Tuesday 2 September 2014

Heilbronn with Elder Bartholomew

With an extended stay in the UK and school just back today ... I have sadly neglected Elder Robertson's blog.  So much has happened too!

The last blog post way back in {cringe} JUNE, shows that Elder Robertson had just been transferred to Bern.  Sadly he was only there for one transfer (6 weeks ish) and was transferred to Heilbronn, Germany.  His new companion is Elder Bartholomew who is from the US.  They are getting along really well.  Both of them will be attending BYU together next year! =)

Labouring in the Lord's Vineyard of Heilbronn, Germany

I happened upon Elder Bartholomew's blog yesterday and he gave a great description on how these two met up on transfer day so I will share his account of that ...

"we had to wait all day in Stuttgart for our new companions to get there- then Elder Robertson came! i feel bad for the guy- he spent 8 hours in a train coming up from Bern! but we got home to apartment, threw his bags inside, and ran straight back out the door for our first appointment! it was a great way to start our comp! hit the ground running! 
Elder Robertson is from Birmingham, England- but his dad works for the church in Frankfurt, so he has been living there since 2008. Its weird because his house is like an hour and a half away from here..... but we dont let that distract us! he is also taller than me- that doesnt happen too often! He is a man of many talents- drawing, singing, soccer (football as the euros call it...) and that kinda of stuff. hes a way funny guy. not goofy... more... devious. its pretty fun."

SINGING??? He definitely gets that deviousness from his mother!! haha  A LOT more information than I received from Elder R himself.  

Elder Robertson has been talking about their main investigator 'N'.  She's from Thailand.  N would like to be baptised, but they are taking things at her pace and making sure she understands things that are taught.  Appointments have been a little difficult the last week or so but this one experience they had with her is really special.  N came to church and really loved it.  Members picked her up and she quickly made friends with lots of the members.  She fit in really well, especially with the JAE (YSA).  She had a great experience with a non member friend of hers who was having some challenges with relationships and school.  N prayed about how she could help him.  Then she went and visited him, taught him how to pray and they then prayed together that he could pass his test.  She has a testimony of prayer!! =)  She has invited him to learn more about the gospel and will hopefully come to church with her.

Eventually Elder Robertson received his birthday package.  I was very grateful to Pres Kohler who helped dig out the package that had been mislaid in the mission office.  Elder Robertson says it like this ...

Thank you ever so much for all of my stuff!! Despite your best efforts not to spoil me I did get both packages in a week. I hadn't heard anything from the office except that which you had said in your last email. I also got my apple charger. I guess that at time things just get misplaced with all the post that actually arrives there. We had a funny experience that day when the package arrived. A delivery man walked past our window (we live on the ground floor) and was carrying a large package. I caught a glimpse of the package and barely made out the family name on the side of the white box. I excitedly said to ELder Bartholomew, "That package has got my name on it", though remained somewhat skeptical in case I had just wishingly misread it. He on the other hand, didn't believe me in the slightest, telling me that it "wasn't my package". After a little difficulty finding the last name on the bells, the delivery man must have got inside and found my full name on the postbox. After he had delivered it, Elder Bartholomew was taken aback that I had actually seen my name on the package.

My shoes, that you sent me, are exactly the same as the ones which I threw out, except that they're brown. I just thought it somewhat comical that they were the same style as the last. Thank you for getting me those. I've finally picked up the hem on one pair of my suit trousers from the suit that you got me last Christmas so I'll be able to put the shoes to use now!!

Celebrating his birthday a month late ... it's all part of the mission experience.

If you would like to learn more about what Elder Robertson is teaching whilst serving as a full-time missionary, please ask or click on the links on the right hand side.  There you will find information on our beliefs and you can also order a free copy of 'Das Buch Mormon' (The Book of Mormon).

Das Buch Mormon - The Book of Mormon is another testimony of Jesus Christ