Okay so miracle number one. Are you ready? This one is pretty crazy. So last Wednesday at 7:30am, Sister Priestley and I were heading to the city for a worldwide missionary broadcast. We were running a little late, but we thought we might as well top off the gas tank; however, the pump wasn't working, so we just decided to leave and fill up when we get to the city. So there we were... Driving down the highway, singing along to the church hymns playing in the car, when suddenly... I see a car in the oncoming traffic turn off the road.. and then flip off the road... and flip and roll... right into the ditch!! After the initial shock and freak out that Sister Priestley and I had, we pulled over, called 911, and ran to see if anyone was alive in the car, (Not even kidding. We thought we were going to find a dead person.) all the while praying to Heavenly Father, "Please help these people to be okay!" It was absolutely crazy. 

So we got to the car, and saw that it was laying on the driver`s side, and there was a woman inside struggling to push the door open. She was yelling "Help me out! Please! Help me out!" Sister Priestley ran to help her lift the heavy door while I was trying to gather my thoughts so I could explain to the police where we were and what had just happened. I noticed a huge chunk of fur in the bumper and came to the conclusion that this woman, whose name we now know is Theresa had, in fact, hit a deer. However, she had absolutely no bumps or bruises. All was well! We took her to our car and I continued to give the police whatever information they asked me for. Not long after that, another car pulled up and came to see if everyone was okay. Turns out she and Theresa are really good friends! She jumped in the car and offered to stay with Theresa until the police arrived, because we were in a hurry to get to the city.... Aaaaand off we went! Crazy right?! 

Now get this: The next day we called Theresa to make sure she was okay. She was SO happy we called, and said, "You're the sisters from the Mormon church, aren't you?! When people asked who rescued me, I just told them it was two ladies wearing name tags!" We then realized that in the chaos of everything the day before, we had failed to even introduce ourselves to her. "You ladies are my guardian angels!! Thank you so much!" She was so sweet! :) Then she proceeded to tell us that her mom had joined the church a few years ago, and she knew quite a few members of our branch. We were ecstatic! We chatted for a little while longer with her and then she said "We will definitely have to meet up again sometime soon!" 

The Lord really does work in mysterious ways! It was crazy how we were in exactly the right place at the right time. If we hadn't been running a little late and if we had decided to fill up our tank with gas, we would not have been able to meet this amazing woman and possibly teach her about the gospel! I am so excited to see where this all goes. Stay tuned :)

Also, we got a new bomb golden investigator!! He has been so prepared for the gospel. This guy in our ward named Shane has been friends with him for a long time, and he told him all about the church and our beliefs and what we stand for, so he decided to come :) I could tell right off the bat that he wasn`t a member, because he was wearing jeans and he`s a little louder than most of the members. It was really cool though. So after Sunday school I went up and introduced Sister Priestley and I and he basically told us that he has been led to the church his whole life, because he has always had member friends, and he`s really eager to learn more. So then Sunday after church, some members invited us over for lunch at their place, and Tyson (the goldy golden investigator) was invited as well! It was really awesome. This guy is hilarious! He goes like 200 mph. I`m really excited though. Yesterday we taught him in our branch president`s home with a few members there. We hardly got to what we were planning on teaching, because he was just talking and talking away. #missionlyfe but we showed him a really powerful Mormon message and it made him cry! This is going to be good :) We also taught him on Wednesday, and it was the most powerful lesson I have ever been in. The spirit was so strong. Tyson told us that he had already prayed to know if the church is true, and he feels like he received an answer confirming the truth to him. Funny how that works, right? ;) 

Oh and another highlight from this week was the missionary broadcast that we were heading to when Theresa rolled off the road. It was awesome! Oh and in case anyone was wondering, we somehow got there like 20 minutes early! Don`t ask me how. We thought we were going to be like 20 minutes late. Anyways, I learned a ton about the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion! It was really awesome. I came to the realization that on my own, I can`t do anything! And how true is that? Our role as missionaries is to be worthy conduits so that the Holy Ghost can be brought unto the hearts of those we teach. After that, the choice is theirs. They can decide whether or not they want to let it into their hearts, because they still have their agency. Overall, it was really eye opening. Whenever we have meetings like that, my head is so full and I always end up with a headache after it`s all over. I turned to Sister Priestley and said "So much spirit! So little brain!" She got a kick out of that one, and now we say it all the time. :) Good times.

