Mother's Day Skype ... 2014

Mother's Day Skype 2014

.... Our family portrait until Christmas time!!! I LOVED this Skype.  Elder Robertson was so relaxed and happy.  It was so wonderful to see how much he is enjoying being a missionary and all of the trials and blessings that come from serving.

We also got to see his companion, Elder Martin.  They are really good friends. I loved seeing how they interacted with each other.

This is the screen shot I got when I asked them to pose.  They have their conference ties on.

Here they are in their Conference Ties.

When I expressed that I was worried about not being able to set up Skype time and my fear of him not worrying about it as his comp has skyped home in March for the British Mother's Day, he reassured me that he would not think like that.  I think he loves me!! haha  It seems like just yesterday that we said our goodbyes, but years since he's been home.  It is such an unusual feeling.  I can report there were no tears shed this time. I was just so happy seeing him so happy!!  I really must share time with the others at Christmas. I always plan to walk away, but it seems physically impossible at the time!!

Well the time was not long enough, and I could have spoken to him all day.  I couldn't hang up either, and so left that to his youngest brother, Thomas to do!!

Just 8 months until Christmas Skype, which will actually be our last missionary Skype with Elder Robertson.  That seems like his mission has just gone by soooo fast!!

His email on the Monday was brief as not much had happened over night, thankfully!

Here's parts of it ...

Obviously after our long chat yesterday, I don't have much news either. Skyping doesn't make me that homesick. It does make me realise how much it means to me to have such a great family and how much I really do miss you, but not homesick.  

Today, we'll be going out with Stephan Schmidt and "Elder" Nakken and his family. I'll have to nip home to get my camera as I forgot to bring it. I do however have my other SD card with me with my photos on, so don't worry... you'll get a couple today. Other than that, I'm doing well as you've seen. Having lots of fun and working hard.

The picture is me and elder meyer with the GML or ward mission leader ("Gemeinde Missions Leiter" auf deutsch). I'll send you a couple more photos in other emails!! 

Anyway, I hope you're all doing well, Iove you all loads and miss you!!

I told him no packages until I get photos, I guess it worked!! haha

These are from his last area in Luzern, enjoy the pics!!!

Luzern, Switzerland

Elder Robertson and 'C' who was recently baptised!  They are such close friends.

Elder Meyers, C and Elder Robertson after the baptism

Early morning email!!

Last week the mission was blessed with a mission tour from Elder & Sister Dyches.  I was so happy to hear Elder Robertson's excitement of the forthcoming conference in last weeks email.

Yesterday at church, Elder Dyches and I made eye contact as he sat down on the stand.  He went to stand up and looked at the clock, there was only 5 minutes to go before the meeting started.  He decided to jump up to come and see me anyhow.  I leapt out of my seat and met him half way: which ended up right at the front by the pulpit where he threw open his arms and gave me a hug by proxy from Elder Robertson.  I was so grateful   who am I kidding, I was gratefully ecstatic!! haha

As missionary mums, (and I might add, some dads) we become scavengers of information and anyone, anytime and anything who may have seen, heard or touched the mission or missionary ... we want to collect it all!! Elder Dyches gave a lovely report on how he (Elder Robertson) was doing and I was really touched that he would take the time to report back, especially with so few minutes before the meeting started!!  What amazing leaders we have to to consecrate so much to serve us and our missionaries.

Photo thanks to Sister Miles!!! .... It's like playing 'Where's Wally'!!

This week he emailed me before I got chance to send mine.  I usually do Sunday evening but thought I'd have time to do it Monday morning .... ooopps!!

I've managed to have a little time emailing back and forth this morning.  It's meant I have most of my questions answered, but there's no sniff of a photo!!

His main concern with the area is finding people to teach.  I've suggested he try and get some ward activities up and running.  It's a good place for us to bring our friends and family, to unify as members and where the missionaries can meet our friends and should they be interested in hearing about the gospel, it can go on from there.  He is hoping to reconnect with a few people in the area that he has met recently.

He loves serving with Elder Martin!

Service Projects

I was asked in Church on Sunday, 'Are you Elder Robertson's mum?' I think she was surprised at how excited I was to meet her, poor girl!! She has been very kind in feeding the missionaries and providing them with service projects.

A member in Basel who introduced herself on Sunday.

It's always good to meet friends they make whilst serving as it makes you feel close to your missionary!

Email Monday came and I am so impressed with Elder Robertson, despite his short emails home, lack of information and photos and that he doesn't answer any questions, he has never missed one Monday's email.  It's always good to hear from him.

This week, he talks a bit about the service opportunities and projects in the area.  

We've had a good week this week. We've had a lot of service projects going on here in Basel. I'm still aching from one of them as we played sport in the morning then helped move a load of furniture for a member moving house and then helped an investigator move his self made shed as best as possible to the other side of the garden. I was finished after that. I still am, but it was fun being able to lend our services.  We had a pretty cool experience last week as we were on a really packed train, due to delays, and then decided to give up our four seats and offer them to elderly women standing around. It was only a small act of service but as one woman got out she slipped Elder Martin 50 francs for the favour (probably to split between us all) but it was interesting to see such a large worldly blessing for such a simple act of service that used to be expected only a few years back. 

Elder Dyches is visiting the whole mission this week. We'll be seeing him on Wednesday. All the missionaries in Switzerland will be coming together in Zürich for the occasion. It will be great to be able to see everyone again and be spiritually uplifted at the same time. I can't wait to see what topics will be spoken about and what effects it may have considering the upcoming changes within the mission. There's been many changes recently in District and Zone boundaries.

Time has become quite the pressing matter in missionary work, and is especially in these the "last days". Knowing that our time is limited and that the time will come as expressed in the scriptures when the harvest will be over and there will be no more harvest, it is an interesting consideration of how the time we have as a missionary can be used and what would be more effective.  

I do struggle at times as I am constantly finding myself in appointments with only Spanish speaking people and through a translator and the presence of all four of us, I struggle to be an effective tool in the hands of the Lord. I'm recognizing the differences a certain situation can make in the effectivity of the spirit. I'm trying to now get a new feeling of how I fit into these new situations and can really bring the spirit into these circumstances, knowing that there is not just one way in which the spirit works.

I got a photo from another missionary mum of the four Basel missionaries together at a dinner appointment this week ...

Elder Robertson. Carr. Martin and .... ooops!! Need to learn the fourth missionary's name!