Dear Home,
Last week, we went to the most beautiful place in Prince Albert. Brother Moore took us there. It was so woody and mossy and it had little bridges over little streams... It was so calm and peaceful. Brother Moore called it "PA's Sacred Grove". An accurate description, I'd say. The spirit was definitely strong there. ^^
But on a much more exciting note, General Conference is this weekend!! =D We're all really looking forward to it, especially since I've told the other Elders that I plan to uphold our family tradition. ;D A big get-together with a lot of ice cream! SO good! I can't wait. ^^
You once asked me what the most remarkable rejection I ever got was. I didn't have an answer for you because it hadn't happened yet, but now it has. We knock on the door. No answer. We see someone's head of brown hair poking up from behind the hood of the car in the driveway. We're thinking: Lol, kids. They're gonna try and scare us.
But it wasn't a kid.
The woman who lived at that house hid behind her car to avoid talking to us. I think that's a bit extreme. She could've just said 'Not Interested', like everyone else. =P
Well, sadly, that's all I've got time for. But before I go, I've got an assignment for you: Find Neil A. Maxwell's talk in which he encourages us to 'Give up our summer cottages in Babylon'. By the way, is Babylon still standing? Kinda curious. I wonder what kind of people live there and how they feel about it.
Anyway, I gotta go. I love you all, especially those I'm closely related to. -hugs Mom, then hugs everyone- Man, I wish I could do that in person. =/
Your Overall Very Happy Missionary, Elder Andrew Robarts
Monday, September 28, 2009
Ask an Elder - September 28, 2009
Ask an Elder:
Q: Where will you be for General Conference this weekend? A stake center? Member's home? ...??
I will certainly be thinking of you! Especially at lunch time when I feed the missionaries. I hope you have a lovely conference!
A: we're having it broadcasted to the meeting house in Prince Albert. We'll watch it right there in the chappel, almost like a Stake Conference.
Q: Is it better to send packages to the Mission Home where they take forever to get them to you or to your apartment where they either sit on your porch all day (or walk off) or get taken back to the post office or ?
A: Mission office, I'd say. Some of them are small enough to fit in a mailbox, but those that aren't go back to the post office and we have to take time away from the work to pick it up.
Q: When is next transfer? I am guessing around the 1st of November?
A: Yeah, November 1st, or thereabouts.
Not a Question: You know, you did not meet Joseph and Benjamin at the same time. Joseph is older than you so you met him soon after you were born. You didn't meet Benjamin until 3 years later. Threw me off with that. ; )
Response:
I did too meet Ben and Joe at the same time. By the time I was old enough to know what was going on, they were both right beside me. Though, I admit, maybe I shouldn't have use it as part of the clue. Still, it's quite a coincidence, isn't it?
Q: Where will you be for General Conference this weekend? A stake center? Member's home? ...??
I will certainly be thinking of you! Especially at lunch time when I feed the missionaries. I hope you have a lovely conference!
A: we're having it broadcasted to the meeting house in Prince Albert. We'll watch it right there in the chappel, almost like a Stake Conference.
Q: Is it better to send packages to the Mission Home where they take forever to get them to you or to your apartment where they either sit on your porch all day (or walk off) or get taken back to the post office or ?
A: Mission office, I'd say. Some of them are small enough to fit in a mailbox, but those that aren't go back to the post office and we have to take time away from the work to pick it up.
Q: When is next transfer? I am guessing around the 1st of November?
A: Yeah, November 1st, or thereabouts.
Not a Question: You know, you did not meet Joseph and Benjamin at the same time. Joseph is older than you so you met him soon after you were born. You didn't meet Benjamin until 3 years later. Threw me off with that. ; )
Response:
I did too meet Ben and Joe at the same time. By the time I was old enough to know what was going on, they were both right beside me. Though, I admit, maybe I shouldn't have use it as part of the clue. Still, it's quite a coincidence, isn't it?
Monday, September 21, 2009
Dear Home - September 21, 2009
Dear Home,
This is going to be the BEST TRANSFER EVER!
