More baptisms than fingers... A trip to the Temple... Oh and 5 days until African General Conference!!!‏

To begin... Three awesome experiences with food this week
1. Walkie Talkie... Chicken feet... and Chicken heads... the feet are the walkie the head is the talkie... I'll let you do the rest :D
2. AK-47... No even though Actonville is loaded with Middle easterners I did not eat a gun... This was the MOST GIGANTIC SANDWICH EVER... EVER!!!! it was about the length of my arm and as wide around as both of my legs... This thing was loaded with... Steak, Chicken, Viennas, Polony, Russians, Cheese, Chips (fries... Yeah whats up Brittish influence), sauce, Salad, and Boer Worst... So me and Elder Mhlalase split one at a bargain cost of 60 rand... about 8.50 for all of you accross the pond and no joke I didn't eat for another 2 days haha it was a monster... I'll send pics in time... They call this a township burger someday I'll make this we'll all have an Afrika party night together...
3. Dombolo Bread... This is some sweet stuff... It is like your typical bread... but rather than baking it you steam it... Interesting I know and tasty... Anyway I tried to make it for the first time and man I was steaming it over our boiling pot and the plastic bowl got to hot and melted all over inside the bread and all over the floor... but the bread was still pretty dang tasty... try it some time...

Alright! So big news yesterday Oackes and Nativity Chimwai a couple from Minzanari Zimbabwe were baptized bringing my total to 8... This weekend we have James from Malawi and General Conference so that will be an epic day to say the least... Oh and Our goal for November was 5 baptisms but as of now we have 11 on date for November so soon enough I won't be able to count baptisms on hands or feet as long as we stay obedient and let the Spirit do its work... We got humbled a lot this week through ditches and once again will be moving forward finding, studying, and obeying... Oackes is an awesome guy and used to be a prison warden but now just works as a waiter... He has had like an impossible time meeting with us but got taught in an interesting way... Nativity is awesome and super prepared for the Gospel... She as two little girls named Mitchelle and Memory and after teaching her in the day she stayed up until 1 AM to teach Oackes what we had taught that day... So when the interview came He was just as prepared as her... awesome...

5 days until G.C. need I say more... no I shant... :D next week we'll talk

This week was pretty intense... I went on an exchange with Elder Perryman, Elder Tyler Danger McCombs, and Elder Crawford... and learned a lot... It is always interesting to see different teaching styles and to learn from them... I've been called a master of the analogy... Anyway funny story from one exchange... So we've been encouraged to ask refferrals from everyone and always invite all present to attend the lesson... So I was with Elder Crawford and we were teaching this guy from Malawi and accross the hall a woman came out so we were like hey come and join us... then more and more and more kept coming all kinds of people saying like Pray for me... and I need to stop drinking help me... we ended up teaching 11 people haha it was so funny Elders from Utah teaching an entire apartment building all sitting on buckets... As we were leaving this one lady was like shouting over the fence to take her 10 rand and buy some cigarettes and this lady just yelled at her and was like "DON'T YOU TELL MY PASTORS TO BUY YOU CIGARETTES!!!" She then proceeded to give a 5 year old boy the money in stead and she was like "that's better..." I couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard...

Yesterday was sweet we went out with some ward missionaries and Gonzo one of our new investigators was like really opening up to us and we just busted out the atonement totally guided by the Spirit and he was like "Yo I need to get baptized..." I LOVE PREPARED PEOPLE!!! man I can't even begin...

Scripture study is pretty dang sweet check out Alma 5 he shamboks pretty hard core about keeping the commandments and living right...

Its crazy to think of time passing by this is now transfer 3 which means next transfer I'll be 6 months old/ 1/4 done... Holy crap...

Anyway enjoy the week keep it real

Ups, Downs, 16 Baptisms, oh and a shamboking from an apostle of the Lord :D‏ and Pants on Fire!

