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Excerpts from Mike's Letter Home:

09/15/2003

Dear Family,

Hopefully all is still going well. We have had a pretty interesting week all in all. This coming week will be interesting as well.

First off, we will be having Elder H. Bruce Stucki of the Second Quorum of the Seventy drop by on a mission tour this week. We are having a giant quad Zone Conference this coming Thursday. It should be interesting and we will get to hear what he thinks of our almost numberless reporting system. It should be good.

We taught our investigating family the fifth discussion and watched the film "Legacy" with them this week. They are still progressing nicely and all is well. They enjoyed the movie since it helps them get a better understanding of the history behind the Church. I enjoyed it because it was the first time that I had seen it on my mission.

We also taught another investigator this week. We had a great discussion about the Restoration. He said, "I was just telling my wife the other day, I am sick of changing denominations all the time and unless I am assured it's God's restored church, I am not being baptized again." So, that was a great comment.

I also got attached by an animal for the first time on my mission. Yep, an expensive parrot was trying to take off a piece of my ear. Though it was repeatedly biting me (and only me in a room full of people), it didn't have any success. The bites were pretty hard and I wondered if I was bleeding, but when all was said and done, but I was fine. I am happy it was a parrot and not a pit bull.

This past evening was rather interesting as well. The phone rang and Elder Weeks answered. I kind of heard a bunch of mumbling and "Elder Robinson" mentioned a few times. I assumed that it was President Nielsen with some bad news, possibly an emergency transfer or something. Finally, Elder Weeks said "Okay" and handed me the phone. It was a man who was Chaplain Mark Wirth at Cox South Hospital ER. He had a man there that had requested a blessing from me. He was related to an inactive in our Ward. I told him that it was out of our area, but that we would call and get someone up there.

I began calling our Zone leader and I asked Elder Weeks if it was after 6:30 yet (since we can only make long distance calls after that time.) He responded, are you kidding, it is only 1:30. I hung up before it made the connection. I was trying to figure out how to get this to happen. I thought that Cox South was just north of our Zone. I pulled out my old matrix to find the Springfield Zone Leaders and called the Chaplain back. I was on hold for 20 minutes but finally was able to give the Chaplain the Zone Leader's phone number. I told him to call us back if there were any more problems. I had to explain to him that I was not authorized to call those numbers. It probably seemed strange that I could not call. But anyways, he thanked me for the numbers. In retrospect, I should have just called them since there was a good reason.

Anyways, in the morning our District Leader called us about some unrelated items. I told him a little about our dilemma. He told us that Cox South is in the 3rd and 4th Wards (our zone). I thought that the chaplain had to call around a ton. So, I called my Zone Leader who had no clue what zone it is in. He hadn't heard anything about it. He left us a message later in the day, "The man died, call me back for information to give to your Bishop and Relief Society." So, I felt guilty. I called back latter and found out that the Zone Leaders from up there made it in time to give him a blessing, even though they had to cross Zone boundaries. It was a good thing too, because the assigned Wards wouldn't have been able to make it. The 3rd Ward is on bikes and the 4th lives on the other side of Nixa from us. Luckily, the blessing was given though, so I don't fell guilty. The call did however disrupt my sleeping schedule (since I thought it was after 6:30) and I had to be on the phone with the Zone Leader, Bishop, Relief Society President, etc. during the majority of this p-day. Though, it was for a good cause.

Anyways, it is interesting to hear that Bishop Beckett is now President Beckett. You can give him a congratulations from me the next time you see him. It is interesting to hear that a lot of missionaries are headed to Spain. I probably would have enjoyed that call, but the OTM is awesome.

It is wonderful to hear that mom and grandma's trip to Ireland has been finalized. Hopefully you will have fun and send me a postcard! I will have to see some pictures upon my return.

Dad's news about the organ CD is awesome. It is always wonderful to figure out about the electronics you own. But, the fact that the manual was actually helpful is truly amazing. The doctor's news is saddening. I know dad can pull through, and without work it might help the blood pressure. Let me know if there is anything that I can do. Take care dad!

Looking at the bicycle papers that mom sent me from REI, I think I can conclude that it would be best to borrow mom's bicycle at home until I can build my own. I think I can get a lot higher quality parts for not much more than their most expensive bike. Plus, I am sure that Elder Slatter would help me with it, since wants a little more road bike assembly experience. I also am a member of Team Performance (PerformanceBike.com) so I get a 10% discount on my orders from them. So, I will probably have to check it out more when I get home. But I do think that building my own will probably be the way to go, so I can get a better bicycle. As mom said to me before, "It will probably be the last bicycle you will buy." If I get a great one now, it should last me!

Anyways, I have got to run. I greatly appreciated all that you do. Take care, enjoy your days! Let me know how everything is going. I miss you all so much.

Love,
Elder Mike Robinson