Elder George and I are both staying right where we are. And so are all the other Elders in our district! It's a rare occurance, but all six of us are staying put (for another six weeks anyway). Same addresses and everything. ^^
So, a little while ago, you asked me what impresses me about Canada. I didn't have much to say at the time, but I've thought of a few more things since then.
First, I don't know how I forgot to mention the sunsets. They are SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I'd take pictures of them, but we're not supposed to snap photos while we're out working.
I might anyway, though. One thing I've learned about rules is that the exceptions are included in Moroni 7. That which leadeth to do good, is good. If the sunsets are inspiring enough to want to keep them with you, it's worth taking a second or two to preserve them. At least, that's how I feel. Of course, there is the thing about obeying with exactness, but there's also 'He that is commanded in all things is a slothful and unwise servant'. Basically, I'm going to work as hard as I can, keep the spirit with me, fulfil my duty to God and my family, bring others (including you) unto Christ, and have a great time doing it. And if I happen to take a few pictures along the way, I'm sure God won't have a problem with it.
Another thing that I like about Canada (and this has nothing to do with anything I was just rambling on about), is that they have handles on most of their big green garbage cans. At first I thought 'why?', but I've come to realise that by lifting the handle, you can put things into the garbage can without having to slip your fingertips under the lid. Clever Canadians. ^^
Also, and this isn't exclusive to Canada, but while I've been out here, I've also learned that root beer floats are remarkably cheap. Elder George and I each had two last week, and we plan to have two more this week. We just might make a habit out of this, especially since it's much cheaper than chacolate pretzels and chocolate chip cookies (I miss the cookies, though. =/).
Quiz time! Elder George had a birthday recently (and I still don't what day it was)! To celebrate, I secretly made a batch of sugar cookies while he was showering. And I just remembered that I can't finish this quz question without showing you a picture that I haven't printed or mailed yet. =/ I'll have to ask you something.
A few weeks back, a member gave us some homemade sausage from the meat of an animal I had never eaten before. It's all gone now, but I wonder if you can guess what kind of sausage it was. (Yeah, I know it's a lame question, but that's the best I could think of this week. The cookie question would've been better, but it requires the viewing of a photograph, so that'll have to wait 'till later.)
And to give the answer to the last quiz, Elder Orton's full name is Benjamin Joseph Orton. Shocking, I know, but his name includes the names of two of my brothers!
Out of time!
I love you all!
Elder Andrew Robarts
This is going to be the BEST TRANSFER EVER!
Elder George and I are both staying right where we are. And so are all the other Elders in our district! It's a rare occurance, but all six of us are staying put (for another six weeks anyway). Same addresses and everything. ^^
So, a little while ago, you asked me what impresses me about Canada. I didn't have much to say at the time, but I've thought of a few more things since then.
First, I don't know how I forgot to mention the sunsets. They are SO BEAUTIFUL!!! I'd take pictures of them, but we're not supposed to snap photos while we're out working.
I might anyway, though. One thing I've learned about rules is that the exceptions are included in Moroni 7. That which leadeth to do good, is good. If the sunsets are inspiring enough to want to keep them with you, it's worth taking a second or two to preserve them. At least, that's how I feel. Of course, there is the thing about obeying with exactness, but there's also 'He that is commanded in all things is a slothful and unwise servant'. Basically, I'm going to work as hard as I can, keep the spirit with me, fulfil my duty to God and my family, bring others (including you) unto Christ, and have a great time doing it. And if I happen to take a few pictures along the way, I'm sure God won't have a problem with it.
Another thing that I like about Canada (and this has nothing to do with anything I was just rambling on about), is that they have handles on most of their big green garbage cans. At first I thought 'why?', but I've come to realise that by lifting the handle, you can put things into the garbage can without having to slip your fingertips under the lid. Clever Canadians. ^^
Also, and this isn't exclusive to Canada, but while I've been out here, I've also learned that root beer floats are remarkably cheap. Elder George and I each had two last week, and we plan to have two more this week. We just might make a habit out of this, especially since it's much cheaper than chacolate pretzels and chocolate chip cookies (I miss the cookies, though. =/).
