"I say unto you nay, for it is by faith that miracles are wrought" ; I'll see you sunday, rain in the lowveld, I don't praat bro...‏

So it's faith week ladies and gentlemen and hard to believe but yet another week has passed by... we saw some pictures from Japan in the mall and it looks totally insane like warzone/zombie move kind of stuff. crazy... so this week was just kinda one of those weeks where nothing sensational happened but nothing bad happened... it was just a good week... we taught some good lessons, saw some good families, tracted, it rained, oh and boom the chevy Aveo is finally back after 34 days in the shop... so yay...

This week since there isn't too much to talk about I figure I'll kinda discuss some more things just about missionary work... Now something that has happened in Nelspruit is I have started to LOVE investigators... like in Benoni we always could find people and always had lessons to teach... and now well we can tract for 4 days and find nothing... so I kind of like equate teaching investigators like having a relationship... and its one of those relationships where it seems you like them so much more than they like you... Like its a thursday night and its been 2 days since you've talked to them and you don't wanna come off too forward... so do you call them? (it hasn't been three days) do you play it cool and wait a day?(and all the while just think man I wanna teach them) or do you call and get no answer?(totally sucks)

then when you teach them you are constantly thinking like what do they need to hear... is it too soon to do that? is that too much for now? what if they drop us? haha and just like the real deal... sometimes you get rejected... sometimes it was too much... sometimes you glory in a fantastic triumph and enjoy a baptism... But missionary work is so ridiculously much fun and I honestly never could describe the fun, difficulty, happiness, frustration of a typical day... but its the best.

So now our situation is we have 14 on baptismal date for April 24th... and everyone is progressing... and it looks like its gonna be a stellar month... so what do we have to do? work hard and effectively all day, be obedient like our life depends on it, pray like no ones business, teach by the spirit, get the branch involved, get them to church even in a monsoon, and let the Lord take care of the rest... hopefully all will work out... but as always gotta take the leap of faith...

one investigator we are trying to get married to a member so he can get baptized, one we are teaching english while all the while he is a refugee from burundi who left because the government wanted him to recruit child soldiers and his family is still in the country suffering, a mother we are teaching didn't realize you can pray for specific things, a family is so golden that you just want to teach them all day long all week long, one is a real life rambo who you are still waiting for clearance to baptize, 2 are totally awesome but may be moving to bushbuck ridge, and 3 are ready to roll no doubt... plus you always have more to find, more to do, and so much to improve on... Boom D&C 50: verse 13 I believe... "unto what were you ordained?" boom all part of a day in the life of a missionary...

well yeah all is pretty awesome right now, we found reeses peanut butter cups for a rand a pop, I swear I understand Afrikaans fluently, but I still can't speak it for the life of me and I wanna learn zulu anyway which I understand as well but can't speak in return haha... and a monsoon yesterday prevented 9 investigators from coming to church... ugh...

But anyway life is sweet. it may be my last week in Nelspruit, I don't exactly know what will happen, and holy crap I'm 20 in 15 days... haha... well sjoe skoko

Elder Robinson
comin all the way live from the refiners fire
Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, South Africa 1240

Monday again, Tzaneen, rain in the Lowveld, the warzone begins, miracles in Mpumalanga‏

ard to believe yet another week has gone by and I'm sitting here in the alpha internet cafe discussing the intricacies... I've given up on english its a loosing battle at this point... of a week. So yeah haha surprise I wrote on tuesday because of Kruger... I didn't forget about you but I did forget my camera at the apartment again... so pics next week. Awesome to hear about unlce Weston and Kasey sounds like lots of awesome missionary happenings back home and that makes me happy.

So this week was my first week in Nelspruit where we didn't tract... Miracle #1.... we had appointments virtually at all hours of the week to keep us occupied and the other amazing thing is that everyone we are teaching... and I mean everyone is progressing.... Miracle #2.... This Friday we had the opportunity as a district to travel to Tzaneen in Limpopo province for a LCT (Leadership council Training) where I was invited to speak on time wasters and its pretty dang cool like I just feel more and more I'm a part of the Lords team in the Jozi mission and it was a super pump up meeting about just the little things that make us so much better. super cool and just a speach to check out from the meeting is by Teddy Roosevelt our 26th president of the USA called "Dare Mighty Things" nothing to say about that but legendary...

But basically the point was is when we're flying home after our sojourn is to say "I'm glad I did" rather than "I wish I did" cool stuff....

