Drum Roll Please...

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July 19th, 2016
Hey hi hello there!

This was such a glorious week! Oh my goodness... Where do I begin?

The Lord's hand was manifested to me time and time again this week, and I am so grateful for these many testimony building experiences. I know He is there. I love Him and His perfect son, and I love sharing His perfect gospel that I hold so near and dear to my heart!

{Happy day!}

This was at the baptism of Sister Karimu, the African woman standing next to me. What a glorious day! I taught her in Clareview, and after a lot of long and hard work, she finally decided to get baptized! In this picture, you may also recognize Thomas (far left) and his wife Hawa (in front of me). They are two people who I share a very special bond with, because I was able to help Thomas make the decision to get baptized. Watching his testimony grow and flourish was an indescribable experience. He is now serving as an elders quorum teacher, and Hawa is preparing to be baptized very soon!! I love them all so much!

So last week, in many of the emails I sent to my family and friends, I said something along the lines of, "the work is moving very slowly. We are teaching a lot of people with potential, but no one is really progressing. However, we are continuing to pray that the lord will place someone in our path who is truly humble and prepared for the gospel. Pray that we will find someone please!" And oh. My. Goodness gracious, people! What a magnificent role prayer plays in our lives!

{Quick car selfie!}

First off, our wonderful investigator named Pam decided that... (Drum roll please.......) she wants to get baptized on AUGUST 6th!!! Ahh! I am so happy for her! We had been asking her again and again to pray about a date to be baptized, but she kept making silly excuses or saying that she forgot.

So on Wednesday, we went to see her on exchanges, and the sister I was with suggested that we just pray with her! I thought it was a wonderful idea, so we went ahead with that. You guys. The spirit in that room was indescribable. Pam told us a while ago that she would really like to be baptized, but she doesn't know when. So we asked if she had prayed about it, and she said, "no, I haven't! I've been so busy!" So we said, "Pam, can we pray with you right now? We want you to specifically ask God if August 6th is the right day for you to get baptized, and then after the prayer, sit still, and pay attention to how you feel." She complied, and said the sweetest prayer, thanking God for so many wonderful blessings and then asking about August 6th. We all sat in silence for about a minute, and I looked up at Pam and saw her grinning from ear to ear. She said, "It feels really good!" It was such a wonderful experience. Pam is recognizing the roll of the Holy Ghost more and more each and every day.

{Temple day today!}

Prayer is just amazing. On Sunday, we had an hour before our supper appointment with no appointment to fill up the time, so I said a prayer before we left the house that we would be able to find someone willing to hear our message! We went from place to place, knocking on the doors of less actives and investigators with no avail, until we were left with 15 minutes before supper. I remember thinking, "okay, I prayed that we would find someone. Now, who is it?"

So we tried by another less active family's house, and... They weren't home. But we noticed their next door neighbour barbecuing in his front yard. We walked by and said, "hello!" And much to our surprise, he responded in a very friendly manner! Lo and behold, the Lord provided for us again! So we were able to have a quality conversation with him (Damien) about religion, families, and how what we teach brings families together. He was so intrigued, and finally asked, "Could we set up a time for you to come and teach my family?" We were ecstatic! It is not very often that someone asks US to teach THEM! And the timing could not have been more perfect.

Overall, this was an amazing week. I have been finding so much comfort in 1 Nephi 3:7, which says:

will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.

It brings me so much peace to know that when we strive to follow what the Lord commands us to do, he will always "prepare a way for [us] to accomplish the things which he [commands us to do]." I often recite that scripture in my head, especially on the days when it seems like nothing is going right. It is then that I hold onto the hope that as we strive to follow the commandment to "teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 28:19) the Lord will prepare the way for us.

{Doing some scripture study}

Thank you to all of you true and faithful friends of mine. I love you all so much! Thank you for your encouraging words. They get me through the really tough days. You are all amazing! God bless each and every one of you.

Love,
Sister Robinson

P.S. I added a few new names to the list this week! I was looking through my goodbye journal that I have my favourite people sign in each area and noticed some of you put your email addresses! So welcome welcome :) I hope you enjoy reading about the grand adventures of Sister Robinson and Sister Phillips!


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July 26th, 2016
So I am currently watching Sister Phillips get her hair done. :) it was long overdue for us. The last time I got mine cut was December! Crazy, right? I'm probably going to get 3-4 inches taken off of mine. I'm so excited! This lady really seems to know what she's doing. :) kinda cool to watch someone get highlights. Never seen that done before, haha. 