Quiz time! Elder George had a birthday recently (and I still don't what day it was)! To celebrate, I secretly made a batch of sugar cookies while he was showering. And I just remembered that I can't finish this quz question without showing you a picture that I haven't printed or mailed yet. =/ I'll have to ask you something.
A few weeks back, a member gave us some homemade sausage from the meat of an animal I had never eaten before. It's all gone now, but I wonder if you can guess what kind of sausage it was. (Yeah, I know it's a lame question, but that's the best I could think of this week. The cookie question would've been better, but it requires the viewing of a photograph, so that'll have to wait 'till later.)
And to give the answer to the last quiz, Elder Orton's full name is Benjamin Joseph Orton. Shocking, I know, but his name includes the names of two of my brothers!
Out of time!
I love you all!
Elder Andrew Robarts
Monday, September 14, 2009
Dear Home - September 14, 2008
Questions from home:
Questions:
How did apartment inspection go? : )
Did you or Elder George get transferred?
When is next transfer?
If one of you got transferred, who is your new companion and what is
your new address?
You didn't tell us what surprises or impresses you most about Canada.
What do you like best about Canada so far?
What do you like best about being a missionary?
~~~~~~~~~ letter from Elder Robarts:
Dear Home,
(( Note to Mom: The mystery animals arrived already? That means it took less than a week! So much for the rumors that Canadian mail is slow! =P
As for the winter gear, the weather has been really good lately (except for the out-of-the-blue cloudburst this morning @_@ ). I haven't even had to use my Mr Mac jacket yet (apart from the raincoat shell). I'll probably get my winter gear sometime next transfer, but I'm confident that I won't need it for at least the next few weeks. I'll let you know before I buy anything warm, so until then, there's no reason to worry about me being cold. I'm not. ^^ ))
I gather that you all already have the mystery animal answers, so that takes care of our poll portion. The next question is something that I've been saving since my first transfer. Elder Orton, an active individual that's very fun to go on exchanges with, once showed me his drivers license, in which I saw something that I counted as an astonishing coincidence: His first and middle names. See, both his first and his middle names were also the first names of two people that I know and love. I met those two people at about the same age and for the exact same reason. Can you guess who those two people are?
Now I get to answer /your/ questions! ^^
First, the inspection went really well. The Eastmans were quite pleased. There were a few things that they noticed (and I'm surprised that I didn't) like a hole in the wall of the bathroom and a bunch of thumbtacks all over the wall in the living room, but neither of those were our fault, so there are no complaints. ^^
Neither Elder George or I got transferred.... yet. We won't get the call until tomorrow night, so any questions you have about transfers will have to be answered next week. =/
What impresses me most about Canada is how similar our money systems are to each other. They're got nickels, pennies, dimes and quarters just like we do, and they're all about the same size as our coins. The main differences come when you get into pieces of currency worth a dollar or more.
And I just realized that I only have 5 minutes left. =( Where did the time go??
Being a missionary is great! I miss my family, but I think I could get used to living on my own. Of course, I'll never live this far away from home again, and I certainly won't make any definite plans until I figure out how the rest of my life is going to work. There are a lot of things to consider when one attempts to live on this earth.
But those problems will be taken care of in due time. For now, my major concern is doing the Lord's work to the best of my ability, and I'm happy with what Elder George and I have been able to accomplish so far. ^^
Love, your left-handed missionary, Elder Andrew Robarts.
(( That's the best I could think of at the moment. I know I'll have a better self-description as soon as I send this. ))
Questions:
How did apartment inspection go? : )
Did you or Elder George get transferred?
When is next transfer?
If one of you got transferred, who is your new companion and what is
your new address?
You didn't tell us what surprises or impresses you most about Canada.
What do you like best about Canada so far?
What do you like best about being a missionary?
