A Legacy of Love

Dearest Family and friends,

My heart goes out to my wonderful family in this time of loss. Grandma
Clyde played such a big role in my childhood and in who I am today. My
ward mission leader in Smyrna commented on my Facebook post with the
picture of the Resurrected Savior and he said "Grandma's are special
they effect you spirituality like no one else. I am sure yous was the
greatest.  I am sure you are the man you are today in part because of
her. Thanks to our Father in Heaven for the plan of salvation we shall
live together as families again." -Ken McVicker He's such a kind
hearted man.
But it's true. My grandparents, both sets, and Grandma Clyde helped
raise me. They have played such an integral role in my spiritual and
temporal development. I have so many good memories with Grandma Clyde
like her teaching me how to sew....good skill to have! I will miss her
much but know she is in a better place with her eternal companion. But
I think just like Grandpa Clyde, she left a legacy of love. Her smile,
her testimony, her generosity and kindness, and her favorite song that
I would play for her was "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus" which I felt
she was a good example of. Christ-like love will change the world. One
person at a time.

We had a slow week and we weren't able to teach nearly as much as we
have been. But we still saw some miracles! Joe Ruple and his wife
Magaly did a gnarly race called the Spartan Race up in NY so we didn't
see them. Pam with work and her cousins church and everything was not
able to line up with us. But she misses seeing us and wants to stop
smoking, which is right on board! We weren't able to teach Benito
until he came to church yesterday. He loved church but he was in soo
much pain sitting for 3 hours. And this smoking thing is still killin
him. But he did a lot better this week staying busy. His baptism may
be a little further off than we had hoped. But wed rather him be
prepared and stick with it than rush in and fall off the map.

So an awesome thing about working on Facebook, is we get a lot of
friend requests from non members who know mormons. So we'll send them
messages telling them what we do and asking if they'd be interested in
learning more. There was one such who said she doesn't speak english.
Well let's just say there is a reason we have google translate on our
iPads. Her name is Pendore, she speaks French and she lives in Pointe
Noire, Congo....never thought I'd be teaching someone in Africa! Her
family was actually baptized by the missionary son of an awesome
family in Wilmington, DE. So we've taught her the Restoration using
google translate both ways to read and respond to her messages. I
think The Lord is hastening His work..

Later in the week we met with Francis at the church and skyped in the
Dun's. We talked about baptism and confirmation, and invited him to be
baptized. He kind of said yeah, but he wanted to think and pray about
it. The next day he messaged us on Facebook and told us he talked to
his parents Oo and Elizabeth Reh and they said no to him getting
baptized. Soo we were just a little shocked, we were pretty sure it
would all work out. He stills reads a bit, but we just want to read
with the family so that they can feel the Spirit and you can't deny
what you feel. Or if you do, it's your loss. We're praying that
they'll come around.

One night, after a long day, we had decided to go get some real ice
cream with a McDonald's Mcflurry....oh wait. Ha. But it was 9 somethin
pm and we were walking through the parking lot that connects to a gas
station and McYuck's. And we hear this nice, but kind of sketchy
sounding voice coming from somewhere near the dumpsters we walked by.
I think we both got a distinct impression to keep walking, but
curiosity killed the cat, so of course we went looking for the man. He
was perched up on some cement thing with a nice tall can of beer and a
cig in hand. "You're the Mormons, right? Multiple wives?" "Yeah i have
23 brothers and sisters!" I wanted to say. We cleared that up. Then he
just kept spouting off these things about Joseph Smith and all that
jazz. It was pathetic and just felt dark. Elder Seeley was beginning
to argue and I kind of just cut in and said "Okay we gotta go, have a
nice night." "Oh of course you have to go! One more question for you."
Then he asked about Heavenly Father being married. A little too much
at that point. As we walked away he began spouting off these horrible
obscenities at us and about Joseph Smith and our Fake Religion,
calling us white nazi's and some other pretty naughty stuff. "How
could you believe such a load of crap?" Go wash your mouth out mister.
If you can't say nothin nice, don't say nothing at all. But nope.
Alcohol got the best of him. So we walked away and reaffirmed that we
had done our part in bearing testimony of truth. The joyful burden of
discipleship.

On the other hand, we called Dotty, not being able to contact her
until Sunday. She was soo glad we called and said she just loves us
and the Spirit we bring. She has been in and out of the hospital and
will soon go in for surgery. We will give her a priesthood blessing
before she goes in. She is in 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon and just
soaks it up. It is all making sense to her. Such a sweet lady.

President Sikahema Stake President came to Sacrament meeting and met
with the Branch Presidency. He told them that its likely that the
Johnson's or another senior couple will be put in or near AC to help
us out. President Anderson also asked me what I thought about putting
another English set in AC. The work is going well but I want to see
how long it can be sustained before there's 8 missionaries in a branch
of 45 active members. But President Sikahema is one of the best member
missionaries Ive ever met. He is a news anchor for Philadelphia's NBC
news so people often recognize him. The missionaries now teach someone
he met at a restaurant that just wanted a picture with him. And the
Amandy's, Filipino members who feed us every week, invited a friend
over and introduced her to us. So we should hopefully start teaching
her tonight. Her name is Rose. Member missionary work and
fellowshipping is the way to go. And what President Sikahema and the
Amandy's and other successful missionaries have in common is their
deep and abiding love for the Savior and brothers and sisters all
around them. I'm trying hard to gain that love, but I feel that love
is the ultimate motive for everything good and right in this world and
in the eternities.

I want to leave that kind of legacy of love everywhere I go. Where
people will remember me for the love I exhibited through word and
deed. I think of the stalwart Moroni in the Book of Mormon who left so
well his legacy of love. He worked with a lot of stubborn people, but
he pressed forward loved God and loved His people. And what's even
cooler is that he was seeing our day when he was writing much of this.
He saw our challenges and struggles. The Book of Mormon is written
specifically for us. That's a legacy worth being a part of. 35 Behold,
I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But
behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
(Mormon 8:35)

You're in my thoughts and prayers, love you all,

Elder Jake Robins