So now that all of ya'll across the pond are heading into spring we here in Mpumalanga the province of the rising sun are heading into fall which means a lot of rain... we haven't seen the sun in 5 days and well its really nice haha the yellow marks on the white shirt got a break... So also with fall and winter in south africa comes one of the funniest and craziest things... so what happens is all of the grass like brush grass... grows super huge right now because of a ton of rain then in late april/ early may... all of the rain stops.... and the country just gets dry and cold... then all of the grass is burned and the whole country is on fire with no one watching it... so it looks like a warzone but everything is fine.... Miracle #3 haha.... and well I'm pretty excited for winter its really fun here especially in Gauteng where most likely i'll be heading in 2 to 8 weeks... yeah another transfer is coming to a close... crazy stuff.

Well lets talk about two pretty awesome things that happened this week. So Thandiwe who was baptized in January has been inviting her fiancee to meet with us and we finally met him this week. Thandiwe is super awesome but it never seemed like she entirely got all the principles but just understood what she needed to for baptism and had a testimony... well turns out she's the bomb and through constant study which she was always good at... she taught the missionary discussions to him... commited him to pray... bore her testimony... and bam he's a converted man missionaries required... the gospel is awesome and so is thandiwe haha... Miracle #4.... oh and he'll be baptized in April along with her whole family... Also legendary.... we're teaching Irene who I believe i've talked about before and she is from Zambia and kinda has a struggling marriage... well her 5 year old daughter Chichi woke her up yesterday and said "mommy its time for us to go to church.... and she was like ok which church? and Chichi was like Brey and Robinsons church!" so they came and bam she said she learned that it was true yesterday... it was a way sweet experience with her telling the story and Chichi just sitting there smiling man haha I love that family... Oh and CJ her son wants to get baptized, her husband wants to meet with us, and everything is awesome in Nelspruit.... Miracle 5, 6, and 7.... In fact Nelspruit is on fire literally... the felt (grass)... and figuratively. next month we have a serious potential for 11 baptisms and that's not even a stretch... the Lord is hooking us up hard core, the branch is excited... we're excited... testimonies are growing.... and the Lord answers prayers always... you just gotta work and wait....

Quote of the week.... "2 men can do anything... when one is the Lord." so live it up, work hard, and boom miracles...

Oh here is "Dare Mighty Things"

In the battle of life, it is not the critic who counts; nor the one who points out how the strong person stumbled, or where the doer of a deed could have done better.

The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually strive to do deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends oneself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he or she fails, at least fails while daring greatly.

Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those timid spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.
yeah haha awesome... enjoy the words of the president from the bull moose party... enjoy the week... and more awesome to come this week.

Sahla Kahle

Elder Robinson

Where will Chevy Spark Lite take you? Legendary Sunday, and "What's he gonna do?" (Bull Elephant charges car)‏

Well well well it looks like its tuesday and this weeks email is coming in a bit late but there is a lot to talk about so lets go for it... Well to begin with lets talk about the work... Monday we received the crushing news we would be another week without the car and man Elder Brey was mad haha to me its kind of became a joke at this point but i'm not gonna lie I was disappointed as well. But we got the hook up from Chevy because they gave us the 1 liter champion of the savannah Chevy Spark Lite.... written in all kinds of girly print on the back of the car and smaller than a mini cooper I think the only thing more of a girl car we could be driving is a pink tricycle with ribbons and a white basket up front. But man we have fun in that car haha. So we were finally able to see everyone again starting tuesday and it gave us some pretty sweet results... Especially in Lydenburg and in Sabie where two member referrals are really pulling through.

In Sabie though Veronica our long time investigators mom finally passed away in the hospital and we kinda got the prompting to go to Sabie on the way back from Lydenburg and we were able to help through the last few hours of Maria's life so that was kinda cool but also sad. here in Africa a funeral is like a week of morning where no one does anything they just sit in the house quiet and dressed in traditional clothes and stuff. its like life ends for the whole family and friends for the week.