~~~~~~~~~ letter from Elder Robarts:
Dear Home,
(( Note to Mom: The mystery animals arrived already? That means it took less than a week! So much for the rumors that Canadian mail is slow! =P
As for the winter gear, the weather has been really good lately (except for the out-of-the-blue cloudburst this morning @_@ ). I haven't even had to use my Mr Mac jacket yet (apart from the raincoat shell). I'll probably get my winter gear sometime next transfer, but I'm confident that I won't need it for at least the next few weeks. I'll let you know before I buy anything warm, so until then, there's no reason to worry about me being cold. I'm not. ^^ ))
I gather that you all already have the mystery animal answers, so that takes care of our poll portion. The next question is something that I've been saving since my first transfer. Elder Orton, an active individual that's very fun to go on exchanges with, once showed me his drivers license, in which I saw something that I counted as an astonishing coincidence: His first and middle names. See, both his first and his middle names were also the first names of two people that I know and love. I met those two people at about the same age and for the exact same reason. Can you guess who those two people are?
Now I get to answer /your/ questions! ^^
First, the inspection went really well. The Eastmans were quite pleased. There were a few things that they noticed (and I'm surprised that I didn't) like a hole in the wall of the bathroom and a bunch of thumbtacks all over the wall in the living room, but neither of those were our fault, so there are no complaints. ^^
Neither Elder George or I got transferred.... yet. We won't get the call until tomorrow night, so any questions you have about transfers will have to be answered next week. =/
What impresses me most about Canada is how similar our money systems are to each other. They're got nickels, pennies, dimes and quarters just like we do, and they're all about the same size as our coins. The main differences come when you get into pieces of currency worth a dollar or more.
And I just realized that I only have 5 minutes left. =( Where did the time go??
Being a missionary is great! I miss my family, but I think I could get used to living on my own. Of course, I'll never live this far away from home again, and I certainly won't make any definite plans until I figure out how the rest of my life is going to work. There are a lot of things to consider when one attempts to live on this earth.
But those problems will be taken care of in due time. For now, my major concern is doing the Lord's work to the best of my ability, and I'm happy with what Elder George and I have been able to accomplish so far. ^^
Love, your left-handed missionary, Elder Andrew Robarts.
(( That's the best I could think of at the moment. I know I'll have a better self-description as soon as I send this. ))
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Elder Robarts' Mystery Animals Revealed
In Elder Robarts' "backyard" -
Surprise guest at Zone Conference lunch:
Bonus pictures - the river in the morning.
Surprise guest at Zone Conference lunch:
Bonus pictures - the river in the morning.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Answer an Elder: Jason Robards – a famous non-relation
Jason Robards – a famous non-relation.
information from Wikipedia
There were actually 3 Jason Robards who were actors. The famous one in no. 2.
Jason Nelson Robards, Jr., (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor and a WWII U.S. Navy combat veteran. (go to Wikipedia to read about his WWII adventures)
Robards decided to get into acting after the war. His career started out slowly. He moved to New York City and found small parts there, first in radio and then on the stage.
His big break was landing the starring role in José Quintero's 1956 off-Broadway production and the 1960 television film of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, as the philosophical salesman Hickey, winning an Obie Award for his performance. He also played Hickey in a 1985 Broadway revival staged by Quintero, who directed Robards in Broadway productions of O'Neill's plays Long Day's Journey Into Night, Hughie, A Touch of the Poet and A Moon for the Misbegotten. He repeated his performance in Long Day's Journey Into Night in the 1962 film and televised his performances in A Moon for the Misbegotten and Hughie.
Robards also appeared on stage in a 1988 Broadway revival of O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! directed by Arvin Brown, as well as Lillian Hellman's Toys in the Attic, Arthur Miller's After the Fall, Clifford Odets' The Country Girl and Harold Pinter's No Man's Land.
He made his film debut in the 1946 two-reel comedy Follow That Music, but after his Broadway success he was invited to make his feature debut in The Journey in 1959. He became a familiar face to movie audiences throughout the 1960s, notably for his performances in A Thousand Clowns (1965) (repeating his stage performance), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968), and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).