So to begin the joys of missionary work rock you at all times... for example just 2 minutes ago our car was hit right outside of the email shop and guess what the first words out of our mouths were... "Hi we're missionaries from the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints and you have just struck our vehicle... Would you mind if we set up a time to meet with you and your family to share a message about Jesus Christ and how families can be together forever?" Man he was shocked hahahahahhaahahah So... lets begin... BOOM this week was awesome... So It begins with Monday and yet another Epic adventure... So the Lombard family who are members in Benoni Ward asked us to do some service so we went by in the evening and they wanted us to clear out some felt (which is basically tall dry savannah grass) now they wanted us to do this in the lot by their house and to clear out some of the freakin huge rats that were there so the boys wouldn't get sick when they play... they have 5 boys under the age of 7 haha man that's a dream life right there haha... anywho so we put out some news paper and a little bit of gas all while we were in suits and ties haha it was quite the sight... anyway so we lit it up and man it was like an awesome inferno like 20 foot flames or higher and I have some pretty impressive pictures I'll be sending soon haha. Anyway so the wind picked up hard core and we were cornered in the wall by the one tree we were trying to save haha... Brother Lombard and Elder Mhlalase were thinking lets climb the tree and hop the fence... good idea but there was barbed wire and electric fence so I was like peace... I jumped through the flame and jumped the shorter wall on the side in a stellar motion of finess and grace... well kind of haha my pants lit on fire and I got a bunch of hair singed all over my body but survived... I then looked back over the wall to see 10 foot flames where I just jumped and was like fetch those guys are trapped... So I said a quick prayer something along the lines of help them... Brother Lombard and my comp meanwhile were chillin in back and panicing so Elder Mhlalase just jumped that crap and got on the roof and brother lombard followed haha... so in an epic effort of 3 silent prayers and quite a bit of manliness we all jumped out of that place and watched the yard burn to the ground... Man I can't wait to send the pictures... We then met with James from Malawi who will be baptized on the 31st and enjoyed a wonderful meal of dombolo bread and chakalaka... dijo de menate (tasty food in Sotho)... anywho Tuesday... we went out and just had a rockin day teaching some families and finding new people to teach... So that is pretty dank... Wednesday some awesome sauce happened... So I went on an exchange with Tyler Danger McCombs and we had a lot of baptismal interviews... our first one was with James and Boom he passed... then we met with Nativity and her husband Oackes... So Nativity is super solid but Oackes works all the time and we never meet with him but he just wants to be baptized so we figured eh lets get him an interview... Turns out Nativity has been teaching him our lessons every night, reading scriptures, and even randomly asking him questoins about quitting coffee and the like... He passed with flying colors haha and they'll be baptized sunday the 24th... The day went on pretty sweet and we met with an awesome family in crystal park but the night would be the best in Leachville...

So we met this family and its a bit tough to explain but there is Thabile the Mother and her husband... Then there is Gonzo, Mark, Monde who are cousin, brother, and brother respectively... When we first met them we were like hey can we share are message and they thought we were watch towers... so they were like eish nah... and we then were like no problem by the way do you need any help maybe gardening, painting, dishes, laundry etc. and they laughed and were like sure come do our washing on saturday... So we did... and they were blown away... then we taught them... Turns out the father was like telling us to leave from the get go and got proved wrong hard core... but he is afraid of meeting with us because he got us so wrong so he has been studying and reading incognito while we teach the others... Which brings us to Thabile... She is AWWWEEESOME... so she reads the book of Mormon and has not put it down she says its like a novel and goes like perfect with the Bible she is super interested and man is so prepared... Now we have Gonzo and Monde who always hang out together and we teach them... They read 2nd Nephi 31 and were like "what is this straight and Narrow path and how do we get on it?" so we read the chapter and they were like " sounds like we need to get baptized... how does this happen..." that's like asking me " hey do you want some nachos?" OH man the Lord brings miracles... turns out Gonzo has been taking the train to work everyday and has been reading the book of Mormon outloud to those around him and NBD or anything but he has 11 people for us to teach... MIRACLES happen man... Awesome...

Anywho.... Thursday was sweet got a few ditches and Elder Mhlalase hit 3 pigeons bringing his death toll to 27... hahaha and then friday Elder Holland...

