Misawa Transfer 3 Week 6

Hello!

Hit my 6 month mark this last Tuesday. Time is flying. We had some awesome fun and good food this last week. Learned how to play racquetball, got to play basketball inside on a real court (first time in a while), had a homemade steak dinner at a members house and a whole lot more of good things. Went on splits with one of our zone leaders, Elder Takeda, in Aomori-  the northernmost city of our mission. That place is awesome and so much good fun. We were able to hand out 9 Books of Mormon! Pretty uncommon here in northern Japan, so that was a faith builder. I had so much fun doing missionary work up there with Elder Takeda and learned good techniques and tips on how to do mission work better. One of those tips is called "Gaijin power." Gaijin= foreigner == me. This really is a tool us gaijin use when finding. We use our lack of knowledge and our american-ness to our advantage. If you're a native, you have an "awkward" barrier upfront but when you aren't a native, that barrier isn't there. It is your best tool as a young missionary and I'm learning I shouldn't be afraid or embarrassed to use it. Isn't that neat?? haha

 

Transfer calls came: I will be staying. [Intense, I know. You can wipe the sweat off your forehead.]
Elder Suzuki will be going to Akita! My first area! Super cool and I'm so excited for him even tho he's very upset to be leaving the "wonderland" as our mission president calls it, of Misawa. He'll soon be working with my old friends there in Akita and hopefully knock some sense into Jerry who still isn't baptized... Elder Okamoto, a STUD third transfer missionary will be headed out and our area is now down to two elders, as we predicted- those two elders being Elder Erickson and I! This will be our third transfer living together so we're already pretty close and know a little bit about how we work together. I'm way scared to be honest. Elder Erickson is only going to be a 6th transfer- still very young in the language and he and I are left to fend on our own to teach what used to be 2 companionships worth of people who used to be taught by experienced or at least native missionaries. Elder Erickson will also be District Leader in charge of 2 areas and 6 missionaries. He's such a stud. Super diligent and very focused on using every minute of time wisely. 

These next 6 weeks are going to be hectic. We will have a very tight schedule, jam packed with lessons, visits, meal appointments and finding. I feel lots of challenges, hard times and growth are ahead of me personally and for us as a companionship, but I'm ready for the challenge. Reliance on the Lord is going to be key.  

Yall are awesome. 

Elder Dallin Robins

Robinzu Chōrō

ロビンズ長老

Good portion of the Misawa Japanese branch. Yep, pretty tight bunch :) Love them so much!

Elder Suzuki and I in the middle and two awesome brothers on the outsides. Left one is a return missionary the one on the right is 18 and doing a stellar job preparing for a mission a year from now.