Monday, April 25, 2011

April 25, 2011 The Last P Day

Dear Home,

Today is my final P-Day on the mission field. By this time next week, I'll be home in California. WOW. Am I looking forward to it? OH, YEAH. Big time. Sure, it'll be hot in California, but I'll be with my family again! And I'll be able to ride my bike, watch movies, play video games, bounce ideas off my brother's head (until he goes on HIS mission!). It'll be great. ^^

In the meantime, Elder Roth and I have work to do. =/ The apartment has to be spotless and completely empty by the end of the day. Tonight, we'll be spending the night with the Zoneleaders, and tomorrow, after District Meeting, we'll be meeting with our apartment manager to walk-through our apartment, give an accounting of its current condition, check the mail one last time for rogue, San Franciscan packages (long story - don't ask), and hand over the keys. After that, we'll be doing some stop-bys and saying some goodbyes, followed by another sleepover at the Zoneleaders' apartment before our departure on Wednesday morning. Wednesday will be spent traveling. Regina to Winnipeg can take a while. Thursday, we'll have interviews with President Paulson, who will probably remind us what our Highest Priority is. Friday, we fly home.

I'm anxious. And a little nervous. I'm also pretty excited. I don't know what I'll do first. Sure, we'll have the picnic at the park (that will be so nice!!), but after that...? Unpack, maybe? That's not very exciting. Will there even be room for all of my junk?? @_@ Two very full suitcases, a very full backpack, and three boxes of stuff that's going to have to be sent by mail. I'm going to die. But first I'm going to spend the family fortune on postage and overweight baggage fees. THEN, I'm going to die.  Because my mom is going to kill me. x_x

Eh, it'll probably be fine. I just wish I could remember my PIN so I could check to see how much money I have available to me. If it's not enough to pay for postage and baggage fees, I'm really in trouble. It SHOULD be enough... I think. But still, it would be great if I could make sure. =/

I'm probably boring all of you to death. I'm not sure how many faithful readers I have left at this point, but I'm certainly not giving them the quality letters they deserve. Sorry about that. Maybe my blog posts will be more interesting when I get home.

Until then, this has been your weekly-reporting missionary who still, somehow, thinks he has some potential as a professional writer, Elder Andrew James Robarts.

Monday, April 18, 2011

April 18, 2011

Dear Home,

This is my second to last P-Day. All of the other missionaries are thinking about transfers, wondering whether they'll stay or leave, and, if they leave, where are they going to go? I don't have any of those questions, but I do feel some of the apprehension that some of them feel. No offense towards the many people that I'm looking forward to seeing when I get home, but I'm not sure if I'm emotionally ready to go home yet. I don't want my mission to be over yet.

Maybe I'll just think of this as 'being transferred'. I'm still a missionary (every member a missionary, right?), I can still study the gospel every morning (or some time every day) and I'm still going to be serving the Lord as much as I can. At least, that's the plan. It has a lot to do with how much motivation I'll still have when I'm back home. =/ If there's one thing that scares me about myself, it's my lack of motivation and will-power. I can do anything. But will I? Will I want it badly enough to put in the effort it will take? I probably shouldn't post this. Any wise employer will be looking at this message to try and find out what kind of person I am, and what kind of worker I'll be. Poor motivation? That doesn't sound good. But I'm honest. I know that I have weaknesses, and I know what most of those weaknesses are.

But here's another thing that I want my perspective employers to know: I don't want to be in debt to anyone. If I expect someone to give me money or benefits or anything like that, I want to make sure that I earned that, or at least that I'll pay them back. For example, there's a gift that Elder Roth said that he's planning on giving me before we go home. I know approximately what it had cost him, and I know approximately what it's worth. Also, I know what the gift is worth to him, and I know what it's worth to me. It's a good gift. But I don't want to just take it. I want to pay for it somehow. He won't take money, so I'm buying treats and sharing them with him. I bought ice cream a while back, and shared it. I bought a dozen doughnuts a few days ago, six for me, six for him. I'm buying more ice cream for both of us today. (We haven't used up all the toppings yet from last time.) Yes, I want what Elder Roth is planning on giving me, just like I'll want a regular paycheck when I start working for you, but I DON'T want to get something for nothing.

I don't want to be a burden or an expense to anyone. I'll be living with my mom and my brothers when I get back home. Free room and board? I don't plan on it! I want to pay rent to my mom when I can. I will ALWAYS be in my parents' debt for everything they've given me, and I don't think I'll ever be able to repay them, but at the very least, I'd like to be able to stand on my own two feet from now on. If I can pay for my share of the food and utility bills, plus any other expenses that I cause, I'll consider myself worth keeping around.