{Always smiling}

Ugh, I just got an email from Tyson pretty much saying he's giving up on the gospel. :( I don't know what more to do for him.  I just sent him another email, telling him to keep pushing through and that the Lord would provide for him. I said more than just that, but ugh. Sometimes being a missionary is so hard, because people just give up and don't see how much the gospel can bless their lives! 

I just sent an email to Tyson. I'll paste it here:

...
Hey Tyson!

I trust that this week was a good one for you! Things are going really well for us here in Lakewood. We have an investigator who wants to get baptized on August 6th, so I'm really looking forward to that! We also have the opportunity to volunteer at a big festival called Heritage Days this weekend. It should be a great week! Good things are coming.

Today I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the temple and partake of the spirit while I was there. I learned that I really need to trust in the Lord and rely on him even more. I am nothing without him. It was a wonderful experience. I'm excited for you to be able to receive your endowment one day.

Do you remember pleading with me some time ago to continue writing you after I moved away, because you were afraid you would fall away? Do you remember that day? I sure do, because what you said really touched
me. Well here I am now. I am going to continue to say this with as much passion and love for my Saviour, Jesus Christ as I can muster: I am not giving up on you, Tyson.

“Whoever we are, however difficult our circumstances, we can know that what our Father commands we do to qualify for the blessings of eternal life will not be beyond us. We may have to pray with faith to know what we are to do and we must pray with a determination to obey, but we can know what to do and be sure that the way has been prepared for us by the Lord."-President Henry B. Eyring

Regardless of our age and stage in life, daily obedience to gospel principles is the only sure way to eternal happiness. President Ezra Taft Benson put it most poignantly when he said, "When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power."

I believe in you, Tyson! I really really do. I know things are tough. I can't imagine what you must be going through right now, but the Lord is truly on your side. Please just rely on him and let him refine you and shape you into the man he knows you are capable of becoming.

Sincerely,

Sister Robinson
...

Haha. Kinda bold, but I felt compelled to tell him those things. That silly head.

{These are some cute kids that we teach from Tanzania!}


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August 9th, 2016
Hello everyone!
{A bittersweet farewell with my shmookums}

I hope all is well :) As some of you know, transfers were this week, and my soul sister, Sister Phillips got shipped off to Fort St. John*sniff sniff* It was a very sad day when she left. I felt like my heart was getting ripped out of my chest! It was definitely inspired for us to be put together. Our time together was short, but well spent.

{Hearing the news that Sister Phillips will be going to Fort St. John in BC!}

THANKFULLY, the Lord blessed me with another wonderful companion!! Her name is Sister Christensen. She is from Salt lake city, she is very pretty, she is a super BRAVE missionary, and such a delight. I love her already. :) I am learning a lot from her about the little things that make a BIG difference in missionary work! We set a goal for ourselves to meet our mission president's standard of approaching 15 people each day to invite them to learn about the gospel. So far, so good! We did it yesterday, and it was one of the best days of my mission! Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it was wonderful. I didn't realize how many things I need to improve on, but I am making my way! I have exactly 4 months to figure out how to be the perfect missionary.


{My adorable new companion, Sister Christensen!}

But it really is those small and simple things that we do which allow us to move the work forward. I didn't realize the impact we can have as we go out of our way to talk to (literally) everyone that will listen to us! The Lord said so Himself, in Doctrine and Covenants 64:33

Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

{Playing Skip-Bo with Adolf and friends}
I am just pumped to share the gospel today! I want to shout it from the rooftops so everyone can hear the good news!!

Speaking of good news, Pam is getting baptized on Saturday!! She was very quick to fall in love with the gospel, and I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to teach her. I can't believe it was just 2 months ago that she was babbling on about reincarnation. She went from not even knowing who Jesus Christ is to fully believing in him and wanting more than anything to follow the example he set by being baptized!! Miracles are happening, people. I am so grateful to be able to help her on this journey. Yesterday, we had a wonderful lesson about enduring to the end and the importance of those small and simple daily things we can do to invite the spirit into our lives. We also showed her one of my favourite Mormon Messages called "Stay in the Boat". Her understanding of everything was perfect, and she said "I can't wait for Saturday!!" over and over again. She's adorable. :)

{Pam's baptism!}

Okay whelp! I love you all so much! Thank you for everything! Seriously.

Much love,
Sister Robinson


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