So we drove to roodeport in the mission office and it was quite the adventure we got stuck in traffic on the N12 and thought we were going to be late... We're told that we had to be there by 9 so we sped, and sped, and sped some more and made it at 8:58!!!! We then had a line up and shook his hand... man he stares you right to the soul but it was sweet... His talk was the best though... He began by talking about a previous meeting in Joburg with Missionaries and how mad he got... confirming the myth we heard that about 7 years ago he had all the missionaries line up after being super irreverant and giving them numbers.... 3, 2 ,2 ,1 ,3, 2,... etc... then he said 1's you are fine keep it up... 2's visit the mission president and repent, 3's go home... NOW... hahah man they don't call him the shamboker for nothing... Anyway he talked about PMG and how its number one goal is to convert the missionaries to the gospel and to never let them fall away... " Don't let me get started on less active RM's I just go balistic... call the fire department Hollands at it again!!! I just wanna put my knee in their throat and tell them to wake up!!!... There is no real world when we get home from mission... This is how you should live your life... don't go holy for 2 years and forget it all... MY MISSION MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME... MAKE IT THE SAME FOR YOU... LEARN IT NOW..." man he was powerful I wrote 13 pages of notes which I'll share in 20 months or so with all of you haha...

Saturday uneventful but nice.... Oh wait... Friday after elder holland we went for chinese and days of our lives was on TV and I was like "Hey my mom watches this!!!" and everyone in the whole restaraunt laughed haha they were like yo this one is bad that's why its on at 3 o clock and not at 7 like real tv shows.... haha sorry mom...

Anyway sunday was also sweet just a nice day with a bit of rain in the morning after an epic week of thunderstorms and just chilled out and taught some sweet lessons....

So a pretty awesome week and we always bring new goals to grow and move farther forward... Transfers are this week but Elder Mhlalase and I are both staying... as far as around us Elder Williams, who is my boy, is getting a new companion and Elder Onsongo is leaving to a new area... but other than that they are keeping us all here... personally I think I'll be here just 6 more weeks and then I'm off to Botswana that is what destiny has held for the last 3 missionaries who were trained here... But only the Lord knows...

Frisbee what the heck man why haven't you written me I'm calling you out haha and hit me up with your mailing address... As for the rest of you... thank you for the letters and emails they are awesome and always pump me up for the week and I'm so thankful for your prayers... But anywho two more weeks until conference and all that sweet stuff and the same until November... Seriously time is flying... Keep Africa in your prayers and the missionary work... and enjoy yourselves and have a fabulous 4th week of October...

Elder Robinson the iginyama....

Pictures from Preston Alder courtesy of his mom

what the flip 2 transfers are gone...

AGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man it has been an awesome week!!!!!!!!!!!! so lets begin Elder Holland in 3 days is coming and man am I excited... All you lucky guys across the pond are still have 3 weeks until conference and it hurts!!! haah but tons of awesome stuff is going on until then... So the week began awesome we found some new families to teach, had an awesome pday, had lessons set for the whole week, and boom we were feeling good... Oh and BTW I saw my first rain in like 8 months haha and AFRIKA rain is intense like thunder that shakes cars, strong wind and like lightning strikes in every direction every 2-3 seconds, oh and the rain drops are the size of strawberries haha it is so intense Voortrekker street was a river in like 5 minutes no joke... But then the trials came... Ditch after ditch after ditch, and we knocked door after door after door, and nothing... Frustrating but actually kind of fun haha like I love peoples excuses " Um I think I have uh food in the oven..." or my personal favorite, "my brother is calling me on sunday at 1 so I can't come to church at 9:30...." these are 100% serious haha or just I have my church and you WON"T Change me go away... Or my personal personal favorite of favorites, "My Bul Bul (a freakin huge dog) can make it to the gate in 2.8 seconds... are you sure you can run that fast?" Oh man I laughed so hard...

Speaking of laughs funny story... so we have this finding method called a life survey where we ask questions like "what is the purpose of life" or "do you believe God has a plan for you and your family," or "if you could ask God one question... what would it be" so we go around and do this in town because it opens people up... so we were knocking doors and it was raining pretty good and we're told to ask the questions to everyone old or young so we push the intercom and this girl answers and she says she's coming out and she sound like 17 so I was like eh I can ask her these questions... turns out she's like 9 years old but it was like she came out, it was raining and I already said we would ask a few questions so I did...

Now this sounds nice but these questions are deep and I'm flipping through thinking what can I ask this little girl... and I just opened my mouth and out popped the stupidest thing I could have said " what is the purpose of life?" Like seriously I asked a 9 year old what the purpose of life is haha Elder Mhlalase was just like Elder lets go we'll be back another time hahaha oh man we laughed and laughed...

