MTC Week 6

Konnich minasan!

Boy oh boy this week there's been a lot of new-ness! Our senpai and all the awesome friends I've made from the Japanese branches left early Monday morning for Japan! I wish them the best of luck as they begin the journey spreading the good word in Nihon! It's been pretty quiet around the zone with them gone but we got new kohai ("juniors" aka new missionaries in our zone) yesterday! Excited to get to know all of them!

Last night was crazy! We skyped a Japanese lady from Japan and had like a 50 minute lesson/chat with her. It was scary how fast they talked even when they tried to speak slow for us haha.. But she was great, she spoke english for us when we needed it and was very patient. Very cool experience, and she was so nice! If everyone or most everyone in Japan is as nice and happy as she was, I don't think I'll be coming home after these 2 years;)

It's snowing today in Provo, the first credible snow since early December! It's funny how happy it makes me to have some sort of weather different from the norm. For my friends in the east, sounds like you're having a great time with all this wonderful snow:) 

In other news, I am so pumped to be part of God's work! I have friends going literally all over the world- Adriatic North (countries east of Italy across the Adriatic sea), Tahiti, Germany, Angola, England, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico, Argentina, and the states- speaking 10 different languages... How sweet is that!? Happy for all of em.

Other than that, I've had a great week meeting new people, learning nihongo, learning how to teach and connect with others better and finding joy in life!

16 days to go til Japan. Cool. Please, have a splendid week!  Ai shite imasu yo!

Elder Robins

Week 5 in the Hive

"The hive" is a name for the MTC i just made up that rhymes with 5 to make my emails sound cooler. Hope everyone had a nice Valentines Day and long weekend! My momma sent me a cute valentines day tie I wore but that's about it in terms of celebrating. I did mess with all my teachers making sure they had a party to go to that night (all of my teachers are return missionaries that went to japan and now go to BYU- so they're college students) and challenging them to meet someone special.

Another great and quick week has gone by here in Utah! I apologize I may have made it sound like Japanese is coming rather easily to me, but that's not what I meant... haha I am still very much at a preschooler level of speaking, won't be fluent-ish for around another 9 months my goal! The next wave of Japanese missionaries leaves this Monday morning to mainly the southern missions of japan. I'm sad to let them go, they've all become great friends of mine and they're fun to hang out with but it's all good I'll probably see most of them back at BYU when I return. 

Today I got to see my cousin Cody here on the MTC campus! He served in the Phillippines and got home right before I left. He's applying to be a teacher here for the language of Tagalog so hopefully I'll be able to see him more often for the next few weeks before I head out. It was sweet to see him!

Here are some great gems of advice for yall from the year 1700

"It's not who you aren't, it's who you are and being you is being great!" 

Love you all tons! I love my job for the next two years being able to focus completely on the Lord and what He would have me do. I'm learning and growing every day loving life.

Have a fortuitous week!

Elder Robins

PS ~ Happy 45th birthday ;) to my brother in law Wil! Love you lots :)! ~

MTC Week 4 Recap

Hello minasan!

Quick little clarification-

Mission Area (ie Sendai)

Branches (geographical sections of the Sendai Mission)

Zones (sections of the branch. These contain a few districts)

Districts (multiple pairs of missionaries within certain zones that work closely with one another)

Companionship (a pair of two missionaries, these two missionaries work together for the span of a 'transfer' or about a month and a half until they are reassigned to a new area of the mission with a new Elder or Sister)

This week has been the fastest week so far which is good in some ways and scary in others. It's good because from here on out time will continue to fly and I'll be in Japan before I know it! Scary because that means I only have 4 more weeks to learn all the Japanese i can before I am officially in the field preaching in nihongo (Japanese). My nihongo study has been truly miraculous this week. My doryo (companion) said last night that I've grown so much in the past few days that he can't keep up with me, and he's really really smart. SO that was a very special compliment that made me feel great about myself. 

Been having a lot of fun with everyone this week. It isn't always easy to live with and love 5 other very different elders but it is good to make each other better, help one another and have fun with it in the process. I'm loving my small little district and our two amazing teachers. Like it's sweet how well they teach... they connect everything back with to us and to our future investigators and teach us how to better peel people's "onions"  which is a handy dandy tool to have in life. Teaching well like they do is something I definitely look forward to and work on every day so I can better connect with the people I teach.

Other than that nothing too worth mentioning has happened here in Provo. These emails will start to light up a lot more once I get out to Japan but for now I'm just learning and growing spiritually and mentally. I wish I was growing physically too...come back to be a nice 6'2", that would definitely be cool.

But ya anyways, just want to let you know a lady who cut my hair today has a daughter that lives in Danville and she's going there in 2 weeks to visit. The down side is she chopped off my sideburns today without hesitation. They were a beautiful length too, so im kinda upset about it and will

ave to pray to try and forgive her ;) Other than that another solid week here in the MTC. Thanks again for the love, the letters, and the packages. Much much much appreciation. 

Everyone have a great Valentines/ Presidents Day full of precocious joy and wonderment! 

Love you all,

Elder Dallin Robins

Elder Dallin Slavens and I (he's from Danville, going to Cambodia)  showing our love for peace. 

MTC Week 3

こんいちわ Starshine!

Man what a great week. Been here for 22 days now! Crazy. This past
monday all of our what we call dai senpai (missionaries that are two
generations
older than our generation) left for various parts of japan! It was an
awesome awesome group. Fun fact: one of those missionaries, sister
martins, I just found out knows 6 languages! French, Italian,
Portugese, English, Japanese, and spanish. Incredible! Anyway as much
as it was sad to say goodbye, the highlight of them leaving was
getting the legendary basketball shooting sleeve passed down to me. I
was honored. And when the time comes I will sign my name and pass it
down to the next baller japanese-bound missionary. So ya this week has
been a little quiet cause theres not that many people left in our zone
and only 5 people in our class but luckily there was 47 japan bound
missionaries that came in yesterday, so it will be fun to get to know
them.

Follow up news about Sister Ailupo- she got removed from our district-
she is no longer going to Japan or learning Japanese. She is now going
back to Australia to serve in the Sydney mission. It's really too bad
but she was a truly amazing example to me and to everyone around her.
So selfless, so genuine and caring, and such an amazing spirit. During
her trials that were so hard I can't imagine, instead of turning
inward like the natural man would do and pity herself to sleep each
night, she turned outward, focused and cared for other people's needs
and did things for others. Like I said, she is an amazing example and
inspired me to turn outward and stop be
service oriented.

The language is coming! Elder Barr and I have been working really hard
together to pound out the grammar books & so far it's been paying off!
Japanese is awesome and I'm having tons of fun here at the MTC.
Something I find dumb but really fun to do to keep me entertained is
to look at far off objects when you are talking directly to other
missionaries in conversation- really catches em off guard. If you're
weird like me you might find it enjoyable. I've had an awesome week
and I appreciate all the love, the prayers and the
support.

Everyone have a sugoi week, あいしていますみなさん!

Elder Dallin Robins

I will send pictures next week！