But lets talk about the most epic sunday of my mission so far. First of all Irene and her daughter two of our investigators on date made it to church and they seriously got fellowshipped like no ones business. Like in gospel doctrine class she was like " I love this place and i'll be joining the church soon" when she introduced herself... She also told her old pastor that our message is good and its all about faith, prayer, and doctrine and if he doesn't like it he can shove it... Awesome... also, Bongiwe and her family are coming along really well and all have testimonies that its true... We then went back to a return appointment with Musa and Vutami and met Musa's wife. So honestly we weren't expecting too much... we didn't think they understood the message or were really commited but they prayed and know its true... they recommited themselves to baptism and taught us all about how they know its true... Miracle haha man but it gets better. So we then taught Irene about the temple and how her family can be sealed together and she told us about how much pressure she's had from the ladies in her old church and how the more we teach the more she knows its good. I really know she'll get a testimony soon. but it still gets better. last week Thursday we contacted this lady named Nonhlanhla and she like GOT the message she commited to pray and was seriously just so super good like not a golden investigator but a diamond investigator. But as this week went on we called... she cancelled... we called... no answer.... we went to her house.... no one home.... Sunday came and we were back in the same neighborhood and we had left a message the night before... but we felt like we really needed to call her so we did and... no answer... just when we were getting ready to leave... the phone rings... "Elders! I am soooooo sorry I've seen the missed call and I was busy praying that you would come back... when can you come?".... well how about right now.... So we came and bam her whole family is sitting in the room... Baldwin her husband. Hlane her little boy. and Terrace their oldest son. We just started to talk and asked about our previous visit. Appearantly right after we left she prayed and got like the most powerful feeling that everything we taught was true and it was what her family needed. Turns out the whole family has been in and out of different churches their whole lives and had practically given up on going to a church but just studying in their home... so she taught them the entire restoration lesson and we kinda went over points again and commited them to pray. Nonhlanhla said I already know its true I have my answer and they'll get their answers too... Tell us about the book of mormon....

Now I'm going to pause... NO ONE... and I mean NO ONE reads the pamphlet after the first lesson. only after a few lessons when they start to progress they read... But she knew all about it and was like I need this book... can I get one now? "it just so happens we have a free copy in our car" haha we're smooth with it... and man boom just perfect the whole family is so awesome and its something like that this branch needs more than anything. We walked out of the lesson and it was just like... "can you say prepared?" Sometimes whatever crap you have to go through just seems like nothing when you have it all work out... everything just seems like nothing when you teach a lesson like that or finally pass the test or whatever and man I'm so excited to keep teaching these people and it is looking like we may have 11 baptisms next month. AWESOME

So you may be wondering about why I am emailing a day late and its because yesterday we went to Kruger National Park... It was awesome... We saw like so many animals and all of the big 5 minus the leopard... It was seriously so sweet like the finest zoo, animal park, or any discover chanel show has nothing on going on a safari through that place... I'm going to just talk about what we saw on the S-29 road and maybe send some pics next week. about 17 kilometers of road we saw 9 Kudu and one jumped over our car... we were charged by an African Bull Elephant and he trumpeted his trunk like right in our ears... we saw 6 black Rhino, saw a lion eating a zebra saw warthogs, wildebeest, Impala got charged by a second elephant who we video taped pushing a tree over while scratching its butt and saw some wild dogs... just a legendary day all around and totally gotta go back some day...

But anyway yeah awesome week everything is super awesome right now with the work, mission, life, and everything... hope all is well back home and I'll be sending some pics back soon from the happenings of Nelspruit and the Chevy Spark Lite...

Oh and rugby shorts are awesome haha we feel like true afrikaaners now after buying some last week.

Ayoba from Africa

Elder Robinson



"Ayoba" is a slang term used by South Africans to express amazement.

It is derived from other slang terms, like "Ayeye" or "Ayoyoyo." It was originally meant as an approval/appreciation of good dancing, although the exact origins of the phrase are unknown. It is thought to have roots in Johannesburg township culture. It is however, uniquely South African and expresses delight, excitement, agreement and approval. It is also used as a greeting.

Patience week, still no car, cricket world cup, watermelon jelly, and miracles.... stay tuned‏

