind of help he wanted.  The branch president said he could talk with him after the 3rd hour, but he got offended and just left... my companion and I spent some time talking to him and I don't really think he had the purest intentions.. his story didn't really make much sense and what he was asking for as well.  Anyways, I hope things work out for him.

Also we had a super awesome lesson with my favorite people last night, I love them so much!! We took the senior couple with us and did a lesson on eternal marriage and it was so awesome!!  I think we inspired them a little bit.  I am so sad to be leaving them:( but I'm sure that there will be good things ahead in my new area (a little city just underneath St. Petes).  But I really love Petro and everyone here!! It's been a really good 2 transfers!

Have a great week!

Elder Robison

February 24, 2014 ~ Another week to reflect on.

Well this week was pretty good!  Some weird things happened towards the end that I'm not super a huge fan of, but we will get them worked out.  Just had trouble getting ahold of a few people:/

We had a zone training and went down to St. Petes this week.  It was pretty good.  One of the better ones I would say.  Then we were supposed to go on a split to Vyborg that I was so excited about, but it got cancelled, but we didn't have our tickets back to petro until a day later anyways so we just stayed in the city and stayed with some of the other elders.  It was pretty fun.  We went to their English group and it was awesome!  They had a lot more people than we do, and was just a cool relaxed, fun environment.  Then the next day we did planning just in the city to not waste a day on it here.  That night we went to the Institute building and sat in on the BYU-I pathways program that they have, and that was cool.  One of the guys who goes there, comes in from Veliky Novgorod every week just for that.  The sad news, today he and his family are moving to Minnesota!  Crazy.  I never served there, but he was baptized just less than a year ago and was serving as the Branch President there and apprently is super cool.  He seemed awesome when I met him this week.  So one of the St. Paul wards is going to have an awesome new Russian family!  Lucky!

Hmm not much else is really happening around here.  Things are just not lining up for us, but we are still trying!  Hopefully things will be more exciting for me to tell about next week!

Have a great week!
Elder Robison