ANOTHER MIRACLE! Yes, there`s more! Jen is getting baptized on February 6th! Jen is Judy`s daughter and she has been meeting with missionaries for about 3 years now. However, she is terrible at making and keeping any commitments ever. BUT! We have been teaching her fairly consistently, and she finally accepted a baptismal date. This is the first time she has done this EVER. So it`s a pretty big deal! I`m stoked. I asked her how she thinks it is going to bless her life when she is baptized, and she said "Honestly, I can`t think of any way that it won`t bless my life." I was so happy to hear her say that. The spirit has definitely been working with her lately, and she`s finally ready to take the first step toward her salvation! Yay!

Joe is also getting baptized, and that one is coming up real quick. It is this Saturday! Now, let me remind you: Joe is John`s son, and he used to be the biggest punk of all time, but he has totally transformed into a different person now that the gospel is in his life. Lisa, his mom, was telling us that she and John were asking Joe why he wants to be baptized, and he said, "I just want to be a Mormon." So she said, "You want to be a Mormon? List four reasons why you want to be a Mormon." To which he replied, "Only four?" and he went on to tell her how happy he is and how much better life is for him now that he has purpose and direction from the gospel. Lisa has been so helpful, and has really helped her family to incorporate the gospel into their lives. I am so grateful for her!! 

Overall, everything is going so well for Sister Priestley and I! My testimony has been strengthened so much as we have been directed by the hand of the Lord to those who have been prepared to receive the gospel. I love being a missionary! This is a great work that we are apart of. Thank you for all of your love and support and PRAYERS. I know that I would not be able to do what I have done without all of the prayers from back home! 

You guys are amazing. Sorry this email is so long. :) Congrats to those of you who made it all the way to the end. You`re my true friends. 

Have a great week!!

Sister Robinson

So one of my favourite parts of the week was getting to sit in on part of Judy's baptismal interview. She was interviewed by President Hatch, who is one of our mission president's assistants, and he did a really good job at relieving Judy of some anxiety she was having about the baptism. He talked to her about conversion and asked her to step back and think about what she is converted to at this point in her life. I think this is a question that we can all ask ourselves. What are you converted to? Is it the missionaries? Is it the testimonies of those around you? Or are you truly converted to the Lord? Or another question- Why do you do the things you do? I would love to be able to get to the point in my life where I can honestly and say "I am who I am, because I love the Lord more than anything else." 

Another highlight from this week was New Years Eve!! We walked over to the church for a New Years party, because President Manion didn't want us driving after 6. John and Lisa were there, and it was really awesome for them to be able to get to know some of the members in the branch better. Our night consisted of Uno, chips and dip, and DANCING! Oh my gosh, it was fun.. and funny. We were basically hanging out with a bunch of old people. We did the Virginia Reel, which is like square dancing, and had a lot of laughs. Everyone was telling Sister Priestley and I that we had "too much energy." Pff... No such thing ;) We did end up going home at 9pm, because of our curfew and I slept right through midnight.