Oh and this other guy we asked if he thought there was some plan for him after life and he just said "I don't know man but I know its gonna be @#$%@#$ up! theres gonna be fire and explosions and people burning and I'm gonna just sit back and have a beer..." CLASSIC....

Anywho so the week continued and man we were struggling ditches left and right so we just prayed, and fasted, and prayed some more and BOOM families coming left and right, referrals from members, lessons coming together, and............... 17 people on date for baptism by the 21st of November... and we have plans to put 10 more on this week... The lord hears prayers baby and things are pretty flippin sweet... We met this awesome family called the Moyo's and they were just like... "so this church has the priesthood and like is the right church?" "can we follow this, how do we join?" That's like asking a missionary "do you wanna come over for dinner tonight? we're having ribs?" man I love missionary work I can't say it enough...

So other big news this sunday we should be baptizing... James from Malawi... Nativity Chimwami from Zimbabwe... Possibly Nativity's husband Oakes... and possibly Joseph who is James roommate... Awesome story about James... He was found by the Wittwers at a gas station and through him he's just started inviting friends and we've found 6 others who are all preparing for baptism... NBD haha...

A Sweet story in the scrips for the week comes out of Alma 31... this is where Alma, Ammon, Aaron and the gang run into some apostate nephites who say prayers like "we are so glad we are better than everyone else and that you are gonna bless us and curse others..." Now I love personalities in scriptures and in one verse it says "when they had seen this they were astonished beyond all measure..." not exceedingly, or just astonished but "beyond all measure" man I laughed haha I can just imagine like Ammon and Aaron being like "Fetch! we gotta teach these guys?" but its a really awesoms story...

Anywho time is short... But I love the letters and emails... please when you send something get me your mailing address so I can write back... More sweet stuff to come and boom I'm 4 months old on mission now... 2 more and I can burn a tie and 4 more and I "get baptized haha" sweet stuff and plenty more adventures to come

Elder Robinson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oktober in Afrika

To begin today lets tell some funny stories of the week... Just last night we were tracting in Leachville and we came to a house... Elder Mhlalase was like yo this house is trouble it sounds like 20 something year old girls... and sure enough it was haha... So we walk in and it is instant awkward because we are like... "are your parents home?" and they are just like no but we can sit with these two strong men in suits and we were like no we can't haha because its a rule we've gotta have a member with us to teach girls our age... but yo they didn't get it... anyway so we kept trying to leave and finally got out after like 10 minutes of them flirting and "By the way Elder Robinson I LOOOVE your accent it is superb come by and see us real soon" haha man it was so awkward we probably looked like 12 year old boys trying to get out of there haha... When we left Elder Mhlalase was like "that is why people in Africa break the law of Chastity" man I laughed so hard I couldn't even talk at the next two doors we knocked... Also this week appearantly Elder Littlefield cooked hard boiled eggs and they blew up all over the flat and they had to repaint it hahahaha man I love mission so so so many crazy stories...

Anywho this week we got humbled hard core haha we've been trying to obey all the rules and schedule better but we've been lacking a bit and one day we just got Shamboked so hard core we got ditched by 9 appointments in one day... just imagine 9 in one day yo it hurt... its like going to work and finding all of your papers, projects, and everything missing man we decided we needed to obey 1000% and follow as close as possible...

So as far as work goes, we've really cleaned out our teaching pool and are only trying to teach really serious people like its insane we may meet with 30 new people a week to find some who are actually willing to act... but its good... keeps us busy and we are finding people... As far as those who are prepared... We have Nativity who has finally got her answer and told the ward all about it during testimony meeting yesterday and it was so awesome man just like huge smiles all around... we have James from Malawi who is just golden man after our lesson on the word of wisdom he just was like guys I need to thank you for these changes you've been making in my life... I've never felt closer to God and life has never been better... boom its sweet we actually try to commit people to a baptismal date within the first 3 appointments and with all these new people we've been finding I think we're gonna have to get more fonts haha... I'm really excited to keep the work going and can't wait to keep being obedient to see the blessings...

I have a real testimony of the power of prayer... It changes life and God always provides when we ask in faith for what is right because man I see it all the time out here when people pray about these things...

