Bathusi

Last week we had a power outage right in the middle of the email session...so I didn't get to send you an email.

As for this week we had a few highlights. First of all, Tuesday was mission tour. Elder Watson of the area presidency addressed us. He was the secretary to the presidents of the church before he was called to the Seventy. If you remember you sent me an article in the church news about him at the beginning of my mission and then that Sunday he showed up to our branch in Tsakane. He's pretty sweet and taught us some great things about working with the ward better. I feel like there is a problem here. In Africa the branches grow and they get priesthood leadership but they are never really trained on how it's done. Then by the time we get to a ward we have a lot of people who like to exercise authority but not magnify much. Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of great leaders who work very hard. It's just frustrating sometimes. I'm sure that's how it is all over the world...but as you know, if the programs of the church just worked the way they were supposed too then everything would be ok. But the problem is that everyone needs to do their part. Hopefully things will continue to improve so that Botswana can have its own stake. Right now we are part of the Roodepoort stake. Check on google earth where Roodepoort is. That's where our mission office is, 5 hours away! There are plans right now to get this area independent. It wil be there soon.

The best part of the week was seeing Bathusi get baptized. He is an awesome father and has been ready for baptism. The previous elders were waiting for his wife to come along but now she is going to school far away and isn't quite ready. So we went ahead with Bathusi. He has a solid testimony and knows...really knows why he was baptized. He will be one of the future leaders here in Botswana.

So, that was my week at a glance. It is really hot here, although storms come through very often and cool us down...it's like a nice swim even though we're not allowed to swim.

I'm still healthy and safe :)

-love elder robinson

http://johannesburgmission.googlepages.com
by the way you can check out some of our mission pictures at this website... we have a big misison though and you may not be able to find me... just remember i'm in the botswana zone.

That Last Big Push

I'm pretty dang tired. This week has been a pretty hectic one. My companion is Elder Onsongo and is from Kenya (i told you he was my greeny's mtc companion so he's only been out for 7 weeks now). We've been trying to get the area going but I feel like we're not getting it where it needs to be. We don't know too many members which makes it hard to work with them. Plus, the member bike is out of order so we've been struggling to use members. But hopefully this week will be better.

Our area is pretty much a town area. People are just a lot more well off here... they live a lifestyle more similar to home. Mostly just because there is more money to go around. So people have cars, they live in their own homes, and they even have money to CALL US! haha That's new to me because in SA everyone in the township sends the missionaries "please calls" which is just what it says it is.

Anyways, but other than that the work is the same. We're still trying our hardest and we still have pitfalls...On Sunday night we had a family that was supposed to be baptized on the 24th of January come out with some huge marriage problems...so we'll see. Right now we've got 4 on baptism date (all of which have been taught before I got here) but were all put on date since I've been here. So we're trying our best to find new investigators and help them progress towards baptism. I still haven't seen too much of Bots but I'm hoping to get to a sweet game park soon or something. There's just so much work to be done!

Anyways that's life. I'm trying to not coast the rest of my mission...because it's very tempting. Instead I've realized I've only got so much more time to do this great work. I've got to work harder. Give that last big push. So I'm trying... :) thanks for the love and support as always-

-love elder robinson

ps. did you ever get my christmas card i sent you?

Pushing Forward

Being a trainer isn't too bad. Elder Halterman knows what's going on. I've been here in Mamelodi for a while now though and it's starting to get to me. I love Mamelodi but, man it is tiring, working so hard and having SO much disappointment...

But let's try to focus on the bright side. Lebo was baptized yesterday. His mom came and we had a very spiritual baptism with a lot of support from the branch. It was sweet. Ursula is supposed to be baptized next Sunday, but we'll see...she didn't come to church on Sunday.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to call home. We're still working out the details. I'll let you know when and everything next week. Just count on it being Christmas morning like last year because of the time difference.

Everything is going good with me. Just trying to keep pushing forward, trying to follow what's right.

much love,
elder robinson

On a Mountaintop

As for this week I don't even know where to begin. It has just been busy, busy. We now have 20 people on baptismal date. I think one of the sweetest things that happened this week was putting Ursula back on baptismal date. Do you remember the girl that was supposed to be baptized back in October...then she got pregnant. Well, we've been working with her and on Thursday we went to see her. I talked with her about preparing for baptism. Then I asked her if she had been keeping the law of chastity...she said "yes i have!" with so much confidence. She was proud to be able to say that. It was so much different than she had been over a month ago. We then talked about a baptismal date and all of us were just so happy. She kept laughing and I couldn't stop smiling. I was so happy. She will be baptized on the 20th of December.

Another interesting thing that happened this week: So we went up to Stoffel Park on Saturday morning to have Lebo Seketa interviewed for baptism. Lebo is about 16 and lives next to a return missionary and his sweet member family. Stoffel Park is basically a village on the side of a mountain. So when we came up on Saturday morning Lebo's mom told us that Lebo had taken off into the mountain because he didn't want to help his family (they were putting cement in the house which we ended up helping them do later). So we decided to go look for him with Lebo's dad and brother. After about 40 minutes running through the mountains Lebo's brother caught him. We caught up to him and had the baptismal inteview right there in the bush. It was kinda scary because I just saw in my mind another baptism falling through...but he passed the interview and he's ready for Sunday next week.

I wish I could send you some pictures of our little escapade. I'm not sure when I'll be able to send pictures again. I'll try and see.

Hope all is well.

Love, elder robinson

Greeny Time!