Jason Robards, Jr became famous playing works of American dramatist Eugene O'Neill, and would regularly play O'Neill's works throughout his career. Robards was cast in both common-man roles and as well known historical figures including three different US Presidents - Abraham Lincoln in The Perfect Tribute and a television production of Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Ulysses S. Grant in The Legend of the Lone Ranger (a role he also voiced in the PBS miniseries The Civil War), and Franklin Delano Roosevelt in FDR: The Final Years. He also created a sensation as the fictional president Richard Monckton (based on Richard Nixon) in the television miniseries Washington: Behind Closed Doors. Robards received eight Tony Award nominations, more than any other male actor, and won in 1959 as Best Actor for his work in The Disenchanted, which was also his only stage appearance with his father. Robards received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in consecutive years for All the President's Men (1976) and Julia (1977), He was also nominated for another Oscar for his role in Melvin and Howard (1980) and received the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for the 1988 production of Inherit the Wind.[10] He was among the recipients at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999
He had 6 children by 4 marriages including Jason Nelson Robards III and Sam Robards who also became actors.
information from Wikipedia
There were actually 3 Jason Robards who were actors. The famous one in no. 2.
Jason Nelson Robards, Jr., (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor and a WWII U.S. Navy combat veteran. (go to Wikipedia to read about his WWII adventures)
Robards decided to get into acting after the war. His career started out slowly. He moved to New York City and found small parts there, first in radio and then on the stage.
His big break was landing the starring role in José Quintero's 1956 off-Broadway production and the 1960 television film of Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, as the philosophical salesman Hickey, winning an Obie Award for his performance. He also played Hickey in a 1985 Broadway revival staged by Quintero, who directed Robards in Broadway productions of O'Neill's plays Long Day's Journey Into Night, Hughie, A Touch of the Poet and A Moon for the Misbegotten. He repeated his performance in Long Day's Journey Into Night in the 1962 film and televised his performances in A Moon for the Misbegotten and Hughie.
Robards also appeared on stage in a 1988 Broadway revival of O'Neill's Ah, Wilderness! directed by Arvin Brown, as well as Lillian Hellman's Toys in the Attic, Arthur Miller's After the Fall, Clifford Odets' The Country Girl and Harold Pinter's No Man's Land.
He made his film debut in the 1946 two-reel comedy Follow That Music, but after his Broadway success he was invited to make his feature debut in The Journey in 1959. He became a familiar face to movie audiences throughout the 1960s, notably for his performances in A Thousand Clowns (1965) (repeating his stage performance), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968), and Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).
Jason Robards, Jr became famous playing works of American dramatist Eugene O'Neill, and would regularly play O'Neill's works throughout his career. Robards was cast in both common-man roles and as well known historical figures including three different US Presidents - Abraham Lincoln in The Perfect Tribute and a television production of Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Ulysses S. Grant in The Legend of the Lone Ranger (a role he also voiced in the PBS miniseries The Civil War), and Franklin Delano Roosevelt in FDR: The Final Years. He also created a sensation as the fictional president Richard Monckton (based on Richard Nixon) in the television miniseries Washington: Behind Closed Doors. Robards received eight Tony Award nominations, more than any other male actor, and won in 1959 as Best Actor for his work in The Disenchanted, which was also his only stage appearance with his father. Robards received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in consecutive years for All the President's Men (1976) and Julia (1977), He was also nominated for another Oscar for his role in Melvin and Howard (1980) and received the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special for the 1988 production of Inherit the Wind.[10] He was among the recipients at the Kennedy Center Honors in 1999
He had 6 children by 4 marriages including Jason Nelson Robards III and Sam Robards who also became actors.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
September 08, 2009
Questions we asked:
You have been in Canada 117 days. What about Canada surprises you the most?
Do you have to pay postage due when we send you thick letters?
What is the best or most original refusal you have gotten?
What are you studying during personal study?