How in the Sam Hill is everyone!?!?! All is well in Nelspruit and even though we've still been without transportation for 3 weeks the work is doing well. Lately as a companionship Elder Brey and I have been focusing on Christlike attributes and this week we decided on patience which honestly is the crappiest attribute in the world because I can't think of anything that I hate worse than waiting. But we had some pretty cool experiences this week. So maybe lets begin just with your typical day. basically because of no car and a huge area and usually 3 appointments scattered throughout the day we have to plan walking time between areas and it is quite a hastle sometimes. But tuesday and wednesday were especially bad. an appointment at 10 am in West acres followed by a 3 o clock or 4 o clock in kamagugu which is about a 7 mile walk. so we usually plan for about 2 hours of walking... which tries your patience quite a lot in a shirt and tie, cars honking at you, and 95 degrees. But well we're kinda used to it now... the problem is after walking this far when you reach your appointment and they have ditched you. now, you are in an area with empty houses because everyone works and you are 50 minutes away from any houses with people home. you also have a 7 o clock appointment in kamagugu so you don't want to leave and walk back again... If you guessed tract anyway you are correct. Because it is better to at least try then to wander aimlessly for hours. and we had 2 straight days of no result... then came thursday... We taught Bongiwe who is a mother of 3 who we believe is single and bam she prayed and has a testimony and commited herself to baptism which should probably happen later this month if not in early april. awesome sauce sometimes you just gotta wade through a bunch of crap and then you get to the chicken burrito... sorry I just really miss mexican food.... and once you get there you realize how much you've grown or how it was totally worth it. So then we continued after that lesson just knocking and getting rejected and then we got let into a pastors house who is the head elder of the apostolic chuch in Nelspruit... and we taught the restoration and he brought concern after concern and we answered like champs thanks to the Spirit and then commited him to pray and... he rejected us... but hey all part of the job. then it was approaching dark with a 1 hour 30 minute walk back to our flat along a freeway and so we decided to knock one last door. Bam Nonhlanhla Mashago! so we sit down and aren't expecting too much she's a cool lady and I believe just thinks we're there to share a verse and leave... But we taught the restoration and she GOT it... like a lot and basically said I have been looking for this and I really feel its true and I know when I pray tonight I'll get my answer... MIRACLE man she is awesome and another example of just being patient and doing your work. the Lord will do the rest.

So missionary life is full of random experiences, challenges, triumphs, and other things you never really see coming but its all just a part of the awesome whole...

It's cricket world cup right now and all the Indians are going crazy and there is like cricket going in the street and I constantly hear the phrase "hurry stick the Wicket!!!" honestly I still don't understand the sport whatsoever but it makes for some fun street contacting. Also this week I've come to realize you can talk to virtually every Afrikaaner about one of three things #1. their dogs every afrikaaner loves their dog #2. rugby... young or old everyone watches rugby and loves wearing the super short rugby shorts hairy legs and all. #3. Biltong... yep this week I tried it and I struck up a conversation talking about Braii (BBQ) and Biltong (jerky). It's just that easy...

This week we also heard another legendary Frik story while enjoying PB&J's with watermelon jelly which is super tasty by the way... so appearantly Frik bought a Motorcycle and was drivnig at night about 20 years ago and could no longer see the road and thought he was going to crash so he swerved to the right and saw a V shaped slot canyon... he drove through it and it ripped his handle bars off and he flew 80 feet down and landed on a tree branch and was unconcious for 3 days until a helicopter found him... He was taken to the hospital and recovered about 5 months later and BMW replaced his motorcylce because it was under warranty and he cut his casts at the joints so he could ride it... drove 3 straight days to the coast got in the water to loosen the casts and cut them off and road home... this man is a legend and is progressing towards baptism for next month... awesome stuff.

So today is 8 months away from home and I just wanna say missionary work is tough sometimes but nothing is more worth it... still many adventures to go and so much to experience and grow through and so many awesome and fun little day to day things...

well not much else to say. Have fun, stay safe, enjoy spring break
hasta loego from Africa

Elder Robinson

Elder Kenyon Robinson

Dear Brother and Sister Robinson,



I’m please to inform you that your son, Elder Kenyon Robinson, has been assigned to serve as the District Leader for the Nelspruit District in the North East Zone. He was assigned after prayerful consideration and because of his obedience, hard work, and leadership capabilities.



District Leaders are responsible for training, motivating, and directing the missionaries in their District. They have shown their ability to be powerful teachers of the Gospel. They have the sacred responsibility of interviewing candidates for baptism. The leadership provided by District Leaders is essential to the success of the Mission.



I thank you for your role in preparing and guiding such a fine young man. I appreciate the sacrifices you have made to help support him in the mission field.



Sincerely,



President David E. Poulsen

South Africa Johannesburg Mission





Sister Henrichsen

Secretary

South Africa Johananesburg Mission

Patience Week.

