Crazy Week

Dear Family, > > Sorry I didn't write you guys last week... if it's any consolation, I didn't write anyone!  We landed in Singapore late and had a lot of eating to fit in before the conference started- in fact,  I just sat at a random computer and sent a quick picture to one of the Assistants.  Singapore was really nice,  this Zone Conference was just West Malaysia and Sabah Zones.  It is always good to see people that used to  serve here.  There were lots of really good talks given at the Zone Conference.  President Mains related the  example of the old way people used to harvest wheat, using a sickle and taking a long time and many hands  to get just a little product.  He then showed us a video of the combines used now to harvest and thresh wheat.   He related the large wheels out front to the now 15 million members of the church, and that the missionaries  were the tools in back that threshed the tares which the large wheels (the members) had already brought in.   We've also been studying a case study from the Boston Mission Cambridge area, about how missionaries and  the ward came together and transformed the area into a super productive one.  We're trying to implement  the same into the KL branch. > > One of the Assistants, Elder Harper (who I'm living with when I get back), gave a really good talk about how we're not just here to gain experiences, and prepare ourselves for the future.  Not just getting  "spiritual muscles".  He said how the scriptures say the field is white already to harvest, and that we should  be moving the work forward, not just ourselves.  This actually is a big problem I think among missionaries,  that they do missionarythings well, but they forget that we're trying to do something much bigger.   Elder Harper said it much more eloquently. > > Oh!  I think it's fantastic that Eric met the Woodford's daughter.  They've been asking me about  Eric recently.  You'll have to invite her to dinner or something, because the Woodford's do so  much down here.  In fact, just yesterday we brought one of our most progressive investigators to  their house to talk about her baptism.  Her name is Deborah, and she is from Bali Indonesia.  She  was an accountant at a hotel in Bali that was attacked in the Bali Bombings.  She was left with nothing.   One day, while contemplating what she should do, she saw a pastor on a tv sharing a scripture from the  bible.  She said that it touched her, and brought peace- something she hadn't felt in a long time.  She decided  to learn more, and 6 months later was baptized into a methodist church in Indonesia.  (she was previously  Muslim, and her family essentially disowned her for it)  She decided to move to Malaysia 7 years ago, and I  actually met her at a member's christmas party last year!  A different member introduced us to her a few  months ago.  After reading the Book of Mormon (already in Mosiah), and meeting, she has decided that  she wants to join.  She told us yesterday how impressed she was with the Woodfords, and how humble they  were.  This branch is so cool.  Her baptism is scheduled for Dec. 1. > > Transfers are on Dec. 5, and I'm afraid I'm going to be sent out.  It's sad that it's right before Christmas (  Oh, i probably should ask for some new clothes... mine don't look so good.  My belt is completely ruined  (yet barely wearable ^__^) and my white shirts are few and getting kind of dingy.  Also some more clothes for  underneath... > > I got the package in Singapore!  Unfortunately, I opened it in the hotel room when we had almost all the  elders in the Zone jumping on my bed, so most of the food has already been consumed.  I loved the nuts.  I didn't share those with anyone hehe. > > There are so many cool things about to happen in this branch, and you can literally feel that the opposition  is getting more intense.  It seems like whenever something really good is about happen, or could happen, the efforts  against it double.  It reminds me of the Brigham Young quote that talks about the bells in hell ringing when the saints try  to build a temple, and he responds, let em ring!  Let's just say the bells having been ringing loud and clear recently, and  we've been saying the same!  I love being in this branch, I'm going to be really sad if I leave.  The work here is picking up,  and the members are too. > > OH!  I almost forgot!  The coolest thing happened to me while I was going to Singapore!  So, the whole Zone  boardst he plane and then a ton of Melayus get on, wearing these fancy nike shirts with a yellow badge.  They had an air  aboutthem that told us they were athletes.  We all suspected they were someone big, but everyone was too chicken to  ask them.  Finally, when we're walking through immigration, I go up and ask them, and it turns out they're the Malaysian  national Soccer team, Harimau Malaya, and I asked the head coach if I could get their picture.  So I lined up with  the whole team, while the Zone sat and watched, at the last minute, my comp jumped in the pic.  so cool. > We've been so busy this past week.  I don't even know where the time goes.  This sounds so cliche,  but it's really funny just how much you get attached to the work.  The other day, we were on the  train coming home late, and I started talking to an indian woman wearing a cross.  She accepted a  pamphlete, and as I got off the train, i looked through the window and saw her reading it.  Such a  small thing, but I remember feeling so excited that she was reading it, that something stood out  to her about it, and that maybe, just maybe, that seed would be planted.  I had that same excitement when a potential investigator came to a service project!  It also has the reverse effect  when disappointments happen.... which is unfortunately frequent.  I'm so happy that we're busy.   Busy pushing the work forward.  You can feel the difference between missionaries that aren't  busy, those that are busy, and those that are busy fulfilling their purpose and calling.  Always striving for the latter. > > Ok goodbye > Elder Robinson >

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