Dear Home,
First off, the poll. Most of you had sent in some pretty good guesses, and I have to say that at least one of you were right. The answer is coming in the form of a picture that I sent in a letter home yesterday. By the way, the reason I didn't Email yesterday is because it was Labor Day. But it's not Labor Day today! =P
Before I forget, I also have to tell you that transfer calls are tomorrow, so in case I leave Prince Albert, don't send any mail here this week or it won't get here on time.
(( Note to Mom (and anyone else this might apply to), I have not had to pay postage due on anything you've sent me. Have you? =S ))
Best or most origional refusal? I don't know. I try not to focus on the people that say 'no'. It's a little discouraging if you do. I rather forget about them and focus on the positive things that are happening.
Personal study varies from day to day. Usually I go in with a question and come out with an answer, but sometimes it's hard to remember the questions you or your investigators have had when it comes time to study them. =S I've got to do better at writing things down.
That's one thing about missions that could be good or bad. You're always finding areas where you can improve. If you've got the right attitude, you can see those as challenges or oppotunities to grow and perfect yourself. If you go in with the wrong attitude, it's easy to get discouraged. Readjusting my attitude is probably one of the many things that I could stand to work on.
But that finding-imperfections factor can lead to a lot of growth! For example, a couple of weeks ago, I made a dumb decision. I bought $10 worth of chocolate covered pretzels. I definately could've been wiser with my spending. So I shopped around. The pretzels were good, but pricy, so I found some mini chocolate chip cookies that are also good, but at half the cost! ^^ I bought a $5 bag of those 2 weeks in a row (I skipped this week), and I'm rather satisfied with those decisions. This week, I didn't have to buy any cookies. The members are feeding us so well that we hardly had to buy anything. ^^
So recently I became aware of how inadequate it is for me to merely answer your questions and leave it at that. Of course, I'll continue to answer your questions, but from now on, I'll try to write more about what's going on in my life. That's probably what you really want to hear, if you're anything like my Mom. ^^
Elder George wants to be a conservation officer. It's nice that he knows what he wants. Seeing him with his strong vision of what he wants to do with his life, I've been really wondering what /I/ should do with /my/ life, after my mission is over.
For guidance, I turned to my Patriarchial Blessing (if you don't know what that is, ask a Mormon). I really like my Blessing. It's got some really good promises in there. Unfortunately, it doesn't really say much about the kind of job I should get. (( Note to Immediate Family: It does say I'm meant to obtain a full education, and that I'm to have an understanding on the 'human condition', but until I find out what that is, I have no idea how to prepare for it. )) I guess I'll just have to follow my conscience and the parts of my Blessing that are clear, and hope the rest of my life sorts itself out when I get there.
So.... That's about all that I had planned to tell you (unless I forgot something), so I guess I'll go right into the next poll.
At Zone Conference not too long ago (Was it only last week?), we had lunch in the cultural hall, as usual. But something was there that was quite UNusual. As soon as we walked through the double doors, we looked around, and GASP! There was an animal in there! I can't remember if I told you about this before, but if I haven't, let's see if you can guess what kind of animal could've created so much excitement. Hints: Um.... I'm not clever enough to think of hints right now. =P
If I already told you about this animal, my question to you this week will be Who is Jason Robarts? I've heard that he's an actor, but I've never heard of him until people started asking me if there's any relation.
And if I haven't told you about the animal yet, you can stop guessing when Mom gets her letter I sent this week. I included two pics of this week's animal and one picture of last week's.
By the way, my camera has been acting weird lately. There's a knob on my camera, and the device sometimes thinks I'm turning it when, really, it's not being turned. Funny, huh?
Well, I gotta get going. My time's about up.
In closing, I love you all. Thanks for reading this. I'll have another Email for you to read next week. ^^
'Till then! -hugs everyone- -hugs Mom again-
Love, your Joyous Missionary, Elder Andrew Robarts. ^^
You have been in Canada 117 days. What about Canada surprises you the most?
Do you have to pay postage due when we send you thick letters?