So to begin welcome to this weeks edition of Ayoba in Africa. Hello to everyone back home good to hear life is well and all of the happenings in Utah, California, Vegas, or wherever you may be. To begin lets talk about 2 count em 2 baptisms yesterday. So Ntokozo Mxolisi Soko is a totally changed man... when I first got here... he did nothing but drink and smoke weed all day but he felt prompted to read 2nd Nephi 32 and it completely changed his outlook on life... he's truly a changed guy and yesterday I had the privellege of baptizing him nothing but huge smile the whole day at church and during the baptismal program. Now also baptized was Barney Neethling McCarthy who I have had the pleasure of teaching a few times, home teaching, and who was being taught by the Atkinsons and now he has been passed along to us. Barney is the man... l have never seen someone so converted to the gospel. When I first met him he was a bit stubborn but had a testimony... and now man you would think he has been a member for 20 years... Now one of the coolest things about being a District Leader is getting to interview people for baptism... Now this can seem a little intimidating because its like you are the judge of if they are ready... But it is so powerful to hear the testimonies and to see the changes they have made... I was able to interview 4 people on Wednesday and man probably one of the most profound experiences on my mission. Barney was incredible... I would ask a question just like the basics and he would expound of how he was converted to live the principle and how he never ever wants to change the guy just kept breaking into tears man and he's not a crying kind of guy... big Afrikaaner who constantly smells of biltong but man he's the man...

Which brings us back to sunday... He was baptized by his son our 2nd Counseler and man the guy was just in tears and they just hugged in the font for like 3 minutes and man it was the most powerful thing I've ever seen. then his wife came down who has been a member for like 10 years and simply said one year til the temple then they cried and hugged for some time as well... The gospel is true... nothing else to say...

So also this week our car is still broken and so that means a lot of walking and a lot of sunburn... my nose is like practically radioactive but supposedly this week will cool down. Also this week I was able to teach my first district meeting which was pretty intimidating to teach a group of missionaries but I felt it went really well and the Lord made it good. it was about becoming a S.P.O.W. (Spiritual Positive Obedient Worker) and D&C 88 80-81 and D&C 127: 4 so I think we were all pretty motivated which was nice :D

We have found a lot of cool families and we currently have 8 people on baptismal date for march which would be more people baptized in 3 months than the last 3 years... so hopefully all goes well. Tonight we'll be teaching 3 families Elvis and Daisy, George and Xabelo, and Benjie plus wife who we haven't met yet... so I'm excited... The District is doing well and I'm excited to do my best in helping it grow. Our new missionary in the District is Elder Morowa and he is from Zimbabwe and is a rad guy and super funny.

Maybe I'll talk a bit about the weekend because it was pretty epic... so Saturday we had like 10 appointments scheduled so we were pumped but lo and behold ditch after ditch after ditch after ditch and a 38 degree day which is like 102 back home... so we tracted... got shouted at by muslims, chased by a pit bull which I kicked in the face bringing my total to 7 dogs kicked in the face, yelled at by Afrikaaners, and vuvuzela blasted because the Kaizer Chiefs were Playing the Orlando Pirates so its like BYU vs. Utah football... only soccer. and sunburn bad haha... I put a frozen towel on my face and the towel was melted and warm within two minutes... awesome... and then because we had baptisms scheduled in Kanyamazane and Nelspruit we had to wake up at 3 and take the font to Kanyamazane... after getting that ready we had a service over there and then drove to Nelspruit missing sacrament and frantically set up the font there... because the water was going to slow we had to bust out the fire hose and then had an epic baptism (see above haha) and then we walked to kamagugu to teach Irene who is having some difficulties right now and heard we were "the Mammons" from her pastor but we commited her to pray and read and even to be baptized and she accepted. Then we walked to Stone henge 20 k's away then back to the flat 10 more k's only to realize we left the keys at the chapel locked out dehydrated and had to wait for Kanyamazane to get back. then I did my call in report to the zoneleaders sat on the bed and the next thing I knew it was 6:30 this morning... and I didn't move or hear a thing last night... my eyes kinda look like tomatoes with a blue bit of mold on it for my corena or however you spell that...

But all is well... Mission is sweet... we won't have the car back until Friday and so thus begins patience week. Pretty sweet eh?

Well enough of that...

Enjoy the week

enjoy mexican food.

Enjoy march...

Say goodbye to February

Elder Kenyon Robinson
Nelspruit South Africa
AKA the Refiners Fire

Peace out