Satan is working hard against us tossing women, prostitues, broken cars, struggles, ditches and everything, but we've got work to do and can always make things happen with obedience, work, and prayer.

I love all these people and missionary work is so fun its like any time you are around missionaries its like a party hahaha especially the daveyton Elders: Onsongo, Kelly (my Australian brother who some day I'll go roo hunting with) Littlefield, and Williams, who is my boy, man investigators, tracting, church, dinner appointments, cleaning, cooking, all of the crazy things that happen I wouldn't trade for anything... its been three months and there is so much more awesome to come...
Collin, Uncle Weston, Leonard, Tanner, Andy, my sweatette brothers, Fetz, all you guys who are getting ready and who are already out yo I can't wait for you guys this is seriously such sweet work and live it up the 2 years will be gone soon and we've got a bunch of catching up to do but for now baptize, teach, and rock the Spirit... because that's what its all about...

Everyone have fun with life back home and write every now and again dear elder .com is free and I'd love to hear whats up... be sure to include your address so I can actually write back haha

Ndi hamba but I'll talk again in just 6 short days... I'm about to go enjoy a feast at the Royal Boma Buffet for just 60 rand or about 9 dollars... haha quick story Daniel Lombard one of the members sons who is 4 is like my bro right now haha he always wants me to teach primary and when we go over for family home evening is like I need to sit by Elder Wobinson haha I love that little guy I'll send pics soon... anyway take luck ya'll and enjoy the week I know I'll love mine

Elder Kenyon Sigonia Robinson out

Boom Shakalaka...

Sondag 3 Oktober, groete uit Ma en Pa‏

Ayoba! family howzit going acrossed the pond? Yesterday I just enjoyed my first african rainstorm and it was intense... the wind picks up to probably about 45 mph and thunder and lightning are just smashing all around then it dumps... it was so sweet... Good to hear Utah is doing well and hopefully another legit BCS bowl is in the future... how is the rest of the mountain west namely TCU doing because I have a feeling they may be a challenge... anyway yeah things are sweet and I'm so pumped to blow a kudu horn in just 20 short months haha it'll be intense... As far as needs... maybe for the christmas package send some of that back soap dyoxi whatever its called... Yeah Elder Crawford is Elder Alders father and since he's my brother he is somehow my step father which just adds more and more branches to my family briar patch... Elder Williams, who is my boy, is seen on a pretty regular basis and we hope it stays that way for a while... the only problem is we've been lacking in our morning soccer games but hopefully that picks up again... Township is like small homes and shacks (squatter camps) that take up a pretty big area... they are usually dirt and paved roads... like if you google earth Wattville its a pretty nice township but there is a big squatter camp area in Tamboville... just like the sheet metal and tarp homes you see in invictus they are all over the place... Its just the two of us in our flat and we had bikes... mine was called the storm trooper... but it got a flat tire so we usually just walk or take the car... except today our car is in the shop again because of messed up brake pads and an unusually high idol around 3000 rpm... but yeah its always an adventure to get around... We actually get conference out here on the 30th and 31st of October and we can go to every single session... because of the 10 hour time change its a little ridiculous but yeah I just have to thirst for conference for another month... but I'll have a nice little snack with elder holland in 10 days. I have really started to realize just how fast the time goes... for example... its been 3 months... now a transfer cycle is 6 weeks and this transfer ends in 2 more weeks... I'll then be gone for almost 4 months... there is 16 transfers in a mission and I've been through like 2 and a half... so in just a few transfers or by November I will have been gone for 6 months and I can burn a tie for the mile stone... 4 more transfers and it has been a year... then I can burn a shirt... then it is all the down hill slope... also by the time I call on Christmas... I'll have been gone 6 months... then when I call on mothers day i'll nearly be a year... 2 years is a long time but 6 months sure isn't... and especially when you leave areas... for example I'll probably be only in Benoni another 7 weeks or so... then I move and learn new people and a new area... its just crazyness...
As far as clothes go everything is holding up pretty well I'm just frustrated because they so called wrinkle free shirts can't be wrinkle free because we don't have a dryer... but that's not a big deal... I've officially named all my ties and have been trading them with companions... I gave Elder Nelson Lorenzo and in return got the Leviathan... so soon enough I'll be trading with Elder Mhlalase... anywho better get to the big letter but enjoy your monday