And the same goes for the workplace. My goal is to produce more wealth for whomever I'm working for than whatever they're paying me. I want to be an asset to any organization I'm in. I don't plan on being anyone's dead weight. Except for Christ. And I'm only okay with the debt I'm in to Him because there is literally no way for me to repay Him. I've accepted that there are some things that I can't do. But I can do what He has asked me to do, and I really want to do it.

But that brings us back to the question of motivation. Yes, I want to work hard and be the best that I can be, but do I want it badly enough? That's a risk that we're all going to have to take. We'll roll the dice and see what kind of number we get. In the meantime, all I can say is that I hope so. I want to have the kind of motivation that it will take to reach my full potential. I want to work my hardest to do good things. I want to be a worthwhile son, Christian, and employee. So now the question is: Do you want me to work for you?

Signed by a man who is trying to apply the principle of Diligence into all that he does,
Elder Andrew James Robarts

Monday, April 11, 2011

April 11, 2011


Dear Home,

My mom brought up a good point that I've been forgetting to mention. Since I'm coming home soon, I won't be in the apartment where I am for much longer, so consider this the 'Week 5 Warning'. Also, since I'll be leaving all of Canada, rather than just a part of it, it may be best to not send anything to the mission office either. If you really want to mail me something, mail it to California. Or, if you're already in Sacramento, just hold onto it and save yourself the stamp. I'll be there to get your letter in person before too long.

In the meantime, I'll still be working hard to save some souls. Unfortunately, even though I have enough motivation to keep knocking on doors, facing rejection, I don't seem to have quite enough courage to call people we've already met. That's a weakness of mine. I don't like talking on the phone. =S I'd much rather talk to people (even strangers) in person, like on their doorstep.

You know how we use different computers for Emailing every week? Someone did something to this computer so that everything on the screen looks like I've zoomed in on it, and I don't know how to zoom out. As a result, what I've written so far is taking up the entire screen.

I like playing 'Hit It'. It's a game I made up. You take a volleyball (or some other kind of ball, but volleyballs are best) and you hit it against a wall. When the ball comes back to you, you hit it again. And again. You can use any part of your body for hitting the ball. Eg. you can kick it, you can punch it, you can headbutt it (but not with a basketball). You can basically just do whatever you want except for letting the ball roll. Catch it if you have to, but whatever you do, don't let it roll. The game involves a lot of running around. Coincidentally, I think I need a shower. =P

In a recent Email my mom sent, she said that a part of me will always be partly Canadian. I think that's true. I've never said 'chesterfield', and I don't like perogies, but I'm going to be rooting for Canada at all of the Winter Olympics now. I want them to at least beat the US at Hockey every year (like they did this last time!!! =D). If anyone deserves to win at Hockey, it's them. =)

As for things other than that... I'm still American. I like stars better than maple leaves, and the colors red and white just aren't complete without a little bit of blue (which kind of makes me wonder why I'm wearing a red tie over a white shirt. o_O Aha! There's some blue on my watch! =P)

Wow, this watch has lasted me a long time. Two years of hard work and it still works like a charm. ^^ I can even take it into the shower without it getting any problems. All of the features still work, as far as I know, and besides a few places where the paint has worn off, the only thing that makes me think that the watch could be better is that the latch is very slightly bent, so I have to move the little stick-thing over every time I put my watch on, but really, how hard is that? I've already got all my fingers right there. Moving one of them over a little bit isn't that much of an inconvenience. I love my watch. ^^ Plus, I compared it to the General Conference countdown timer, and my watch is only 17 seconds off. Close enough, eh! xD

Ooh! That reminds me of something that I forgot to tell you. And talking about that reminds me of something else that I keep forgetting to tell you. =/

The first thing is 'Currant Bush'. You remember that story told in General Conference about a guy who pruned a Currant Bush and then got pruned down himself? Sister Paulson, our Mission President's wife, told all of the missionaries that story BEFORE General Conference! (And she told the story WAY more movingly. I almost cried. Just teared up. A little.) It's a good story.

The second thing is: I don't know if I told you that one of the missionaries in our MTC group is also from California. He lives in Modesto, which, I hear is about as close to Sacramento as it is to Oakland. I also heard that those are the two major cities with airports close to Modesto, so someone wanting to fly to Modesto might as well fly to either Sacramento or Oakland (how come Oakland doesn't have a Spanish name??) and drive the rest of the way from there. Guess what. That's the plan. Elder Goodrich is going to be flying to the Sacramento airport at exactly the same time I am on exactly the same plane. He'll be meeting his family there and they'll all drive to Modesto together. So, Sacramento people, keep your eyes open for the Goodrich family on April 29. ^^ And, if you see them, tell them I said 'hi'.

