The Barking Chicken 1/23/17

This week has been pretty strange. So last week it rained a lot and this week it... rained even more! We saw the sun on Tuesday, though, so that was pretty great! When we were walking back to our car sometime this week at night, we heard these people blasting Mariachi music in their car (they were parked in their driveway). One was trying in vain to sing along to the music while the three others were talking and laughing. One of them started talking to us, not seeming to notice that most white blond people don't usually speak Spanish, while the other two kept talking to him, not really caring that his back was turned to them.We had a really good conversation but we realized since he was drunk he probably wouldn't remember us the next day, so we gave him a pass along card and he asked for more. 10 pass along cards and two Book of Mormons later, we were on our way.

The next day, when we were walking back from a less-active member's house, this guy with a box on his shoulder came up to us and gave us each this box of really old, foul-smelling aftershave. My aftershave was shaped like a log cabin... Haha we had a pretty good laugh about it later. We didn't see really anyone else this week. For the first time since I've been here the streets have been completely empty. So right now we are pretty focused on finding. It's supposed to stop raining by Wednesday so hopefully we'll see some miracles happen.

This week wasn't the best numbers wise, we literally found like twenty people to talk to. But we have been going street contacting a lot and we know the area a lot better now. Haha oh so just a funny story. Whenever we walk by a house, dogs will usually start barking at us. When we were on our way to a less active member's house, there were dogs and chickens in the front yard and when we passed by the dogs started barking at us... and the chicken joined in and ran up to the fence and started making noises at us!! We laughed so hard we started crying!

I know that the Lord is preparing me for something that I don't understand. The mission so far has taught me so many things (I rock at using a map now, by the way) that I'm excited to see where it takes me.

Love your half-Mexican, first born son,

Elder Robins

Love you all! Have a great week.

Rain, Rain, and Setting the Stage 1/16/17

Hey everyone! So pretty much all of this week has been rainy; and by that I mean really rainy. It was pretty fun because we decided it wasn't safe to ride our bikes outside so we went street contacting all week. Haha it was interesting because probably half the people we talked to talked about the end of the world! My companion and I spent most of our time on the outskirts of downtown, which is pretty much Little Mexico. I think the only people we talked to in English were the other missionaries in our area! We had a really good lesson with a less active family and we had a really good discussion on the Atonement. We were talking with the 19 year old son they have and he told us he would consider going on a mission! Still no baptisms but I feel like we are setting the stage for something awesome to happen in Stockton.

We were walking back to our car one night and this guy came up to us and said, "Wow, you Mormons aren't afraid to die, are you?" That kind of freaked us out but he told us that he used to take the lessons and that he was praying for us. Haha, getting approached like that at night usually doesn't end up that friendly. We talked to a lot of people this week who just wanted us to know that they like what we stand for. Stockton is dangerous but I feel like the strangers are nicer to me here than back at home!

Oh so yesterday at church, we saw a few less active members come and then my trainer walked through the door! He finished his mission a couple months ago so he showed up wearing a beard, Harley-Davidson  jacket and biker boots... Haha kind of a shock!

Anyway, hope you all have a great week!  

The One With the Boundary Changes 1/9/17

Hello all!

This week we were put into different boundaries. Both sets of hermanas have the north part of Stockton and my companion and I have south Stockton, which people often will compare to Compton (kind of rough). We love our area. Not too much happened this week. We spent most of the time reorganizing our area book but we did get to go street contacting on Saturday night. We were only out for three hours and in that time we taught three lessons and two of those people are now investigators! It was kind of sad, we had to give up our only progressing investigator to respect the boundary changes. But he went to church on Sunday and the ward was just so loving, he looked right at home with friends.

On top of that, we stopped by a taco truck (the only one in Stockton that sells pupusas) and I realized I didn't have enough cash for any food and the lady was just like "don't worry about it", took my dollar and when the order was up, gave me two pupusas and some tacos! Needless to say, that wasn't the last time we go to that taco truck.

There has been a crazy amount of rain, which is good because people are home when we knock on their doors. And it’s kind of funny because the rumors about California drivers are not false.

I'll keep praying for Spencer. Would you do me a favor and listen to the talk "the Ministering of Angels" with him? That and Moses chapter 1. I have a list of scriptures I use daily for power and I'll send them, because I know that they are inspired and can help.

Things are starting to look great in Stockton. Our plan to destroy the essence of evil is starting to work. With the scriptures, testimony, and a lot of tacos, we are starting to make a difference here. The ward just had its first baptism in almost a year, people are talking to the missionaries, and kindness is being spread- and it's just the beginning. It wasn't a lyrical exaggeration that "The Spirit of God like a fire is burning".

Anyway, love you all! Shout out to my brother, Spencer, Happy Birthday! (who is now 17, ladies)

Que tengan buena semana!

The one with the Missing Taco Truck 1/2/17

Hey everyone! This week was just a little crazy. We got transfer calls last night and Elder Nelson and I are staying in Stockton- by the time we get out, we will be straight "G"'s (G meaning Gospel Preachers of course). We're actually really excited because the missionary work is picking up! We had an investigator go to church with us yesterday and he told us that he wants to repent of his sins and be baptized! We're just working on him giving up smoking so hopefully this transfer. They are moving us to a new apartment complex which is pretty exciting... not complaining but the last one was really nice. This week our ward called a lady to set dinner appointments for us and she's awesome... probably going to be one of our favorite ward members.

New Year's eve was also interesting. That morning we did service for a member putting drywall in his living room. We finished with him telling us "Elders, algo que quieren aprovechalo" which is  "anything you want, take advantage and take it". He was super nice. He told us this really cool story of when he served his mission, they called him to open a new area as a single district leader and training a güero (Spanish for a white blond person; also my nickname). Haha I thought I had it hard! Anyway, that night, the assistants texted us and told us that we had to be in our apartments by 7 because of how festive New Year's gets. Before we went in we decided we wanted lonchera (taco truck) and we went to our normal spot, and it was gone! So we went to our next favorite spot, and the one after that, and they were all gone. After six taco truck spots we couldn't find any! So we had to go back and eat tamales at the  apartment.

Anyway, hope you all had a great New Years!

Les Quierdo!

Stockton, California at night