So on Friday, we taught John his last lesson before baptism. It was all about service and different ways we can serve the Lord within the church and in our families. It was a really great lesson. His son, Joe [15 years old] has been sitting in on the lessons as well, and we've noticed that he's slowly but surely showed more and more interest with every visit. So these past few lessons, we've been making sure that we're doing our best to include Joe as much as we can. Last Friday, we learned that he has been reading the Book of Mormon nightly with his parents, and that is a big deal!! [Something you need to understand about Joe is that he was a punk when we first met him! He claimed to be an athiest, he ditched class all the time to get high with his friends, and he was super rebellious toward his parents.] And now he's been volunteering to say the opening prayers in out lessons, and reading the Book of Mormon! It's amazing. I know. So the spirit was like "Well what are you waiting for? Ask him to be baptized!" I LOVE asking people if they want to be baptized.. Maybe that's because the last few people I've asked have accepted the invitation. That could definitely be a part of it.. Anyways. I said "Joe, do you want to be baptized?" and he simply replied, "Yeah, I do." So I asked him how he came to that decision, and he said "Well I've been listening in on your lessons, and it all seems to make sense to me, so I think it would be really cool to get baptized." Or something along those lines. Whatever he said, it was awesome! And the spirit was like KABOOM. 

Oh and then John's dad, Eric, came to the baptism on Saturday and he always says "I have a lot of questions!" So we were like "Eric, when can we come and answer your questions?" To which he replied, "You girls are just trying to convert me!" He was joking, but we all just laughed, and I said, "You said it!" Twas funny. Long story short, he said we could come over any time, so hopefully we are going to be able to get this whole family baptized! Wouldn't that be amazing?? And then on that same day, Mitchell, John's other son said he wants to take the lesson so that he can get baptized with Joe! This is crazy, right?? It's amazing though!! I am so thankful that the Lord is blessing us with these amazing people. The field REALLY is "white already to harvest!"

Miracle after miracle, am I right? Okay well here's another: Judy has a daughter, who was actually investigating the church long before Judy was. Her name is Jen, and Jen is what we like to call an "eternigator," or eternal investigator. She is so flaky with commitments!! It's frustrating, but she came to the baptism on Saturday, and her heart was really softened. She NEVER thought her mom would get baptized before her, and I think it really made her go "Well what am I waiting for?" So we taught her the night of the baptism, and then last night as well anddddd... She is going to pray about getting baptized on February 6th! Can you believe this?? Another baptism! 

Oh man. God is good, right? And I only covered a hand full of all of the amazing things that happened this week. But I've been thinking and asking myself "Why is Heavenly Father blessing us with so many miracles?" We aren't doing anything extraordinary. I don't feel like I deserve all of these blessings! In fact, I know I don't deserve all this... But I have definitely learned that He doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies who He calls. I am so thankful for this gospel and for the light that it brings into people's lives! Heavenly Father really does prepare people to receive this gospel. I hope that we can all try to build our faith in the Lord this week as we share our testimonies with all those around us. The church is true. I know it's true :) 

And I love you guys. Have a good week, and a happy happy new year!

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Sister Robinson

P.S. I really hope this email made sense. I am so scramble brained today.

Also, Ashlyn Murie and Emily Baros need to email me.. I miss you guys.

Random Canadian fun facts:

1. There are these obnoxious photo radar cameras on the roads that will take a picture of your license plate if you are speeding, and send you a ticket in the mail! So most Canadians drive like 5 under the speed limit.

2. Everything here is like 2X the cost as things in the states. There is no such thing as a dollar menu in Canada!!

3. People walk around here in sweatshirts, jeans, and runners (tennis shoes) in -15 degrees.

4. I can't think of any other fun things......... K bye.

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Helloooo people of America!

{I held a chameleon!}

...

That article really touched me. It reminded me of a conversation we were having with one of our investigators named Anita. We showed her the "Come Unto Christ" video that the church put out and asked her how it made her feel. She said she felt peace and warmth and basically described the influence of the spirit. Then she said something that was interesting. She said "I get scared when I feel like this, because I know that something is going to go wrong soon. Happiness never lasts." I wanted to cry for her! Believing that happiness never lasts goes against the infinite plan of salvation, which God set out for us so that we could all have happiness, peace, and joy into the eternities! I wonder what it would be like to not understand that there is a way for all of us to be happy forever. That way is through Jesus Christ, who was sent to this earth by a loving Father in heaven so that all of His children, not just some of us, will be able to return to Him someday. 

{Canadians barbecue no matter what time of year!}