Time to get going. =/ Have a great week! See you soon, some of you. =)

Love, your still-a-full-time-missionary-until-I-get-released-by-a-member-of-the-Stake-Presidency ie. still-giving-the-Lord-my-all-until-then missionary, Elder Andrew Robarts

PS, I wonder if it's against the rules for a full-time missionary to hug his Mom. I'll have to check the handbook...

Monday, April 4, 2011

April 4, 2011

Dear Home,

I'm not counting down the days, yet, but it is scary how little time I have left here in Canada. =/ I'm not looking forward to the time when I stop going door to door, trying to help people. I keep thinking that there's more that I could do. I want to keep working hard. I want to do the best I can. I want to keep helping people feel the Gospel in their lives. I want to feel it more in MY life! I don't feel ready to quit.

But on a more positive note, General Conference was wonderful! All of the talks were very insightful. I don't think that there was any one talk that was aimed towards my specific needs (as there had been in Conferences past), but almost all of them shared something that applied to the question that I wanted the Lord to answer.

And many of them touched upon another question that I had: What should I do when I get home? I know that President Monson dropped a few hints, as did Elder Richard G. Scott, who spelled it out quite clearly what my highest priority should be. Am I nervous about that? Oh, yeah! Especially the part that Elder Scott said about being an exceptional person. I'm going to have to get VERY creative and use the skills that I practiced durring the Christmas Schooner to pull that one off! But it's worth a try. And I've got to make it work. It is, apparently, my highest priority.

Of course, 'highest priority' doesn't mean 'thing you do first'. On a Sunday Morning, your highest priority is to go to church, so if you have to choose between church and a baseball game, you go to church, but you don't go to church as soon as possible after you roll out of bed. That's not when church starts. The time isn't right yet. You still have time to get dressed, brush your teeth, have breakfast, and maybe even sit down with an Ensign before you have to leave for church. I'll have time.

But fulfilling my new highest priority isn't as easy as going to church. With church, all you have to do is show up at the building at the right time. With my new goal, there's a lot of preparation that needs to take place, so I plan on making a few preparations (if you know what I mean) while I'm doing other things, like getting a job/career and getting an education (hopefully).

Since there's going to be a temple in Winnipeg pretty soon, I'm half-thinking about saving up my money so I can go there when it gets dedicated, but I've never served in Winnipeg. The only people I would know there are other missionaries. I should probably save my pennies for other things, like car payments, house payments, paying off a student loan that I may have to get, and fulfilling my highest priority. THAT'S going to take some dough!

I'm worrying too much. Yeah, it's tough to be an adult. There's a lot of money management that needs to happen. I'll have to make tough investment decisions, like 'Can I afford to enroll in college right now?' 'Where will I work? What will I do?' 'What will I major in?' 'How much money can I afford to spend on Wants, and how much do I need to save up?'

Oh, yeah. I'm worrying WAY too much!

Anyway, to get back to the point, yeah, life's gonna be hard, but I can handle it. My parents did, my siblings are, and so can I. I've given God some of my time and effort- I've offered Him the crumb of what I managed to accomplish- Now I have to trust Him, seek His direction, work as hard as I can, and look for the loaf.

Speaking of looking for food, I just realized this morning that I'm coming home a few days after Easter. If I had my brother hide some eggs for me, I'd be almost guaranteed to be the last one to find all of mine. xD

Coming home is going to be interesting. I have SO much junk! It's amazing how many knick knacks you can build up over the course of two years. And I hope to fit all of this into two 50 pound suitcases and a carrying bag? Not likely! I threw a lot of stuff away. You know those little yellow capsules you get inside of Kinder Surprise eggs? I had DOZENS of them! Threw them all away. I have lots of golf balls, too. Those will probably get tossed. For Christmas, some members gave all of the missionaries in Regina a pair of pajamas. I don't fit mine. Do you think they'd be offended if I gave the PJs to Salvation Army? I hope not, because I don't know what else I could do with them.

I have a plan, though. After separating everything that I would like to keep, if any of it doesn't fit within the 50-pound limit, I'll put them in boxes and mail them to myself. Postage will be cheaper than overweight bag fees. Then again, I just realized something.... Don't we still have some boxes in the house from the time my oldest brother did that? And that was how many years ago?!?? Oi. =/ What am I going to do with all this STUFF?

I have something that I could give to someone. I would've had to ship it anyway, so I may as well ship it now. I don't know whether it'll be cheaper now or later. Worth the risk? -shrugs- I stink at making decisions.

My companion is probably done by now. I think we've been here for about an hour. I have another Email that I need to send after this one. Actually, I'll save this as a draft and get the other Email out of the way really quick.

Done. But I'm out of time. =/

Talk to you next week!

Love, your almost literally 'trunky' missionary, Elder Andrew Robarts