What is the best or most original refusal you have gotten?
What are you studying during personal study?
Dear Home,
First off, the poll. Most of you had sent in some pretty good guesses, and I have to say that at least one of you were right. The answer is coming in the form of a picture that I sent in a letter home yesterday. By the way, the reason I didn't Email yesterday is because it was Labor Day. But it's not Labor Day today! =P
Before I forget, I also have to tell you that transfer calls are tomorrow, so in case I leave Prince Albert, don't send any mail here this week or it won't get here on time.
(( Note to Mom (and anyone else this might apply to), I have not had to pay postage due on anything you've sent me. Have you? =S ))
Best or most origional refusal? I don't know. I try not to focus on the people that say 'no'. It's a little discouraging if you do. I rather forget about them and focus on the positive things that are happening.
Personal study varies from day to day. Usually I go in with a question and come out with an answer, but sometimes it's hard to remember the questions you or your investigators have had when it comes time to study them. =S I've got to do better at writing things down.
That's one thing about missions that could be good or bad. You're always finding areas where you can improve. If you've got the right attitude, you can see those as challenges or oppotunities to grow and perfect yourself. If you go in with the wrong attitude, it's easy to get discouraged. Readjusting my attitude is probably one of the many things that I could stand to work on.
But that finding-imperfections factor can lead to a lot of growth! For example, a couple of weeks ago, I made a dumb decision. I bought $10 worth of chocolate covered pretzels. I definately could've been wiser with my spending. So I shopped around. The pretzels were good, but pricy, so I found some mini chocolate chip cookies that are also good, but at half the cost! ^^ I bought a $5 bag of those 2 weeks in a row (I skipped this week), and I'm rather satisfied with those decisions. This week, I didn't have to buy any cookies. The members are feeding us so well that we hardly had to buy anything. ^^
So recently I became aware of how inadequate it is for me to merely answer your questions and leave it at that. Of course, I'll continue to answer your questions, but from now on, I'll try to write more about what's going on in my life. That's probably what you really want to hear, if you're anything like my Mom. ^^
Elder George wants to be a conservation officer. It's nice that he knows what he wants. Seeing him with his strong vision of what he wants to do with his life, I've been really wondering what /I/ should do with /my/ life, after my mission is over.
For guidance, I turned to my Patriarchial Blessing (if you don't know what that is, ask a Mormon). I really like my Blessing. It's got some really good promises in there. Unfortunately, it doesn't really say much about the kind of job I should get. (( Note to Immediate Family: It does say I'm meant to obtain a full education, and that I'm to have an understanding on the 'human condition', but until I find out what that is, I have no idea how to prepare for it. )) I guess I'll just have to follow my conscience and the parts of my Blessing that are clear, and hope the rest of my life sorts itself out when I get there.
So.... That's about all that I had planned to tell you (unless I forgot something), so I guess I'll go right into the next poll.
At Zone Conference not too long ago (Was it only last week?), we had lunch in the cultural hall, as usual. But something was there that was quite UNusual. As soon as we walked through the double doors, we looked around, and GASP! There was an animal in there! I can't remember if I told you about this before, but if I haven't, let's see if you can guess what kind of animal could've created so much excitement. Hints: Um.... I'm not clever enough to think of hints right now. =P
If I already told you about this animal, my question to you this week will be Who is Jason Robarts? I've heard that he's an actor, but I've never heard of him until people started asking me if there's any relation.
And if I haven't told you about the animal yet, you can stop guessing when Mom gets her letter I sent this week. I included two pics of this week's animal and one picture of last week's.
By the way, my camera has been acting weird lately. There's a knob on my camera, and the device sometimes thinks I'm turning it when, really, it's not being turned. Funny, huh?
Well, I gotta get going. My time's about up.
In closing, I love you all. Thanks for reading this. I'll have another Email for you to read next week. ^^
'Till then! -hugs everyone- -hugs Mom again-
Love, your Joyous Missionary, Elder Andrew Robarts. ^^
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