First of all we finally had another baptismal interview. Mmaptiso has passed and is going to be baptized next week for sure. Then there was supposed to be a family interviewed the next day but they had a funeral and weren't able to come to church. So they will be interviewed this week and baptized either this week or the next.
Then we got transfer news. Elder Bakker is leaving me and going to Botswana to open a brand new area. I'm very jealous of him. But it's what he wanted...so I'm glad he's happy. What I'm really jealous of is that Francistown is getting opened and I'm not the one to open it! Nnstead a guy I was with in the mtc is going there! I've been wanting to go there since the beginning of my mission! Francistown is in the northernmost part of Botswana and is the furtherest area from the office. But I guess it's the Lord's will.

As for me...yep, I'm getting a new missionary. A greeny. I'm not sure where he's from yet...we don't find out until transfers on Wednesday. So that should be interesting to train a new guy. Hopefully I can do a good job.

On Sunday Isaac Sereo came to church, but none of his family did(not even the young kids that come every week,they were gone). He loved it again. He said this was the first time he'd partaken of the sacrament and he felt something pulling him. He still wants to get baptized and follow the truth. He just needs to make the time and the effort...which he's trying to do. Please keep praying for him.


Well I'm sick of this keyboard now. Thanks for your love and prayers :)

elder robinson

Working, Working, Working

ZCC stands for Zion Christian Church. The best part is that there are two separate ZCC church's by the same name. ONW has the symbol of the Dove and the other a star (which they are supposed to wear on their shirts everywhere). They were originally one church that split when the father died (who is their supposed prophet). It's pretty ridiculous.

We haven't been able to see Isaac this whole week because of a funeral he had to go to. His date might get pushed back, but keep praying for him.


This week we had a new record at church, 23 investigators. It was sweet. Two families that we have on baptism date all came to church. That was 6 people just right there. This week we're supposed to be interviewing the Toka's. They should be baptized on the 22nd of November. Please pray for Joshua Toka... he's got to be done smoking this week so he can be baptized. We are suppose to baptize the whole family (except for the oldest son), but I think its going to happen.


Something not so nice happened on Friday. We were preparing the Hamane family for their baptismal interview the next day and we ended up finding out that the mom who wants to be baptized is not married to the step-father that lives in the home...so were gonna have to keep working with them and get them married.

It's kind of hard...we're working and working and still our investigators just can't make it to baptism. But I know if we can just do missionary work right...something is going to click. I know the Toka's will make it to baptism. On their same date is a girl named Mmapitso. We're also teaching her family and we hope that they will come along as well.

I need your prayers.
thanks for your continued support.

love, elder robinson

ps yes mom i've been healthy. im still loving mission even though at times it gets frustrating. elder Bakker and i still get along but he's most likely going to be leaving me in a week! we'll find out by saturday whats up.

The Sereo's and Other Happenings

Myself, Elder Bakker, Elder Boreham (from South Africa) and Elder Barnhurst (from Philmore, Ut) they work the west side of Mamelodi.

This week was pretty sweet. We put 3 fathers on baptism date. One of which basically said that he's going to do whatever it takes to be baptized and find the truth. Two of them we actually had our first appointment with this week! On the second appointment we put them on date! It was sweet.

We had zone conference this week. I learned a lot about the spirit that I thought I knew...but I really didn't. Our mission president is very smart. We went into some deep doctrine that has changed my whole perspective of missionary work.

The best thing this week had to do with Isaac's family, the Sereo's. We had planned to cook for them on Thursday and bring it to them in the evening. So we got everything ready and then headed over there at about 7pm. They hadn't arrived yet so we waited. In a few minutes Isaac and his wife, Asnath, drove up with all their grandkids in the car. I guess they had just decided to take the day off and spend the day with the family at the park (it was a public holiday anyways). That family works so hard. It was nice to be able to see them taking time off to spend as a family. Isaac and Asnath have had some serious problems in the past and she even told us that she had been asking God if she should get a divorce but she kept getting an answer to stay even though she was miserable. Since we've been working on teaching them about the gospel and how to strengthen their family they have had so much more happiness in the home. So now the next step has been to bring them the gospel and have them be baptized. We've been trying very, very hard. So on Thursday we only had a few minutes to share a short "our purpose" lesson. Then Asnath asked, "If I was baptized in my church do I still need to be baptized in yours if I come to it?". That was such a break-through question. Elder Bakker explained again about the Restoration and Priesthood Authority. She said that we'd be surprised one day...she'll be coming to church every Sunday. She just needs to get some things in order. So pretty soon we're going to try and get them on baptism date. We'll see how it goes! If you could pray for the Sereo's (ser-ay-oh). My whole heart is into that family.

So yeah, that's my week. Next Saturday is transfer news. We'll see if my companion is leaving. I'm really not sure what's going to happen. Whatever the Lord wants.

Oh and next week is General Conference!!!! Sweet. Don't forget to watch the World Report and look for the Pretoria Helping Hands segment! I was there...see if you can see me. I'd be wearing a yellow hat and my orange shirt that has the panda on it (See pictures of the day below). Check and see!

love, elder robinson

Some more pictures of life on the mission:

You know I keep talking about Isaac and his wife Asnath, this is Asnath. We were helping her peel potatoes. I love that family...it's The Sereo family. They are my main focus out of all the families we are teaching. Isaac will definitely be a bishop someday.


Some pictures from the Helping Hands Day we did a few weeks ago. We had the largest helping hands activity in Africa...right here in Pretoria. The World Report was there so look for us in between general conference sessions in a few weeks.




Pretoria streets and homes: