"I'll take over here"

 Hey Everyone,

Again, happy Thanksgiving! Hope y'all got your fair share of
triptephan (spelling?) aka the chemical in turkey that actually makes
you sleepy. We had an interesting thanksgiving day, which started out
with a nice breakfast for the Philadelphia district, which is about 12
missionaries. The senior couple, Elder and sister Wrigley, serving in
both wards, put the breakfast on. It was a sweet moment when we went
around the table and said things that we are all grateful for. Sister
Wrigley was the last to go and attested to the wonderful experience
they've had already in the 4 months of their mission so far. We
thanked them for their selfless decision to leave family and
grandchildren and hobbies behind, to come serve alongside us. I love
love love senior couples!

We had interviews Saturday night and haha, it barely felt like an
interview. Well it felt like I was having a spiritual discussion with
Sister Anderson, then with President it just felt like I was talking
to grandpa or an old friend. It felt a lot less formal which was kind
of refreshing for me. And he pulled out my embarrassing moment of the
week to end the interview.

So on Wednesday mornings, the whole mission calls in to a conference
call number and we are trained by president or the assistants or
someone else he assigns on different things. Every week we get on, and
you can hear all the little beeps of people signing on and different
beeps for people signing off, and president starts off by reminding us
all to mute our phones. There's a reason for that. I was in our area
on exchanges with a spanish missionary from s. Philly, Elder Leach.
Well Short story long, President Nye from the mission presidency ended
his training on family history about 15 minutes early, then he turned
the time back over to the assistants. After several tries, they
weren't responding. And there were a few moments of silence.

Well, as I sometimes do, I picked up the phone and put it up to my
mouth and decided to say something to make Elder Leach laugh. No one
was talking, so I jokingly said, "Alright, I'll take over here. We're
just going to end with a prayer by...me. Nah, just kidding we'll just
cut it." And then one person logged off, then another and another and
another, then dozens right in a row. The beeps got annoying, so we
logged off and thought nothing more of it.

Elder Leach and I got to district meeting at the S. Philly building
and the other Elders started talking about how the assistants just
didn't say anything, maybe their phone was muted or whatever, and then
Elder Pead was like "Yeah and then someone just got on and said 'I'll
take over here.." Then Elder Leach and I looked at each other and back
at the other elders, and he yells out "What!?!? You didn't mute the
phone?!?!?" I must have turned as red as a tomato. We just started
cracking up and kept on randomly laughing throughout district meeting.
Every time I've been around other missionaries they'll come and be
like, " So Elder Robins we heard you're taking over" or nah, we'll
just cut it. #missionlegendforallthewrongreasons

We had a bit of a slower week with mission leadership council and
Elder Parker had the flu, although we were joking it was Ebola.
Probably not funny. Whoops. There was a man for whom we received a
media referral and he has been in and out of prison, lived a rough
life, was muslim but just didn't find the peace in the religion that
he was looking for. Well we showed up to the given address, planning
to just give the Bible maybe a short lesson and hit the road...aka go
teach other people. We found that he was living at a homeless shelter,
but the liaison gave us a little side room for the three of us to sit
down. It turned out to be one of the most powerful lessons I've had by
far in this area. The Priesthood authority made sense to him, and the
Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith felt right to him and at one point he
even said "This is the most truth I've ever heard in my life." It made
me realize how much we really take such things for granted. Like, the
truth.

We had a good lesson with Vince the other day about temples, he has
been commenting a lot on how the Philadelphia temple will enhance the
community and add life and culture to the community. He has an
interesting family situation, but I think he was touched as we talked
about the temple and how families CAN be sealed together for time and
all eternity.

I ran/walked in a suit up and down the rocky steps today! And took a
picture with Rocky. Will send next week. Ponsford and his son Justford
are doing well, we switch to 12 o'clock church in January so it will
conflict with his work schedule. But the Lord will provide a way. We
also taught his wife Justina who has been wondering why there are so
many churches. So we shall see.

Well hey, I was going to share a scripture...nah, we'll just cut it!
Hah but I was thinking about Alma 34:38 and how we should live in
thanksgiving daily and not just on thanksgiving day. Every day brings
things for which we can be grateful.

Love you all,

Elder Jacob Robins

Ma! Look at how much weight I lost! haha or i just found some huge elder's old pants in the apt.

Auntie Katie and Uncle Carl....you're never going to believe this!! I was sitting in mutual with some of the young men this past tuesday and the YM leaders were doing slideshows of their missions. Brother Pimentil, YM president pulled up pictures of his mission in England and all the sudden got to this one slide and I saw a familiar face with blonde hair....and I was like no...it couldn't be. Then I remembered, and I yelled out in excitement (in the chapel of all places) " WHAT? That guy is my uncle!! He married my aunt (well hello captain obvious..guess that's what adrenaline does to you...cuts off the logic portion of the brain.) Ha but yeah, so our YM president was Elder Adams trainer! He says hi btw, it's a small world after all! 

Our Thanksgiving Breakfast at the church

Here's the view of the field we played our Mission Turkey bowl at right in the city. It was somewhat cold, but bearable. A few zones were there.

up close and blurry

SOO...on of our assistants, Elder Tarry was running toward me and in my mind I thought to move and thought he would do the same. He's not a small guy, and neither of us moved. So my nose came in full force contact with his shoulder and immediately started gushing. I chose to send this picture...a little less graphic than a few of the other pics i have. 

Layers are nice! (I'm guessing this is before the nose incident)

Elder Smilanich and his most prized possession and that which he is most grateful for in hand...BACON. Love that kid!