Hola Familia y Amigos!?
I started reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish, so decided to greet the same. But I feel blessed to not be speaking spanish. The Elders in the mission that speak spanish are not working with the same stalwart, wonderful, generous members that English speakers work with.
Starting back on Tuesday, we got a call from the Zone Leaders in Dover asking us to give a blessing to a member friend that was in a hospital in our area. The directions were kind of unclear, but after dinner at a member's home, we went out with the father to the nearby A.I. duPont Children's hospital. This hospital receives grants and is the go to children's hospital in the region, above Philly. The duPont family actually started the hospital because they inter-married so much that their kids started having deformities....sooo. Now they've got this great hospital. duPont makes everything btw. Like from the plasticish covering that goes on the outside of houses to gun powder in the past. It's headquarter's is in my area.
Back to the story. We met the mom down stairs, had our pics taken, and went up to the room. I didn't know what to expect, but we saw a little baby sitting up in this caged crib with a bunch of toys around her. She coughed and wheezed as she reached her arms out to her mom and brother walking in the room. So after chatting a little, I did the anointing of the oil and Elder Taylor gave her the blessing. She started screaming half way through, but before she screamed, I got the strongest impression that this sweet little daughter of God, Ashley, only 10 months old with curly black hair, would be just fine. I hope the mom felt it as well. She grew up Mormon, but is now just non-denominational Christian. Believes in the power of Priesthood blessings though. We said our goodbyes and the mom walked out of the room with us. She informed us that Ashley had been admitted to AI for pneumonia, then several tests later, they concluded that she actually has neuroblastoma and the malignant tumor on her spine has been pressing on her lungs and causing the discomfort and coughing. She will most likely need chemo and radiation, but I felt that all will be alright and that she'd get through it as well as her mother. She is in God's hands. It was a wonderful experience.
On Thursday, we had Zone Training in Newark, DE. Much of the time was spent introducing new "key indicators" we would be keeping track of. So the Philly mission is currently skyrocketing in terms of numbers among the North easter missions...but we've been couting them wrong. So President Anderson came in and changed pretty much everything about the way we keep track of our numbers. For example, our "other lessons taught" do not count if they are first time visits on the street, only for returning, committed investigators. So we saw a bunch of big "0"'s this week. They also checked our area binders and officially announced that we will be getting iPads this transfer. Elder Perry and Packer have said that the laptop was invented for missionaries, so we are kind of seeing the fulfillment of that technological prophecy.
We currently have no progressing investigators...which is awesome. Knicoma moved or was evicted or something, and doesnt' have a phone. So he disappeared into thin air. Xavier is never home when we stop by and isn't keeping commitments. It makes me sad, but I realize that maybe we need to spend our time elsewhere. I have felt the need to give the downtown part of Wilmington a break this transfer. We have been knocking on doors more in Newport, with little success, so this week will be interesting. We are hoping and praying we find new people.
Elder Taylor is getting transferred and we'll find out tomorrow where he's going. Yesterday at church, the testimonies were just wonderful and many were geared towards "Hastening the Work of Salvation" and I just got a wonderful feeling inside. I had read Mosiah 18:21-22 earlier in the week and it came back to me in Sacrament Meeting yesterday. This is what Zion is supposed to feel like, "hearts knit together in unity and in love one toward another." Later in the evening, we stopped by the Anderson family in our ward. They were going on a family walk and invited us to join them. I was hesitant, feeling it would be a waste of time. But right after I had had the thought to turn back and go to the car, we walked into a guy that Bro. Anderson knew. He is a young lawyer with a daughter and wife and seemed open to maybe hearing a message in the future. Sister Anderson has also had some wonderful missionary experiences and I love that the family as a whole is working together to find God's elect. Near the end of the walk, we walked into some "asian-looking people" who were very friendly and talkative. Ellen and Stanley King (sounds Chinese right?) came from China to Michigan and then to DE. They knew many Mormons in Michigan and actually asked about the temple in DC. So we told them about the temple being built in Philly and that families can be sealed together forever. She had a question, but with a simple answer, I think the Spirit of Elijah touched their hearts. And then I felt to bring up Family History, and got them interested in coming to our local Family History Center. So we shall see. Little Miracles. God teaching us how to serve His children and how to obey that "still, small voice" when it does come to you.
"Prayer is vocalized FAITH"
Fact of the Day: Wilmington is on the nations top 10 of most unfriendly cities and has the highest violent crime rate per capita in the nation. Pretty cool...keep it up guys! And on Friday a black woman rolled up in her big Chrysler and asked us if we were preachers. We responded in the affirmative, and she said "Well ya best be gettin' cause a man over there is going to jump and there gona be some ugly shootin goin on. Soo...we stuck around, bought some popcorn and waited for the show. Nah, not really. Kinda wanted to, just to have a cool story. But...we figured God was telling us to get off Xavier's wonderfully "safe" street and go visit some members instead. So we did. And the members made us happy as they are already doing their own missionary work. Gotta love it. Idk what im forgetting, but hope all is well on the homefront. Brothers and dad, don't die on Whitney. Just pretend I'm out there Gracing you with my presence! ha Miracles are all around us if we but look for them!
Love,
Elder Robins
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